EthanAs I drove through the gates of my stepfather's house, I let out a long sigh and stared ahead at the mansion, trying to calm the frustration building in my chest. My life had started to feel like a loop—boring, predictable, and suffocating.Lately, everything felt off. There were too many conversations about the engagement—the themes, cake flavors, guest lists. It was as if the world had pressed a fast-forward button and I was being dragged along against my will. I didn’t want to get married. Not yet. Hell, I just wanted to press pause. Or better yet, postpone everything for another ten years.But I knew it was for my own good, and I couldn't really back out now.I sighed as I parked and stepped out. My mother had asked me to stop by a few days ago… saying it was important. I guessed she wanted to discuss more engagement plans, so I kept postponing her. But today, I just decided to come see her after much insistence from her.The moment I walked in, I was greeted by the butler,
I lay on the bed, my body still tingling from the intense round of pleasure. I felt so satisfied, like I hadn't been in a long time while resting my head on Lorenzo's strong and magnificent body.He sat up slowly and lit another cigar, and took a long drag. The sharp and rich scent of smoke gradually filled the room.“You always know how to make a man feel good,” he said, exhaling the smoke in a smooth, lazy puff.I smiled faintly and stretched my arms above my head. “I learned from the best.”He chuckled under his breath.Then he turned his head toward me and asked, “How’s the mission going with Cole Buckman?”I hesitated for a moment, then stretched lazily and gave a casual shrug. “It’s going well.”Before I could say more, like a switch, his mood instantly changed as his hand slammed the ashtray off the table with a loud crash. I jumped, my heart racing.“Don’t give me that basic crap, Amelia,” he snapped in a cold, sharp tone. “I want full details. Don’t test me.”I quickly sat up
AmeliaIt was finally the weekend and I couldn’t stop smiling. I stood in front of my mirror, brushing my long hair gently. My heart felt light for the first time in days. After everything that happened two days ago, the house had become so tense. I could feel the tension each time I walked past the halls. No one laughed anymore. No one even smiled.I smiled to myself as I applied some lip gloss. Everything was falling perfectly into place. I had worked hard to create this distance between Cole and Skylar, and now it was happening. They could barely stand each other. I could finally relax a little, enjoy my weekend, and reward myself.I stood up and walked towards my wardrobe, pulling out the clothes I had been saving for today. A short, skin-tight red dress hugged my curves perfectly. The neckline dipped low, showing off just enough cleavage to tease but not reveal too much. The thin straps barely held the dress up, and the short hem showed off my smooth legs. I slipped into a pair o
ColeI could only stare at Skylar.“What did you just say?” I couldn't help but ask.Skylar’s jaw tightened, her face burning with anger. She stepped forward and repeated, even more fiercely,“Over. My. Dead. Body.”She pointed at Amelia, her eyes sharp and cold. “I will never apologize to her for something I didn’t do. Never! If you want to be blinded by her lies, Cole, then fine. Be blind! But I’m not going to stand here and let her have her way!”I blinked, confused and angry. I stared at Skylar, wondering what had happened to the woman I married. Why was she always like this? Why couldn’t she just let go of her pride and admit she made a mistake? Why was it so hard for her to apologize and end this?Before I could speak, I felt a gentle tug at my sleeve. I looked down and saw Amelia still kneeling, her small fingers clutching my shirt weakly. Her face looked pale, and her eyes were red from tears. She shook her head softly and whispered,“Please… please don’t fight with Skylar bec
SkylarI finally headed home after Amber's insistence.When I alighted from the car, I didn’t even get the chance to take a deep breath before I saw Cole waiting for me. He stood right in front of our house, arms crossed, looking so angry and furious… like he had swallowed a frog.I wasn’t surprised. I had ignored all his calls. I didn’t want to hear his voice after everything that happened at his office.The moment Cole saw me, he marched towards me. “Where were you, Skylar? Why weren’t you picking my calls?”I ignored him and tried to walk past. I wasn’t in the mood for any more drama today. But Cole wasn’t planning to let me off that easy. He grabbed my arm, holding me back.“Don't walk away from me; I'm asking you a question.”“Let go of me,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.I turned to face him, my eyes burning with anger. “Haven’t you done enough already? What more do you want from me? Do you want me to cause more problems for you since ‘your’ Amelia isn't the proble
Skylar"Skylar, slow down with the drink," Amber said softly, watching me with worried eyes.But I didn’t listen. I grabbed the glass and emptied it in one gulp, the bitter liquid burning my throat as it went down. I wanted the bitterness, I wanted to feel the sting. I wanted something, anything, to drown out the sharp pain in my chest.Amber sighed and leaned back in her seat. "I shouldn’t have told you like that," she muttered, sounding guilty. "I should have waited. Maybe told you after you had calmed down, or better still, told you to go home first and think it through before confronting Cole."I shook my head firmly and set my glass back on the table with a loud clunk. "No, Amber, don’t blame yourself," I said quickly. "You did the right thing. I needed to know immediately. I would have been angry if you hid it from me. You did nothing wrong. It’s just… Cole…" I couldn’t finish. The words got stuck in my throat, and I swallowed hard.Amber reached out to pat my hand gently, but I