- 10 hours ago
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00:02Babe, I want you straddling my lap, taking all of me while you moan my name like a good girl.
00:08Dante, you're actually shameless.
00:12Yeah, I am.
00:13After three years of getting bullied by the Queen Bee, Chloe, I did the most twisted thing I could think
00:18of.
00:19I stole her name, her photos, her whole privileged perfect girl image,
00:24and I used all of it to start an online relationship with a man who was stupid rich.
00:28He was gentle, obsessed, and paid my way through four years of college.
00:33Then I just ghosted him.
00:36Only later did I find out.
00:38Turns out he's the don of New York's deadliest crime family.
00:42His only flaw, he was insanely horny.
00:45On late night voice calls, he could say the filthiest things in the calmest, most proper voice.
00:51And pretty soon, with enough sweet talk, enough teasing, and enough body pics,
00:56I got him to pay for all four years of my college tuition.
01:00The day I decided to end it, I tried to sound casual.
01:04Voice call.
01:05Babe, what would you do if I just disappeared one day?
01:10Don't joke like that, I don't like it.
01:12Gentle voice.
01:13Dangerous edge.
01:14I don't do pressure.
01:15So I blocked him everywhere and vanished.
01:18And then fate played a sick joke.
01:19Chloe and I ended up interning at the same company, Moretti Tech, the biggest cyber security firm in New York,
01:26and the clean legal front for the Moretti crime family.
01:29First day, the big boss came down from headquarters to inspect us.
01:33I kept my head down in the crowd.
01:35Then I saw a face I knew way too well.
01:40Before my brain could catch up, his eyes landed on Chloe, and they lit up.
01:46The man I dated online for three years was standing ten feet away from me.
01:51In real life,
01:54my mind went blank.
01:55Black shirt, no tie,
01:57a snake and thorn tattoo curling past his collar,
02:00a gold signet ring on his little finger.
02:02He was gorgeous.
02:05Supervisor whispered beside me,
02:07Don't be nervous.
02:08Mr. Dante Morelli doesn't deal with interns.
02:10Second she finished,
02:12that ring slipped off his finger.
02:14It rolled past my shoe
02:15and stopped.
02:17Right in front of Chloe's heels.
02:19He stopped in front of us.
02:21No, in front of Chloe.
02:22Cold, dangerous man.
02:24Bright, beautiful girl.
02:26Standing way too close.
02:31I held my breath.
02:32He was staring at the face he'd loved for three years.
02:35He just didn't know the girl behind that face was standing right next to it.
02:39Leo Grant, his assistant,
02:40saw the ring fall
02:42and immediately stepped forward to grab it.
02:44But Dante lifted one hand and stopped him.
02:46Chloe blinked.
02:47She quickly bent down,
02:48picked up the signet ring
02:50and held it out to Dante with flushed cheeks.
02:54Mr. Moretti, you dropped this.
02:56Dante didn't take it right away.
02:58He just stepped two paces closer.
03:00I was standing right beside her.
03:01So his cologne hit me first.
03:04Clean fur,
03:05bright citrus,
03:06cold and sharp,
03:07with something warm buried underneath.
03:09I knew that scent too well.
03:11I picked it out for him
03:12as our one-year online anniversary gift.
03:14I pressed my lips together and looked away.
03:17Dante was staring at Chloe
03:18like nobody else in the room existed.
03:20And underneath it,
03:21something wounded.
03:22Like he still hadn't forgiven her for leaving.
03:25Chloe kept holding out the ring.
03:27Her hand was starting to stiffen,
03:28but the man in front of her still didn't move.
03:32Mr. Moretti?
03:34That seemed to snap him back.
03:36He took the ring
03:37and let his fingertips graze her palm.
03:40Chloe Valentine.
03:42Chloe's face went bright red.
03:44Yes, Mr. Moretti.
03:46I'm Chloe.
03:48Dante kept staring at her face,
03:50long enough that people around the office
03:52started trading looks,
03:53long enough that Chloe's smile almost cracked.
03:55Then he finally turned and walked away.
03:58Only then did I let myself breathe.
04:00My shirt was stuck to my back with cold sweat.
04:02Then I pulled out my phone
04:03and searched Dante Moretti.
04:05The screen instantly flooded with headlines.
04:08Nora V.O.
04:09Jesus Christ.
04:10I sexted a mob boss for three years
04:13and I ghosted him.
04:18Babe, I want you straddling my lap,
04:21taking all of me
04:22while you moan my name like a good girl.
04:24Dante, you're actually shameless.
04:28Yeah, I am.
04:29It's only for you, babe.
04:33Don't stop.
04:34Keep breathing like that for me.
