Prologue – It Started with Rain, Not Love
© kaeshi, 2025 All rights reserved.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Because what do you save someone from, when thestorm is already inside them?
Zea Freya, twenty one, was a quiet riot. A girl of soft rage and sharp edges. She wasn’t made for fairytales. She was born from shadows and silence, raised on bitter truths instead of lullabies. The kind of girl who could smile in your face while building walls behind your back. Not because she hated you, but because she knew better than to let anyone in. Her story didn’t start with a romance. It started with loss. With trust issues disguised as independence. With sleepless nights where she didn’t know if she was healing or just getting better at hiding it.
At five, she lost her father. At fifteen, she lost her best friend. By twenty, she lost interest in expecting people to stay. Zea didn’t grow up in a loving household. She grew up in survival mode. Her mother? Emotionally absent. Sharp-tongued. Told her to go die during one of their worst fights and something in Zea never healed after that.
She loves her mom, still. But it’s complicated. Especially now, knowing her mom’s cheating on her stepdad… and he knows. Says nothing. Maybe because of love. Maybe for the kids. Maybe just fear.
Everything changed when her dad died. He was the home. The safe space. The one who never let her feel like she was too much. Since then, nothing ever felt stable again.
She has four siblings, but only bonded with one — Sofea Isla, her eight year old half sister. Zea protects her like armor. Maybe because no one ever protected her. But now, she moves through life with AirPods in and walls up. Oat biscuits in her bag. A playlist for every mood. Eyes that miss nothing.
Then comes Xavier Zen.
Her brother’s childhood friend. Twenty eight. Russian CEO. Mysterious. Observant. A man with too many secrets and not enough apologies.
He’s back — smirking in the silence, unbothered by the wreckage behind her eyes. Maybe he wants to fix her. Maybe he just wants to watch her burn.
But either way, Zea’s done pretending.
This story isn’t a fantasy. It's a warning.
There’s no mafia boss. No hidden twin. No secret billionaire baby.Just real people.Real red flags.And one girl who’s done being the background character in everyone else’s drama.
Because Zea isn’t perfect. She’s guarded, sarcastic, and emotionally exhausted. She pushes people away. She ghosts. She dissociates. But she also loves with precision. Remembers everything you said. And will never let you hurt her the same way twice.
If you think this is just another love story, think again.
This is about healing while haunted. About laughing while grieving. About romance that burns slow but bites deep.
And yes — about one Russian CEO who’s about to find out that Zea Freya is no longer the girl he once teased.
She’s the storm now. And he’s still holding an umbrella.
“Something About Zea”
is a story of bittersweet flashbacks, brutal monologues, rainy car rides, and Spotify-fueled soul connections.Every word is laced with truths — some lived, some iykyk.
This isn’t a mafia fantasy.
Zea has high standards and a sharper tongue. And Xavier, He’s about to find out that the girl he used to tease now sees through every mask — even his.
Whispers from the past. Red flags unspoken. Old wounds disguised as flirting. This story blends childhood memories, messy exes, and spicy confrontations with an edge of realism that makes you wonder
how much of it is fiction?
© All characters, events, and dialogues in this story are purely inspired by personal and fiction. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. This story is protected under copyright and may not be reproduced or copied in any form.
Author’s Note / Reader Notes — Read This First boo.
Hey youuu,
Yeah, you — the one reading this. Before you dive into Something About Zea, lemme just say one thing :
This ain’t your typical soft girl meets CEO, falls in love, happily ever after kinda thing.
This story.. It’s personal. Raw. Realistic. Messy.
It’s about a girl who’s been through too much, trusted too quickly, ghosted too often, and now she’s just trying to survive without losing herself. Again.
Zea Freya is not a main character you’ll always like. She’s blunt. She disappears. She roasts people who deserve it. She zones out during deep convos and overthinks texts for hours.
But she’s also real. And if you’ve ever felt like you were too much for some people or never enough for others?
You’ll get her.
