- 2 hari yang lalu
- #chinesedrama
- #cdrama
- #cshortdrama
- #drama
- #koreandrama
- #kdrama
#chinesedrama #cdrama #cshortdrama #drama #koreandrama #kdrama
Kategori
📺
TelevisiTranskrip
00:01Terima kasih telah menonton!
00:30Terima kasih telah menonton!
01:00Terima kasih telah menonton!
01:40Terima kasih telah menonton!
02:54Terima kasih telah menonton!
03:26Terima kasih telah menonton!
03:35Terima kasih telah menonton!
03:49Terima kasih telah menonton!
07:21Terima kasih telah menonton!
07:31Terima menonton!
07:35Terima menonton!
07:43Terima menonton!
07:45Terima menonton!
07:48Terima menonton!
07:51Terima menonton!
07:51Terima menonton!
08:03Terima menonton!
08:06Terima menonton!
08:16Terima menonton!
08:19Terima menonton!
08:21Terima menonton!
08:24Terima menonton!
08:25Terima menonton!
08:35Terima menonton!
08:39Terima menonton!
08:40Terima menonton!
08:52Terima menonton!
08:55Terima menonton!
08:56together. A face almost too beautiful to be real. Two buttons at his collar were undone, showing a
09:02strip of collarbone and skin that looked slightly flushed. Like he'd been drinking, my brain made
09:07this loud, silent buzzing sound. On pure instinct, I slapped my hand over the rearview mirror.
09:13Nora VO. No. Nope. I was seeing things. I had to be. Why would Dante be in the back seat?
09:20And why the hell didn't Ethan tell me there was a whole person in the car? I scraped together
09:25every last drop of courage I had and peeked through my fingers. In the mirror, a pair of deep blue
09:30eyes
09:30was staring right at me. The second our eyes locked, his entire body went rigid. Mine did too,
09:37except mine was in full, oh fuck, I'm about to die mode. Too late to jump out and run, genius.
09:44Mr. Moretti. Hi, hello. Ethan isn't feeling well, so he asked me to drive you home and I definitely
09:52didn't know you were in the car. Like, at all. Surprise! Nothing. He didn't move, so my mouth
09:58kept going without me. You, you had Chloe called up to 34 today, right? She's probably still in the
10:04building. I could go get her. She'd be way better at this than me. She's, um, she's really good at
10:10everything. I just offered to fetch my own fake identity. Somebody take my mouth away from me.
10:19Dante closed his eyes and frowned slightly, like talking was already too much effort. I let out a
10:24tiny breath of relief. Nora VO. Thank god he doesn't recognize me. Wait, where the hell is the start
10:30button? I stared at the dashboard like it was written in alien language. Sweating. Panicking.
10:36I can drive, Mr. Moretti. I swear I can drive. I just, I've never driven a black luxury car before.
10:43My hands started their usual nervous dance, twisting together in my lap, brain completely empty. I
10:49discreetly pulled out my phone and typed, how to start a black luxury car. A shadow fell across me.
10:54As Dante leaned forward from the back seat, the rich scent of bergamot and cedar washed over me.
11:00I know your voice. My, my voice? I don't think so, Mr. Moretti. I have a really common voice. People
11:08tell me that all the time. I sound like literally everyone. My whole body locked up, too close. Then
11:14he reached around me toward the dashboard, his arm grazing mine. The cuff of his shirt skimmed my
11:19wrist as his fingers hovered over the start button. Right here. Dante pressed the button. The engine came
11:26alive with a low, smooth rumble. Then Dante leaned back like nothing had happened and settled into
11:31the rear seat again. Address is in the GPS. Okay. I forced myself to get it together, shifted gears,
11:39and slowly drove the car out of the private garage. The ride was silent. Outside the windows,
11:45New York traffic streamed through the night. I held the steering wheel tight. My palms were slick with
11:50sweat. Dante didn't say another word from the back seat. Every once in a while, I glanced at him
11:56in the rearview mirror. He was leaning against the seat, eyes closed like he'd actually fallen
12:01asleep. Half an hour later, the car finally rolled into the private garage beneath Dante's apartment
12:06building. Tribeca. One of the quietest, most expensive corners of the city. The doorman saw
12:12the plate and let us through immediately. I parked the car. The second it stopped, I unbuckled my seat
12:18belt. Mr. Moretti, you're home. I'll get going now. Good night. I didn't wait for him to answer.
