LOGIN~Aliyah's Pov~For one brief moment, I wondered what my life had actually turned into.It felt unreal…like I was watching someone else stand there instead of myself.I was at the altar.Dressed in the gown Ronald had forced on me earlier, the fabric was heavy on my body, as though it carried more than just weight—it carried the weight of everything I didn’t choose.Everything I didn’t want.The priest stood directly in front of us, calm and unaware of the chaos building inside me.And beside me was Ronald.He kept flashing me that irritated smile of his, the kind that looked like patience but felt more like a warning.“Smile, Aliyah!” he whispered through clenched teeth, leaning slightly closer so only I could hear him. But I could hear him clearly anyway. “You are going to ruin our happiest moment.”My jaw tightened at his words.I wanted to roll my eyes so badly.I really did.But I couldn’t.Because I remembered exactly what he had said when he forced me into this gown earlier… the
~Aliyah's Pov~“Why is it you?” I asked immediately, staring at Ronald in disbelief as he stood right in front of me.Out of everyone I expected to see, he was the last person on my mind.A smirk slowly spread across his face the moment he noticed my reaction.“What?” he asked mockingly. “Are you disappointed?”His tone carried amusement, almost like he enjoyed seeing the shock written all over my face.Then he took a slow step closer.“I told you,” he continued confidently, “You have three days. And do you honestly think I would take my eyes off you even for a second?”The victorious smile on his face instantly irritated me.As though this entire situation was some kind of game to him. As though I was some prize he had already won.But I had no interest in entertaining his nonsense.“Where is Dominic?” I asked immediately, completely ignoring everything he had just said.The question left my lips before I could even stop myself.Ronald’s expression darkened slightly in irritation.“H
~Aliyah's Pov~I picked up the documents carefully, my fingers tightening slightly around the edges as my mind raced with everything that had just happened.Without wasting another second, I walked back to the safe and placed the files inside again, making sure they were arranged exactly the way I had found them.The metallic click echoed softly through the room as I locked it shut.After that, I quickly carried the remaining file into the bedroom and hid it where no one would think to look.No matter what happened, it was still evidence.Useful evidence.Evidence that could destroy people.I let out a long breath before returning to the living room, my eyes immediately drifting toward the door again. The silence inside the house felt unbearable now, stretching endlessly as I waited for Dominic to come back.But he didn’t.Minutes passed.Then another thirty minutes.Then hours.And still nothing.I groaned softly and leaned back against the couch, crossing my arms tightly over my che
~Aliyah's Pov~I hurriedly picked up the remaining things I needed from the shelves, my movements quicker than before, my mind no longer focused on shopping.Ronald’s words still echoed in my head.Three days.The threat behind his voice, the darkness in his eyes—It all lingered heavily within me.The cashier barely finished packing the items before I grabbed the bags and headed outside immediately.And the moment my eyes landed on Dominic standing by the road, a small wave of relief washed through me.My gaze instinctively shifted toward the safe still in his hands, and suddenly, I felt exhausted just looking at it.Honestly, after everything that had happened earlier, I no longer cared about whatever was inside.With Ronald showing up like that again…threatening me… I was irritated beyond words.I walked straight to Dominic and quietly slipped my arm through his. He glanced down at me briefly but didn’t say anything.Neither did I.And just like that, we headed home in silence.The
~Aliyah's Pov~Honestly, nothing about this felt real.I stood there, still trying to process everything that had just happened, my thoughts tangled and slow, like my mind refused to catch up with reality.Because this…this wasn’t what I expected, it wasn't even close.Evelyn Voss—the same woman who had insulted me, threatened me, demanded I disappear from her sons’ lives…was standing right in front of me.Asking for forgiveness.The shift was so drastic it felt unreal, like I had stepped into someone else’s story.And before I could even find the right words to respond, she had reached into her bag and pulled something out.A small metal key.But the weight of what it represented felt far heavier.She extended it toward me.“This is Ronald’s private safe key,” she said quietly.I stared at it for a second before instinctively taking it from her, my fingers brushing against hers. It felt cold against my skin.My confusion deepened.Why would she give me this?Why now?“Here,” she cont
~Aliyah's Pov~Dominic rushed out of the kitchen almost immediately, his footsteps quick and urgent against the floor.Concern flashed across his face the moment his eyes landed on me.“What's wrong, Aliyah?” he asked, closing the distance between us in seconds. His gaze moved over me rapidly, scanning for any sign of injury. “Are you hurt?”“No… the…” My voice faltered.The words refused to come out properly. Instead, I lifted my hand slightly, pointing toward the ground, my fingers trembling faintly.His brows drew together as he followed my line of sight.For a brief second, he said nothing.Then his expression shifted, subtle, but noticeable, as he gave a cautious and alert look.He glanced around instinctively, his eyes sweeping the surroundings like he expected someone to be watching us. But the area was still and quiet. Too quiet.Slowly, he bent down and picked up the rose. It looked harmless.Just a single red rose.But somehow, it felt like the most dangerous thing in the w
~Aliyah’s pov~We started mixing, stirring, and arguing, our movements chaotic and uncoordinated, like two tornadoes trying to occupy the same space. Clara insisted on adding the eggs before the tomatoes; I argued they should go last. She countered with a dramatic hand wave, almost tipping the bowl
~Aliyah’s POV~I just stood there after he left, frozen in the middle of the restaurant like someone had unplugged my soul. The imprint of the stranger’s lips on my cheek still tingled, light, quick, but bold enough to twist my stomach into knots.Victor.That was the name he said with so much conf
~ Aliyah’s POV~I stared at the man standing in front of me, an ice cream spoon frozen halfway into my mouth. My pulse kicked hard against my ribs as he smiled, slowly, confidently, like he’d been waiting for me.“Calm down,” he said gently, the corner of his lip curling. “No need to panic.”Panic?
~Aliyah’s POV~His voice hung in the air between us.“Why did you lie to me?”My lips parted, but nothing came out at first. The lump in my throat was thick, painful, almost choking me.“Ronald… listen, please,” I whispered.He took one step closer.That was enough to trigger every alarm in my body







