DON’T STOP (Lila and Darrell) novel Chapter 149

10:18 Thu, Aug 6 JON

DON’T STOP

Red Hearts 149

Scarlett

A Month Later

The new job was a lifeline.

55 vouchers

I woke up early, got dressed in a simple blouse and trousers, and headed out. The walk to the office felt lighter than anything had in weeks. No more hiding behind a mask. No more late-night streams. No more wondering if Viktor of Vee was watching.

When I reached my desk, I sat down and powered on the computer. The screen lit up with spreadsheets and reports. My role was administrative support in a small logistics firm – nothing glamorous, but the pay was decent/the hours were stable, and my colleagues were kind. I opened the first file of the day, took a sip of coffee, and started working.

For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was moving forward.

But even as I typed, a small part of me still ached. I hadn’t seen or heard from Viktor since that night. He had respected my wish and stayed away. He seemed to have moved. Part of me was grateful. Another part still remembered his gentle kisses and the way he had held me. I missed him more than I wanted to admit.

I pushed the thought away and focused on the screen.

One day at a time.

The workday finally ended, and I let out a long breath of relief as I shut down my computer. The new job was steady and paid well enough to keep the loan sharks quiet for now. My colleagues were friendly, and today had been productive. As we packed up, a few of them suggested grabbing drinks at the bar down the street.

“Come on, Scarlett! Just one round,” my coworker Lisa said with a grin.

I hesitated for a second, then smiled. “Okay, why not?”

We ended up at a cozy little bar, laughing and chatting over cocktails. The conversation flowed easily – work gossip, weekend plans, silly stories. For a couple of hours, I almost forgot the mess waiting for me at home. We left the bar still talking and laughing, the group slowly splitting off as people headed in different directions.

I waved goodbye and flagged down a taxi. The ride home was quiet, the city lights blurring past the window. When the cab pulled up in front of my building, I paid the driver and stepped out, already thinking about a hot shower and sleep.

But as I approached my door, I stopped short.

A man was sitting on the floor right beside it, head bowed, face buried in his knees. My heart jumped. Who the hell was that? Fear prickled up my spine, but curiosity won. I moved closer cautiously.

It was Viktor.

He looked exhausted. His clothes were rumpled, shoulders slumped. My stomach twisted with a mix of anger, hurt, and something softer I didn’t want to name.

“What does he want?” I muttered under my breath, already upset.

I rolled my eyes, tapped in my door code, and started to push the door open.

Before I could step inside, he reached out and gently grabbed my wrist from behind.

A

10:18 Thu, Aug 6 đ DN

DON’T STOP

255 voucher

I clenched my teeth and turned to face him. He was still sitting on the floor, but now his head was lifted, eyes red and pleading.

“Please, Scarlett,” he begged, his voice hoarse. “Just one more chance.”

7

“Are you drunk?” I asked, trying to sound cold.

“Go home, please.”

He didn’t let go. Tears started sliding down his cheeks as he kept begging, words tumbling out in a broken stream. “I’m sorry… I should have told you sooner. I was scared. I didn’t want to lose you. Please, just talk to me. I love you. I never meant to hurt you.”

It went on for what felt like forever. His grip on my wrist was gentle but desperate. I finally pulled away,/my own eyes stinging.

“Don’t come to my place ever again,” I warned, voice shaking. “Or I’ll report you to the cops.”

I stepped inside, shut the door firmly behind me, and leaned against it. The sound of his quiet sobbing filtered through the wood. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to block it out.

I took off my work clothes slowly, changing into comfortable pajamas, but the sound of him crying outside didn’t stop. It hurt. God, it hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I’m just human, I thought, pressing my forehead against the door. That’s why I have these feelings.

Even after everything – the lies, the deception, the way he had hidden being Vee, a part of me still ached for him. I hated that part right now.

I stayed there for a long time, listening to his muffled sobs, torn between wanting to open the door and wanting to scream at him to leave.

Eventually, the hallway went quiet. I didn’t know if he had finally gone, was still sitting there in silence, or had even slept off.

I crawled into bed, pulled the covers over my head, and tried to ignore the heavy feeling in my chest.

But sleep didn’t come easily.

I eventually cried myself to sleep that night, curled up on the floor against the door with Viktor’s muffled sobs still echoing in my ears.

The next day was Saturday. I woke up with swollen eyes and a heavy heart/but life didn’t stop for heartbreak. I had things to do. I needed to meet the loan sharks and pay another installment. Saturdays were my usual payment day, and I couldn’t afford to miss it.

After forcing down some breakfast and washing up, I got dressed and stepped out of my apartment. The moment I checked the hallway, I saw him – Viktor was still there, sitting against the wall with his head resting on his knees. He looked exhausted, like he hadn’t slept all night.

I sighed in relief that he was okay but quickly looked away. As I started walking toward the stairs, I noticed the landlady coming up with a young couple. They were heading toward Viktor’s former room. He had moved out. The realization hit me harder than I expected.

I sighed softly and left the building, flagging down a taxi that took me straight to the loan sharks’ usual meeting spot.

When I arrived and tried to hand over the envelope with the money, the scarred man behind the desk looked at me strangely.

“You don’t need to pay today,” he said.

10:18 Thu, Aug 6 HĐN•

DON’T STOP

I blinked. “What?”

“Your debt has been cleared. Every single fucking thing.”

I stared at him; sure I had heard wrong. “That’s a joke, right? I never paid it off. How is that possible?”

55 voucher

He leaned back in his chair. “We weren’t supposed to tell you. The person asked to stay anonymous. But since you’re being so persistent…” He shrugged. “It was a young man. Came in a few days ago and cleared everything in full.”

My mind went blank. A young man?

“Who?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

He studied me for a second, then nodded toward my phone. “Show me a picture. Maybe I’ll recognize him.”

With shaky hands, I pulled out my phone and scrolled until I found the one photo I hadn’t deleted Viktor and me from one of our early dates. I turned the screen toward him.

The man’s eyes narrowed, then he nodded. “Yeah, that’s him. Seems you two are dating.”

I quickly shoved the phone back into my bag, heart pounding.

Viktor.

a candid shot of

How did he know about my debt? Why would he do something like that? The questions spun in my head as I left the building, walking down the street in a daze.

I was so deep in thought that I didn’t notice I had stepped into the road without looking.

The loud honk of a car snapped me back to reality. I turned just in time to see a red car speeding toward me. My eyes widened. My legs felt glued to the ground. I couldn’t move.

I closed my eyes, bracing for impact.

Instead, I felt a hard push from the side.

I stumbled and fell onto the safe side of the road, scraping my palms on the pavement. People were already gathering, shouting.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify