THE ALPHA WHO STOLE CHRISTMAS

One year ago Ariana I stood frozen in the hallway of our apartment, the grocery bags slowly slipping from my numb fingers to thud softly on the hardwood floor. One of the milk cartons I'd bought split open, the white milk spilling across the wood. He was on the couch…our couch. The couch we’d picked out together last year was because of its beautiful blue shade. His shirt was unbuttoned and she was straddling him. Pain pierced my chest as I watched her tangle her hands in his hair, pulling him closer as they moaned noisily with their mouths tangled together. I must have made a sound… I didn't notice that I did. A choked gasp, maybe. Or perhaps it was the crash of the bags. Whatever it was, Jake’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with shock that quickly melted into guilt. “Ari…” His

“ Sir, Miss Blake has been delivered safely to her apartment.” “And?” Kai didn’t turn to look back at his driver. He stood at the door to the ceiling window with his hands clasped behind his back. He stared blankly at the city lights that shone and twinkled like shattered stars … he couldn’t make anything of them. In fact, he couldn’t make anything of whatever he was feeling at the moment. The faint scar on his wrist – the perfect twin to the one he’d left on her skin hadn’t stopped aching from the time she left. Not even for a second. “ Sir?” “ What?” “ I said a guy was waiting outside when we got there.” Shoot. He’d spaced out. He was having a hard time focusing because he couldn’t stop thinking about her. However, Jovan’s info had jolted him back to reality. He felt the room getting colder and colder. His jaw locked as he quickly turned to face his driver. “ What do you mean you saw a man waiting outside? Who was he?

Ariana Months had passed since that tense Christmas dinner. Autumn was already creeping in… I’d buried myself in work and the wedding preparations. Of course, it was all a distraction from thinking about Kai. The crescent moon scar on my wrist had faded slightly into a faint silver mark, making it barely noticeable until the light caught it just right. Most days I’d try to gaslight myself into thinking that the blizzard, the estate, and the dashing man with silver eyes had all been a fever dream. But who was I kidding? It was sadly all real and as much as I hated it, it’d been my reality sometime ago even if I’d chosen to stay clear of it. Night after night, that fever dream kept coming back anyway. Just this midnight, I’d jolted awake drenched in sweat, sheet twisted around my hips with my breath coming in shallow gasps. My skin was very flushed, my thighs pressed tight against each other as my heart pounded loudly against my che

ArianaI stood outside Nova Creative, staring up at the massive sign on the building like my life depended on it. My stomach was knotted so tight that I could barely breathe. If I messed this up… I didn’t even want to think of what could happen. Being tied to this place has brought me so many perks over the last couple of years, steady gigs, a comfortable office and my best friend working closer to me. One wrong move and I’d lose it all. And if that happened, I’d have to go back to freelancing on my own, hustling pitches, chasing after payments I never got, and rebuilding right from scratch. It had taken me more than two full years to land this long-term contract with Nova. After years of underpaid labor, sleepless nights, and constant rejection, this place was my paradise and my only hope. These days, people hardly trust freelancers at all. Not with all the scams, ghost clients, and “pay me before the project” traps. Each time I reached out to a new brand or agency, I could feel t

Ariana The silence in the elevator got so heavy that I wanted to break it. I kept shifting my weight and crossed my arms so tightly as if it’d protect me. I looked over at him. He just stood against the opposite wall calmly composed, with his coat over his arm and eyes fixed on me. I felt my stomach flip so hard as I looked back at him. I opened my mouth to speak. I had to say something. Anything. “ Umm, so how have you been? I know it’s been a while and I’m sorry for not checking in after I left your estate. I should have at least called to let you know that I was okay.” He didn’t answer. He didn’t even blink. He just kept watching me coldly as if to say whatever I’d just muttered made no sense. The silence dragged on. I got more anxious and desperate. “ Mr. Torrence… the least you could do is answer me or say I’m forgiven. After I got home, so many things happened and–” “ You got engaged?” I looked up in surprise. He knew that? “ You’re wearing a ring. It is pretty