Reckless – Episode 43&44

RECKLESS

Reckless – Episode 43&44

→ Out•Of•Control ←

[Book 1 in The Untamed Duet]

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No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or reposted in any form, or by any means without a BOLDLY written permission from ME.

Copyright © 2025

Naomi Cindy B.

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★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

 

Stacy didn’t stay even a millisecond in his hold. It was as though his arms carried sting and thorns.

She pushed herself off him, then held her head with two hands. “Leave me the fûck alone!!! Leave. Me. Alone!!! You have ears! Step away!!!”

If her initial sniffling was for tears, then the scream she just did made the tears disappear into her eyeballs.

They didn’t fall.

Dorian maintained the short distance between them, bringing his right hand to his face to wipe the little tear hanging under his eyes.

When Stacy’s hands fell from her hair, she nodded.

“Good. Now you and your friend can fight yourselves to death for all I care, but don’t fucking involve me in the crossfire. I refuse to be the prize.” She declared and got in uer car.

Now she feels better, and as she drove off, her head feels lighter. She handled the wheel better.

In a minute, she was out of that road, leaving Dorian alone.

He used his thumb and index to run his stinging eyes, sniffling softly.

He entered his car and rested his pounding head on the steering, remaining there.

—

[San Diego, La Jolla]

The night sky hung low in a bruised shade of grey and thin silver veins that bled across the dark, casting a cold, metallic sheen over the city.

Cove arrived at past 12—extra ten minutes, cos he was having fun making the black car run on the tar.

The car never stopped following him. In fact, now that he’s stopping his bike in front of the chocolate store, the car stopped beside the road.

Windows are tinted, so he’s not seeing the insiders, but one thing’s for sure—they’re the ones who came to set the garage ablaze.

DIAMONDS.

Geez, he has heard that name more than he should tonight, and now it’s scratching his ears.

He doesn’t like it.

The neon NOIR CHOCOLAT sign in front of the store glittered and flashed when he entered.

His nose caught the scent of diverse flavors of chocolate immediately.

Stacked in show glasses, in freezers, on glass shelves, and in packs.

There are varieties, and there are bowls of samples for taste beside each section.

There are professionals in each section too to direct the customers, and for a lost minute, they all stared, forgetting their duties.

It’s not every night you get to see a uniquely handsome male enter a chocolate store.

A professional secretly positioned her phone to take a picture, but from peripheral vision, Cove saw her.

“I wouldn’t,” he said, his eyes glued to the chocolates he’s checking out.

That lady lowered her phone slowly, then she respectfully came to him.

“Anything you want in particular, sir?”

Cove pulled out the chocolate paper, and the lady smiled.

“Honey Eclipse? It’s our best-selling product since January. This way, please.” She pointed.

Cove followed, and he was taken to Honey Eclipse section, packed with only that flavor of chocolate.

“And why is it hidden here and not in front of your store?” Cove faced her.

“That’s because all of these are sold out, but their buyers aren’t here to pick them up yet. I’m willing to sell them to you tonight. When our new supply arrives tomorrow, I’ll just replace them.” She explained.

“Delivery to Bel-Air?” He asked.

“We don’t do deliveries, sir. But for you, I’ll get a store car to deliver any number of packs you want. By the way, it’s 50k per one carton, and a carton contains—”

“20 bars, I know.” Cove cut her off icily, not liking her shrewdness.

She smiled again, and he honestly dislikes that too.

Why the excessiveness?

He settled for twelve packs, and the lady blinked twice.

A random guy dressed this casual is willing to spend 600k on chocolates? Is he a hidden heir or something?

Cove payed by transfer on his phone.

He doesn’t use card.

Never.

After getting the assurance that it’d be delivered tomorrow, he took one carton with him left the store.

As Satan would have it, the matte black car is still idling on the curb.

The engine is running, headlights dimmed, patiently waiting for him to move again.

He smiled faintly.

Perfect.

He flicked fire on a cigarette, and with the cigarette between his lips, he swung a leg over his bike. The engine snarled to life beneath him.

He didn’t look at them again—he didn’t have to. The moment he eased into the road, the car pulled out too.

The chase began.

Cove rode like the city belonged to him, fluidly cutting through narrow lanes where streetlights flickered.

He leaned into corners with reckless precision, and the car followed hard, tires screeching as it struggled to erase the gap between them.

For a beat, Cove let them think they were gaining gaps.

He slowed just enough on straight roads, then he vanished around a blind turn, only to reappear in their headlights like a taunt.

He swerved through traffic with inches between him and the car, slipping between buses and taxis, forcing the car to brake.

Their headlights flared in his mirror, and he laughed devilishly, the sound swallowed by wind.

At an intersection, he deliberately hesitated, letting them close the distance.

Their singer should see this. He should see how his fans are risking their lives for him.

He could almost feel their anticipation, then the light shifted, and he shot forward like a bullet, engine roaring, leading them deeper into the industrial end of the city where buildings thinned and neon signs buzzed in isolation.

Now there’s a fuel station ahead, but he didn’t slow.

He sped straight toward it, and at the last possible moment, he swerved sharply into the station forecourt.

His tires screamed.

The car barreled in after him.

Cove’s bike skimmed past the pumps. He rose slightly from his seat, one hand steady on the throttle.

The cigar between his lips burned bright at the tip.

He didn’t look back as he took it out of his lips and flicked it away.

He accelerated out the far exit, engine howling as he tore back to the main road.

Behind him, the fuel station exploded with the car chasing him.

The sound was a violent rupture that swallowed the street whole.

Heat blossomed.

Glass shattered.

Metal howled.

Fire devoured the gas station in a towering pillar of flame.

The black car disappeared inside the inferno, swallowed by collapsing light and twisting debris.

Cove didn’t slow as he rode away. The city sirens are beginning to wail somewhere far behind him.

But he didn’t completely leave the city though. He rolled his bike into a uncompleted industrial building.

He climbed the rooftop.

From there, he watched the gracefully burning fire.

Now it’s very sure the three fools who set the garage on fire were the ones in the car, and that’s good riddance.

He stood on the edge, the fire shadow reaching his face despite his farness to the station now.

He retrieved his phone from his pocket, not bothering to go online and check the barking DIAMONDS.

Cute, cute dogs.

He’s sure they’d have gotten worse by now cos they definitely won’t stop till he apologizes on his knees.

Bad luck to them in that aspect.

He has never been on his knees for anything or anyone, not even when he was imprisoned.

He started this war, and he’s enjoying the ruins—ruins of Stacy.

Cos what do you mean she had her first kiss with Dorian after she repeatedly crawled to the garage?

This is her punishment.

By now, she’d surely be hated madly by her best friend Zendaya.

Also, he’s liking the bonuses that came with this war.

Example; the car he burned with the fuel station.

Fire is exciting, but the thing is…

It’s more exciting when he sets it himself—just like right now.

He clicked an app on his phone, bringing it closer to his mouth.

“Feed me with her activity from two hours ago,” he demanded darkly.

“She left the cemetery after the fat friend slapped her,” an automated voice responded from the app. “She met Dorian on the road. He rushed a back hug, but she broke it off and yelled at him. Now she’s at home.”

Cove lowered the phone and pocketed it sleekly, the darkness in his sight heightening.

He unwrapped a chocolate piece from the carton and placed it on his tongue, taking a bite.

Watching the burning fuel station for ten straight minutes made him widen his arms, enjoying the ruin.

How pleasuring.

How relaxing.

From that rooftop, he saw a news about an AI robotics company, and he smirked, so hatefully malign—it affected his irises.

—

[Bel-Air, Zendaya’s Mansion]

Zendaya threw her car door shut angrily as she got down from her car.

She looks insane.

After the slap she received from Tania, she left the cemetery and went to the campus to cool off.

No one was in their CS Lecture Hall, so she had all time to cool off alone, but that didn’t help, obviously.

Her head is still pounding with headache, body shaking with anger, stomach rustling with ache and the need to use the toilet again.

She was seething with rage as she entered the house, flinging her shoes apart to gawd knows where.

She ran up to her room without turning the mansion lights on.

She rushed into the bathroom to take a dump, feeling sicker.

By the time she came out of the bathroom, she looks paler. Lips, eyes, the entire face.

But despite that, she took the drug container and shook four out to her palm. She swallowed them.

If this thing is really gonna work, then she needs it to work quick.

She began pacing the dark room.

In an hour, the pills will start working, and she’d start purging again, but she doesn’t care.

She’s ready for anything so far she’d get slim and snatched.

The nerves of Tania to slap her back after she slapped that betrayer Stacy.

She kissed her crush first, so why is she still the devil here by slapping her? Tania is a bîtch, for real.

She turned to another side of the room, imagining herself in a wedding dress and Cove beside her in a red suit cos she likes the red suit he wore to the Mixer.

Red is definitely his colour.

