LOGIN[ Still 16 years ago: Flashback still ongoing ] Shoved to a nanny to take him to his room, the maid's heart sank as she looked at him. Thin and pale. Dry and cracked lips. His eyes were barely open. His legs were barely standing on their own like he was on the verge of collapsing. His stomach grumbled loudly but he wasn't even blinking. Without saying anything, she took him to his room. “ I'll have your meal ready now, young master.” She muttered softly. “ No need. I have to prepare for school.” His voice, barely a whisper, said. The maid gulped hard. “ It's.. weekend.” Grayson's body froze, shivers washed down his veins but he was feeling too dizzy to even look up at her. But he tried, his head shaking as he turned.“ What did you say?” His breath trembled, but watching the way the maid hung her head low, refusing to look at him, he realized she was telling the truth. He has been locked in for almost four days. If today ends, it'll make it four days. He nodded his h
[ Still 16 years ago.. where it all started ] Grayson had thought his birthday would at least be different from the other days, but the longer he stayed in the dark, the further he curled into himself. The darkness was never just darkness. It breathed. From the moment the lock snapped into place, something in the room seemed to shift. As if it had been waiting for him. As if this is the only place he belonged to. He felt like the dark was watching him. The air was thick. Wrong. It clung to his skin, crawled into his mouth when he tried to breathe, until every inhale felt stolen—like the room might change its mind and take it back. He stayed still, pulled his knees against his chest, tried not to hear the tiny sound the dark makes. Nothing's here. No one is here. He told himself repeatedly. He had no idea how long he'd stayed there, but he remembered that no one had told him ‘ Happy birthday ‘ today, he hadn't even told himself. With his dry throat, he mumbled under his
[ Note: Chapter is emotionally heavy, it contains scenes of child abuse and may be distressing for some readers. ] | 16 YEARS AGO: FLASHBACK | It was a harsh, sunny day, yet the house felt colder than it does during dusk. Not the kind of cold that crept into your skin from the air, but the kind that lived in the walls, watching, waiting. Grayson felt it the moment he stepped through the door, his fingers still curled loosely around the strap of his schoolbag. Behind him, his younger brother stumbled in with a muffled whimper. “Stop crying,” Grayson muttered under his breath, not turning. “You’ll make it worse.” But Tyler couldn't. Blood had drained in thin, ugly streaks along his lip, and his sleeve was torn where someone had dragged him across gravel. His breathing hitched —small, broken sounds that seemed too loud in the suffocating quiet of the house. From the sitting room, Grayson heard it, the small sounds of the approaching steps. All that was all the warning they got.
“ Wow.” Tessa leaned back. The way her face dropped in disbelief tells Grayson she indeed has fallen for whatever lies she was told by Tyler and Joyce. “ How can people be so…” unable to find a descriptive word for Joyce, she slumped back into the seat.“ This is unbelievable.” “ That's why I'm surprised the same person told you she was my first love.” “ Yeahhh, who does that. She loves you but slept with your brother?” She shook her head in disgust. Grayson smirked. “ You don't call that love." “ Yeah, you don't.” She supported when she noticed that she didn't go back to the ward to grab her phone. ‘ I'm sure it's safe there.’ she told herself. “ ...And you need to stop believing everything my brother tells you.” His voice cut through her thoughts. Her chest tightened in guilt, she blinked, but then looked back at the doll. “ I did not believ
Grayson blinked, feeling awkward as he had no idea what could be wrong or could be the reason behind that totally not genuine ‘Sooo okay’ and ‘ laughter.’‘ Did I.. do something?’ he pondered, then noticed Joyce was nowhere in sight.“ Where's Joyce?” He asked, cluelessly.Tessa scoffed in disbelief, her fingers curling beside her. Then she let out a fake chuckle and shrugged her shoulder exaggeratedly. “ How am I supposed to know? I'm not her guard.”Grayson's brows furrowed again, this time, he narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “ O…kay…” he wanted to ask what was going on with her unusual responses, but the dagger-like glare he was getting made him shut his lips tightly, as if any more words from him could put him in total danger.‘ But am I not the one who should be upset about her wanting to feed my brother?’ he frowned as he thought to himself.But just then, her stomach grumbled and his frowning face
It hit fast, sharp, and hot, like something twisting low in her stomach before her mind even catches up. At first, there's shock, her eyes stayed fixed on them, trying to decide if she's seeing it wrong, if maybe the hug means nothing. But the longer their chests keep touching, the louder the thoughts become. Tessa’s chest tightens. Even though she sees him pulling away, it doesn't stop the heat that crawls up her neck, mixed with a sting behind her heart. Every laugh and giggle that spilled from the lady, the way his eyes softened when he spoke to her stuck to her head. “ When did you get back?” He asked, lips curved into a small smile. He was glad to see her, but was surprised at how she suddenly jumped at him. Either way, he kept it short and his face maintained a usual small smile. Not knowing that wasn't how someone else in the room was seeing it.
He had pressed himself against the nearest wall, knees drawn up, every sense straining for the smallest hint of light. Memories he had buried clawed their way back: the darkest nights. His mother's laughter. His father's voice. Trapped. Helpless. Little hands banging against the do
The four of them settled around the table in a quiet lounge of the suite, all three smiling except Tessa who sat stiffly in her chair like this was the last place she wanted to be. Grayson on the other hand, sits next to her, looking perfectly relaxed, leaning casually back. Prisca glanced between
| THE NEXT MORNING— ITALY | The vibration of phone stirred Tessa awake. She moaned as she stretched on the bed, dawn bleeding through the curtains. She fluttered her eyes open slowly. Her body felt stiff from sleeping too close to the edge of the bed, a careful distance maintained between her an
“ You're shaking, Tess. And I haven't even done anything.” Her breath hitched, face reddened with embarrassment. Her brow creased in anger and confusion at how hard her chest was pounding, and why her body was trembling like that. But she cared not about any answer at the point, she just wanted







