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XLV : Caught in the Click, Running from the Flash
Last Updated:
2025-03-26 23:31:46
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Stealing My Sister's Fiancee XLVI: Golden Streets and Hidden Choices
Los Angeles in the afternoon always feels different. The golden sunlight strikes the glass windows of the skyscrapers, creating dazzling reflections on the busy streets. The air is still warm from the midday heat, but the breeze blowing in from the beach brings a pleasant coolness.I had just finished shooting and was now sitting at my dressing table in my old penthouse, wearing a silk kimono while checking my phone. Aaric hadn’t returned from New York yet, which meant I still had my freedom.Marcus Blackwood's name was listed in the last call.I leaned my head back, recalling our brief conversation earlier.“I’m attending a dinner party tonight, and I’d be delighted if you’d join me.”Marcus sounded as usual—calm, polite, and without pressure. Unlike Aaric’s invitations, which always felt like veiled commands, Marcus was merely inviting me, giving me the option to refuse if I wanted.But I didn’t refuse.Maybe it was part of me that wanted to prove I could still make my own choices.
Last Updated : 2025-03-27Stealing My Sister's Fiancee XLVII : He Knew Before I Did
A middle-aged man in a navy-blue suit walked over with an enthusiastic expression. His face was slightly flushed—maybe from the wine warming his body or perhaps from excitement he could barely contain.“My God, I can hardly believe you’re really here!” he said, his voice brimming with excitement as his eyes lit up when they met mine. “I have to thank Marcus for bringing you to this event.”I smiled warmly and extended my hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr...?”“Richard Calloway,” he said quickly, shaking my hand a bit too firmly, like a fan unwilling to miss his chance. “But please, call me Richard. I’m one of the hosts tonight. And Maya, I have to admit... I’m a huge fan.”I chuckled softly, easing my hand out of his grasp with practiced elegance. “Oh? That’s interesting.”Richard laughed, sounding almost nervous. “No, seriously! I’ve followed your career since your first indie film. Scarlet Ruins, right?”I raised an eyebrow, a little impressed. “Wow, not many people know about that one. I
Last Updated : 2025-03-28Stealing My Sister's Fiancee XLVIII : You Held My Wrist, I Held My Breath
Aaric didn’t give me a chance to refuse. His hand gripped my wrist, not too tight, but firm enough to make sure I couldn’t pull away. Before I could utter a single word, he was already leading me toward his car, a black vehicle that now felt like a trap.The car door opened, and in one swift motion, he pushed me inside with the confidence of a man who knew I wouldn’t be going anywhere. I could have protested, I could have resisted, but I didn’t. My fingers clenched the hem of my dress as Aaric shut the door beside me, then moved to the other side and slid into the driver’s seat.As soon as the engine roared to life and the car started moving, I bit my lip, trying to suppress the unease creeping up my chest. All I wanted was to go back to my old penthouse, not to the grand house I now shared with him, a house that was never supposed to be mine.But Aaric had other plans.The silence inside the car felt like a short fuse ready to ignite at any moment. I could sense Aaric’s gaze from the
Last Updated : 2025-03-29Stealing My Sister's Fiancee XLIX : Blueprints and Butterflies
Five Years Ago.Years ago—long before all of this, before the world felt so distant from those times—I was a design student.I spent my days in the art studio, sketching, studying composition, tweaking typography, and working on projects that always kept me up all night. But amidst all that, I had one small obsession: film.I never wanted to be a director or a screenwriter, but there was something about how films worked—the way colors, lighting, and framing shaped a story—that fascinated me. So, I took a few film theory classes as electives. I loved sitting in a dark room with a big screen, listening to professors dissect scenes in detail, discussing the hidden symbolism within a single frame.I always believed that in life, everyone has their own way of seeing the world. For me, the world always looked like a film—sometimes in warm, soft colors, other times in a dark, cold noir scheme.And that night, at a college party that was supposed to be one of the brightest chapters of my life
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Stealing My Sister's Fiancee L : Who's here?