She doesn’t mind his stoic, moody broody personality. In fact, she loves it. She doesn’t want him to change when they get married later cos that wickedness of him will make other ladies stay away from him.

She wants him all to herself.

She took a deep breath before trudging to her parrot cage beside her vanity table, but shockingly, her parrot isn’t in the cage.

Come to think of it, if it was inside, it would have been talking and chirping immediately she entered this room. It’s her only real friend and not charlatans like Glitz Society.

Where’s it?

“America!” She called it’s name, and she was immediately welcomed with a splash of lights.

The mansion lights came on, and the room lights showered her.

Her eyes widened, cos by the door, stood a potbellied big man with round beard and fat-filled face.

The parrot is standing peacefully on his knuckles.

Mr. Brown, her dad.

“Dad? Dad!” She gasped.

“Zenny!” The man smiled, widening his arms as the parrot sang.

Zendaya rushed into her dad’s arms, and the man engulfed her in a hug.

“You didn’t say you were coming to see me! And you had to stage a horror appearance like that?”

“You love horrors you crybaby!” Mr. Brown laughed.

Zendaya broke the hug.

“Crybaby? That name belongs to Stacy! She’s the one who gets tearfully dramatic when her dad refuses to see her, not me. Last time you visited me was last year December, did I cry?”

“Seems….you guys aren’t cool currently… You and Stacy” Mr. Brown shadowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Can we not start our night gist with talks about that attention seeker?” Zendaya scoffed.

Mr. Brown returned America to it’s cage, then he went downstairs with his daughter.

Thirty minutes later, they’re both seated on the couch. TV is on, and her head is on his shoulder.

The living room is full of gift boxes Mr. Brown got her.

There’s hardly anywhere to stand on. He spoils her like this whenever he comes home, and there’s even still more inside the cars outside.

“Did you like…. bought out the whole stores or something?” Zendaya muttered, sweeping another look at the gift boxes from so many brands.

“You better tell your men to take them into my room later, I’m not carrying anything.” She said again.

“Of course I’ll do that, just relax… You’re so on the edge, what’s wrong?” Mr. Brown asked.

Zendaya lifted her head from his shoulder and lifted her legs from the floor to the couch too.

“Stacy kissed the guy I love, and I slapped her to express my anger, then Tania slapped me back,”

“Tania Delgado?” Mr. Brown frowned.

“Is there another Tania you know as my friend?” Zendaya scoffed. “That hot tempered bîtch. She kicked a guy to coma for me? So what? I didn’t ask her to do it!”

Mr. Brown stroked her fingers.

“Stacy’s father is a Media Mogul, Kehlani’s is a Senator, and the twins father is a Kingmaker, but you’re into oil and gas and I’m the least rich among them, so I get why they bully me all the time.” She muttered.

“Stop that,” Mr. Brown frowned. “I’m not the richest man in the world like Albert Montana, but in this country America, I was still ranked the tenth richest in January.”

“I know,” Zendaya groaned. “I’m just disappointed at the girls, that’s it. Yunno I met Stacy first…”

She stood at this point.

“Stacy and I are the only ones who stay in this Los Angeles. We met in elementary school. No one wanted to befriend me cos of my size, but she extended friendship which I gladly took. She protected me from bullies, but she did it for her own selfish reasons cos she’s an attention seeker anyways. She received praises for always standing by me.”

“Then we graduated elementary, and her dad sent her to Las Vegas for her highschool education. That’s where she met Kehlani at. They both finished highschool in Vegas and then went to Ontario in Canada for their uni preparatory school, and that’s where they met the Delgado twins.”

“After one year of the preparatory, Stacy succeeded in pulling Kehlani and the twins back with herself to Los Angeles for their uni education in RIDE. She introduced Kehlani and the twins to me, and we became Glitz, but I’ve always been sidelined. They have hundred of crushes especially Stacy! They’re hardly any guy in RIDE who doesn’t have a crush on her, even Dorian likes her! So why does it have to be the love of my life she’d kiss!”

She was throwing her arms around as she talked, and Mr. Brown eventually stood, their heights same.

“I feel your pain, Zenny. I was bullied for my size too, but I worked hard and became madly rich. All the idiots who were bullying me back then are now my employees! I had my revenge!” He laughed scornfully.

“I don’t care about your revenge! I want mine!” Zendaya snapped.

“Yunno…” Mr. Brown sighed, walking to the full cellar.

Zendaya followed her, and as the man searched for his favorite wine, she stood behind him.

“I’ve always harbored a thick hatred towards Albert Montana—Stacy’s dad.” The man said.

