Breaking Her Innocence

Katarina glanced at the time on her phone and noticed a series of unread messages from Sharon, sent twenty minutes earlier:

✉ Where the hell are you?

✉ I looked for you after class!

✉ The students said you're with Snow!

✉ I'm already at home, and you're not here!

✉ Get your small ass here right away!

Murmuring under her breath, Katarina frowned. "She's not mad, is she?" She slipped her phone into her pocket, only to sigh nervously. "Then why do I feel like I'm about to be scolded?"

Turning toward Snow, who was packing up the first-aid kit, she added, "Sharon's looking for me. I need to leave now."

Snow paused and looked up. "Wait. I'll send you home."

Before Snow could follow through, Yuzu spoke up from behind them. "No need. I'll walk her. My lot is in the north, so it's on the way."

Snow raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Oh, I didn't know you lived around here. Are you new to this area?"

Snow followed them outside as Yuzu nodded. "I bought a lot near the dock back in April."

"Where were you staying before you moved?" Snow asked, locking the door behind her.

"At my parents' vacation house while studying at Sierra University," Yuzu replied, her tone matter-of-fact.

"That's quite a drive from here. Is that why you decided to move?" Snow asked, tilting her head slightly.

Yuzu gave a small hum of confirmation before stopping in the yard. "I'll see you tomorrow. You should head back inside now."

Snow offered them a warm smile. "Take care, girls."

Katarina took a step closer to Snow and, with a playful grin, kissed her cheek. "Have a good night."

Snow's eyes widened slightly as her cheeks turned pink. She bit her lip, suppressing a shy giggle. "You're so sweet. I'll definitely have sweet dreams tonight. Thanks, Katarina. You have a good night, too."

Katarina smiled brightly before stepping back.

Snow's gaze lifted to Yuzu, who was staring at her with an intensity that could have been mistaken for expectation. Snow tilted her head in confusion. "Do you have something to say?"

Yuzu shook her head with a hint of disappointment. "Nothing." Turning away, she muttered, "Nothing at all."

Katarina and Yuzu left together, and Snow watched them disappear into the night before retreating into her house.

As Yuzu and Katarina walked toward the townhouse, Yuzu's sharp eyes locked onto a car parked out front. Her expression turned serious. "Isn't that the car from earlier?"

Katarina glanced at the vehicle, her brows furrowing. "It does look familiar. Do you think so too?"

Yuzu's gaze hardened, her tone sharp. "Do you live here?"

"Yes, this is my house," Katarina answered. "But I don't know who owns that car. I'm not familiar with many of Sharon's acquaintances."

Yuzu's glare intensified, as though she could set the car ablaze with her mind.

"I'll mention the accident to Sharon," Katarina said, trying to ease the tension.

Yuzu exhaled deeply and nodded, her demeanor relaxing. "You should go inside now."

"Thank you for walking me home," Katarina said with a smile. "Have a good night, Yuzu."

Yuzu's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good night."

"Let's be friends soon, okay?" Katarina added with a hopeful look.

Yuzu didn't respond verbally, but her soft smile was enough. The two parted ways, and Katarina entered the house.

The moment she stepped inside, she froze. Her cheeks flushed a deep pink at the scene before her.

Sharon was pinning a brunette against the sofa, her knee pressed firmly between the woman's thighs. The brunette's skirt was torn at the side, her soft gasps filling the air as Sharon nibbled on her neck. Sharon's hands roamed without restraint, her touch both possessive and unapologetically bold.

Katarina gasped loudly, her footsteps echoing as she bolted up the stairs in a mix of shock and embarrassment.

Sharon glanced up briefly at the sound of Katarina's hurried steps but remained unbothered. Smirking, she turned her attention back to the brunette, gripping her blouse and tearing it open without hesitation.

Katarina bolted into her room, locking the door behind her with trembling hands. The lights remained off as she threw herself onto the bed, face first into her pillow. Her cheeks were burning hot, and a cold sweat clung to her skin.

She pressed the pillow tightly against her face, squeezing her eyes shut in a futile attempt to erase the image seared into her memory.

It didn't help. The vivid scene played over and over, refusing to fade.

She'd seen her fair share of French art films, ones that often skirted the line of propriety, but she hadn't been prepared for the raw, unfiltered intensity of witnessing such a moment in real life.

Her thoughts raced chaotically, her mind unable to settle.

Is this the side of her that she meant when she warned me? Katarina wondered, biting her lip. I thought I only had to deal with her temper and her strange principles, but this?

