LOGINRenataI walked back onto campus after three long weeks of being absent, and the moment I spotted Edwina waiting by the entrance, a genuine smile broke across my face for what felt like the first time in days."There she is," Edwina said, pulling me into a tight hug. "I was starting to think you'd dropped out on me.""Never," I said, laughing as she looped her arm through mine. "It's been a lot. I'll tell you everything."We walked the length of the school together, catching up on everything I had missed, but I quickly realized just how much had changed in my absence. Students I barely recognized stopped to congratulate me as we passed, some even asking for pictures, others simply staring like I was someone worth staring at."Congratulations on the match," one girl called out, waving enthusiastically."You were incredible," said another, practically starstruck.I offered polite smiles and quiet thank yous, but the attention still felt foreign to me, uncomfortable in a way I hadn't qui
Drent"And take her mother to somewhere safe. I would not want Payton doing this anymore.""Yes, sir," my guard answered quickly as I hung up the call, relief settling in my chest.I had promised Renata I would save her mother, and I was glad I had kept my word. It was my nature to always deliver on my promises, and this time was no different.But the thought of Payton still roaming around, and therefore being a potential threat to Renata, still lingered at the back of my head.The moment I dropped my phone, another call came in.I picked up slowly to see the name flashing across the screen. It was not Renata, it was my father calling me.Which I found amusing, since Mr. Cole Ardent rarely called me unless it was pressing, and seeing his name on the screen made me feel uneasy.I picked up after the third ring."Father.""Drent. I'm happy you answered. I was worried you wouldn't."I sat up."What's the problem? You don't usually call.""Exactly, son. So you should know this is of utmos
RenataI saw Drent walking back toward the car alone, and my stomach dropped instantly. "Where's Payton? Where's my mom? Javier said they'd be here. Why aren't they here?"Drent hesitated, and that hesitation alone told me something was wrong before he even opened his mouth. "There was... a mix up," he said finally.I could sense it immediately, the way his eyes wouldn't quite hold mine, the way his jaw tightened like he was choosing his words carefully. "What kind of mix up, Drent?""Calm down," he said gently, reaching for my shoulders. "The location changed. We need to head somewhere else. I'll explain on the way."I tried to breathe, tried to trust him the way I had trusted him through everything else so far, but my patience was wearing painfully thin. I had barely slept, I had missed my meeting with the board, and now the one lead we had turned out to be nothing. Anger toward Payton simmered beneath the fear, but the fear itself was louder, drowning out everything else. I didn't
DrentThe phone rang just after dawn, and something about the timing alone made my stomach twist before I even answered. Renata's name flashed across the screen, and I picked up immediately, already sensing something was wrong.Her voice came through frantic, breathless, the words tumbling out so fast I had to steady myself just to keep up."Drent, I woke up and they're gone. My mom and Payton, they're both gone. I don't know where they are, I don't know what happened, I...""Peach, breathe," I said, cutting through her panic even as my own pulse began to race. "Don't go anywhere. Stay exactly where you are. I'm on my way."I hung up before she could argue, my jaw clenched so tight it ached. Anger surged through me first, hot and immediate, because some part of me had seen this coming from the moment Payton resurfaced in our lives. I had warned myself to keep a closer eye on her, and now that carelessness felt like it was about to cost us something irreplaceable.Fear followed close b
RenataI went back in with my mind racing, turning over every possible way I could get rid of Payton for good. Something about her had never sat right with me, and no matter how many times I tried to convince myself I was overreacting, that same uneasy feeling kept crawling back.I found my mother in the living room and sat beside her, choosing my words carefully before I finally spoke my mind. I told her I didn't trust Payton, that something about her felt off, and that I thought it would be best if she stayed away from us.My mother's face changed the moment I said it. She looked at me with something close to pleading in her eyes."Renata, please," she said softly. "I know you don't understand it, but Payton makes me happy. It's been so long since I've been able to connect with someone the way I connect with her. I need you to trust me on this. Please don't chase her away."Her voice cracked slightly on the last words, and I felt something in my chest tighten. I hadn't seen my moth
DrentI sat in my car for a full minute after hanging up, trying to make sense of what Renata had just told me. Payton, at Diana's house. Payton, playing nanny to Renata's mother, of all people. It made no sense. She was supposed to be my father's new assistant, tied up with his schedule, his meetings, his endless business affairs. So how the hell had she ended up at Renata's mother's front door?My phone buzzed before I could think any further. Javier."Talk to me," I said, answering immediately."You sound like you're about to lose it," Javier said. "What's going on?"I told him everything. The call from Renata, the news about Payton showing up at her mother's house, the unsettled feeling twisting in my gut that told me this wasn't some harmless coincidence. "I don't like it, Javier. I don't like leaving Renata alone with her, not after everything Payton's already done.""You think she's up to something?""I know she is," I said. "I just don't know what yet.""Then stop guessing and
Renata The first thing I was aware of was the pounding. It came from somewhere deep behind my eyes, rhythmic and insistent, like something knocking to be let out. Then the smell hit me, sharp and medicinal, and I flinched away from it before I had fully opened my eyes. "There she is." Drent'
DrentLike I always said, I never pressure what is mine, and I had finally made her agree to go to the party. The best part, the part I loved most, was teasing her and watching her get flustered about it.I ordered my men to take both Theodore and his son home and handed Renata back her papers just
RenataAfter three straight days in the hospital, I had not taken calls from anyone. I had stayed off social media, away from school, and away from everything else. Just sitting beside my mom and watching over her, hoping she would be alright.I had applied for a job at Tinnies, a fast food spot ne
RenataA week passed and all my efforts to get into the tournament had failed. A part of me began to regret not taking Drent up on his offer, but another part of me was glad I had not. I did not trust him or his family.They were probably the kind of rich family that believed only money mattered, o







