《The Mafia鈥檚 Wanted Desires》


 1

    ~ASHLEY~


    Coffee.


    That was the only thing keeping me sane right now. If it weren¡¯t for this ck coffee, I wouldn¡¯t have survived the series of mental breakdowns that were breathing down on my neck. I stuck my pen into my hair that was tied in its signature ponytail, my eyes skimming through the mail I had been trying to correct since I got to work this morning.


    I yawned, struggling to keep my eyes open. My eyes left theputer in front of me, darting over to the sealed cup of coffee beside the stack of books on my table. I picked it up and opened it, chugging a generous amount down my throat. The ck liquid rolled down my throat and I shuddered at its bitter taste.


    I shook my head and groaned, dropping my head into my palms.


    I was exhausted.


    I barely had the chance to shut my eyes all night. I was so busy filing the paperwork that Genevieve ordered me to work yesterday. I couldn¡¯t finish it at work. I had to take it home and doing that upied most of my time.


    I can¡¯t even remember thest time I had a proper meal. My work was so demanding. It took nearly all my time, leaving me to have none for myself. It was all work, work, work for me. Sure, the pay was okay, but I didn¡¯t want something that left me drained each passing day. I honestly wouldn¡¯t mind a job with a small payment that allowed me to have quality time for myself.


    But then, who was I kidding? I had bills to pay! A girl can only dream, right?


    A soft exhale exited my lips as I did a final double-check on the mail before clicking on my mouse to send it in.


    Thank God!


    I sunk into my swivel chair, heavily, squeezing my eyes shut. I barely had the chance to breathe twice when the shrill familiar sound that belonged to the desk phone invaded my thoughts abruptly, causing me to jolt upwards.


    I let out a low hiss and grabbed the phone, cing it on my ears.


    ¡°ASHLEY!¡± She screeched and I winced internally, my face scrunching in a frown. I removed the phone from my ear, taking a deep breath to calm myself down.


    ¡°Yes, Gen., I responded, keeping my voice as subtle as it could get. Genevieve was one to interpret your sentences into something else. She¡¯d twist the whole thing and spin the table around in a blink of an eye.


    ¡°My office. Now.¡± She said sternly and hung up on me. I got off my seat and smoothened the crease on my short skirt. My feet wobbled as I struggled to keep myself in ce, a wave of dizziness washing over me.


    I sauntered out of my office and took the elevator that led to thest floor upstairs, muttering profanities under my breath. I knocked gently on therge mahogany door that led into her office. The action elicited a gruff e in¡¯ from her.


    I exhaled and stepped into the cold office.


    It was almost freezing here. When I started this job, I was puzzled as to why someone would want to stay inside an office that was this cold. But then, as time went on, I began to realize that everything in this office aligned with her austere personality.


    Genevieve, often referred to as Gen, by her workers, had thergest office in thispany. The massive space was coated in light grey paint, coupled with the see-through ss at the rear end of the room on my left. The ss aided the beauty of the office, holding an impressive view of the whole building.


    There was arge shelf at the right side of the room that housed various important files and a ck couch and bean bags with a round ss table in the middle of it, forming a circr shape.


    Her ck mahogany desk had files stacked up against each other, alongside herputer and other necessities. There were two empty chairs, tucked in properly, opposite the table.


    The bright chandelier hanging in the middle of the room, gave life to the dullness of the room, emitting a much brighter allure.


    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡± She queried, her voice rising an octave higher with every word she uttered. I swallowed, keeping my eyes trained on her tall frame that sat gracefully on her ck swivel chair. Her obsidian ck eyes beheld mine in intense eye contact, her signature bold red lips curled in a sneer.


    Genevieve was the acting CEO of Allure, the clothing brand where I worked as a secretary. She wasn¡¯t exactly the CEO. I have never met the owner of thepany for the past two years that I have been working here. Rumour has it that she was based in Australia.


    I moved forward, picking up the files she had dropped on her table earlier. My eyes skimmed through it and my confused ones met her ring ones.


    ¡°I¡­I don¡¯t understand, Gen,¡± I told her quietly, resorting to choosing my next words carefully.


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand? Were you hard of hearing when I told you to sort these files out ording to their dates?!¡± She bellowed, mming her palms harshly on her table, causing me to flinch backwards. The action sent the paper flying out of my hands.


    ¡°You told me to sort it out ording to how important they were!¡± I cried out and my eyes widened in shock when the realization of what I had just said dawned on me.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Her voice was low, her wordsing out through gritted teeth. Her dark eyes shotva andser beams at me from where she sat. She narrowed her eyes at me, peeking at me through her fauxshes.


    I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth.


    ¡°How dare you, amoner, yell at me in my own office?¡± She scoffed. I opened my mouth to speak but she shut me up with a re.


    ¡±


    Have you forgotten who the boss is?¡± She queried, arching her brow at me. I shook my head sideways.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gen.¡± I apologized, looking down at my nude stiletto heels.


    ¡°Start over,¡± She said curtly. I heard the rigorous tapping of her manicured fingers on the screen of her phone, signaling the end of this conversation.


    ¡°What?!¡± I cried out in shock, snapping my head in her direction. She stopped typing, her fingers hung in the air and she turned to me, cocking her brow.


    ¡°You heard me, Miss Miller. Start over. I want it on my desk in the next two hours.¡± She said in a tone of finality.


    My mouth hung open in shock, unable to process what I had just heard. A night¡¯s work in two hours? How was I supposed to do that?


    ¡°Get out of my office.¡± She spat out venomously. I squatted on the floor and felt a teardrop on my arm. I gathered the papers as fast as I could and turned on my heels, heading out of the office.


    ¡°Two hours. Tick Tock.¡± That was thest thing she said to me before I shut the door.


    I hate this job.     I nced through the rearranged paperwork on my desk and sighed. I couldn¡¯t evenprehend how I had finished it on time. All I knew was that I could barely keep my eyes open by the time I was done.


    Genevieve left for a meeting two hours ago. And yes, she expected the files to be on her desk by the time she gets back. I was done working on it, but I had no strength in me to get up from my chair, to go and drop it in her office.


    ¡°Ugh, I wish I had superpowers,¡± I whined. My phone rang out sharply, the shrill ringtone resonating through my office. I grabbed my bag and unzipped it, easing out my phone.


    Ivana was face-timing me.


    I rolled my eyes before picking up.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I muttered grouchy.


    The pale-skinned twenty-four-year-old came into view. Her blonde hair was tied atop her head in a messy bun. She looked like she had just had a bath. Her skin was spotless and glowing. Ivana was never one to joke about her skincare routine.


    I¡¯m pretty sure I look like a bag of potatoes right now.


    ¡°Hey, girl! You look like shit.¡± She responded, her scrutinizing gaze roaming every inch of my face.


    ¡°Yeah, tell that to Gen,¡± I muttered sarcastically, earning a chuckle and a pout from her.


    ¡°Aww, I¡¯m so sorry, girl. Have you had any meal?¡± She asked, peering at me with a motherly look with concern etched all over her face.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t moved my butt from this chair for the past three hours. I have been so busy sorting out this paperwork.¡± I rolled my eyes at the end of my statement.


    A worried look married her features.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go to work today?¡± I questioned and she nodded, waving her hand dismissively in the air.


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m on a break.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Ugh, lucky you!¡± I whined, pouting my lips.


    ¡°Dawnie will be back from her trip tomorrow. I decided to inform you ahead of our girls¡¯ day out.¡± She announced, grinning from ear to ear. My ears perked up at her revtion, a warm smile creeping onto my face.


    ¡°I miss her so much!¡± I was ted. I hadn¡¯t seen Dawn in months. She was on a work trip.


    ¡°Me too!¡±


    ¡°You should get some rest, baby girl.¡± She said, smiling softly at me. I nodded my head at her.


    ¡°I have to go, Ivie. We¡¯ll talkter. I love you.¡± I said softly.


    ¡°Love you too,¡± She hung up and I sighed.


    I arranged the papers and stood up from my seat, heading to Gen¡¯s office. I was lucky there was nothing left to do for the rest of the day. It¡¯s almost nightfall. I was going home to get some rest.     The quietness of this area has always scared me. But then, the serenity and total concentration I got to have whenever I wanted to work, was worth it. There weren¡¯t many houses in this neighborhood. I could even count them, with how few they were.


    I pulled over in the driveway and picked up my bag and the grocery bags in the backseat, stepping out of the car and mming the door shut. I inputted the password and the automatic door that led into the penthouse opened, paving the way for me to step in.


    I kicked my heels off my feet and moaned in relief, setting the grocery bags on the kitchen counter. I freed my hair from its ponytail and took out a bottle of water from the fridge.


    Shutting it close, I felt firm handse around my waist, eliciting a warm smile from me. He chuckled against the skin of my neck, leaving goosebumps to sprout all over my skin. His cold lips dropped on the hollow of my neck. I tilted my head to the side, giving him more ess to my neck.


    He assaulted my neck with his sinful feathery kisses.


    ¡°You arete.¡± He stopped kissing me, twirling me around by the waist. My eyes settled on his melted chocte orbs that gave away the littlest emotions. His copper-brown hair looked wet like he had just stepped out of the bathroom. The smell of his body wash and aftershave invaded my nostrils, driving me to the edge.


    The ck vest he wore clung to his frame, hugging his mouth-watering muscles firmly.


    We have been together for almost two years now, and frankly, I don¡¯t see myself getting married to someone else. He was an endgame for me. He loves me so much, as I did him. Irrevocably.


    ¡°Yeah, work was stressful. I had to stay back and help with some paperwork.¡± I answered softly, running my arms across his back in a soothing manner.


    ¡°We have talked about this, Ash. I don¡¯t want you staying outte at work.¡± He said gruffly and I sighed.


    ¡°I still don¡¯t see any reason for you to be working. I can take care of us. Just stay at home and let me work for us. Let me provide for us.¡± His voice was low, breathy even.


    This conversation.


    Again.


    ¡°Adam, as much as I don¡¯t like my job. I don¡¯t want to resign yet. Until I get another paying job, at least.¡± I said in a bid to convince him. His face scrunched in a deep frown, a look akin to disgust clouded his features.


    ¡°Another job where you have to work your ass off like a ve every day?¡±


    ¡°Can you hear how dumb you sound right now?¡± He asked me. He wasn¡¯t raising his voice yet, his words stung badly. I felt my eyes water at his stinging words. I sighed and got out of his grip.


    I was going to walk away. I don¡¯t have the energy to deal with this right now.


    ¡°Ashley, do not walk out on me!¡± He growled and I flinched at the harshness of his tone. I stood, frozen in my spot, staring at him.


    I was only a few feet away from him.


    ¡°Get back here,¡± he beckoned, audaciously, waving me over with his index finger. I blinked and walked over to meet him. He grabbed me a little roughly by the waist, hoisting me onto the kitchen counter.


    He pressed a kiss to my forehead and his fingers grazed my neck, down to my cleavage. I squirmed at his touch. Then, he leaned in, whispering into my ear, while keeping me in ce with his arms around my waist.


    I swallowed.


    ¡°Have I ever told you how gorgeous you look in red?¡± He whispered into my ear and I felt the air on my nape erecting, strand by strand. I bit my lip softly. His lips met my neck again, eliciting a moan from me.


    My knees buckled and my toes curled.


    ¡°It makes me want to bend you over this counter and fuck you so hard till you can¡¯t walk properly.¡± His voice was hoarse as he squeezed my waist roughly. I felt a searing heat pool between my legs.


    ¡°Babe,¡± I called slowly, and he chuckled.


    ¡°I just want to touch you, Ash.¡± He responded. I let out a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. For some weird reason I couldn¡¯t decipher, I have been holding back from having sex with Adam. I just wasn¡¯t ready. Yet.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    His lips didn¡¯t leave my ear. He wouldn¡¯t stop whispering dirty words into my ears, cing feathery kisses across my neck.


    ¡°Spread your legs,¡± he instructed. I chewed on my lips, obeying his instructions. His fingers grazed my thigh and I shivered in anticipation of what he was about to do to me. He grabbed the fleshy part of my thigh and I moaned.


    I was dripping wet.


    ¡°Good girl. You aren¡¯t wearing panties.¡± He chuckled and before I could bring myself to respond, he slid a finger into my warm opening and I threw my head backwards in pleasure.


    ¡°Adam!¡± I cried out.


    I could feel my eyes roll back in their sockets, my knees wobbled and my eyes brimmed with tears, unable to contain the pleasure that threatened to overwhelm me.


    ¡°Have you been thinking about me all day? You dirty, dirty girl, look how wet you are.¡± He breathed into my ears. He captured my lips, suppressing my moans.


    He added one more finger into my opening, asionally grazing my clitoris as his fingers pumped in and out of me.


    I kissed him back, matching his pace and writhing in pleasure. Hisrge arm that was wrapped around my waist to keep me in ce, left my waist and his fingers worked their way to the button of my zers, popping a few buttons open.


    I whimpered.


    He shrugged the zer off my body, pulling the strap of my bra downwards. My nipples strained against the soft material of my brassiere, aching to be touched.


    His hands brushed my nipples and I moaned. He tugged at one of my aching buds, leaving an overwhelming wave of pure ecstasy to watch over me.


    ¡°Fuck! Adam!¡± I moaned, my eyes were wet with tears that streamed down my face.


    I squirmed in his arms, rocking my hips to get more of what he was offering. His fingers tormented my clitoris endlessly and I could feel myself getting closer with each searing touch.


    ¡°Adam,¡± I moaned.


    ¡°Cum for me, my darling.¡± He instructed, twirling my aching bud between his fingers.


    My body grew tense and my breathing took a faster pace, my knees wobbled and my hips buckled. I convulsed with pleasure in his arms, throwing my head backwards as I felt my orgasm build up. My arms tightened around his strong back.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I screamed.


    My tummy knotted and clenched and I screamed out in pleasure, releasing all over his fingers.


    ¡°That was amazing,¡± he told me, pressing a long kiss on my forehead. I chuckled in his arms, burying my face in his chest.


    I loved this man. To bits.


    He wasn¡¯t perfect, but he was the only person I wanted to be with.

 2

    ASHLEY


    A sharp pain tore through the bones that surrounded my brain, resonating through it with a pounding headache that threatened to split my head into it. I groaned softly and my eyes fluttered open. I had to squint my eyes, due to the sensitivity of the ray of light that shot through the windows, settling directly into my eyes.


    A loud grumble exited my lips, the minute I remembered that I had to go to work. Again. I rolled to my side, my eyes dropping to the masterpiece snoring away softly on my chest. His reddish-brown hair looked so messy, his mouth was a little ajar as he breathed softly. He looked so peaceful.


    I giggled at the sight of him. I could look at him all day. But then, that meant not getting up from this bed. I shifted in his embrace, gently prying myself out of his strong grip, so I wouldn¡¯t wake him up. I rose to my feet, clutching the satin sheets to my naked body. My eyesnded on my ck nightie, lying a few feet away from me.


    My cheeks turned crimson in embarrassment. Adam found it so difficult to keep his hands off me whenever I was around andst night wasn¡¯t an exemption.


    More like he¡¯s obsessed with your body. That tiny voice in my head taunted me and I shut it out. I nced at the wall clock and sighed. I had roughly an hour to get to work. I sauntered into the bathroom and took a quick shower.


    Adam was already awake by the time I got back into the room. His fingers moved swiftly on the buttons of theptop that was on hisp, with his reading sses perched on the bridge of his nose. His eyes darted over to my towel-d figure, his gaze lingering on my exposed thighs.


    I watched as a naughty smirk crawled up to his lips, leaving me a blushing mess.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± He drawled, his voice gravelly and husky, housing a searing, sexy undertone to it.


    ¡°Good morning!¡± I chirped. I walked towards him, crouching to his level, and dropped a chaste kiss on his lips. His hands dropped to the small of my back, crawling downwards and into my towel, grabbing a fistful of my ass.


    ¡±


    You smell so good,¡± He told me and I giggled, threading my fingers through his hair.


    ¡°I used your body wash. Just the way you like it.¡± I whispered, biting my lip. Adam has always been one to love it whenever I got all bold with him. He didn¡¯t like me being weak. He hummed softly and kissed my forehead.


    I left him to concentrate on his work and went into the closet to pick out a dress for work. I applied my body lotion and slipped my undies on, then wore my dress.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± Adam called me, his voice was dangerously low. I furrowed my brows and turned to him. He took off his sses and dropped them on hisptop. His head jerked in my direction, a look of disdain marrying his face.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I arched my brow at him.


    ¡°You are wearing that?¡± He ran his eyes over my frame, gesturing to my ck dress unable to contain the disgust he felt. I was even more puzzled. I didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. The dress was perfectly fine and it wasfortable.


    ¡°Babe, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°You look fat. It¡¯s disgusting, Ashley. Geez, are you going to wear that to work? What do you expect your colleagues to say about you?¡± He scrunched his face in a frown, peering at me like I disgusted him.


    My mouth hung open in shock, I tilted my head backwards like I couldn¡¯t believe what he just said to my face. I didn¡¯t understand how he could say something insensitive about my weight! He knew how sensitive I was about how I looked.


    ¡°Adam!¡± I called out to him in shock. My eyes soon got itchy, burning with tears that threatened to spill from my eyes. I blinked and scoffed.


    ¡°Go and change into something that doesn¡¯t make you look like a bag of potatoes, Ash.¡± He deadpanned, sounding so indifferent. The tears I was struggling to hold back eventually spilled. Adam didn¡¯t look moved in the least. He nced wryly at me and arched his brow. He was expecting me to do as he just said.


    ¡°Adam, I¡¯m runningte.¡± My voice was quivering so badly.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± He called my name through gritted teeth.


    ¡°Go and change the dress, Goddamit! For once in your life, do as you are told!¡± He yelled at me and I reeled backwards at the sharpness of his tone, blinking softly and struggling to control the tears that streamed down my cheeks.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered.


    I knew he didn¡¯t mean to yell at me. He didn¡¯t mean to say those hurtful words to me, but it didn¡¯t make it hurt any less. I couldn¡¯t ignore the pang of pain that hung in my chest, leaving a lump in my throat. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.


    ¡°And, please, do not use that red lipstick. It makes you look like a whore.¡± He called out to me and I wheezed lightly, my feet turned wobbly, and my eyes burned with tears, rendering my vision overly blurry.


    His words felt like a searing knife that was plunged into my chest, shattering me into pieces.


    He didn¡¯t mean it, Ashley.


    He didn¡¯t mean it.


    He didn¡¯t mean it.


    I chanted over and over like a mantra as I changed into a chiffon blouse and a ck pencil skirt, then I slid my feet into my cream six-inch heels, grabbing my handbag from thepartment that housed my bags.


    I puffed out some air through my mouth and wiped my tears. I stered a smile on my face. Like the good girlfriend, I was and sauntered out of the closet.


    ¡°How about this?¡± I asked him, twirling for him. I heard him sigh under his breath.


    ¡°Not as bad as the one you wore earlier,¡± he shrugged casually and gave a slight nod in approval.


    I swallowed.


    ¡°You have added so much weight, babe. It doesn¡¯t suit you. You should hit the gym soon. That means we won¡¯t be going out to have dinner with my friends anymore.¡± He said with a sullen look and I squeezed my eyes shut.


    ¡°I¡­¡± I paused,forted myself, and kept my frustration in check. He didn¡¯t like me raising my voice at him. I dropped my bag on the nearest couch and took a seat beside him on the bed, grabbing his hands and squeezing them gently with a light smile ying on my lips.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to make you mad, babe. I¡¯m so sorry. I promise I will go to the Gym.¡± I assured him.


    ¡°For you, babe,¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°And, we can still go to dinner with your friends. A new round of shopping would fix this. I could get some girdles if you want. It¡¯s been long since I saw your friends.¡± My lips stretched in a faux smile, against my will.


    And I watched as his face lit up when he heard that I was going to get a girdle. I blinked back the tears that threatened to drop.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± he told me and pressed a kiss on my forehead. A shaky breath escaped me and my eyes shut close on their own ord.


    For how long will you keeppromising with someone who isn¡¯t worth it? My subconscious asked.


    For as long as it takes.


    He loves me and that was all that mattered.


    ¡°Here, have my card and get anything you want.¡± He handed me his card and I pressed my lips against his, he opened up to me, pulling me closer by the waist and deepening the kiss.


    A soft moan exited my lips.


    ¡°I love you,¡± I said to him once he pulled away.


    ¡°I love you too, Ashley.¡± He whispered with a smile ying on his lips.


    ¡°I should get going now.¡± I ruffled his hair and he chuckled. I rose to my feet and strutted over to the couch, picking up my bag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete,¡± he said sternly, his tone firm and hard. I gulped and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be home early,¡± I gave him a reassuring smile and walked out of the room. The moment I was out of the room, I released a breath I had no idea I was holding.


    What more could I possibly want?     I shut down myputer, grinning from ear to ear as I arranged my messy table. I was excited. I hadn¡¯t seen my girls in a very long time and we were meeting up at Gray¡¯s lounge for drinks. It was a good thing that Genevieve wasn¡¯t in my case today, else, I wouldn¡¯t have survived her brutal treatments and remarks for one more second.


    Although, it did seem like she was in a good mood today because the reaction I expected wasn¡¯t the one I got when I informed her that I wasn¡¯t going to be having lunch in the Company¡¯s cafeteria. To my utmost surprise, she didn¡¯t seem to mind. She only waved me off and told me to do whatever it is I wanted.


    Yay me!


    I got up from my seat and grabbed my handbag, stepping out of my office and bolting the door behind me.


    Gray¡¯s Lounge was just roughly fifteen minutes¡¯ drive from where I worked and I got there in no time. I found a suitable spot in the lot and pulled over, then I turned to my rearview mirror and assessed myself.


    Aside from the fact that my brown hair looked a little dry, there wasn¡¯t anything else wrong with my appearance. I unzipped my bag and took out my cosmetic bag, in the hopes of fixing myself up a bit. I didn¡¯t want to appear gloomy to my friends.


