11. Ride>It takes me a while to get the goddamn keys of the conference room. I didn’t know it could be locked. I guess it’s a cue to get a detention room in this building for such cases. After today’s incident, we are upgrading security and changing protocols, anyway. I unlock and open the door, but don’t see her inside. A chair is away from its spot. I walk towards it and see a small figure curled up on the floor on her side.“Fuck,” I mutter and rush toward her. “Riley!” I put my hand on her shoulder to shake her a little. She doesn’t bulge. I put my fingers on the base of her neck to feel her pulse. It’s slow. She is in a deep slumber.I brush her hair aside to see her face. Her skin is cold to touch and her makeup is smeared with tears. I sigh and sit next to her with my back on wall. It’s pointless to wake her up. I am sure I am the last person she would want to see. But do we have any choice?I remove my jacket and put it on her. Then I put her phone on the ta

13. Compensation > A door knock brings me out of my slumber and I realize I dozed off. I close the yearbook in my lap, then drag myself out of bed while rubbing my eyes. “Coming… Give me a minute…” This room is a mess. Ira will be pissed when she realizes I didn’t do shit the whole day. I throw the year book inside the luggage bag, then zip and push it underneath the bed. I could still make it to the last two lectures. I must. I open the door, expecting Ira or some girl, instead I see a man in a crisp gray suit standing in front of me. I blink in confusion. “Yes?” “Miss Riley. I am James Patterson.” He forwards his hand and my mind screams not to shake it. His expensive tailored suit, trimmed gray hair and neatly shaved face gives me a sense of foreboding. It’s all too familiar. Just like Mikolaj fuckin Josef, this man is scary. Not in looks, but in personality. Also, I can tell he is an attorney. My dad is one, so I know when I see one. “How can I help you?”

15. A Kiss>“I wish you had told me earlier.”“Well… Now you know.” I give Jonas some time to contain himself. To understand the stakes. Meanwhile, I try to evaluate.I had skimmed Riley’s phone last night. It seems she does not know about the fucked up history of our families. It is a genuine surprise.Is she pretending to be clueless? Her tears.. Her rage… Was it all fake? There is no way she could have predicted last evening’s events. Unless it was an elaborate scheme. Until I get my hands on Emma, I cannot say for sure.“You have spent quite some time with Riley in the past few weeks. Right?” I ask, and he nods.“Do you think she knows about us?”Jonas scratches his stubble and shakes his head.“Mikolaj, she is so... I never felt she was vicious or vile..”I quirk my brow at him. “Has she wrapped you around her fingers already? I absolutely cannot afford that, Jonas.”He frowns and looks at me.“Don’t worry, I will handle her. Now that I know who she is… I won’t le

17. Neon Oasis>The bus pulls to a stop in front of the Dorm building. I grab my bag and make my way down the narrow aisle. I need to take a bath as soon as I reach my room. It’s Friday evening, and I babysat a 4-year-old who literally peed on my clothes.Yikes.Why do such things happen to me? Not even once, Natalie complained about anything like this. He told me a little too late while we were watching tv. I rushed him to the bathroom and… it happened.The bus leaves and neon lights casting a harsh glow around me slowly fade away. It’s barely six, and it’s dark already. Can you imagine that? This is why I like the long simmer days better.I walk towards my room with useless thoughts looming over my head. I take out my key to unlock the door, but I can hear the music blaring out of my room. Someone is in a good mood today. When I swing the door open, I see Natalie in a sexy and shiny dress with her makeup half done. Ira is carefully applying a coat of lip gloss, and I si

19. Inappropriate>When I picked up Jessie from her daycare and headed home, I planned to spend my time in peace. Little did I realize it would turn out to be an adventurous evening with a little sprinkle of annoyance. I am busy in the kitchen when I get a call from Jonas.“Can you meet me at Neon Oasis?”“No, I have a child to take care of, Jonas.” I sneer at him.“I have a lead that can help us with our meeting with Callum tomorrow,” he says in exasperation.His statement makes me pause and I glance back at Jessie. She is immersed in playing with her train set.“How did you manage that?” Sometimes Jonas pulls off the unexpected.“No time to ask. I am going there with Patterson. Can you come?”“Fuck,” I mutter. “Are you sure it’s good enough?”“Believe me for once, Uncle!” He stresses at the last word and I shake my head. He does that when he thinks I am treating him like a child.“Alright Big boy. I will be there in an hour.”I shoot a text to Camilla and get back t