12:23I shoved the door open, jumped out, and basically ran. I didn't notice the man behind me narrow his
12:30eyes, watching the direction I'd fled in, long after I disappeared. Nora dreaming. The rain outside
12:36the car window suddenly got louder, drumming hard against the glass. That cold, woodsy scent on him
12:42mixed with the smell of leather. His chest almost pressed against my shoulder, filling the whole car.
12:48His lips drifted toward mine. His voice was low. Right here.
12:51Half command, half coaxing. As he said it, his thumb dragged softly across my lower lip.
12:57I jolted awake. It was already morning. I stared at the ceiling for half a minute.
13:02Then I washed my face half asleep, dragged myself out of bed with two dark circles under my eyes,
13:08and went to work.
13:11The second I walked into the office, I saw Chloe. The girl who was supposed to be up on the
13:1534th floor
13:16was sitting right in the middle of the crowd. Her makeup was perfect today. Chloe?
13:21Yeah, yeah. Mr. Morelli sent me back down for now. Said I should get to know the team first,
13:26before I'm up on 34 full time.
13:30Plus, I guess I'm kind of lonely up there.
13:33That's actually kind of sweet of him.
13:36Chloe lowered her head and smiled, looking shy.
13:38No, seriously, it's not like that. He just wants me to get settled in with the team first.
13:42I stood in the doorway. My fingers tightened around my bag strap without me even realizing it.
13:47Chloe spotted me. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over.
13:51Nora!
13:52And reached for my arm.
13:54I'm back, baby. I missed you so much.
13:57The second she said it, I knew Chloe was about to screw me over again.
14:00I jerked my arm back. Chloe's hand closed around empty air.
14:04For a beat, the entire office went dead silent.
14:07Even the laughter around us cut off. The vibe got weird fast.
14:11Then our supervisor walked in, thanked God, and broke the tension.
14:15All right, guys. Listen up.
14:17The supervisor clapped his hands.
14:19We're doing drinks tonight. Call it team bonding.
14:22And more importantly, let's make Nora and Chloe feel officially part of the crew.
14:26Team bonding? Where are we going?
14:29New karaoke lounge in Koreatown. I booked a private room.
14:33Important question. Are we drinking?
14:36Of course we're drinking. Company's covering part of it, and I'll cover the rest.
14:40The office instantly broke into cheers.
14:43Is Morelli gonna be there?
14:45The second that question came out, everyone subconsciously looked at Chloe.
14:49Chloe lowered her head and pressed her lips together.
14:51He's buried every day.
14:53You really think he's showing up for karaoke with us?
14:55No chance. You're safe. Go have fun.
14:58Everyone laughed.
14:59The tension finally eased a little.
15:02Before I knew it, work was over.
15:05I'd spilled something on my skirt at lunch,
15:07so I had to swing home and change first.
15:09By the time I got there, they'd already been singing for over an hour.
15:13I pushed the door open.
15:14Inside the private room, the lights kept flashing on and off, bright enough to make me squint.
15:20When my eyes adjusted, I saw Dante.
15:22He sat on the long couch all the way in the back.
15:25The light slid across his face, beautiful, dangerous.
15:28A glass sat in his hand.
15:29The drink barely touched.
15:31His long fingers circled the rim.
15:33He wasn't supposed to be here.
15:34They had said he wasn't coming.
15:36I took two steps back, before I even realized I'd moved.
15:40Nora? Get in here. We were about to send a search party.
15:43Come on, late girl. You're drinking later.
15:47Yeah, yeah. I'm here.
15:49Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Dante turn his head slightly.
15:52His gaze swept over, casual and brief.
15:55But the supervisor gave me a little push from behind.
15:58Come on. You're late. That's the only spot left.