    Ivana had the most scrutinizing gaze. She was always one nce away from figuring out whatever it is that was going on with us, even though the pale honey-brown orbs that stared back at me through the mirror seemed to disagree with me.


    I fixed myself by applying a little foundation on my face, some powder and mascara, alongside my eyeliner to make my eyes appear brighter. My eyes settled on my red lipstick and I stiffened in my seat.


    ¡°Do not use that red lipstick. It makes you look like a whore.¡±


    His loud voice echoed in my head, producing a throbbing ache that jammed against my temples, now and then. I breathed out softly and hurriedly shoved it into the glovepartment of my car.


    Adam would never lie to me. I shouldn¡¯t use red lipstick. It¡¯d make me look like a whore. I dabbed a little clear gloss onto my lips and stered my signature fake smile on my face before stepping out of my car.


    Ivana would figure it out. She always does. That tiny voice gnawed at me again and I did what I have always done. I ignored it.


    Using the word beautiful for Gray¡¯s lounge was an understatement. Hell, enthralling doesn¡¯t even cut it. I have been here with the girls countless times, but I still find myself unable to get enough of how breathtaking it was. I don¡¯t think I ever will. Dawn discovered this ce, and since then, it has been our spot.


    The perfect spot.


    It didn¡¯t matter if it were day or night, Gray¡¯s lounge had always possessed this dark allure to it. Yes, the owner understood the assignment and delivered it perfectly. The dusty rose-gold color and the golden hue of the lights made it look so captivating.


    The floor was covered in ss-like tiles, coupled with fluffy beige sofas that looked like furniture in a royal hall. The sofas were designed with beige and dark-green throw pillows, blending perfectly with the brown ss table that had antern-like object on it, alongside flower vases.


    The bar was the core of the energy in this lounge. All the shades of light were beaming over there. It stood proudly with a spiral pole in its center that housed the exotic drinks. The lounge was buzzing with activities, people going about their various businesses, and soft music booming from the speakers.


    I spotted the girls at the far end of the lounge and they broke into loud squeals, once they saw meing their way. I was giggling and twirling like a little kid, directing the attention of the people in the lounge at myself, but I could care less.


    I was excited about seeing my girls!


    ¡°Ash, sweetheart!¡± Dawn¡¯s melodic voice flowed into my ears as she engulfed me in one of her numerous hugs that were always so tight, her fruity scent wafting into my nose. I didn¡¯t mind. I was so happy to see her.


    ¡°I miss you!¡± I cooed, patting her gently on the back. I pulled away from the hug, tilting my head backwards to give her a once-over.


    Like the absolute badass she was, Dawn was d in a Fuschia-pink zer dress that stopped right after her mid-thigh, giving off her long legs that were adorned by ck stiletto heels. Her straight ginger-red hair was pulled to the back in a low sleek ponytail, framing her doe-like makeup with her blue eyes twinkling with mischief.


    Dawn was gorgeous. She knew she was and used it to her advantage. She pulled off the whole boss chic look effortlessly. I wasn¡¯t surprised though. I mean, she worked at one of the biggest oil firms in the country as a top executive.


    ¡°Aw, you look so good!¡± Iplimented her and she flipped her hair sassily, eliciting a giggle from me.


    ¡°Look at all those curves, girl!¡± She squealed, gesturing at my body. I rolled my eyes till theynded on Ivana, who looked like she had been staring at me before I looked her way.


    My lips stretched in a smile and I walked towards her, enveloping her in a hug. Her soft hands came around me in a mild embrace. Ivana gave the softest hugs.


    ¡°How are you?¡± She whispered into my ears and I mumbled a ¡®fine¡¯. She loved casual clothes. A whole lot. In anything, she soughtfort in whatever it is she wore. She donned skinny blue jeans with her flowery chiffon shirt tucked neatly into it and on her feet was a pair of Jordans.


    Sure, she looked simple, but none of her essories came cheap. Ivana rocked her bare face with her wavy hair unpacked. A ck Louis Vuitton sunsses stuck in it. For someone that recently got engaged to the love of her life, she was glowing!


    ¡°It¡¯s so good to see you girls again!¡± I pouted, squeezing their hands in mine. Dawn plopped on the sofa, waving a waiter over to take our orders.


    My eyes wandered around the lounge, taking in every detail.


    ¡°Ash?¡± Dawn called out to me in a questioning tone and I jerked my head in her direction.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You are not wearing the dress you made me pick out for you before I went to bedst night,¡± She divulged and I found myself swallowing some spit.


    Crap!


    Dawn and I did a quick facetime before I went to bedst night. I probed her to help me pick out a dress I was going to wear to work today because I was at a loss for options. I didn¡¯t even know she¡¯d remember.


    I was quiet, wanting to pick out my next words carefully.


    ¡°Oh, It felt tighter than before,¡± I lied, not sparing so much as a nce in Ivana¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Or he told you not to?¡± Ivana deadpanned and I turned to her. She had one of her brows arched at me, a daunting look marrying her features.


    ¡°I swear to God, Ashley, if he made you change the dress before you left for work this morning, I¡¯m fucking that asshole up!¡± Dawn barked and I sighed.


    ¡°Adam didn¡¯t do anything!¡± I snapped at the duo, lying through my teeth. My voice came out harsher than I intended. I was defending him. Again.


    ¡°You are lying, Ashley,¡± Dawn said, point nk. Her unwavering gaze was stern.


    ¡°You are really going to marry a guy who treats you like this?¡± Ivana asked incredulously, her voice dangerously calm. I turned to her, dazed.


    ¡°I love him,¡± I told them and Ivana snorted.


    ¡°Yeah, you do.¡± She mumbled with an eye roll and I red at her.


    ¡°Ashley__¡± Ivana was going to say something but I cut her off.


    ¡°Do not cut her short, Ash. If anyone is going to tell you the truth, it¡¯s us! Adam isn¡¯t worth it! He¡¯s not worth your attention or even half of your time and the most infuriating part is that, deep down, you know this too!¡± Dawn yelled at me and my expression morphed into a deep frown.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are hell-bent on wasting your entire life with this guy! He doesn¡¯t love you___¡± I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I had to cut her off. Her words did nothing but rile me up so badly, keeping me on edge.


    ¡°I won¡¯t sit down here and have you two tear down my boyfriend! I know you girls don¡¯t like him, but can¡¯t you just try to tolerate him for my sake?¡± I choked out a sob.


    ¡°I love him,¡± My voice was drawn into a whisper. I heard Ivana sigh and a scoff escaped Dawn¡¯s lips.


    ¡°Ash___¡± Ivana cut Dawn short.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Dawn. We came here to have fun. Let¡¯s just do that. We haven¡¯t hung out in months, due to how tight our schedule has been. Let¡¯s not spend the day arguing about our love interests, sisters.¡± Ivana chided us.


    I watched as Dawn rolled her eyes.


    ¡°Whatever,¡± She mumbled, crossing her arms on her chest.


    ¡°Dawn, apologize. Now.¡± Ivana ordered.


    ¡°Ash, sweetheart, I am sorry.¡± Dawn sighed, reaching over the table to squeeze my hands. I chuckled and sniffed, nodding my head.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too. I love you, girls.¡± I pouted and the girls giggled.


    ¡°We love you too!¡± They chuckled.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s drink!¡± Ivana squealed. She beckoned the waiter, for the second time toe take our orders.

 3

    JAXON


    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether it¡¯s possible or not. Get it done, Eric. Find him and bring him to me,¡± I paused, dabbing my cigarette onto the ashtray. I could hear his heavy breathing from the other end of the phone, scorched and shredded. I could feel the fear radiating off him in waves through the phone.


    Just the way it should be.


    ¡°If you fail to do this, Eric,¡± I paused, a mirthless chuckle escaped my lips. The pause I left in between my words was solely for one purpose, it was so my words could sink properly into his skull.


    I wanted him to know I meant every word.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you, Eric¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you and drain every ounce of blood that courses through your veins. I¡¯ll set you on fire and watch you burn until there¡¯s nothing left other than your ashes,¡± I growled into the phone, pounding my fists on my table for the umpteenth time.


    I heard his breathing pick up at a faster pace.


    ¡°You can call my bluff, but as you know, I¡¯m a man of my word,¡± I said into the phone, my gaze traveling through therge ss windows in my study, settling on the sparkling blue water of the swimming pool.


    ¡°Do you hear me, Eric?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± He answered, hoarsely, his voice quivering.


    ¡°Now, get to work.¡± That was thest thing I said to him before hanging up. I lifted the phone off my ears and spun around in my swivel chair, setting it on the table. I opened a pack of cigarettes, took out one, and lit it. I took a long drag and puffed out some smoke, dropping my head backwards with my eyes closed.


    A soft knock interrupted my thoughts and my eyes fluttered open instinctively.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I instructed gruffly.


    The door creaked open, and a tall figure stepped in. She had a tray in her hands, containing a ss of water. I furrowed my brows, mentally picking my brains and trying to remember when I requested water.


    Oh.


    About five minutes ago or so.


    ¡°Good evening, boss.¡± She greeted me politely and dropped the tray on the table. Her hands lingered on the tray, her non-existent cleavageing into view. The white shirt she wore pressed firmly against her slim frame, the buttons threatening to pop, due to how tight the shirt was.


    I knew what she was trying to do.


    I chuckled, tapping my fingers on my table.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I inquired, my gaze trained on her. I watched as her face lit up at my question. She twirled her ck hair between her fingers, passing a flirty smile onto me.


    ¡°Cassandra,¡± She answered, purring seductively. My lower lips twitched in a smirk at this action. I held up my index finger, waving her over.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I instructed her, keeping my voice as husky as it could get. Without hesitation, she strutted over to me and I grabbed her by the waist, pulling her onto myp, earning a light squeal from her.


    Her palms dropped to my chest and she seductively bit her lower lip. I shot her a cold smirk and grabbed her by the neck, applying pressure into my grip. I watched as her eyes widened in fear, and muffled screams exited her lips as I tightened my grip around her neck, making it so difficult for her to breathe.


    ¡°The next time you try this again, I¡¯ll put a gun through your head,¡± I growled, choking her. She was coughing violently in my hands, but I didn¡¯t stop.


    ¡°Taken?¡± I asked her and she nodded vigorously. I threw her to the floor by her neck and shended with a loud thud, wincing and coughing violently. She shifted backwards on her butt, her eyes as wide as the size of saucers, fear crippling her.


    ¡°Get out,¡± I uttered coldly. She didn¡¯t waste a second in the office. It was as though she was on fire. She rose to her feet and bolted out of the room. I undid my cuffs and popped a few buttons open, threading my fingers through my already messy hair and a sigh exited my lips.


    My phone beeped and I picked it up. It was a text from Maria.


    Baby sis


    I¡¯m skyping you. Now!


    Just now.


    Before I could even breathe, her call came in. I rolled my eyes and picked it up. Messy ck hair was the first thing that greeted my screen and then, a little bit of rustling. Her green eyes shone brightly, crinkling with utter softness and warmth.


    ¡°Hey, Grumpypants!¡± She grinned cheekily at me.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I smiledzily at her, leaning into my seat.


    ¡°Have you been sleeping?!¡± She cried out, obviously rmed at the bags that adorned the skin under my eyes. I rolled my eyes at how extreme she was getting.


    ¡°I¡¯m alright, Maria,¡± I told her, subtly. She huffed, pouting softly at me. For a girl of twenty-three, she acted like she was twelve. It was so hard to believe that she just had her first child, roughly three months ago. Maria got married to Andrew when she was still in college. That was about two years ago.


    She had said she didn¡¯t see any reason to wait since she had found the person she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. They have practically been best friends their whole lives. Andrew was a good guy and I trusted him with my little sister. I saw no reason not to allow the lovebirds to do what they wanted.


    ¡°You look so lean!¡± She whined dramatically and I couldn¡¯t suppress my chuckles.


    She was such a drama queen.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Maria. You don¡¯t have to worry about me.¡± I assured her in a much gentler tone. Her face, which had morphed in worry lit up, which had me furrowing my brows at her in confusion. I watched as the nanny dropped Xyra in her arms.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡± I asked softly, and she giggled.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s just asleep. A, are you worried about your niece?¡± She teased me and I scowled at her. She was so small, d in a pink onesie and a matching hair band to secure her curly hair in ce.


    The sight of her was enough to tug at my heartstrings. She was so beautiful.


    Maria rocked her gently in her arms.


    ¡°Ugh, you¡¯d do anything for her! You should see the way you are looking at her right now!¡± Maria gushed and I felt my cheeks turn red in embarrassment. She wasn¡¯t lying. Xyra had me wrapped around her pinkie.


    ¡°You are a handful, Maria.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°I just wanted to check up on you. Are you okay, though?¡± She asked, her voice filled with concern.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I answered curtly. She watched me with a calctive gaze for a while before nodding her head. Not because she believed me. She didn¡¯t. But, she didn¡¯t want to press further.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Take care of yourself, Jax. I love you.¡± She smiled at me and I hung up. I threw my phone carelessly on a stack of papers, sinking into my chair afterwards.


    I love you too, Maria.

 4

    ASHLEY


    Home.


    The one ce I got to be truly happy. Where I got to be more of myself and bond with some of the most important people in my life. It was a habitual thing for me to go home every weekend. Although I missed thest one, I knew there was no way in hell I was going to miss this one.


    A sudden wave of nostalgia hit me, once I pulled over in the driveway that led to the cute bungalow I grew up in. I squealed to myself like a little girl, hopping out of my car. The neighborhood was quiet with very few people roaming around and going about their normal routine.


    I rang the doorbell twice and waited for a response, tapping my foot on the doormat impatiently. The door creaked open and an unfamiliar face came into view. One of my brows tugged up at the petitedy, instinctively, earning a warm smile from her.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Julia. You must be Ashley.¡± She introduced herself, extending her hands forth, for a handshake. I slipped my hand into her waiting ones, giving her a confused smile.


    ¡°Hi, Julia. Where___¡± I paused, recognition dawning on me. A soft chuckle rolled off my mouth and I palmed my face. Thest time I was around, mom and dad had told me they were nning to get a house help that could help look after the house whenever they went about their various businesses.


    Mom owns a cafe that is just about a ten-minute drive from the house and dad runs an auto-mechanic workshop.  They tend to get swamped with work at times, so this was theirst resort.


    ¡°The help? God, I¡¯m so sorry. I haven¡¯t been aroundtely, that¡¯s the reason I couldn¡¯t ce your face.¡± I told her and she nodded with a warm smile, stepping aside so I could go in, but I refused. I couldn¡¯t stay.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll just go over to the Cafe to check on them. Dad¡¯s at the Cafe too, right?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Yes, yes. They are at the Cafe. It¡¯s so nice to meet you, Ashley.¡± She smiled at me and I cooed. She was really pretty with this shoulder-length ck hair and grey eyes.


    ¡°Thank you, Julia. I¡¯ll leave now.¡± I bade her farewell and got into my car, driving down to the Cafe.


    The appealing smell of coffee beans and milk assaulted my nostrils, sending a wave of satisfaction to wash over me the minute I set foot into my mom¡¯s Cafe. There was one thing I loved about this ce. It was the liveliness. This ce was always buzzing with activities, twenty-four/seven. It was by far the busiest cafe in town.


    And as proud as I was to unt that title, it didn¡¯te without a price. I remembered how hard it was for my parents to make things work out with the Cafe when I was growing up. The sleepless nights, the loans, and the days they were absent. It was no child¡¯s y. But then, I was d that it was finally paying off.


    I barely got the chance to process my thoughts when I got swept off my feet by strong arms I knew belonged to one of the important men in my life.


    My dad.


    His sonorous, deep chuckles flowed into my ears, reverberating across its walls. I squealed and giggled in his arms as he spun me around like a little girl, creating a scene in the cafe. I didn¡¯t care! I was a daddy¡¯s girl!


    ¡°Daddy!¡± I shrieked, filled with the excitement that threatened to overwhelm me.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t my princess!¡± He dropped me onto the ground, gently and his face came into my view. Dad looked like he hadn¡¯t aged a day over forty! He had beautiful salt and pepper hair and honey-brown eyes that looked just like mine. He was d in ck cks and a cream shirt to go with it, alongside some wet looks.


    I threw myself in his arms again and I heard him sigh in satisfaction.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± I told him quietly.


    We soon pulled away from the hug, and his honey-brown eyes stared down at me, crinkling with warmth and admiration. Dad was tall. Almost six feet.


    ¡°I missed you too, princess. Come,e, let¡¯s go meet your mom in the kitchen.¡± Hetched his strong arms onto mine, pulling me gently along with him as we approached the kitchen.


    I exchanged a few heys and hello¡¯s with the workers.


    ¡°Carmen! Get the cups to the counter!¡± I heard my mom yell. I instinctively knew the action was going to be apanied by an eye roll. Typical mom.


    A warm smile spread across her face as her gazended on me.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I grinned cheekily and stepped into her outstretched arms. She patted me gently on the back, pressing a soft kiss on my hair.


    ¡°Honey, it¡¯s so good to see you,¡± Her wide smile was contagious. I found myself smiling back at her. Dad dropped a dainty kiss on her lips and she giggled.


    ¡°I¡¯m right outside, sweetheart.¡± He said to me and I nodded and watched as he stepped out of the busy kitchen.


    Mom and I left the kitchen almost immediately. She pulled her hair off her hair, allowing her voluminous brown wavy hair to drop down her shoulders. For a second there, it felt like I was staring at myself in the mirror. The only difference was that she was a lot slimmer than I was and her eyes were a darker shade of brown.


    I looked so much like her.


    ¡°Honey, we were expecting youst weekend¡­¡± She trailed off, pushing the door that led to her office open. I slumped on the couch, a loud groan exiting my lips.


    She was awfully quiet. I averted my gaze from themp that was on the table in her office, my eyes dropping to her frame that leaned lightly on it, her arms folded across her chest and her brow raised at me in a questioning manner.


    ¡°Work,¡± I mumbled, shrugging casually. I kept my tone as subtle as I could, not wanting to give anything off.


    ¡°You sounded like you were going toe and then the next thing, you sent a text that you had something urgent you wanted to attend to,¡± She paused and moved away from her table, plopping down beside me on the couch.


    Her facial expression contorted in a motherly gaze. Her brows knitted in worry, earning an eye roll from me.


    ¡°Were you lying to me?¡± She whispered and I turned pale at the words that left her mouth. I shifted in my seat, blinking softly. My fingers came up to my ear, tucking my hair behind it.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying to you, mom.¡± I choked out in exasperation.


    Something came up with Adam that weekend. Adam had always told me to always inform him of my ns before I went anywhere and then, work at the office was hectic that week, so it slipped my mind to talk to him about it. By the time I did, he strictly told me not to go.


    But he knows you visit your parents every weekend. That obnoxious little voice in my head scoffed.


    I didn¡¯t want to argue with him.


    I didn¡¯t want to fight with him.


    I knew arguing with Adam always provoked him.


    She scoffed in disbelief, falling back onto the chair.


    ¡°I knew it,¡± she deadpanned. I jerked my head in her direction, staring at her with my eyes that threatened to pop out of their sockets.


    ¡°I knew you were lying! Ernest just didn¡¯t want me to probe you about the whole thing, that was the reason I let it go.¡± She threw her hands in the air and my lips set in a thin line, a grimace overtaking my features.


    I opened my mouth to speak but her next words robbed me of my speech.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Did he tell you not to see us too?¡± She asked with a grim look on her face.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I snapped at her and her expression morphed into a frown.


    I was tired.


    I was done.


    I have had it up to here. I was twenty-four for goodness sake. I was an adult. I knew what I wanted and what I didn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t want anyone meddling in my business and my rtionship. It was so irritating when they tried to tell me what to do.


    Adam was an amazing guy!


    I didn¡¯t know why it was so hard for them to see it.


    Who verbally abuses you and disrespects you?


    ¡°Adam didn¡¯t do anything, mom. Why do you even hate him so much? What did he ever do to you? You, Dawn, and Ivanna! Why can¡¯t you guys understand that I love him? Why!¡± I cried out, rising to my feet.


    I was a fuming mess.


    She just sat there and watched me as if I had just lost my mind.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Ashley?!¡± She shouted at me, fury shing in her dark brown eyes.


    ¡°What hase over you?!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand how you are so blind to see how toxic this rtionship is. It¡¯s unhealthy for crying out loud! Did you see the way he treated you thest time he came over to the house?¡± She scoffed out a humorless chuckle with a light shake of her head.


    I knew it.


    I knew she was going to refer back to it.


    Was there anything wrong with my boyfriend reprimanding me in a public gathering?


    ¡°He apologized, mom!¡± I scowled at her, folding my arms across my chest. She opened her mouth to speak, but it felt as though she didn¡¯t know how to convey her words. It remained slightly ajar as she stared at me, looking so dazed and appalled.


    Like she was at a loss for words.


    ¡°You are making a mistake, Ashley.¡± She reproached me.


    ¡°You know what, I¡¯m done here. I thought I wasing over for some family time and guess what I got, my mother criticizing my choice of man,¡± Iughed sardonically.


    ¡°Ash__¡± I didn¡¯t allow her to speak and I stormed out of her office, ignoring her incessant calls.


    Dad was waiting by an empty table, when I got out, his eyes skimming through a magazine with a cup of coffee in front of him. He looked up from his magazine and he frowned lightly at the sullen look on my face.


    I was irritated and provoked to the core.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, Dad.¡± My voice came out harsher than I intended, but I cared less. I just wanted to get out of this ce.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He asked calmly and I snorted.


    ¡°Well, your wife doesn¡¯t want me here!¡± I huffed, puffing out my cheeks.


    ¡°Princess__¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Dad.¡± That was thest thing I said before walking out on him. I pushed the ss doors open and stormed into my car, mming the door shut with a loud bang.


    This was a mistake!