⤹ For the girls who ⤸
╰┈➤ felt safest in silence because no one could twist their words there
╰┈➤ said “it’s okay” when it really, really wasn’t
╰┈➤ begged for clarity but only got mixed signals and confusion
╰┈➤ felt like the therapist friend who never had anyone to vent to themselves
╰┈➤ were told “don’t be so sensitive” but felt everything anyway
╰┈➤ got labeled the villain just for finally choosing themselves
╰┈➤ forgave people who didn’t even say sorry
╰┈➤ smiled at people who made them cry
╰┈➤ still haven’t figured out if they’re healing or just becoming colder
Zea is for you.
⤹ This book is also for those who ⤸
╰┈➤ had emotionally absent parents
╰┈➤ lost someone too young
╰┈➤ outgrew old friendships without closure
╰┈➤ gave second chances just to regret it later
╰┈➤ still believe in love but with hella high standards now
╰┈➤ If you’ve ever said, “I don’t trust easily anymore,”
╰┈➤ If you’ve ever ghosted someone to protect your peace,
╰┈➤ kept deleting long paragraphs because “what’s the point if they won’t understand anyway?”
╰┈➤ got tired of being the bigger person just to keep the peace
╰┈➤ found comfort in fiction because real life was just too cold
╰┈➤ replayed convos in their head a hundred times wondering if they were the problem
╰┈➤ had to heal from things they never even got closure for
ⓘ If you’ve ever sat in a car with music blasting just to drown out the thoughts — then, you’re not alone.
ⓘ someone else ‼
⁀➴ You’ll hear about him — in the in-between.
⁀➴ The one who never begged to stay but never fully left either.
⁀➴ He’s not romanticized. He’s not demonized.
⁀➴ He’s complicated — just like her feelings about him.
⁀➴ Sometimes healing isn’t deleting someone from your heart.
⁀➴ It’s accepting that they live there, rent free, in a quiet room you no longer visit.
⛥ There are no fairytale endings here ⛥
➤ Only honest beginnings. Some trauma. Some healing.
➤ Some romance, yes. But it’s earned — not rushed.
➤ You’ll meet people in this story who look familiar.
➤ A friend who feels fake. A lover who feels like a trap with dimples. A boy from the past who never quite left — even when he said goodbye.
➤There’s someone else in this book.
➤ He doesn’t show up right away. He’s just… present. In a memory.
➤ In a song. In a sarcastic comment that lands too close to the truth.
➤ She’s learning the difference between lonely and alone.
➤ Between missing someone and missing who she thought they were.
➤ Between closure and finally giving herself the peace they never gave her.
➤ She remembers the first time he picked her up in the rain. And the way his silence was louder than anyone else’s words.
⚠︎ But this isn’t his story. Not yet.
This is hers.
ⓘ But let’s get real for a second ⓘ
Zea didn’t become guarded out of nowhere. She’s the girl who got cheated on — not once, but twice.
Both times? On her birthday. Two different exes, same recycled heartbreak. One of them said “That’s just my sister” — only for her to find out later that “sis” was his side chick all along.
She didn’t even cry.
Not because it didn’t hurt — but because her gut had already whispered the truth weeks before it hit. She just stared at the wall that night. Blank. Numb. Because what do you even feel when you’ve already seen the ending before the plot twist?
So yeah — now she double texts, but deletes before sending. She cares too much, but plays it cold. She opens up, regrets it, then vanishes.
Zea’s not dramatic. She’s just tired. And terrified.
Because when she does let people in, she does it all the way — raw, honest, no masks. And if you break that? There’s no coming back. She’ll ghost you with the same energy she once used to love you.
No explanations. Just echoes.
So go slow. Take your time. Sip tea, blast your sad girl playlist, pause if it hits too close. And if one chapter makes you feel exposed? That’s okay honey. It’s supposed to.
Last thing:
Everything you’re about to read might be fiction… but some of us lived this.
So be kind. To Zea. And maybe to yourself too.
Now go on. Flip the page. You’re about to meet a girl who doesn’t just feel too much — She remembers everything. And that’s both her curse and her superpower. And somewhere between chapter one and goodbye,
she’ll meet him. Again.
