Night had fallen over the Arthur house. The silence of the living room was only apparent. Mel gently closed the door behind her, leaving the warm light of the lamps spilling across the hall. Andrew slept peacefully on the sofa, a faint smile on his lips, while Ritha, his loyal friend, dozed in an armchair, a blanket carelessly draped over his knees. Their presence comforted Mel, yet an invisible tension kept her on edge.
The evening could have passed like any other if she hadn't been thinking about Antoine and Ethan. Antoine, silent yet intense, seemed capable of reading her every thought. Ethan, on the other hand, resisted, battling the attraction he felt, though it showed in every gesture he tried to hide.
— There you are at last, murmured Andrew, stretching, his voice soft.
— Yes… I went for a little walk, Mel replied, trying to ease the strange lump in her chest.
She sat beside him, and their fingers brushed instinctively. A familiar warmth rose within her. Andrew smiled, and for a moment, she forgot the storm brewing around them.
A faint noise of footsteps turned Mel's attention to the entrance. Ethan appeared, his posture tense, shoulders stiff. He greeted Andrew and Ritha briefly, but his gaze, despite his efforts, searched for Mel. She looked away, a shiver running down her spine.
— What is it with him? she thought, aware of the effect she provoked despite herself.
Then Antoine appeared, like a silent specter. He circled the sofa, approaching Mel under the pretense of reaching for a glass on the coffee table. His arm brushed against hers. A simple contact, but her heart pounded violently.
— Sorry, Antoine whispered, remaining still. His gaze lingered on her, intense and daring.
Mel straightened slightly, disturbed, aware that this contact would not remain innocent. But she didn't have time to think further: Maëlys, the youngest, appeared in the doorway, headphones around her neck, looking at Mel with a mixture of challenge and curiosity.
— So, this is how we spend our evenings now? she said sarcastically.
Henry, the quiet one, timidly emerged from his room, observing the scene with a mix of admiration and perplexity. He hesitated to speak, finally offering:
— Uh… good evening.
Ritha stood and made a small encouraging gesture toward Mel. — Don't let them intimidate you, he said, smiling.
Andrew placed his hand over Mel's. — Don't worry. They'll understand eventually, he murmured, protective and tender.
The silence was barely broken when Mel's phone buzzed. It was her sister, Julia. The message was short: "So, how's it going over there? Holding up?" Mel smiled, a little reassured, but just thinking about her family brought a pang to her chest. She remembered their manipulations, the constant financial pressure, the unending demands… but now she was somewhere else, in a new world.
The night wore on, and Andrew suggested:
— How about we go out to the terrace, get some fresh air?
Mel agreed, and they all went upstairs. The garden was lit by soft lamps, and a gentle breeze brushed Mel's skin. Antoine moved closer, pretending to check the alignment of the solar lights. Every gesture seemed calculated to unsettle her, to awaken something she hadn't fully acknowledged yet.
Ethan remained in the background, arms crossed. His eyes betrayed a mixture of frustration and longing. He looked at Mel, but turned away at the last moment, unable to confront what he felt.
Andrew, attentive to every sign, slid a protective arm around Mel, drawing her close.
— Don't worry about them, he whispered. Tonight, I'm with you.
Mel felt a wave of warmth, a mixture of comfort and desire. She rested her head on his shoulder. But her thoughts drifted again to Antoine and Ethan. Two men, two extremes. One bold and burning, the other cold and reluctant yet irresistibly attractive.
In the garden, Maëlys and Henry stood at a distance, observing, silent but attentive. Evan, ever provocative, couldn't help but intervene:
— Hey, Antoine, stop staring like that! You're going to scare her away!
Antoine simply smiled, enigmatic, while Ethan clenched his fists, frustrated to see friendship turn into a silent, burning tension.
Mel finally got up to fetch a drink inside. The tension followed her like a shadow. She found herself imagining what each of them would do, what Antoine might dare, what Ethan would try to deny.
Andrew joined her moments later, murmuring in her ear:
— I love you. You know you're my priority, no matter what happens around us.
She smiled, but her eyes drifted back to Antoine and Ethan. The game had only just begun.
In this house, where everyone carried their secrets and desires, Mel realized something: the roots of passion, jealousy, and chaos had already taken hold… and nothing would ever be simple again.