04:37I love hearing the sounds you make
04:38when you think about me.
04:41I only found out later
04:43that Dante had severe insomnia,
04:45the kind you get from living on edge for too long.
04:47He was used to darkness,
04:49gunshots, betrayal,
04:50danger that could show up at any second.
04:53So when the world finally went quiet at night,
04:56he couldn't shut his head off.
04:57Pills didn't work.
04:58Neither did the therapists.
05:00But somehow,
05:01on the phone with me,
05:02he'd start to settle.
05:03I'd talk about the dumbest little things,
05:05what I ate that day,
05:07which Professor had lost it again,
05:09whether the stray cat downstairs
05:11finally scored a bite of someone's hot dog,
05:13and he'd just listen.
05:15Every now and then,
05:16a low word back.
05:17Then I'd hear his breathing
05:18go slow and deep through the phone,
05:20like a wild animal
05:21finally letting its guard down.
05:23Dante had barely walked away
05:25when my phone buzzed.
05:26Unknown number.
05:27Chloe,
05:28don't leave me.
05:30No questions,
05:32no anger,
05:32no threats,
05:34just begging.
05:35Too bad I wasn't Chloe.
05:36A shiver went down my spine.
05:38I was still staring at the screen
05:40when Leo Grant came down to our floor.
05:42He shoved past me without slowing down,
05:44and my knee slammed into the leg of a desk.
05:47He didn't apologize.
05:48He didn't even look.
05:49Excuse me.
05:50Which one of you is Chloe Valentine?
05:53Mr. Moraki wants to see her.
05:55That's me.
05:56I'm Chloe Valentine.
05:57What's going on?
05:58Exec floor needs coverage.
05:59Mr. Morati wants you upstairs to fill in.
06:01Wait, me?
06:03Like, working for him?
06:05He actually asked for me?
06:06That's what I said.
06:07Grab your things.
06:08Let's go.
06:09Chloe clapped a hand over her mouth,
06:11but the grin leaked right through.
06:13On her way out,
06:14she took a little detour.
06:15Straight to my desk.
06:18Oops.
06:19Sorry, Nora.
06:20You're kind of in my way.
06:21Morelli needs me up on 34.
06:23Like, now.
06:24Keep hustling down here, though.
06:26Who knows?
06:27Give it 10 years.
06:28Maybe you'll be fetching coffees on my floor.
06:30Oh, and you guys.
06:31Anything grunt work?
06:33Just toss it to Nora.
06:34Her mom used to clean our house.
06:36She grew up running these little errands.
06:38She loves helping.
06:40Someone in the office ducked their head,
06:42trying not to laugh.
06:43Every time Chloe landed somewhere new,
06:46she found a way to bring up my mom cleaning for her family.
06:49She did it in high school.
06:50She did it in college.
06:51And now, at Moretti Tech,
06:53here she was doing it again.
06:56My knee was still throbbing.
06:57Then she clicked off in her sky-high heels.
07:00Every head in the room followed her out.
07:04Now, as the only new intern left down here,
07:06I caught everything nobody else wanted.
07:09Outside, the sky went dark,
07:10and Manhattan lit up one building at a time.
07:13By the time I finished,
07:14I was just packing up my things
07:16when a voice suddenly sounded directly above me.
07:19It's late.
07:21Why are you still here?
07:22I shot up out of my chair
07:23and grabbed the paperweight off my desk
07:25before I even thought about it.
07:26Whoa, whoa!
07:27Easy!
07:27Short, stocky, round black glasses.
07:31One hand pressed to his stomach.
07:34Our supervisor had introduced him that afternoon.
07:37Dante's other assistant,
07:44Sorry, I thought the floor was empty,
07:46just got backed up.
07:47I was heading out.
07:48He was gritting his teeth.
07:50Wait, wait.
07:50Do you have a license?
07:52Can you drive?
07:54Um, yes, but...
07:56Oh, thank God.
07:58Look, I physically can't do this.
08:00My stomach is wrecking me.
08:02Morelli's car is down in the private bay.
08:05Just take it back for me tonight, yeah?
08:07I'll owe you big time.
08:09Wait, no, I can't...
08:11I'll text you the address.
08:13Just expense the Uber back.
08:15Please, Nora, you're saving my life!
08:18I stood there a while,
08:19waiting for him to come back out.
08:21He didn't.
08:24So I took the keys and went downstairs.
08:27In the private garage,
08:28a black Rolls Royce sat waiting,
08:30the kind of car I'd only seen in movies.
08:32I made myself open the driver's door and got in.
08:35The second the door shut,
08:37every sound from outside disappeared.
08:39I buckled my seatbelt and reached up
08:41to adjust the rearview mirror.