“That’s new. You both didn’t attend the same schools so he’s not among your bullies,” Zendaya blinked.

“He’s not, but he’s too rich and arrogant it’s annoying. If he gets humbled and ruined, then the world can rest. I want him humbled, so I’ve been trying to get him through his daughter. I sent one of my men to go get her, but she had a pepper spray, and this Cove guy you mentioned was there to take her, so it failed.”

Zendaya gasped.

“You’re the one who sent the man in black to her that rainy night?”

“Your father can be freaky too, sometimes. Albert recruited new guards from the security bureau, and unfortunately for him, I have men in the bureau.” Mr. Brown laughed.

He has found the wine he’s looking for, and now they’re facing each other again as he held the bottle.

“I’m going to capture her successfully this time, and with her, I’m going to threaten her dad to give up his media houses. Also, you’ll have your revenge. You’ll make her do anything you wish.” He smiled sinisterly.

Zendaya gulped.

—

[Montana Mansion]

At 2am, Stacy still can’t sleep.

She has been rolling around her queen-size bed like she’s having a haunted dream, and half of her duvet has left her body.

Normally, on sleepless nights like this, she’d stare at her beautiful ceiling design and fall into a blissful sleep, but it’s not working tonight.

She even used sleep mask.

It ain’t the Dorian and Cove thingy.

Not even Zendaya case.

But it’s about the voice coming from her doorstep.

Anita’s voice.

Anita has been kneeling there, begging since she returned from the cemetery, and as much as she wants to crash out and yell at her, she can’t even do it cos Anita is more than just a housekeeper to her.

But her daughter had the effrontery to enter this mansion and steal her dress in her closet?

She asked for the CCTV footage earlier before leaving for the cemetery, and it captured how Elmira entered to do the stealing and the conversation she has with Anita downstairs before coming up and entering her closet to steal.

She’s still dismayed.

“Beauty, I know I did bad by keeping it from you, but I was just scared. I know you hate her, and I was thinking you might decide to disgrace her. I just wanted her to attend a good uni. did all I could to make sure she doesn’t turn out bad, but she’s just very headstrong…” Anita begged from the door again.

Stacy removed her sleep mask and got down from the bed.

She walked to the door which feels like several miles away from her bed.

Anita is on her feet when she opened the door.

“Get up,” she ordered.

“Let me remain this way. I know my daughter did a jail crime, but—”

“Get up, or I’ll log in to the campus gist upload right now,” Stacy said.

Anita quickly spranged up.

“Your daughter disgraced Kehlani, took Kehlani’s boyfriend and made Kehlani an idiot, and I already promised to get her real identity revealed tommorow. I like you a lot Anita, but at the same time I won’t watch my friend get jilted without standing up for her.” Stacy said.

Anita nodded.

“So here’s what’s gonna happen,” Stacy added. “I’m not gonna reveal her atrocities to the school. No one will know she’s your daughter, no one will know she’s not the daughter of a VIP hotel CEO in Saudi Arabia, and no one will know she stole my dress. In return, she has to go on her knees and apologize to Kehlani tommorow in school. If she doesn’t apologize by the end of tommorow, then on Thursday, I’ll personally ring her shame around.” Stacy said.

“Yes! She’s going to go on her knees!” Anita nodded. “I’ll talk to her and she’ll go on her knees I promise! Thank you very much God bless you!”

Stacy returned to her room, releasing a sigh before falling back in bed.

She grabbed her phone and checked Glitz Society group. It’s dry.

No one online.

She went to Instagram, and her Instagram is still very peaceful.

The mad DIAMONDS aren’t aware she’s the kissed girl yet. Otherwise, they’d have roasted her like they’re roasting Cove right now.

But she noticed something.

A new follower reacted on all her posts since she opened Instagram till date. What the fûck!

She opened IG when she was 5, and this new follower reacted on every single post from that year till now.

It started yesterday, and now that follower has successfully reacted on everything on her page.

Username: 120.

She clicked on the profile.

No profile pic.

No about.

No posts.

Is it a stalker account?

Why does it look scary?

She took a breath to calm down, then she dropped the phone.

Yeah, that’s enough socials for tonight

She’s already overthinking. Itt’s her sign to pull out.

She has bigger fishes to fry in school tomorrow, so she better find sleep.

She shut her eyes.

—

[Daybreak, Dorian’s Mansion]

Dorian is just returning.

Coming back to this house last night would have been suicide, so after leaving the roadside, he went to his Mind Garden Villa to stay alone.

He wasn’t able to sleep though, he was just there.

