LIANA I wore the gown and decked up properly. When I saw myself in the mirror, I couldn't even believe it was me. I looked so different… good different… “Lia, I— Woah!” Noelle’s voice was heard from behind. She looked at me, and a gasp escaped her lips as I just stared at her, waiting for her to say something. “You look so beautiful! I expected you would look good, but wow!” “Really?” I asked, still a bit nervous. She smiled warmly. “Trust me on this, okay? I am a fashion designer.” I nodded as she continued, “Speaking of that, I am so scared, Lia! This is my first time being a lead designer alone, so I don’t know. What if people don’t like my designs?” As Noelle voiced her fears, I could feel the weight of her uncertainty. She was embarking on a journey that every designer experiences at some point — the fear of not being good enough, of not living up to expectations. But I knew she had nothing to worry about. Noelle had a talent that shone brighter than any doubt. "Hey,

LIANA I rushed to Noelle immediately and placed a hand over her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Noelle?” I asked with pure concern. She looked at me with her watery eyes and pulled me into a tight hug instantly. She cried for some more, as I patted her back. I wondered where something went wrong with the fashion show or not. But as per what I saw, it was a huge success, right? “Let me give you some water to drink. Wait,” I said, breaking free from the hug. Then I took a water bottle and handed it to her. She gulped it in one go, calming a bit. "Noelle, what's wrong?" I asked gently, my voice laced with concern as I brushed a stray tear from her cheek. Her response came in choked sobs, each word laden with pain. "Lia, my brother... he just came in and... he shouted at me," she whispered, her voice trembling with emotion. "Why? What happened?" Noelle took a shaky breath, her words coming out in a broken rush. "He's angry... because I invited my boyfriend to my event.” I furrowed

ZAYLEN When I saw Liana walk away, immediate guilt filled me in. I shouldn’t have talked to her like that. It was indeed rude. I should have controlled my anger and talked to her calmly. My trance was broken when I heard sniffles coming from Noelle. My heart sank at that sight. So I approached my sister. I saw the tears streaming down her face. "Noelle, listen to me. It’s—" I tried to explain out of concern, but she rudely cut me off. “Please, Zaylen.” She looked at me, her expression hardened with anger. "I don't want to talk to you right now," she spat, her tone sharp and biting. "Just leave me alone." I felt a pang in my chest by her words. I knew that I had upset her with my earlier behavior, and now seeing her so upset made me feel terrible. Maybe I should have been softer while explaining. But what could I have done? She wasn't willing to listen to a word of mine when I was being soft. "Noelle,” I mumbled, reaching out a hand towards her. But much to my disappoin

LIANA I had no idea what the hell just happened, but Zaylen's expression told me everything. His world seemed to be crumbling before my eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked, concern lacing my voice, as a tear escaped his eye. "She left... she really left, Liana," he uttered, his voice choked with emotion. I moved closer, wrapping my arms around him in a comforting embrace, my heart clenching at the sight of him crying. I didn’t like it at all. "I promised Mom that I would protect her and yet..." "I understand, Zaylen," I murmured softly, feeling his pain like it was my own. "But you're not alone in this. We will figure it out together." He leaned into my embrace, his body trembling with suppressed sobs. "It's just... Trevor's family… it is a mess," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. “I don't want Noelle to be a part of that family.” I pulled back slightly, studying his face. "What do you mean?" Zaylen took a shaky breath, gathering his thoughts. "They would make her li

LIANAThe moment I got out of the apartment, I was astonished when my eyes met the familiar green ones. Zaylen was standing there, wearing a dark green suit that complimented his eyes. When he saw me, a subtle smile formed on his lips as I approached him. “How are you here?” I asked, my surprise still evident in my voice as I approached Zaylen outside the apartment building, where his car was parked. He shrugged, his expression serious. “I knew where Trevor lived. I was about to go talk to Noelle, but then I saw your car so I stopped.”“Oh, so you were waiting for me to come out?” I inquired to be sure, arching an eyebrow. “Something like that.” He leaned against the car, crossing his arms against his chest. “So what did you guys talk about?”“We talked about a lot of things, like how you treat Noelle as a child and you think she can’t protect herself even though she is an adult now,” I started speaking. “Zaylen, I think you should respect Noelle’s choice and let her be. She knows