That morning had just started to feel a little better when I finally stepped into the faculty building, my hands still busy straightening the messy papers after the incident with Aaric. I walked quickly through the increasingly crowded corridor, trying to reach the studio room before my professor found another reason to make my day worse.But of course, I wasn’t that lucky.“Maya!”I stopped abruptly, almost dropping the folder in my hands. That voice… oh no.When I turned around, just as I had expected, Professor Leonard was striding toward me with his signature long, purposeful steps. His tall figure was dressed in a crisp white shirt and a tie that always seemed too tight. His expression was stern, his sharp eyes like a hawk locking onto its prey.I took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. “Good morning, Professor.”He didn’t return my smile. “I need to talk to you.”I gave a small nod. “Of course. What is it?”“This weekend’s seminar,” he said without preamble. “I want you to
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Stealing My Sister's Fiancee LI : Indie Songs & A Ride Back Home
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. But my heart pounded like a giant hammer striking my chest over and over again.My steps inched closer to the dark corner of the room, my sneakers squeaking softly against the floor. The shadow in the corner didn’t move, but I could swear I heard something there earlier."If you're joking..." I muttered under my breath, half-threatening, though my voice trembled slightly.I stepped even closer. My breathing sounded louder than it should. I was just one step away from the large shelf in the corner when suddenly—"BOO!""AARGH!" I nearly threw the marker in my hand as someone jumped out from behind the shelf.Loud laughter exploded in front of me. Samuel. Wearing a worn-out T-shirt, his hair a mess, and a satisfied grin like a kid who had just won the biggest prize at an amusement park."Your face!" he said between fits of laughter. "Oh my God, I wish I recorded that!"I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my erratic breathing. "You.
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Stealing My Sister's Fiancee LII : Doodles & Distractions
That morning started peacefully—for the first five minutes.I sat at the kitchen table, letting the scent of freshly brewed coffee fill my nose. My favorite ceramic mug felt warm in my hands, and each sip I took was like a small gift to myself. The morning sun slipped through the gaps in the curtains, casting golden patterns on the table.Then came the noise.“JOY! I’M NOT GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN! IF YOU DON’T WAKE UP IN FIVE SECONDS, I’M GOING TO DRENCH YOU!”I let out a long sigh and stared sadly at my coffee cup. My brief moment of peace was over.The sound of a door slamming was followed by Elle’s hurried footsteps. Her hair was a mess, half pulled up with a clip that was barely holding on. Her pajamas—a loose shirt with a lazy cat printed on it—were wrinkled on one side, as if she had just wrestled with her bed.“She won’t wake up!” Elle shouted as she grabbed an empty glass from the table and filled it with water.“I know.” I lifted my coffee cup calmly. “You don’t have to kill he
Last Updated : 2025-03-30Stealing My Sister's Fiancee LIII : Leather Jackets and Loose Lips
As soon as class was dismissed, I grabbed my sketchbook and started slipping it into my bag. Margo was already standing beside me, arms crossed over her chest, her expression full of curiosity ready to explode.“So,” she said in her usual dramatic tone, “if you’re not interested in auditioning, why did you bother taking Film Theory?”I zipped my bag shut with a sharp motion. “Because I like movies, Margo.”“Bullshit.” She arched an eyebrow sharply. “You want to be an actress, don’t you?”I let out a short chuckle, trying to ignore the sudden heat creeping up my face. “When I was a kid, yeah. But now I don’t—”“You’re lying,” she cut in quickly. “I know you love acting. You love attention.” She pointed at the whiteboard where I had just drawn. “You were acting just now, Maya! Like you knew everything about architecture.”“That’s because I do.”Margo let out a long sigh, then threw her hands up in frustration. “You’re seriously wasting your potential.”I turned on my heel and walked out
Last Updated : 2025-03-30
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Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Glances and Gray Beanies
