FIVE'S POV

Is it possible to stop loving someone I fell for so hard—someone who I can't stop thinking about even for a minute after three goddamn years?

It'd been four years since I lost Y/n, and not one day went by without me thinking about her . Images of her constantly crossed my mind. Her face was so angelic-like. She was so naturally beautiful. Her big, luminous, onyx-shade eyes that she would sheepishly cast upward from her thick, long lashes to meet my gaze. Lips she tended to nibble on with her teeth, which had her long, waves draped over her shoulders, caressing her soft skin that felt so delicate underneath my fingertips. The sound of her gentle, graceful chuckle. Fuck. I thought of her when I ate, showered, worked, and even slept. Every fucking minute of my existence, the image of her innocent, beautiful face would always somehow manage to weave into my dreams. It'd driven me crazy.

It's been four years since I lost her, and damn... it still hurts just the same.

I sat alone in my apartment, lit merely by the moonlight sweeping through the large window encasing Manhattan. I sipped my whiskey, lost in memories of Y/n. The sound of rain tapping against the windowpane echoed in my ears. I traced the rim of my whiskey glass; its brown liquid was my only escape. The only way to escape the ghosts of my past and the pain of my present, even if for just a moment.

I lost my mind after I heard she had a car crashed. No words could describe the excruciating pain I felt. It left my heart broken into pieces. Tore my soul apart. I had no idea such pain existed.

Now, I knew.

I ran from hospital to hospital across New York. Searching for her like a madman. Only to realize they lied to me. They. Y/n and Zachary. They deceived me to buy more time to run away. Disappear.

Days turned into weeks. Weeks into months. And I still kept pursuing her. Relentlessly.

In vain.

She was nowhere to be found. As if she had gone to the ground.

I felt like I was losing the ground beneath my feet. As if I was falling down a dark abyss. The depths of hell. Over and over again. Every single goddamn day of my wretched existence. The days started blurring. Each one was a broken tape on repeat.

I wanted to scream, to let the pain growing inside of me out, but no sound would come out of my mouth. I wanted to cry, but no tears would well up my eyes. I felt numb. With every day that had gone by without knowing where she was—if she was safe, alive—I lost a piece of me. The day she left, a piece of me died. I died inside. I merely existed. Existed only to find her.

Did my love fade after days, weeks, months, and eventually years without her?

No.

This love intoxicated me like a drug.

I saw her face before my eyes every goddamn second of every goddamn day. Whenever I heard her name, my heartbeat accelerated. It felt like my heart would burst out of my chest and break into millions of pieces all over again. Always the same. Like a never-ending cycle.

The pain of losing her was still there. It never left.

Damn. I never thought I could fall for a woman this hard. I lost my mind for her, that's for sure.

Had she felt the same? I guess I'd never know.

She left, making sure she would leave no trace after her. And maybe, I should've accepted this for how it was. Perhaps she had moved on with somebody else. Perhaps, with him. Zachary. After all, he was her first, unrequited love, her first boyfriend. Too bad he was also a two-faced bastard I once considered my best friend. My brother. I helped him when he was at his lowest, trusted him with my life, made him my right-hand man and he betrayed me the first chance he got.

Fuck. I can't even think of that.

But it was an option. And frankly, a highly possible one.

And yet, here I was. Still thinking of her. Not knowing if she was safe, where she was—or with whom—was the worst. It was killing me from within. I should've moved on. Forgotten about her.

But was it possible to unlove someone?

For me, it wasn't. I knew this pain would never leave. I knew I couldn't stop loving her.

Perhaps, this love is the repentance of my sins.

I took a turn, pulling off the highway. "Let Her Go" by Passenger played on the radio. Its lyrics seemed to haunt me lately.

A male voice then rumbled through the radio, "We eagerly await The Hargreeevs's upcoming charity event. They renowned for there extravagance, and this year the family decided to surprise the event attendees with a hint of mystery. Everyone is expected to wear a Venetian mask. Isn't it exciting? All funds raised will benefit orphanages..."