So maybe if this book won’t fix you. Maybe it won’t wrap things up with a pretty bow. But if it makes you feel seen, If it reminds you you’re not broken — just healing at your own pace —
Then that’s enough.
That’s everything.
CHARACTERS
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ZEA FREYA ( AGE 21)
"she stitched herself from grievances and playlists"
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Background & Family
⤿ Lost her father at five—an accident she still tries to rationalize. He was her first safe harbour.
⤿ Lived with her mother and four siblings (#1, #3, #4) plus half-sister Sofea Isla (8). The house was loud, unsupportive, filled with cracks that never felt like home.
⤿ Mother was a ghost—mentally absent, overwhelmed by loss & financial stress. Zea grew up learning to fend for herself and Sofea.
⤿ Her siblings are either indifferent or needy; Zea never found a safe alliance.
⤿ Only close bond: half-sister Sofea—both outsiders in their own family.
Education & Social Life
⤿ Gifted in writing, poetry —mostly did group projects solo, because trusting peers always ended in heartbreak.
⤿ Best friend at 15 ghosted her after Zea needed emotional support. This single betrayal cemented her “no friends, only playlists & carbs” rule.
Personality & Flaws
⤿ Blunt, brutally sarcastic, yet secretly tender. Sarcasm = emotional armor.
⤿ Boasts a savage humor—guns up before love can aim at her heart.
⤿ Ghosts people before they can ghost her.
⤿ Lives in “high standards but emotionally unavailable” territory—criticizes others before letting herself be loved.
⤿ Suffers from quiet panic attacks—heart-racing, sweating, but never catastrophic—she survived worse, or so she tells herself.
Likes & Habits
⤿ Oat biscuits (never honey—they’re a burned‑out optimistic food).
⤿ Late-night playlists: sad‑girl voices, post-breakup rap, Russian folk songs, poetry podcasts.
⤿ Writes short “letters” to people she never sends—even her exes, including Danny.
Core Conflict
⤿ Desires love but is terrified to accept it.
⤿ Believes she doesn’t deserve forgiveness—because she’s learned to forgive others first.
⤿ Told herself independence = ultimate power. Truth: sometimes loneliness is louder.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
XΑVIER ZENOVICH (AGE 28)
“He can command a boardroom—but can’t contain a whisper in his heart.”
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Background & Family
⤿ Born into privilege, Russian CEO heir. His family groomed him for power—sentimentalism was never an option.
⤿ Father: Emotionless titan; mother: soft but absent—preferring charitable work over parenting.
⤿ Zen grew up in emotional isolation. Learned to suppress to succeed. No hugs. No “good job, son.”
⤿ Older brother married Anna—his only emotional outlet, but she married and moved cities.
⤿ Nephew Max resurfaced emotional debris Zen didn’t know existed—forced him to remember real care.
Education & Work
⤿ Elite schooling across Europe—excelled in economics and strategy, but vacuumed at emotional intelligence.
⤿ Took over family business at 26. Now blood-thirsty on stock boards, protective over his image.
Personality & Flaws
⤿ Controlled, calculated. Talks in logic; punishes softness.
⤿ Obsessive toward Zea—jealous, insecure, wishing her walls came down so he could fix her, but terrified of her vulnerability.
⤿ Clinginess masked as concern—gaslights with guilt, not hatred.
⤿ Suffers from silent guilt over breaking her years ago—knows he’s a hypocrite.
Habits & Quirks
⤿ Drinks black coffee or neat whiskey—no sugar, no ice.
⤿ Walks with collar up, monologues under his breath, burns candles that don’t need burning.
⤿ Keeps Max’s toy car in his office—symbol of soft he never learned to express.
Core Conflict
⤿ Craves control—because chaos terrifies him.
⤿ Fear of vulnerability = defense.
⤿ Feels responsible for Zea’s damage. But healing her? Means healing himself. And it terrifies him
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
DΑNNY ( AGE 20)
“Loyalty was optional. Control was mandatary"
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Who He Is
⤿ Zea’s ex-situationship. Nice boy image, alpha insecurity at home.
