LOGINZane…” she whispered, her voice barely audible.“You can let go of me now. They’re already gone.”He let out a quiet chuckle but didn’t loosen his arms around her.“Nope.”She frowned.“What do you mean, ‘nope’?”“Some of them are still around.”She raised an eyebrow.“I’m the one who can see them, not you. So you’d better believe me when I say they’re still here.”“I don’t believe you.”“Really?”He tilted his head, listening carefully.“Then tell me… do you hear those footsteps?”Lilly held her breath.At first, there was nothing.Then…Soft footsteps echoed from around the rift .A group of girls laughed as they moved around around waiting for autographs .Her eyes widened.“They’re… actually still there.”“I told you.”She rolled her eyes.“You enjoy proving me wrong, don’t you?”“A little.”He laughed quietly before silence settled between them again.Neither of them made any effort to pull away.The warmth of his embrace was strangely comforting.“So…” Zane spoke softly.“Tell
Lilly spent the entire night buried in her wardrobe.“C’mon, Lilly, just wear this,” Hannah said, holding up a dress for the third time. “It’s really not that deep — you’re just watching him perform, it’s not like he is going to propose to you or anything .” She said with a grin on her face.“It’s not like—” Lilly started, then stopped herself. “Hannah, please. I need to look good.”Hannah sighed, laughing despite herself. “Zane wouldn’t care what you wear. But look at you right now.” She paused, studying her friend’s frantic pile of rejected outfits. “Hannah, c’mon.”“Zane is nothing but my fake boyfriend,” Lilly reminded her, a little too quickly. “I’m going out with my real you know this well and I don’t have to explain myself much .”Hannah just shrugged. “Okay, if you insist, ma’am.”Lilly spent the rest of that night still searching for the best one.In the morning, she woke to the buzz of her phone. Ethan was supposed to pick her up from her dorm — instead there was a message w
179“Okay, enough of the sad stories,” Lilly said, pressing her hand flat against his chest and pushing him back half a step. “I came here to study, remember? Not to relive trauma.”Zane bent slightly to her level, holding her arms gently in his hands, his expression softer than the moment before. “You’re stronger than you think you are. I just want you to know that.” He paused. “And I’m genuinely glad you survived that night. You’re amazing, Mauli. I love your confidence — the fact that you can stand here and talk about it at all says something about you.”“It wasn’t my fault,” she said quietly, her voice losing some of its usual brightness. “He was just—” She stopped, swallowed. “He was a bad man. That’s all it was.”“And nothing like that will ever happen to you again.” His voice carried a weight underneath the gentleness, something protective and absolute. “Not while I’m around to make sure of it.”She nodded, pouting slightly despite the seriousness sitting in his tone, the two e
Lilly’s hands trembled as she clutched the edge of Zane’s desk, the worn wood cool beneath her fingertips. The dorm room felt smaller suddenly, the late afternoon light slanting through the single window casting long shadows across the scattered textbooks. She had come here for tutoring—nothing more. Yet the words had spilled out like blood from an old wound she had sworn never to reopen.Zane sat frozen on the edge of his bed, his usual easy confidence shattered. His dark eyes, which had teased her moments ago with that infuriating nickname, now held only raw horror. “Mauli…” he whispered, the name soft, almost reverent. He had started calling her that weeks ago, a playful twist on her full name that somehow felt intimate. Now it sounded like a plea.She shook her head, tears carving hot trails down her cheeks. “I didn’t deserve that, did I? I was just… there. Doing my duty as school captain. And he—” Her voice cracked. The memory surged again, unbidden.FlashbackThe high school aud
She was late again.It had become something of a fixture in her schedule — not deliberately, never deliberately, but consistently enough that she had started to wonder if some part of her simply enjoyed the small drama of arriving slightly breathless and scanning a room for a remaining seat. Today the music room was already half full when she slipped through the door, and she paused in the doorway, eyes moving across the rows.A hand went up near the front.Ethan. Waving, not subtly, with the particular confidence of someone who has never once worried about being noticed for the wrong reasons. He pointed at the empty seat beside him.Lilly crossed the room and slid into it as quietly as she could manage, given that half the room had already watched her walk the entire length of it.“You saved me a seat?” she asked, settling her bag at her feet.“I figured if you came in late again you’d end up stuck at the back with the people who don’t actually want to be here.” He smiled. “Also — so
Lilly stared at Hannah in disbelief.“Be serious, Hannah. Is this really the reason you told me you weren’t coming back to the dorm?” she asked. “What made you think that was a good idea? He’s a player. A typical player.”“Player or not,” continued quietly.“But what about your boyfriend?” Lilly continued looking angry . “Think about him. You cheated on him, Hannah. You cheated on Travis. How could you , I thought you loved him so much ?”Hannah sat down on her bed and sighed heavily.“Look, Lilly. I know what you think of me right now, but I had my reasons.”“Exactly!” Lilly exclaimed. “Those are the reasons I want to know. What could possibly make you cheat on Travis with anyone else… and of all people, Blade? Jesus Christ, Blade?”FlashbackHannah and Travis had started dating during their first year. At first, everything had been perfect. Travis was attentive, caring, and always by her side.Then things began to change.He stopped making time for her. Whenever they were together,
The next day, the Ashford mansion was alive with motion and aroma. Maids bustled up and down the grand hallways, the clatter of pots and pans mingling with the scent of roasting meats and freshly baked bread. “Good morning,” Marcus greeted his mother as he entered the dining area, still rubbing s
As soon as the workday ended, Zara didn’t hesitate. She grabbed her coat, hailed a cab, and raced straight to the police station, her heart pounding with worry.Outside the station, she spotted Rosey just as she was leaving. Their eyes met for a brief second, but Zara didn’t say a word. She couldn’
Zara returned to the hotel room, gathered their suitcases, and settled the bill before leaving. The luggage was a bit too heavy to carry, so she booked a cab. When they finally arrived at the place Sarah had told her about, Zara unlocked the door with the key she’d already been given.She paused at
Zara stood beside Victor on the stage as cameras flashed brightly around them.Employees filled the hall, smiling and clapping as the historic moment unfolded.Victor stepped forward and spoke clearly into the microphone.“I, Victor Ashford, officially hand over my responsibilities and position to