08:43And in the mirror,
08:44I saw Dante sitting in the back seat.
08:50I couldn't look away from his reflection.
08:52Closed eyes.
08:53A sharply defined nose.
08:55Lips pressed lightly together.
08:57A face almost too beautiful to be real.
08:59Two buttons at his collar were undone,
09:01showing a strip of collarbone and skin
09:03that looked slightly flushed.
09:05Like he'd been drinking,
09:06my brain made this loud, silent buzzing sound.
09:09On pure instinct,
09:10I slapped my hand over the rearview mirror.
09:13Nora V.O.
09:14No.
09:15Nope.
09:16I was seeing things.
09:17I had to be.
09:18Why would Dante be in the back seat?
09:20And why the hell didn't Ethan tell me
09:22there was a whole person in the car?
09:24I scraped together every last drop of courage I had
09:26and peeked through my fingers.
09:28In the mirror,
09:29a pair of deep blue eyes
09:30was staring right at me.
09:32The second our eyes locked,
09:33his entire body went rigid.
09:36Mine did too.
09:37Except mine was in full
09:38oh fuck, I'm about to die mode.
09:40Too late to jump out and run, genius.
09:44Mr. Moretti!
09:46Hi, hello.
09:47Ethan isn't feeling well,
09:48so he asked me to drive you home.
09:51And I definitely didn't know you were in the car.
09:54Like, at all.
09:55Surprise!
09:56Nothing.
09:57He didn't move.
09:58So my mouth kept going without me.
10:01You had Chloe called up to 34 today, right?
10:03She's probably still in the building.
10:06I could go get her.
10:07She'd be way better at this than me.
10:08She's really good at everything.
10:14I just offered to fetch my own fake identity.
10:17Somebody take my mouth away from me.
10:19Dante closed his eyes and frowned slightly,
10:20like talking was already too much effort.
10:23I let out a tiny breath of relief.
10:26Nora V.O.
10:27Thank God he doesn't recognize me.
10:29Wait, where the hell is the start button?
10:31I stared at the dashboard like it was written in alien language.
10:34Sweating.
10:35Panicking.
10:36I can drive, Mr. Moretti.
10:38I swear I can drive.
10:40I just, I've never driven a black luxury car before.
10:43My hands started their usual nervous dance, twisting together in my lap.
10:47Brain completely empty.
10:48I discreetly pulled out my phone and typed,
10:51How to start a black luxury car.
10:53A shadow fell across me.
10:54As Dante leaned forward from the back seat,
10:57the rich scent of bergamot and cedar washed over me.
11:00I know your voice.
11:03My, my voice?
11:04I don't think so, Mr. Moretti.
11:07I have a really common voice.
11:08People tell me that all the time.
11:10I sound like literally everyone.
11:11My whole body locked up, too close.
11:14Then he reached around me toward the dashboard,
11:16his arm grazing mine.
11:18The cuff of his shirt skimmed my wrist
11:19as his fingers hovered over the start button.
11:22Right here.
11:24Dante pressed the button.
11:25The engine came alive with a low, smooth rumble.
11:28Then Dante leaned back like nothing had happened
11:31and settled into the rear seat again.
11:33Address is in the GPS.
11:35Okay.
11:36I forced myself to get it together,
11:38shifted gears,
11:39and slowly drove the car out of the private garage.
11:42The ride was silent.
11:44Outside the windows,
11:45New York traffic streamed through the night.
11:47I held the steering wheel tight.
11:49My palms were slick with sweat.
11:51Dante didn't say another word from the back seat.
11:54Every once in a while,
11:55I glanced at him in the rear view mirror.
11:57He was leaning against the seat.
11:59Eyes closed like he'd actually fallen asleep.
12:01Half an hour later,
12:03the car finally rolled into the private garage
12:05beneath Dante's apartment building,
12:07Tribeca.
12:08One of the quietest,
12:09most expensive corners of the city.
12:11The doorman saw the plate
12:13and let us through immediately.
12:15I parked the car.
12:16The second it stopped,
12:17I unbuckled my seatbelt.
12:19Mr. Moretti,
12:20you're home.
12:20I'll get going now.
12:21Good night.
12:22I didn't wait for him to answer.
12:24I shoved the door open,
12:25jumped out,
12:26and basically ran.
12:27I didn't notice the man behind me narrow his eyes,
12:30watching the direction I'd fled in,
12:33long after I disappeared.
12:34Nora dreaming.
12:35The rain outside the car window suddenly got louder,
12:39drumming hard against the glass.
12:40That cold,
12:41woodsy scent on him mixed with the smell of leather.
12:44His chest almost pressed against my shoulder,
12:46filling the whole car.