He’d have dressed for campus there and not come to this mansion at all, but he’s yet to stack his closet over there, so he had to come home.

When he entered, he met Kaylee vaping silently on the cushion, and he walked past her quietly.

“Do you really think acting sore like a loser will bring you the girl?” She stood. “Why acting so darn pitiful? Is it your first time in love?”

Dorian faced her.

“I’d prefer if you do not talk to me.” He muttered.

“Pitiful!!” She laughed. “DIAMONDS are fighting for you online everywhere, they’re working so hard and some of them even got into an accident in San Diego last night in a fuel station, but you’re walking around like a useless ghost?”

Dorian was silent.

“I’ve sent condolence letters to the family of the three dead DIAMONDS in your name, so what I need you to do now is get a grip and be a man. All of these is happening when your single is coming out on Friday? It’s an unintended, powerful promotion. Look, you’re about to break the internet and you’re like this?”

Dorian’s silence continued.

Angela came out. The redness on her face has reduced thanks to lotions, but her fingers are still bandaged.

She misses him, but at the same time…she’s mad at him.

She thought he’d stop tripping for Stacy when he saw the video, but instead, he became more determined to get her.

What’s she supposed to do?

Kaylee stalked towards Dorian suddenly, catching him by the polo of his shirt. She plunged him down to a couch, hovering over him.

“If you’re gonna cry, go cry for DIAMONDS! Mount your camera and cry for them to gain pity and make them get more insane! You know they hate seeing your tears! Do it! It’s an order, or I’ll ruin everything I’ve built for you!” She threatened.

“Stop using that cliche line everytime!” Dorian glared. “Ruin everything you made for me? You can’t achieve that ruin without ruining yourself too so go on! Go on if you can bear it, go on!”

He pushed her off and stood, storming inside without looking back.

“He’s driving me crazy….” Kaylee muttered, turning around. “So fuckin crazy I need a massage. I need a massage and a good fûck.”

Angela’s eyes brightened.

“So I found out the person sending you the sexual messages. He’s a second year student of RIDE—a gigolo, and he says he’s interested in ….” She drawled.

“In?” Kaylee frowned.

“You know what I’m talking about, Kaylee.” Angela sighed.

“How did he even get my exclusive?” Kaylee’s eyes thinned.

“I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not me!” Angela snapped. “You can just meet him once and question him about it then arrest him!”

“Great,” Kaylee nodded. “Set a meeting with him for tonight.”

Angela nodded.

—

Inside, Dorian is busy feeding his insects.

He’s with a bowl of sugar, and as he poured it slowly in the glass with a small spoon, the insects clustered around to have breakfast.

He’s shirtless now, his perfect abs dancing under his skin as he moved each muscular arm.

The guitar tattoo on his arm seems darker than before.

He’s always happy when feeding his insects, but it’s different today.

As he fed them, he’s imagining one face on the glass….

One face you know.

He can’t stop imagining, and he has nearly poured half the sugar inside before he got back to his senses.

He dropped the sugar bowl and picked his phone, sitting in bed.

He went online for the first time since last night, and DIAMONDS are at going berserk.

In fact, there’s now a movement.

HASHTAG # COVE HAS TO APOLOGIZE.

DIAMONDS are even rallying.

They started rallying with colourful banners this morning.

They’re still cussing Cove, and some even threatened to go to the Bronx and exhume the bodies of his dead parents. They made stickers of his dead parents in hell.

Dorian went from the most unproblematic singer to the most problematic within how many hours?

And the most amusing part is that DIAMONDS never listen.

Once they start, they won’t cut till it ends up how they want it.

Cove?

Apologize?

It’s laughable.

He doesn’t even need Cove’s apology, he just wants to be loved.

By her.

He dabbed his face with his palm and prepared to go live.

He set his laptop for the live, and he sat in front of it, counting one to three before pressing the live button.

DIAMONDS have definitely been waiting, cos the views he got in that one minute? Astronomical.

“Hey DIAMONDS,” he started. “I’m fine and well and in good health as you can see, and I’ll make this quick. The ongoing chaos has to stop on—”

He stopped talking, cos he suddenly noticed the comments.

• Oh my gawd! My baby cried!

• Look at those red eyes!

• I wanna kill Cove!

• Take my lifespan Riri, just take it with yours and live long!

• Is anyone seeing the tears streaks on his face? He obviously shed tears.

• I wanna kiss him and tell him everything will be fine!

• It’s my baby’s first time in love so I get the hurt!

