Maria was barely able to contain her rage as she rang the doorbell. And it wasn’t hard to tell she didn’t want to be in this godforsaken house again—she didn’t even bother lifting her finger off the bell. She pressed it down like she wanted to crush the damn thing into the wall.She didn’t care if the doorbell broke. She didn’t care if the neighbors came out. As long as it was Rica on the other side, she truly didn’t give a shit what got destroyed in the process.The door flew open violently. Rage twisted across his face—until recognition hit. Then, just like that, the anger melted into a slow, lazy smile that made her stomach churn.“I fucking told you not to ever contact me again!” Maria snapped, her voice sharp enough to cut skin.Rica flinched theatrically, raising both hands to cover his ears like an overgrown child. “You’re going to give me permanent hearing damage,” he complained lightly. “How tragic it would be if I finally go deaf just when life is getting interesting—”Maria

Maria had stopped breathing hard.Not because she’d calmed down — but because she’d gathered herself.She looked at Rica slowly, deliberately, like she was studying a creature she hadn’t seen in years and was just now realizing had always been poisonous.“Two years ago,” she said evenly, “we promised each other we were never going to see each other again.”She tilted her head. “Unless you suddenly developed selective amnesia.”“Of course,” Rica said easily. “But you know how it is. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. Just take a look at my bed and you’ll see how damn soaked—”“Shut. Up.”She dragged out every syllable of it, slow and sharp, until the words felt heavy enough to bruise.Rica blinked. Then laughed under his breath.“Okay. I get it. You’ve changed.” He smirked. “You’re turning into an old hag. With all the sexual qualities you used to have, now you’re just a bitter motherfucking hag.”“Get to the point,” Maria snapped, her hands curling into fists, “before I show you exac

Dora blinked, caught completely off guard as Cole stood at her gate. She’d half expected him to call back, cancel, change his mind—but here he was, in the flesh, looking exactly like the storm she’d been trying to ignore.They’d been best buds since forever. Growing up, they’d done everything together—ran through streets like maniacs, shared secrets, laughed until their stomachs ached. Being around him used to make the world feel stupidly simple… until now.“Oh, Cole. It’s so nice to see you,” she breathed, opening her arms instinctively, letting him into the familiar comfort zone she’d built around him for years.He hesitated a beat, then stepped closer, holding her just a moment too long, in that way that made her heart hammer like it was trying to escape her chest.“You’re okay?” she murmured into his shoulder.Cole pulled back just slightly, eyes sharp, teasing. “Which answer do you want? The right one, or the common one?” They both walked inside.She grinned, a little nervous, a

There are certain categories of people. Now, these folks? They know, deep down, that what they’re doing is morally wrong. That they shouldn’t be doing it under any reasonable circumstances. But here’s the catch—they’re pained people. Broken in ways no one can fully understand. And because of that, they’ll do anything, anything, to prove to the world that they are something. That they matter.Bella fit neatly into that category. And Rica? He knew it. He would use it. Exploit it. Because in life, opportunities are everywhere—you just have to decide whether to blink and let them pass, or seize them with every ounce of cunning and patience you have. Rica never blinked. He never hesitated.“I already sent Mom the message,” Bella said quietly, her voice almost swallowed by the soft hum of the restaurant. She shifted in her seat, feeling small and out of place. This man across from her—Rica—was someone she had never met before. And yet, the way he spoke, the ease with which he knew things

Maria would have gone along with the idea—her and Cole on a date, just like his mother had suggested. But in the last few minutes before Cole arrived home, she knew it was the worst thing she could do right now.Yes, she could have used the fact that he always listened to his mother. She could have leaned on that obedience and pushed him into whatever she wanted. But she was too desperate for that path. And desperation always backfired.The tighter you held onto a man, the faster he slipped away.Rica’s frantic energy wasn’t helping either. If anything, it made her skin crawl.She’d lost count of how many messages he’d sent—one after the other, aggressive, impatient, demanding to know if she was “still on the same boat” or if she wanted out.That fucking prick.“Maria, dear,” Cole’s mother called softly.Maria lifted her head, momentarily disoriented. Right. The kitchen. Dinner. They were supposed to be cooking together.She’d been spiraling again.“You can talk to me,” Cole’s mother