KaidenYou would think I would be slowed down due to my injuries but when you are running for your life, there is no limit to what you can do.I took the alleyways and just kept running till my breath got winded. I was exhausted and I was angry. It’s already morning and I had to find somewhere to go.Sage.He definitely told them where I was but how did he know where I was? I was still hurt from knowing his diabolical plan to get rid of me but I thought he would let it go by now seeing the state I was in the hospital.I was in no fucking state to fight anyone and I couldn’t even call Martin since he was in the process of investigating who is behind all of this.My ribs still ached from the beating, but it was nothing compared to the sound of my heart breaking every second.Sage had sent those thugs after me.I still couldn't wrap my head around it. I had always known he was possessive when it came to the professor, but this? It was calculated, ruthless. It made me wonder just how far
KaidenAfter their little show of affection, I decided to leave before things got heated.The truth was that I left because I was beginning to get rock hard. It must be the drugs or a trauma response from what I have been through these few days because there was no way in hell that I was hard from that.If anything, I should be mad because Sage disregarded my confession and still went ahead to kiss someone else in front of me. Or was it the professor who completely ignored me like he hadn’t then confusing my head a lot these days.Seriously?When did things became a clusterfuck?I made the decision to go to the police to report this case. While Martin was doing his thing, it was taking a lot of time and I was getting hurt during that time. I couldn’t take it anymore.I stood at the counter, arms crossed, waiting for an officer to acknowledge me.A man in uniform finally walked over, a tired expression on his face. “Can I help you?”“Yeah,” I said, shifting slightly. “I need to file a
Kaiden The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the dull pounding in my skull. My limbs felt heavy, like they were made of lead, and a strange numbness settled in my fingers. The second thing I noticed was that I couldn’t move. Blinking against the blur clouding my vision, I lifted my head slightly, only to feel resistance. My wrists were bound to the headboard of the hotel bed with what felt like, what the hell? his belt. I turned my head, and there he was. Ryan. The twink I had brought back with me was sitting on the edge of the bed, clutching his phone in trembling hands. His fingers were unsteady as he fumbled with the knot, his breath coming in uneven gasps. I could tell instantly, he wasn’t a professional at this. He was scared. He was probably paid off to do this when he wasn’t even okay with doing it. I would roll my eyes if I was capable of doing so. “What…” My throat was dry, my voice sluggish. “What the hell are you doing?” He flinched, his grip tig
SageThe professor took me home, and I was still reeling from the way he had kissed me in front of Kaiden. His arm wrapped around my waist as he pulled me close to his body. I felt his need for me and I hoped he understood my need. It wasn’t just a kiss, I think it was a claim or a message passed to Kaiden to stay away from me. It made my stomach twist in something dangerously close to satisfaction. Maybe things were okay between us after all. Maybe this was him proving that I mattered more.After what happened between us, maybe he has accepted it. I grinned, there was no need for us to fight about it anymore.I followed him inside, feeling a little lighter than I had in days. He had chosen me, hadn’t he?I was already mentally preparing myself to take off my clothes the second we got comfortable. But the moment we were alone, he turned to me with a calculating look in his eyes.“What did Kaiden want from you?” He demanded.The question caught me off guard. His voice was calm, but
KaidenI woke up later after coming back home, my body was morning, my body heavy with exhaustion. The past few days had drained me in ways I hadn’t anticipated, and since I wasn’t working right now because of my injuries, I had nothing pressing to get out of bed for.I couldn’t even talk about how I felt when Sage subtly neglected me after I confessed to him. He was the whole reason I picked up that twink, to forget about him.I almost got in trouble and to think I want to continue pursuing him. I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with me. The kind of hold Sage has on me makes me worry sometimes.I laid there for a while, scrolling lazily through my phone, when a message came in.Sage: Where are you?I frowned, rereading the text. My first instinct was to ignore it, but after a moment of hesitation, I typed out my location and hit send.I wasn’t sure why he was texting me all of a sudden. After everything that had happened, the betrayal, the mixed signals, the professor’s possessive
KaidenI didn’t want to hear it.I couldn’t hear it.The betrayal burned, eating away at everything I thought I felt for him.I squeezed my eyes shut. I did like Sage. I had been certain of that. But knowing what he had done… I didn’t know if I could just move past it.I turned to the professor. My voice was cold. “Was this the reason you brought me here?” I asked. “To get rid of me like this?”The professor’s lips curled into a smirk. “Would it have worked?”I didn’t answer.Because I honestly didn’t know.I didn’t want to know or believe what was happening here. My mind was still reeling from Sage’s confession. I had to imagine what the two of them had discussed to even bring me here. I was such a fool, I came here willingly while they had planned what they wanted from me.He had betrayed me.He had almost gotten me killed.And now, here he was, standing in front of me with tears in his eyes, trying to explain it all away.I was about to say something—something angry, something tha