I turned off the car engine, arriving at my family's s estate.

Finally, silence.

I couldn't stand hearing more news about my family's charity gala, and it seemed like every station was airing it. Needless to say, after my fiancée's mysterious disappearance, being in the spotlight had become unbearable. I'd had my fill of fucking paparazzi, reading rumors about me in the newspapers and hearing my name in the gossip news.

I stepped out of my car, my gaze landing on my family's new residence in Hudson Valley. The night was chilly, but the sky was clear. Full of glimmering stars. She was one of them. Y/n. She was one of the stars shining against the dark sky. I missed her now more than ever. I wished she was here. Everything would've been so different now. Easier.

I exhaled a heavy sigh. It was one of the very few times I showed up at my family's in three years. Since Y/n disappeared. I knew I couldn't blame my family for that. After all, I had agreed to his fucked-up revenge plan. At the same time, I couldn't get it out of my head that if it wasn't for his desire to destroy Reginald Hargreeves in such a twisted way, Y/n would still be here with me.

I didn't want to blame my family for my sins. But I didn't want to be a pawn in there games anymore.

I knew my family's reasons. Deep down, I understood why we were so obsessed with his revenge. But it was all so fucked up. I, for sure, would've handled things differently. If another man hurt my woman, I wouldn't have waited twenty years. I would've killed the bastard right on the spot with my bare hands. Maybe I was an untamed savage. Annihilated animal. But, sure as fuck, I wouldn't have dragged my kid into all this shit as my father did. That was why I'd decided to cut ties with him.

"Five."

I turned to Diego, who'd just got out of his Bugatti, parked behind me in the drive. One of the few things my brother and I had in common was a taste for high-end, fast cars.

"I didn't expect to see you here," he stated, scrutinizing me. It felt as though his gaze tried to pierce through the thick layers of indifference and coldness that had grown on me over the past years. "You haven't seen our family very much since, well, that night."

I cocked my head, my gaze assessing him. He hadn't changed since I last saw him. Unlike me, he wasn't heavily inked. Only a small wrist tattoo peeked from under a leather sleeve of the black jacket he wore. No piercings either. He seemed so well put together. Much like me before I lost Y/n, the light guiding me through this darkness called my life.

"I'm only here because of the charity." My tone was low and stern. Frankly, I wasn't in the mood for small talk. Hell, I didn't even want to be here.

Diego raised his finger to his chin, his head tilting. He stared at me, his eyes narrowing. "So, how are you holding up? I mean, it's been four years, no?" He stretched his arms casually as if trying to release some tension. It seemed much like he was plotting some twisted scheme in his mind, and I had a hunch it involved me.

I scoffed. "We both know you don't give a damn. Come on. Let's get this over with." I tossed the words over my shoulder as I headed inside my father's mansion, which perfectly reflected his love for extravagance.

I entered a two-story library, inside the home with Diego right behind me. Black walls contrasted oak floors and all my brother's red formal shirts. They all sat on a cream leather chair with champagne glasses in there hand. Five stood back, observing his siblings in their red suits. Viktor caught his eye first—looking as fresh and unchanged as ever since Five had last seen him. Klaus, ever the eccentric, downed a glass of champagne in one gulp, his arm casually draped around Alison, who was stunning in a shiny red dress, her hair straight and sleek. Beside Alison was Claire, now tall and poised next to her mom. Luther, always the leader, was deep in conversation with a waiter, embodying the same old dependable Luther.

"Well, well. I must capture this sight with a picture." Klaus rose to his feet, setting down his now empty class on champagne. "Both of my brothers, arm by arm, back in the house. I started doubting I'd see this again before I die."

Another thing that hadn't changed a bit. Sarcasm still ran in his blood.

"You're not dying, though. And you won't anytime soon. So, let's cut to the chase. Why did you drag us both here?"