12:48His lips drifted toward mine.
12:49His voice was low.
12:50Right here.
12:51Half command,
12:52half coaxing.
12:53As he said it,
12:54his thumb dragged softly across my lower lip.
12:57I jolted awake.
12:58It was already morning.
13:00I stared at the ceiling for half a minute.
13:02Then I washed my face half asleep,
13:05dragged myself out of bed with two dark circles under my eyes,
13:08and went to work.
13:11The second I walked into the office,
13:13I saw Chloe.
13:14The girl who was supposed to be up on the 34th floor
13:16was sitting right in the middle of the crowd.
13:18Her makeup was perfect today.
13:20Chloe?
13:21Yeah, yeah,
13:22Mr. Morelli sent me back down for now,
13:24said I should get to know the team first
13:25before I'm up on 34 full time.
13:30Plus,
13:30I guess it's kind of lonely up there.
13:33That's actually kind of sweet of him.
13:36Chloe lowered her head and smiled,
13:37looking shy.
13:38No, seriously,
13:39it's not like that.
13:40He just wants me to get settled in with the team first.
13:42I stood in the doorway,
13:44my fingers tightened around my bag strap
13:46without me even realizing it.
13:48Chloe spotted me.
13:49Her eyes lit up,
13:50and she immediately walked over.
13:51Nora!
13:52And reached for my arm.
13:54I'm back, baby.
13:55I missed you so much.
13:57The second she said it,
13:58I knew Chloe was about to screw me over again.
14:01I jerked my arm back.
14:02Chloe's hand closed around empty air.
14:05For a beat,
14:05the entire office went dead silent.
14:07Even the laughter around us cut off.
14:09The vibe got weird fast.
14:11Then our supervisor walked in,
14:13thank God,
14:14and broke the tension.
14:15All right, guys,
14:16listen up.
14:17The supervisor clapped his hands.
14:19We're doing drinks tonight.
14:21Call it Team Bonding.
14:22And more importantly,
14:23let's make Nora and Chloe
14:24feel officially part of the crew.
14:26Team Bonding?
14:27Where are we going?
14:29New karaoke lounge in Koreatown.
14:31I booked a private room.
14:33Important question.
14:35Are we drinking?
14:36Of course we're drinking.
14:37Company's covering part of it,
14:38and 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,
14:47everyone subconsciously looked at Chloe.
14:49Chloe lowered her head
14:50and pressed her lips together.
14:51He's buried every day.
14:53You really think he's showing up
14:54for karaoke with us?
14:55No chance.
14:56You're safe.
14:57Go have fun.
14:58Everyone laughed.
14:59The tension finally eased a little.
15:02Before I knew it,
15:04work 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,
15:11they'd already been singing for over an hour.
15:13I pushed the door open.
15:14Inside the private room,
15:16the lights kept flashing on and off,
15:18bright enough to make me squint.
15:20When my eyes adjusted,
15:21I saw Dante.
15:22He sat on the long couch
15:23all the way in the back.
15:25The light slid across his face,
15:26beautiful, 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
15:37before I even realized I'd moved.
15:40Nora?
15:41Get in here.
15:41We were about to send a search party.
15:43Come on, late girl.
15:44You're drinking later.
15:47Yeah, yeah.
15:48I'm here.
15:49Out of the corner of my eye,
15:50I caught Dante turn his head slightly.
15:52His gaze swept over,
15:54casual and brief,
15:55but the supervisor gave me
15:57a little push from behind.
15:58Come on.
15:59You're late.
16:00That's the only spot left.
16:01I followed where he was pointing,
16:02and I froze.
16:04The empty seat was right next to Dante.
16:06I choked down the panic
16:07and made myself walk over.
16:08Dante was talking low to a man beside him,
16:11some executive,
16:12by the look of him,
16:13cold, focused,
16:14like 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,
16:22I tipped a little toward him.
16:23I straightened my back on instinct,
16:25pressed my knees together,
16:27tried to take up as little space as I could,
16:29but the moment I settled,
16:30he moved.
16:31Dante shifted,
16:32casual about it.
16:33The dark fabric of his pants
16:35brushed my calf.
16:36I went rigid and pulled my leg back,
16:39putting some space between us.
16:41For half a minute,
16:42everything 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,
16:56I couldn't take it.
16:57I turned and looked at him.
16:59He didn't so much as glance at me.
17:01Nora V.O.
17:02Damn.
17:03Maybe he really wasn't doing it on purpose.
17:05I lowered my head again,
17:07pressed my legs even tighter,
17:08and prayed,
17:09please,
17:10just let tonight be over.
17:12But the next second,
17:13his knee pressed into mine.
17:15The crease of his pants met the edge of my skirt.
