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OLD GAMES AND TOUGH CONVERSATIONS
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-02-28 04:42:36
Bab terkait
PRETEND PRINCESS RUSHING INTO CHAOS
Yuki's povMy head was pounding.A dull, relentless throb pulsed behind my eyes, making me groan as I shifted under the covers. My mouth was dry, my limbs felt like lead, and for a brief moment, I considered staying in bed forever.Then Suzu barked.Loud. Piercing. Right in my ear.I flinched. "Not now, Mama. My shift at the bar doesn’t start until—"Wait.I don’t work at a bar anymore.My eyes snapped open, darting to the bedside clock.8:07 AM.Shit.I bolted upright. "No, no, no—fuck! Lily!"Across the bed, Lily was sprawled out, completely undisturbed by my panic attack.I shook her shoulder roughly. "Wake up! It’s past eight—I overslept!"She groaned, swatting at my hand without even opening her eyes. "Five more minutes…""Lily, it’s past eight."That got her attention.Her eyes flew open as she shot up, panic settling in. "Oh my God! Yuki! How did we—?!""I don’t know!" I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Maybe the vodka and chocolate strawberries?""Damn those evil berries," she mu
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28PRETEND PRINCESS A THORN IN MY SIDE
I leaned against my desk, fingers flying over the keyboard as I stared at my screen. My head still throbbed slightly from last night’s vodka and chocolate strawberries disaster, but that wasn’t even the worst part of my morning.No. That honor belonged to the absolute joke of a project we’d been assigned.Two hours ago, General Manager Olive—the mother of the woman I hated most in this company—had strutted into the conference room and delivered the verdict."Each department must work on a project that enhances our company’s efficiency. Your results will be evaluated, and the department with the best execution will win the vacation."Sounds fair, right?Except it wasn’t.While the PR and Marketing teams got flashy campaigns, the Data Analytics and Coding team got saddled with an AI-driven customer experience system.In other words, we were expected to design and implement a fully functional AI that would revolutionize customer interactions. An interactive, personalized system that coul
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28PRETEND PRINCESS TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS
Creed’s POVTwo weeks.Two excruciatingly painful weeks of this vacation bullshit.Everywhere I turned, people were smiling, laughing, talking about god-knows-what with their teeth on full display, like the air itself had been laced with some kind of happy drug.It was suffocating.Every single damn person looked like her.Like Yuyu.That pissed me off.I hadn’t spoken to her since the coffee incident with Zara, and honestly, I preferred it that way. Our lack of communication had done nothing to erase her from my surroundings, though. I still caught glimpses of her—talking to Olive, assisting Jason, handling a hundred things at once as if she had six pairs of hands.And today wasn’t any different.I had seen her earlier, standing outside the manager’s office, discussing something about extending time for the project. She was wearing a black skirt and a silky blue top, her dark hair cascading down her back, catching the light in waves.Her lips moved and moved and moved as she talked.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28PRETEND PRINCESS A WORTHLESS HERO
Twenty million dollars.The words echoed in my head, but instead of feeling victorious, I felt a strange sense of unease. My chest tightened as I looked at Creed, expecting some kind of reaction—relief, satisfaction, maybe even smugness.Instead, his expression was unreadable. His eyes darkened, fingers drumming against the polished desk in that slow, measured way that meant he was holding himself back. His lips pressed into a thin line, and tension radiated from him in waves."For what?" His voice cut through the silence, sharp and controlled.Mr. Evan leaned back, looking far too pleased with himself. "For an employee transfer."I stiffened.Creed's fingers curled into fists.Mr. Evan turned to me, his expression filled with admiration. "I like your confidence, Miss Roman. Not many would dare interrupt a high-stakes meeting and challenge me the way you did. You’re sharp, well-spoken, and you clearly have a deep understanding of what makes Creed X Technologies stand out. I want that
