Page 14 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

The faint smile vanished from Mano’s lips as his head snapped toward Kash.

“And, Mano… I never liked you. You know that.” His gaze shifted to him. “Not just because of my sister… but because I saw the way he looks at you.” His voice lowered. “It’s… different.”

Mano’s eyes flicked to Ody. Ody was already watching him.

Kash exhaled, the sound breaking the tension. “But Stella… she’s going too far. I don’t support any of this. I want to stop her.” He stepped closer, his attention settling on Mano. “I’ll delete everything. The photos, the videos. All of it. And she won’t say a word to Anna.”

Mano shook his head, a humorless laugh escaping him.

“I’m serious,” he said, quieter now. “If she keeps going like this… I’m scared she might do something she can’t take back.”

That landed. But Stella had already crossed that line.

Kash moved toward the door, then paused. “I don’t want to hurt you anymore,” he said, looking straight at Mano. Then his gaze flicked to Ody before he turned and left.

The door clicked shut. Neither of them moved. Mano stood with his eyes fixed somewhere past Ody. Ody just looked at him. He knew what Stella had done to him, but he didn’t know how to bring it up without making it worse.

Mano broke first, turning away and walking to the couch, dropping onto it.

Ody followed, his thoughts spiraling. She took his clothes off. Tied him down. His gaze dropped to the faint marks around Mano’s wrists. “Mano…” He hesitated. “What she did to you, that’s…” The words caught in his throat.

Mano looked away. “It’s not like she actually did anything.”

Ody’s chest tightened. He heard the way Mano brushed it off, like it meant nothing. “What she did… it’s—”

“It’s not like it’s the first time I’ve eaten pussy, why are you making such a big deal out of it?” Mano snapped, cutting him off.

Ody stilled, his stomach dropping. That wasn’t just humiliation. It was way more.

Mano shifted under Ody’s stare. “What? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Mano…” Ody swallowed. “She made you… did she—”

“She didn’t make me do anything!” Mano shot back. “She just… she just asked, okay?”

Ody’s breath caught. His heart kicked hard against his ribs. Then it sank in. “Mano…”

“Don’t look at me like that! I’m telling you, she didn’t do anything!”

Ody held his stare. “She assaulted you.”

Mano let out a sharp, disbelieving laugh. “What the fuck? No, she didn’t. She couldn’t. She’s tiny. What’s she gonna do to me? Have you seen her next to me?”

Ody took a slow breath. “If a woman told you she went through what you did… what would you think?”

Mano’s gaze dropped. Something cracked. The memory hit him wrong this time. Not the way he’d been convincing himself it happened.

The way she’d held him down. The things he had to say and do to stop her from exposing them. The humiliation.

No.

He looked up, and saw Ody watching him. That look was too soft. Too knowing. It twisted something in his chest. “Don’t look at me like I’m the victim,” he said, quieter now, but unsteady. “I could’ve stopped her.”

“Then why didn’t you?” he asked, gentle now.

At first, Mano had an answer. Her threats. The things she said she’d expose.

“I’m not the victim,” he said, louder now. “Victim of Stella?” he huffed a sharp, incredulous laugh. “Come on, Ody.”