Lahat ng Kabanata ng CRUEL ROMANCE: MR. LANGSTON'S OBSESSION: Kabanata 31 - Kabanata 40

TESSAThe sunroom has become my safe place during the day, the one spot in this huge house where I can almost pretend I'm somewhere else.The bulletproof glass makes the morning light soft and golden, and if I sit just right, I can see a little piece of the garden where roses grow like they're giving the finger to everything ugly.Mrs. Banas brings breakfast like always, but this morning something's off about how she moves. There's tension that wasn't there yesterday. She keeps looking at the door expecting something bad to walk through."Is everything okay?" I ask as she pours my coffee.She stops for a second. "Of course, Mrs. Langston. Everything's fine."But her hands shake a little when she puts the pot down, and I notice she brought way more pastries this morning, like she's trying to feed me up for something.That scares the hell out of me. In the three weeks since my "training" started, I've gotten good at reading the warning signs that mean something awful is about to happen.

TESSAThe ride is quiet.Blaze checks his phone while I stare out the tinted windows, watching normal people walking around living their normal lives. I wonder what that feels like.The car pulls up to the hotel entrance, and I can see why he's so proud of it. The building is gorgeous, all glass and steel reaching up into the sky, with fancy lighting that makes it glow like a jewel. There are photographers everywhere, cameras flashing like crazy, and people in expensive clothes posing on the red carpet that leads to the entrance.Blaze gets out first and then helps me out with his hand tight on my arm like he thinks I might run away. Which, honestly, isn't a terrible idea. But where would I go? This is his hotel, filled with his people, in a city where he owns half of everything."Smile, angel," he whispers in my ear as we walk toward the entrance. "Everyone's watching."The hotel lobby is even more impressive than the outside. Everything is marble and gold, with huge flower arrangemen

TESSAThe taxi's violent lurch forward throws me against the worn seat as we screech to a halt at the bus station.My heart hammers against my ribs."That'll be thirty." The driver mutters, his eyes already scanning for his next fare.My hands shake as I press a hundred bill into his palm, not bothering to count the change he slides back.Every second feels borrowed, stolen from a life that's no longer mine to live.The moment my feet hit the cracked, oil-stained pavement, the bus station looms before me. It stands there like a portal between worlds. One foot still trapped in my nightmare, the other stepping toward salvation or destruction. I honestly can't tell which.My destination? The terrifying truth is I have absolutely no clue. Something desperate deep inside my chest screams that embracing this uncertainty might be the only thing standing between me and complete annihilation.I weave through clusters of travelers who seem to move in slow motion around my frantic energy. Each f

TESSAIt's been a year of emptiness, a year devoid of his touches, his lessons, his overwhelming presence. Sometimes it's almost impossible to believe so much time has passed.The calendar pages have turned, seasons have changed, yet part of me remains frozen in that moment when I fled into the night with nothing except the dress on my body and terror coursing through my veins.I still live without any real sense of security, expecting him to appear around every corner. My heart still races when I hear footsteps behind me on empty streets. My breath still catches when a stranger's laugh sounds too familiar. Yet somehow my life continues moving forward day by day, each sunrise bringing me further from the woman I used to be.Today marks a significant decision, a huge step in my journey toward independence. I'm finally ready to move into my own tiny apartment.The thought both thrills and terrifies me.After a year of healing under Mrs. Mercier's protective wing, I'm about to test wheth

TESSAThe week is finally drawing to a close, and Saturday afternoon arrives with its usual sense of approaching freedom.I find myself in Mrs. Mercier's home office, methodically arranging client files while the clock ticks toward five o'clock.Luis lies curled at the foot of my chair as always, his gentle purring creating a peaceful backdrop to my work.I'm completely absorbed in organizing the documents that I don't hear anyone approaching or notice the familiar voice calling my name."Antonia."I practically launch myself out of the chair and the file I'm holding scatters across the floor. When I spin around and see Mrs. Mercier standing in the doorway, I press my hand to my chest and try to calm my racing pulse."Oh, it's you, Mrs. Mercier. You really scared me."Her face immediately fills with concern and regret. The worry lines around her eyes deepen as she takes in my trembling hands and the papers scattered at my feet. "I'm so sorry, mija. I didn't mean to startle you at all.