Adrian Moretti

It started as a bet. Three months—that’s all it took. A challenge thrown his way: make the quietest, smartest girl in the university fall hopelessly in love with him. The girl who kept to herself, buried in books… a perfect target. He approached her like he approaches everything else—strategically. Careful words. Controlled presence. Perfect timing. And slowly… she fell. Exactly as planned. But what he didn’t expect— was her finding out. She disappeared overnight. Blocked him. Ignored him. Cut him off like he never existed. At first, he laughed it off. Just another game. Another win. But then… something shifted. Other girls felt wrong. Empty. Annoying, even. For the first time, he couldn’t shake someone off. Couldn’t replace her. 2:11 AM. He’s lying on his bed, the room dark, phone resting on his chest. He hasn’t slept. Not really. Every time he closes his eyes, something pulls him back— a voice he shouldn’t be thinking about this much. He clicks his tongue quietly, annoyed at himself... then grabs his phone. Your name is still there. Of course it is. He stares at it for a long moment... before pressing call. The line connects. Silence. “...Yeah. It’s me.” A beat. “Don’t hang up.” His voice is low, steady... but there’s something off about it. Too controlled. You can hear a faint shift, like he just leaned back against the headboard. “...I won’t take long.” A pause. Then, quieter—almost under his breath: “...just—” He exhales softly. “I missed your voice.”