Chapter 21 Axel leaned back in his chair and studied me. Intensely. Like he didn’t care if anyone saw. He wore a powder-grey suit with a black T-shirt tucked neatly into his slacks. He smiled at me, and his voice dropped low. “Like what you see, sweetheart?” I...
Chapter 11 "God,” I moaned. He pulled me downward by my waist, causing him to fully enter me. “You always manage to take it all. Again and again,” he chuckled against my ear. “So surprisingly for such a tiny, tight pussy.” I whimpered and then moved upwards. Then, he...
Chapter 21 I was staring at my laptop screen. Curled up on my couch, my legs tucked in underneath me. My mind was still drifting back to Mr Drake’s wrist. The tiny tattoo. I hadn’t been able to make out exactly what it was, but it had given me déjà vu. It had reminded...
Chapter 11 Day 6 of being unemployed. I groaned. I had been scouring the internet since the day I was fired, but even when I applied for the most basic tech jobs, the rejection was almost instant — even with my degree. How was this possible? I saw a Teams message...
Chapter 11 “I said I would handle it,” he said again, shrugging his shoulders like it wasn’t a big deal. I stared at him. “You don’t get it.” “I do,” he said calmly. “This impacts you.” Then I snapped. “It affects me. My job. My reputation. My life. Do you know that I...
Chapter 11 Zarek stood still for a few moments, his expression blank as his bright blue eyes stared back at me. Then he turned and left, leaving me there standing with Vii. I stared at his retreating figure as he disappeared inside a pod-shaped elevator and ascended...
Chapter 31 POV: Nora I don’t remember breathing after the door slammed. Only the sound — sharp, final — like a gunshot between my ribs. Ava’s wide eyes burned on the inside of my skull, the way her voice cracked on my name before she ran. “I’m sorry,” I blurt, the...
Chapter 21 POV: Nora “Sit.” That was the only instruction I got before he started making breakfast like it was another military operation. Efficient. Precise. Shirt sleeves pushed up his forearms, veins standing out as he cracked eggs one-handed. I propped my chin on...
Chapter 11 POV: Nora The place is warm, loud, buzzing with bodies and music. I forgot what this atmosphere feels like — heat on my skin, laughter curling off strangers, lights flickering like slow heartbeats. I order a drink. Something strong. Bad mistake on an empty...
Chapter 11 POV: Daniella I needed air. Or maybe just an excuse to stop pretending everything was fine. The lanterns cast golden halos across the garden as I weaved past tables, ignoring the swirl of conversation around me. I didn’t know where I was going—until I saw...
Chapter 21 POV: Daniella “Two miles ahead,” Nate said, still tapping. “There’s a turnoff. Dad’s team should be waiting—if they timed this right.” “If?” I nearly choked on the word. “We didn’t want to scare you,” Nate said quickly. “But we knew this might happen. My...
Chapter 11 POV: Daniella The apartment buzzed with soft music, warm lighting, and the scent of melting brie and toasted bread. The boys were already halfway through setting things up when I arrived with Nate. Bob immediately offered me a beer, only for Ace to...
Chapter 21 POV: Sabrina By the time the workday wound down, I was more than ready to go home. Except—where was home? The sterile hotel room? Or the bed I’d spent every night in for the past week—Oliver’s? I leaned back in my chair, stretching my sore muscles. The day...
Chapter 11 POV: Sabrina I sat across from Violet and John at our usual lunch spot, the lively chatter of the restaurant a dull hum in my ears. My appetite was nonexistent. I absently pushed my salad around with my fork, my mind still tangled in the tension of what had...
Chapter 31 POV: Ivy Lunch with my father was supposed to be casual. A quiet, mentoring kind of thing. But then he walked in. Aiden didn’t knock, didn’t hesitate—just strolled into the lunchroom like he owned the place. And technically, half of it, he did. He dropped...
Chapter 21 POV: Ivy The road back to the lake house blurred under my tires. My heart was still racing from everything I’d left behind—the way Aiden looked at me like he was drowning, the way he kissed me like he’d finally come up for air. I could still feel his hands...
Chapter 11 POV: Ivy Jonathan kept talking, completely unaware, while under the table, I made Aiden shift in his seat more than once. He never touched me back—not with my dad right there—but his eyes burned across the table, and I knew the second we were alone, I was...
21: The Scars You Can't See The nightmares weren’t stories. They were sensory prisons. Wes jolted awake not from a chase, but from the feeling...the gut-drop of seeing the Audi, the phantom scent of Millie’s gardenia perfume mixed with fresh paint, the cold numbness...
11: Connecting The Dots Wes drove not to the cabin, but past it. He took the old logging road higher into the foothills, the truck jolting over ruts until the trees opened onto a rocky overlook. He killed the engine. The silence was absolute. Below, the lights of...
21 Thomas As Elliot walks into the office he gives me a look that asks what in the world is going on. I motion for him to sit down and Alfred hands him a glass of whiskey. “So Alfred here has told me some interesting information. He may be just the person we need to...