로그인The car stopped in front of Kathalina’s office building.She unbuckled her seatbelt and turned to them. “I’ll see you later.”Thirdie stepped out first and opened her door. Before she could walk away, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.“Be careful,” he said. “I’ll pick you up later.”She smiled at him.“I always am… okay.”Then she turned and walked toward the building, her head held high.Thirdie watched until she disappeared inside.Let the storm come, he thought coldly. This time, she won’t face it alone.Thirdie slid back into the car, the door closing with a soft thud, quiet, yet final.The car was wrapped in black leather and dark wood. The faint scent of expensive cologne filled the air. Soft lights glowed along the doors, making the space feel quiet and private. Outside noise vanished, leaving only silence inside the car.The moment he settled into his seat, something in him shifted.The warmth he had shown Kathalina moments ago vanished, wiped clean as i
Kathalina slowly woke up, her eyes blinking against the soft morning light. For a moment, she stayed still.The space beside her was empty.She frowned slightly and turned her head.Thirdie was gone.The memory surfaced again.There were so many mornings before…quiet, empty ones, when she would wake up alone in their room. The other side of the bed was always untouched, cold, perfectly neat. Thirdie would already be gone, his presence marked only by the faint scent left on the sheets and the silence he always left behind.She used to lie there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, listening to the house breathe without him. No footsteps. No voices. Just another morning that felt the same as the last.But this time was different.The bed was warm. The pillow beside her carried his scent. And instead of that familiar emptiness, a quiet thought crossed her mind.He must already be awake.The idea settled gently in her chest, not painful, not hopeful, just… real.She sat up slowly, rubbin
Thirdie stared at the phone in his hand, the faint vibration echoing through his palm. The cold air from the veranda still clung to his skin. Dawn hadn’t fully arrived, only a pale hint of light brushing across the quiet private subdivision. Gated homes lined the quiet streets, each one neat and clean. Gardens were full of flowers; their petals wet with morning dew. The streets were empty and still, the neighborhood calm and peaceful, like nothing bad could ever happen here.Inside, Kathalina lay curled on the bed, hugging his pillow like it was the only safe place left in the world. The faint morning glow filtered through the curtains, softening the edges of her peaceful face.She had no idea about any of it. She didn’t know about the chaos happening outside, the lies spreading online, or about Agnes. She didn’t know about the fierce determination burning inside him to keep her safe.Thirdie didn’t want her to wake up to any of this.And then… the phone rang again.Erica’s name flash
Across the city, while Kathalina slept peacefully in Thirdie’s arms, someone else was wide awake.Agnes barely slept at all. She sat on her bed in the dark, eyes glued to her phone screen, refreshing social media again and again. Her heart pounded with fear and jealousy. Every new post made her fingers tremble.“Let’s see if she can face the world head high,” she muttered under her breath. “She will be ruined again.”She picked up her phone and called the one person she trusted for her dirty work, Gretchen Young, her longtime friend who worked in media.Gretchen answered groggily. “Agnes? It’s three in the morning.”“I know, I just—” Agnes hissed, lowering her voice as if the walls themselves might be listening. She paused, breath trembling with barely contained spite. “I need another favor. Kathalina is back in the city again… and I want her ruined. Ruined to the point she’ll leave again and never come back.” Her tone darkened, a cold echo of the past. “I want you to do what you did
Kathalina fell asleep so quietly that Thirdie almost didn’t feel the moment she slipped fully into dreams. One second, she was breathing a little unevenly, still adjusting… and then suddenly her whole body relaxed against him. Her fingers loosened their soft grip on his shirt. Her head grew heavier on his chest.Only then did he finally inhale deeply… watching her face carefully and release the shaky breath he’d been holding.“Out like a light,” he whispered with a faint smile.He waited, making sure she was completely asleep, then gently lifted her hand from his chest and placed it beside her. When she didn’t wake, he pushed himself up from the bed with a quiet exhale.She didn’t stir.Desire had never been this strong. Never been this dangerous.He had slept beside her before, years ago. Back then, he liked her, wanted her, but the desire had been quiet, easy to hide. He was young, unsure, and too stupid to show her what he really felt.But now?Now the desire was different. Strong
Two people lay on a bed far too small for them, breath mingling in the darkness, sharing the same air… and one unspoken truth lying silently between them.Kathalina tried to sleep.She really tried.She shut her eyes, counted sheep backward, changed positions, adjusted her pillow, but nothing worked.Her chest felt too warm.Her mind is too loud.The presence beside her was too close.She finally shifted a little, hoping she wouldn’t disturb him, but her arm brushed against something warm and solid.Thirdie.She froze.“S-sorry…” she whispered.She thought he was asleep.But his voice came low, soft, just inches behind her.“You can’t sleep?”Her breath caught. “I—I can.”He didn’t answer.The silence stretched, calm but heavy.Embarrassed, she slowly turned her back to him, facing the wall.Maybe that would help.But she didn’t expect what happened next.The mattress dipped, and then strong arms slid around her waist.He pulled her gently, closing the space between them.Kathalina st







