Zack holds on to the remote

Zack’s heart pounded as he and Michaela grappled on the couch, her fingers clawing at his arm as she tried to reach the remote. The device skidded across the floor, just out of reach, its screen flickering faintly. Michaela’s breath was hot and frantic against his neck, her panic palpable. “What did you do to me?!” she screamed, her voice cracking.

Zack managed to shove her off, scrambling to his feet. He dove for the remote, his fingers closing around it just as Michaela lunged again. He hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the wind out of him, but he didn’t let go. With a **** flick of his thumb, he pressed the pause button.

The room fell silent.

Michaela froze mid-motion, her body suspended in an awkward lunge, her face twisted in fury and fear. Zack lay on the floor, panting, his chest heaving as he stared up at her. That was too close, he thought, his mind racing. If she’d gotten the remote… He didn’t even want to think about what she might have done.

He pushed himself up, wincing as his ribs protested. The remote felt heavy in his hand, its power humming faintly beneath his fingertips. He glanced at Michaela, her frozen form casting a long shadow across the room. Her body was lean now, her curves sharper, her chest fuller—just like Francesca’s. She looked like a completely different person, and yet, there was still something unmistakably her in the way she carried herself. Even frozen, she radiated that same quiet determination she’d always had.

Zack stepped closer, circling her like a predator inspecting its prey. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her face. Her skin was warm, her breath still faintly visible in the air.

He glanced at the remote’s screen, the options glowing faintly. He could do anything now. Change her back. Make her more like Francesca. Or… something else entirely. The possibilities were endless, and the power was intoxicating.

But what should he do with her?

He looked at Francesca, who was still in the kitchen, frozen mid-step with a plate of adobo in her hands. She looked perfect, exactly how he wanted her. Michaela, though… she was a wildcard. He could mould her into whatever he wanted, but he wasn’t sure what that was yet. Maybe she could be like Francesca—confident, sexy, devoted. Or maybe she could be something else entirely. A companion. A project. A toy.

Zack’s lips curled into a sly smile as he ran a finger along the edge of the remote. I’ve got all the time in the world to figure it out, he thought. For now, he’d let her stay like this—frozen, waiting, completely at his mercy.

He walked back to the couch and sat down, the remote resting heavily in his lap. He stared at Michaela’s frozen form, his mind already racing with possibilities. Whatever he decided, one thing was certain: life was about to get a lot more interesting.