 5

    ASHLEY


    ¡°You are so ipetent!¡±


    Genevieve snarled, her strident voice booming across her office, wanting to bring the whole building to its feet. Her words pped me in the face, giving me a mental whish.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I shifted my weight on my other foot, looking down at my feet like they had something interesting going on. My hands fell limp at my sides, balling into fists. The throbbing ache that wed at my abdomen made me dizzy with pain.


    ¡°Look at me whenever I¡¯m speaking to you!¡± She bellowed and I jolted upright, wanting to shrink into a ball underneath her searing gaze. Her pitch-ck orbs were narrowing slits at me, her jaw clenched tightly with the veins in her neck looking like they wanted to pop out.


    ¡°What exactly are you being paid for in thispany!? To sit in your wretched office and sip coffee all day?¡± She scowled at me and her frown deepened, even more.


    ¡°And do nothing all day! God, I¡¯m so sick of you! How long is it going to take you to fix meetings and draft out a new schedule as I requested this morning?¡± Her loud voice had reduced, but it still bore some hostility to it.


    My teeth mped down on my bottom lip, digging into it mercilessly. I was almost drawing blood out of it. She shot me a menacing look and rolled her eyes, hard. I bit back a response, shutting my eyes closed.


    I was tired.


    I was angry.


    I was frustrated.


    But then, all these amounted to nothing before Genevieve. She couldn¡¯t give a flying pdoodle about how and what I felt. This woman was one of the cruelest humans I had evere across. She was brutal and didn¡¯t care who she hurt with the words that left her mouth.


    All she cared about was getting the job done.


    You could be dying and she wouldn¡¯t even bat an eysh. I mean, she should give me a break here. I wasn¡¯tzy. I was trying my best. I couldn¡¯t act like the robot she was asking me to. That was so unfair!


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Gen. I¡¯m almost done with it.¡± My voice was surprisingly calm when I spoke up. She grimaced and gave a dismissive wave.


    ¡°I want them done before the end of today. Do not test me, Ashley.¡± She warned, her tone reeking of threats that I knew woulde to pass if I failed to do as she said.


    The sharp pain that wed at my abdomen prevented me from speaking further, so I resorted to nodding my head in response.


    ¡°Leave,¡± She dismissed me, coldly.


    I didn¡¯t waste a second in her toxic presence. I left her office.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± The familiar voice that often sounded like a screech in my ears called out to me. I whisked my head to where she stood by her cubicle, with some other female staff. The outrageous makeover on her face was almost blinding. The bright pink matte lipstick on her lips looked awful.


    Maxine was gorgeous, but the fact that she was always trying so hard to be everywhere was so annoying! The pale-skinneddy had her ck hair curled in beach waves, her makeup looking overly pronounced, highlighting her amber eyes.


    Her cream zer dress sat pretty on her hourss figure, augmenting her tall frame.


    ¡°Hi, Maxine,¡± I shed a faux smile at her once I got to her.


    Gah! Cramps are awful!


    ¡°Hey, Ash! How are you? You look so good today!¡± There was something about Maxine, that no matter how she tries to hide it. It was still there. Written all over her. It radiated off her in fucking waves!


    Pretense.


    I saw right through her. I have never met someone as vain as she was.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Maxine.¡± I sighed tiredly.


    ¡°The girls and I were just talking about how lush your hair looks. Did you get extensions? It¡¯s pretty!¡± She squealed and I fought the urge to roll my eyes.


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t. Maxine, I have a lot of work to attend to right now. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± And with that, I twirled on my heels and left her presence.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to lie to her, Max. Her hair looks so unkempt.¡± They giggled amongst themselves, once I was out of earshot.


    Fucking kids.     ¡°Ashley,¡±


    The cone of ice cream in my hands dropped to the floor with a soft thud. I cussed internally. I didn¡¯t know what kept me on such an edge today. I was being extra jumpy. I looked down at the stain on my shirt and sighed. I turned around, my gaze settling on Noah¡¯s tall frame.


    I chuckled, nervously.


    His hands were tucked in the pocket of his cream cks that he paired with a white shirt and a dark brown sweater. His curly blonde hair was falling over his face, his sses perched on the bridge of his nose, and his brown eyes gleamed with worry as he gave me a once-over.


    ¡°Hey, Noah!¡± I chirped in a tune that didn¡¯t in any way belong to me. It wasn¡¯t until I spoke up that I realized how high-pitched and fake I sounded.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ashley. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. Let me get you one.¡± He rapped out all in one breath, earning a smile and a dismissive wave from me.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Noah. It¡¯s fine.¡± I assured him.


    He exhaled, his tensed shoulders slumping in relief.


    My legs were starting to ache, so I took my seat on the nearest chair and he did the same, grinning cheekily at me.


    Noah worked here as thepany¡¯s photographer. He resumed about six months ago or so. He was quite the skilled photographer and had the nicest personality. He was warm, friendly, and down to earth. The guy looked like he had no bone of unfriendliness in him, nor the capacity to hate.


    He was the closest thing I had to a friend in the office. However, he didn¡¯t see me as just a friend. I wasn¡¯t blind. I knew he saw me as something more. It was written all over him, besides, he came clean about his feelings two months ago, but I turned him down.


    I had someone in my life.


    It seemed like all I had been telling him fell on deaf ears. That didn¡¯t deter him from trying so hard to make me see reasons to be with him. The guy was amazing, but I didn¡¯t want him.


    ¡°How are you keeping up with Gen?¡± Hisst word came out in a whisper and I giggled, tucking my hair behind my ear.


    To some extent, Noah could unarguably rte to her brutality and scorn. He was always at the receiving end of her anger, most times.


    ¡°I¡¯m still breathing. I guess that counts for something.¡± I snorted, earning a chuckle from him. His eyes lingered on my face for a bit and his lips twitched in a smile, causing me to swallow and look away.


    An awkward silence ensued between us, hanging in the air. He broke the silence by clearing his throat. I took a cursory nce at him and forced a smile.


    ¡°Um¡­ so, do you wanna have dinner with me?¡± He asked, unabashedly. His eyes were simply fixated on me, watching my every move.


    I was quiet, making a mental debate.


    Noah was a nice guy but I was tired of hurting him this way. I didn¡¯t like repeating myself to him every time. An irritated sigh left my lips.


    ¡°No, Noah. I can¡¯t.¡± I shook my head and the smile on his face fell.


    ¡°Ashley__¡± He tried to speak.


    ¡°And, stop trying so hard. It¡¯s ufortable.¡± I told him and got off my seat, walking out on him.


    I was harsh, yes but it had to be done.

 6

    ASHLEY


    The microwave beeped, signaling that the pizza I was heating up was ready. I jumped down from the kitchen counter, humming as I typed away on my phone, taking a sip from my ss of red wine. I was starving. I turned it off and brought out the container, wincing at how hot it was.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± I cried, dropping it on the counter with a thud. I opened the tap and rinsed the affected finger, sucking it off a little. I downed the remaining wine at a go, setting the cup on the counter. I opened the container and took arge bite from the pizza, moaning in satisfaction.


    ¡°Babe!¡± Adam called out to me.


    ¡°In the kitchen, honey!¡± I said through a mouthful of pizza. His footsteps drew nearer and he stepped into the kitchen, pushing his hoodie off his head, revealing his red-rimmed eyes. I furrowed my brows at him and dropped my pizza, walking over to meet him.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± I asked quietly and he nodded with a smile. He opened his mouth to speak, the pungent smell of alcohol was all over his breath, leaving me infuriated.


    ¡°Adam,¡± I whispered. He pulled me close by the waist, nuzzling his head into the hollow of my neck. I tried to pry my way out of his grip but he was stronger than me.


    ¡°You are drunk,¡± I stated matter-of-factly.


    ¡°I had a few drinks with my friends.¡± He huped, kissing my neck. He detached his lips from my neck and his eyes dropped to my exposed cleavage, roving my body with a hungry gaze.


    ¡°You look hot,¡± He mumbled, referring to the pink cotton two-piece I was d in. A spaghetti top and a pair of shorts. It waste already. I was going to go to bed after eating.


    ¡°Adam, you promised me you weren¡¯t going to drink again.¡± I frowned, toying with the ropes of his hoodie.


    He ignored me and dipped his head lower, caressing my neck with kisses. His hands that rested on the small of my back pulled me impossibly closer to himself, squeezing my waist roughly. I sighed, tilting my head to the side to grant him more ess to my neck.


    He crashed his lips on mine, kissing me hungrily. I opened up to him, reciprocating his action and trying to keep up with his unusually fast pace. He hoisted me up and my legs instinctively wrapped around his waist.


    I didn¡¯t know how we got to the room, but the next thing I felt was my back hitting the pillow.


    ¡°Adam,¡± I called, panting softly.


    He shrugged his hoodie off his body and kept me from talking further by cing his lips on mine. My palm massaged the back of his head, working its way through his scalp, eliciting a guttural groan from him.


    ¡°Adam,¡± I called again, squirming a little.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He pulled my top off, causing my boobs to bounce softly. His brown orbs darkened with lust at the sight of my perky breasts. He palmed one of the duo, kneading them softly. I shuddered in his arms, goosebumps pricking my skin as he twirled a sensitive bud between his fingers.


    I whimpered.


    ¡°Fuck, you are so beautiful,¡± He kissed me again and this time, it was so rough. I tried to keep up with his pace but I was failing, miserably.


    ¡°Adam,¡± I called, breathing heavily.


    ¡°Hm?¡± He answered gruffly, toying with the waistband of my shorts.


    ¡°I¡¯m on my period,¡± I whispered, shutting my eyes because I knew what wasing. His hands stilled on the waistband of my shorts, an irritated sigh escaping his lips. He got off the bed and went straight into the bathroom, mming the door shut with a bang.


    I flinched.


    I ran my fingers through my messy hair, sighing softly. I clutched the covers tightly to my body, my eyes darting to the door that led to the bathroom, with each passing second as I waited for him toe out.


    The coldness that radiated off him as he stepped out and the tension that had settled in the room had me swallowing the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth. He paid no attention to me and headed straight for his working desk. He sat down and opened hisptop, cing his sses on his face, and then he started typing.


    He ignored the fuck out of me.


    I wore my top quickly and got off the bed, fiddling with my fingers. I stopped once I was behind him and took a long, deep breath to steady my shaky hands. I dropped my palms on his und shoulders, massaging them softly.


    ¡°Babe, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± I trailed off, gulping.


    ¡°For?¡± He asked, sarcasm dripping off his tone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to leave you hanging. I tried to tell you that I was on my period but you weren¡¯t listening. Look__¡± He butted in.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry. What was I supposed to do when you were hanging around the kitchen, looking like a fucking seductress!¡± He bellowed harshly.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Are you fucking someone else?¡± His hands paused on the keypads of hisptop and he turned around in his seat, to face me. His words had my breath knocked out of me, making me veer backwards in shock, without being shoved by anything.


    I was rendered speechless and immobilized.


    I just stood there and watched him horrifically.


    ¡°What?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You heard me, Ashley. Do not make me repeat myself. Are you sleeping with someone?¡± He queried, arching one his brows at me, his voice dangerously calm.


    ¡°Who the fuck is he?!¡± He was seething with anger, fury shing in his eyes and dimming the brightness his brown eyes had always possessed. He got up from his seat, taking long strides toward me.


    I took cautious steps backwards, which caused me to drop on the bed with a thud. I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart pummeled against my chest, thumping and thrashing wildly, wanting to burst out of my chest.


    My eyes watered, leaving me paralyzed with fear that wanted to consume me.


    His cold eyes bore into mine, through his sses.


    ¡°Answer me! You bitch!¡± He growled and my palms came over my lips, mping down on them in shock as I shook my head sideways, vigorously in response.


    ¡°Use your fucking words!¡± He snarled.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sleeping with anyone! I have never slept with anyone, Adam and you know it!¡± I didn¡¯t know where I got the audaciousness from, but I was yelling back at him.


    ¡°DO NOT RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME!¡± His loud voice resonated through the entire room, a chilling cold settling into the room. I couldn¡¯t find my voice, no matter how hard I tried to talk back at him.


    ¡°What did I say about raising your voice at me, Ashley?¡± He questioned, his voice drawn into a menacing tone. He prowled forward, tilting my head to meet his eyes with his index finger.


    Every ounce of warmth and softness hadpletely drained out of it, leaving only a shell of coldness and something that was much darker, an emotion I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°You do not like it,¡± I muttered, answering without hesitation and looking down at my hands. A growl left his lips and he turned to his working desk, kicking the table off with his foot.


    ¡°Look at me, whenever I¡¯m speaking to you!¡±  He ordered and I snapped my head up to meet his gaze with tears streaming down my face uncontrobly.


    ¡°You do not want to be with me, are you? You think I¡¯m so controlling and abusive, don¡¯t you? Or do you think I¡¯m not man enough to take you if I knock you up? Is that it?¡± He asked, cocking his brow at me. A sardonicughter left his mouth.


    ¡°No, no,¡± I countered, stood up, and walked over to meet him, grabbing his hands gently. I cupped his face passionately, peering at home through my wetshes.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, isn¡¯t it?¡± He pressed on further and I shook my head, choking on my sob.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true, Adam. I love you. I love you so much and I really want to be with you. All I¡¯m asking is that you give me more time. That¡¯s all. I just¡­ I just¡­¡± I stuttered, struggling to keep my tears at bay.


    ¡°Liar!¡± He spat and his palm met with my cheek, which sent me flying backwards. My legs gave me away and I dropped to the floor, hot tears spilling from my eyes.


    ¡°You twat,¡±


    ¡°I have been with you, through thick and thin. I have been there for you. I have been a good boyfriend to you for as long as I can remember. I have been the only one who stuck around, the only constant thing in your pathetic life!¡± He scoffed, taking slow steps towards me.


    I let out a strangled sob, writhing in pain on the floor where I was.


    ¡°And then, this one thing that I ask from you, you won¡¯t allow me to have it!¡± He bellowed. He picked me up like a rag doll, fisting a handful of my hair in his hands. I let out an agonizing scream as he tugged at it painfully.


    He chuckled, kissing my neck.


    My breathing had reduced to a scorched mess. My vision had turned so blurry, I could barely make out a thing any longer.


    ¡°Please,¡± I croaked.


    He hit me on my face, again and I screamed.


    ¡°Adam, please,¡± I cried.


    ¡°I own you, Ashley and I¡¯ll do whatever it is that I want with you and your body. You belong to me. No one else!¡± He growled at me, grabbing my jaws roughly.


    I watched in sheer horror, unable to recognize the man before me.


    He threw me to the floor and walked away from me. I took that as my cue and gathered all my strength, getting off the floor. I dashed out of the room.


    ¡°Ashley, Get back here!¡±


    I ran. I ran as fast as I could, bolting out of the house, into the night.

 7

    ASHLEY


    I was lost.


    I was drowning.


    I was falling apart.


    I could feel my whole life shattering into pieces right before my own eyes and I had no control over it. It was breaking me. It was ruining me, leaving me just a shell of myself. It felt as though I had been wearing a mask for as long as I could remember and I barely knew who I was without it anymore.


    Stress-cleaning.


    That was the only thing I had left.


    It was the only thing I had control over and I¡¯d be damned if I ever let it slip away from me. I was ready to hold on to it for as long as I could. Because not holding on to it meant giving in to my thoughts. The same thoughts that have rendered me a shadow of myself.


    Giving it a chance to let it absorb me meant thinking about what has gone down this past week. It meant thinking about how I hadpletely isted myself from everything. It meant thinking about what he did to me.


    It has haunted me and given me several sleepless nights. I had cried my eyes out until there was nothing left in my tear ducts anymore. I was exhausted. I was at a loss for options and I didn¡¯t know how to go about it.


    After the whole thing, I snuck into his house when I knew he wasn¡¯t going to be around and took some of the things that I could take, and fled for my life. I didn¡¯t even want to think about how I had been absent from work for nearly a week and what it meant for me. I switched off my phone because I didn¡¯t want to take any calls from anyone.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to talk about anything.


    I just wanted to be rid of everything that was connected to him.


    I cast a wistful nce at the sparkling tiles of my living room that stared back at me, my eyes burned with tears that wanted to spill, but I kept holding them back. I didn¡¯t want to do this again. I had lost count of the times I cleaned this floor today.


    I just wanted something that made me feel sane. Something that didn¡¯t make me question my entire existence.


    ¡°Ashley, you better be in there!¡± The shrill voice that belonged to a certain blue eyed girl called out to me through the door, piercing through my thoughts and yanking me out of oblivion.


    ¡°Open the door, Ash or we are kicking the door open!¡± Ivana hollered.


    I blinked, picking up the bowl and dashing into the bathroom to dispose of the water. I tore thetex gloves off my fingers and dumped them in the bin, checking myself out in the mirror. I wiped my tears quickly and sniffed, stepping out of the room.


    I took a deep breath before opening the door. I didn¡¯t spare so much as a nce in their direction. I merely turned on my heels and headed for my room. I got into bed and pulled the covers over my body.


    The white cover was soon yanked off my body by an angry Dawn, who was ring intently at me. Ivana had a nk expression on her face, making her so difficult to read.


    ¡°What the hell is wrong with you?!¡± Dawn screamed at me and I flinched, getting teary-eyed again. Ivana¡¯s hands rested on my body and she ran them over my arm soothingly, sending Dawn a soft nce, which caused her to sigh.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ivana questioned.


    I sat up and pulled my legs to my chest, hugging them.


    ¡°Adam and I¡­ fought.¡± I croaked, tugging at the hem of my sweatshirt. I heard Dawn gasp before settling onto the bed. She took a cursory nce at me and gathered me in her arms. It was as though I had been expecting the embrace all day. I broke down, sobbing like a baby.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, sweetheart. Let it all out,¡± Ivana urged, running her fingers through my mess of hair. The girls were quiet. They allowed me to bawl my eyes out and didn¡¯t say anything to me, because I didn¡¯t need them to.


    I just wanted to cry my eyes out.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry,¡± I huped, moving away from Dawn. I dropped my head to my palms, sniffing loudly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± I frowned, fisting my sweatshirt in my hands. The girls shook their heads and chuckled. I was d they didn¡¯t push it. I didn¡¯t want to tell them that he hit me. Adam was an amazing guy. He just had a bad temper. I didn¡¯t want them to get mad at him.


    ¡°I know a thing or two that could help you get your mind off it,¡± Dawn spoke up, grinning cheekily. Ivana and I turned to look at her, appalled. She rolled her eyes and raised her hands in mock surrender.


    ¡°What? It was just a suggestion.¡± She huffed like a kid and I giggled.


    ¡°Fine, spill!¡± Ivana rolled her eyes.


    ¡°There¡¯s a party at Gray¡¯s Lounge tonight!¡± She squealed, swaying her body with a contagious grin that made her look like a doll.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Ivana groaned.


    ¡°We are only going to go if Ash is up for it.¡± Ivanna quickly added. I went mute for a while, weighing the odds in my head.


    I could stay at home and wallow in sadness or, I could go out for the night and party my ass off.


    ¡°Or you could stay here and wait till Adames to apologize,¡± The duo chorused, snorting. My face scrunched in a disapproving frown, a low hiss escaped my lips.


    ¡°I¡¯m not his puppet!¡± I growled.


    ¡°Fine, let¡¯s do this,¡± I said with a determined look on my face, eliciting a loud squeal from the duo.


    What could go wrong? It was just a party, right?


    A lot could go wrong. If I knew that, I probably would have stayed indoors and not attended a party that changed everything for me.

 9

    JAXON


    Have you ever had to look at someone for so long, in the eyes, and then feel this unfamiliar sense of contentment, peace, and a subtle wave of calmness wash over you? Evoking and inciting such powerful emotions that you have managed to bury deep down inside of you, bolting the door on it.


    It was strange.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I was so ufortable, yet I found myself wanting it.


    It was different but in a good way.


    I have met gorgeous women. Heck, I have had my fair share of them, but then, I have walked this earth for nearly thirty years, and never have I had to see a woman thatpletely knocked the breath out of me, rendering me overly speechless.


    I was a man of action. I do not stutter. I do not get to be at a loss for words. What was going on with me? I was the devil in human form. I was ruthless. I had no heart, but what was this thing that kept pricking at my heart, tugging at its strings?


    I came to the lounge in the hope of some alone time, some time to myself. I could use some reflection. Then, I saw her. I had watched her through the camera that was in here, for the five minutes she stood outside, arguing with my bodyguards.


    I was intrigued.


    She was small-framed yet adorable. Her aura was so distinct, yet captivating. She was simple, yet ssy. She was reserved but dauntless. And then, she walked into this room, stealing all that was left of my breath in a way, in that sinfully short peach dress that did nothing but drive me to the edge.


    I had spent thest minutes fantasizing about if she was wearing panties underneath the dress and the fact that other men must have seen her in this dress all day, didn¡¯t sit well with me. It had fury coursing through the blood that flowed through my veins.


    It left me blind with rage!


    She was slim but thick in the hips and had this hourss shape. From the second I set my eyes on her, I had gotten obsessed with her hair. All I wanted to do was run my fingers through the rich, brown goodness that shone brightly under the lights.


    She had it pulled atop her head in a high ponytail, leaving me so frustrated. I wanted to see what it looked like in its full form.


    One nce at her, and I could tell she was a natural. Her doe brown eyes did things to me. The ones I understood and didn¡¯t. They had this undiminishing glow in them that looked like it sparkled without her having to try so hard.


    They were warm, assuring, and filled with utter innocence.


    Those plump lips that I so wanted to run my thumb over left me a hard mess. They were coated in red matte lipstick that had me obsessing over the colour red. I could feel my length throbbing so badly where I had tucked it in.


    She wasn¡¯t a wild beauty. She had the softest yet ethereal and enchanting beauty that portrayed her as a seductress that walked into a room, totally unaware of the unwavering attention she got.


    She had sessfully plunged me into a trance with those hypnotic honey-brown orbs of hers as she stared at me, raking her eyes through my frame.


    ¡°Hello, Peach,¡± I spoke up when I finally found my voice.