The sun wasn’t fully up yet when I woke to a ticklish feeling.Not the alarm. Not the sunlight. But something moving slowly across my stomach—warm breath, then a soft nip at my rib. And a voice I knew far too well growling low in my ear.“What the...” I mumbled, half-asleep.“Guess who fell asleep on her laptop with the screen still on,” Aaric whispered between quiet chuckles. “And guess who’s been snoring just a little for the past two hours?”I slowly opened my eyes and looked around.We were still in the workspace. The desk lamp was still glowing dimly. My laptop screen was frozen on a half-finished presentation, the cursor blinking at a sentence that read: “Emotion and space influence each other—so honest design is living design.”My head felt heavy. My neck ached. But my body was warm.Because Aaric was still there.He was now lying on his side on the rug, facing me, his head resting against my bent leg on the couch. His hair was a mess. His eyes were barely open. But that smile—
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — When Deadlines Meet Distractions (and Love)
I stared at my laptop screen for a full five minutes and still hadn’t typed a single sentence. My thesis deadline was breathing down my neck, my advisor’s voice echoing in my head, and the blank screen in front of me stared back like a bottomless pit.Then, as if to add spice to the chaos—“BRO! BROOOOO—NO WAY, DID YOU SEE THAT SNIPE?!”The voice exploded from the living room. Followed by loud laughter and half-muttered curses from the guy sitting on the floor, black headset on his head, controller gripped tight, and a triumphant expression like he just conquered the world.I looked up from my laptop and glared toward the couch where Aaric was cross-legged, surrounded by empty water bottles and chip crumbs. The TV glowed brightly, showing a fast-paced virtual war zone. Player names blinked at the edge of the screen—“Lucif3r,” “Tino_Tornado,” and of course, “Bernardi_Blast.”“Dude, did you see that?! YOU SAW THAT, RIGHT? I said ‘cover me’ and you ran off to loot? Tino, I swear, if we’r
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — What They Can't Control
The light from the floor lamp cast a faint silhouette on the wall, and the steady sound of rain outside made my head sink deeper into the pillow. The call with Elle and Joy had ended just a few minutes ago, and I hadn’t moved since placing my phone on my stomach.My body was tired, but it wasn’t just physical. It was the kind of exhaustion that runs deeper—the kind that comes from places that are supposed to bring you comfort, but only make it harder to breathe.I pulled the blanket up to my chest, curling into myself. My shoes were still on. My hair was half a mess. But I didn’t have the energy to care.The apartment door creaked open softly. Footsteps came in, slow, then stopped.Aaric.I didn’t open my eyes. Didn’t say anything. But I think my breathing changed, and he knew.His steps came closer, then silence again. Then something warm, heavy, and deeply familiar sank down slowly against my back. His arms wrapped around my waist, his chin touched the edge of my shoulder.I could s
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Calamity
I slammed the door to Aaric’s apartment a little too hard, then tossed my bag onto the couch without bothering to unpack it. The jingle of keys hitting the floor blended with the deep breath I finally let out after hours of holding it in.The New York sky was gray that night—like a mirror of my brain. And after a full day inside a house that called me family but felt more like an opera stage run by a director obsessed with reputation, I needed to hear another human voice. A real one. One not wrapped in expensive linen shirts and layered passive-aggressive remarks.I grabbed my phone and opened the Flat Fam (drama edition) group call. The screen rang once, twice, and then two faces I knew like my own popped up: Elle, with a half-dried face mask, and Joy, lying sideways wrapped in a blanket like a lazy burrito.“De Cruuuuuuuz!” Elle yelled as soon as my face appeared. “Why do you look like you just walked out of a royal family’s funeral?”Joy squinted. “You look like someone who got tra
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Mess it Up
The next morning, just past six, I woke up to the sound of running water from the bathroom. The morning air still hung damp beneath the ceiling of the flat, and from the slightly open window, I could hear the faint rumble of a garbage truck making its rounds on the back street.I got out of bed, still half-asleep, and shuffled to the kitchen, where I found a small note on the table.Meet me at the campus park at eight. Bring your sketchbook. No pink. —AA small smile tugged at my lips as I rolled up the note and tucked it into my shirt. He knew I always carried my sketchbook, and he knew pink was never my go-to color. But Aaric had this habit of turning instructions into jokes—it was his way of making sure I was still thinking about him, even when he wasn’t around.By the time I arrived at the campus park, still half-empty that early in the morning, he was already there—sitting on a bench near the small lake, wearing a gray hoodie and jeans, his face partly hidden behind a sketchbook