⤿ Fake devotion—only called when she catered to his ego or funded him.
⤿ Became jealous of her unresolved Zea‑Zen tension—felt second‑best to complicated baggage.
Background & Secrets
⤿ Came from modest household; thinks “gentleman” means emotional leverage.
⤿ Petty flexed Zea on TikTok—got exposed. Her DM receipts hang over him like threat.
Flaws & Tendencies
⤿ Emotional vampire—coats manipulation with concern.
⤿ Bro active jealousy; spends money she gave him, ghosting when funds dry.
⤿ Hates second place—but can’t commit to first.
Core Conflict
⤿ Insecure alpha who thinks love = ownership.
⤿ Will use Zea’s past debating Zen as ammo when she doesn’t text back—emotional narc.
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
MAX ΑLEXΑNDER ( AGE 11)
“The purest fire she’s ever known"
── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
Who He Is
⤿ Zen’s nephew. Chatty, mischievous, full of empathy.
⤿ Only kid who looks at Zea with warmth—not caution or resentment.
Traits & Role
⤿ Loves comic books, ice cream, calling Zen “Uncle Zed”.
⤿ Only one who hugs Zea on rainy days.
⤿ Believes every secret deserves gentle ears.
Core Magic
⤿ His innocence draws out Zea’s repeated soft smiles once in a while.
⤿ He unsettles Zen’s emotional control— proof there’s tenderness Zen can’t script.
ZEΝ FAMILY (Supporting Bacterium)
⤿ Mrs. Zenovich – Formal, distant; watches her son suffer silently.
⤿ Mr. Zenovich – Power-hungry businessman; manipulates Zen with emotional abandonment.
⤿ Anna – Zen’s sister-in-law; the closest thing he’s had to empathy.
ZEΑ’s FAMILY (Additional Support)
⤿ #1 Older Sister – Overprotective; a broken pillar. Pressure to parent all siblings.
⤿ #3 Twin – Loud, reckless—tries to be everything Zea isn’t.
⤿ #4 – Quiet observer; wants Zea’s emotional peace but uses gossip as therapy.
⤿ #5 Sofea (8) – Zea’s baby occupation; trusting, soft, emotionally naked.
⤿ Mom – Works nights, guilt-ridden; forgets to hug Zea; reminds Zea failure lives in silence.
CORE TRAUMA THEMES
⤿ Abandonment – Zea lost adult anchors; Zen lost emotional connection
⤿ Trust – Zea refuses to trust due to betrayals; Zen trusts only control
⤿ Power vs Vulnerability – Zea’s silence matches Zen’s logic. Control = axis of each
⤿ Love Language Misfire – Zen gives protection that punishes. Zea clings to ghosts.
⤿ Cycle of Pain – Danny uses emotional debris. Zea and Zen mirrored wave after wave of abandonment
Future Characters (Potential Next Chapter):
⤿ Ex‑bestie: Friend who ghosted Zea at 15, resurfacing DM receipts
⤿ Danny’s ex: TikTok DM reveals power-play
⤿ Zea’s therapist: Mom figure who calls Zea daily; her calm voice contrasts Zen’s tension.
(𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 : Chapter 1)
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
The rain was unrelenting. Zea Freya stood at the school gate, soaked through her pink socks, clutching a cracked umbrella. She hadn’t cried, not once. She never did.
A black car rolled up, wipers slicing the water-streaked windshield. The door swung open and out came a boy—older, tall, jacket unzipped, a frown already forming.
“You don’t know how to use an umbrella?”
he snapped.
She didn’t answer.
He scoffed
“You’re always a mess, aren’t you?”
Still, she climbed into the car. Quietly. Like rain knew how to hold itself back better than sh did.
That was Zen. Always had something to say. And she, Zea Freya, had already decided—she’d never let his words sink deeper than skin.
But words… words always leave bruises, even when you pretend they don’t.
©2025, kaeshi All rights reserved.