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28PRETEND PRINCESS MIDNIGHT SPARKS
Yuki’s POV"Alright, team, we have exactly four months to finish this AI model, and if we don’t come up with something groundbreaking, we’re basically screwed."My voice echoed through the conference room as I leaned over the table, my hands splayed on the glossy surface. The other developers, designers, and data analysts sat in a semi-circle, most looking exhausted, some barely engaged."We’ve been brainstorming for two hours," Amber groaned, stretching her arms above her head. "We need something that won’t take six months to code.""We need a miracle," muttered Jacob, pushing his glasses up his nose."Or just a solid idea," I corrected. "Throw everything you have at me. Even if it sounds stupid.""Machine learning predictive models?""Too long.""Neural network training optimization?""Too complicated.""A chatbot with dynamic emotion recognition?"I sighed. "Good, but not innovative enough. We need something that makes Creed X Technologies stand out from the rest."The room fell si
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28PRETEND PRINCESS UNRAVELING THOUGHTS
Creed’s POVThe drive home was quiet, but my mind was anything but."Good night, Creed."Her voice echoed in my head—light, free, like she hadn’t a single worry in the world. It was just a simple good night. It shouldn’t have meant anything. But somehow, it did.I loosened my tie as I stepped into my penthouse, the city lights casting a dim glow through the floor-to-ceiling windows. My place was pristine, minimalist, void of anything unnecessary—exactly how I liked it. And yet, for the first time, the silence felt... empty.I poured myself a glass of whiskey and sat on the edge of my bed, rolling the glass between my fingers. Sleep was elusive. Every time I shut my eyes, my mind betrayed me with images of Yuyu—her bright eyes, the way she scrunched her nose when she was deep in thought, the scent of her lingering on my jacket.My damn jacket.She still had it.Why hadn’t she returned it? And why the hell did that bother me?This was bad. This was really bad.She was annoying, reckless
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-02-28PRETEND PRINCESS UNSPOKEN CURRENTS
Creed’s POVIt took six more departments to finally dull the fire that Yuyu had somehow ignited in me.She had stormed into that conference room like a predator who already had its prey cornered, brimming with the kind of confidence that couldn't be faked. And then she nailed that damn presentation.Every part of it was perfect. The way she tied together her team’s hard work, how she brought the AI to life with her words—it reminded me of how thrilling it used to be for me to create. How, years ago, back when I was just a guy coding in Zara’s basement, every new project had felt like a spark of something great. I hadn’t felt that jolt of joy, that excitement for innovation, in years.And yet, Yuyu brought it back.I clenched my jaw and forced my mind to snap out of whatever trance I had fallen into."Next," I said, keeping my voice even.I felt a soft touch against my hand. Zara.Her fingers interlocked with mine like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her touch was familiar,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-02PRETEND PRINCESS THE MOMENT OF TRUTH
Yuki’s POVThe massive conference hall looked like a grand lecture room, its high ceilings amplifying the murmurs of anxious employees. Rows of chairs stretched across the space, neatly aligned in sections according to departments, with the board members seated at an elevated panel at the front. The place was usually dull during meetings, but today, it carried an electrifying energy. Maybe it was the anticipation of victory—or the collective fear of losing.I slouched in my seat, bouncing my leg impatiently as I scanned the room. The weekend had flown by in a blur of caffeine, stress, and mild emotional breakdowns, but it was all worth it. Erik had flown off to Greece on yet another trip that my bank account couldn't afford, and I was determined to win this competition so that when he came back, I’d have something to throw in his face.The moment the double doors at the front opened, a hush fell over the hall. Creed walked in first, wearing a crisp white shirt and perfectly tailored b
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-02
Bab terbaru
PRETEND PRINCESS MY HEART HURTS
