Crushed Affections

Rosa's death was ultimately swept under the rug by the Clarke family. It was labeled a suicide, and the case was quickly closed. It had indeed been a suicide anyway.

As lan stepped out of the police station, he felt as if he had emerged from a different world. The wind blew gently, and the sun shone brightly. Everything seemed unchanged, yet somehow it all felt different.

As always, Steven's face showed no emotion. "When are you coming home, lan?"

lan raised a hand to shield his eyes from the glaring sunlight. "When you're dead."

Steven replied coolly, "I was already pretty merciful to Rosa. Her death isn't my fault, and neither was your mom's. They brought that on themselves. If you want to hate me, go ahead. I have countless ways to make sure you can't survive out here." Ignoring him, lan drove away without a backward glance. Just seeing Steven made him feel sick.

When he arrived at Dominic's office, he found both Leonard and Dominic there. He greeted them casually before sinking into the couch, quietly grappling with the turmoil inside him.

His relationship with Rosa hadn't been dramatic.

When they started dating, he had been looking forward to marriage while Rosa had still wanted to play the field. Her version of playing around had no boundaries, and he couldn't handle it. In a fight, she used her freedom as an excuse to break up. Eventually, he became like Rosa. And ironically, she settled down and hoped to reconcile. Then, Rosa became his stepmother.

Upon seeing lan's expression, Leonard and Dominic exchanged puzzled glances.

Leonard moved closer and sat beside lan. "Dude, did you take something? Why are you here being all sentimental instead of being at the hospital?" Instead of responding with a joke, lan leaned against Leonard's lap. "Borrow me your lap for a minute. I need some peace and quiet."

Leonard felt goosebumps rise. He raised his hands and shot Dominic a desperate look for help. It just felt strange to have a grown man resting on his leg. Dominic shrugged, indicating he was helpless. He could tell something was definitely off with lan.

Later that night, once Dominic had wrapped up his work, the three of them went to a bar.

lan seemed to have come back to life, no longer the sullen figure he had been earlier. "Rosa died. She jumped off a building after I dropped her off at a hotel." Leonard and Dominic exchanged glances, silently agreeing to keep quiet. They both knew about lan's mother, and now, Rosa's death had hit him hard again. Suddenly, lan chuckled to himself. "Living is so damn hard. I guess that's why they couldn't keep going."

Leonard nodded, feeling a kinship in. the struggle. "Yeah, it's tough for everyone. I'm in the same boate feel like I'm being surrounded by enemies even at home.

Pn

"My brothers are just waiting for me to fail and hoping my dad kicks the bucket so that no one can protect me. I have to get strong enough while he's still alive. Otherwise, t won't end well for me, and my mom won't survive it either."

After he spoke, Leonard looked at Dominic, as if expecting him to share his own struggles.

Dominic sighed. "I don't have it that bad... except for not being able to handle Bella."This belongs © NôvelDra/ma.Org.

...

At 2:00 am, the three of them stumbled out of the bar, tipsy.

Sitting in the car, Dominic gazed at the quiet streets and felt an inexplicable urge to see Bella, so he had the driver input her address.

He was drunk, but he still remembered to be gentle when opening the door, afraid he might wake her.

After showering, he cautiously lay down next to Bella and breathed in her scent. A wave of desire stirred

within him. He intentionally kept his distance, wary of crossing any lines.