LOGINALYONAIt had been three weeks. Three long, exhausting, suffocating weeks, and somehow I was still here, still breathing, even though everything inside me felt empty. People say heartbreak hurts, but no one warned me that it steals things—my sleep, my hunger, my smile, my voice, my will to step outside, even my desire to exist. Every day I woke up in the same room, sat by the same window, stared at the same street, and pretended to be fine whenever Mom looked at me with those worried eyes. But I wasn’t fine. I wasn’t anywhere close to fine.The truth was simple and shameful. I was waiting for him. For Alexander. For the sound of his car pulling up, for his footsteps on the porch, for his voice saying my name the way only he could. But he never came. Not once. And with every day that passed, every hour, every second that door stayed closed, something inside me cracked a little more.I didn’t cry anymore; even my tears seemed tired of me. All that remained was this silence inside me, so
ALYONAMorning came faster than I expected. I got ready slowly, trying to keep my hands from shaking. There was nervousness sitting in my stomach, but also a strange excitement I hadn’t felt in days. I was about to tell him—really tell him—how I felt. Mom was right. If I never said the words out loud, how would he ever know? How would anything ever change?While brushing my hair, while picking my clothes, even while sipping water, I kept rehearsing what I wanted to say. Every version sounded different. Some were brave. Some were weak. Some made me blush because they felt too honest. But none of them felt perfect. Maybe there was no perfect way to confess something like this. Maybe honesty was enough.Still, my mind kept spinning. What if he accepted it? What if he didn’t? What if it made things worse? What if he laughed? What if he got angry? What if he felt nothing? Every possibility felt like a coin being tossed in the air, and I didn’t know how it would land.And then there was Dar
ALYONAThe next morning came far too quickly. We were all supposed to leave for the airport by noon, and my bags were already packed and checked twice, but my mind wasn’t anywhere near the luggage. I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, I kept seeing Paris, the rain, his smile, and the way he looked at me as if he was seeing something he wasn’t supposed to want. A foolish part of me hoped he might knock on my door before we left and say something, anything, but my phone stayed silent, and the spot in the hallway where the team usually waits for him was completely empty.I tried to convince myself that he might have overslept or been tired, but the truth was, I just needed to see him. So I walked to his room and knocked gently at first. There was no answer. I knocked again, louder this time, but still nothing. A heavy, uneasy feeling crawled up my spine. Alexander never ignored calls and never missed anything. I checked my phone again, saw the two unanswered calls to him, and the
ALYONAI stand near the edge of the ballroom, watching as the party reaches its peak—glittering lights, champagne glasses, the soft hum of conversations layered under upbeat music. Paris knows how to celebrate, but tonight feels different. Maybe it’s because Enamore truly outdid itself. Or maybe… It’s because of him. My eyes drift across the room until they find Alexander. He’s surrounded by people—designers, directors, important faces who want his attention. He stands tall, poised in that effortless way of his, listening intently as someone speaks to him. And yet all I can think about is the way he looked at me today.My heart does this fluttering thing, and I have to look away before someone catches me smiling like an idiot. Because God… what was today? What was that?It feels like I lived a dream. Like I stepped into someone else’s life for a few hours—a girl who gets to spend the day with Alexander Hunt, not as an assistant, not as someone tagging behind schedules and responsibili
Something inside me tightens. My chest, my stomach, my mind—it’s all screaming that I’m falling for her. And in that instant, all the careful control I’ve clung to feels fragile, meaningless. She is too alive. Too real. Too… her.The umbrella suddenly opens above me, a sharp reminder of the world outside my thoughts. I glance at my bodyguard, but my eyes immediately return to her. She catches my gaze and tilts her head slightly, raising one hand as if to say, Come join me. But I hesitate. The idea of stepping fully into this moment, into her world, into her joy—feels both irresistible and impossible. I just watched, lost.A few moments pass. The rain pounds harder, plastering her hair to her cheeks, soaking the fabric of her dress, and she laughs softly, a sound that makes my chest ache. Something in me snaps. I grab the umbrella, and I hold it over her, shielding her from the worst of the rain. She looks up at me, shivering slightly, and smiles. “You’re right,” she says, “But I don’t
ALEXANDERShe is different. I knew it from the first moment, but sitting beside her now makes it impossible to ignore. Alyona is alive in a way most people aren’t. She notices things others rush past. She finds joy in small moments—a view, a word, a stray thought—and somehow it makes everything around her feel lighter.And I don’t understand why I listened to her wish. Why I changed my plans. Why I chose to spend this day with her.Maybe… deep down… I wanted to.Maybe I wanted to see how she looks when she’s curious or excited, or smiling at something only she understands.Last night I was restless. I couldn’t work, couldn’t focus, couldn’t stay still. All I kept thinking was: Where did she go? Is she safe? Why did she walk away like that?And when I saw her again, something inside me eased. Like she carried an answer I didn’t know I was waiting for.I shouldn’t feel this way. I know that.But every time she comes close, something shifts. I try to deny it, ignore it, push it down, and
ALYONAWe breathed out together, but the relief was short-lived. Now came the part none of us were ready for. I turned and shot Olivia and Ivy a deadly glare. One lie will lead to a thousand more. My mom’s voice echoed in my head like a warning bell. And here I was—living proof of that wisdom. Shaw
ALYONAExcited and nervous, the three of us climbed into the taxi. I could feel the rush of thoughts swirling in my head, my stomach fluttering with anticipation. Olivia, Ivy, and I had waited for so long, and now that it was finally here, none of us could sit still. We kept stealing glances at eac
ALYONAWe headed downtown, bundled in our jackets, with a strange sense of purpose in our steps. Olivia walked a few steps ahead, already on the phone. The way she spoke—with so much confidence, switching between laughter and serious tone—it felt like she was talking to someone important. Maybe a s
ALYONA“Will you be my girlfriend?” Shawn’s words hung in the air, his eyes shining with hope. My heart pounded, and my stomach twisted.“Shawn, I’ve never seen this side of you. I don’t love you,” I said, stepping back.“Please, just give me a chance,” he pleaded.I turned to run, but my legs woul