Creed's PovIt was past midnight.The bottle that I held was almost empty, but I did not mind. I was not drinking to be joyful. I was not even drinking to forget. I was drinking because it was the only way I could make the silence that greeted me endurable.I reclined slumped on the couch in my living room, the sole item of furniture that was more like a cell than home. There were shadows everywhere. The clock chimed out so loudly it sounded like a hammer in my head.And still.Still, I couldn't stop thinking about Yuyu.Fucking Yuki.With that goddamn smirk and those fuckin' sparklin' bright eyes and the way he looked at me like I was something, anything when he had no idea who the fuck I even was.I hated him.I missed him.I hadn't the fuck idea what I was feelin' anymore.Was I gay now? Did I swing this way? Did I just FUCKIN' happen to be feelin' desperately for someone, anyone, to look at me like I weren't a damned monster?Jesus Christ, no.I tipped the bottle to my lips again,
PRETEND PRINCESS NEW BEGINNINGS
Yuki's pov The flying part wasn't scary.I wasn't terrified of airplanes.I wasn't terrified of turbulent flight or height or any of that.I was terrified of beginning again.Terrified of seeing myself.For three weeks — almost four — I had done nothing but rot. Fault myself. Cry. Break things. Apologize to specters.That was enough.I couldn't keep going on like that.Mom wouldn't have wanted me to go on like that.Grandpa wouldn't either, even if he didn't always recall me.I stared out the plane window, clouds streaking across the horizon like wet paint, my chest aching.Memories ripped at me — Creed's voice, his smile, then the shock in his eyes.Grandpa's laugh, the way he used to call me his "boy."Lily's hugs.Small shattered pieces of my life slipping further and further away from me as the plane flew east.I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood.No more tears.No more pity parties.I can do this.This is my new start.Mom would be proud.I hugged myself hard, wrapped the th
PRETEND PRINCESS GOOD BYE
Lily's POVThe ride to the airport was too short.I continued to sneak glances at Yuki beside me, soaking him in—his dark, messy hair, the nervous drum of his fingers against his jeans, the nervous bounce of his knee.As if if I stared long enough, I could burn the picture of him into my head and never forget.He caught me staring and smiled weakly. "What?""Nothing," I said quickly, attempting to smile. "Just. don't chicken out."He grinned, but it wasn't natural. "Too late to run now, huh?""Way too late," I taunted softly.The problem was, I wished he would run.I wanted to bang the car doors closed, drive us somewhere a thousand miles from here, and wish he wouldn't be going.But I couldn't.He had to go.He needed this new start.Even if it killed me.We pulled up to Departures. Yuki opened his backpack, fiddling with the straps like they were the most fascinating thing on earth.I pulled up and turned off the engine.We sat there, neither of us moving, for a moment.Then Yuki le
PRETEND PRINCESS TAKE CARE OF HIM FOR ME
Yuki's POV"You're leaving today."Lily's voice was gentle, but it hit me like a punch.I crouched at the foot of the bed, staring at the carpet. My fingers tapped on the frayed cuff of my jacket, pulling at loose threads as if I could somehow roll back time and stay here in this cramped safe room, stuck forever.I didn't look at her. I didn't move."Yuki," she said once more, coming to kneel beside me. Her hand lay lightly on my knee. "Then I think it's time you saw your grandfather."I shook my head."No, it's not," I grunted. "I'm not ready."She let out a tired, aching sigh, the kind you do when you don't want to cry. "You've been here for a month. You're better now. You're stronger, plus do you really plan on going halfway across the world and not seeing him before you go.""Stronger?" I laughed roughly. "I'm still a mess.""You're recovering," she amended. "And you have to — you'd just have to visit him before you go."Her words sliced through me more deeply than I cared to ackn
PRETEND PRINCESS CURSED
Creed's POVI slammed the office door shut so hard that the walls vibrated. The secretary outside yelped as if she thought the damn ceiling was going to come crashing down."Get me the quarterly reports," I barked. "Now."She rushed out of her seat, almost falling over her own feet. Pitiful.I paced in front of my office like a wild animal in a cage, blood pumping hotter each passing second. All of this was pissing me off every day now. The terrible coffee. The creeping elevators. The godforsaken interns' breathing out in the corridor.Five weeks. Five weeks since I let go of that imposter, yet my heart clenched at the thought of her…of him !Anger boiled in my veins over and over but today a particular anger took over me, one o couldn't explain but already had ties to That imposter I didn't need him and I wasn't gay!There was no going back for me. And I felt the whole office knew that from the very moment I resumed, a week ago Besides they couldn't blame me for their incompeten