My tone was as dark as my hurting soul. Lither cleared his throat. "Well, we all decide as a family we would want you to. To take over the company between you two."

Diego tensed as he heard the news, but I saw something malicious dancing in my siblings eyes. Something I was all too familiar with. I knew there was more to it. My family had always had a card up their sleeve. None of what they did was without an ulterior motive. They are sure one wily bastards.

"Here." Viktor moved a file of documents from a black velvet briefcase with the golden Hargreeves Enterprises Holdings signature sign glimmering on the front. "These are documents legally dividing the companies between the two of you, giving you both a forty percent stake. For now. All you need to do is to sign."

"What about the remaining twenty percent?"

Luther gaze bounced toward Diego. He cocked his head, his hands clasped behind him. His gaze darted back and forth between us. "I'll keep them until one of you settles down. The one who marries first will get the major share and become the new CEO of Hargrevves Enterprises Holdings. And all the concealed power it entails."

A scoff escaped my mouth. Did he really believe I would partake in this shitshow? His twisted mind must've achieved its peak today.

"Do you think it's medieval or what?" I shrugged my arms, my hands clasped. "I'm not going to marry only to take over the companies, fortune, and family. I don't give a damn."

Luther kept his poker face firmly in place, but I could see the surprising brewing beneath the surface.

"That's a terrific idea." Diego grasped my arm tightly.

My eyes shut for a brief moment, and I took a deep breath. "Are you serious?" I narrowed my eyes at him, and I shook my head. My gaze shifted toward Luther. "I don't need the companies, nor this ridiculous rivalry. I don't need the power, Luther. I'm good on my own."

Luther took a step back; his throat cleared. "I'm aware you don't need us, Five." Allison's tone was displeased yet poised. "Nevertheless, you're still one of my us and we want you to be a part of this family and the legacy."

Our gazes fought for dominance.

My brows furrowed. My gaze moved to her. "Why do you want this so badly?"

A sneaky sneer curled up on Diego's lips. "It's the first time the family gives us an equal chance to win the position rather than handing it over to the chosen one."

"The chosen one?" My brow raised. "So, that's what this is all about? You want to compete with me?" I shook my head, squeezing the bridge of my nose. I was wondering when this would end. Would it ever?

Diego had always regarded me as a competitor. He always thought of himself as second-best, frantically trying to prove his value to me, our family . Perhaps, even himself.

He strolled over the wooden table and opened the file of papers. He swept through the pages and without even reading, he signed it. "Forget about the marriage part for now." He handed me the quill. "Let's just run the companies and see which one is doing better."

His gaze bore into mine.

"Do it for me, brother," Diego pleaded.

I grabbed the quill and tossed it back onto the table.

"Five!" Diegos hissed after me as I walked away.

I felt sad for him. He could never accept himself. I supposed he'd feel better if he won this battle. But I wasn't fighting against him. He was up against himself all this time. Against his damaging pride and deadly ego. In the end, it was what would destroy him.

I entered my apartment that, without Y/n, seemed empty, like a desolate desert. I hadn't moved. I couldn't. I held onto the thought that one day she would walk in through the door as she used to—forgetting all that had torn us apart, all the demons of our past—and would run to me, nuzzling her beautiful face in my chest. A fool's wish. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get her out of my head. My heart.

On a lonely night like this, she was the oxygen I inhaled, the large full moon seeping into my flat through the window, even though I closed the curtains. I saw her everywhere, even though she was only a memory... merely an elusive creation of my mind that faded with the sunrise, ripping through my bones. She was every sip of whiskey I'd drank to numb my misery, knowing even the sea of alcohol would not help me forget her. A harem full of women could not give me the feeling of Y/n —a feeling I could compare to nothing. I'd been there. I tried any way I could to forget her, to erase her from my mind. All in vain. She was like an oasis I needed to reach to regain my peace. There was nothing in this world that could replace her. She completely and utterly overpowered each of my senses. I held tight to a love that cut deeper than the thorns protecting a beautiful crimson rose I once tried to pluck.