    I heard her gasp, eliciting a soft chuckle from me. She appeared lost, scared even, leaving a twinge of sadness to tug at my heart. Was she scared of me?


    ¡°I would never hurt you, Peach.¡± I didn¡¯t know what prompted me to speak up, but I was d that I did because I saw her tense features rx as those words left my mouth.


    She finally left the spot she had been standing in since she stepped into the room. She strutted forward and stopped at my desk, looking up at me through hershes. I saw her sweep her tongue over her bottom lips, chewing on them softly, eliciting a groan from me.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you going to offer me a drink?¡± Her voice was silvery like it was coated in maple syrup, sounding so small like that of a child with trails of seduction hanging in it.


    My lips twitched in a smirk, and I got up from my seat, striding forward. I leaned on the desk with my arms crossed on my chest. I was thoroughly amused at the sight of her.


    ¡°Whoa, you are so tall!¡± She giggled, and her palm left the desk, but then it hung in the air, and her features morphed in doubt. She wasn¡¯t sure whether she could touch me or not, and then gently, I grabbed her hand and heard her gasp. It was so electrifying, and for a second there, I could feel sparks coursing through the veins around my hands, leaving a burning sensation at the tips of my fingers.


    I ced her palm on my chest, which was starting to pummel wildly, wanting to burst out of my chest. My heartbeat picked up at a much faster pace.


    ¡°Your heartbeat¡­¡± She trailed off, blinking.


    I knew I wasn¡¯t thinking anymore.


    I had lost it at the sight of her when she set foot into this room. One of my hands found its way to the small of her back, pulling her close to stand in between my legs.


    And God, she fit perfectly in my arms like she was meant to be there.


    She had the smallest waist.


    Her ck manicured fingers brushed my bare chest, and I sucked in a breath, tingles shooting through my spine and leaving me a dizzy mess.


    I squeezed her waist gently.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± I whispered, almost teary-eyed at the sight of the masterpiece in front of me. I knew no one was perfect, but she was perfect in my eyes.


    She was so beautiful that it hurt to even look at her for so long.


    ¡°You think I am?¡± She couldn¡¯t hide her surprise. I saw it sh through those honey-brown orbs.


    ¡°I know you are,¡± I pulled her impossibly closer.


    ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± She asked me, and a chortle left my lips. My index finger grazed her jaw, tilting her head to meet mine. The warmth that swirled in her eyes made my heart swell.


    ¡°You don¡¯t even have to ask, Peach.¡± That was thest thing I said to her before connecting our lips.

 10

    Jaxon


    For as long as I can remember, I have always underrated fictional movies and books, but this right here changed my opinion about it. It¡¯s been stated that a kiss with someone you feel connected to makes you feel like you are floating in the air. Like you were on top of the world.


    Fireworks, goosebumps, and butterflies.


    They erupted in the pit of my stomach, blowing up and wreaking havoc in me from within.


    Her lips moved so slowly against mine, allowing me to taste the vodka on them. My hands moved up and down her back, my skin prickling with goosebumps. She tugged at my lips softly, nibbling on my lower lip, and a soft moan escaped her lips, eliciting a low grunt from me.


    I couldn¡¯tprehend how just a sound from her could leave me this hard.


    Her hands moved up to my neck, and she ced a palm on my nape. Her fingers found their way into my hair, grazing my scalp. I hoisted her up, and she wrapped her legs around me while I moved us away from the desk to afortable surface. The bed.


    I dropped her on the bed, standing on fours and gazing down at her as she stared at me, blinking asionally and breathing heavily. My fingers went into her hair, and she raised her head, so I¡¯d remove the band that was holding it together.


    The mass of brown hair dropped down her shoulders, and a light gasp left my mouth.


    ¡°You are so beautiful, Peach,¡± I said in a whisper.


    She pulled me to her level by my neck and kissed me gently. I wrapped my arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. Her fingers worked around my buttons, unbuttoning them as fast as she could. She removed my shirt, leaving her hands all over my body.


    My eyes met hers, passing across a message without my mouth, and she understood, nodding her head lightly. She sat up, and my fingers brushed her bare skin, causing her breath to hitch.


    I unzipped her dress and helped her out of it, leaving her incy ck panties. I was in awe. I was at a loss for words. Her body robbed me of what was left akin to speech in my mouth.


    My eyes roamed every inch of her body and then settled on her face. I frowned, seeing how tense she was, doubt flickering in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around herself.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± She mumbled, her voice quivering. My face morphed into worry, and I cupped her face, wanting her to look me in the eye. She sniffed and turned to me, and her brown eyes were filled with tears. I lowered my eyebrow, squinting my eyes at her as my jaw clenched tightly in anger.


    ¡°Why are you crying, Peach?¡± I questioned, and she shook her head, not wanting to meet my eyes anymore.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about the fat and the stomach rolls. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± She rambled on, and my heart shattered into pieces at the words that left her mouth. I trailed my fingers on her face, down the hollow of her neck, and felt her breath quicken as my fingers brushed her breasts.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± I instructed.


    She shook her head.


    ¡°Peach,¡± I coaxed, and she turned to me.


    ¡°You are by far the most beautiful woman I have ever seen,¡± I muttered warmly, and her mouth hung open in shock.


    ¡°So,¡± I began, leaning into her, my lips brushing her earlobes as I slowly rested her back on the bed. One of her legs instinctively came around my waist, a sigh of satisfaction leaving her lips.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you rx and let me worship you like the Queen that you are?¡± I buried my head in the crook of her neck, and she moaned when my lips met her neck.


    That was her soft spot.


    It was so obvious from how she was squirming underneath me, her breathinging out in short pants. I smiled against her neck, loving the effect I had on her. I showered her neck with feathery kisses, leaving her squirming mess in my arms.


    I cupped one of her boobs in my hands, kneading them softly whilst massaging her nipple with my thumb. She let out a harsh breath, fisting a handful of my hair in her hands. She had full boobs that were overly soft in my hands.


    I detached my lips from her neck, and my gaze dropped to her perky breasts that were adorned with goosebumps, her pinkish nipples standing erect. My eyes met hers, which were clouded with desire, a hint of frustration ying in them.


    I looked down at her body again, my breath hanging in my lungs. Fuck, she was gorgeous! I wanted her to stay like this underneath me all night. Her rich brown hair was sprawled out on the pillow in all its glory, and her honey-brown eyes sparkled with want and other indecipherable emotions under the golden lights that blended perfectly with her wless pale rosy skin.


    Her long thickshes pped and fluttered against each other as she chewed on her lips. She was so beautiful, words just didn¡¯t do justice to her beauty.


    ¡°God, you are beautiful,¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from repeating it for the umpteenth time. I watched as her eyes watered and she choked out a sob. I lowered my head and swiped my thumb across her cheeks, pressing my lips against hers softly.


    She weed the contact, wrapping her arms around my frame. I worked my fingers from her breasts, down to her waist, my hands grazed the waistband of her panties and she shivered in my arms, tightening her hold on my frame.


    I pulled at it, running my hands up and down her V line. She wasn¡¯t wet. She was soaked. Her underwear was dripping with her wetness. It brought me so much pride that my touch made her this wet. I pulled it off her and sniffed it in, drowning in its smell. I tucked it in the pocket of my cks and heard her release a sharp breath.


    I adjusted her legs and stood on all fours, my elbows resting on the bed as I took in the sight of her dripping pussy. The moisty goodness pulsated heavily, causing me to salivate at the thought of eating her out.


    I started from her feet, kissing her legs and working my way upwards, stopping at the corner of her inner thighs.


    I watched as she fisted the sheets in her hands. I breathed softly on it and pressed a gentle kiss to it, eliciting a soft moan from her. Her hands came to the back of my head, dipping my head into her aching core. Itched on to it, sucking her clitoris hungrily like I had been starved for days.


    ¡°Hmm-mm,¡±


    ¡°That feels so good!¡±


    Her soft moans resonated through the walls of my ears, leaving the hair on my nape to stand erect. It drove me crazy, sending me to the utmost edge.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She screamed, digging her fingers into my hair. I let out a low growl, delving my tongue into the corners of my vagina, basking in its moistness.


    Her body trembled heavily in my arms, her knees turned to jelly, a wave of ecstasy washing over her, as her toes curled in pleasure. She arched her back, bucking her hips to meet my head, so she could get more of what I was offering.


    ¡°Oh¡­uh! Right there!¡± She cried, muffled sobs escaping her lips.


    ¡°I think¡­I think I¡¯m going toe,¡± She rapped out all in one breath. I craved her. I craved all of her. I thrust my tongue into her, causing her to throw her head backwards. She convulsed in my arms, soft cries emitted from her lips as she reached her climax.


    I grunted,pping all of her juices up. She moaned softly, her head dropping to her pillow with a soft thud. I moved away from her legs and rested my eyes on hers, breathing heavily.


    She yanked me to herself by the buckle of my cks, undoing my fly.


    ¡°I want you. All of you. Right now.¡± She whispered, peeking at me through hershes.


    Her hair had turned messy, and her lipstick smeared all over her lips. She swept her tongue over her lips, taking them in with her teeth. That simple action left me more turned on than I was.


    I got out of my trousers and dumped them on the floor, alongside my briefs. I leaned over to the drawer and grabbed a condom. I took it out and wore it over my length, leaning downwards to meet her.


    She breathed softly, peering at me.


    Her eyes were clouded with indecipherable emotions, licking her dry lips. I dipped my head in and connected our lips, throwing one of her legs over my shoulder. Then, slowly, I prated.


    A sharp gasp tore through her mouth and she hissed in pain. I furrowed my brows and stopped moving, detaching our lips. Our eyes locked in a stare, her brown eyes brimming with unshed tears.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± I asked softly.


    She hesitated before answering me.


    ¡°I¡­I haven¡¯t done this before,¡±


    When those words left her mouth, my mouth went ajar, my jaw ckening, dropping to the floor. I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. I blinked, unable to wrap my head around what she just said.


    ¡°You are a virgin?¡± The words rolled off my tongue and she nodded, avoiding eye contact with me. My hands gently cupped her face, causing her to spare me a nce.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stop,¡± She stated, matter-of-factly. My forehead creased in worry, but she couldn¡¯t care less. She grabbed me by the back of my head, locking our lips in a fiery kiss.


    I took her hand and inserted my fingers into hers, intertwining our fingers, my gaze fixated on her. She buried her head in the crook of my neck when I began to move slowly, digging her fingers into my skin. I thrust into her, pumping in and out of her slowly, eliciting soft moans from her.


    This wasn¡¯t sex. It was something more intense, akin to bonding. It was a much deeper type of connection with her.


    I wanted her to know that I didn¡¯t just want to sleep with her. I wanted her. I wanted all of her and everything that came with it.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± She groaned when I started hitting her G-spot non-stop. She arched her back, bucking her hips to meet mine as we maintained eye contact, exchanging unsaid words with just our eyes. The ones we understood and didn¡¯t.


    She was so beautiful.


    ¡°You are so tight,¡± I grunted, as my dick clenched tightly around her walls. I dipped my head downwards, my mouth dropping to her chest, enclosing around one of her nipples. She trailed her fingers across every inch of my chest, her eyes burning with want and something more intense.


    She threw her head backwards, a loud moan exiting her lips.


    I increased my pace, mming into her.


    She seemed to want more as she guided me with her palms, her manicured fingers digging into my back I knew would have several wounds the next morning.


    I buried my head into her neck as I neared my climax, sucking and biting on it, leaving my mark everywhere on her body. I wanted to possess her in every way that was humanly possible!


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t stop,¡± She cried, applying pressure on our intertwined fingers.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Never, Peach.¡± That was thest thing I said to her before we hit our climax, screaming pretty hard as I spilled my contents into the condom. Her breath came out in short pants as she grabbed me by my face, kissing me long and hard. She pulled away and fell back onto the pillow, hershes fluttering against one another.


    I pressed a kiss onto her forehead and pulled out of her.


    She appeared exhausted but insanely beautiful.


    I got off the bed and went to dispose of the condom, getting back into bed with her. She snuggled into me immediately, my arms wrapping around her small body.


    ¡°Good night, Peach,¡± I uttered softly and she hummed before drifting into sleep. I watched her, the way her chest rose and fell with each soft breath she took, snoring away softly. I dug my fingers into her hair, massaging her scalp gently.


    I wasn¡¯t sure of anything, but I was sure of this one thing, at least.


    I wanted her. Every bit of her. All of her.

 11

    ASHLEY


    A dull ache settled into the corner of my head, and then, it began pounding heavily, causing me to groan. I turned, snuggling further into my pillow and soft snores emitted from my lips. I tried to open my eyes, but I was failing miserably at it. My eyes wouldn¡¯t stop snapping shut. The moment they fluttered open, I struggled to keep it that way.


    The first thing I could make out through my hazy sight was the white walls of the room, the rays of sunlight shooting directly into my eyes, eliciting an internal wince from me. I didn¡¯t know how long Iid down, trying to recall where I was and how I got here. My brain was nk. I couldn¡¯te up with anything.


    I exhaled, and my eyes zed over to the masculine frame beside me. The seductive smell of a cologne along the line of citrus and berries assaulted my nostrils, rendering me dizzy with the feeling of satisfaction that washed over me.


    It was soft, but I could smell it everywhere. That was what the room smelled like. Every single thing. But, I knew it came directly from him. He was the source of the alluring scent. My eyes swatted to his face, and I froze, my body twice as tense.


    My breath hitched at the sight of his perfectly sculpted face. He had such prominent cheekbones and jawlines that could slice a rock in halves. They appeared delicately beautiful. His eyshes were dark, long, and super thick, aligning with his dark brows and his pointed nose.


    He had the warmest ivory skin for a man.


    His salmon-colored lips were slightly ajar. They were thin and small. I fought the urge to run my fingers over it, leaving heat to pool between my legs. They turned me on. So badly. A lot more than I cared to admit.


    His soft breaths were barely audible. I knew he was deeply asleep. His ck hair was so messy, glowing under the morning sun like it was adorned with diamonds. It was full, lush, and overly soft by the looks of it.


    It was as though I was staring at perfection but in human form.


    The thought of lying here in bed and watching him sleep was beguiling and super tempting. It was a beautiful sight that soothed all my heightened nerves.


    I wanted to stay this way.


    So bad.


    I fell back onto the bed, and the covers shifted off my legs, exposing a great number of my und thighs, dangerously close to my hips. I froze, colour draining out of my face, making me as pale as a ghost!


    What was going on?


    I lifted my shaky hands and squeezed my eyes shut, muttering a word of prayer and desperately hoping it wasn¡¯t what I thought it was. I yanked the covers off my body, and my eyes snapped open, meeting my und body that plunged my brain into a momentary ckout.


    I could feel my soul leave my body, leaving a lifeless shell of myself, right where Iy on the bed. My whole life shed right before my eyes, shattering into a gazillion pieces. My heart thudded heavily, pounding with its full might against my chest, causing fear to crawl up to my spine and leaving me a stupefied mess.


    No, no, no, no!


    No!


    No!


    No! I didn¡¯t sleep with him!


    I couldn¡¯t have been that stupid! I couldn¡¯t have been that gullible and thoughtless! I couldn¡¯t have slept with another man. That was impossible. It¡¯s all just a nightmare. I¡¯m going to close my eyes now, and I¡¯ll wake up in Adam¡¯s arms.


    And slowly, I closed my eyes and took a long drag of my breath, puffing it out with ease. They fluttered open, locking in a stare with my peach dress that was lying a few steps away from which the bed stood, breaking me all over again.


    A strangled sob left my mouth, and I shook my head vehemently, not wanting to believe what was going on. The corner of my eyes stung so badly as I held back my tears, not wanting them to spill, but they did anyway. I pped my palms over my mouth to silence my loud sobs.


    I had sex with another man.


    I let him take my virginity, and I barely even knew him!


    I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned, my brain sending reports of yesternight back to me, hitting me in shes. It was slow and agonizing. The girlsing over to my ce, the party, Grey¡¯s lounge, Vodka___Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I groaned again.


    We danced, and I left to get some air__


    My breath was starting toe out of my short pants. I gripped my hair tightly, wanting to pull them out of my scalps because I deserved it!


    The dark hallway, the bouncers, then I¡­I went in.


    The deep, dark realization hitting me in the face had me sobbing all over again.


    Green eyes¡­


    ¡°Hello, Peach,¡±


    ¡°Whoa, you are so tall__¡±


    ¡°Your heartbeat¡­¡±


    No! No! I don¡¯t want to remember!


    I don¡¯t want to!


    ¡°Can I kiss you?¡±


    ¡°You are so beautiful, Peach__¡±


    God, no. What the hell did I do?


    I was broken. I was irritated with myself. I was disgusted. I was mad at myself.


    ¡°I want you. Right now. All of you.¡±


    I shook my head in denial and sprang up from the bed like I was on fire. I found the bathroom in no time and turned on the shower, screaming aloud underneath the running tap. I grabbed the sponge, scrubbing myself angrily, washing away my dirt, my mess, my infidelity. Washing every lingering touch of his off my body.


    I cried so hard under the shower.


    I was repulsed.


    I slid down the wall and buried my face in my palms, hugging my knees to my chest.


    How was I ever going to face Adam again?


    I sniffed and huped, turning off the shower by its switch. I dried my hair with my towel and patted my body dry. I paddled into the room and didn¡¯t try to find my pantie. I picked up my dress from the floor and slipped it on, grabbing my bag from the couch in the room.


    I was unclean, incapable of Adan¡¯s love anymore. How do I get to exin myself to him? Each moment I spent in this room, memories ofst night kept flooding my head. I couldn¡¯t believe I begged him to make love to me, I was no different from a whorest night and I felt disgusted with myself.


    I choked out a sob and ran out of the room. I didn¡¯t stop to look for my shoes. I took the things that I could find and bolted out of the room.


    Out of his life.


    Never to prevail seen again.

 Chapter 12

    JAXON


    A peaceful sleep.


    Something I haven¡¯t had in years.


    Heck, I have barely slept in months and yet, all it took was to be in the arms of the strange woman I met yesternight. It kept my demons and restlessness at bay. It tamed them, almost like they never even existed. This was the longest I have been in bed for. I could not even remember thest time I slept in my bedroom.


    I had stuck to sleeping in my study for as long as I could remember.


    I finally turned in my sleep, my hands gliding back and forth on the space beside me. A deep frown soon settled on my face and my eyes snapped open, dropping to the space. I sat up, my eyes wandering around the whole room in search of a certain brte.


    My heart fell to the pit of my stomach when she was nowhere to be found. Sadness overwhelmed me, eliciting a soft exhale from me. I knew without a doubt that I had grown helplessly attached to her presence. To her. The only smell I could make was the honey extract that dominated her scent. It drove me to the edge. It drove me nuts, sending my mind haywire.


    The whole room felt nd without her presence, rendering every item useless. Colourless, even. I got off the bed, raking my hands through my hair. I could feel my restlessness building up, brewing in the pit of my stomach. I slid my briefs on and my eyes scoured the room again.


    I walked away from the bed and paddled into the bathroom in search of her. She could be taking her bath. Of course, I knew how stupid that sounds. I just wanted everything. Anything to prove that she didn¡¯t leave. That she didn¡¯t leave me. I was losing it. I was running out of my mind.


    ¡°Peach!¡± I hollered.


    ¡°Peach!¡± I called, again.


    I turned on my heels, almost toppling over my feet. I groaned and looked down at my feet. Her pair of gold heels was staring right back at me. A smile spread across my face and I picked it up, sniffing it, desperately to catch a whiff of her hypnotic scent.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I rushed over to my bed, turning the sheets upside down and her hair band fell off. I couldn¡¯t contain my excitement. It was radiating off me in waves, threatening to swallow me whole. I grabbed my desk phone from the nightstand and dialed the number of thedy at reception.


    ¡°Good morning, boss,¡± She greeted her politely.


    ¡°Get me a few fancy boxes,¡± That was the only thing I said and I hung up on her.


    I fell back onto the bed, her scent invading my nostrils, messing with my senses. It felt as though she was here. Like she was everywhere. I loved the sense offort it brought me.


    I knew I had to find her.


    There was no way in hell that I was going to let her go. I didn¡¯t care if I had to turn the whole world upside down. I didn¡¯t care how much money or other material things it was going to cost me. I didn¡¯t care what I had to do to get her back.


    She was mine.


    All mine.


    She belonged to me. No one else and I was ready to take out any obstacles in my way, to prevent me from being with the one person that managed to keep me sane. To keep me whole. To make me feelplete. I didn¡¯t want to live that life with no colors anymore.


    I wanted her. I wanted all of her.


    A gentle knock at the door had me springing up from where I was. I practically dashed over to the door, pulling it open. My forehead creased in a frown at the sight of one of my workers. I arched one of my brows at her, waiting impatiently for her to state the reason she disrupted my peace, early this morning.


    ¡°Good morning, boss,¡± She greeted me and I rolled my eyes at her. I looked down at her hand and snatched the brown paper bag from her, mming the door in her face. I skidded to the edge of the bed and plopped on it. I tore the paper bag open, pulling out the grey box.


    I separated it and set her shoes in it, alongside her ck hair band. Then, I remembered something. My gaze roamed the room for my trousers and I found them lying on the floor. I dropped the box on the bed and picked it up, dipping my fingers into its pockets.


    I pulled out the ck thong, squeezing the soft material between my fingers and shutting my eyes instinctively.


    ¡°Can I kiss you?¡±


    ¡°I want you. All of you. Right now.¡±


    I could hear her voice in my head, repeatedly. Her soft, smooth, and velvety voice. How badly it turned me on. How hard it left me. I could remember every kiss, every touch, every sound she made as I ran my fingers along every curve of her body. I could remember the look in her eyes when I thrust into her. I could remember every word she uttered.


    I could remember how my body burned with her touch, setting my entire being on fire. A fire I was willing to burn for.


    Every. Single. Word.


    Every little thing about her fascinated me. Her hair, her face, her eyes, her smell. The soft breaths that escaped her lips!


