LOGINThe day Eirene had her accident.
That night, the Ravenor house was filled with the sound of emotions shattering beyond containment. Arguments kept erupting. Ironically, the door to the living room was left wide open, allowing Isabella’s sharp voice to echo all the way to the front yard.
“I told you, Heston!” Isabella shouted, her breath uneven. “You shouldn’t have done that! You shouldn’t have said all those things to Eirene!”
Heston stood with his arms crossed. His face was flushed with anger, yet he still looked indifferent, which only served to frustrate Isabella further. “Stop yelling, Isabella,” he grumbled. “I didn’t do anything wrong. Everything I said was the truth.”
Isabella growled, clenching her fists. She was on the verge of exploding. “The truth?” she repeated breathlessly. “You call that the truth? Oh, God! Heston, you broke that girl! She's ju
Paul looked at the watch on his left wrist for the umpteenth time. The second hand seemed to move far too slowly. Time felt frozen, and his mind was far too noisy to calm.Paul felt uneasy. As the night grew later, restlessness continued to settle in his thoughts, yet not a single piece of news had reached him.He stood in front of the large window in his office and gazed at the city spread out below. The city lights flickered as usual, as if the world were moving on as normal. But not for Paul.His hand clenched tightly. His jaw hardened. He asked again, “Is there any new information?”Langston, who was standing nearby, flinched slightly. He hurried to answer. “Not yet, sir.”Paul turned around sharply. His gaze pierced straight through Langston. “Don't tell me they failed again.”“No way, sir,” Langston replied quickly. Sweat began to bead on his forehead. “I’m sure we just need t
Fabrizio stopped the car a few metres from the entrance to Sabrina’s apartment block. He turned off the engine, but did not get out right away. He glanced at his watch, then looked at the building once more. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. At least, as far as the naked eye could tell.Once he had stepped out of the car, Fabrizio straightened the dark coat he was wearing and walked towards the entrance. The apartment corridor was narrow and quiet, lit by dim yellow lights.Fabrizio climbed the stairs, passing three floors before reaching his destination. He pressed the doorbell and, not long after, heard the sound of light yet steady footsteps coming from inside.The door opened. A woman stood in the doorway. Her hair was neatly arranged and her face was clean with no excessive makeup. She had sharp eyes and stared straight at Fabrizio without smiling as she spoke in a polite, flat tone. “Good evening.”Fabrizio frowned slightly. &ldq
Sabrina’s apartment always felt too warm in the afternoons, but this would shift into something calming once night fell. Eirene had thought it was because the air conditioning was rarely used or because the windows faced west, but that wasn’t the reason. It was actually the presence of the people inside that created a peaceful and comforting atmosphere.The television was often left on in the background. The faint lingering scent of instant food was in the air. And the small mess somehow made the place feel alive.Eirene stood in the doorway for a few seconds longer than usual before stepping inside. She saw Sabrina sitting cross-legged on the living room carpet with her back leaning against the sofa. Her hair was tied carelessly and her loose T-shirt was marked with sauce stains that hadn’t been washed out yet. Chloe was near the small table with her head bowed, staring at her phone screen. She looked weary.“Eirene, you’re home al
Bradley let out a long breath. His eyes remained fixed on the dimly lit phone screen in his hand; he had been staring at it for far too long.Eirene’s name was still there on the phone, unchanged, neither altered nor deleted. It was neatly saved, as if nothing had ever happened; as if the days filled with arguments, lies and disappointment had never existed. Ironically, that very name had now become a burden to Bradley—a single word more suffocating than any of their conversations.His finger hovered over the screen, poised to tap the call icon, but hesitation restrained him. In the end, he pressed nothing at all, groaning in frustration before dropping back onto the sofa.The dim light of the living room lamp fell across his face as if trying to muffle the noise in his thoughts. In truth, the silence felt far louder than the argument that had taken place a few days earlier.In Bradley’s lap, Daisy lay half on her side. Her head rested a
Eirene fell silent for a moment. It was then that she realised something simple: Yoren never made empty promises. He had proven that much so far. She nodded again. “I agree, Alpha.”“I'll have Fabrizio take care of everything you need,” Yoren continued, sealing the agreement. “You can move in today.”The decision had been made on both sides, as though an unwritten contract had just been ratified. The conversation ended and Yoren turned and left.Eirene released a long breath. She did not regret the decision she had made. In fact, she felt relieved, as though she had just won something after enduring a long, exhausting battle.In her heart, Eirene kept telling herself that this time, she had not lost. She was one hundred percent certain that accepting Yoren’s offer was the best decision she had ever made. She had gained far more than she had given.The only thing left to do now was to explain everything to S
Sometimes misfortune comes in such rapid succession that it can no longer be called a coincidence. Eirene was feeling exactly that now.Eirene sat with her back against the headboard of the hospital bed, a thin blanket covering her up to her chest. She remained still while the slightly open window to her left allowed the midday air to slip inside, carrying the faint metallic scent that was so distinctive of hospitals and that, for some reason, always made her thoughts feel heavier.Eirene’s mind would not stop working. One incident could still be dismissed as bad luck. Two might be laughed off as an unlucky day. But not a third time. To her, it was no longer mere misfortune; it was beginning to feel deliberate.Eirene closed her eyes, trying to untangle the mess in her head. She kept replaying the attack by the motorcycle gang and the near miss with the car a few days later.Those two events could still be forced into a box labelled 'coincidence'. T







