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67: Another Man
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-21 14:38:06
Bab terkait
Sunshine and The Beast 68: My Man
AltheaI shifted in the hospital bed, the crisp sheets cool against my skin as I struggled against the restless frustration rising inside me. The walls felt too white, the air too sterile, thick with the scent of antiseptic that did nothing to mask the underlying discomfort clawing at my chest. A dull ache lingered in my limbs, a reminder of my body’s betrayal the night before, but I refused to let it pin me here any longer.Across the room, Tristan stood with his arms crossed, his posture deceptively relaxed, though I knew better. His eyes, sharp with observation, tracked my every move. He had been here since last night, a quiet, unwavering presence at my side, ensuring the media didn’t turn my collapse into a headline. He had kept everything under control—shielding me, protecting me. And yet, despite my gratitude, I hated this.I hated the feeling of being fragile.“I want to leave,” I murmured, my voice breaking the silence.Tristan’s brow furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin li
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22Sunshine and The Beast 69: A Warm Companion
MatthiasI didn’t let go of her hand.Not as we walked to the car, not as she slid into the passenger seat, not even as I shut the door behind her. Her fingers were cold, her grip light but present, as if she wasn’t sure whether she was holding on or letting go. I didn’t give her the choice.She was too pale. Too quiet.I didn’t like it.I rounded the car and got in, the soft click of the door cutting off the noise of the city. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The air between us felt thick with things left unsaid, things I wasn’t ready to address. Not yet.I reached over, adjusting the seat belt across her lap, making sure it wasn’t pressing too tightly against her. She let me, her eyes following my movements, though she didn’t say anything. And neither did I, even when I wanted to.I wanted to ask her what exactly had happened while I was gone. There had been no media coverage of her situation, and I probably wouldn’t have even known she was in the hospital if Rebecca hadn’t called
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23Sunshine and The Beast 70: Interruption
AltheaI woke up to warmth.For a moment, I forgot where I was. The weight of exhaustion from last night’s conversation still lingered, but there was something else—something unfamiliar yet strangely comforting. My mind stirred before my body did, registering the steady rise and fall of breath beside me.Matthias.Reality settled in slowly, like the first light of dawn creeping through heavy curtains. I was curled into his side, my head against his shoulder, and his arm—God, his arm was draped over my waist, possessive even in sleep. His scent lingered in the space between us, something clean and faintly masculine, a mix of crisp cologne and warmth that felt oddly familiar now. I wasn’t used to waking up next to someone, but for some reason, it didn’t feel unnatural.I knew I should move, but I didn’t. Instead, I allowed myself a few stolen seconds to take in the quiet rhythm of his breathing, the solid warmth of his body beside mine. It was grounding in a way I didn’t expect. Comfort
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-24Sunshine and The Beast 71: A Dangerous Chance
AltheaI arrived at my office to find Tristan already waiting inside. He was seated on the leather couch near the floor-to-ceiling window, his posture unusually tense. A sleek tablet rested on the table before him, but his fingers were curled around a coffee cup, gripping it like a lifeline. He looked up as I entered, his dark eyes scanning me as if searching for something.“Althea,” Tristan said, exhaling in what sounded like relief. “You made it.”I closed the door behind me, shrugging off my coat as I took in Tristan’s expression—tight, wary, edged with something I couldn’t quite place. He wasn’t the type to rattle easily, yet something in his stance told me this was different. His usual composure was strained, his shoulders coiled with tension, his fingers curled around the tablet resting on the table like he was bracing himself for a fight.“You said it was urgent,” I said slowly, my eyes narrowing. “What’s going on?”Tristan gestured for me to sit, his movements stiff, controlle
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-25Sunshine and The Beast 72: A Little Reveal
MatthiasI leaned back in my chair, fingers steepled beneath my chin, eyes fixed on the screen in front of me. The name stared back at me in bold, impersonal letters—JTB Business.A company that, on paper, was clean. Too clean. It might be good in some cases, but in this world I lived in, the cleaner the outside, the dirtier the inside was. It’s a common secret in business. And this cleanliness was something that would required a lot of work for me.Like … a lot.Ren stood beside me, arms crossed, watching as Cyan’s fingers moved swiftly across his keyboard, lines of code flashing across multiple monitors in the dimly lit room. I really wanted to turn the lamp on, because why the hell he should do this shit in the dark? Those movies that show hackers in the dark should remembered that hackers worked with their eyes too. But Cyan loved movies. “It will make my work cooler,” was his reason, which was questionable, but I just let him be.“They only appeared a year ago,” Ren muttered, ey
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-26Sunshine and The Beast 73: Deal to an Open Door
