All Chapters of Play Me Like You Mean It: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

129 Chapters

Chapter 31 – Ashamed

I went straight to Cade’s house. He wasn’t home, so I waited.The clock on the wall ticked too loud, each second scratching at my nerves. I rehearsed the words in my head, over and over, but they folded and unfolded until they tangled. What I had to do would cut both of us open, but it needed to be done.The front door finally opened. My chest braced for him, only for the sharp click of heels on tile to echo instead.I turned.Kimberly.Her eyes lit when she spotted me, lips curving into a smile sharp enough to slice.“Well, look at this. The poor little assistant who thought she could climb her way up.”I decided right then not to give her the satisfaction. No matter what she spat, I’d save my energy for what mattered.“So, you’re still hanging around,” she said, each word sharpened to sting. “Didn’t I tell you? You were just a phase. Something to distract him until the timing was right. Now you’ve served your purpose. Time to vanish.”I kept my gaze fixed on the floor, refusing to g

Chapter 32 – The Wrong Shoulder to Cry On

I scrubbed at my face, embarrassed that of all people to see me like this, it had to be Zayne. Cade’s older brother. The last person I would have chosen to see me broken.My mouth opened to apologize, but he only shook his head, lifting a finger to his lips.“Shh.” His arms folded around me. “Don’t fight it. Just let it out.”So I did. I buried my face against his chest and cried until I had no tears left, until all that remained were raw breaths that hurt on the way out.When I finally pulled back, I noticed the dark patch I’d left on his shirt.“I’m sorry.”He didn’t even look down. “Don’t be. Do you want to get out of here?”The thought of Cade walking in and finding me like this was unbearable. So I nodded.Zayne stood, and I followed him wordlessly out of the house.---The drive was quiet. Not the heavy kind, but the kind that gave me space. My forehead rested against the window as the city lights slid by in blurred streaks. I was too drained to ask where we were going.When he

Chapter 33 – The Offer

The second I walked through the door, Jesse’s arms locked around me. His hug was fierce, almost crushing.“Mira, where were you? I was worried sick.”I held his hand and tugged him gently toward my room. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time.”Inside, I asked for a minute to freshen up. In the bathroom, I washed my face, scrubbed away the sting of tears and the heaviness clinging to my skin. By the time I changed into sleep clothes and joined Jesse on my bed, he was waiting, his eyes sharp with unspoken questions.He didn’t waste time. “Cade came here. Looking for you.”“I know,” I said softly.Jesse frowned. “How?”“Because I stopped at his place before coming back.”The silence stretched, but I could see the question choking him. I exhaled. “I ended things with Cade.”His mouth pressed into a line. He looked at me like he pitied me, then asked, “Are you going to be okay?”I forced a smile that didn’t quite reach. “Yeah. With time. It’s better this way.”He nodded, thoughtful. Then his ey

Chapter 34 – Crossroads

Zayne’s offer lingered long after he left. Modeling.Of all things, modeling.It wasn’t something I had ever pictured for myself, not even in the most reckless daydreams. I knew I looked good; I knew my body drew glances sometimes. But turning that into a career? That belonged to another world entirely, one that had nothing to do with me. Still, curiosity itched, refusing to leave me alone.I sat on the couch and opened my phone, typing how to start a modeling career into Google. Search results stacked in neat blue lines, article after article flashing open when I tapped. Agencies. Portfolios. Casting calls. Training camps. The industry looked brutal, the kind of place where you could either rise fast or vanish without a trace.But it also looked alive. Thriving. Dazzling.The women on my screen looked untouchable, striding in gowns with price tags I couldn’t even begin to imagine. It was surreal to imagine myself among them.Me, Mira, the girl who spent years brewing coffee and wipin

Chapter 35 – The Verdict

I spent the morning waiting, nerves knotted tight in my stomach, wondering what Zayne had planned for me and why he wanted to see me.At 10:06 a.m., my phone lit up with a message.Step outside. My driver’s waiting.I put on my shoes and opened the door. Parked at the curb was a black Range Rover, gleaming under the morning sun. A man in his late thirties stepped out as soon as he saw me. His suit was crisp, his movements precise, every gesture carrying quiet professionalism.“Miss Mira,” he said, opening the back door with a practiced ease.The formality of it all felt strange, but I nodded politely, returned his greeting, and climbed into the back seat.The ride was quiet. After that initial greeting, the driver didn’t speak again, and I was grateful. My nerves were still there, curling low in my stomach, but not nearly as raw as the last time I’d been driven to Zayne’s. Then, I was broken. This time, I was alert, curious.When we turned into the gated estate, I actually noticed it.