SageI closed my eyes to wish away this dream. I wanted this to happen even though I was pretending. We had moved to the bedroom under the professor’s command. I wasn’t sure how Kaiden obediently did just as the professor asked but I was glad it happened.The professor was finally giving me an opportunity to prove myself and I sincerely hoped that Kaiden would calm down and listen. He still loved me. That’s why he was so hurt when I confessed to sending those people to his hotel room. They weren’t going to kill him just to rough him up a bit.I finally opened my eyes and it immediately locked into Kaiden’s glaring ones, he had a look of desire in his eyes that I was sure mirrored mine and I immediately wanted his hands on me, and I was about to voice my need when he sighed and bent down, capturing my lips with his. A satisfied shudder shook my body as his lips traced over mine before his tongue dipped inside to sample my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down u
Sage I nodded, and he slid his teeth up and down the column of my neck, his hand dipping under me to spread my legs apart. I held my breath and my belly tightened in response, dampness spreading between my legs. His fingers moved lower and brushed the juncture of my thighs and I whimpered at the simple contact. "Shhh." He whispered against my neck, teasing me with soft brushes of his fingertips against the back of me while continuing to torture my neck. I grabbed onto his shoulders for balance, and he used the heel of his hand to massage my rim with slow circles of his wrist. I felt my head swim and I cried out at the perfect pressure, but he simply hummed in what sounded like satisfaction before his fingers slid into me. The sudden fullness made me moan out in satisfaction and I dug my nails into his shoulders. Soft mewls falling from my lips. Kaiden bit my ear hard, pulling it with his teeth. It should have hurt, but instead, it felt like an attack on every erogenous zone i
KaidenThe clink of glassware and soft instrumental music floated through the private dining room, but I barely noticed any of it. My attention was locked on the man seated across from me, Desmond, the so-called sponsor, though I knew better now. He wasn’t just another businessman looking to capitalize on talent. He was the distributor. The puppeteer behind the chaos circling my life.Martin couldn’t stop talking. “You know, this whole thing… it’s a damn miracle. The sponsor paid for the new condo in full. Quietly. No credit checks, no delays. Even Sage’s outfit, hell, the professor’s tux too, he took care of it all. Who does that?”He kept saying all the things that I didn’t want to hear. Didn’t he know that I was terrified?I kept my gaze fixed on Desmond. He smiled faintly, swirling his wine like he had all the time in the world. I didn't trust that smile. It was too smooth, too practiced like everything about him.I was skeptical to be here even though I had no choice. I didn’t w
KaidenWhen we got home, Sage was still trembling in my arms.I guided him gently to the living room couch and sat with him, wrapping the throw blanket from the armrest over his shoulders. He hadn't spoken much since we left the boutique. The only sounds were the occasional hitch in his breath and the way his fingers clutched the fabric of my shirt like he needed something solid to anchor him.He really was scared, I can’t imagine how terrified he must have been. Hearing that so close to him must have pushed him off the edge. I hated seeing him that way.“I’ve got you,” I murmured. “You’re safe now.”He leaned into me, his body slowly relaxing as he drew warmth from my presence.“Kaiden,” he whispered, eyes fluttering. “I don’t understand why this is happening. Why me?”“Because you matter,” I said. “More than you know. And I swear, whoever’s behind this won’t get close to you. Not while I’m breathing.”Eventually, his head dropped to my shoulder, and his breathing slowed. I held him
SageIt was entirely unfair for someone like Amir to be real. Tall, lean, with chiseled features that looked like they belonged on a movie poster rather than in a security file, and a voice that dripped with smooth, practiced calm. He was the kind of handsome that made your thoughts scatter just a little if you looked at him for too long.And I was doing exactly that.“Mr. Amir, right?” I asked, extending a hand, hoping my voice didn’t tremble like my fingers did. “I’m Sage.”He nodded, his grip firm but not overbearing. “I know. It’s a pleasure.”He smiled and I don’t mean the empty kind people give when they’re on duty. It was warm. Polite. And it made my stomach flip in a way I hadn’t expected.But as he turned toward the room, I caught sight of Kaiden and the professor.Both of them were glaring.I blinked.Kaiden’s jaw was tight, eyes narrowed like he was assessing a threat he didn’t like the look of. The professor, arms crossed, stood with the energy of a man who’d already decid