AltheaEverything will be fine.Yes, everything will be fine.It’s too late to back out anyway, don’t you think?I repeated those words over and over in my head, like a mantra, like a shield against the unease creeping up my spine. My hands gripped the cool porcelain of the sink as I stared at my reflection in the mirror—jaw set, shoulders squared, but eyes betraying the storm raging inside.The fluorescent lights above flickered slightly, casting a harsh glow over my face. I looked composed on the surface, but beneath that? My pulse was erratic, my stomach coiled into tight knots. My fingers flexed against the counter, searching for something—stability, reassurance, a reason to believe I wasn’t making a mistake.This wasn’t just another meeting. This wasn’t just business.It was a calculated risk. A necessary step. A doorway to something bigger—something darker.JTB Pharmaceuticals had approached me with an offer too good to ignore. On paper, they were exactly what they claimed to be
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-27Sunshine and The Beast 74: His Distraction
Matthias“You haven’t slept yet?”I wasn’t planning to take a peek at her bedroom. Blame the door that didn’t close tightly, making me able to take a glance at her still sitting at her desk, with a laptop open in front of her.Maybe I shouldn’t have walked in or asked. Too late to back out, no?“In a bit,” she turned to me and smiled–or at least trying to, because I instantly showed her paleness and her eyebags got darker. Noticing that only made me want to step closer to her. And I did. I stepped inside without waiting for an invitation, crossing the room in a few strides. The dim glow of her laptop screen cast sharp shadows across her face, accentuating the exhaustion she was failing to hide. The faint smile she tried to muster did little to convince me she was okay.“You look terrible,” I said bluntly, placing a hand on the edge of her desk and bending my body a little to take a careful look at her. I knew she was busy with her works for the past few days, and she was getting to
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-28Sunshine and The Beast 75: Man Behind The Mask
[Folded page, extra POV part 1]As all the papers surrounded his desk, the man’s smile grew. He was satisfied with the progress so far. Everything was unfolding exactly as he had envisioned. Just like what he planned.One step closer. And this time, he would finally be near.He had prepared for this moment for longer than he cared to admit. Every decision he made, every connection he forged, every risk he took—it had all led to this. A perfect and unavoidable revenge.Revenge wasn’t something to be rushed. It required patience, precision, and most of all, control. He had learned that lesson long ago, back when he had nothing but his hatred to sustain him. But now? Now, the pieces were moving, and soon, everything he had built would come crashing down onto those who had wronged him.His gaze drifted to the documents scattered across his desk. Reports, surveillance notes, financial statements—it was all there, a carefully crafted trail of manipulation and strategy. But there, at the cen
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-29
Bab terbaru
Sunshine and The Beast 103: New Life
AltheaThe day I moved into some apartment I rented impulsively, it had rained.Not a cinematic kind of rain; the poetic kind that makes you feel reborn or something melodramatic like that. No. It was just grey and annoying, the kind that soaked through your sweater before you realized it and turned cardboard boxes soggy at the edges.A neighbor helped me carry a few things upstairs, some guy with AirPods in and no questions asked. I didn’t even catch his name. He handed me a dripping box labeled Bedroom and disappeared before I could say thank you. The elevator doors closed and I just stood there, clutching my new keys like they might anchor me to something.This was supposed to be a new beginning. But it didn’t feel like a beginning at all. It felt like a concession.The apartment was on the twelfth floor. I picked it because of the view. Something about seeing the whole city stretch below me made me think I’d feel less trapped. But instead, the height only made the silence louder.
Sunshine and The Beast 102: Separate Ways
AltheaWhen I thought everything was okay, all the walls were tumbling down. My life, my happiness, everything.I woke up in a haze, my head pounding as if I had been hit by a hundred storms. The sharp scent of antiseptic stung my nose, and I felt the unfamiliar weight of a hospital blanket over me. My limbs were heavy, uncooperative, as if they belonged to someone else, and my chest felt tight. It took a moment for my eyes to focus, the world around me blurry and indistinct.The pain was the first thing I recognized. A dull, aching throb in my lower abdomen, deep and unrelenting. I reached for it instinctively, as if I could touch the wound and make it go away. But when my hand brushed against the skin, it felt foreign—empty. As if the very thing I was searching for was no longer there.The memories rushed back like a flood.The blood. The pain. The terror that had washed over me in the moments before I lost consciousness. The frantic urgency of Matthias’s voice, calling my name, the
Sunshine and The Beast 102: The Truth
MatthiasThe elevator groaned as it descended, like the machine itself was reluctant to take me where I was going. Each floor ticked past with a hollow ding, echoing up the shaft like a countdown I hadn’t agreed to. Somewhere in the stillness between the fifth and the fourth floor, I caught my reflection in the polished steel of the doors; drawn face, bloodshot eyes, jaw clenched so tight it ached. I looked like a man walking into something he might not walk out of.The feeling of unease settled in the pit of my stomach, growing heavier with each passing second. The soft hum of the elevator's motor seemed to mock me, as if it knew the uncertainty that lay ahead. I tried to shake off the sense of foreboding, reminding myself that I had a job to do, a mission to complete. But as the elevator finally reached the ground floor and the doors slid open with a hiss, I couldn't help but wonder if I was walking into a trap.I didn’t bother adjusting my coat when the doors opened. The hallway ou
Sunshine and The Beast 101: Meet Me
