Chapter 21

author note: done for the day, three chapters. I'll be done by this at the end of this week

The late afternoon air had turned completely bitter. I hurried my pace along the dusty pavement, clutching my heavy commercial law textbook tightly against my chest. I had just walked out of a brutal three-hour test, and my brain felt like absolute mush. All I wanted was to get back to my res room, kick off my sneakers, and crawl under the duvet.

But as I rounded the corner near the campus edge, a strange, prickly sensation crawled up the back of my neck.

*Click-clack.*

The sound of heavy footsteps echoed a little too perfectly behind mine. I stopped abruptly, pretending to adjust the strap of my backpack, and glanced sideways. A dark SUV with heavily tinted windows was idling near the curb a few meters back, moving at a snail's pace. A man in a low-hanging cap was walking along the fence line, his eyes fixed entirely on my back.

My heart did a nervous little flutter. *Am I being followed?*

I shook my head, forcing a deep breath into my lungs. *No, Phile, stop being paranoid,* I told myself, adjusting my grip on my book and walking faster. Ever since I started dating Zuko, I had become hyper-aware of every shadow. I blamed the dangerous world he lived in. I ignored the sinking feeling in my stomach, pushed open the heavy iron gates of the residence complex, and practically sprinted up the stairs to the safety of my room.

I slammed the door shut, locking it with a heavy sigh of relief. The room was quiet, peaceful, and warm. I walked over to my desk, tossing my bag onto the chair.

*Bzzzz.*

My phone vibrated violently against the wood. I picked it up, expecting a sweet text from Zuko asking how my test went. Instead, it was an unknown number.

I unlocked the screen. My breath instantly caught in my throat.

It was a picture. A close-up shot of a white plastic stick with two bright, undeniable pink lines resting on a dark mahogany desk. A pregnancy test.

A second later, a text message followed from the same number:

> *He belongs to me now, sweetie. A baby means I'm permanent in his life. Enjoy the leftovers.* - Amanda.

>

The room seemed to violently tilt on its axis. The air left my lungs in a sharp, painful gasp, and for a second, I couldn't feel my legs. *No. No, this is a lie. Amanda is crazy, she's just trying to ruin us like she did before.*

With trembling fingers, I immediately dialed Zuko's number. My heart was hammering against my ribs so loudly I could hear it in my ears.

He answered on the second ring. "Phile? Hey, baby, how was the—"

"Is Amanda pregnant?" I interrupted, my voice flat, hollow, completely stripped of any emotion.

The line went dead silent. The heavy, suffocating pause on the other end told me everything I needed to know before he even opened his mouth.

"Phile... listen to me," Zuko's voice came through, rough and sounding incredibly panicked. "I fucked up, real. It happened before... before you and me became real. I was going to tell you soon, I swear to you—"

"Okay," I said quietly.

"Phile, wait, don't—"

I cut the call. I won't cry. A strange, ice-cold numbness washed over my entire body, shutting down the agonizing pain before it could consume me. I wasn't going to do this. I wasn't going to be the naive girl crying over a township gangster and his baby-mama drama. I refused to deal with this mess.

I tapped his contact, hit options, and firmly pressed **Block**.

I was done with him. I was going to focus entirely on school. This test, my degree, my future, that was the only thing that belonged to me, the only thing nobody could take away or ruin with cheap lies and betrayal. A sudden, fierce motivation flared up within my chest, burning through the numbness. I was going to survive this.

Slowly, my hands reached up to the back of my neck. My fingers fumbled with the clasp of the heavy silver necklace he had given me, the one I had held onto while making love to him.

I ripped it off. I walked over to my bed and placed it gently on the headboard, letting the silver chains pool under the dim light of my desk lamp. I hated him so much right now. He knows how much I hate that woman and what happens. She is pregnant with his child. No, tears fell down my cheek. I quickly wiped them. No, I'm not going to cry over a man. My head started throbbing.

I looked out the window. It was late at night now, and it's usually quiet this time.

My stomach let out a sharp growl. I hadn't eaten since morning. Needing to clear my head and get some fresh air, I grabbed my keycard, unlocked my door, and walked out into the cool, silent corridor.

The residence courtyard was completely deserted as I stepped outside into the dark. The wind rustled through the trees, creating an eerie, whispering sound. I walked down the streets, some places really don't have street light but who gives a fuck right now. All I'm thinking about is—suddenly, a over my mouth, cutting off my scream before it could even leave my throat.

"You make noise, I'll cut your throat in this street," a harsh, menacing voice whispered harshly into my ear. *Let's not make a scene.*

Before I could fight back or dig my nails into his skin, a powerful arm wrapped around my waist, lifting my feet completely off the ground. Another man appeared from the shadows, grabbing my thrashing legs. I fought with everything I had, tears of pure terror finally bursting from my eyes as they dragged me backward into the dark, toward the open doors of the idling sedan.They put something on my nose.

The doors slammed shut, and the world went completely black.

Lights out.

Novel recommendation

- Read Darkest obsession, as I cook another chapter. It's Cartel leader + detective; it's dark romance meaning. He's obsessed with her, he kidnaps her so she can fall for him. Type of vibes.

You won't regret