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43. Play
November 2026,
Scars Bay, USA
Alyanna
Katerina had been painfully silent while we waited by the car for Dimitri to come out.
Of course, she was. Dimitri had made a show of displaying his supernatural speed and strength in there. Katerina was in shock.
I didn't know what to say to make it better so I remained silent.
After what felt like forever, Dimitri walked out with...Caleb? They were followed by over a dozen men - some fine, some injured but all holding on to guns.
What the hell happened in there? What was Caleb doing here? Did that man end up calling him after all? Was it truly a misunderstanding?
Kate stiffened when she spotted them but made no indication of what she was thinking otherwise. Dimitri grew visibly disappointed when he saw her lack of reaction.
Caleb, unaware that I was alive, looked at me in bewilder
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November 2026,Scars Bay, USADimitriAfter Andrei dropped off Alyanna at Jayden's, Katerina asked him to drop her off at her apartment complex.So naturally, I got off with her too.I thought she would get annoyed by that or tell me that she needed space but she didn't even react to my presence. That stung more than I thought it would. Anything would have been better than being ignored. Her silence was deafening.We rode up the elevator and she marched straight towards her apartment. I stood there, watching her punch in the code to her apartment, unsure if she wanted me to follow her or let her be for a while.She entered and then slammed the door shut after her.My heart stopped. I really thought she would keep the door open and gesture for me to come in after her or ask me to join her. It was something we did with the bathroom door when we wanted to take a sh
Pause, Rewind, Play Characters
Alyanna Rosellini (Human) Parents - Alaric & Darla Love Interest - Jayden Carlton Jayden Carlton (Human) Cousin - Ajax Love Interest - Alyanna Rosellini, Stella Katerina Van Acker (Human) Parents – Benjamin & Eleanor Brothers – Konstantin & William Love Interest - Dimitri Volkov (Ex – Ajax, Felix) Prince Dimitri Volkov of Soare Luna (Lycan) Family – Prince Andrei, Prince Mikhail (Sofiya, Max, King Nikola & Queen Avalyn – not mentioned) Love Interest - Katerina Van Acker (Ex - Althea) Prince Andrei & Mikhail (Lycans) Family – Prince Dimitri (Sofiya, Max, King Nikolai & Queen Avalyn – briefly mentioned) Konstantin Van Acker (human) Father - Benjamin Siblings – Katerina, William Wife- Cassandra William Van Acker (human) Parents - Benjamin & Eleanor Siblings – Katerina, Konstantin Stella (human) Love Interest - Jayden Carlton
Pause, Rewind, Play 1. Wilde
August 2026, Scars Bay, USA Jayden "Thank you for your service," I said as I fastened my belt and opened the door of the bathroom stall. My phone rang and my eyes flew to the screen. Kate. Goddammit. I put my phone on silent and slid it into my pocket. "Who is that? Is she your girlfriend?" she asked in a high-pitched, slightly annoyed tone. "She is none of your fucking business." I walked out and began washing my hands, which seemed to aggravate her further. "I had a great time. We should go this again sometime." I would not consider having sex in the bathroom stall of a bar a great time but each to their own. "I'm flattered but not interested," I said the truth without sugar-coating it because frankly, I did not care enough to lie. Oscar Wilde said that everything in the world was about sex except sex. Sex was about power. One of the very few quotes of his that I didn't agree with. I thought that sex was a means to an end. A thing to cross off my week's to-do list so I didn
Pause, Rewind, Play 2. Man of Honour
August 2026, Scars Bay, USA Jayden "She's quite persistent," Alyanna commented after Stella left. I took a breath in relief. Finally, it was just the two of us. I turned to face her and smiled. She was back. "She is." I patted the pillow on my lap. "Now, where were we?" Alya pursed her lips and ignored my invitation to lie down in my lap again. "She seems nice. Why do you want to break up with her again?" I released a breath. "She's annoying." "She was there for you when you needed it the most," she said, referring to the time after she was gone and I had begun acting out, so much so that I was impossible to be around. That was the time most of my 'friends' realized it was best to leave me on my own and gave up on me. I was better off without them anyway. I didn't need them. Or anybody else. Only Alyanna. "For which I am thankful. But I can't do this anymore. I tried to love her but I couldn't. She doesn't measure up to you!" I was frustrated that she was taking Stella's side.
Pause, Rewind, Play 3. Warrior
August 2026,Scars Bay, USAKaterina"Mr Leadfield is here, Ms Van Acker," my secretary said through the telephone."Let him in, Penny," I told her and braced myself for the worst. Leadfield walked into my office and I looked at him expectantly."Please tell me you have good news.""I'm afraid not, Ms Van Acker," he informed me and placed the file on my desk. "My team and I went through the contract several times. It is airtight."I had expected it. I had gone through it several times myself and couldn't find any loopholes. I thought that an experienced team of professional lawyers might find something I missed. Apparently not."I don't understand how this happened, Ms. Van Acker. We couldn't have missed it while we vetted the contract," he said. "I daresay that they somehow tricked us.""I know. But we have no proof." I knew we were tricked. I just couldn't figure out how. "Thank you for your services, Mr Leadfield. I will call for you if I need you."He nodded. "Of course. It was my
Pause, Rewind, Play 4. Second First Kiss
August 2026, Scars Bay, USA Jayden I paused at the doorway of my old bedroom. I hadn't been here in a while. It was filled with memories of Alya. The mini library reminded me of the hours we had spent building and curating the perfect collection of books - ones that both of us loved. The shelves full of trophies, medals, and framed certificates reminded me of the years we had spent playing sports and competing for awards. The desk reminded me of our study sessions. After we started dating at the beginning of our senior year of high school, most of those study sessions ended up with us in bed. I walked in and sat on the bed. Those memories felt like a lifetime ago and yet, I remembered them like it happened yesterday. It was weird to be in here again. My eyes fell on the side table. I picked up a picture frame of Alya and me. She was smiling so hard that I could see most of her teeth. Her blonde hair was tucked behind her ear on one side and her cheeks were red. And I was kissing
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August 2026,Poziarne, Soare-Luna KingdomAlyannaThere are some memories in life that we remember more vividly than the rest.I looked at the painting in front of me.This was a face I had painted several times in the last five years. Each time I did, I realized that time had done nothing to dull my memories of him. I still remember how his blue-grey eyes turned bluer when he looked at something he loved—when he looked at me. I remember the angle of the bridge of his nose, the exact shape of his lips, and the slight indentation beside his cheeks whenever he smiled. I remember the sharp angle of his jaw so vividly that I could draw it in my sleep. And that one lock of hair that curled on his forehead whenever he didn't style his hair after a shower.Damn that lock.It hadn't taken me a lot of time to complete the painting. Just a few days. But they were on
Pause, Rewind, Play 6. Rewind
August 2026,Imporia, Soare-Luna KingdomAlyannaMikhail sat on the couch in front of me, looking more serious than I had ever seen him. He set a recorder on the coffee table in front of us and picked up a notepad and a pen. He seemed calm and collected while I felt out of place. I had never seen him in work mode. It was weird."You seem nervous," he stated."No, I'm fine.” I was nervous. I didn't particularly enjoy talking about the life that I had lived and was forced to leave. The life that I was desperate to get back to. It had been so long now. Too long. Too many things had happened. Changed. I wasn't a fool. I didn't think that going back would magically make everything okay. But it would be a start. Even that seemed like an unattainable dream right now.That didn't mean that I would give up. "Let's just start.""Okay." He nodded. "I've gone through Remi's
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