Heaven.
She sat still as stone on the edge of the couch, her body frozen, her breath caught painfully in her chest.
Her hands gripped the fabric of her shorts tightly, knuckles going white.
No...
Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
Her mind screamed at her to breathe, to blink, to do something, but all she could do was stare.
Because she knew that face.
Intimately.
Personally.
Painfully.
It wasn’t just some actor or celebrity from a magazine.
It was him.
The man who had once completed her world.
And now, he was standing in the house—this house—as the new guest.
"Heaven?" Tianna beside her asked, nudging her lightly. "You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost."
But she couldn’t answer.
Her throat was tight, her voice stuck somewhere behind the panic rising in her chest.
It had been not long ago that she saw him last.
But all it took was one look at him—one glance into those cold, familiar eyes—for every good meaningful memory to come rushing back.
His voice.
His face.
His stature.
She barely heard the others reacting around her.
"Is he a model?"
"Do you think he’s here to shake things up?"
"Maybe it’s another twist! Like a love triangle or something."
Only one person knew the real twist.
And she was sitting there, drowning in it.
Heaven’s chest rose and fell as she tried to steady herself. Her thoughts spiraled.
The man—Steve—walked confidently into the living room, his gaze locked onto Heaven. His lips parted, clearly about to speak to her.
But before he could say a single word, a tall, imposing figure stepped directly into his path.
Ross.
The mood in the room shifted instantly. Gone was the casual curiosity from earlier—now it was thick with tension.
"Back up, boy," Ross said coolly, his voice low and authoritative. "She’s mine already."
Steve’s eyes narrowed. His jaw clenched.
"Fuck you." The words were sharp, almost a growl. His fists curled tightly at his sides, knuckles pale. He looked ready to swing—but he didn’t.
Not because he didn’t want to.
But because he remembered.
He remembered the House Boss’s warning. One punch, and he’d be thrown out. Game over.
So he held himself back. Barely.
Ross, on the other hand, looked completely unbothered. He smirked, eyes gleaming with amusement—and something colder beneath.
"I don’t need any of that attitude from you," Ross said, stepping a little closer. "Heaven already does that to me... and more."
He leaned in just enough to make it sting.
"Sad for you, boy. I got her cherry. And now?" Ross’s grin widened. "You won’t ever touch her again."
Gasps echoed from the onlookers, some already whispering. The whole room had gone still, sensing a storm brewing right in front of them.
Steve looked like he might explode.
But then—
"D..." a voice cut through the tension like a blade.
Both men turned.
It was Heaven.
She stood a few feet away, eyes locked on Ross, her expression conflicted. She took a slow breath before speaking.
"Hmmm?" Ross asked, his tone casual—but his eyes were still locked on Steve, watching for the slightest twitch.
"Can I... can I speak with Steve for a minute?" Heaven asked softly. "Alone, if that’s possible."
Whispers rippled through the room again.
Ross turned his head slowly, finally looking at her.
He studied her expression—calm, hesitant, a little guilty. She wasn’t angry, and she wasn’t afraid. But there was something in her voice. Something that told him she needed to clear something up.
Ross tilted his head. "You sure about that?"
Heaven nodded. "I just need a moment. To explain. I owe him that much."
Ross was silent for a few beats. Then, finally, he replied with a smirk.
"I trust you, Heaven," Ross said calmly, his eyes never leaving Steve. "But I don’t trust him. So yeah—go ahead and talk, explain, whatever. But I’ll be there."
His voice was cool, resolute.
"Either that... or don’t bother. Your choice."
The tension thickened.
Heaven was silent for a moment, caught between two worlds—past and present.
Then, without a word, she stepped toward Ross and gently wrapped her arms around his.
Her soft curves pressed against his muscular arm, her cheek brushing his shoulder.
It was a small gesture—but a loud message. She had made her choice, at least for now.
Steve’s eyes darkened. His jaw tightened as his gaze lingered on the intimate display.
The sight of Heaven, the woman he had come all this way for, clinging to another man—especially Ross—was a bitter pill to swallow.
Ross smirked, clearly enjoying the moment.
"Guess Heaven really is mine, boy," he said, voice mocking.
Steve didn’t respond.
He didn’t flinch.
But his fists curled even tighter, knuckles white, the tendons on his neck taut with restrained fury.
Several minutes later, the group made their way to the pool area—an open, breezy space lit by glowing orbs and soft ambient light.
The tension hadn’t faded; if anything, it simmered even more now, like heat rising off the water.
Ross lounged in one of the deck chairs with Heaven nestled beside him, her fingers laced with his.
Tianna was seated on the other side, legs crossed, watching the drama unfold with mild curiosity and amusement.
Steve stood across from them, arms crossed, his gaze locked on Heaven but flickering toward Ross every few seconds like he was just waiting for an excuse.
No one spoke for a long moment. The silence said more than words ever could.
But just as things were settling into that uneasy quiet... the soft click of the sliding door opened again.
Footsteps.
Everyone turned.
And then—
Another person stepped into the pool area.
Someone none of them had expected.
Heaven and Tianna exchanged a quick, knowing glance. No words were spoken, but the understanding between them was immediate and unspoken.
They both sensed it—felt it deep in the pit of their stomachs.
This person’s unexpected arrival, the timing, the way she looked at Ross with such quiet intensity... it was more than just coincidence.
The air seemed to thicken, charged with a new kind of electricity.
Every small movement, every breath, held weight.
It was as if the calm before a storm had settled over the pool area, pressing down on everyone’s shoulders.