I would bleed out dry just for one more chance to talk to her. A chance to tell her how much I loved her; how much I regretted all the faults that led me to lose her. I wish I could tell her how much I regretted agreeing to take part in my family's vendetta against are father . How much I wish I could turn back in time to the night we met on that empty street when I nearly hit her with my car when I still saw her solely as my target, my task, my enemy. I wish I could tell her how soon, despite my initial intentions, I'd developed feelings for her. How the innocence in her and her vulnerability drew me to her. I'd understood. I tried countless times to time travel back to that night to fix that night and mistakes and to be with her, but every attempt ended in failure. She was like an oasis I needed to reach to regain my peace. There was nothing in this world that could replace her. She completely and utterly overpowered each of my senses. I held tight to a love that cut deeper than the thorns protecting a beautiful crimson rose I once tried to pluck.

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I chatted with Viktor and my little niece Claire sitting next to her uncle Viktor, Viktor, at my family's annual charity event. Amidst the stuffy atmosphere of the New York elite, he seemed the most vibrant and exciting person, to me, at least. I hated these sorts of social gatherings. It seemed like such a waste of time—a pretentious display of wealth and status or superficial gossiping, belittling those not part of the circle. I was a fan of neither. The only reason I was present was because it was my family's tradition, and the funds gathered each year went to a worthy cause.

I turned, formulaically scanning the room, when I saw a woman with waves of silk-like hair, darker than I remembered it, but the same texture from my dreams. A mirage that I thought would disappear. But it didn't.

It can't be.

Icy chills ran down my back as my gaze met hers.

I prayed to God, unsure whether I believed in His existence, to help me find her or at least give me a chance to talk to her one more time. It seemed like my prayers had just been answered.

My eyes narrowed as I scrutinized the dark-haired woman. She slowly, sultrily took off the Venetian mask as if making sure I would recognize her.

Doesn't she know that I'd recognize her with closed eyes from the farthest corner of the world?

I knew every inch of her body, every millimeter of her face, by heart. No matter the fact that her perfect, soft skin was one shade darker than I remembered. Despite that her long platinum waves were now chocolate brown, cascading down her shoulders. But her eyes... the beautiful, deepest shade of onyx hadn't changed a bit. The corner of her soft lips quirked into a definite, one-sided grin, but her gaze remained emotionless and calm, disturbingly calm. In that moment ... the world stopped turning. It felt surreal to gaze into her eyes, finally, after three long years. And her smile... that smile brought back a million memories.

She kept staring at me, smirking the entire time, alluringly. Fuck, she was stunning, like a goddess, with what I would call a dark feminine energy that rendered her irresistible.

All the beauty from the entire universe could not compete with her. In my eyes, she was perfect. I blamed love for making me this way. Love made us blind. Love made us see no one but the person we adored. And without a doubt, I still loved her. And now, the sight of Y/n... fuck, for a second, I forgot about the pain, the unbearable four years of insane, excruciating pain after she left with no word.

As she started walking in my direction, seductively swaying her hips in a perfect rhythm to the clicking of her heels that echoed in my ears, I forgot about the past, the pain, everything. I let myself believe that it was over now, that the three years of agony had just come to an end. It didn't take more than a minute to make me realize how wrong I was.

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The time has come!! The Makeup is officially finish and time to come to Wattpad.

I just wanted to say, thank you for all the incredible support to the readers who stuck with the Fanfic series. Your feedback and excitement have been truly inspiring. Now, as we bring the story to its thrilling conclusion, I'm thrilled to share The Makeup story with you all .

It's time for all the pieces to come together, and I can't wait for you to experience the culmination of this journey of this Crazy, Twisted, Love Story of Y/n, Five and Diego. Enjoy :)

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We're back with the Question of the day. Yayy!!!

"Are you a morning person or a night owl?"

Mine: I definitely a morning bird. Morning are often my favorite time of the day which is peaceful :)

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