16:01I followed where he was pointing, and I froze.
16:03The empty seat was right next to Dante.
16:06I choked down the panic and made myself walk over.
16:08Dante was talking low to a man beside him, some executive, by the look of him.
16:13Cold. Focused. Like he hadn't noticed me at all.
16:16I sat down stiffly beside him.
16:18The couch was softer than I expected.
16:20And the second I sank in, I tipped a little toward him.
16:23I straightened my back on instinct, pressed my knees together,
16:27tried to take up as little space as I could.
16:29But the moment I settled, he moved.
16:31Dante shifted, casual about it.
16:33The dark fabric of his pants brushed my calf.
16:36I went rigid and pulled my leg back, putting some space between us.
16:41For half a minute, everything was fine.
16:43Then it came again.
16:44He shifted.
16:45And the cool fabric grazed my calf a second time.
16:48A strange little jolt running up my leg.
16:50My fingers clenched around the hem of my skirt.
16:52Even my breathing went uneven.
16:54I held it in.
16:55Then finally, I couldn't take it.
16:57I turned and looked at him.
16:59He didn't so much as glance at me.
17:01Nor a VO.
17:02Damn.
17:03Maybe he really wasn't doing it on purpose.
17:05I lowered my head again, pressed my legs even tighter, and prayed.
17:10Please, just let tonight be over.
17:12But the next second, his knee pressed into mine.
17:15The crease of his pants met the edge of my skirt.
17:18Through two layers of fabric, the heat of his leg almost burned.
17:21I had nowhere left to go.
17:23Dante still didn't look at me.
17:24He lifted his glass and took a small sip.
17:27Then his arm brushed my shoulder.
17:30I, uh, I'm gonna pee.
17:31You guys keep going?
17:34At the end of the karaoke lounge hallway, there was a single all-gender restroom.
17:39I slipped inside and closed the door.
17:41It was quiet in there.
17:43So quiet it felt like another world from the music pounding through the private room.
17:47I braced my hands on the sink and turned on the faucet.
17:50My heartbeat still wouldn't slow down.
17:52Those few accidental touches back in the room still felt like they were on my skin.
17:56He hadn't even looked at me.
17:59Get it together, Nora.
18:00Water rushed from the faucet.
18:02I bent down and cupped some in my hands, about to splash my face.
18:06Then the door opened.
18:07I looked up.
18:08In the mirror, I saw him.
18:10Dante stepped inside.
18:11Then he locked the door behind him.
18:13Mr. Moretti.
18:15You need the bathroom?
18:18No.
18:21Oh, okay.
18:22For a second, my brain just stalled.
18:24But he was already moving toward me.
18:26Too close.
18:27My back hit the edge of the sink.
18:29Why are you running from me, Nora?
18:33I'm not.
18:34I just...
18:35After everything you've seen, you're shy now?
18:39What?
18:40I don't know what you're talking about.
18:41You're still gonna lie to my face.
18:43Whatever amusement had been on his face was gone.
18:45He stared down at me, his eyes dark enough to make my stomach drop.
18:50Even colder.
18:51He took one more step.
18:52I had nowhere to go.
18:53Something felt off the second I bumped Chloe up to the top floor.
18:58I mean, she had absolutely no clue I can't stand mint.
19:01Or where I disappeared to on my mom's anniversary.
19:04She didn't even know about the insomnia.
19:06The therapy.
19:08Any of it.
19:10Then I caught you in the car that night.
19:13Picking on your cuticles.
19:14Just like you always do when you're stressed out.
19:17My gut was screaming at me.
19:19And tonight just sealed it.
19:21That little heart-shaped mark right under your collarbone?
19:23I'd recognize it anywhere.
19:26Makes sense why you blocked me now.
19:28Why you just ghosted.
19:29You've been playing me this whole damn time.
19:32Jesus.
19:32It was you?
19:34No, it's not.
19:35Fake name.
19:36Fake everything.
19:38You played me this whole time.
19:40Dante, please.
19:41I can explain-
19:42Explain what?
19:42How you used Chloe as a shield while I made a complete ass of myself?
