LOGINOnce she reached into the pocket of the dark blue suit jacket of the man who was asleep on the couch, the first thing Pandora found was some brown wrapping paper that had been crumpled into small pieces.
Either the dessert was Kingston's snack for letting the suit jacket that had been draped over the arm of the sofa for a moment before the man had fallen asleep with his arm halfway over his face—leaving only his lips tightly pursed—heat up voluptuously, or Pandora had to assume Kingston“Sister Panda, wake up.”Pandora couldn’t remember the last time she’d drifted off into the sorrowful shadow of Kingston. After making sure the man was truly gone, she hurried—as quickly as she could—to gather the scattered clothes on the floor. She tidied up her disheveled appearance, though it was of no use when she tried to mend her shattered feelings. It was a complete mess. Just like when she couldn’t ignore the urge to sleep. And once she woke up, the situation was no longer the same.The silence in the room was filled by Anna and Aceli, who were carrying backpacks. The little girl woke Pandora up, so with her consciousness barely fully gathered, she steadily fixed her gaze on the two of them, her brows furrowed in wonder.“Who brought her here?”Pandora jolted, clutching her chest as it pounded violently. She fixed Anna with an extraordinarily sharp gaze, making sure Anna wouldn’t say Kingston wasn’t involved in this.“I just got here, and I happened to se
“Done.”Pandora finished her work by copying the organized data onto another device. She handed the copies to Anna, along with a research assignment on dramaturgy to be printed out and neatly bound.“Are you sure you don’t want to come?” asked Anna, already all dressed up in a light coat and slipping on her leather shoes. Sometimes Anna turned around, just to repeatedly make sure Pandora wouldn’t change her mind.“I just want to rest, Ann. I’m sleepy. I didn’t get enough sleep last night.”Even after the brutal expulsion. That didn’t make Kingston give up. No, not until Anna deliberately called security to take the man away.“Alright, then. I’m leaving first. It might take a while—I’ll do the monthly shopping and also need to buy printer ink since it’s empty.”Pandora nodded faintly. Watching Anna’s fingertips touch the doorknob, she said, “Take care of yourself out there.” Then she settled into a lying position facing the wall, left alone in the room. Last night’s confrontation had
“We need to talk.” Ignoring Pandora’s request, the man voiced something Pandora had already exhausted all possibilities of considering. Kingston’s attitude had made everything crystal clear; she no longer needed any explanatory words or anything of that nature. “I want to go back to the dorm. If you really object to taking me there, I can go home on my own.”“But we need to talk for a moment, Pandora.”“No. You only need to discuss this with her. I’m an exception for you.” Pandora steeled herself, glaring at Kingston with hatred, anger, and a fiery gaze. “Whatever. Do whatever you want! I can go home on my own.” She was already reaching for the car door, consistently ignoring Kingston and his wishes.“Fine. I’ll drive you.”Though the ride to the dorm was eventually overshadowed by a heavy silence, Pandora remained fixed on the view outside the window. The dorm building loomed tall. Soon… so Pandora prepared to get out. She slammed Kingston’s car door hard
Pandora didn’t know how to express her bitter reaction. She bowed her head deeply, clasping her fingers together with intense anxiety. It felt like being struck by a massive explosion when the woman firmly asserted the truth. And Kingston didn’t utter a single word to reassure Pandora—or at the very least, he would have denied it. He remained silent, so much so that Pandora almost laughed at herself—why was she trying to deny it, when her eyes had once directly caught the red marks on Kingston’s body back in the forest? Wouldn’t the presence of a child complete Kingston’s past love? They would go through a series of romantic moments reminiscent of their past story. Overflowing with warmth and longing. That’s why, up to this very moment, Kingston hadn’t said anything to reaffirm the statement that had left Pandora’s thoughts adrift. She felt trapped atop a lighthouse, gazing at a ship sailing in the distance, but the ship never made its way toward her. It felt futile; there
Pandora swallowed hard, unsure whether Kingston really had to stand there staring at her like that. She was certain Anna had taken care of every single detail. She’d applied a soft, sweet shade of makeup to her natural features, perfect for pairing with the slip dress. The sleeveless dress featured thin straps and delicate detailing at the bust, accentuating Pandora’s curves. Exactly the look for a dinner date with a man who was no less charming.She noticed how his hair, slicked back, added a mature air to Kingston’s face. Dressed in a suit and a white shirt with the top two buttons deliberately left open, it emphasized just how Kingston was the quintessential hot guy with his towering physique.The man remained silent, watching. Silent amidst the half-remaining awareness that could barely be controlled.“King.”Pandora immediately made her final decision. A light touch on his arm made Kingston blink and give her a faint smile. Then that hand moved steadily, landing
“Come to think of it, I’m curious about what you two did while you were at the beach....” Pandora couldn’t even count how many times she’d had to process Anna’s remarks regarding Kingston’s crazy antics in front of the class. She’d been trying not to get drawn into Anna’s relentless curiosity. Simply explaining it with words wouldn’t be enough to make the girl understand that she and Kingston hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary. There was only one instance when Kingston lost control. That was it. “If you two do that often…,” Anna continued. She paused for a moment, then rested both elbows on the campus cafeteria table. “Before you get married, Mr. Nolan has to use protection. For God’s sake, I hate what’s going on in my head!” Anna tapped each temple with her palm. She spoke too carelessly, thankfully her voice was very soft. “I hate what’s in your head too. Even if he doesn’t use protection, I still wouldn’t get pregnant. Besides, King Kong promised he wouldn’t
It was a torturous day as Pandora kept thinking about the madness in her mind. Soon Chris and Aquela would probably arrive. As she heard after finishing breakfast that Helios was in charge of picking up her parents. Five hours had passed, and the next hour should have been spent preparing to welco
"King ...." Pandora walked very fast, not wanting to leave Voleski alone staring at her courage to confront, but Pandora felt it was important to know the contents of Kingston's unpredictable head. At first the man resisted Chris' arrival. Then Pandora arranged the situation for the comfort
"Arcadeaz... you mean Arcade?" asked Pandora. Swallowing hard after she found Voleski nodding vaguely. The woman confirmed the big question that now led to the real answer. The name that had once fallen from Kingston's lips was now gone. Now Pandora wondered who that woman was to Kingston. She w
Time had passed quickly since Kingston left Pandora in the room with Aceli. This morning Pandora had been frantically scrolling through her cell phone to contact Chris to resolve her endless inner conflict. Thankfully, Chris' reply didn't complicate Pandora's feelings, so she didn't have to be t







