**phew got me real bad **

**Araya**

"Are you pregnant, sex doll?" He repeated, forcing me to meet his cold, unforgiving gaze. How did he know? My heart stopped, panic flooding my veins.

"I... I... I..." I stuttered, struggling for words, my hands shaking. His eyes narrowed as he marched toward me, his anger simmering.

"Are you pregnant, Miss Stewart?" His grip was harsh, his hands suddenly around my waist. A sharp pain shot through me, and I winced, gasping for breath.

"Please... let me go, you're hurting me," I pleaded, but he only tightened his hold, pulling me closer. The air around me felt suffocating.

"I asked you a question, doll," he sneered, dragging me roughly towards him. "Or do you want me to do this the hard way?" His hand tightened around my throat, choking me, cutting off my breath.

"Please, Dragons... you're hurting me!" I gasped, my voice barely a whisper. The world spun as he pinned me against the wall, trapping me, and the panic surged higher.

"The sooner you answer me, the better it'll be for you." His touch softened for a moment, caressing my cheek with cold, cruel fingers, but the dangerous gleam in his eyes never wavered. I couldn't stop the tears as they fell.

"I... I..." I clutched my stomach, a mixture of fear for my baby and myself surging through me. His gaze grew darker, more intense as he traced his fingers along my face, demanding an answer.

"What's so hard to say, huh? Tell me now, are you pregnant?" His voice was a dangerous hiss. The tension between us snapped like a rope pulled too tight.

"I... I... I'm..." My voice cracked, the words barely leaving my lips before I faltered, seeing the sinister grin spread across his face. My body trembled in disbelief.

"Gotcha, sex doll!" He laughed, the sound sending a chill down my spine. "Do you really think I was serious about my question?" He leaned back, his laughter cold and mocking. 

I breathed a sharp sigh of relief, only for my body to freeze as his hand slid beneath my top, cupping my breast with possessive force. "I've really missed you, baby," he murmured in a low, unsettling tone. 

Tears blurred my vision, disgust churning in my stomach. I wanted to slap him, wanted to fight back, but I was paralyzed by fear. His lips crashed onto mine, forceful, demanding, sucking the breath from me. I closed my eyes, surrendering to the horror of it, praying he wouldn't go any further. 

"You're too nice, baby," he muttered, breaking the kiss and making me shudder at the cruelty in his words. He unhooked the strap of my dress, the motion slow and deliberate, as if savoring my discomfort.

Panic gripped me. "Please, not here," I begged, tears streaming down my face. "Someone could walk in... my sister could come in at any time. Don't... don't let her see this."

He sneered, his eyes cold. "And when did I ever have to reason with you, huh?" His voice was a low growl, and his grip tightened on me. "She's your sister, not mine. What the hell does that have to do with me?" His lips curled into a cruel smile. "Don't you think it'd be a nice scene for her to find you in bed with a man?"

My blood ran cold, my heart racing. I wanted to scream, to fight back, but I was trapped, cornered. His presence was suffocating. 

"Please, Dragons," I pleaded, my voice barely a whisper. He looked at me for a moment, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. 

"Fine," he snapped, his tone dripping with contempt. "But you'll come with me. Back to the mansion. Today." My stomach churned at the words, the reality of it sinking in. I hadn't even had a chance to meet Ash or Alex. Ash had pulled away after our fight, and Alex had given me space. And now I had to go back to that hell, with this monster, and a baby growing inside me.

"No..." I whispered, my voice breaking.

He grabbed me roughly by the waist, dragging me toward the door with a ruthless force. "There's no time for your protests, princess. You're coming with me, or we'll do this the hard way." 

The fear was suffocating. I felt trapped, unable to escape the nightmare he was dragging me into. "Do you want the easy way or the hard way?" His words were like ice, cold and final. "Forget about whatever you've left here. Your sister won't even remember you once I'm done."

The weight of his words crashed into me. I went pale, the implications of his threat making my legs weak. 

The last thing I wanted was for Ash to forget me, to erase me from her life. But Dragons didn't care about that. 

He leaned in, his voice a harsh whisper in my ear. "Isn't this what you wanted all along? I'm just making your work easier for you." His hand brushed away the tear that fell from my cheek, his grin dark and cruel. "No need to be sentimental about it. You wanted this, and I'm giving it to you. What are you going to do? Thank me for it?"

I felt the rage bubbling inside me, but all I could do was stare at him with disgust. "You monster," I spat, trying to push him away, but he caught my wrist, squeezing it with painful force.