MatthiasAlthea's condition was getting worse, to the point she had to get into an operation room.Time did not make everything calmer; instead, every second scraped across my nerves like the edge of a dull blade. Each tick of the wall clock sounded louder than the last, a metronome counting down to something I couldn’t name. The longer I sat there, the more I felt like I was unraveling by degrees, breath by breath.I sat stiffly in the dimly lit waiting area just past the ICU doors, one foot tapping without rhythm against the waxed linoleum floor. That smell—the sour tang of antiseptic—clung to everything: the walls, the plastic seats, and the inside of my throat. It mixed with the faint scent of coffee long gone cold and something metallic, like the memory of blood. The air was cool, but my jacket stuck to me anyway, and every breath I took felt borrowed.I tried to distract myself by flipping through a magazine left on the table, but the words blurred together and the pictures seem
Sunshine and The Beast Folded Page: Her Parents (II)
[Folded Page]Flashback, Part IIThe phone rang just past three in the morning.The burner, tucked beneath a drawer in the dresser, buzzed once—twice—its low hum slicing through the silence like a blade. Jess hadn’t been asleep. Not really. His body had settled, eyes closed for just minutes, but his mind had remained wired, straining through the dark for sounds that didn’t belong.His hand moved automatically, fingers closing around the phone, the sickening feeling of dread blooming in his stomach before his brain could even process why. Something was wrong. He knew it.The moment he answered, his voice was rough, hoarse from a mix of exhaustion and a deep, gnawing fear.“Reiley?” The word came out more as a prayer than a question, but it was too late. His heart was already sinking.The voice on the other end wasn’t hers. It was too calm. Too controlled.“Jessen,” the woman said. Her tone was efficient, practiced — not one ounce of emotion, not one crack of humanity breaking through.
Sunshine and The Beast Folded Page: Her Parents
[Folded Page]FlashbackThe rain battered the windows of the small house like fists of fury, the storm outside a violent mirror of the one raging within. Wind shrieked through the trees like lost souls, and every thunderclap seemed to rattle the very bones of the house.Reiley Alden paced the length of the living room, her bare feet soundless against the worn, splintered hardwood. She moved like a caged thing, restless, hunted. In the cradle tucked tightly into the corner — the safest corner she could find — baby Althea slept fitfully, her tiny face scrunched in some fretful dream only infants understood. The occasional twitch of her small hands made Reiley’s heart ache in a way that almost brought her to her knees.The storm outside was nothing compared to the one brewing inside her chest. She longed for it to pass, for the world to somehow become kind again — but some part of her, the part that had survived too much already, knew it never would.She paused by the fireplace, the flic
Sunshine and The Beast 100: Emergency
MatthiasA panic attack slammed into me like a freight train the moment they wheeled her through the emergency room doors.Althea lay so still on the gurney, her skin almost translucent under the harsh fluorescent lights, her breathing shallow and uneven, as if each breath cost her more than she could give. Her head lolled slightly to one side, and the sight of it—of her, usually so vibrant and stubbornly full of life, now fragile and terrifyingly still—carved something brutal and cold through my chest, a feeling I couldn't shake even as I stumbled forward.I tried to follow—I needed to follow—but a nurse stepped into my path, palm up, firm but not unkind. "Sir, you have to wait here. We'll update you as soon as we can," she said, her voice kind but leaving no room for argument."No—" I rasped, the sound of it cracking out of me, unfamiliar and raw. "I’m sorry," she said again, softer this time, her eyes flickering with sympathy. "Please. Let us help her."Helplessness crashed over
Sunshine and The Beast 99: Warm Hug, Closer Danger
AltheaThe world tilted when I tried to sit up, but I was okay. My stomach did a little dance, and I bit my lip, blinking against the wave of nausea that swept over me. The old couch moaned as I settled back into its cushions, pulling the cozy blanket even tighter around my shoulders, as if it could hold me together."Are you sure you don't want to go to the hospital?" Then, Matthias's voice broke through the quiet, low and urgent.I shook my head firmly, even though the motion made the room spin again. "I'm doing well, Matt," I said, though I could see he was worried. "It's just a feeling of nausea. It's just the usual stuff that happens during pregnancy."Matthias remained seated near the window, but the tension in his body was almost tangible. His arms were crossed, his broad shoulders stiff beneath the thin fabric of his shirt. Golden shafts of fading afternoon light slanted across the room, casting long shadows that made everything feel both too still and too fragile."You've bee
Sunshine and The Beast 98: Destructive Plan
Folded PageThe room was pretty dark, with only a desk lamp lighting up a bit, making everything look a bit dull and sickly. The curtains were drawn tight, shutting out the world, as if even the night outside didn't deserve to witness what was about to go down.He was sitting still, and you could barely see him because he was so dark. The only sign of his anger was the soft, regular tapping of his finger against the armrest.On the desk, a small bottle of medicine sat upright — harmless at first glance, and pretty ordinary.But it wasn't a typical situation.Not to him.Not to her.And definitely not to Matthias Cox.He took a slow, thoughtful breath as he leaned forward, his hand hovering over the bottle before finally picking it up. The glass felt cold against his skin, but he welcomed the chill. It helped him think. It reminded him why he had waited so long for this.Althea; The ideal crack in Matthias's armor.He was turning the bottle slowly between his fingers, studying it like