PRETEND PRINCESS NOT WHO I REMEMBER
Lily's POVToday became tomorrow.Tomorrow became next week.Next week became three endless weeks.And somehow, despite all the promises I made to myself, I still hadn't met Yuki.I don't even know how it all tightened up like that — how every small detail became so hard. Between caring for Grandpa Roman, going back and forth to the hospital for meds, doctor appointments, dealing with his therapies — life had gotten tangled around my neck with no mercy. I didn't have space to catch my breath, didn't have time to think. And amidst all of this, something gnawed at me:Yuki trusted me.I had been entrusted with Grandpa Roman — with one of the only people he loved — and deep, way down deep inside me, I knew I didn't want to let him down.But today. today was different. Today was the day. I was really going to fix all of it.I was going to go see him, apologize for whatever stupidness drove us apart, tell him about what he'd seen that day with Dan, tell him everything.Dan.He officially m
PRETEND PRINCESS AGAIN
Zara's POVThere's regret.There's pain.And then there's anger — thick, bitter, wild anger.I didn't deserve this.I was the last person in this damn world that deserved this.He wasn't supposed to push me away.He wasn't supposed to treat me like… like I was nothing.I was supposed to be by his side.I was supposed to be the one to fix him. To save him.I paced back and forth in my chamber, my hands in my palms, trying to contain the storm raging inside me.The walls were closing in, the air heavy, and my mind was filled with his face. His eyes. His lips. His voice when he'd instructed me to leave.I hated him.I loved him.God — I loved him.I couldn't take it anymore."Call Zed," I barked at one of my servants.She stopped. "Now, ma'am?""Now!" I screamed.My hands were trembling. My heart thudding. I was unraveling, going crazy and I didn't give a damn anymore.Within minutes, Zed arrived.Tall, dark, as calm as ever.He always had been.The man who took orders quietly, who had a
PRETEND PRINCESS ALL ALONE
Yuki's POVTwo weeks.That's 20,160 minutes. Twenty thousand, one hundred and sixty minutes of pure torture.I'd texted Creed so much. Too much, really. Sorrys I couldn't phrase correctly first, things I didn't have the courage to tell him out loud before, little things I knew he didn't want to hear. I texted anyway, hoping for a crumb of a reply.But there was nothing. No dot. No word. No fucking breath.So I made up my mind. I'd made it up the day everything went wrong—the day everything went in the opposite direction of my plans, like some sick cosmic joke. I was leaving New York. Done. Finito. Finished.Lily hadn't called me for two weeks either. It was as if my world had burst wide open, and I stood in the middle of a great emptiness. Grandpa Roman… two weeks of nothing from him too. Two weeks of not hearing his shaking, bewildered voice, of not chasing after him when he got me mixed up with my mother. Two weeks alone, tearing myself apart, living on my own regrets.I was complet
PRETEND PRINCESS THIS ISN'T YOU
Creed's POVTwo weeks.Fourteen days.20,160 minutes.I knew because I counted them. Every goddamn one of them.It's ironic that you know exactly how you feel about someone after 20,160 minutes of silence. No calls. No texts. No presence. Nothing. Just a void where they used to be. The only sound was my own breathing and it had started to get under my skin. My house was worse than my head. Clothes scattered everywhere. Empty bottles. Shattered frames. A grime mountain I could barely bring myself to look at — and still, I hung around there, festering amidst it like some wounded beast.I hadn't left for the office in two weeks. Fourteen days. No one had tried calling anymore. No one knocked. Not since the third day when I ripped the doorbell off of the wall and hurled it out of the window. My stubble was heavy. I barely recognized the face staring back at me in the mirror the occasional time I made the mistake of looking.I flopped onto the bed, blankets that smelled like sweat and guil
