جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 120

Ophelia's Pov Camilla was still smiling, still pleased with her little discovery that Daniel indeed has a girlfriend, but I could hardly pay attention. My attention was on something else or rather someone else.That look. It hadn’t left me. It was an invisible weight pressing against my skin, the undeniable presence of a gaze I had grown too familiar with. I could feel it—heavy, searching, stripping away the layers I had carefully built to protect myself. Ryder wasn’t just looking at me. He was studying me. I forced a smile at Camilla as she spoke of something entirely different, though my mind wandered elsewhere. I needed to pull myself together. “You okay?” Daniel’s voice was low, but it cut through my thoughts like a blade. I looked up at him as he moved closer, his usual playful glint replaced by something sharper, more serious. “I’m fine,” I replied far too quickly. His brow arched. “You sure? You seem a little…” He looked for the word, finally settling o

Ophelia PovAfter Daniel dropped me at home and I entered my apartment, I let out a deep breath, feeling the weight of the evening settle over me. My confrontation with Ryder had drained me, leaving behind an exhaustion that seeped into my bones. I kicked off my shoes and walked straight to my bedroom, not bothering to turn on the lights. The room was dimly lit by the glow of the street lights outside, casting faint shadows across the walls. I peeled off my dress and went to the bathroom, going under the shower and turning the water open. After staying under the shower for less than one minute, for the water to wash the sweat and stress from my body, I slipped into a comfortable singlet that covered only my breast and shorts, my body aching for rest. Climbing into bed, I pulled the blankets up to my chin, hoping that sleep would come quickly and wash away the turmoil churning inside me. But even as I closed my eyes, Ryder’s face lingered in my mind. The way he looked at me, th

Ophelia’s PovThe flight was smooth, but my mind was anything but it I kept my hands folded in my lap, my eyes focused on the clouds outside, pretending I wasn’t hyper-aware of the man sitting next to me. Ryder hadn't said anything else after our brief exchange, but his presence was suffocating. Every now and then, I could feel his gaze on me, and it took everything in me to act like I didn’t notice them. Camilla and David were still chatting excitedly about the vacation plans, while Daniel and Nichole whispered between themselves, lost in their little love bubble. I envied them. Just as I thought I could survive the rest of the flight in silence, Ryder leaned in slightly. His voice was low, almost thoughtful. “You still grip the seat during takeoff.” I tensed, my fingers curling slightly. “It is normal. A lot of people don’t like flying.” He hummed as if considering my words. “You didn’t let go of my hand immediately, though. Like you didn't want to” My head snapped t

Ophelia's PovI should have said no. I should have excused myself, claimed exhaustion, or feigned a sudden need to check on something in my room. But instead, I let Nichole and Camilla’s excitement pull me in, and now here I was— stuck in a game I wanted no part of.The game is nothing different from truth or dare. Camilla came back with the cards, shuffled the deck of cards, and spread them in the middle of the table, a grin on her face. “Alright, I will go first.” She picked a card and flipped it over. “It says tell us about your first kiss.” David groaned. “Really? We all know your first kiss was in Paris with that guy from your art class.” Camilla gasped, smacking his arm. “Ugh, don’t ruin my moment, David!” Laughter rippled around the table, but I barely heard it. Because Ryder was watching me again. Why can't he take his eyes off me? He is keeping his eyes on me, watching me like a hawk. I clenched my fists under the table. One by one, the game continued, eve

Ryder's PovI stood outside her room, waiting for Daniel to come out, my fists clenched at my sides, jaw tight. I saw her sobbing in his arms by the beach. I had seen her sobbing in Daniel’s arms. I had seen the way she had broken down and cried, the way her body had trembled with a pain so raw it had gutted me. It was a sight that burned itself into my mind, a knife twisting in my gut. I could hear the hurt in her voice as she cried and screamed, clutching into Daniel.Seeing her break down like that, seeing her clutch onto Daniel as if he were her lifeline, made something dark coil inside me. The door finally opened, and Daniel stepped out. He closed the door gently behind him and let out a sigh. His face was unreadable at first, but when he saw me, his expression hardenedI pushed off the wall. “How is she?” Daniel sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “She cried herself to sleep.” Something in me twisted. It was all because of me. I made her cry. I made her break down.