    I dropped the ck material into the box and sealed it shut, then I threw it into the paper bag, sighing softly.


    I stood on my feet and went into the bathroom to take a quick shower. I sauntered into my closet and picked out an outfit that consisted of a crisp white shirt and ck cks. Ipleted the look with a ck vest and zers. I pulled the drawer that housed my watch and knuckle rings open, arraying them on my wrist and fingers, and then I sprayed my cologne.


    I slipped my shoes on and fixed my tie, tucking a white handkerchief into my breast pocket. Ibed my hair and slid colorless shades on, leaving the closet.


    I opened my drawer and tucked two pistols in my waistband. I unlocked my phone and dialed his number. It rang for a few seconds before he picked up.


    ¡°Get the car ready,¡± I ordered.

 Chapter 13

    ASHLEY


    Running.


    That was what I was going to do. That was what I had resorted to. I meant that I was going to run in literal terms. I was going to dabble in distractions, things that took my mind off the recent disaster. I was done wallowing in sadness, and if all I had to do was wear a mask over my actual self if that was what it would take to suppress the pain. To suppress self-loathing. The self-disgust.


    Then, I¡¯d do it.


    After all, that was one thing I was good at doing. Hiding underneath the shell, the perfect shell I have painted for the world to look at. The perfect facade. The one I have worn for years. I was going to hide till it all went away. A big part of me was still hoping it was some dream that I so desperately wanted to wake up from.


    What was the perfect definition of a distraction?


    Work.


    I was going to go to work after two weeks of crying my eyes out. After two weeks of shutting my friends out, Dawn and Ivanna have been blowing up my phone with calls, but I wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind to converse with anyone. My parents included.


    They were here two days ago, banging and yelling at my doorstep, waiting for me to open the door, but I couldn¡¯t. I sat still, on my bed, unable to move a muscle. I wasn¡¯t ready to face them. I wasn¡¯t ready to see the look on their faces when I broke the terrible news of what I had done to them.


    I couldn¡¯t bear it.


    I stared at my reflection in the mirror, stering a fake smile on my face. I let my hair down from its ponytail and worked my brush through the tangled mess. I applied some leave-in conditioner onto it and brushed it backwards, pulling it into a neat, low-sleek bun.


    Then, I got started on my makeup. I applied primer and rubbed it into my pores. I let it run dry before applying my foundation. I applied concealer, light blush, setting powder, and finally some powder to blend everything. I applied a light eyeshadow and fauxshes and brushed it out with some mascara,pleting the look with red lipstick.


    I added a setting spray and took a lingering nce at my face in the mirror.


    I knew I wasn¡¯t this girl.


    But, holding on to this girl was a coping mechanism for me to keep myself from losing it. From facing the truth. It was a way I could deal with my pain without falling apart like I had been doing for weeks.


    I used a pair of gold studs and hooked a matching ne around my neck. My manicured fingers brushed the hickeys on my neck and I let out a shaky breath, gripping the edge of the dresser for support.


    The fucking hickey was still there, staring back at me, mocking me.


    It wasn¡¯t as pronounced as it was for the first few days. It drove me mad when I found it on my neck. I squeezed my eyes shut and sniffed in, looking heavenward to keep the tears from falling off my face.


    ¡°Hello, Peach,¡±


    No¡­


    ¡°I want you. Right now. All of you.¡±


    No!


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t stop¡­¡±


    ¡°No!!¡± I let out an ear-splitting scream, pushing the items on my dresser to the floor. I rose to my feet, staggering a bit as I held my head in my palms, desperate to shut the voices out. It¡¯s been like this for weeks! I couldn¡¯t get his voice out of my head! I could feel my sanity slowly slipping away from me.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    The guilt was eating at me, settling into me and breaking me over and over again. It was so overwhelming. I could barely breathe.


    It was as though my body still remembered every one of his touches. I end up dreaming of him every night, touching me everywhere, whispering sweet words into my ears, and intertwining our hands as he thrusts into me.


    As he stripped me of my virginity.


    I would see him gazing down at me so lovingly.


    I didn¡¯t want to see him anymore!


    I didn¡¯t want to hear his voice anymore!


    I didn¡¯t want to feel his touch on my body as if he were here anymore! But, it was like the more I resisted, the harder it got.


    I nced at the wall clock and wheezed. I left my bedroom and walked into my closet, pulling out a ck zer dress that looked like it had a Basque at the waist, adorned by pleats at the bottom. I paired it with red mules and a matching handbag.


    My make-up was still intact when I checked in the mirror.


    ¡°Just get through the day, Ashley.¡± I reminded myself and picked up my car keys and left the house.


    That was all I had to do.


    Get through the day.     I found a perfect spot in thepany¡¯s parking lot and pulled over, turning off the engine. I adjusted my rearview mirror and assessed myself, then I took a deep breath before stepping out of the car. The car beeped once I locked it with the buttons on my key.


    I could feel the eyes of the workers boring holes into my body the minute I stepped into the reception. Their unwavering gaze at me was enough to make me falter in my steps, but I refused to let them scare me off. I refused to give in to their satisfaction.


    I straightened my shoulders and spine, tilting my head and chin upward, and then I strutted into the elevator that took me to thest floor where my office was. I got out of the elevator and ran into Maxine who looked like she had just seen a ghost.


    Her jaw was almost dropping to the floor. I rolled my eyes and wanted to walk past her, but she stopped me.


    ¡°Ash, sweetheart,¡± She cooed, in her signature high-pitched tone that had falseness dripping off it. She shifted her weight on her other foot, jutting out her hips and cing one of her hands on it, flipping her hair.


    ¡°Maxine,¡± I called in a not-so-sweet voice and watched as she faked a gasp, cing her hands over her chest.


    She drew me in for a hug, almost choking me with her perfume.


    ¡°Is everything okay? We haven¡¯t seen you in weeks!¡± Shemented and I snorted, pulling away from the suffocating hug.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Maxine. Can I go now?¡± I wanted to leave but she grabbed me by my arm, giving me one of her fake smiles.


    ¡°You know you can always talk to me about anything¡­¡± She trailed off and I arched a brow at her words. I wanted to groan aloud so bad. My stomach churned in disgust and my face scrunched up in a frown.


    ¡°The sisters and I are always here for you,¡± She said and I snatched my hands out of her grip, walking out on her. I heard her scoff and I rolled my eyes, sauntering into my office.


    Fuck her and fuck the sisters!


    They could all go to hell for all I cared.


    I didn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass.


    I groaned in frustration and threw my bag on my table, plopping on my swivel chair. My eyes swatted to the gift bag and bouquet on my table. I furrowed my brows, ncing at my closed door as my eyes wandered around my office, wondering who could have dropped it.


    The red roses were secured in ce with pink paper, and a red ribbon tied around them. I brought it to my nose and inhaled, taking a whiff. They smelled so amazing, eliciting a giggle from me. God, I could sniff it all day! I picked up the gift bag and brought out the contents. It was a ck LV Box, a box of Maltesers, and a bottle of pink wine.


    I tore the box open, pulling out a mini LV clutch. ck, shiny, and gorgeous. I dug my fingers into the gift bag and brought out a pink-colored note, my eyes skimming the contents.


    ???????? ?h????,


    ??? ? ???????? ????.


    ????.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°No name?!¡± I asked no one in particr, ncing at the card with each passing second. I shrugged casually and decided to keep myself busy with the box of choctes. I tore the pack open and threw a handful into my mouth, munching on the milky choctey goodness.


    The shrill sound that exited my desk phone interrupted my momentary happiness. I rolled my eyes and picked it up, cing it on my ear.


    ¡°My office,¡± She instructed and hung up. I shoved the gifts into the gift bag and left my office, closing the door behind me.


    As I made my way to Genevieve¡¯s office, I made a mental debate, weighing my options and thinking about a million ways where this meeting could go wrong.


    I mean, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she called security on me and told them to escort me out of the buildings with my belongings or if she decided to fire my ¡®ipetent ass¡¯ as she imed.


    I took a break from work, without giving her the slightest notice or even deeming it fit to send an email to her, not even a text message! I had left her messages on read for the past week, not responding to any of her emails.


    Whatever reason it was she called me for, I knew it couldn¡¯t be anything good. And with that, I gave a gentle knock at the door and waited for her response.


    ¡°The door isn¡¯t locked,¡± She spoke up, bits of irritation hanging in her tone.


    I twisted the knob and stepped into her office.


    Her head was slightly bowed as she typed away on theputer in front of her. I could still make out the light frown on her face. On cue, she peeled her gaze off herputer, her eyes narrowing at me.


    Her expression remained unreadable.


    Her nk eyes were trained on me as I approached her table, drawing in a breath. My knees wobbled lightly under her piercing gaze.


    ¡°Good morning, Gen,¡± I spoke up, breaking the silence I could no longer bear for one more second.


    ¡°What makes you think you still have a job at thispany?¡± She fell back onto her swivel chair, cocking her head to the side and spotting a look of disgust on her face.


    I swallowed.


    ¡°Girl, you have got some big nerves,¡± She muttered under her breath, but I could still hear her.


    ¡°You just took off, without informing me beforehand. I tried to reach out, but you aired all of my texts and emails! Who the hell do you think you are, that you feel like you can run thispany however you see fit?¡± She questioned, rapping out all in one breath, without stopping to take pause.


    Her obsidian eyes were narrowed at me in dangerous slits, piercing my skin and shootingser beams andva at me through them.


    ¡°I¡¯m the boss, NOT YOU!¡± She growled and I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut.


    ¡°How dare you?¡± Her voice was dangerously low, and I watched with curious eyes as she got up from her seat and took slow, menacing steps toward me. It had me veering backwards and tripping on my heels, sending me to the floor abruptly.


    And all of a sudden, Genevieve wasn¡¯t the one I was seeing anymore. Adam was standing right there with this sinister smile on his face, watching me intently. I shifted backwards on my butt, shaking my head vehemently with tears streaming down my face heavily.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Please, don¡¯t hurt me!¡± I screamed, snapping my eyes shut.


    Silence.


    An eerie silence hung in the air.


    My breath was starting toe out in short puffs, loud hups, and sniffs emitting from my lips. My eyes fluttered open the moment I felt a stack of papers hit me on thep.


    I was met by Genevieve¡¯s stern gaze.


    ¡°Get those done.¡± She said through gritted teeth and strutted to her desk.


    Wait, that was it?


    She wasn¡¯t going to fire me?


    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to fire me?¡± I inquired, the words sputtering out of my mouth dumbly.


    ¡°If I wanted to do so, I would have sent you an email not toe to work anymore. You are one of Allure¡¯s best. I can¡¯t afford to lose you. It¡¯s a huge loss.¡± She said monotonously, causing my jaw to drop in shock.


    She raised a brow at my appalled self.


    ¡°Get to work, Miller!¡± She snapped, jolting me out of my reverie. I got off the floor and picked up the papers.


    ¡°Thank you, Gen,¡± I told her and she rolled her eyes, waving me off, dismissively.


    I sauntered out of her office and closed the door behind me.     Get through the day.


    That was what I had been telling myself all day.


    I pulled over in the driveway of my house and got out of my car, not without grabbing the gifts Mystery Man sent to my workce this morning. Yes, that was the name I coulde up with. Who sends a gift to someone without attaching so much as a name or an inkling about who they were?


    That¡¯s mysterious if you ask me.


    I got into the house and shut the door behind me. I headed straight for my room and got out of my dress. I was starting to feel so itchy. I drew a quick bath for myself and changed into something morefortable.


    I was starving, so I took the wine and went into the kitchen to fix myself a te of steak. I was oddly craving it. Much to my relief, I still had a few slices of beef packed up in my fridge, causing me to grin cheekily.


    It was done in no time and I took my time to devour my meal. My phone rang out, bringing a momentary pause to my meal. I picked it up and exhaled softly when I saw the disy name. It was my mom.


    I didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone.


    I was fine. Why couldn¡¯t they understand that and respect my decision? But then, I knew I couldn¡¯t avoid her forever. With how well I knew my mom, I knew it was only a matter of time before thest shred of patience she was holding on to, snapped into two. With that, I exhaled and answered the call.


    ¡°Ashley, finally!¡± She groaned loudly.


    ¡°Your dad and I have been trying to reach you. Your friends too. What is going on with you, Ashley?¡± She asked, her tone filled with worry.


    The steak I had thought was delicious earlier, suddenly irritated the crap out of me and tasted like I was munching on dry leaves. My taste bud had morphed into a ball of sourness.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, mom. I have¡­just been busy.¡± I lied, toying with a strand of my hair.


    ¡°You are growing more distant as the day goes by. I feel like I don¡¯t even know who you are anymore. Like I don¡¯t know who my daughter is anymore,¡± She paused, heaving a breath.


    ¡°You can talk to me, Ashley. Do you think I wouldn¡¯t understand?¡± She queried, her voice drawn to a whisper.


    ¡°Don¡¯t shut me out, please. Ashley__¡± I cut her short, suddenly feeling weary to have this discussion with her.


    ¡°I have to go, mom. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± I hung up on her before she could say one more word and choked out a sob. My eyes were clouded with unshed tears that I desperately wanted to hold back, but I couldn¡¯t. I was too tired.


    I lied.


    I lied when I said I had it under control.


    I lied when I said all I had to do was distract myself. It wasn¡¯t working! Nothing was working! I was in so much pain and could barely breathe. It felt as though my life was slowly slipping away like it wasn¡¯t mine anymore.


    I felt empty. So, so empty.


    I was breaking. I was losing my mind. I was falling apart. Adam has been blowing up my phone with texts and calls, begging me to forgive him ande back home, telling me how he was a mess without me.


    How he couldn¡¯t live without me.


    The guilt that was eating at me, reminding me of what had transpired between me and the guy at Gray¡¯s Lounge wouldn¡¯t even allow me to breathe! I have never felt this disgusted and restless in my entire life.


    Adam didn¡¯t deserve this.


    He didn¡¯t deserve a whore like me!


    A slut who would open her legs for any man that gave her a nickname.


    I got off the stool that was opposite the kitchen ind. My feet were wobbly, my vision was totally blurred, and my heart pounded furiously against my chest. My throat was clogged with sobs, and then, I felt my legs melt into a puddle, giving me away and I fell to the floor.


    I hugged my knees to my chest and broke down terribly, bawling my eyes out for the umpteenth time.


    I was a mess.

 Chapter 14

    JAXON


    ¡°You think you can run from me?¡± I questioned. The guards pushed the iron bars open and I stepped into the dark room. I snapped my fingers once, giving them the instructions to switch the lights on, and they did.


    The bloody and heavily bruised young man was hung upside down, without clothes on. He was sweating profusely and dangling from the ceiling they hung him on, his body was covered in cuts and blood gushed out of the open cuts. I saw the terror and sheer horror that shed across his eyes, the moment he saw me walk in. He was wheezing heavily, trying to pry his way out of his chains.


    And, he was failing miserably while he was at it.


    I chuckled and took my cufflinks off the cuffs of my shirt, handing it to one of my guys that stood outside the gates. Then, I rolled the sleeves of my shirt to my elbow, undoing the upper buttons of my shirt. I hate the feeling of one¡¯s blood on my clothes, so to prevent the blood from staining my clothes, I always roll my sleeves up and then have fun while dealing with them.


    ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t find you?¡± I asked him, again, leaning on the cold wall with my arms folded across my chest.


    He shook his head vigorously as tears streamed down his eyes. He tried to speak, but I held my hand up in silence.


    ¡°Sawyer, you didn¡¯t only cart away with my money¡­¡± I paused, pushing myself off the wall which I was leaning on earlier.


    ¡°You hurt a child. You didn¡¯t just hurt her. You raped her, Sawyer.¡± I arched a brow at him, keeping my voice dangerously low, I walked closer to him and stopped when I was a few inches away from him. I could see his eyes widen in fear when I stood closer to him.


    ¡°What¡¯s the number one rule we don¡¯t break in the Vixen Mafia!¡± I bellowed, my loud and audacious voice booming across the room. I could feel the walls shake at the intensity of my voice. My eyes never left him, he whimpered in fear, and he knew he had to be careful with his choice of words. One mistake would be the death of him.


    ¡°Use your words, boy!¡± I growled and stabbed him in the side with a pocket knife, eliciting an agonizing scream from him. He was wiggling heavily from the pain, with tears streaming down his face.


    ¡°We¡­ do__ not¡­¡± He coughed violently and I stabbed him again.


    He screamed, he couldn¡¯t say a word of plea to me because he definitely knew at that moment that his tongue would be the next thing I was pulling out and I wouldn¡¯t stop until I ripped it off his mouth.


    ¡°Hurt kids!¡± He sputtered out some blood, wheezing.


    ¡°You are a monster, Sawyer. You do not deserve to live!¡± I barked and he nodded his head, sobbing profusely like a two-year-old.


    ¡°Boss, boss, I¡¯m sorry!¡± he yelled out.


    ¡°Please, forgive me. It was all a mistake¡­ I promise never to hurt children anymore¡­ please forgive me boss¡­ please ¡± he wailed as he pleaded for forgiveness.


    I watched him as he pleaded for his life, not batting an eyelid or even moving in the slightest way. My gaze on him was stern, cold, without an ounce of emotion attached to it. I brought out my pistol which I normally tucked in the back of my trousers, for safety purposes, and shot him in the head.


    His blood gushed out heavily, spilling on my white shirt in the process.


    I shot him again.


    And again


    .


    And again.


    And again.


    Until I had wasted fifteen bullets in his body.


    I sighed in satisfaction knowing that a monster like him would never hurt ore close to innocent children. I also did it to warn the rest about keeping the rules of Vixen, because no matter how close a family they were, breaking the rules would lead to their deaths.


    ¡°Come get his body and burn him to ashes, then send his ashes to his family,¡± I ordered them, coldly, and got out of my shirt, dumping it on the floor of the cell.


    ¡°Yes, boss!¡± They chorused.


    And with that, I strutted out of the Cell and they locked the iron gate behind me. I halted in my tracks and turned to the young man at my back, raising one of my brows at him rudely.


    ¡°And where the hell is Duncan?¡± I queried, harshly, my gaze narrowing slits at him.


    ¡°He¡¯s out of Italy at the moment, sir. You sent him to get some jobs done for you.¡± He spoke, fear radiating off him.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Then call him to get his ass back here!¡± I yelled at the boy.


    He nodded, frozen in his spot in fear.


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡± He answered and I scoffed.


    ¡°You are weak,¡± I spat my words out venomously and spun on my heels, heading to the main house.


    I dismissed the greetings of the maids as I sauntered into the house. I descended the stairs and went straight to my room to take a shower. I got out of my clothes and got under the shower, switching it on.


    Where was she?


    Was she hiding from me?


    Thisdy has managed to strip off every ounce of my sanity in the past few weeks. I could feel it. I could feel it slipping away from me. I was irritated. I was extra moody and on the verge of losing my mind.


    I let out a harsh growl and mmed my fists into the wall of the bathroom.


    Duncan had better get his ass here before tonight! I want her found. I want her in this house. Right beside me. She wasn¡¯t going anywhere. She couldn¡¯t hide from me forever.


    I¡¯ll find her, and once I do, I¡¯m marrying her.


    It¡¯s about damn time I got an heir anyway.


    ¡°Where are you, Peach?¡± I mumbled under my breath as I watched blood trickle down my knuckles.

 Chapter 15

    ASHLEY


    I was slouched against my chair, which was opposite the reading table that was in my room. I was dozing and jerking my head off. Then, I jolted upright like I had been doing for the past few hours. I tucked away a stray strand of my hair that I had tied in a messy bun earlier, and I removed my sses, wiping the dirt off, and then I wore them back.


    I shook my head lightly and continued typing, determined not to fall asleep. I had to finish drafting Genevieve¡¯s meeting schedule for the month. If I didn¡¯t, I might actually get fired this time around and I wouldn¡¯t want to do anything to get on her bad side anymore.


    Not again. At least.


    My phone sounded with a loud ding, a hint that a message had just popped up on my screen. I halted what I was doing and picked up my phone, then I saw a message from Dawn.


    Dawnie


    We areing in!


    I furrowed my brows and got up from my chair, ambling to my living room where I found my door wide open with Dawn and Ivana snuggled up against each other on my couch, obviously waiting for me.


    ¡°How the hell did you guys get in?¡± I queried, folding my arms across my chest with a frown stered on my face.


    ¡°Hello to you too, Ash. We have been very fine without you. Thank you for asking!¡± Dawn snapped, her voice coated with sarcasm.


    I sighed.


    Ivana didn¡¯t say a word to me. She just sat there, staring at me with this look of colossal disappointment.


    ¡°Over two weeks, Ashley,¡± She began, sitting up and I swallowed.


    ¡°We have been calling and trying to reach out to you, but you totally shut us out. Your mom called me yesterday and was crying bitterly on the phone, that she was worried about you and you weren¡¯t saying anything to her.¡± She exhaled. She seemed exhausted, I could tell by her red-rimmed eyes and the mess of her hair.


    Dawn wasn¡¯t left out either.


    They have been worried about me¡­


    I let out a shaky breath and plopped on the sofa heavily, bursting into tears. The duo didn¡¯t say anything to me. They left me alone and allowed me to cry my eyes out.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I huped, wiping my eyes.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be apologizing to us. Apologize to your mom.¡± Ivana stated, without mincing words.


    ¡°She should apologize to us too!¡± Dawn snapped and I fought the urge to roll my eyes at her pettiness.


    Ivana left the couch she was seated on and walked toward me, taking her seat beside me on the sofa. She pulled me to her side and I hugged her, sighing in contentment and basking in her scent as she kissed my hair.


    ¡°We know the breakup with Adam hurt you, but you can¡¯t keep living like this, Ashley. You have to start living for yourself.¡± Ivana voiced out and I choked out a sob. I wanted to tell her everything. Everything that happened, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to.


    They didn¡¯t have to know.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t break up,¡± I sniffed against Ivana¡¯s shirt and I heard Dawn snort.