"Why are you doing this to me, Luciano?" I screamed, the frustration and hurt spilling over. "Why are you so cruel? Why are you punishing me like this? Why can't you just let me go?"

He looked at me, his face unreadable, before he finally growled, "Time's up, sex doll. Save those tears for someone who cares." His words were cold, like a slap to the face. 

I couldn't stop the tears that flowed freely as he turned away. 

"Five minutes, doll. Not a second late," he barked, before walking out of the room, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence. 

---

**Nora**

I sat, frozen, staring at the blank screen in front of me. How had it all gone so wrong? One moment, I had been reveling in my plans, feeling the triumph of my manipulations, and now, I was left with nothing but this suffocating uncertainty.

"Ma'am, we are terribly sorry to disturb you, but your checkout time was an hour ago."

The voice snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. Two women, dressed in hotel service uniforms, stood at the door, their eyes wary but professional. 

"Ma'am..." The fair one began again, but I cut her off, frustrated.

"What?!" I snapped, not even hiding the irritation in my tone. My hands were trembling from the stress of everything that had happened, but the last thing I needed was their useless apologies.

"I... I didn't-how was I supposed to know?" I muttered, my mind racing back to the man who had so easily tricked me. How had I allowed myself to get caught up in his games?

Before I could say anything more, the black woman-who had been quietly holding a broom-stepped forward. She hesitated, then added, "He asked us to give you this." She extended a small envelope toward me.

I stared at the envelope, my heart sinking as I took it from her hands. The weight of it felt like an anchor, dragging me deeper into a pit I couldn't escape. With shaking hands, I tore it open, desperate to know what was inside.

Inside the envelope, there was a letter-and a check. But the letter was what caught my attention first. 

"You're smart, but I'm smarter. Hope you enjoyed your time at the hotel. Looking forward to the next time I get to fuck you senseless. Oh, and here's your payment, whore."

The words on the page were a gut punch, each letter a blow to my dignity. I could feel the heat of anger flooding through me, but it was more than just anger-it was humiliation, and shame, and the crushing weight of realization that I had been nothing but a pawn in his twisted game. 

I couldn't stop the tears that started to fall, but I didn't care anymore. The paper was shredded in my hands, ripped to pieces as I let my fury take over. I was so furious, so enraged, that I didn't even notice how much mess I was causing. The shards of paper flew across the room, the chaos matching my inner turmoil. 

The cleaners watched me in silence, their expressions a mixture of concern and judgment. I didn't care. None of this mattered anymore.

I turned to them, my voice trembling with a mix of anger and disbelief. "Did he really call me a whore? Did he think I'd sleep with him for nothing?" The words were out before I could stop them, and I hated myself for the weakness in my voice. 

"Ma'am, I'm sorry about all of this," the white woman said quietly, her tone more sympathetic now. "But... you can't stay here. It's time for you to check out." 

The black woman, who had been quieter than the other, stepped forward, offering me a dress with a soft smile. "You can have this. I know your clothes are ruined. Just... be careful next time. Always plan ahead."

I hesitated, staring at the dress in her hands. Part of me wanted to throw it back at her, to reject her kindness as much as I was rejecting everything that had happened. But I knew I had no choice. I took the dress from her with a stiff nod, still too numb to speak.

I didn't even say thank you. 

I walked into the bathroom, the door shutting with a click behind me, and for a moment, I just stood there in the silence. The weight of everything felt suffocating. 

I couldn't stop thinking about how easily he had manipulated me, how he had used me as a pawn in his game. And worse, how I had let him. My mind raced with all the what-ifs-what if I hadn't been so desperate? What if I hadn't fallen for his lies?

But there was no turning back now. 

---

**Alex**

"Do you think she's just pushing us away?" Ash asked, her voice tinged with concern as she slumped down on the couch, her hands clasped together in frustration. I could see it in her eyes-the guilt, the worry that she hadn't done enough to help Araya.

"Yeah," I replied, my voice soft but firm. "I think so. But you can't keep blaming yourself, Ash. Araya's been through a lot, and she's not gonna open up easily. Especially not now."

I watched as Ash fiddled with her fingers, her face tense as she processed my words. It was obvious that she cared, that she wanted to fix things, but sometimes, people just weren't ready to let go of their pain.

"I didn't mean to make things harder," she murmured, guilt dripping from her voice. 

"I know you didn't," I reassured her, stepping closer to her. "But Araya has her own battles, and you just need to be patient. She'll come around when she's ready."