17:18Through two layers of fabric,
17:19the 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,
17:30I'm gonna pee.
17:31You guys keep going.
17:34At the end of the karaoke lounge hallway,
17:37there was a single all-gender restroom.
17:39I slipped inside and closed the door.
17:41It was quiet in there.
17:43So quiet,
17:44it felt like another world
17:45from the music pounding through the private room.
17:47I braced my hands on the sink
17:48and turned on the faucet.
17:50My heartbeat still wouldn't slow down.
17:52Those few accidental touches back in the room
17:54still 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,
18:04about to splash my face.
18:06Then the door opened.
18:07I looked up.
18:08In the mirror,
18:09I 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,
18:23my brain just stalled,
18:24but he was already moving toward me.
18:26Too close.
18:27My back hit the edge of the sink.
18:30Why are you running from me, Nora?
18:33I'm not.
18:34I just...
18:35After everything you've seen,
18:36you're shy now.
18:39What?
18:39I 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.
18:46He stared down at me,
18:47his eyes dark enough to make my stomach drop.
18:50Even colder.
18:51He took one more step.
18:52I had nowhere to go.
18:54Something felt off
18:55the second I bumped Chloe up to the top floor.
18:58I mean, she had absolutely no clue
18:59I can't stand mint,
19:00or where I disappeared to
19:02on 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
19:15when you're stressed out.
19:17My gut was screaming at me,
19:19and tonight just sealed it.
19:21That little heart-shaped mark
19:22right 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.
19:37Fake everything.
19:38You played me this whole time.
19:40Dante, please, I can explain...
19:42Explain what?
19:42How you used Chloe as a shield
19:44while I made a complete ass of myself?
19:46Three years, Nora.
19:48Did a single true word
19:49ever come out of your mouth?
19:50I 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
19:59like 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,
20:09I'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,
20:19played by someone like me,
20:21Yeah, that look probably meant
20:23he wanted to hit me.
20:24That's it?
20:25Just sorry?
20:27After everything I just laid out,
20:29you're not even going to try
20:30to 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,
20:37but 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
20:45about 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 heard the words,
21:14but they just didn't compute.
21:15I'd played out getting caught
21:17a thousand times in my head.
21:18He was supposed to be furious,
21:20disgusted.
21:21I expected him to ruin me,
21:23or coldly order me out of his sight.
21:25I was ready for anything.
21:27Anything but this.
21:28Anything but Dante Moretti
21:29looking at me like a kicked puppy,
21:31asking if I ever actually cared.
21:33But my silence was cutting him deeper
21:35than any confession could.
21:37He squeezed his eyes shut
21:38and let go of my wrist.
21:41Fine.
21:41I get it.
21:43Dante, I-
21:44I-
21:44I reached for his sleeve
21:46and caught nothing.
21:47Dante pulled away
21:48and walked out without looking back.
21:50I stood there,
21:51watching him disappear down the hallway.
21:53The warmth he'd left around my wrist
21:55slowly went cold.
21:56My mom used to clean houses
21:57for the Valentine family.
21:59Chloe lost a bet to some girls,
22:01so she talked my mom
22:02into stealing my diary.
22:04The one where I had written down
22:05every stupid secret crush
22:07I was too scared to say out loud.
22:09Chloe copied the pages,
22:10and taped them to the bulletin board
22:12by the lockers.
22:13Then they photographed them,
22:15posted them on the school forum,
22:16and dumped the screenshots
22:18into a group chat.
22:19By lunch,
22:20my diary was on every phone in school.
22:23People zoomed in,
22:24circled lines,
22:25added laughing emojis.
22:28Wait, Nora wrote this?
22:30She has a crush on Mike?
22:32Seriously?
22:32Like, she even has a chance.
22:34Isn't Mike into Chloe?
22:35Oh my god,
22:36check the school forum.
22:37This is so embarrassing.
22:38I became the punchline
22:39the whole campus was in on.
22:40I hated that bitch,
22:42so I stole her name
22:43and used it to fuck with her life online.
22:45One night,
22:46I got completely wrecked in a game.
22:48Zero kills,
22:5028 deaths.
22:51So I slammed open my mic
22:52and yelled in the most innocent voice
22:54I could fake.
22:55Hi guys,
22:57my name is Chloe Valentin.
22:58After that,
22:59it became my thing.
23:00Every time I was feeding or dying like an idiot,
23:03the second someone asked,
23:04who is this bot,
23:05I'd sweetly open my mic.
23:07Yeah, sorry,
23:08it's Chloe Valentin again.
23:09It was the pettiest,
23:11most satisfying shit I'd ever done.
