บททั้งหมดของ Santa's Dirty Obsession: บทที่ 1 - บทที่ 10

"There she is."I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. Four years of this had taught me to recognize the particular brand of cruelty in Carson's voice, the way it dripped with anticipation like he was about to do something he'd been looking forward to all day.I kept walking, clutching my textbook tighter against my chest, praying that if I ignored them, they'd get bored and leave me alone.They never did.But hope was a stupid, stubborn thing."Hey, Rosie-Posie!" Carson called out, louder this time. "Don't you dare fucking ignore us when we're talking to you."My sneakers squeaked against the polished floor as I stopped, my entire body going rigid. Every instinct screamed at me to run, but my legs had turned to lead.I turned slowly, and there they were. Five of them, blocking the corridor like a wall of malice. Carson with his letterman jacket and that grin that made my stomach turn. Marcus, who'd made it his personal mission to document my humiliation on social media. Rya

EVAThree hundred thousand dollars.That was the number glaring back at me from the loan app on my phone screen, red and accusatory, like a wound that refused to close. I stared at it until my vision blurred, until the numbers started to swim together into one massive, incomprehensible debt that sat on my chest and made it impossible to breathe.And then my phone rang.St. Mary's Hospital. Again.I closed my eyes and answered, already knowing what they were going to say before the nurse's apologetic voice filtered through the speaker."Miss Rose, I'm calling about your mother's treatment plan. The doctors have reviewed her case, and we're going to need an additional one hundred thousand dollars for the new round of chemotherapy. Without it, we can't move forward with the procedure scheduled for next week."One hundred thousand dollars.On top of the three hundred thousand I already owed.Four hundred thousand total.I thanked her quietly, promised I'd figure something out, and ended t

EVAThe dress was white silk and far too expensive for someone like me to be wearing.I stared at my reflection in the full-length mirror backstage, barely recognizing the woman looking back. The fabric clung to curves I'd spent years learning to accept, draping elegantly from thin straps that left my shoulders bare. My hair had been styled in soft waves that cascaded down my back, and someone had done my makeup—subtle but flawless, emphasizing eyes that looked too wide, too frightened for the confidence this dress was supposed to project.Through the heavy curtains, I could hear the low rumble of voices and the clink of crystal glasses. I'd peeked out earlier, just once, and immediately regretted it. The ballroom was filled with men in tailored suits that probably cost more than my entire year's rent. Expensive cars lined the circular driveway outside—Maseratis, Bentleys, and a midnight-black Lamborghini that gleamed under the fairy lights strung through the winter trees.These were

I couldn’t believe my ears.I just stood there, staring at him, my brain refusing to process the absolute insanity of what he’d just said.Love.He’d said love.What the hell was he talking about? How dare he kneel there and say he loved me after what he’d put me through? After everything he’d done to me? After four years of systematic torture that had left scars so deep I still felt them every single day?“I love you, Eva,” he said again, his voice raw and desperate. “I’ve always loved you. I—”The slap happened before I could think about it.My palm connected with his cheek with a crack that echoed through the cabin, and for one brief, glorious moment, I found satisfaction in the red mark blooming across his perfect face.He didn’t move. Didn’t flinch. Just stayed there on his knees, looking up at me with those gray eyes that seemed to swallow all the light in the room.“Do you think I’m stupid?” I asked, my voice shaking with rage. “Is that what this is? You think I’m so pathetic a

I woke to sunlight streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows and, for one blissful moment, forgot where I was or everything else for that matter… just focused on the beautiful and warm feeling that only Christmas morning would bring.Then reality crashed back down.Grayson. The auction. Twelve days in this cabin.I groaned and rolled over, ready to bury myself under the covers and pretend the world didn’t exist, when I noticed something hanging on my bedroom door.A stocking.A fucking beautiful red stocking, with white fur trim, and embroidered across the top in elegant script: Eva.My chest tightened.I threw off the covers and walked over to it, my hands shaking slightly as I lifted it off the hook. It was heavier than I expected, and against my better judgment, plus of course that girlish excitement, I opened it.Inside were small, thoughtful gifts that made my blood run cold at how much they were made for me.My favorite candy—the obscure brand of salted caramel chocolates I