The questions kept coming, her head spinning with each one.

Was this what Sharon meant by privacy? she thought, staring blankly into the darkness.

For the first time, Katarina understood Sharon's obsession with boundaries and solitude. It wasn't just about controlling her space or her time. It was about protecting something deeper, something darker. Sharon wasn't merely avoiding interruptions—she was safeguarding the secret indulgences she thought of as forbidden, the kind that would scandalize anyone who dared to pry too close.

Downstairs, Sharon stood by the door, watching as the brunette woman adjusted her disheveled clothing before leaving.

"Thanks for tonight, Sharon," the woman said with a sultry grin, brushing her fingers against Sharon's arm. "Next time, take me to your room."

Sharon's expression hardened, the warmth in her eyes replaced by icy disdain. "There won't be a next time," she said sharply. "Don't come to my house again. This is the last time you'll set foot on my property."

The woman—Victoria—laughed softly, stepping closer. "You say that, but we both know you don't have a choice."

Sharon's jaw tightened, her fists clenching at her sides. "Don't push me, Victoria. I despise people who think they can control me."

Victoria's smirk widened. "Relax, sweetheart. As long as you keep me satisfied, your precious little secret is safe."

Unable to contain her fury, Sharon lashed out, kicking the wheel of Victoria's car. The act of defiance only made Victoria laugh harder.

"See? That fire is what I like about you," Victoria purred. "You're still so worked up because you care. Why can't you just admit the truth about your past?"

Sharon's hands trembled, her nails digging into her palms. "I will never admit it," she hissed.

"Come on, Sharon," Victoria teased. "Reality won't kill you. Unless…" Her eyes glinted mischievously. "Unless you enjoy my company, in which case, I won't force you to admit anything."

Sharon scoffed, her voice dripping with venom. "I might've enjoyed your company once, but the fact that you share the same bloodline as her makes me sick."

Victoria's smile faltered for a moment before she recovered, a sly grin curling her lips. "Oh, sweetheart. Don't lump me in with my little sister. She's the one who left you behind, not me."

Sharon's eyes burned with a mixture of fury and pain. The mention of her—the one person she refused to think about—was enough to set her on edge.

"Get out of here," Sharon snapped, her voice low and dangerous. "Come back if you dare, and I'll make sure you regret it. Now disappear before I lose what little patience I have left."

Victoria laughed, clearly unbothered by Sharon's threat. "You never fail to excite me, baby. But I wonder how my precious little sister would feel if she found out about this. About us."

With that, Victoria slid into her car and drove away, her taunting laughter lingering in the air.

Sharon stood frozen on the doorstep, her chest heaving with suppressed rage. She felt defeated, humiliated, and completely powerless. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't seem to rid herself of Victoria's hold.

More than that, she couldn't escape the haunting specter of her past—the one thing she wanted to bury so deeply that no one, not even Katarina, could ever uncover it.

Tears slipped down Sharon's cheeks as she clenched her fists, her voice trembling as she whispered to herself, "I will never be proud of sharing a memory with someone who shattered my world."

Upstairs, Katarina lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Her heart hadn't stopped racing since she walked in on Sharon and Victoria.

Who was that woman? she wondered. Why does Sharon keep people like her around?

Katarina had always known Sharon was different. From the moment they'd met, Sharon had exuded an air of mystery and control, a combination that both fascinated and intimidated Katarina.

But tonight, Katarina had seen a side of Sharon that she didn't know how to process—a side that was raw, unapologetic, and deeply private.

She couldn't shake the feeling that Sharon was hiding something—something big.

In the dark silence of the house, Sharon finally closed the door and leaned against it, her eyes shut tightly. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside her.

No matter how much time passed, she couldn't seem to escape the ghosts of her past. They followed her everywhere, manifesting in the form of people like Victoria, who knew just enough to keep her trapped in a cycle of secrecy and regret.

For years, Sharon had built walls around herself, determined to keep everyone out. But Katarina's presence in her life was threatening to crack those walls, exposing the vulnerabilities Sharon had spent so long trying to hide.

She shook her head, forcing herself to focus. She couldn't afford to dwell on her emotions—not when she had so much to lose.

Upstairs, Katarina finally drifted into an uneasy sleep, her dreams filled with fragmented images of Sharon, Victoria, and a past she didn't yet understand.

And downstairs, Sharon remained awake, staring out the window as the memories she'd tried to bury rose unbidden to the surface.

It was going to be a long night for both of them.