23:13I used to hope some unhinged gamer
23:15would track down the real Chloe one day
23:16and give her exactly what she deserved.
23:19But before my revenge ever reached Chloe,
23:21Dante reached me first.
23:23He was gentle,
23:24polite,
23:25and paid four years of my tuition
23:26without blinking.
23:28Everything was fine until lately
23:29when 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
23:37through three years of messages.
23:39Further,
23:40further,
23:41all the way to the beginning
23:42until I saw the first message.
23:44My name is Chloe Valentin.
23:46And just like that,
23:48the last bit of hope inside me went cold.
23:50Every late night confession,
23:52every bit of tenderness
23:53we passed through that screen.
23:55Every time I let myself believe
23:56a man like him
23:57could actually love me.
23:58All of it was built on a name
24:00that was never mine.
24:01That night I couldn't sleep
24:03no matter which way I turned.
24:04I regretted it.
24:05God,
24:06I regretted all of it.
24:07I pressed my face into my blanket
24:09and cried without making a sound.
24:11I don't know how long,
24:13but when I finally looked up,
24:14I caught myself in the mirror.
24:16Swollen eyes,
24:17plain face.
24:18I didn't have Chloe's stunning looks
24:20or her trust fund.
24:21I didn't even have that arrogant confidence
24:23she wore like perfume.
24:24I was just...
24:26ordinary.
24:27And men like Dante
24:28don't fall for ordinary girls.
24:30So I swallowed the ache in my chest
24:32and sent him one last message.
24:34I'm sorry.
24:35And then I blocked him
24:36and deleted everything.
24:39After that night,
24:40Dante never stepped foot
24:41in the office again.
24:42It took me days
24:43to finally work up the nerve
24:45to reach out.
24:46But when I did,
24:47radio silence,
24:48message after message,
24:50swallowed by the void.
24:51He was completely shutting me out.
24:53I just sat there
24:54staring at my phone,
24:56watching the screen light up,
24:57go dark,
24:58and light up again.
24:59It was never him.
25:00I was running out of ways
25:02to fix this
25:02when my mom's name
25:03flashed on the screen.
25:04I shoved my laptop aside
25:06and 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
25:23a hard time?
25:24Listen, if they are,
25:26just buy them lunch,
25:27pick up some donuts.
25:28People can't be mean
25:29to 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,
25:38plunging the stairwell
25:39into darkness.
25:40I took a breath,
25:42pushed the heavy door open,
25:43and headed back out.
25:45The smell hit me
25:46before I even reached my desk,
25:48sickeningly sweet.
25:49Dark liquid was bleeding
25:50down my laptop screen,
25:52pooling into the keys.
25:53The machine was already dead.
25:55The folders next to it
25:56were completely soaked.
25:58Days of all-nighters.
25:59The files I hadn't even
26:01backed up yet,
26:02ruined in seconds,
26:03just like that.
26:04And standing right there,
26:06empty cup dangling
26:07from her hand,
26:08was Chloe,
26:09wearing a mask of perfect,
26:11wide-eyed innocence.
26:15Oh, God.
26:17Nora, I'm so sorry.
26:18I knocked my coffee over
26:20and it got all over your laptop.
26:22That's not, like,
26:23a huge deal, right?
26:25I didn't have time for her.
26:27I grabbed a stack of napkins
26:28off my desk
26:29and 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
26:41take you a sec anyway.
26:43A cold numbness
26:45spread over my scalp.
26:46The second that
26:47smug little voice
26:48hit my ears,
26:49something buried
26:49deep inside me
26:50clawed its way out.
26:52Senior year,
26:53the guidance counselor's office.
26:54The first time
26:55I ever forced myself
26:56to speak up,
26:57word by agonizing word,
26:59I finally called it
27:00what it was,
27:01bullying.
27:02I laid out everything
27:03she had done to me.
27:04My voice shook
27:05the entire time
27:06while a desperate mantra
27:08played on loop in my head.
27:09Don't be scared, Nora.
27:12And what are you
27:13going to do about it?
27:15Nothing.
27:16That was the truth.
27:18There was nothing
27:18I could do to her.
27:20Because when my dad
27:21got called in,
27:22the first thing
27:22out of his mouth
27:23wasn't whether I was okay.
27:25He shoved me,
27:26hard,
27:27in front of everyone.
27:29Bullying?
27:30Come on.
27:30They're kids.
27:31Kids mess around.
27:33Nora's always been
27:34a 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,
27:43I'll say sorry, I guess.
27:44Sorry for what?
27:46Chloe, sweetheart,
27:47you're fine.
27:48You don't need to apologize.
27:49Then he turned to me.
27:51Nora, she was just
27:52being friendly.