19:46Three years, Nora.
19:48Did a single true word ever come out of your mouth?
19:51I was scared of this version of Dante.
19:52My body backed up on its own.
19:54Heat burned across my face.
19:56And I went quiet.
19:57Dante paused.
19:58His throat moved like he was forcing something down.
20:01Noah, come on.
20:02I've said enough.
20:03What do you have to say?
20:05I'm sorry, Dante.
20:06All of it was my fault.
20:08Whatever you want to do to me, I'll take it.
20:10I used Chloe's name.
20:11I lied to you.
20:12I knew exactly what I was doing.
20:14I'm sorry.
20:15I really am.
20:16He was holding himself back.
20:17And I figured a man like him, played by someone like me.
20:21Yeah, that look probably meant he wanted to hit me.
20:24That's it?
20:25Just sorry?
20:28After everything I just laid out, you're not even going to try to defend yourself?
20:31Right.
20:32The money.
20:33I spent it all on tuition.
20:34But I'll pay you back.
20:35Every last cent.
20:36It's going to take time, but I will-
20:37Nora!
20:38His voice cracked through the room.
20:40I flinched.
20:41He caught himself.
20:42Then forced his voice back down.
20:44You really think I give a damn about the money?
20:46Then what do you want from me?
20:48Dante, I'm not making excuses here.
20:50I'm sorry.
20:50I know it's all my-
20:51So the name was a lie.
20:53The money was a setup?
20:55Was any of it real, Nora?
20:58What?
20:59What was I to you?
21:01Just some rich fool you could play?
21:06Did you feel anything for me at all?
21:09Or was it all just an act?
21:11I froze.
21:13I froze.
21:13I heard the words, but they just didn't compute.
21:15I'd played out getting caught a thousand times in my head.
21:18He was supposed to be furious, disgusted.
21:21I expected him to ruin me, or coldly order me out of his sight.
21:25I was ready for anything.
21:27Anything but this.
21:28Anything but Dante Moretti looking at me like a kicked puppy, asking if I ever actually cared.
21:33But my silence was cutting him deeper than any confession could.
21:37He squeezed his eyes shut and let go of my wrist.
21:41Fine.
21:41I get it.
21:43Dante, I-
21:44I reached for his sleeve and caught nothing.
21:47Dante pulled away and walked out without looking back.
21:50I stood there, watching him disappear down the hallway.
21:52The warmth he'd left around my wrist slowly went cold.
21:56My mom used to clean houses for the Valentine family.
21:59Chloe lost a bet to some girls, so she talked my mom into stealing my diary.
22:04The one where I had written down every stupid, secret crush I was too scared to say out loud.
22:09Chloe copied the pages and taped them to the bulletin board by the lockers.
22:13Then they photographed them, posted them on the school forum, and dumped the screenshots into a group chat.
22:19By lunch, my diary was on every phone in school.
22:23People zoomed in, circled lines, added laughing emojis.
22:28Wait, Nora wrote this?
22:30She has a crush on Mike? Seriously? Like, she even has a chance.
22:34Isn't Mike into Chloe?
22:35Oh my god, check the school forum. This is so embarrassing.
22:38I became the punchline the whole campus was in on.
22:40I hated that bitch, so I stole her name and used it to fuck with her life online.
22:45One night, I got completely wrecked in a game.
22:48Zero kills, 28 deaths.
22:51So I slammed open my mic and yelled in the most innocent voice I could fake.
22:55Hi guys, my name is Chloe Valentin.
22:58After that, it became my thing.
23:00Every time I was feeding or dying like an idiot, the second someone asked, who is this bot, I'd sweetly
23:06open my mic.
23:07Yeah, sorry, it's Chloe Valentin again.
23:09It was the pettiest, most satisfying shit I'd ever done.
23:13I used to hope some unhinged gamer would track down the real Chloe one day and give her exactly what
23:18she deserved.
23:18But before my revenge ever reached Chloe, Dante reached me first.
23:23He was gentle, polite, and paid four years of my tuition without blinking.