• Can he just reveal the girl’s name and let’s go tear her apart?

• We’re enough for you Rian! Please get over the girl!

Dorian ended the live and rushed to the front of the mirror.

Truly, his eyes are red and his face is tear-streaked and puffy.

He should have checked before going live, what the f+k is up with him?

He punched the mirror angrily.

—

[No Sleep Garage]

The fire might have been put out early, but ruins were still made.

One quarter of the garage got burnt, and now it needs the upgrade Matteo have been procrastinating on.

He stood in front of the garage gate with Trevor and the street boys. All of them are staring hopelessly.

“I’m a DIAMOND too but not as crazy as the rest of them. How could they?” Trevor muttered.

He cried last night, but it stopped already, and now he’s got catarrh.

He blew his nose in an hanky.

“I usually send all my savings to my wife, and that’s why I always eat noodles. I have nothing left and now my garage is…” Matteo sobbed.

“We should press charges,” a street boy suggested.

“Charges?” Trevor said. “And you think we’ll win against those deranged DIAMONDS? They’re now rallying, demanding a handwritten apology from Wizard!”

“I don’t care!” The street guy yelled. “They have beef with Wizard, they should face him, but hurting Matteo’s garage? We’re gonna press charges, and their singer is gonna pay!”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Matteo muttered like he’s tired of living.

A Ducati bike rode to a stop beside them, and Trinidad hopped down, disappointed that Cove isn’t here.

“Tomboy?” Trevor faced her.

As if planned, Cove’s bike came to a stop beside them almost immediately.

He hopped down too, habitually taking off his leather gloves with his front teeth.

He actually stayed in San Diego and watched the fuel station burn to ashes before returning this morning.

“Where have you been!!” Matteo rushed to him.

“Wizard look what they did to our garage!” Trevor cried.

“Are you happy now?” Trinidad said. “You’ve implicated your boss with your shit…is it great?”

“Press charges against the fanbase!” The street guys told him.

“Starved dogs don’t deserve that much attention. I’ll throw them a bone soon, and they’ll have something to be busy with.” Cove replied, getting his phone out.

He made a transfer to Matteo, and Matteo gasped, seeing it.

“Where did you get….”

“Start the garage rebuilding today.” Cove cut him off and got on his bike.

“Ice prince!” Trinidad blocked him.

“What do you want?” He demanded in his overly cold voice.

“No you don’t get to use that voice for me! I’m not Dorian!” She snapped.

“You’re who?” Cove smirked.

“Trinidad Brooke! The only one you actually enjoy her presence weather you admit it or not!” She shot.

Cove let go of his handlebars. “You’re saying nothing again,”

Trinidad sighed, nodding.

“You realize the amount of hate Stacy will get if it gets out that she’s the girl, don’t you?” She said.

“What would their like do for her?” Cove shrugged. “Let them hate, it’s better, I’ll do all the liking, and I’ll give her the attention she wants.”

“Madman,” Trinidad muttered, shaking her head. “You don’t like her, you just wanna satisfy your toxic ego of getting what you want.”

“And? You have an objection?” Cove leaned closer.

She pushed his shoulder.

“You’re a black flag. Red is too good for your personality. A deep black flag, that’s you.” She muttered.

He smirked handsomely, then keyed his bike to life.

Trinidad got on her bike too. Roxy’s call is ringing in her phone, but she ignored and just rode after Cove.

No idea where he’s going, she followed anyways.

—

[Young Mansion]

It’s 9am, and the family breakfast is ongoing with both boys on seat.

But Owen is absent.

Silas said she’s feeling slightly indisposed so he’s gonna be taking her breakfast upstairs to her room.

Kane didn’t even ask questions. Not like he cares about his mum’s health.

As the breakfast continued in silence, Scott didn’t place his thoughts on anything in particular.

He just ate pasta healthily.

He feels better.

After drinking the wine Kane gave him at the cemetery last night, he has been feeling better till now.

He suddenly felt Kane’s hand on his thigh under the table, and he looked at him, but Kane isn’t looking at him.

He kept eating like he’s not the same person caressing him under the table.

Scott returned to his food without minding too.

“Mr. Young,” Kane suddenly spoke, and Silas looked up.

“Did your wife tried to kill you, or are you the one who framed her for madness after she couldn’t take your abuse anymore?” Kane asked.

Scott’s eyes widened a bit.

Silas’ face twisted, fork tightening between his fingers. The lines on his forehead creased.

Kane noticed all these reactions and smiled innocently.

“I know you don’t like me as your mother’s new husband, but you don’t have to make false accusations to prove that.” Silas said.