27:53Why do you have to
27:54turn everything
27:54into a big deal?
27:56I just stared at my father,
27:58realizing I was looking
27:59at a complete stranger.
28:01Behind the adults,
28:02where no one else could see,
28:03Chloe flashed me
28:05a slow,
28:06mocking 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
28:18napkins in my fist,
28:19my nails biting into my palm.
28:21My breathing went jagged.
28:23Years of swallowing my anger
28:24had sat in my chest
28:25like a dead weight.
28:26And right now,
28:27it was cracking open.
28:29Why did I keep taking it
28:30like a spineless coward?
28:32Sneaking around,
28:33plotting twisted,
28:34pointless revenge
28:35that only ruined my life?
28:36I was so sick
28:37of hating who I'd become.
28:39I really didn't mean it, okay?
28:42She actually had the nerve
28:43to reach out
28:44to pat my shoulder.
28:45Something inside me shattered.
28:47Zero thought.
28:48Pure instinct.
28:49I lunged.
28:50My hand twisted
28:52into her hair,
28:52yanking her forward.
28:53And I cracked her
28:55across the face,
28:56hard enough to send
28:57her stumbling backward.
29:00She had been right
29:01about one thing.
29:02Growing up,
29:02doing the heavy lifting
29:03with my mom
29:04meant I was a hell of a lot
29:06tougher than I looked.
29:07Chloe let out a shrill scream.
29:09In all her life,
29:10she never expected me
29:11to fight back,
29:12let alone like this.
29:13I yanked her down
29:14to the floor.
29:15Her knee slammed
29:16into a desk leg
29:17with 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
29:26and kicked her hard.
29:27Then I threw myself
29:28on top of her,
29:29pinned her down,
29:30and absolutely went farrow.
29:32A chair went crashing
29:34to the floor.
29:35Folders exploded everywhere,
29:36papers flying across the room.
29:40What the hell
29:40are you standing around for?
29:42Break it up!
29:43That bark snapped
29:44the guys out of their trance.
29:46Hands grabbed my arms,
29:47hauling me backward.
29:48Someone pried my fingers
29:50off Chloe.
29:50Leo,
29:51the asshole
29:52who shoved past me
29:53the other day.
29:54I glared at him,
29:55rushed my arm free,
29:57and backhanded him
29:58across the face.
29:59His glasses went flying.
30:01They finally forced me
30:02down into a chair.
30:03My hair was a wreck,
30:05my sleeve was torn
30:06at the shoulder,
30:07and my fist
30:07still clamped tight
30:09around a clump
30:10of Chloe's hair.
30:11Across the room,
30:12Chloe was hyperventilating,
30:13one side of her face
30:15already swelling,
30:16glaring at me
30:16with pure,
30:17murderous hatred.
30:18The supervisor was livid.
30:20She took a deep breath,
30:22gearing up to rip us
30:23both a new one.
30:24And then,
30:25the room just died.
30:27Coworker,
30:28Mr. Moretti.
30:30The crowd parted.
30:32Dante stood in the doorway,
30:34his gaze freezing the room.
30:35His suit was razor sharp,
30:37immaculate,
30:38completely untouched
30:39by the wreckage around us.
30:41The adrenaline
30:41was finally crashing.
30:43I stayed silent,
30:44sinking back into my chair
30:46and clamping a hand
30:47over a bleeding scratch
30:48on my arm.
30:49Chloe was the office darling.
30:51Naturally,
30:51the jury reached a verdict
30:52in seconds.
30:53Jesus,
30:54Nora.
30:55You just attacked her?
30:58Mr. Moretti,
30:59we all saw it.
31:00Nora went at her
31:01completely out of nowhere.
31:02I thought she was
31:03the quiet one.
31:04What the hell was that?
31:05Down on the floor,
31:07Chloe's eyes welled up.
31:08Right on cue,
31:09the tears spilled over.
31:11Silent,
31:12tragic,
31:12a total masterclass
31:14in playing the helpless victim.
31:16Trembling,
31:17she reached out,
31:18her fingers barely grazing
31:19the hem of his pristine trousers.
31:21Mr. Morelli,
31:23she just attacked me.
31:24I don't even know
31:25what I did wrong.
31:26I was terrified.
31:28Dante didn't blink.
31:29His face was stone.
31:30He just lifted his foot
31:31and nudged her wrist away
31:32with the polished toe
31:33of his shoe,
31:34like brushing aside
31:35a piece of trash.
31:37Chloe froze.
31:38Her hand dropped dead
31:39to the floor.
31:40Dante stepped right past her.
31:41He strode through the crowd,
31:43stepping over the scattered files
31:45until he stopped
31:46directly in front of my chair.
31:47He stared down at me.
