MasukSnowBrook Brandon’s phone buzzed just as he was tying his boots. Jamie’s name flashed across the screen.“Where are you?” Jamie asked immediately.“At home. Why?”“The match is starting soon. Can you stop by the supermarket and get beer on your way? We’re out.”Brandon glanced at the time. “Yeah. Anything else?”“Just beer. Whatever brand you see.”“Alright. I’ll be there in a bit.”Brandon grabbed his jacket and headed out. Snowbrook was unusually busy for the season. Outside, people clustered in little groups like they always did when something interesting was going on. Snowbrook loved gossip. It thrived on it.He didn’t think much of it until he got to the supermarket.The place smelled like bread, cleaning supplies, and cheap perfume. Brandon walked straight to the drinks aisle, grabbed two packs of beer, and turned toward the checkout.That was when he heard it.Two older women stood behind him in line, carts half-full, voices low but not low enough.“I’m telling you, it’s him,”
SnowbrookCynthia stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her dress for the third time. It wasn’t that the dress didn’t fit, but she wanted to look flawless and perfect today. It was an olive satin backless gown, but it didn't really matter because she would be wearing a jacket over it. She already went to the salon earlier to get her nails and hair done. Jamie has been looking at her funny the whole day, but she paid absolutely no attention to him.Her phone vibrated and she saw that it was a message from Evan. He offered to come pick her up but she insisted she'll meet him at the restaurant. Evan Brook was her high school sweetheart, that was before she met Jamie. She could still remember how both men fought tooth and nail for her. Evan, who had more advantage, being from the most influential and powerful family in SnowBrook, did everything to make Jamie's life miserable. After Cynthia picked Jamie over him, he left SnowBrook for college.She opened his message and smiled.Evan: H
Melody walked to the bathroom the next morning feeling sore, as she washed her face and started back at her reflection, she looked sick. Her eyes were red and her voice was hoarse for crying herself to sleep, her body feeling heavier than it should. It was still cold outside so she wore something very thick and turned on the room heater. She should have been having a great time, but thanks to her inability to not ruin things, she was already having a shitty morning. She checked her phone again, still no calls and the only message she had was the one from her bank.Yesterday’s words kept repeating in her head, loud and sharp. She had said them. She had told Logan she loved him for money and comfort. She had told him she didn’t care. And she had meant none of it. None of it.Her chest tightened as the guilt rolled over her like waves, relentless and punishing. She had replayed every gesture, every conversation, every time he had smiled at her, gone out of his way for her, treated her l
Logan’s hands trembled slightly as he obeyed, peeling off his shirt and loosening his belt. Hanni’s eyes never left him, dark and playful, daring him, teasing him, challenging him all at once. She moved with a grace that was hypnotic, like she owned the space, like she owned him.“Good boy,” she whispered, her voice low and husky, sending a shiver down his spine. She stepped closer, her robe parting just enough to reveal the lace beneath. “You look too tense… let me take care of that.”Before he could respond, she pressed herself against him, her warmth searing against his chest. Her hands were bold, roaming, commanding attention, and yet every touch was electric, like fire dancing over his skin. Logan’s head fell back instinctively, his lips parting, caught somewhere between a groan and a gasp.Hanni chuckled softly, a sound that was both teasing and dangerous. “Relax,” she murmured, brushing a strand of hair from his face. “I’ve got you. All of you.”He couldn’t help but notice the
Logan knew he shouldn’t be anywhere near Hanni. That truth had followed him the moment he left Melody in the bedroom, the echo of her words still ringing in his ears like a cruel joke he couldn’t shake. ‘I loved the money, the comfort that comes from being around you and that’s all.’ He replayed it over and over, each time it sounded just as devastating as the first.Melody wasn’t like that, she never had been. There was something different about her, she wasn't like other girls. She wasn't one to draw attention to herself, she listened to everyone and considered everyone to be equal. She didn’t cling to labels or status. She didn’t ask for things. Hell, half the time he had to convince her to accept what he offered. That wasn’t a woman driven by money. That wasn’t a woman who loved convenience.She was lying and she was doing it just to get back at him, to punish him for his mistakes yesterday. If the roles were reversed, he would’ve done the same.The thought didn’t make it hurt an
Logan came back long after the house had gone quiet. The beach house was dark except for a few soft lights along the hallway and the staircase. The ocean outside was calm, the sound of the waves faint, steady, almost mocking him with how peaceful everything felt when his head was anything but chaos.He stood in the hallway for a moment, holding the flowers in his hands like they weighed a ton. More than a hundred red roses. He’d stood in the florist’s shop arguing with himself about how much was too much, then decided there was no such thing. He added chocolates too. Expensive ones. The kind wrapped in gold foil and silk ribbons. He didn’t even know if Melody liked chocolates like that. He just knew people always said women did.He went upstairs quietly, careful not to wake anyone. The door to their bedroom was closed.He hesitated before knocking. He imagined her voice telling him to go away again. It scared him more than anger ever could. So he didn’t knock. He opened the door slowl