23:28Everything was fine until lately when he started pushing to meet.
23:31And that's when it hit me.
23:32I'd been using Chloe's identity this whole time.
23:35My hands shook as I scrolled back through three years of messages.
23:39Further, further, all the way to the beginning, until I saw the first message.
23:44My name is Chloe Valentin.
23:46And just like that, the last bit of hope inside me went cold.
23:50Every late night confession, every bit of tenderness we passed through that screen.
23:55Every time I let myself believe a man like him could actually love me.
23:58All of it was built on a name that was never mine.
24:01That night I couldn't sleep no matter which way I turned.
24:04I regretted it.
24:05God, I regretted all of it.
24:07I pressed my face into my blanket and cried without making a sound.
24:11I don't know how long.
24:13But when I finally looked up, I caught myself in the mirror.
24:16Swollen eyes.
24:17Plain face.
24:18I didn't have Chloe's stunning looks or her trust fund.
24:21I didn't even have that arrogant confidence she wore like perfume.
24:24I was just...
24:26Ordinary.
24:27And men like Dante don't fall for ordinary girls.
24:30So I swallowed the ache in my chest and sent him one last message.
24:34I'm sorry.
24:35And then I blocked him and deleted everything.
24:39After that night, Dante never stepped foot in the office again.
24:42It took me days to finally work up the nerve to reach out.
24:46But when I did, radio silence.
24:48Message after message.
24:50Swallowed by the void.
24:51He was completely shutting me out.
24:53I just sat there staring at my phone.
24:56Watching the screen light up, go dark, and light up again.
24:59It was never him.
25:00I was running out of ways to fix this when my mom's name flashed on the screen.
25:05I shoved my laptop aside and ducked into the stairwell.
25:11Hey mom, what's up?
25:13Nothing, sweetie.
25:14Just checking in.
25:15How's work?
25:16Everyone playing nice?
25:18A beat of silence.
25:19I didn't answer right away.
25:21You're quiet.
25:22Is someone giving you a hard time?
25:24Listen, if they are, just buy them lunch, pick up some donuts.
25:28People can't be mean to the girl handing out pastries.
25:31That's just a fact.
25:32Mom, I'm really swamped right now.
25:33I've got to get back.
25:34I'll call you tonight.
25:36The motion light clicked off, plunging the stairwell into darkness.
25:40I took a breath, pushed the heavy door open, and headed back out.
25:44The smell hit me before I even reached my desk, sickeningly sweet.
25:49Dark liquid was bleeding down my laptop screen, pooling into the keys.
25:53The machine was already dead.
25:55The folders next to it were completely soaked.
25:58Days of all-nighters.
25:59The files I hadn't even backed up yet, ruined in seconds, just like that.
26:04And standing right there, empty cup dangling from her hand, was Chloe, wearing a mask of
26:10perfect, wide-eyed innocence.
26:15Oh, God.
26:17Nora, I'm so sorry.
26:18I knocked my coffee over and it got all over your laptop.
26:22That's not, like, a huge deal, right?
26:25I didn't have time for her.
26:27I grabbed a stack of napkins off my desk and started wiping like crazy.
26:30I swear I didn't mean to.
26:32But it was useless.
26:34We're good, right?
26:35She actually laughed.
26:38You can totally just redo it.
26:41Probably won't even take you a sec anyway.
26:43A cold numbness spread over my scalp.
26:46The second that smug little voice hit my ears, something buried deep inside me clawed its
26:51way out.
26:52Senior year.
26:53The guidance counselor's office.
26:54The first time I ever forced myself to speak up, word by agonizing word, I finally called
27:00it what it was, bullying.
27:02I laid out everything she had done to me.
27:04My voice shook the entire time, while a desperate mantra played on loop in my head.
27:09Don't be scared, Nora.
27:12And what are you going to do about it?
27:15Nothing.
27:16That was the truth.
27:17There was nothing I could do to her.
27:20Because when my dad got called in, the first thing out of his mouth wasn't whether I was
27:24okay.
27:25He shoved me, hard, in front of everyone.
27:29Bullying?
27:29Come on.