    ¡°Girl, are you kidding me?! What the hell are you still doing with the asshat? This guy isn¡¯t for you! He¡¯s a deadbeat boyfriend. Why haven¡¯t you seen that?¡± Dawn shouted in exasperation and I groaned.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about him, Dawnie.¡± I took my head off Ivana¡¯s shirt and rolled my eyes. She snickered and came over to the couch, pulling me into her arms and smothering my face with kisses, eliciting soft giggles from me.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, girls.¡± I apologized and they shed me an assuring smile.


    ¡°We are going out!¡± Dawn announced.


    ¡°What? No! I have a shitload of work I need to attend to.¡± I countered and Dawn shook her head, disagreeing with me.


    ¡°Work can wait, Ashley. It¡¯s the weekend. Dhur!¡± She sassed, wanting me to see her point.


    ¡°Dawn is right, Ash. Work can wait. Now, get your butt off that chair, and let¡¯s go get you dressed up.¡± Ivana said sternly and I pouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s an order, Ashley.¡± She added, quirking her brows at me.


    ¡°Ugh! I hate you two!¡± I said through gritted teeth and they giggled, doing a loud high-five.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we just stay indoors and watch Netflix?¡± I whined.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°No!¡± They snapped in unison.


    I heaved a sigh and nodded my head, getting off the sofa and they trailed after me as I headed to my room.     My room was a mess.


    I had left Ivana and Dawn to it about thirty minutes ago. I was sprawled on my bed, munching on the bucket of fries that we ordered about an hour ago, with no care in the world.


    ¡°Girl, what are these clothes?!¡± Dawn cried out in frustration and I snorted.


    ¡°You need to go shopping!¡± Ivana snapped.


    ¡°Yeah, we are adding that to the list of things we are doing today,¡± Dawn noted.


    ¡°Seconded,¡± Ivana said in agreement.


    ¡°What? No! We are not adding it to the list of things that we are doing today!¡± I growled, folding my eyes under my chest. The duo shot me a look, daring me to challenge them.


    ¡°This is kidnap!¡± I whined, defeated.


    ¡°We are going to a pool! You have to look hot!¡± Dawn said in her defense.


    ¡°Yeah, the pool you guys rented out for the day.¡± I shrugged casually, giving them a scorned smile. Dawn flipped me off and rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You might still snag a hot waiter,¡± Ivana grinned cheekily and nudged Dawn, who giggled in return.


    How the hell am I friends with these rascals?


    ¡°Yeah, never say never!¡± Dawn squealed and I palmed myself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to snag or shag anyone!¡± I debunked, getting defensive and the girls faked a shudder.


    ¡°I___¡± I opened my mouth to speak, but Dawn beat me to it.


    ¡°I found it!¡± She shrieked, pulling out a ck two-piece bikini. I cringed at the sight of it and at the thought of wearing it. It was so little! How was I supposed to wear something this revealing?


    ¡°Oh my goodness! Ashley is going to look hot in that.¡± Ivana squealed.


    ¡°Guys!¡± I yelled and they turned to me.


    ¡°I can¡¯t wear it. It¡¯s too revealing.¡± I grumbled and they red at me. I almost shrank into a ball at the intensity of their gazes.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not.¡± Dawn frowned.


    ¡°You have said about thest twelve,¡± Ivana rolled her gorgeous amber eyes at me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t I just wear something less revealing?¡± I queried, giving them my best puppy face.


    ¡°Ugh, stop being so difficult, Ash. Just wear it. We¡¯ll help you tweak it, I promise.¡± Dawn urged me and I sighed. I got up from my bed and snatched it from her, sauntering into the bathroom and mming the door shut.


    I pulled my robe off, leaving me bare.


    I inspected my naked body in the mirror and sighed, before putting it on. The ck material that was the bra, had the strapsing up to my neck and around my back in a criss-cross style. It cupped my boobs perfectly and revealed a generous amount of cleavage.


    They looked fuller and bigger.


    The panties were more of a thong, covering my private parts, but it left my butt cheeks bare. My curves were on full disy, including my t tummy I never knew I had. I grabbed my perfume and applied it to my neck, massaging the seductive scent onto my skin.


    I applied a little on my wrists, then I wore my robe and stepped out of the room.


    The girls cooed at the sight of me.


    ¡°We want to see!¡± The girls cheered me on. I chuckled and took off the robe. The girls were quiet for some time, leaving me to start worrying if they thought I looked good or not.


    ¡°Girls?¡± I called impatiently.


    ¡°Adam doesn¡¯t deserve these babies,¡± Dawn spoke up, her gaze roaming my body.


    ¡°Yes, he doesn¡¯t. You have the best body, Ashley! God, you should see yourself right now!¡± Thepliments rolled off Ivana¡¯s tongue, effortlessly.


    ¡°Girl, look at those boobs!¡± Dawn pouted and I giggled, getting red in the face.


    ¡°You can wear the red shirt on it.¡± Ivana grinned at me, nudging her head in the direction of the red shirt hanging on the chair before my dresser. I squealed and wore therge button-up shirt on my bikini, then I twirled for the girls.


    ¡°Red is your color!¡± Dawn yelled.


    ¡°Come on, girls. We have to go.¡± Ivana announced. I turned to her, giving her a once-over. She looked hot in her yellow flower print bikini. It was a three-piece; Bra, panties, and then, a cutout long-sleeved top that stopped around her upper bust.


    Dawn was d in a pink one-piece that had a plunging neckline, showing a lot of cleavages and hugging her curves like a second skin. She had her ck shades tucked in her hair.


    Then, I smirked.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡±


    True to Dawn and Ivana¡¯s words, they had rented out the whole pool for our use. They went all out and requested touch-ups in the pool area. The likes of rose petals, balloons, and all. And when I asked them, they said ¡®Anything for you, baby girl.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know what I did to deserve these amazing humans.


    We were currently in the pool, lying on the air mattress with our legs soaked in the water. They were right. It was so rxing.


    ¡°Nothing beats a good rxation spot,¡± Dawn said softly with her eyes closed and I giggled.


    ¡°Oh, honey, I know.¡± Ivana buttressed her point.


    ¡°Ashley?¡± Ivana called.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± I answered.


    ¡°Will you call your mom?¡± She asked me and I sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Ivie. Mom has been on my case since forever. It¡¯s messing with my mental health. Thest time I went to the Cafe for our usual family weekend, we fought. I couldn¡¯t stay for what I came for¡­¡± I paused, getting teary-eyed.


    ¡°Being with Mom is so draining for me right now. I can¡¯t deal with her incessant nags about the man I love. I know she doesn¡¯t like him, but can¡¯t she at least respect him for my sake? Just for peace to reign. I love him. I love Adam.¡± I wiped my eyes, sniffing.


    Liar! Liar! Liar!


    My subconscious screamed at me.


    ¡°Aww, sweetheart,¡± Dawn cooed, her eyes shing with pity.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Ash,¡± Ivana paused, ncing at me with an encouraging smile.


    ¡°Just send her a text and let her know that you are okay. She¡¯s really worried about you. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?¡± She requested. I stared at her for a moment and nodded my head with a smile.


    ¡°I__¡± I got cut short by my ringtone and I groaned.


    ¡°Excuse me, girls,¡± I told them and got into the water, swimming to the edge of the sun-lounger, where my phone was. I got out of the water and picked up my phone.


    I paled at the sight of the disy name.


    My heart thumped wildly in my chest, and my fingers shook terribly, leaving my breath punched and bruised. I let out a harsh breath and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to rein my tears in.


    Adam was calling me.


    The phone wouldn¡¯t stop ringing.


    I moved away from the pool and breathed softly, before picking up his call.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I whispered.


    An unnerving silence was what I could pick up. It hung in the air, rendering it so toxic that my heart wouldn¡¯t stop pummeling loudly against my chest, and I feared it would jump out of my chest.


    ¡°Ashley¡­baby?¡± He called me, his tone reeking of desperation.


    ¡°Are¡­you¡­are you there?¡± He whispered.


    I sniffed.


    ¡°What do you want, Adam?¡± I asked, grouchily.


    ¡°Baby, I just want to talk. I want to talk to you.¡± He rapped out all in one breath and I scoffed.


    ¡°You hit me, Adam! You hit me! You have verbally abused me for as long as I can remember! You don¡¯t care about me, Adam. You are just using me for your sick pleasure!¡± I yelled into the phone, enraged and my eyes brimmed with tears.


    ¡°Ashley, no! No! I love you and you know it. I was just really angry. I didn¡¯t mean to hit you, Ash. I love you so much and I want to spend the rest of my life with you,¡± He paused, taking a breath.


    ¡°I want to make amends if you¡¯ll let me. I want to earn your love and your respect. I want to be that man you fell in love with if you¡¯ll let me, baby. I want to do right by you. Baby, please.¡± He let out a strangled sob and I chuckled humorlessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care, Adam!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn if you want to change or not! I¡¯m done with your annoying ass!¡± I growled.


    ¡°Babe, please¡­¡±


    He sounded so broken. His breaking voice tugged at my heartstrings, softening them a bit.


    I massaged my forehead and sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Adam. You hurt me. I don¡¯t know if I want to do that with you again.¡± I was crying profusely, wiping the tears that streaked down my face.


    ¡°Babe__¡±


    I hung up on him.


    I groaned and untied my hair from the bun I had wrapped it in and shook my hair off. I clutched my phone tightly in my hands and sighed.


    ¡°Just y it cool, Ash.¡± I gave myself a pep talk and with that, I went back to the girls.

 Chapter 16

    ASHLEY


    I had been awake for the past twenty minutes, my duvet draped over my und body. I had tossed and turned in my sleep countless times, at night, unable to get any ounce of sleep, because I had been so nervous. And, during my restlessness, I had taken my nightie off because I felt hot everywhere.


    Throughout the girl¡¯s day out I had with Dawn and Ivana, my mind was elsewhere. The girls could tell. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Adam.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    But, it was only when pigs flew that I would tell my friends the reason I wasn¡¯t participating in what was supposed to be a hangout. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what he said. He sounded so broken over the phone. Like he really missed me¡­


    I missed him too.


    A lot.


    So much.


    I missed him. I missed his smile. I missed the way his eyes lit up whenever I walked to wherever he was. I missed the way my heart skipped around him. I miss the way he touches me and makes me feel. I longed for him, and thefort his warm embraces had to offer.


    Adam was a great guy. He just had slight temper issues. We could work things out. Everything could still be fine. We just had to talk about the things that caused our rtionship to go downhill. That causes arguments between us.


    ¡®He hit you, Ashley.¡¯


    That tiny, sane voice in my head, reminded me subtly, as though I was high on hemlock grove and I didn¡¯t know what I was saying anymore, as though I hadpletely lost my mind. But, I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted my man back. I wanted Adam back. I missed him so much, and I was going to go see him.


    I didn¡¯t care if that made me stupid. Insane, even. I had taken the day off from work, and luckily for me, Gen might have been in a good mood yesterday and allowed me to have the day off. I didn¡¯t know what had gotten into her and started making her give me passes, but whatever it is, I was grateful. Work could wait, but my boyfriend couldn¡¯t. I loved Adam, and I hoped to start a family with him one day.


    ¡®You¡¯d really marry a guy that treats you like shit?¡¯


    The tiny voice asked, and I did what I do best, I shut it out.


    And with that, I pushed the duvet off my body. I dropped my feet into my flip-flops and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. I unlocked it and dialed his number. It rang for a while, but he wasn¡¯t picking up. The second time I called him. It was just switched off. I brushed it off casually. He might still be pissed.


    I walked over to my dresser and inspected my body. My facial face had morphed into that disgust as I assessed every inch of my bloated tummy and fleshy thighs. I exhaled, heavily, throwing my hair into a messy bun. A Girdle should fix it. I got into the tub and grabbed my wax, and then, I did a quick wax. I prepared a bubble bath for myself and washed my hair with his favorite shampoo.


    Once I was done showering, I sauntered into my closet and picked out a matching set of undies; acy ck bra and matchingcy panties. I got dressed in a ck cleavage-revealing dress and walked toward my dresser, then proceeded to dry my hair. I did a quick make-up and tied my hair in its signature ponytail, applying a seductive cologne.


    I paired my outfit with a pair of gold heels and a matching handbag. I stuffed my things into the bag and picked up my car keys, plodding out of the room.


    The drive to the particr estate on which Adam¡¯s penthouse was situated was long. I was a nerve-wracking mess because, by the time I got into the car and started heading to his ce, I realized that I didn¡¯t know what I would say to him. I didn¡¯t have any inkling as to what to say to him or how to appease him and let him see the reasons that I only wanted some space for myself, and that was the reason I stayed away.


    I punched the steering wheel and groaned, the minute his penthouse was in view. I could feel the air in the car starting to thicken up without his presence. My palms suddenly got itchy and sweaty, then my throat waspletely dry and void of any liquid. Myshes wouldn¡¯t stop fluttering and I wouldn¡¯t stop tapping my leg on the floorboard of my car.


    I pulled over in the driveway and dipped my hand into my ponytail, detaching the hair band from it and shaking my hair out. I picked up my bag and stepped out of the car, trying to steady my wobbly feet. I mmed the door shut and trudged toward the automatic door, inputting his password. The door clicked open and I stepped in.


    The state of the living room, which I have always known to be clean, was severely disorganized. The couches and sofas weren¡¯t in their initial position, the throw pillows were strewn around. The center table had also been moved from where it used to be, and the floor of the house waspletely littered with food packs and containers.


    The whole ce reeked!


    I was utterly baffled. I took slow steps forward, my eyes scanning every inch of the room, for his tall figure.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am.¡± A soft voice called out to me, and I jerked my head in the direction where I presumed the voice came from. My gaze settled on a petitedy, who looked like she was in herte thirties. She had a warm, inviting smile on her face, and her blue eyes glowed under the lights.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I uttered, puzzled.


    She was going to say something, but I beat her to it.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my boyfriend?¡± I questioned, arching my brow at her. A look of shockpletely married her facial features, and she squinted her eyes at me.


    ¡°Your boyfriend?¡± She quizzed, and I nodded my head in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but is Mr. Malcolm your boyfriend?¡± She asked, again, confusing me, even more.


    Who the hell is Malcolm?


    ¡°Who is Malcolm?¡± I asked, irritated.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking for my boyfriend. Adam.¡± I spelled out boldly for her and I watched as recognition dawned all over her face. She moved forward, approaching me. She walked past me and picked up a brown file from the table.


    ¡°The owner of this house just sold the house to my boss.¡± She dropped the bombshell, and my handbag dropped to the floor, from my hand, with a loud thud that resonated as it sounded twice across the walls of my ears.


    ¡°What do you mean by the owner of the house sold this house to your boss? What the hell are you even saying?! Do I look foolish to you? Get upstairs, now, and produce my boyfriend! I mean it! Now!¡± I bellowed at her, my voice quivering heavily.


    ¡°I am telling you the truth. You can go through the file yourself if you don¡¯t believe me. The owner of this house employed me and my team to do a total cleanup of this house today. My team will be here soon, anyway.¡± She revealed, rendering me speechless.


    ¡°No!¡± I shouted once I collected myself.


    ¡°Give me the fucking file!¡± I fumed, snatching the brown envelope out of her outstretched hands. I tore the envelope open, my eyes skimming the contents of the white sheet.


    I could feel a wave of dizziness hit me all at once, sending me to take a few steps backwards, without being shoved by anything, as my eyes scanned the paper, zeroing in on Adam¡¯s signature that I knew so well, and could tell apart from a thousand signatures if I was being woken up and asked to differentiate.


    ¡°No,¡±


    ¡°No,¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed, shaking my head vehemently. My eyes stung with unshed tears that hung in the corner of my eyes, struggling to let themselves out. My temples asionally felt like a hammer that weighed tons of kilograms was being jammed at it. Non-stop.


    This can¡¯t be happening.


    This isn¡¯t possible!


    Adam loves this house!


    He would never sell it! It¡¯s the only thing left of his dead parents! He wouldn¡¯t do that to them. He wouldn¡¯t do that to me. To us. It was impossible. A terrible dream that I desperately wanted to wake up from because it was so hard for me to process.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am,¡±


    It sounded so distant.


    I could barely process it.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you have to leave in an hour. My team will be here soon.¡± The voice which I could barely recognize anymore, pierced through my disordered thoughts, snapping me back to reality. A painful reality that I wanted to escape from. One that still felt like a fucking dream!


    My life was spiraling and shing right before my eyes, multiple times that I could barely keep track of, and I couldn¡¯t do anything to stop it. I got up from the couch I had settled on earlier and managed to stand on my wobbly feet, my breathing out so heavily. I staggered, squeezing my eyes shut, and allowing my tears to drop, and they poured so heavily like a waterfall.


    I paused and took a deep breath, chuckling.


    ¡°It was just a terrible prank, Ashley. He¡¯s going to step out now, and tell you that it was a terrible prank that he wanted to y on you, for abandoning him.¡± I smiled through my tears, and sighed, trying so hard to convince myself that Adam wouldn¡¯t just walk away from me. From our rtionship. He would never do that to me, to us.


    ¡®Wake up, Ashley! He left you!


    He fucking left you!¡¯


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed, and dashed upstairs, almost toppling over my feet by the staircase. I ran toward the door that led to his room, pushing it open, and it was as though the breath that was left in my lungs was punched out of me.

 Chapter 17

    ASHLEY


    A devastating clearance.


    The clearance that I needed.


    His room wasn¡¯t a sight to see. It was almost empty, nearly everything was gone. I shook my head sideways, in disagreement. I marched towards the bed, ripping the sheets and duvet off, scattering the pillows, and kicking my heels off my feet.


    ¡°Adam!¡±


    ¡°Adam!¡±


    ¡°Baby, where are you?!¡±


    ¡°Baby, I¡¯m here.¡± I croaked, marching into the bathroom, hoping I would see the shower running, and see him rxing in the bathtub, where he was waiting for me toe to join him. I pushed the door open and my eyes narrowed on the sink that always contained his toiletries, staring back at me, void of even a pin!


    The tears won¡¯t stop dropping from my face, increasing even. I weakly let go of the doorknob, leaving the door that led to the ensuite bathroom ajar. I strode into his closet, and my palms found themselves stering over my mouth and snapping it shut, in shock.


    His clothes were all gone.


    His belongings were nowhere to be found.


    How could he do this to me? How could he do this to us? Where did I go wrong? What went wrong with us that couldn¡¯t be fixed? Where did I miss it? Was this him being a better man? Being the man that I deserve, by leaving me high and dry, leaving me out in the cold when the going gets tough? Was this the forever he promised me?


    I tried being the perfect girl. I tried being the perfect girlfriend. I tried bending my rules for him. I lived for him. I stopped doing the things that made me happy, just to please him. I lost myself in all of this, at the expense of his happiness! I fought valiantly for us, for our rtionship. I turned deaf ears to my mom¡¯s advice.


    How could I have been so foolish to think he was willing to settle down with me? How could I have been such a fool?! A dumb, dumb, stupid girl. Mom tried to talk me out of it, but I never listened.


    My vision was overly blurry, my head was pounding so hard. I couldn¡¯t breathe. I tried breathing, but I couldn¡¯t catch my breath. It was as though walls were closing in on me. I dropped to the floor, sobbing loudly. I could feel my tear ducts starting to run dry. I gasped softly for breath and crawled towards thestpartment that contained my few clothes that were in there.


    I started pulling everything out, dumping it on the floor. I didn¡¯t care if some of my expensive shoes and bags could get damaged. I just wanted to get out of here. I was suffocating so badly. After taking all my clothes out, my eyes scoured the entire room, searching for a bag where I could stuff my things. I sniffed, huping loudly.


    Then, I moved forward, my gaze totally fixed ahead, not sparing a nce at my front, causing my foot to hit the edge of the lowerpartment of the shelf that was formerly used for the storage of Adam¡¯s clothes, eliciting a loud wince from me.


    I let out a low hiss, and squatted, massaging my feet. My eyes strayed to the ck leather backpack, peeking out of thest drawer, and I heaved a sigh of relief. I pulled it out, unzipping it. The first thing Iid my eyes on had color draining out of my face, leaving my face as nk as that of a Ghost. They were pictures of Adam, but that wasn¡¯t the only thing. He was kissing a ck-haireddy in the picture.


    I let out an ear-splitting agonizing scream, clutching the picture so tightly in my hands. The tear duct that I thought had gone dry, immediately produced a huge amount of tears that wouldn¡¯t stop trailing down my cheek, furiously. He appeared so engrossed in the atrocity he wasmitting, locking lips with thedy.


    I¡¯m a fool.


    A big one at that.


    So stupid to think I could change him. That I could tame him. How could I have shrugged off the huge red gs that were blinking at me, and showed me the way out? I nearly lost my friends because of him. They tried to warn me but I was too naive to listen. It finally made sense now. It made a lot of sense.


    How he would always pass on lingering looks to beautiful women that walk past us, whenever we are out together, how he would always make flirtyments about any woman he sees. It was funny how all these signs were right in front of me, but I was too blind to see them. No, I chose to be blind to it.


    I took all the pictures out, and then, emptied the contents of the backpack on the floor, a newspaper fell out in the process. I picked it up with shaky hands, scared of what I wasn¡¯t sure I woulde across next. I have had enough for the day. I couldn¡¯t deal anymore.


    Every ounce of blood drained out of my face at the sight of the headlines that graced the front of the paper. The font was so bold.


    My breathing seized.


    My eyes watered, with my mouth hung open in the air. I veered backwards, utterly appalled, without being shoved by anything. My feet appeared glued to the ground, and my heart pummeled against my chest. Heck, I could hear the sounds in my ear.


    Fear enveloped me.


    The headlines stared right back at me, haunting me and mocking me silently, with their presence. It read ¡®BILLIONAIRE MAFIA BOSS, HEAD OF THE VIXEN MAFIA, JAXON ARDEN GRAY, CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE AIRPORT¡¯ And no, it wasn¡¯t the caption that stopped my breathing, it was the picture of the man that upied nearly the whole page, d in a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, looking devilishly hot.