Ash looked up at me, her expression softening just slightly. "But she said such horrible things to me, Alex. She told me I wasn't her sister anymore. She made me feel like I don't matter."

I placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to offer her some comfort. "She didn't mean it, Ash. She's hurting. You just need to remember who she really is. The Araya you've always known is still there."

The door opened suddenly, and I turned, expecting it to be someone else. But it was Emma-looking as cheerful and charming as ever, though there was a sharp edge to her expression as she glanced at Ash before walking over to me.

"I'm here to talk some sense into you two," she said, her smile wide, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Can you help Araya? Please?"

Ash raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with suspicion. "What are you doing here, Emma?"

Emma shot her a pointed look before addressing me, ignoring Ash completely. "I came to help. Araya needs to talk to you, and she's not going to do it on her own."

I glanced over at Ash, her face flushed with frustration and confusion, but I knew this was bigger than just the two of us. Araya's hurt ran deeper than we could see, and even though Emma's presence irritated Ash, I understood what she was trying to do. She was pleading, in her own way, for us to take the next step, for Araya's sake.

"I'm serious, Alex," Emma pressed, her eyes locking onto mine with a certain intensity I hadn't seen from her before. "She won't get through this alone. You know that, right?"

Ash opened her mouth to say something, but I placed a hand gently on her arm, cutting her off. I could feel the tension between the three of us-Emma's desperate plea, Ash's confusion, and my own uncertainty-but I knew Emma was right. If we were ever going to get Araya to trust us again, we had to be unified. 

"Alright," I said, voice steady despite the swirling emotions inside me. "We'll go to her, together. But no more pushing, no more guilt. If we want to help her, we have to show her that we're here for her, no matter what."

Ash nodded slowly, though her expression still remained a little guarded. She was torn-between wanting to help and not wanting to get hurt again. I could see it in the way she clenched her hands.

Emma shot me a grateful smile, but there was something else in her gaze-something unreadable. I didn't trust her fully, not yet, but I knew we had to work with her. 

"Let's go," I said, stepping toward the door. Emma followed me without another word, her presence looming behind us as we made our way to the car.

---

**Nora**

I finished changing into the white dress the cleaners had given me, the fabric feeling like nothing more than a shell. The girl's kindness was lost on me-I was still too absorbed in the storm raging inside my mind. My emotions were raw, battered from the events of the past few hours. The letter, the way he had used me, the humiliation-it was all too much.

I stared at my reflection in the mirror, the woman in front of me a stranger. I didn't recognize the person staring back, the defeated look in her eyes. Was this really who I had become? Was this the price I had to pay for playing in a world that had no mercy?

A knock on the door snapped me from my thoughts. 

"Ma'am? We have to-"

I didn't let her finish. I grabbed my bag, slinging it over my shoulder, and left the room without another word. The hotel staff could deal with whatever mess I left behind. 

I wasn't running-I was just... leaving. 

The car was waiting outside, and as I stepped into the back seat, the realization hit me. I didn't know where I was going anymore. I didn't know how to get out of this-out of the mess I had created. But I did know one thing: I wasn't going back to the way things were.

---

**Dragons**

I sat in the car, my hands gripping the wheel tightly, the engine idling in front of the building. I watched as she exited the building, her steps slow and hesitant, her head down. She was breaking, and for a moment, I felt something-something unexpected-simmering under the cold surface.

What was this? Why did it feel like a part of me was... regretting all of this? I didn't have time for regrets. Regret was for the weak, for the people who got caught in the crossfire of emotions. But the sight of her, broken and defeated, hit harder than I anticipated. 

She slid into the car next to me without a word, her face blank, eyes lost. I didn't know what she was thinking, but it didn't matter. She didn't get to make decisions anymore. I was in control, and that was the way it had to be.

"Let's get this over with," I muttered, starting the car and pulling away. I could feel her body tense next to me, but she said nothing. The air between us was thick with unspoken tension, each of us silently counting the minutes until we reached our destination.

---

**Ash**

We pulled up to the Stewart house, the familiar driveway stretching before us. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, a mixture of nervousness and determination swirling inside me. This was it. This was our chance to reach Araya before things got worse.

I turned to Emma, who was sitting in the front seat, her hands resting in her lap as she stared out the window. Her expression was unreadable, but I knew she was just as anxious as I was.

"Are you sure she'll listen to us?" Ash asked quietly, her voice filled with a mix of doubt and hope.

I didn't answer right away, choosing instead to focus on the house in front of me. "She has to," I said finally. "She doesn't have a choice."

---