LOGINAngelPain. That was the first thing I felt. Pain. It shot through every part of my body before I even opened my eyes.My legs hurt. My shoulders hurt. My back hurt. Even muscles I didn’t know existed seemed determined to punish me.“Haa!” The cry escaped my lips before I could stop it. For a moment I remained still. Trying to gather my thoughts. Trying to understand why my entire body felt like it had been run over by a truck.Then memory slowly returned. Karate. Running. Stance work. Training. Drake.“Oh no.”I immediately regretted every decision I had made yesterday. My eyes slowly fluttered open.The room was still dim. The early morning light had only begun creeping through the curtains.I tried to sit up. Bad idea. A sharp ache shot through my muscles.“Ouch.” I collapsed back onto the bed. Maybe remaining here forever wasn’t such a bad idea.I closed my eyes. Then opened them again. Something felt strange.Different. A warmth. A presence. I frowned slightly. Why did I feel som
Drake”Don’ you dare throw threats at me” Her voice unbothered.”stop talking and jump on, now”“No.”“Little mouse”“No.”I tightened my jaw.“Little mouse, I am not asking.”“And I am not a child.” She screamed.“You are exhausted.”“I am perfectly fi—” She yawned. I raised an eyebrow. Angel immediately closed her mouth.“I was not yawning.”“You were.”“I wasn’t.”“You were.”“Fine,” she muttered. I crouched slightly.“Get on.”She folded her arms.“No.”“Do you want to walk another thirty minutes?”“Yes.”She took exactly three steps. Then nearly stumbled. I stared at her. She stared back. Neither of us said anything. Finally she sighed dramatically.“Fine.”“Good.”“But I am only doing this because I am tired.”“Of course.”“And not because I need help.”“Obviously.”“I am not tired, just doing you a Favour—”“Of course you are”“You are laughing.”“I am not.”“You are.”I was. Angel groaned and climbed onto my back.“Comfortable?”“No.”“Liar.”“Maybe a little.” I adjusted my gr
Angel“Oh, stop it, Drake.”“Stop what?” he asked, trying his best to look innocent. I narrowed my eyes at him.“That.”“That what?”“That thing you’re doing.”His lips twitched.“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”“Liar.”“Strong accusation.”“You wanted us to continue something else.”“Did I?”“Yes.”“Are you sure?”“Very sure.” A grin spread across his face.“Interesting.”I immediately stepped backward.“Don’t even start.”“Start what?”“Drake.”“Angel.” I pointed a finger at him. He looked entirely too pleased with himself.“Behave.”“That’s a very difficult request.”I rolled my eyes.“You are impossible.”“So I’ve been told.” For a few seconds neither of us spoke. Then Drake suddenly straightened.“All right.” I blinked.“All right?”“One more exercise.” I frowned suspiciously.“That’s it?”“Yes.”“You’re giving up that easily?”“Don’t make me change my mind.” I immediately shut up.“Good choice.”The next exercise wasn’t nearly as easy as I expected.Every movement req
Angel“Yes.”I tried to open my eyes, but the sharp sting immediately forced them shut again.“Ahh!”“Don’t touch it.”Before I could rub my eyes, Drake caught my wrist.His grip was firm but careful.“Stay still.”“I am fine.”“You’re not.”“I am.”“You just tried to blind yourself with a stick.”“That was one time.”“One time is enough.”I heard him sigh.Then I felt his fingers lightly brush beneath my eye.“Don’t move.”“What are you doing?”“Looking.”“For what?”“To make sure you didn’t scratch your eye.”“I didn’t.”“Little mouse.”“What?”“You don’t know that.”I frowned but stayed still.A moment later I felt a cool cloth touch my face.The relief was immediate.“Oh.”“Better?”“A little.”He carefully wiped away the dust that had flown into my eyes when the stick slipped from my hands.“Open them slowly.”“I told you I am fine.”“Open them.”I obeyed.Slowly.Very slowly. The burning had reduced. The world came back into focus. First the trees. Then the cave. Then Drake. Sta
AngelAfter a few more minutes of standing still, moving forward, moving backward, and repeating the same stance over and over again, I was completely frustrated.My legs hurt. My shoulders hurt. Even my patience hurt.“Mr. Crane, are you trying to frustrate me?” I screamed. Drake didn’t even blink.“You can stop if you want to.” That was it.No encouragement. No sympathy. No empathy. Nothing. I stared at him in disbelief.“That’s all you have to say?”“Yes.” I wanted to throw a stick at him. A tear finally escaped my eyes. Just one. But it was enough.I stood there breathing heavily, my eyes burning into his. For a moment neither of us spoke. Then Drake sighed.A real sigh. The kind that suggested he had finally decided to stop torturing me. Without saying a word, he bent down and picked up one of the wooden sticks.I frowned.“What are you doing?” Instead of answering, he stepped into position.The air around him seemed to change. His relaxed posture disappeared.Everything about hi
AngelWe finally came to a stop in front of a small cave. I bent over immediately, trying to catch my breath.My lungs burned. My legs felt like jelly. Sweat dripped down my face. For a moment, I wondered if Drake had secretly been trying to kill me.I looked around and couldn’t help but gasp. The place was beautiful. Tall trees surrounded the area.The grass was short and soft beneath my feet. Birds chirped somewhere in the distance. The cave itself sat quietly between two large rocks as though it had been hidden there for years.It was peaceful. Far away from the mansion. Far away from the city. Far away from everyone.“But… but why did we have to come this far?” I managed to ask between breaths.Drake looked completely unaffected by the run. Not even a drop of sweat. I hated him a little for that.“Do you want to go back?” he asked.“No.”“Are you tired already?”“No.”“You can go back now.”“No!” I practically screamed. I immediately straightened my back. Trying my best not to loo
DrakeI sat in the living room of the mansion, my fingers tapping slowly against the armrest. Once. Twice. Again. The sound was soft-but steady. Controlled. Just like my breathing. Just like my expression. But beneath that control, something was shifting. Something I didn’t like.“Where are you, li
Angel“Ahhh—”A sharp, splitting pain tore through my head. It felt like something had cracked open inside my skull, the ache spreading fast, heavy, and unbearable. My vision blurred, colors melting into each other, shapes forming and dissolving before I could make sense of them. I tried to breathe
DrakeThe room was silent. Not empty. Heavy. It was filled with people who understood exactly what was at stake. And still, they spoke carefully. Measured. Because in this room, one wrong word could shift everything.I sat at the head of the table. Quiet. Listening. Watching. The long glass table r
Angel“Stop the car now!” I screamed. My voice came out louder this time. Sharper. Desperate. But he didn’t slow down. Didn’t hesitate. If anything, he pressed harder on the accelerator. The car surged forward. Faster.My heart slammed violently against my chest. Think. Think, Angel. Do something.







