INICIAR SESIÓNArielle The manager gave us a place to sit while we waited. Jake and Joel were outside. We were already done picking outfits. Well…Tessa was. The last dress was what kept us there. I didn’t like the color, so the manager went to get other options for me. Suddenly, I coughed. It caught me off guard. I hadn’t coughed like that in a while. I coughed again. It felt wrong. The atmosphere was perfect, calm, even comfortable. Nothing should have triggered it. Whenever I started coughing like that, it usually meant one thing. I was about to fall sick. First, it would be a headache. Now this. “Are you okay?” Tessa asked, holding my arm. I nodded quickly. “I’m fine.”“Are you sure?”“Yeah.” I smiled. We leaned back in our seats, waiting. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed. From Emris. -/(Did you get my gift?)/-I stared at the message, unsure of what to reply.I hadn’t even checked what was inside. Everything about the gala had taken over my head. I locked my phone and dropped it
Arielle “Does this person have a name?” I asked, narrowing my eyes slightly. Joel hesitated. Then he shook his head. That alone told me everything. I knew he wasn’t being completely honest. He knew something. “He just said she’s dangerous. And that you two…don’t move along,” he added carefully. That’s all I know.”I hummed, walking toward the couch with two glasses of wine in my hands. Joel immediately stepped forward. “Let me help you with that.” “Thanks.”I returned to the kitchen to grab the tray of fruits I had prepared earlier, but before I could lift it, Joel was already beside me again. He took it from me without a word. Then his eye shifted toward the couch. He set them on the table. “Looks like someone left you a package,” he said. I paused. “What package?”He bent slightly and picked it up. “It says: From Emris, to Arielle.”Oh. I took it from him and started opening it by the counter, my full attention on the seal. The room suddenly felt quiet. I looked up. Joel
Arielle There was no way to tell if Tiffany had actually locked me out. The real problem, I didn’t have the key with me. “Fuck!” I muttered, gripping the handle again. I shook it harder this time. Nothing. “Tiffany?” I called, knocking. “Open the door.”No response. I knocked again. Louder this time. Still nothing. I pushed the handle down repeatedly, but it didn’t budge. And it was really late. The neighbors were probably asleep already. And here I was, making noise like a crazy person. I looked through the windows. No sign of her.Eventually, I gave up. I sank to the floor, my back against the door, feeling completely stupid. Sweat rolled down my face. The night air was cold against my skin. I felt really frustrated. Did Tiffany seriously lock me out…just because I told her the truth? I let out a dry laugh. I didn’t even get to see the gift Emris brought for me. Then it hit me. I hadn’t even started my project. I let out another dry laugh. Nothing in my life felt comple
Arielle “No,” Tiffany said suddenly. “Please don’t call 911. I don’t want him to go to jail.”My brows furrowed. Where else did she expect him to go? Back into her arms? No way.Emris was confused. He had already tied Blake’s hands and legs, his foot pressed firmly against him to keep him from moving. “Let the police handle him," I said firmly. “No!” She cried. “Please. I promise he won’t come here again.”I let out a frustrated breath, dragging my hand through my hair. Tessa has already pulled Summer away, handling her a glass of water. Emris brought out his phone.“You don’t get to decide,” he said. “I’m calling the police.”Tiffany lunged forward and snatched the phone from his hand. “Give me my phone back!” Emris snapped. “I don’t want him to go to jail,” she said again, her voice trembling. “You’re fucking joking, right?” Emris chuckled. “No,” she said, pausing before speaking further. “Because I’m pregnant!”Everything stopped. “What?!” I said, stunned. No one said a w
Arielle Summer let out a sharp laugh. “I can’t believe you’re still covering for him. Tell me, is his dick that big?”Tiffany didn’t respond. Her silence said everything. She had these strong and undeniable feelings for Blake. She was never going to leave him. I stepped closer, lowering my voice so only she could hear. “I hope you know…I also know where he is.”Her eyes widened. “Arielle, please don’t do this.”“What are you two whispering about?” Summer snapped. Before I could answer, Emris spoke, his voice tight with frustration. “Why him every time, Tiffany? He doesn’t deserve you. We’ve all heard things about him…and trust me, that dude doesn't love a piece of you.”That broke her. Tears slipped down her face. “I don’t think she knows where he is,” I said quietly. Summer shot up from her seat, furious. “This is not the time to protect her!” she snapped. “There was another voice here. Even if Tessa and I didn’t see anything, we sure as hell heard something. So cut the bullshit
Arielle “Oh my God, I think they saw me,” Summer panicked, fidgeting with her fingers. “What am I going to do now?”I sat down slowly, staring at her, but my mind was already elsewhere. What was Tiffany’s problem? The same person we risked everything to save…had gone right back to the person who nearly destroyed her. Was she under some kind of spell? Or was this who she really was?I showed her all the love she needed. And somehow, it still wasn’t enough. “Arielle,” Summer snapped her fingers in front of my face. “What are we going to do? You’re not saying anything!”“Summer, relax,” Tessa said calmly. “Even if they saw you, they should be the ones panicking. They didn’t expect anyone to catch them.”“Tiffany knows no one is usually home at this time,” she added. I remained silent. Summer tiptoed to the kitchen window and peeked through. Then she froze. Tessa continued. “Right? She’s not going to come here with Blake–““She’s coming,” Summer whispered sharply, closing the curta
Arielle I replayed her words over and over in my head so deeply that I forgot that I was still on call with her. My mind drifted to the day she threw kitchen utensils at me, screamed at me, like I was a thief in her kitchen. How she injured me. “Arielle, are you there?” She called again.
Arielle Tiffany’s line was unreachable, so I waited, hoping for a miracle. I waited until nightfall. Darius did the same. He wasn’t backing down. The moment the headache started creeping in again, I reached for my pills. After taking them, I relaxed on the couch, my eyes fixed on t
Arielle My eyes darted toward Tiffany from behind as I forced a smile. “Here’s our latest menu,” I said politely, and bowed slightly as I handed it to her. “I’ll be back–“ “Give us some time,” she cut in, smiling at Blake. “We’ll call you when we’re ready.” “Alright,” I replied
Arielle I thought he was trying to reconnect me with someone I had abandoned ages ago. But that wasn’t the case. At least not yet. “Hey, Amber”. Emris said, stepping aside. He glanced at me briefly. Suddenly, I felt relieved. My chest loosened. My heartbeat slowed. Thank