    The same man that I slept with.


    The same man I cheated on Adam with.


    The same man who gave me a fucking hickey that won¡¯t leave my neck. The same man that my body responded to like I had known him for years. The man that took my virginity.


    The revtion rendered my entire blood cold, my mind and brain nk, in a momentary shutdown that felt as though it was permanent. The hair on my nape stood erect, one by one chill crawling down my spine, fear punching me in the guts.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    What the fuck have I done? Ashley, what the fuck have you done?


    Jaxon Arden Gray, Leader of the Vixen Mafia. Jaxon Gray. Gray¡¯s Lounge. Vixen Mafia. They were all connected. It made so much sense. He was the owner of the Lounge, which was the reason he owned a suite. That was the reason those guards tried to stop me from going in. Stop me from making a grave mistake!


    I let out a harsh breath. It was as if my breath was punched out of me through my lungs. I could feel them closing up, leaving my throat severely clogged with sobs. I held on to the wall for support, wheezing loudly.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t think.


    I couldn¡¯t see anything, due to my blurred vision!


    I slept with the leader of the deadliest gang in the country. I had a one-night stand with him. The most ruthless mafia boss.


    If I wasn¡¯t sure of anything else, I was sure of this.


    I waspletely and irrevocably screwed. My life was finally over. I didn¡¯t know how long I sat there, I was utterly frozen in that spot, staring at the picture of the man that has haunted me ever since the night he deflowered me.


    I¡¯m so fucked.

 Chapter 18

    ASHLEY


    Love.


    Was there anything like that in the first ce? Pfft. I put it to you that it¡¯s just an illusion. A crappy feeling that takes a lot from you with nothing to show for it. That shit about meeting the one was crap. It was total bullshit. There is no such thing as love and even if there was, all it ever does was take everything away from you, subject you to the mercy of maniptions, and make you do things that you wouldn¡¯t do if you were in your right senses.


    It would take, and take from you until there was nothing left other than your broken heart and I could swear that it hurts so much. There was nothing that couldpare to the pain it leaves imprinted on your heart. It just basically drains you of the will to live. The will to even want to breathe.


    It is such a vain thing to grow helplessly attached to someone, and they promise you that what you have with them is forever until they rip your heart out and smash it right into pieces, crushing it into dust, and leaving you all alone in the cold to deal with the aftermath of the pain.


    The pain that makes it so hard to even breathe, that pain that would make you feel as though your heart was shattered into a gazillion pieces. One you couldn¡¯t mold back no matter how hard you tried. That pain heightens every emotion you are feeling, rendering you a walking dead. That makes you want to pull out every hair on your scalp until there is nothing left.


    It¡¯s better not to love than to have loved at all because all that would be left, all it would symbolize was a reminder of how much of a fool you were that you thought you were worth loving.


    In thest few days, one question that consistently nagged and gnawed at my guts, that made me want to pluck out my own eyes and feed it to myself, was why?


    Why did it have to be me? Why did this have to happen to me? Was it some sort of atonement for my sins in my past life? What was it that I did to him that made him treat me this way, that made him bail out on me? On us. On our rtionship. I couldn¡¯t discern how easy it was for him to just pack his things and walk out of my life, without giving me a tangible reason for what I did to deserve this.


    I couldn¡¯t stop asking myself if there was anything I did wrong somewhere. I was the perfect girlfriend. I did whatever he asked of me. I was supportive. I was submissive and I put him first before anything else. He didn¡¯t even have the decency to break up with me. The fucking bastard cheated on me and fled from the town.


    I was distraught. I was struggling to keep my thoughts from running wild. I was struggling to stay sane. It felt like I was slowly losing it. My mental health waspletely shitty. My emotions were all over the ce, and I was so pathetic that I couldn¡¯t control them. It was beyond me, and somehow, the thought of just drowning was appealing. That way, I won¡¯t have to feel this much pain. It was beyondprehension for me.


    My temples were starting to hurt so badly, due to how hard I have been crying for the past few days. I could barely feel my head. I have been in the tub for the past two hours, staring into space with tears streaming down my face uncontrobly. I brought my hands up to my face and wiped my tears off furiously. I pushed my back, which I initially rested on the edge of the tub, off it, my back sliding down the ceramic object.


    My grip on the edge slowly gotx, I lowered my head, and dipped my head into the water, weing the serenity the chilling water had to offer. My head was totally off the surface of the water, and my eyes closed. I didn¡¯t make a move to hold my breath. I let loose and allowed myself to relish in its tranquility.     One second¡­


    Two seconds¡­


    Three seconds¡­


    ¡°Jesus Christ!!!¡± The voice sounded so distant, I could barely attribute it to whoever owned it. One minute, I was in the water and the next, I was yanked out of the water and started gasping for breath, struggling to get a hold of it.


    ¡°Ashley!! Look at me!¡±


    ¡°Ash!¡±


    ¡°Ashley, look at me. Breathe!¡±


    ¡°Breathe, Ashley. Breathe. Look at me and follow my lead.¡± She urged, and I struggled to keep my eyes focused on hers. I could make out her ssy eyes through my blurred vision. And then slowly, I was finally able to steady my erratic breathing.


    I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled, scared to open them because I knew I couldn¡¯t handle the look on their faces. I let out a shaky breath, my lips quivering heavily.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± Ivana called, and I averted my gaze off a crying Dawn, my eyes settling on her frame that was squatting beside Dawn, her motherly gaze fixated on me. I didn¡¯t miss the anger it held.


    I deserved it.


    ¡°What is going on in your head?!¡± Dawn yelled at me, her voice breaking.


    ¡°Were you trying to drown yourself in your bathtub?¡± She scoffed, huping, fury shing in her eyes.


    ¡°What is going on with you, Ash? Why are you hell-bent on shutting us out of your life? Do you even know how worried your mom has been? She came here yesterday and said you wouldn¡¯t open the door to let her in. Whatever it is that is going on with you isn¡¯t worth you taking your life. That¡¯s just pure selfishness!¡± Ivana fired at me. She was angry and wanted me to know how mad she was at me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Did you even think this through? Did you think about what it¡¯s going to do to us? You are our friend, but I don¡¯t think we are yours because if we were, you wouldn¡¯t do this to us.¡± Dawn sniffed and got up from where she was squatting, storming out of the bathroom and mming the door shut with a loud bang.


    It was just me and Ivana now.


    I couldn¡¯t even look at her.


    ¡°Babygirl,¡± She called softly, cing her hand over mine. She squeezed them gently, and I turned to her, my heart shattering into pieces all over again at the sight of her ssy amber orbs.


    ¡°Talk to me. What¡¯s going on?¡± She questioned subtly.


    ¡°Adam and I broke up. I went to his ce a few days ago, so that we could make up and talk things out. He has sold the penthouse and left town.¡± I exined, trying my hardest not to start tearing up.


    ¡°That bastard,¡± Ivana said through gritted teeth and I sniffed. She brushed her fingers through her hair and pinched the bridge of her nose with her index finger and her thumb.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you out of the water. You don¡¯t want to catch a cold.¡± She urged me and helped me out of the water, grabbing a towel from the rack and wrapping it around my und body.


    We left the bathroom and she told me to wait in the bedroom while she got me some clean clothes in my closet. Dawn ignored my entire existence and acted like I was never there in the first ce, keeping herself busy with her phone. I shifted over to her side on the bed and she hissed through her teeth.


    ¡°No, Ashley. You do not get to touch me.¡± She warned, but her warnings fell on deaf ears. She didn¡¯t spare so much as a nce in my direction, typing furiously on her phone. A scoff left her lips, and she dropped her phone on the bed, disbelief crossing her features. She stared at me like I was an Alien that had just dropped from the sky. Like she could barely recognize who I was anymore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know this girl, Ashley,¡± She began, struggling to keep her tears at bay.


    ¡°I do not know this girl with coldughs and half-assed expressions. This withdrawn girl with tons of secrets. This girl who stopped confiding in her best friends and whoever it is, certainly is not my best friend.¡± She shook her head sideways.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are anymore, Ash and it scares the crap out of me that you would rather hurt so badly than share whatever it is that is going on with you,¡±


    ¡°We are supposed to be best friends, Ashley. You shouldn¡¯t have to go through this alone. You shouldn¡¯t have to do this on your own but you chose that and you have to live with it.¡± She exhaled, picking up her phone like she didn¡¯t just pour out her mind.


    The pain in her tone was unmistakable and it only made me teary-eyed. I loved my friends so much and I hated hurting them. I hate putting them through this. It was never my intention. I tried to touch her but she recoiled from my touch as it disgusted her, breaking my heart, even more.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that I keep hurting you and Ivana. I don¡¯t deserve you, girls. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m so sorry for putting you through so much pain. I¡¯m so sorry for being a crappy friend.¡± I broke down into tears and choked out a sob. She pulled me into a hug, her shoulders quaking heavily with loud sobs exiting her lips.


    ¡°Stop shutting us out, Ashley. We are best friends. We are here for you no matter how hard it gets. No matter how tough the going gets. We are not leaving, Ashley and you should understand that. I just want my best friend back.¡± She cried in my arms, and I let out a strangled sob, soaking her shirt with my tears.


    I was so tired. I didn¡¯t want to hide anything from them anymore. I wanted to tell them the whole truth, but the words were stuck in my throat with no idea how I was going to convey them. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything to her, no matter how hard I tried.


    ¡°I heard everything you told Ivana. I¡¯m so sorry, Ash. I¡¯m so sorry about everything. He didn¡¯t deserve you. Not in any way.¡± She sobbed, her arms gliding back and forth on my back in a soothing manner.


    ¡°I hate him so much.¡±


    ¡°I hate him so much.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t even face my mom without remembering how she warned me a lot about him. I chose not to listen to her. I chose to be blind to his faults. I settled for less, Dawn. I fucking settled!¡± I cried.


    ¡°He hit me, Dawn. That was the reason I ran away from his ce. He hit me. I couldn¡¯t stay. I had to run.¡± My body shook terribly in her arms as she consoled me.


    I felt Ivana¡¯s weight on the bed as she scooted over to us, wrapping her arms around us.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us, Ash? You didn¡¯t trust us?¡± Ivana queried, her tone soft. I sniffed, unlocking myself from Dawn¡¯s soft grip. I couldn¡¯t keep up with the way they stared at me for answers. I blinked, and exhaled, looking down at my fingers.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to tell you guys, and judging by the way you guys hated him. I guess I was avoiding an ¡® I told you so¡¯ ¡± I shrugged, casually, a bitter chuckle leaving my lips.


    Dawn was sporting a look of disbelief on her face and Ivana looked hurt.


    ¡°Ash!¡± Dawn threw her hands up in the air in exasperation.


    ¡°Why would you even think that? Is that how low you think of us? I know I can be a bitch sometimes, but I would never say that to you. It¡¯s so insensitive. No, I¡¯ll rephrase. We will never say that to you. God, do you not trust us?¡± Her voice was drawn to a whisper, thick with hurt and exasperation, breaking bit by bit.


    ¡°God, I can¡¯t believe you,¡± She whispered, squinting her teary eyes at me. My heart broke at the sight. Ivana¡¯s warm hands on mine brought me back to reality.


    ¡°We would never trivialize your pain. Do you hear me?¡± Ivana asked, her voice stern. I bobbed my head in response and sent her a tight-lipped smile. We did a group hug, and stayed that way for a while, with me feeling lighter.


    I didn¡¯t deserve them, but I am d I have them in my life.

 Chapter 19

    JAXON


    Darkness.


    Utter darkness, with nothing in view. I couldn¡¯t keep track of how long I had been seated here, twirling my knuckle rings that felt cold against my fingers, my thoughts running wild. Non-stop, about the situation of things in thest few days. If I had been getting roughly two hours of sleep for several months, I stopped getting any, and I stopped trying a few days ago. The only thing that kept me going was coffee, cold baths, and a change of clothes.


    My thoughts wouldn¡¯t stop straying from the conversation I had with him. The bastard who used to be Peach¡¯s boyfriend. After Duncan got back into the country, he had been gathering as much information as he could about her, with the little we got from the CCTV about her that night. He was able to deduce where she lived, and where she worked, and the information about who she was in a rtionship with sprang up.


    I tracked the bastard down and paid him off. I wanted him far away from her. Out of her life. I didn¡¯t want him breathing the same air as she did. Out of this town, and to my surprise, he obliged. I saw the way his eyes lit up when I offered him money, how eager he was to append his signature on the contract I prepared for him to sign, evidence that he was never going toe back. He didn¡¯t deserve her. He didn¡¯t deserve my Peach. I hated how she was being treated less than she deserved.


    Duncan had trailed him to a bar, where he got drunk and lured him into telling him about his love life, and her name came up. I didn¡¯t even want to think about the horrible, horrible things he did to her. How he treated her, and how she still worshiped the ground he walked on. Thinking about it made my blood boil. It made me blind with rage. It took so much restraint not to blow his head off when I met up with him.


    She deserved better, and that was what I was going to give her. She deserves to be given the whole world. She deserves the ground she walks on to be worshiped. I was ready to treat her like the Queen she was. With everything I have. She belonged with me. By my side. I didn¡¯t care if I had to burn down the whole world to the ground to prove it to her.


    My phone beeped softly, and I exhaled, brushing my fingers through my already messy hair. I tucked my hands into the pockets of my cks and pulled them out. Maria¡¯s message graced the bright screen, staring back at me, and elicited a low hiss from me.


    I don¡¯t want to talk right now. I didn¡¯t want to talk with anyone. I just wanted to be alone and drown in my anger. I dropped my phone, and leaned into my seat, throwing my head backwards. The soft knock at the door interrupted my train of thought.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I uttered coldly, and raised my hands in the air, to the position of the switch, flicking the lights on. Duncan¡¯s nk face came into view. He bowed his head in respect and waited for me to speak.


    ¡°And?¡± I asked, grudgingly.


    ¡°There¡¯s still nothing yet, boss.¡± He answered, and I growled, pounding my fists on my table. He remained rooted to his spot, not flinching in the slightest.


    ¡°How on earth!¡± I bellowed.


    ¡°How on earth are you unable to find more information about her?!¡± I yelled at him, pushing away the paperwork on my table, and rising to my feet.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Boss___¡±


    ¡°DO NOT GIVE ME THAT BULLCRAP ABOUT YOU STILL WORKING ON IT!¡± I fired at him.


    ¡°How hard can it be?!¡±


    ¡°Are you that ipetent? You fool!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°I will work harder on it, boss. I¡¯m sorry, boss.¡± He rapped out all in one breath, and I scoffed, clicking my tongue.


    ¡°I¡¯m giving you 72 hours,¡± I began and chuckled.


    ¡°Seventy-two hours to find every little detail about her, or you are dead. I do not care if you have to travel to the end of the earth to get it. I do not give a rat¡¯s ass. I WANT EVERY DETAIL.¡± My voice boomed audaciously as I enunciated every word I uttered, so he could catch on to it that I meant every word.


    ¡°On it, boss.¡± He gave me a curt nod.


    ¡°Now, get the hell out of my study and get to work.¡± I deadpanned. He bowed his head before walking out.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I growled, picking up the bottle of whiskey on my table and throwing it at the wall, sending it crashing to the floor in pieces. I sank into my chair, and shut my eyes, exhaling softly.


    Just give me more time, Peach. I¡¯ming for you.

 Chapter 20

    ASHLEY


    I was exhausted.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    I pulled over in the driveway of my apartment and turned off the engine, grabbed the grocery bags in the backseat and my handbag, stepping out of the car. Genevieve let me off work early today. ording to her, there wasn¡¯t much to do.


    With the rate at which I had been getting a pass from her recently, if I were paid in dors for it, I would be a millionaire by now. She keeps surprising me, and well, not like I wasining. Truth be told, I needed to rest. It¡¯s been a rough couple of weeks.


    I couldn¡¯t have been more d of the kind of friends I surrounded myself with. They are the best friends a girl could wish for. I finally summoned up the courage to talk to my mom about the whole thing, and I couldn¡¯t have done it without their help. She was so hurt that I had been covering up for him. Dad wasn¡¯t left out either. His anger was unquenchable when he realized how he had been hurting me both physically and emotionally.


    If anything, I was d about the way the whole thing ended. Although, it doesn¡¯t make it hurt any less. The pains were still there. A whole lot. I was d I was starting to live for myself. d I saw the bright side of things and how my friends have been the best emotional support in the past weeks. They were the only thing holding me back from depression, and right now, all that mattered to me was getting my life back on track. The life he took from me, getting it back and making good use of it. Being intentional about my happiness and putting myself first. I was tired of being treated like shit.


    I smiled to myself, and spun on my heels, ascending the small stairs on the porch. I took out my keys from my bag and inserted them into the keyhole, stepping into my house. I made to lock the door, peering outside in the process. And almost as if my eyes were ying dirty tricks on me, I caught sight of a figure in ck on the other side of the quiet road.


    What?


    The grocery bag in my hands dropped to the floor, and I squatted to pick it up. By the time I got back up, I stared at where I had seen the figure in ck but nothing was there. The person was gone. Or maybe he was never there. I was very exhausted, and I had been a little dizzy throughout today. I furrowed my brows at the spot and sighed before locking my door.


    I switched the lights on, and the once-dark living room was illuminated. I walked over to the kitchen counter and set the bags on it, advancing towards the fridge to get myself some water. I took out a bottle and poured some into a ss, taking arge gulp. My eyes dropped to my open windows, and it felt like someone moved past the white curtains. I dropped the ss on the counter and strutted to the windows in my heels, mming the windows close.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on with me?¡± I mused, exhaling. My eyes examined the living room, carefully, looking for anything that was out of ce. Anything that could prove I wasn¡¯t going insane but I found none. It was all just in my head. I was starting to hallucinate.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯m going insane,¡± I nodded to myself and picked up my bag from the table, heading into my room. I was too tired to fix myself dinner, so I just took a warm bath and kept myself busy with some wine, while going through the work I brought home. After a while, I noticed I was dozing off, and then I shut my system down before going to bed.     ¡°Wake up, sleepyhead! Up! Up! Up!¡± Dawn¡¯s overly chirpy voice flowed into my ears, as though she was singing. I could hear Ivana¡¯s excited giggles. I hissed, mumbling profanities under my breath and pulling the covers over my head. I needed every ounce of sleep I could get. I was so tired.


    ¡°Go away,¡± I mumbled, sleepily. I barely slept for a few more seconds, when the covers were yanked off my body, leaving me in my flimsy nightwear.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± I shrieked, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.


    ¡°Trust me, Ash. You don¡¯t want to miss out on what we are about to tell you,¡± Ivana uttered, giddy with excitement like she couldn¡¯t wait to spill what was going on. I yawned, struggling to keep my eyes open, while I cupped my cheeks with my palms.


    ¡°What?¡± I muttered, drowsily.


    ¡°WE ARE GOING TO MALDIVES!!!!¡± The duo yelled in unison. I nodded off, falling back onto the bed and pulling the covers over my body.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear us?¡± Ivana queried.


    ¡°Ashley! M-A-L-D-I-V-E-S. Come on!¡± Dawn wailed, spelling it out boldly for me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t__¡± I paused, pushing the white covers off my body. I sat up, peering at the duo, who stared back at me with bewilderment stered all over their faces.


    ¡°Are you two kidding?¡± I asked, dumbly.


    ¡°No!¡± They shouted, impatiently.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I cleared my throat, sitting up.


    ¡°Are we going to Maldives?¡± I asked, and they bobbed their heads in response, eager for me to say something, other than how I had been acting as though my brain was going through a momentary shutdown.


    ¡°Yes,¡± they groaned.


    I blinked.


    ¡°We are going to the fucking Maldives!! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! We are going to the Maldives. Fuck me!¡± I screamed, rising to my feet and jumping up and down my bed like a little kid. The girls giggled, with contagious smiles on their faces as they nudged each other.


    ¡°Oh my God, how did you guyse up with this? Omg, I have always wanted to go to the Maldives. It¡¯s been on my bucket list for a while now.¡± I prattled on, not stopping to catch my breath.


    ¡°Yes, we know and we decided a girls¡¯ getaway was going to be therapeutic for you. We just want you to be fine.¡± Ivana smiled, and Dawn nodded in agreement, intertwining their hands. I felt the corners of my eyes stinging with unshed tears.


    ¡°You guys¡­¡± I croaked, throwing myself in her arms and sobbing loudly.


    ¡°Aww, it¡¯s okay, honey,¡± Dawn said softly, rubbing my back.


    ¡°Wait, what about Genevieve? Oh crap, she¡¯s not going to allow me to leave¡­I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t inform her. Shit!¡± I cussed, raking my hands through my hair. The duo shared a knowing look and I furrowed my brows at them in confusion.


    ¡°What?¡± I pressed.


    ¡°Well,¡± Ivana drew her words, grinning.


    ¡°You have Dawn to thank for that.¡± She chuckled. My face broke into a smile, and I squealed, smacking a loud kiss on Dawn¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°You could say I spoke to her. She couldn¡¯t resist my charm, you know. She attested to the fact that you have been a little withdrawn at work and decided if it makes you get your head back in the game, why not?¡± She flipped her hair, sassily.


    I didn¡¯t get a chance to dwell on how strange that was. I was too happy to care. I just wanted to get the hell out of this ce and breathe in some fresh air.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Maldives, bitches!¡± Dawn yelled and we squealed.

 Chapter 21

    ASHLEY


    This was a getaway I didn¡¯t know I needed. I didn¡¯t know how much I needed to step out of myfort zone until this getaway trip. It was that breath of fresh air I didn¡¯t know I needed. If there was any word I could use other than beautiful, I would. Breathtaking doesn¡¯t cut it, even. The Maldives are beyond beautiful. It was irresistible with its white beaches, turquoise sea, bluegoons, colorful marine life, and many palm trees. Emphasis on the palm trees.