KaidenWhen Martin dropped me in front of the professor’s house. I barely waited for him to drive off before I dug out my phone. My fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before I hit Bryan’s name.He was the only one who was making an attempt to help me right now. He answered on the second ring, his voice calm and clipped, like always.“Kaiden?”“Yeah, it’s me.” I moved to the far side of the room, away from the windows, and lowered my voice. “Something weird’s going on. I need to tell you about it.”“What kind of weird?” His tone sharpened immediately.I told him everything. The prepaid boutiques. The law firm. The condo being bought out. The way no one could or would tell me who was behind it. I could practically hear him frowning on the other end of the line.“You think it’s Sage?” he asked quietly.“No,” I said quickly, too quickly. “I don’t know. I mean—I don’t want to think that. And it’s not the professor either. I know that much. They would tell me if they are trying
KaidenI stared at the silver-trimmed envelope resting on the counter between the professor and me like it was some kind of explosive. The award ceremony. My name was on the guest list, of course. It had to be. I was the damn honoree.“I have my own invite, thanks to my connections,” the professor said casually, leaning against the kitchen counter. He swirled his coffee slowly, watching the dark liquid spiral. “But I think Sage should go with you.”Sage, sitting cross-legged on the couch and peeling a tangerine, looked up with a sheepish smile. “Would that be okay with you?”I didn’t even think about it before I answered. “No.”Their expressions changed almost instantly, surprise flickered across the professor’s features and Sage’s smile faltered.“It’s enough that Sage’s already in the spotlight,” I said, trying to keep my voice even, my words reasonable. “With the way everyone’s been talking and taking photos, I don’t want to put him in harm’s way, more than I already have. If you
Kaiden The clock on the bedside read 3:12 a.m. I rolled onto my side, confused by the soft glow seeping under the bedroom door. I blinked the sleep from my eyes, and when I looked over, Sage was still fast asleep beside me, his breathing steady and rhythmic. I reached out, touched his hair lightly, then slid out of bed. The hallway was silent except for the distant hum of the fridge and the occasional rustle of the wind brushing the windows. I padded barefoot across the wood floor, and as I neared the living room, the scent of whiskey hit me first. That, and the sound of papers being shuffled with irritation more than purpose. The soft overhead light in the corner cast a gold sheen across the professor’s back. He was hunched over the coffee table, glass of whiskey in one hand, papers spread out like an autopsy, calm chaos wrapped in tension. He didn’t look up when I entered. “You’re still awake?” I asked, keeping my voice low. “I have work to do,” he said, not looking at me. His
KaidenI watched Sage’s chest rise and fall steadily, his breathing finally even and calm after a long, exhausting day. The faint hum of the heater filled the small apartment as the evening air drifted colder through the windows. He looked peaceful in sleep, peaceful in a way that didn’t match anything we’d been living through lately. It was a lie his body told, one I was grateful for, even if I knew it wouldn’t last. The last thing I needed was for him to keep worrying about the unknown.Today took a toll on him.I sat at the edge of the couch, elbows resting on my knees, hands folded, but my thoughts weren’t still. They kept drifting back to the question he asked earlier about whether we’d ever go back to how things were. And now I knew for certain: we couldn’t. Not with this storm closing in around us, not when every time I let my guard down, something tried to take Sage from me.I haven’t even figured out how to apologize to the professor, it took me a lot of thinking to realize
SageThe next morning, Kaiden and I walked to school in silence. The meal we shared was so brief and he stayed with me. The professor didn’t come home and when I called him, he said he was working late and we should enjoy ourselves.I knew it was because he didn’t want to spend time with Kaiden. After their argument, they have been tense with each other.I didn’t want to Interfere in their problems as it could escalate into something I wouldn’t be able to control.I looked at Kaiden, I know we have already talked about this but I was so curious.I wanted to ask him again about where he’d really been that day, but the tension in his jaw warned me off. Still, I couldn’t help myself. “So,” I started, kicking a loose pebble on the sidewalk, “you never really told me where you went. Like, actually went.” His steps didn’t falter, but his grip tightened around the strap of his backpack. “I told you. I needed to clear my head.” “Yeah, but that could mean anything,” I pressed. “You just
SageI stood just outside the hospital’s main entrance, staring at the parking lot like it was a war zone. The discharge papers were crumpled slightly in my grip. I could feel my fingers tremble, but I didn’t loosen them. The sun was bright, the day clear, but I felt like I was standing in the middle of a fog, one that hadn’t lifted since I was attacked.Kaiden mentioned he would come and pick me up, hence the hesitation. I felt like if he wasn’t here to do that, I wouldn’t go. “Ready?” His voice pulled me out of my head.I turned toward him. He had one hand in his pocket, the other adjusting the strap of my duffel bag slung over his shoulder. His hair was a little messy, like he hadn’t even bothered with a brush this morning, and his hoodie looked slept in. But his eyes, his eyes were alert. “I don’t know if ready’s the word I’d use,” I admitted. My voice sounded too thin to my own ears. “I feel like I’m being pushed out of safety and right back into the middle of whatever this me