27:30They're kids.
27:31Kids mess around.
27:33Nora's always been a little sensitive.
27:35Don't read into it.
27:38Exactly, Nora.
27:39I was just messing with you.
27:41But if it upset you that much, I'll say sorry, I guess.
27:44Sorry for what?
27:46Chloe, sweetheart, you're fine.
27:48You don't need to apologize.
27:49Then he turned to me.
27:51Nora, she was just being friendly.
27:53Why do you have to turn everything into a big deal?
27:56I just stared at my father, realizing I was looking at a complete stranger.
28:01Behind the adults, where no one else could see, Chloe flashed me a slow, mocking smile.
28:07That exact same face.
28:09Let it go.
28:10Don't make a scene.
28:11Be the bigger person.
28:13My parents' favorite mantra.
28:15And look where it got me.
28:16I crushed the wet napkins in my fist, my nails biting into my palm.
28:21My breathing went jagged.
28:23Years of swallowing my anger had sat in my chest like a dead weight.
28:26And right now, it was cracking open.
28:29Why did I keep taking it like a spineless coward?
28:32Sneaking around, plotting twisted, pointless revenge that only ruined my life?
28:36I was so sick of hating who I'd become.
28:39I really didn't mean it, okay?
28:42She actually had the nerve to reach out to pat my shoulder.
28:45Something inside me shattered.
28:47Zero thought.
28:48Pure instinct.
28:49I lunged.
28:50My hand twisted into her hair, yanking her forward.
28:53And I cracked her across the face, hard enough to send her stumbling backward.
29:00She had been right about one thing.
29:02Growing up, doing the heavy lifting with my mom meant I was a hell of a lot tougher than I
29:06looked.
29:07Chloe let out a shrill scream.
29:09In all her life, she never expected me to fight back.
29:12Let alone like this.
29:13I yanked her down to the floor.
29:15Her knee slammed into a desk leg with a loud thud.
29:18And she completely lost it.
29:20You crazy bitch!
29:21Are you out of your mind?
29:23I didn't say a word.
29:25I just gritted my teeth and kicked her hard.
29:27Then I threw myself on top of her, pinned her down, and absolutely went farrow.
29:32A chair went crashing to the floor.
29:35Folders exploded everywhere.
29:36Papers flying across the room.
29:40What the hell are you standing around for?
29:42Break it up!
29:43That bark snapped the guys out of their trance.
29:46Hands grabbed my arms, hauling me backward.
29:48Someone pried my fingers off Chloe.
29:51Leo.
29:51The asshole who shoved past me the other day.
29:54I glared at him, wrenched my arm free, and backhanded him across the face.
29:59His glasses went flying.
30:00They finally forced me down into a chair.
30:03My hair was a wreck.
30:05My sleeve was torn at the shoulder.
30:07And my fist?
30:08Still clamped tight around a clump of Chloe's hair.
30:11Across the room, Chloe was hyperventilating.
30:13Call someone.
30:14One side of her face already swelling.
30:16Glaring at me with pure, murderous hatred.
30:18The supervisor was livid.
30:20She took a deep breath, gearing up to rip us both a new one.
30:24And then...
30:25The room just died.
30:27Coworker.
30:27Mr. Moretti.
30:30The crowd parted.
30:32Dante stood in the doorway, his gaze freezing the room.
30:35His suit was razor sharp, immaculate, completely untouched by the wreckage around us.
30:40The adrenaline was finally crashing.
30:43I stayed silent, sinking back into my chair and clamping a hand over a bleeding scratch on my arm.
30:49Chloe was the office darling.
30:50Naturally, the jury reached a verdict in seconds.
30:53Jesus, Nora.
30:55You just attacked her?
30:58Mr. Moretti, we all saw it.
31:00Nora went at her completely out of nowhere.
31:02I thought she was the quiet one.
31:04What the hell was that?
31:05Down on the floor, Chloe's eyes welled up.
31:08Right on cue, the tears spilled over.
31:11Silent.
31:12Tragic.
31:13A total masterclass in playing the helpless victim.