Chapter 36 – The Tutor

After Zayne’s driver dropped me home, I did the first thing any sane person would do: I Googled the name Vittorio Mancini.What I found sent a chill through me.Article after article called him the gatekeeper of the modeling world. He decided who advanced, who stalled, and who never got another chance. Careers lived or vanished at his command. If you landed on his red list, you might as well search for another path. People feared him.I was grateful I hadn’t known his reputation before meeting him. I would’ve fallen apart under that gaze, too terrified to breathe. Zayne had introduced me like it was nothing, like passing me a glass of water, and I’d sat across from the man most models only dream of meeting. And he had approved of me.That thought alone sent a jolt of giddy electricity through me.Even Jesse noticed when he returned home from school, he gave me a double look.“If I didn’t know better,” he said, “I’d swear you just won the lottery.”I let out a small laugh, a smile tugg

Chapter 37 – Clashing Wills

After Clara made that comment, she sat on the couch and started scrolling through her phone. I kept standing, waiting for what would come next.At first, I assumed she was reading something important, maybe preparing notes for whatever lesson Zayne wanted her to start with. But then the corner of her mouth curved, her thumbs moving fast across the screen, and I realized she was chatting.I shifted on my feet, irritation sparking hot. “I’m still standing here, you know.”That finally got her attention. Clara lifted her gaze, slowly. “So?”The single word dripped with disdain.“Are we starting, or are you just going to sit there?”Her lips twitched, the faintest curl of a smile that wasn’t a smile at all. “Do you want to be the teacher instead?”“No,” I replied.“Exactly. So don’t tell me what to do.”She went back to her phone, ignoring me until she grew bored of whatever conversation she was having. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed it onto the couch and stood.“Walk,” she ordered

Chapter 38 – What he Heard

“What exactly is going on here?”Zayne stepped fully into the room, his voice calm but weighted, pulling every ounce of attention toward him.Clara stiffened. I froze. Neither of us answered.Zayne’s gaze passed over us once, his face giving nothing away, before he made the decision himself. “Fine. Since no one feels like talking, today’s class is over.”His gaze flicked to Clara. “You can leave now. I’ll call you when I need you.”Clara’s lips pressed thin. She stood, but not without a final glare tossed in my direction. I made sure to return it. For just a second, I thought I saw the corner of Zayne’s mouth twitch, as if he’d caught the exchange and almost found it amusing.“Follow me, Mira,” he said.I trailed him into his study, nerves prickling under my skin with every step. He moved behind the desk and sat, then gestured for me to take the chair opposite. I stayed on my feet a moment too long before finally lowering myself onto the seat.He remained quiet, but the way he watched

Chapter 39 – The New Tutor

With Jesse at school, the apartment felt too quiet. Nothing else to distract me, I grabbed my laptop, balanced it on my knees, and scrolled through job postings. I might be needing one soon. The reality of yesterday hit hard: I’d fought with Clara, my supposed tutor, and maybe my modeling career was over before it had even begun.Halfway through another vacancy listing, my phone buzzed against the bed.Zayne: Why are you late for class today?I frowned at the screen. Class? With who? I typed back quickly.His reply came almost instantly. Didn’t you give me two solutions yesterday? I picked one.Which one?Come over and find out.That text was all it took. I launched myself into the shower like the future of my life depended on how fast I scrubbed shampoo out of my hair. Ten minutes later, dressed and still catching my breath, I locked up the house and rushed outside.---Marie opened the door, her smile warm as always. “Well, look who finally decided to show up.” Her tone was light, t

Chapter 40 – A Brother’s Rivalry

Zayne noticed the way my body tensed, then followed my line of sight to Cade standing by his car. He didn’t react, not even a flicker of surprise.Instead, his lips curved faintly. “Make sure I don’t have to text you again like today.”I managed a smile. “It won’t get to that.”“Good.” His eyes shifted toward Cade. “And you, start answering my calls.” With that, he opened his car door, got in, and drove off, leaving me alone with Cade.Neither of us spoke. Cade just stared at me. For a heartbeat, I let myself look back, taking him in like a memory I’d been starving for. God, I had missed him. A part of me, the part that still loved him, ached to close the distance, to fall into his arms and pretend nothing had changed.But another part of me refused. That part remembered the wounds, and the lies.So I walked inside.He followed, shutting the door behind him.I sat on the couch. He sat beside me. The silence was unbearable until he finally broke it, shattering whatever hope I’d held on

1 2 3 4 5 6

...

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP