MasukVivienne smiled as she walked around the table. She settled into the seat and picked up her cutleries. “Thank you, Mr. Grafton.” They ate in silence, but every now and then, Vivienne stole glances at him. When she was done, she set her spoon down and smiled. “Thank you Mr. Grafton. I'll treat you to lunch next time when you are free.” Killian just waved it off. “You don't necessarily have to do that.” Not long after, a knock sounded on the door. “Come in.” He said. Two waiters walked in. As Killian spoke with them, Vivienne silently pulled out her phone. She angled her camera, taking a picture of Killian and the empty dishes. A cruel smile tugged at her lips as she sent the image to the fashion school group chat with the caption, “Just finished having lunch with Mr. Grafton, it was so delightful.” Immediately, the post exploded with reactions. She smiled and slid her phone back into her bag. Killian stood up and looked at her. “Thanks for coming, Wilson will see you off.”
Daniela shifted in her seat.She pushed her phone back into her bag, as if that alone could stop her thoughts from drifting. Vivienne had a meeting. Killian had work. That was normal. She trusted him, she had no reason not to.Still, her chest felt tight.She shook her head slightly, annoyed with herself, and leaned back over her sketchbook.Constraint.She stared at the word again. Slowly, she began to draw.Her pencil moved carefully. The design formed in quiet layers, structured lines that hugged the body instead of overwhelming it. A garment that looked firm but gentle, something that held you together rather than trapping you. Daniela didn’t think too much about why it felt right. She just followed the feeling.Around her, the studio buzzed with low voices and movement. Chairs scraped. Fabric rustled. Liz hummed softly as she worked, occasionally glancing over.“This theme is… heavy,” Liz murmured.Daniela gave a small smile.She went back to shading the waistline, losing hers
Class went on for a while. After Vivienne had finished explaining some things, she closed her note then looked up. “Today,” she said, stopping at the front of the studio, “each of you will be working on a single project. No group work. Just you and your ideas.”A few students straightened. Others groaned softly.Vivienne continued, unfazed. “The theme is constraint.”Daniela’s fingers paused mid-reach for her pencil.“Not restriction imposed by force,” Vivienne clarified. “Constraint that is chosen. Accepted. Worn.” Her eyes swept the room. “You will design something that reflects that tension.”The room came alive immediately. Pencils scratching, fabric being dragged closer, mannequins turned and adjusted. Daniela stared at her blank page, letting the word settle.Constraint.Liz leaned toward her. “This feels personal,” she whispered.Daniela didn’t answer. Her pencil finally touched paper.Vivienne watched them work for a moment, then checked her watch.“I won’t be here for the e
The night air was cool, but Killian’s touch burned everywhere it lingered.Daniela’s fingers tightened in his shirt as his lips traced her neck, her breath uneven, heart racing.When he finally paused, his forehead resting against hers, she felt the tremor he tried to hide.“Daniela,” he murmured with a hoarse voice. “I love you.”Her chest tightened. She lifted her hands to his face, thumbs brushing his jaw, feeling the tension locked there. “I know how much you’ve been carrying,” she whispered. “All of it. You don’t have to anymore.”His eyes searched hers, as if asking permission to believe her.“I want you to be mine,” he said quietly. “Not owned. Chosen. I want a life with you, morning chaos with the quadruplets, late nights, everything.”Emotion swelled in her chest. Daniela nodded, tears blurring her vision as she leaned into him. “I’m here,” she said, stroking his hair the way she knew calmed him. Something in him gave way. He pulled her close, holding her like an anchor,
Daniela could hear the longing in his voice, and it pained her because she had already broken the promise. She could only force a smile and hug him back.Unknown to them, somewhere across the street, cameras flashed from three different angle. The click was silent.The angle deliberate.“Come on,” she said as she pulled back. “They’ll lose their minds if they see you here first.”Danim grinned. “Like they don’t already love me more.”She laughed and opened the door, and he followed her inside.Inside, the house filled quickly with noise. Her brothers’ voices overlapped, laughter echoing off the walls, arms wrapping around her, questions flying at once.Danim slipped seamlessly into the chaos, teasing them, ruffling hair, sitting too comfortably on the arm of the couch.Daniela watched him from across the room at one point, smiling softly. This was the part of her life that felt untouched. Safe.Later, when Daniela stepped away to help in the kitchen, Danim leaned against the doorwa
The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. Daniela stirred first, her eyes fluttering open to the steady rise and fall of Killian's chest beneath her cheek.She smiled faintly, tracing lazy patterns on his chest with her fingertip.For a moment, everything felt perfect. No worries, no doubts, just the quiet comfort of waking up beside him.Killian shifted, his arm tightening around her as he woke. "Morning," he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep."Morning," she replied, propping herself up on one elbow to look at him. His hair was tousled, and there was a hint of stubble on his jaw. She reached out to brush it gently. "You look... peaceful."He chuckled softly. "That's your doing." He pulled her closer, pressing a light kiss to her forehead. "What time is it?"She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. "Just after eight. We have time."Killian nodded, but his expression turned thoughtful. "About your brothers... when do you want to g
But before she could stop herself, she said it. “Can I kiss you?” Killian stilled.His thumb paused at her waist, his breath shallow as he looked at her. “I want to.” She said softly, suddenly feeling the urge to really kiss him. He had kissed her before, but this time, she was the one asking. S
Daniela first went to her room to freshen up before heading for the kitchen. While cooking, she thought of going to the fashion school today. The idea had been sitting at the back of her mind. Mr. Rhis had reached out, reminding her that the offer still stood. The school wasn’t just reputable,
Killian’s patience frayed like an overworked violin string, and the quadruplets were the four tiny bow-wielders sawing away at what was left of his sanity. He had sur70vived days of their sabotage. Days of alarms, staged emergencies, fake heartaches.If he had succeeded in bribing Rocco, then toni
Much later that night, long after the house had settled into quiet, a familiar engine hummed outside.Killian's car pulled into the driveway. He didn’t come in through the front entrance. He handed Wilson a big insulated bag instead.“Make sure it gets to them,” he said flatly. “Quietly.”Wilson gr