31:16Trembling, she reached out, her fingers barely grazing the hem of his pristine trousers.
31:21Mr. Moretti?
31:23She just attacked me.
31:24I don't even know what I did wrong.
31:26I was terrified.
31:27Dante didn't blink.
31:29His face was stone.
31:30He just lifted his foot and nudged her wrist away with the polished toe of his shoe,
31:34like brushing aside a piece of trash.
31:36Chloe froze.
31:38Her hand dropped dead to the floor.
31:39Dante stepped right past her.
31:41He strode through the crowd, stepping over the scattered files,
31:45until he stopped directly in front of my chair.
31:47He stared down at me.
31:49Then, his large hand covered mine.
31:51Slowly, gently, he pried my tense fingers away from my bleeding arm.
31:56The touch was startlingly careful, but his voice was a jagged growl.
32:01Let go.
32:03Let me see.
32:04He pulled my fingers back.
32:06Air hit the cut.
32:07It burned like hell.
32:08But my head was worse.
32:10Just static.
32:11I almost said I was fine out of pure reflex.
32:14Then his hand closed firmly around mine.
32:17Come with me.
32:18That familiar edge of citrus washed over me, and the no died in my throat.
32:23Behind us, the entire office practically gasped in unison.
32:27Dante didn't care.
32:28He didn't even look back.
32:30Right in front of everyone, he kept his grip on my hand and strode toward his office.
32:34I stumbled after him.
32:36Maybe the fight had actually knocked a screw loose in my head.
32:39Because as I stared at his back, my nose started to sting,
32:43and I started babbling like an idiot.
32:47Dante, listen.
32:48Whatever else was a lie, my feelings for you weren't.
32:51I knew I was crossing a line.
32:53I knew it the whole time.
32:55I never should have used Chloe's name or her photos.
32:58I just wanted to hurt her, but never like this.
33:01And I ended up breaking you.
33:03I'm so sorry.
33:04The day I cut you off, it killed me too.
33:08I know I'm completely messed up.
33:11I know I'm a coward who makes everything worse than it has to be.
33:16But breaking your heart was the last thing I ever wanted.
33:20I like you, Dante.
33:22I really, really do.
33:24Dante gave me nothing.
33:26Not a word.
33:27Not a glance.
33:28He didn't even break his stride.
33:30The hallway felt endless.
33:32With every step, my stomach dropped a little more.
33:35He didn't want to hear it.
33:36He was done.
33:37Heat rushed to my eyes.
33:39I bit my lip hard, swallowing down the sob.
33:42My fingers started to slip from his.
33:44Instantly, his hand clamped down, hard enough to bruise.
33:48Before I could process it, he shoved his office door open and yanked me inside.
33:53I stumbled forward.
33:54Click.
33:55The door shut behind us.
33:57Before I could even catch my breath, he spun me.
34:00My back slammed against the solid wood.
34:06Dan, he kissed me.
34:09It was punishment.
34:11Years of restraint snapping all at once.
34:13His tongue forced its way past my teeth, claiming every inch.
34:17He tasted like heat and danger.
34:19My hands fisted in his shirt, holding on for dear life.
34:23He dragged his mouth away, only to return, softly sucking my lower lip.
34:27Again and again.
34:28The hand braced beside my head slid slowly down my spine.
34:32He gripped my waist and hoisted me flush against him.
34:35I could feel every hard line of his body through our clothes.
34:39The heat between us was suffocating.
34:41When he finally broke the kiss, we were both gasping.
34:44He dropped his forehead against mine.
34:47His chest heaved.
34:48Finally.
34:49His breath fanned over my swollen lips.
34:51Exactly how I pictured it.
34:54Don't.
34:55I ducked my head, my cheeks burning under his gaze.
35:00Wait.
35:01He pulled back just enough to look at me.
35:03A deep crease between his brows.
35:06When exactly did you send me Chloe's photos?
35:09Are you sure you're remembering that right?
35:11He unlocked his phone and handed it to me.
35:13My fingers trembled against the glass.
35:16I started scrolling.
35:18Instantly, my face burned.
