_Majin_

Alexa never should have come back.

She thought she was just returning home, facing ghosts of the past she left behind. But Zaiyo was never just a ghost—he was a force. Calculated, patient, untouchable.

The moment she steps back into town, she falls into his web, though she doesn’t realize it yet. His words twist around her, his presence lingers in places he shouldn’t be, and the people she trusts? They’re not as trustworthy as she thought. Even her best friend is slipping away, drawn into his world.

Then there’s Ethan—her ex, the boy who once broke her heart. But if she thought she was caught between two men, she was wrong. There is only Zaiyo. And there always has been.Lies unravel. Desires clash. And as Alexa fights to break free, she begins to wonder—was she ever in control? Or was she just another piece on his board?

Because Zaiyo always gets what he wants. And what he wants… is her.

But not in the way she expects.

Silken Snare

Not just from the conversation—from him. She had slipped through the crowd, out onto the terrace where the night air was cool against her skin, her heartbeat still unsteady.

It was the right move. She needed space, needed to remind herself that Zaiyo was just another person from her past, nothing more.

"You're the girl who used to act like I didn't exist."

His voice still lingered in her head, threading through her thoughts like smoke. She hated that he could do this, hated that her body still reacted even as her mind screamed don't let him pull you back in.

Alexa exhaled, leaning against the terrace railing. She should answer. Should say no, should lie and move on. But her fingers hesitated over the screen.

Because if she admitted it, if she put it into words—then it was real.

"Still trying to convince yourself?"

She had left him at the bar. Hadn't she?

Zaiyo stood just inside the terrace doorway, one hand resting lazily in his pocket, the other holding a fresh drink. He looked entirely at ease, like he belonged here—like he had always been meant to find her.

Alexa forced herself to relax, tilting her chin up slightly. "I was wondering when you'd show up again."

Zaiyo's lips curved, slow and knowing. He didn't close the distance. Not yet. Instead, he leaned casually against the doorframe, watching her like he already knew what she'd do next.

"You walked away," he said, amusement lacing his tone. "But you didn't leave."

She narrowed her eyes. "Neither did you."

She hated how he said it—like he had let her go, like her choices had never really been hers.

She turned back toward the city skyline, trying to ignore the way her pulse betrayed her. "You can stop now," she said smoothly. "Whatever game you're playing, I'm not interested."

Zaiyo took a slow sip of his drink. "Are you sure?"

Something in the way he said it made her fingers tighten against the railing.

She wasn't sure of anything anymore.

The Problem with Running