登入~MARCELLA~The rest of the drive is quiet.Not awkward… not heavy… just quiet in a way that feels full.Full of everything we didn’t say.Full of everything we’re both trying to understand.I sit beside him, my fingers still loosely intertwined with his, tracing small, absent patterns against his skin as the city lights blur past the window.And for once… I don’t feel like I’m running.I feel… still.When we finally pull into the underground garage of my building, the headlights sweep across the polished floor, illuminating the expensive cars lined up like trophies.Lucas slows the car, his eyes flicking around briefly.I notice it immediately….of course I do.This place screams money and power.Everything he’s been quietly struggling with all night.But he doesn’t say anything.He just parks the car carefully, turning off the engine.Silence settles between us again.The soft ticking sound of the cooling engine fills the space.For a second, neither of us mov
~LUCAS~“Stop the car, Lucas,” Marcella repeats.Her tone leaves no room for argument.I glance around before pulling over to the side of the road.The engine is still running.The night air hums quietly around us.And before I can say anything, she turns fully toward me.“Look at me.”I do.And God…The intensity in her eyes?It knocks the breath right out of me.“Don’t you ever say that again,” she says softly.My brows pull together. “Marcella….”“I mean it,” she cuts in. “Don’t you dare sit there and decide what I deserve.”I blink.“I chose you,” she continues, her voice dropping slightly. “Not your money. Not your background. You.”Her hand moves from mine… to my face….warm and gentle.Her thumb brushes lightly against my cheek.“And for the record?” she adds, a small smile tugging at her lips. “You are enough. More than enough.”My chest tightens painfully.I don’t even realize how close she’s gotten until her forehead nearly touches mine.“You think I had
~MARCELLA~I take Lucas to my favorite spot.A slightly secluded corner, tucked away just enough to give privacy… but still with a perfect view of the entire restaurant.It's romantic, quiet and perfect.We sit down, and almost immediately, a waiter approaches us.I smile politely before turning to Lucas.“Go ahead,” I say softly. “Pick something for us.”He blinks. “Both of us?”I nod, resting my chin lightly on my hand as I watch him.“Impress me.”A small smile tugs at his lips as he picks up the menu.After a moment, he nods and turns to the waiter.“We’ll have the grilled filet mignon with garlic butter,” he starts confidently, “served with truffle mashed potatoes and sautéed asparagus.”Okay…I raise a brow slightly.Not bad.“And for drinks,” he continues, glancing at me briefly, “a glass of red wine… and a sparkling lemonade.”The waiter nods and walks away.I lean forward slightly, smiling.“Look at you,” I tease. “Fancy.”He smirks. “I adapt quickly.”“Oh,
~LUCAS~I thought I understood what “a lot of money” meant.But I was wrong…..completely wrong.I sit here behind the wheel, hands still resting on it, staring ahead but not really seeing the road. My mind is somewhere else… still stuck in that moment at the counter.Fifteen thousand… seven hundred and fifty dollars.Spent…. just like that.Like it was nothing.Like it didn’t matter.I let out a slow breath, dragging a hand down my face as I try, but fail to process it.God.That amount alone… I could live off it for months. Maybe longer if I was careful. Rent, food, textbooks, transport… everything covered.And she spent it in a few hours.On me.My chest tightens, something heavy and overwhelming settling right in the center of it.I turn slightly, glancing at the backseat where the neatly packed bags sit like silent evidence of everything that just happened….clothes, shoes, and watches I am scared to even touch properly.All mine.A humorless chuckle slips
~MARCELLA~I really can't wait to spoil Lucas silly.And just like that, the excitement settles into something warm and electric inside me.I'm going shopping with him.God… I don’t think I’ve ever been this excited about something so simple.We step out of the house together, fingers still loosely intertwined, like neither of us wants to fully let go.The walk to the garage feels shorter than usual… maybe because I’m hyper-aware of him beside me. Every brush of his arm against mine. Every little glance he steals when he thinks I’m not looking.My heart does that annoying fluttery thing again.Ugh.Get it together, Marcella.We reach the garage, and I stop in front of my car, pulling the keys out of my bag.Then I turn to him.A slow smile spreads across my lips as I extend the keys toward him.“Drive, baby.”He blinks. “What?”I tilt my head, playful. “You heard me. I want to be a passenger princess today.”For a second, he just stares at me like he’s trying
~MARCELLA~I can still feel it.Even as the warmth of the bathroom fades behind us… even as the air in my room brushes against my skin… even as Lucas’ arm wraps securely around me, guiding me forward….I can still feel everything.My body hums.My legs are weak….not just physically, but like something inside me has been completely unraveled and put back together in a different way. My heart won’t stop racing, and every little movement reminds me of what just happened… of how he touched me… how I let him.How I wanted him to.God.My cheeks burn as the memory flashes again….his voice in my ear, his hands on me, the way I completely lost control. I’ve never… ever felt like that before.And the craziest part?I’m not embarrassed.I’m… overwhelmed. Soft. Full. Safe.“Careful,” Lucas murmurs beside me, his voice low and steady as he tightens his hold on my waist.I lean into him instinctively.“I’ve got you.”And I believe him, completely.He helps me slowly towa
~ELENA~The air thickens as they guide me deeper into the room, each step dragging me further away from safety….if safety ever existed with them.My bare skin prickles, my pulse wild beneath the blindfold. I can’t see where they’re leading me, only the tug of their hands,
~FLASHBACK CONTINUES~As I sat frozen on the floor of that dorm room, Alessandro rose to his feet without hesitation.He walked to me slowly, each step deliberate. My stomach twisted with nerves and curiosity as he reached out a hand to help me up.Everyone was watching us….smirking, whispering, gi
Alessandro stands in the middle of his father’s office, tall and impassive, hands in his pockets, face unreadable. His black shirt clings to his frame, sleeves rolled to the elbows, veins prominent, tattoos peeking at his wrists. The room is thick with tension.Behind the heavy mahogany desk sits
~ELENA~His mouth crashes against mine, hot and urgent, stealing the breath right out of my lungs.I push at him instinctively, but his body doesn’t budge… solid, immovable, like the wall behind me. It's like pressing against stone. His hands cage me in, one braced beside my head, the other gripping