“You can’t take a joke? Mr. Young, I was only babbling. Don’t take it serious.” Kane smiled again.

He dropped his fork, took his backpack and stood.

Then, he stretched an hand to Scott.

Scott didn’t hesitate before placing his hand on it.

Kane helped him up, and and Scott changed the kissing spot today.

Instead of the freckles, he kissed Scott lightly on the lips.

Silas stood.

“What is this behavior!” He slammed his palms on the table.

“What behavior?” Kane blinked. “Kissing my boyfriend on the lips is now considered bad? Go out and touch some grass, Mr. Young.”

Scott grinned as Kane pulled him out of the house, and Silas rushed upstairs furiously.

He grabbed a long cane from the store before he proceeded to the bedroom where Owen is.

Outside, Scott opened the car door for Kane, and Kane pulled his cheek fondly, chuckling.

“What? You can’t enter the car if I open the door for you? You just called me your boyfriend. Keep the show going,” Scott said.

Kane bit his lip and entered the car. Scott rounded it and got beside him.

As they were driven out of the mansion by Scott’s driver, Remo watched them from his car that’s parked not far from the mansion.

“I knew my instincts would never fail,” he sighed. “Scott? You definitely don’t know what I can do.”

His phone bleeped, and he grinned when he saw the text.

It’s from Angela.

He’s gonna meet Kaylee tonight.

He better buy XL condoms.

—

[Elmira’s Mansion]

Anita was lucky to meet Elmira at home this morning.

She was about to leave for campus when she arrived, but she spared her five minutes.

And now Anita’s words is infuriating her so much.

Apologize to Kehlani?

“Why should I apologize? I don’t get you.” She said, towering above Anita as she stood on her heels.

“You came to the house of the richest man to steal! It’s a crime we can both get arrested for if Mr. Albert Montana hears about it! But Stacy was kind enough to ask for ordinary apology to Kehlani after I begged her, and now you’re saying you’re too big to do it?” Anita frowned deep.

“You did what? Apologized to her on your knees?” Elmira laughed. “Look, I just had the best party of my life last night, and you know how much Max slammed my account with? It’s 1.5 million dolls, mum! Don’t even ruin my sweet mood and go away! Tell Stacy to tell the whole school I’m not the daughter of the CEO and Max will still be by my side! I’m not scared of any fuckin body!” She yelled.

Anita gasped.

But Elmira already walked to the open door.

“Yeah I took Kehlani’s man, and if time is reversed, I’ll still steal him! My birthday next month he already promised gold and pearls, so please mum, don’t ruin my joy!”

“You can enter the kitchen and cook whatever you want for yourself before leaving. Leave the key below the flowerpot for me.”

As she said that, she slammed the door and left.

Anita fell back on the couch, crying profusely already.

Where did she go wrong as a mother?

—

[10AM, Bel-Air Road]

Stacy doesn’t feel like taking the helicopter today.

For the first time since she started attention RIDE, she’s going to school in her car, and she’s driving.

She took pictures this morning, but her face looks somehow from lack of sleep, so she didn’t even upload.

Her IG is starving this morning, but she’s starving more.

She didn’t eat before leaving the house, so she’d have to make a restaurant detour and eat before she’d continue riding to school.

Thankfully, her first class is 11, so there’s still time.

She clicked her earbud when her phone buzzed repeatedly.

It’s a group call without Zendaya.

“Hey, girl. We’re at the airfield, aren’t you gonna come? Your pilot isn’t even here too. Aren’t you coming to school?” Kehlani sounded.

“Hey,” Stacy responded. “I’m on my way… using my car.”

“Car? The hell, and gawd, you sound dehydrated. You ok?” Tasha asked.

“I’m fine, just couldn’t sleep with guilt and all,” Stacy muttered.

“Guilt? For kissing a man? Daya isn’t dating him yet!” Tania shouted.

“But she likes him, and I’m wrong for kissing back.” Stacy said.

“See, babe, you love Zendaya too much and it’s annoying! When I and Tasha and Lani came to LA with you and you introduced her to us, I knew it immediately that she’s an insecure one with an inferiority complex. I see the hate in her eyes whenever you receive compliments, she’s now showcasing the hate.” Tania said.

“Stop it, Tania.” Stacy said.

“You shouldn’t have slapped her back, Tania.” Tasha said.

“Oh don’t play that card on me!” Tania flared. “She wants Cove? Let her go confess to him and let’s see if that self-conscious bastard won’t kill her for her father!” Tania snapped.