35:19His old texts were right there.
35:22Blunt.
35:23Filthy.
35:23Completely shameless.
35:25Every single voice note I had ever sent him.
35:28Saved.
35:28I swallowed hard and forced my thumb to keep swiping.
35:32Then came the photos.
35:33Tangled sheets.
35:35A slip strap.
35:36Flashes of bare skin.
35:38But no faces.
35:39Not a single one.
35:40Dante crowded in behind me.
35:42Looking down at the screen.
35:44The heat of his chest radiated against my back.
35:46His breathing grew heavy, rough, and unsteady.
35:50I didn't dare look at him.
35:51I just kept scrolling.
35:53Swiping past the ghosts of everything we used to be.
35:55All the way to the very beginning.
35:57Then, I hit the top of the chat.
36:00Nothing.
36:01There were no pictures of Chloe.
36:02He never got them.
36:03My blood ran cold.
36:05I went completely still.
36:09But if you'd never actually seen her face,
36:12how did you know who she was on the first day?
36:16You told me you were starting an internship here.
36:18The timeline fit.
36:19The name matched.
36:21There was only one Chloe Valentin in the building.
36:25Did you honestly think I only fell for her face?
36:28He stepped back just enough to cut my face in both hands.
36:31He made me look at him.
36:35You believe two people are just hardwired for each other?
36:38Like they don't even get a say in it?
36:40His thumbs brushed lightly over my cheeks.
36:43That night you slid into my car.
36:45I didn't even have my eyes open.
36:47But the air shifted.
36:48I felt it in my chest.
36:50I live in a world where I'm always suffocating.
36:54But hearing you?
36:56It's the only thing that lets me breathe.
36:58I smiled and buried my face against his chest.
37:01But you didn't even know what I looked like.
37:04What if I wasn't your type at all?
37:07I didn't care.
37:08Then his arms tightened around me.
37:11I would have been obsessed with you either way.
37:13Fucked up, isn't it?
37:16I'm used to calling the shots.
37:19But with you?
37:20I never had a damn choice.
37:22With the truth finally out, the invisible wall between us shattered.
37:26What was left behind wasn't just heat.
37:28It was something deeper.
37:30Unbreakable.
37:31Six months later, Chloe's past caught up with her.
37:35It didn't just leak.
37:36It exploded.
37:37Chat logs.
37:39Photos.
37:39Videos of what she did to her college roommate.
37:42A perfectly packaged digital bomb.
37:44It was brutal.
37:46And entirely airtight.
37:47For three days, Dante's legal team practically lived in his office.
37:52I watched him from the doorway suit perfectly tailored.
37:55Expression ruthlessly calm.
37:57By the time the scandal hit the company floor,
38:00Chloe's desk was already empty.
38:02A few whispers.
38:03A few fake gasps of shock.
38:06She was just gone.
38:07Then came Friday night.
38:09My phone lit up on the nightstand.
38:11My parents.
38:12I picked it up, expecting the usual check-in.
38:17Nora, I am so sorry we saw the news.
38:20I thought if we kept our heads down, it would eventually stop.
38:23I told you to just swallow it.
38:25I was wrong.
38:26I was so wrong.
38:29We both were.
38:30I should have protected you.
38:32And I didn't.
38:33It's in the past.
38:34It's over now.
38:35I ended the call and stood by the window, staring out at nothing.
38:40Dante stepped up behind me.
38:42He slipped a warm mug into my hands.
38:44No questions, no pushing.
38:46He just wrapped his arm around me and pulled me back against his chest.
38:50I tilted my head and kissed his jaw.
38:53He let out a quiet breath, tightening his hold on me.
38:57You okay?
38:59I nodded.
39:01Yeah.
39:01I looked out at the city lights.
39:03I am now.
39:05He pressed a kiss to my temple.
39:08Outside, the New York skyline glittered in the dark.
39:11I leaned back into him, letting his heat ground me.
39:15And finally, I stopped looking back.
39:17I jumped back.
39:17I moved to Hope for sure.
39:21I went back to PEAC.
Komentar