LOGINI couldn’t take Marcus’s questions anymore. They came one after another, fast and sharp, giving me no space to breathe or explain. My heart pounded hard in my chest. The pressure built up until I couldn’t hold it in. I banged my hand hard on the small table between us. The sound echoed louder than I expected.“Marcus, stop!” I shouted.People around us turned immediately. A mother with two kids nearby paused and stared. A group of young women with shopping bags stopped talking and looked our way. An elderly couple sitting on the bench opposite us frowned. Even the security guard near the fountain glanced over. The normal mall noise seemed to dip for a few seconds as eyes landed on us. My face heated up with embarrassment. I hadn’t meant to raise my voice that much.I quickly turned to the people nearby and raised both hands. “Sorry… sorry about that,” I said, trying to sound calm. “Just a little misunderstanding. Everything’s fine now.” I gave an awkward smile and waved lightly. Slowl
After breakfast, Jake and Clara got ready to leave. Clara gave me a warm hug at the door. “Thank you so much for having us, Bella. The party was lovely and the guest room was perfect.”Jake stood beside her with a small smile. He shook Ryan’s hand first, then turned to me. His eyes held mine for a second longer than they should. “Yeah, thanks Bella. Everything was… memorable.”I forced a smile. “Safe drive, you two.”They loaded their small bags into the car. Clara waved as they pulled out of the driveway. I watched until the car disappeared down the street. The house felt quieter once they were gone.Ryan checked his watch and sighed. “I need to head to the office too. Some paperwork I can’t push anymore.” He kissed my cheek and grabbed his keys and left shortly after, the front door clicking shut behind him. I stood in the living room for a moment, alone at last. The silence felt nice. I spent the next couple of hours doing house chores, washing the dishes from breakfast, wiping dow
I thought my life was over the moment I saw Clara standing there. Jake was still deep inside me, thick and pulsing. We both froze on the couch, my heart slamming so hard I could hear it in my ears. Sweat covered our skin. Any second now she would open her eyes fully and see everything. Ryan would find out. My marriage, my life, it would all come crashing down.But Clara’s eyes stayed closed. She swayed a little at the entrance to the living room, arms hanging loose at her sides. Jake noticed first. He put a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet. His other hand stayed on my hip, holding me still.“She sleepwalks,” he whispered, so low I barely heard it. “She does this sometimes back home. Don’t move.”I stayed frozen beneath him, barely breathing. Clara took a few slow, shuffling steps into the room, eyes still shut. She touched the back of the chair like she was looking for something, then turned around without any real purpose. It really was sleepwalking. Relief hit me so ha
The last guests had finally left. Their car lights disappeared down the driveway, and the house grew quiet. Only the four of us remained, me, Ryan, Jake, and Clara. We gathered in the living room for a short while, sitting on the big couches. Ryan poured everyone a final drink. We talked about the party, how well it went, and some business deals that came up. Jake laughed at a joke Ryan made, acting like nothing had happened earlier. Clara smiled and leaned against him, looking tired but happy. I nodded along, forcing small laughs when I needed to. My mind kept drifting to what might come next. After about twenty minutes, Ryan stretched and stood up. “It’s getting late. We should all get some rest.” We said goodnight. Ryan and I headed upstairs to our bedroom while Jake and Clara went to the guest room I had prepared earlier. I had put fresh sheets on the bed, fluffed the pillows, and left towels in the bathroom. Clara thanked me softly as they closed their door. The click of the la
Sophia had waited long enough. The party hummed around her, soft music, clinking glasses, and polite laughter, but her patience had run out. She set her drink down on a side table with a sharp click and stood up, smoothing her dress. Her eyes swept the room again. No sign of Marcus. She moved through the crowd, nodding at familiar faces but not stopping to chat. She checked the hallway, the kitchen, even the back patio where a few guests smoked and talked business. Nothing. Her steps grew quicker, heels clicking against the floor. By the time she circled back to the main room, her face had hardened. Fury built in her chest, hot and tight. She found a quiet spot near the tall windows and crossed her arms. “Where the hell is he?” she muttered. Minutes ticked by. Guests glanced her way, but she ignored them. Her mind raced with possibilities, each one worse than the last. She tapped her foot, checking her phone every few seconds. No calls. No texts. Just silence. The longer she waited,
My heart slammed against my ribs so hard I thought it might crack. Footsteps. Clear, steady ones coming down the hall. Marcus, Jake, and I froze. Before the person reached the door, I quickly grabbed Jake and hid him in a tall cabinet by the window. “Wait here please.” I said. None of us could afford questions right now. I quickly turned to Marcus, voice low and rushed. “Just play along. Please.” The door swung open before he could answer. Clara stepped inside, her eyes scanning the room. She looked tense, like she already expected trouble. For a second she only saw me and Marcus standing near the bed. Jake stayed quiet in the tall cabinet by the window, the door cracked just enough for air. “Everything okay up here?” Clara asked, brows drawn together. I forced a small smile and stepped closer to Marcus, hoping it looked natural. My hands still shook a little, so I clasped them in front of me. “Yeah, sorry about the noise. Marcus was helping me with something I couldn’t reall
I checked my phone for the tenth time that morning, heart beating a little too fast. Marcus was supposed to arrive at ten. Ryan had taken the morning off work just to be here for the start. He kept saying it was to make sure I didn’t slack off, but I knew he wanted to see if this trainer was any go
I scrolled through the comments on my latest Instagram post, forcing that big smile I always wore for the camera. “Bella, you’re a goddess! Those curves are everything!” one girl wrote. Another dropped heart emojis and said, “You make me want to rock my body too. Thank you queen.” The likes poured
Ryan was already dressed for the office when Marcus knocked on the door. I had on my usual black leggings and a loose tank top, the kind that hid most of my belly but still clung when I started sweating. My heart beat faster than normal. This was only our fourth session, but something felt differen
The second session came faster than I expected. Marcus texted the night before to confirm, and I found myself checking the clock every ten minutes that morning. Ryan had already left for work, which made things feel a little lighter. No eyes judging every move.Marcus showed up right on time, weari