“Tania … Stop.” Kehlani said.

Tania hissed.

“Why is Zendaya not part of the call?” Stacy asked.

“Tried connecting her but her line was off,” Kehlani said.

Stacy was about to reply when she noticed a car not far from her car.

This car has been following her since she left the estate, and she was thinking it’s part of her overthinking.

She thought it stopped following her when she got to the highway, but she was wrong.

There it is.

That dark red colour belongs to someone she knows, definitely.

“Dorian?” She muttered, cutting herself from the group call before coming down from her car.

Her plan: go to the car, lambaste Dorian angrily and tell him to stop following her.

But immediately she stepped down from the car, the streetlight pole beside the road fell.

It’s as if an unknown mojo force pushed it down to her direction.

“F+k, No!!!!” She screamed, stepping back, but her guards are professionals.

The four of them grabbed her away from that angle, and the pole fell across the road, landing on the car.

The car crashed, and Stacy nearly fainted as she watched shattering glasses and denting car body.

But that wasn’t the end. It was the start of the craziness.

One of the four close guards suddenly shoved a butter knife into the necks of the other three, moving clockwise and splashing blood.

He used Stacy as shield, so before the guards from the other cars could get close, he dragged Stacy into a car.

It’s even one of the guards cars.

Dorian rushed out of his own car, flabbergasted at what just happened in broad daylight.

“Stace!” He yelled.

“Stace!!!!”

He ran after the car.

The remaining dozen guards mounted themselves in their cars.

They went after the car that has Stacy.

Dorian got back in his car too, driving past the three bleeding guards on the ground. He chased with the guards.

He contacted his own guards too to join in the chase.

The road blocked in a matter of two, three minutes.

—

[Unknown Rendezvous]

When Stacy’s eyes opened, it’s like she’s in a new world entirely.

Like she’s in a rabbit hole.

Surrounding stuff felt dim at first, but then she slowly started making out her surroundings.

Looks like a workshop, but she can’t name what it’s for.

Tangy smelly sawdust is scattered on the wet ground.

Walls have dust from centuries.

The roof has more geckos than ceiling.

Half ceiling, half plywoods.

Then there’s a leaking pipe pumping water to the ground, reason for the wetness here, and it’s so f+kin cold Stacy caught the flu instantly.

She shivered.

She’s on a metal chair, bound completely to it by chains, but it left her right hand untied.

She tried to use that right hand to move the chains…

“You know that’d be fruitless,” a husky modulated voice said from the top of the building.

She looked up sharply, seeing there’s a tight rusty balcony on top, and that’s definitely someone there but she’s not seeing who it is.

It’s too dark in here to make out who.

“You’re the man in black who chased me the last night!” She shouted.

“Back then, you had pepper spray and a certain boy to help you, but now there’s none here. Why not save yourself from humiliation and sign that document in front of you?” The husky voice replied.

With body still trembling, Stacy looked ahead.

There’s another chair in front of her, and on the chair, there’s a hammer, a pen, and a smoothly laid document, drawn like a contract.

I—Stacy Montana, swear to never talk to—Covey Fabio. If I see him, I run. If he comes close, I back up. If he talks, I won’t answer! And if I disobey and do any of these things, my dad—Albert Montana will be killed.

Stacy gasped.

“Insane!!! You’re insane! You think my dad is a simpleton that can be killed like a fowl?”

“You’re not a simpleton too. You’re the queen bee with dozens of guards, but we still captured you easily! That same dad of yours has been shot and nearly killed once during a public manifesto, so he’s not that great! If I want someone dead, I’ll do it without blinking! You better sign!” The voice from the balcony boomed again.

On that balcony, Zendaya stood.

Her brown lips moved slowly as the words left her mouth and sieved into the voice modulator which makes her voice sound boyish.

Also, she looks like she lost noticeable fat. She vomited and purged and was sick throughout the night. Thanks to her dad that’s around to cater for her.

She looks different.

Her dad is beside her, leaning on the balcony and letting his daughter rule.

Zendaya’s lips curved in a smile when Stacy picked the pen and signed the contract with her free right hand.

“Done! Done! Now let me go! Get these stupid chains off me, whoever the fûck you are!!” Stacy yelled.

“You’re not done, attention seeker.” Zendaya said.

“What!” Stacy gasped, looking around desperately to see the face, but she’s unluckily not seeing a thing.

“Pick the hammer beside the document, and crush your stupid pink lips for me.” Zendaya ordered.

Stacy’s breaths seized.

TBC.