31:49Then,
31:49his large hand covered mine.
31:51Slowly,
31:52gently,
31:53he pried my tense fingers
31:54away from my bleeding arm.
31:56The touch was startlingly careful,
31:58but 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
32:12out of pure reflex.
32:14Then his hand closed
32:15firmly around mine.
32:17Come with me.
32:18That familiar edge of citrus
32:20washed over me,
32:21and the no died in my throat.
32:23Behind us,
32:24the entire office
32:25practically gasped in unison.
32:27Dante didn't care.
32:28He didn't even look back.
32:30Right in front of everyone,
32:31he kept his grip on my hand
32:33and strode toward his office.
32:34I stumbled after him.
32:36Maybe the fight had actually
32:37knocked a screw loose in my head.
32:39Because as I stared at his back,
32:41my nose started to sting,
32:43and I started babbling like an idiot.
32:47Dante, listen.
32:48Whatever else was a lie,
32:49my 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
32:56Chloe's name or her photos.
32:58I just wanted to hurt her,
32:59but never like this.
33:01And I ended up breaking you.
33:02I'm so sorry.
33:04The day I cut you off,
33:06it killed me too.
33:08I know I'm completely messed up.
33:11I know I'm a coward
33:12who makes everything worse
33:13than it has to be.
33:16But breaking your heart
33:17was the last thing I ever wanted.
33:20I like you, Dante.
33:21Dante, I 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,
33:33my 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,
33:41swallowing down the sob.
33:42My fingers started to slip from his.
33:44Instantly,
33:45his hand clamped down,
33:47hard enough to bruise.
33:48Before I could process it,
33:50he shoved his office door open
33:51and yanked me inside.
33:53I stumbled forward.
33:55Click.
33:55The door shut behind us.
33:57Before I could even catch my breath,
33:59he spun me.
34:00My back slammed against the solid wood.
34:06Dan.
34:07He kissed me.
34:09It was punishment.
34:11Years of restraint snapping all at once.
34:13His tongue forced its way past my teeth,
34:16claiming every inch.
34:17He tasted like heat and danger.
34:19My hands fisted in his shirt,
34:21holding on for dear life.
34:23He dragged his mouth away,
34:24only to return,
34:26softly sucking my lower lip.
34:27Again and again.
34:29The hand braced beside my head
34:31slid slowly down my spine.
34:32He gripped my waist
34:33and hoisted me flush against him.
34:35I could feel every hard line of his body
34:37through our clothes.
34:39The heat between us was suffocating.
34:41When he finally broke the kiss,
34:43we were both gasping.
34:44He dropped his forehead against mine.
34:46His 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,
34:57my cheeks burning under his gaze.
35:00Wait.
35:01He pulled back just enough to look at me,
35:04a deep crease between his brows.
35:06When exactly did you send me Chloe's photos?
35:09Are you sure you're remembering that right?
35:10He unlocked his phone and handed it to me.
35:13My fingers trembled against the glass.
35:16I started scrolling.
35:18Instantly, my face burned.
35:20His 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.
35:37But 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.
35:47His breathing grew heavy,
35:48rough 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,
35:58I hit the top of the chat.
36:00Nothing.
36:01There were no pictures of Chloe.
36:02He never got them.
36:04My blood ran cold.
36:05I went completely still.
36:09But,
36:10if 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 a 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.
37:18But with you,
37:20I never had a damn choice.
37:22With the truth finally out,
37:24the 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,
37:33Chloe's past caught up with her.
37:35It didn't just leak.
37:36It exploded.
37:38Chat 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.
37:48For three days,
37:49Dante'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.
38:08Then came Friday night.
38:09My phone lit up on the nightstand.
38:11My parents.
38:12I picked it up,
38:13expecting the usual check-in.
38:17Nora.
38:18I am so sorry we saw the news.
38:20I thought if we kept our heads down,
38:22it 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,
38:38staring out at nothing.
38:40Dante stepped up behind me.
38:41He slipped a warm mug into my hands.
38:44No questions, no pushing.
38:46He just wrapped his arm around me
38:48and pulled me back against his chest.
38:50I tilted my head and kissed his jaw.
38:53He let out a quiet breath,
38:55tightening his hold on me.
38:57You okay?
38:59I nodded.
39:00Yeah.
39:02I looked out at the city lights.
39:03I am now.
39:05He pressed a kiss to my temple.
39:08Outside,
39:09the New York skyline glittered in the dark.
39:11I leaned back into him,
39:13letting his heat ground me.
39:15And finally,
39:16I stopped looking back.
39:18I'll see you next time.
39:18I'm done.
39:19Bye.
39:21Bye.
39:21Bye.
39:21You