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Where the City Forgot to Listen
This city always welcomes you the same way—loud, rushed, and utterly indifferent to whether you’ve just fallen in love or lost everything.On my first morning back in New York, I didn’t wake up to sunlight streaming through the windows like in Italy. Instead, it was the impatient honking of a yellow cab down below the apartment. Maybe that was the biggest difference between the place we’d just left and the one we were returning to.Life fell right back into its old rhythm. Aaric’s apartment was cold in the mornings, the bitter coffee he brewed half-asleep in the kitchen, and the work desk still cluttered with blueprints he hadn’t touched since the night before our flight.In the living room, I sat cross-legged on the carpet, laptop on my lap, my hair still damp from the shower. Design assignments piled up on my screen, and project revisions stared at me like little monsters waiting to devour my time. But my mind kept drifting back to the villa on the hill, to the evenings filled with
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Full of Paper and Promises
Dusk had fully fallen by the time we returned to the villa.The Italian sky had turned a deep blue, with streaks of orange lingering on the horizon like the final brushstrokes of a painting that refused to be finished. The air was cooler now, crisp against my skin as I stepped out of the car. But something warm was blooming quietly in my chest, something that had started growing ever since my conversation with Luciana. Not because her words were comforting—at least, not entirely. But because beneath all that elegance and grace, I’d seen that her heart wasn’t all that different from mine.She was just a mother, loving her son in the quietest, most anxious way.And me… somewhere along the way, I had begun to love Aaric not just as a lover, but as a wound I wanted to tend to, even knowing it might never fully heal.Inside, the villa felt warmer than usual. The fireplace was already lit—by whom, I didn’t know, as no staff had appeared since we got back. The scent of burning wood mingled w
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Where the Light Doesn’t Reach
The sky had begun to shift into shades of copper as the staff brought out the afternoon coffee. The last rays of sunlight pierced gently through the garden foliage, casting abstract patterns over the small marble table. Aaric and his father were standing near the fountain, discussing something that looked serious—judging by their gestures and the way their eyes kept darting toward the edge of the estate, I guessed it was about property or a construction project.Luciana sat next to me. A pair of sunglasses hung from the collar of her cream silk blouse, and her manicured fingers held a tiny espresso cup like she was observing the world, not just sipping coffee. In the golden light of late afternoon, she looked like an editorial photo straight out of a Milan lifestyle magazine—elegant, calm, and too perfectly composed to read clearly.But I could feel something. A subtle shift. A deliberate pause.“Aaric seems... more relaxed, doesn’t he?” she said suddenly, her tone light—but not empty
Stealing My Sister's Fiancee Flashback — Behind the Porcelain Smile
Luciana Bernardi served tea like an elegant witch brewing a secret potion—every movement slow and deliberate, yet never showy. Her gaze was sharp, but not piercing. Her smile was precise, but not fake. And from the beginning to the end of our little tea session, she called me darling—in an Italian-accented English that made the word sound like a cello melody.“Darling, this lemon cake was made by our family chef,” she said, handing me a small plate. “He has a soft spot for beautiful guests who know how to appreciate good food.”Beside me, Giancarlo—whose face looked like an older, more stone-cut version of Aaric’s—gave a slow nod.“We enjoy these relaxed lunches,” he said, his voice deep and full. “No need for stiff galas or exhausting charity events. At this table, we’re just family. No ‘Bernardi.’ Just Luciana, Giancarlo, Aaric… and now, Maya.”My heart swelled a little at that. Even my fingers stopped fidgeting with the napkin in my lap.“Thank you,” I said softly, my voice catchin