    The cool breeze right outside the resort I was currently sprawled on the sun-lounger, blew my hair in different directions and I giggled at how it tickled my skin. I was wrappedzily in a white robe that exposed my und thighs, being kissed by the gentle breeze. The sight of the clear golden sand surrounded by beautiful palm trees and a turquoise-blue sea, moving with soft waves, was appealing. I have been here for the past hour, relishing the view our resort had to offer.


    The girls made sure we got a suite with the best view in the resort. I would be the world¡¯s biggest liar if I said I wasn¡¯t going to be obsessed with the view. I have grown attached to it since yesterday that we have been here.


    ¡°Hey, you!¡± Ivana¡¯s voice came up behind me and my lips stretched in a warm smile. I took a sip from my ss of red wine, looking straight ahead and basking in the wave of utter calmness the sight of the soft waves had plunged me in.


    ¡°Ivie,¡± I called softly, and she squatted on my level, dropping a kiss on my cheek before taking her seat on the sun lounger beside me.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Dawn?¡± I turned to her, furrowing my brows.


    ¡°Oh, you know Dawn. She¡¯s at the reception, flirting with the golden-haired guy from yesterday. I knew she had her sights on him from how she couldn¡¯t stop talking about him all night.¡± She chuckled, brushing a strand of her blonde hair off her face. She was d in a thin red-strapped blouse and a pair of ck beach shorts, her amber eyes glowing with utter softness.


    She was happy, so happy.


    Her hand dropped on my shoulder and she squeezed it gently. My eyes settled on her 18-karat oval-shaped diamond engagement ring that sat pretty on her ring finger. I felt my heart sink at the sight of it, tossing me into a hole of momentary sadness. She must have noticed how quiet I had gotten and a soft exhale emitted from her lips.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her amber orbs had gotten dull, glittering with worry that tugged at my heart painfully.


    ¡°How did you do it?¡± I inquired, dropping my wine ss.


    ¡°Do what?¡± She quizzed, utterly puzzled.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°How did you get a guy as perfect as Vince?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but ask. The nagging feeling gnawing at my gut made me feel like the breakup was all my fault. I just wanted to know what I did wrong.


    Vincent Morgan was the highest-paid actor in the US. Vince and Ivana have been in a rtionship since her freshman year in college. Back then, she had been a little unsure about the whole thing, but Vince had proven his worth to her over and over again, over the years, and he finally sealed the dealst Christmas, when he asked Ivana to marry him. The duo were head over heels in love. I have never seen a man love a woman the way Vince loved Ivana. They were perfect.


    How did she get a guy like him?


    ¡°Vince is not perfect, Ash. He¡¯s far from perfect and our rtionship isn¡¯t perfect either. Heaven knows the storm we have had to weather through over the years, but knowing our ws and making certainpromises and sacrifices has been a go-to thing.¡± She exined to me calmly, a twinge of sadness shing across her eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how else to say this, Ash.¡± She sat up, grabbing hold of my hands, and I let her. I needed all thefort I could get because I knew I was about to break down again.


    ¡°You are not the problem, Evaline. You never were. Adam was a sick bastard who didn¡¯t deserve you. He didn¡¯t deserve a strong, beautiful, amazing, and goal-driven woman. You deserve better, Ashley. I want you to know that and never forget it. You shouldn¡¯t have to lower your standards and settle for less.¡± Her tone was soft, warm, and encouraging. It brought a smile to my teary eyes.


    ¡°And I am so sure that the right man for you is just around the corner. Believe me, Ash.¡± She said subtly, smiling at me. I burst into tears. I couldn¡¯t hold it anymore.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone anymore. I don¡¯t want anyone. I hate love! I hate it!¡± I cried, burying my face in my hands.


    ¡°Take your time, love. Take your time to heal.¡± Ivana told me, wrapping her arm around me to pull me to herself. I leaned into her, sniffing.


    ¡°Whose bitches are those? Mine! Hey, girls!¡± Dawn hollered, and I looked over my shoulder to see her skipping over to us like a kid, sporting a bright smile on her face, her ginger-red hair flying in different directions with her blue eyes at their warmest.


    It felt good. So good, to be surrounded by people I loved and people who love me. The positivity was exhrating. I don¡¯t think I could ever thank the girls enough for being in my life.     ¡°Babe, we¡¯ll be back soon. I promise.¡± Ivana told him.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Do you need me toe over?¡± Vince¡¯s deep voice flowed through the speakers and she giggled.


    ¡°You are cute but no. We¡¯ll be back soon. Babe, I have to go now. I love you.¡± She blew kisses at him and I heard him mutter ¡®I love you¡¯ before she got off the call with him. The resort we upied was hosting a cute dinner party for its residents tonight, and we were trying to get ready for it. Dawn and Ivana were already dressed, but in Dawn¡¯s words ¡®I¡¯m adding finishing touches to your makeup.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± I snapped and she exhaled.


    ¡°Fine, you can open your eyes now.¡± She snorted, spraying a setting spray over my face. Contrary to what I actually thought, it was the most subtle makeup I have ever had on my face. It was as though it was barely there, safe for the strawberry gloss on my lips. My hair was tied in a messy bun with some strands falling off.


    The yellow crop top fitted like a glove. It had puffy sleeves and looked like a milkmaid top, with ropes at the front. I didn¡¯t have to wear a bra. It did a perfect job cupping my boobs. I paired the top with a ruched white skirt that had red polka dots. It was a tight skirt with a nt design and frills. I used a ne and a pair of gold studs. Then, I wore white sneakers.


    Dawn was d in a blood-red flower print dress that stopped right on her mid-thigh, while Ivana¡¯s was pure white. The girls yed their dresses, with their wless makeovers.


    ¡°I love it, Dawn!¡± I squealed and pulled her into a hug.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± Ivana cooed.


    ¡°Come on,e on. We are going to bete.¡± Ivana urged us. We grabbed our phones and bags and then left the room. The party was in full swing by the time we arrived at the dining hall in the resort. The sound of several clinking sses, the nking of cutleries on tes, and loud chattering filled the air. I was in awe at the beauty of the ce illuminated by golden lights.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go find ourselves a seat,¡± Ivana¡¯s voice brought me out of my thoughts as she pulled at my arm.


    ¡°Ouuuuu, that waiter is here!¡± Dawn squealed like a little girl and I shook my head at how boy-crazy she was. We found a suitable spot where we could see all that was going on and took our seats. Dawn was quick to wave the waiter guy over, grinning from ear to ear. She flipped her hair and adjusted her dress to show more cleavage, sporting a flirty smile on her face.


    ¡°Good evening,dies.¡± The waiter greeted us, his voice thick with liveliness. He had beautiful ivory skin and sandy blonde hair. His brown eyes gleamed with softness. He was tall and muscr. His muscles were almost bulging out of his shirt.


    ¡°My name is Abdul, and I¡¯m your waiter for tonight. Whatever you¡¯ll be having is on the house. So, may I take your order?


    ¡°Hey, you,¡± Dawn smiled flirtatiously at him and he threw a wink that left her red in the face. I saw Ivana chuckle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be having the steamed rice and chicken curry along with a bottle of your most expensive red wine,¡± Ivana told him, smiling.


    ¡°What about youdies?¡± The guy asked, his lingering gaze fixed on Dawn.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be having what she¡¯s having,¡± I spoke up and he nodded, jotting into his notepad.


    ¡°And, how about the beautifuldy?¡± He asked Dawn, peering at her.


    ¡°Same as my friends.¡± Dawn smiled shyly. As much as I wasn¡¯t a fan of people flirting with each other. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the ones going on because they were so cute.


    ¡°Steamed rice and chicken currying right up.¡± He dered and spared Dawn a nce before leaving.


    ¡°Oh, my God! Did you see him?¡± Dawn shrieked, and I groaned. The waiter soon returned with our food, not without sharing subtle nces with Dawn, and boy was the food good. I had so much fun at the dinner, but halfway through my food, I became pressed and needed to use the bathroom.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right back. I need to use the bathroom.¡± I told the girls and they nodded. I left my seat and asked one of the servers for the way to the bathroom and they gave me the description.


    The hallway that led to the bathroom was so quiet. It kinda had fear creeping into me, my eyes wandering around the hallway. I soon found the bathroom and went in to do my business. I was out in no time and was about to start leaving when I heard the clicking of a camera. I halted in my tracks, an unsettling feeling overwhelming me, causing the hair on my nape to be erect.


    I waited for a while, my eyes surveying my surroundings for any slight shift, but just like the other day in my house, I couldn¡¯t find anything. I let out a small breath, my palms suddenly grew sweaty. I increased my pace and heard the camera click again, but this time I didn¡¯t wait to check before taking to my heels.


    I was only able to breathe properly when I was back in the hall and the fact that I was surrounded by people didn¡¯t even make me feel safe. It made me so restless. My steps wobbled as I made my way back to the girls, colorpletely drained out of my face. I took my seat, releasing a breath, my eyes moving around the room.


    ¡°Ash, are you okay?¡± Dawn asked me, her eyes fixated on me. I stared at her for a moment, unable to find my voice, so I nodded.


    ¡°You look pale,¡± Ivana spoke up.


    I shook my head, stering a faux smile on my face. They didn¡¯t look convinced but they didn¡¯t press further and I was grateful for that. I stared down at my food, my appetite was suddenly gone. I sped my hands together, trying to steady them despite how shaky they had gotten. I blocked out the girl¡¯s chirpy voice and picked up my wine ss, bringing it to my lips.


    I think¡­I think someone¡¯s following me.

 Chapter 22

    ~ASHLEY~


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    I cursed under my breath, a low hostile hiss exiting my lips. I dropped the hair straightener abruptly on my dresser, causing it to sound with a loud thud. I winced, dipping my finger into my mouth, to soothe the burn the straightener had caused on my pinkie.


    I¡¯m convinced.


    The universe was working against me today because I just didn¡¯t understand how everything was going so wrong this morning. First, I woke upte. Secondly, while I was taking my bath, the water heater stopped working, leaving me with just one option. I had to suck it up and take my bath with the water that felt like it was gotten from the Antic Ocean. That aside, my white dress also got stained with my bottle of foundation that broke.


    And now, my hair straightener burnt my fingers. I exhaled, brushing my fingers through my wavy hair. I guess I will just have to go with it. I picked up my hairbrush and worked it through my messy hair, tying it atop my head in a ponytail. I dabbed some strawberry gloss on my lips, brushing up my eyshes with my mascara while being careful enough not to let it drop on my dress. I closed the lid when I was done and threw it on my dresser.


    The red dress which I was d in was skin-tight but I loved how the material was pressed firmly against my skin. It was a long-sleeved midi dress that stopped around my calves. It highlighted my curves and had a tad bit deep neckline that showed a little cleavage. I smiled at my reflection and sprayed my cologne on the sides of my neck and wrists. I strapped on my ck pencil heels and picked up my ck handbag to match, then the files I was working on and my car keys, ambling out of the room.


    I was sote by the time I got to work. I could only hope Genevieve wasn¡¯t going to say anything about myteness. She has been nothing short of considerate these days and the least I could do was to be punctual to work. I skidded to the elevator in my heels, which was starting to hurt my feet, and I have barely even gotten through the day yet. I entered the elevator and punched in some buttons. It came to a stop when it brought me to my destination. I rushed out and headed to my office, but I halted in my tracks at the sound of the voices that seeped into my ears.


    ¡°I heard she lost her baby. That¡¯s why she has been absent from work. Genevieve wouldn¡¯t just give her some days off work. She doesn¡¯t run a charity organization.¡±


    What?!


    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± One of the owners of the voices quickly debunked it.


    ¡°One of the janitors told me she¡¯s struggling with bipr disorder.¡± She uttered with utmost conviction.


    Who? Me?


    ¡°ording to what I heard, her fiance broke off the engagement and she lost it. She¡¯s currently in the hospital.¡±


    What the fuck?!


    I heard the clicking of a tongue afterwards.


    ¡°Serves her right. She¡¯s always parading the office with an invisible crown that has the inscription ¡°Bow down, I¡¯m Ashley, your Queen.¡± In her head, she¡¯s better than all of us here. Stupid bitch!¡± I couldn¡¯t mistake that voice. Heck, I could tell it apart amidst millions of voices.


    That bitch, Maxine.


    My blood boiled with rage, my jaws clenching and unclenching and my teeth grinding against each other as my hold tightened twice as hard on my handbag. I marched forward, fury consuming me. The nking of my heels on the tiled floor had them diverting their attention in the direction of the noise. Their gazes settled on me and they turned pale in color, eliciting a scoff from me.


    They watched me with horror imprinted on their faces like they didn¡¯t expect me to be standing there and listening to them spit trash about me. I was d they had the decency not to look me in the face and sh me their disgusting faux smiles.


    ¡°Ashley, darling.¡± Maxine pranced forward on her heels, stering a sweet smile on her face and sweeping her hair off her shoulder. I let out a loud snort, overly disgusted at the sight of her.


    ¡°Bitch, please!¡± I yelled, and she flinched.


    I dumped my bag on the table and took a step forward, ring daggers at her.


    ¡°I do not have a problem with you talking shit about other people in thispany, me included. It¡¯s none of my concern. But you spew trash behind me ande to smile right back in my face. It¡¯s utter bullshit, you fucking bitch!¡± I shouted at her, fury shing in my eyes.


    She was speechless.


    ¡°You came here with a single purpose. To work. So, why don¡¯t you do the fucking job you are being paid for and stop butting into people¡¯s business! I¡¯m so sick of you, Maxine Devon! Bitch, you irritate me and if I kept quiet all this while and did not say anything to your face, it¡¯s because I still had a tad bit of respect for you, but right now, I can see you don¡¯t even deserve it. You are just a girl from the slums suffering from a chronic wannabeplex!¡± I yelled at her. I was so furious and I needed to vent my anger onto something or someone, and she happened toe at the right time.


    ¡°And you two,¡± I turned to her friends, who stared at me, utterly embarrassed.


    ¡°In case you haven¡¯t noticed, this is the same thing she has been doing to you two. Grow up and get a damn life.¡± I spat in their faces and grabbed my bag, storming into my office and mming the door shut with a loud bang. I plopped down on my seat and threw my bag on the table, sighing.     I hit the send button and groaned, spinning around in my swivel chair. I took a sip from the ss of water on my table and got interrupted by my inte ringing. God, Gen, give me a break. I rolled my eyes and picked up the call.


    ¡°My office,¡± She said curtly and hung up. I huffed and stood up from my chair, sauntering out of my office. I knocked gently at the door and heard a faint e in¡¯. I proceeded into the office, my eyes narrowing at the familiar frame of her assistant, Hry. Gen had her head buried in the papers in front of her and Hry waited patiently for her to be done.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Gen.¡± I greeted her, sending her a polite smile. Hry nodded curtly at me, and I returned the gesture.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be meeting up with one of our clients. A car is waiting for you downstairs.¡± She uttered in a tone of dismissal and I furrowed my brows. Meeting? A client? I couldn¡¯tprehend it.


    ¡°Why am I meeting a client?¡± I queried, and her head shot up from the stack of papers in front of her, a challenging look marrying her face.


    ¡°Who¡¯s the boss here?¡± One of her eyebrows tugged up at me questioningly. I sighed and nodded my head.


    ¡°You are,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Good. Now, get out!¡± She fired at me and I flinched. I threw her onest look and left her office, bemused. I went into my office and took my bag, sauntering out and heading downstairs. When did I start meeting up with clients? What was going on? I have never done this before. What am I to say when I get there? I didn¡¯t even know what I was going there for.


    Jumbled thoughts gued my mind as I made my way out of the building, clutching my handbag in my hands. True to her words, there was a ck Range Rover that stood out amidst the cars in the parking lot, and a guy dressed in ck clothing stood by the door. My palms suddenly grew sweaty as I took slow steps forward.


    I couldn¡¯t see his face due to the ck shades he had on. He bowed his head at me and opened the door for me to step in. I stared at him like he had grown two heads, puzzled and unable to understand why he was bowing his head at me. Not wanting to engage him in a conversation, I stepped into the car and he shut the door. The interior of the car was all ck, screaming luxury at the sight of it, with just the driver in sight.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Good afternoon, mydy.¡± He uttered, and I grew more confused, squinting my eyes at him through the rearview mirror.


    ¡°Please, call me Ashley.¡± I countered. He didn¡¯t say another word. He turned on the engine and drove out of Allure. Throughout the ride, I was overly nervous, tapping my foot away on the floor mat, sweat trickling down my face even though the car was fully conditioned by the air-conditioning system. I couldn¡¯t count the number of times I chewed on my lips, rendering them overly red, and tugging at the hem of the dress.


    There was this nagging feeling that niggles at my guts. Terrible, terrible feeling that I just couldn¡¯t seem to shake off. It gnawed at me, scared me and had this ugly feeling overwhelming me. I was so ufortable where I sat, craning my neck to see if we had gotten to our destination.


    The car slowed down its pace when we stopped in front of a huge ck gate that automatically opened as we approached it. He drove into thergepound that was adorned with tarred roads and tall beautiful trees. The scenery screamed nature in its entirety but had this distinct allure that washed over my heightened nerves, leaving a sense of tranquility around me.


    I was in awe of the vast area. I felt my jaw drop to the floor at the sight of the circr waterfall in the middle of thepound, sparkling water pouring from the mouth of the lion aesthetically built in the middle. There were cars. A fleet of cars in the garage had me stupefied at the number of cars in thispound.


    The driver drove into the garage and pulled over. Before I could say, Jack Robinson, the door was pulled open by a tall guy in ck. I stepped out of the car, amazed at how rich this client was. The guy led me into the house that was surrounded by tall pirs.


    The first ce we set foot in had my breath knocked out of me at the sight of the luxury living room, coated in rich white paint and expensive ck furniture to go with it. I couldn¡¯t stop gaping.


    ¡°The boss is waiting upstairs, mydy.¡± His monotonous voice brought me out of my thoughts. I blinked, and sent him a small smile, trailing behind him as we ascended the delicate staircase.


    The guy that apanied me was long gone. He had led me to the rooftop, telling me all I had to do was open the door, and it would lead me right to the rooftop. I took a deep breath, and gave myself a mental pep-talk, then twisted the knob and stepped into the vast surroundings, with the breeze blowing ever so subtly, tickling my skin.


    My eyes wandered around, till they stopped on the leanly muscr back that belonged to the tall frame that was leaning on the rails. The client was a man?


    I took a step forward and cleared my throat to gain his attention. And then, he spun around, ever so slowly, a dainty ss of champagne in his eyes and those gunmetal green eyes came into view, knocking my breath out of me and leaving me to stagger backwards without being shoved by anything. There he was, right there, my worst nightmare, staring right back at me. My hand gave my bag away and then it dropped to the floor with a soft thud.


    His lips curled in a smirk, and then he muttered.


    ¡°Hello, Peach.¡±

 Chapter 23

    ASHLEY


    I stopped breathing.


    I couldn¡¯t feel the air in my lungs anymore, and it was like that for several seconds. My head pounded with a terrible headache that threatened to split my head into two, my eyes stinging with hot tears, and my throat clogged with sobs.


    I was looking him right in the eye. The same man that stripped me of my innocence. The same man who was the first man to go in between my legs. The same man to whom my body reacted to his touch like I had known him for years. The same man that gued my dreams and nearly ran me mad. The same man I thought I had escaped from, and would never cross paths with him.


    The headlines in the newspaper shed in my head and I groaned.


    Jaxon Arden Gray. The Leader of the Vixen Mafia.


    All his presence did was bring back unwanted thoughts that had tossed me into one of the darkest periods in my life. The guilt, the hate, the self-loath, and disgust, alongside utter regret. It didn¡¯t help that I couldn¡¯t even stop staring at him. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop.


    He was dressed in a crisp ck shirt, whose upper buttons were left undone, and tucked into matching ck cks. He had a diamond wristwatch strapped around his wrists, alongside knuckle rings that glowed under the sunlight. The sunlight filtered rays of light that shone on his lush ck curls that fell over his face, messily. His green eyes were nk, yet so stunning that it was enough to rob me of the breath I had left in me. His salmon-pink lips were pursed in a smirk as he took me in, unabashedly.


    He strode forward, every step he tookmanding so much unnerving respect that sent chills crawling down my spine. His steps spoke a lot about the domineering aura that oozed off him. He stopped right in front of me and stared down at me, his seductive smell pping me so softly across the face and assaulting my nostrils. I felt myself letting out a harsh breath.


    ¡°Peach,¡± he breathed, his voice low.


    All it did was fuel my rage.


    ¡°Take a fucking step back!¡± I growled at him. He stared at me, unfazed, not batting an eyelid at the way I yelled at him. He chuckled, and walked over to the seat I didn¡¯t even realize was there earlier.


    ¡°Come sit, Peach.¡± He urged, slouching against his chair, and I scoffed, teary-eyed.


    ¡°Stupid of you to think I will move an inch from where I am!¡± I yelled, fury engulfing me.


    ¡°Peach, please¡­¡± He trailed off, his green eyes fixated on me.


    ¡°I just want to talk.¡± He added, and I snorted, biting down on my quivering lips. I looked at the chair opposite him, hesitating a little. I crouched and picked up my bag, walking over to the seat. I pushed it back and sat down.


    ¡°Now, what?!¡± I fired harshly at him. I couldn¡¯t stand the sight of this man. I hated him and he disgusted me to the core. He repulsed me so badly.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of any other way to get you here. I had to do it the way I did.¡± He spoke up.


    ¡°How did you even know where I work? How did you know Genevieve? Have you been following me? You fucking creep! I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± I bellowed, hauling my handbag at him.


    ¡°Peach, listen to me.¡±


    ¡°My name¡¯s Ashley and not Peach!¡± I retorted back in anger.


    ¡°EVALINE!¡± He voiced out, audaciously. His voice reeked of utter coldness that had raw chills settling into me. I could feel the hair on my nape erecting one by one, almost shrinking into a ball under the intensity of his gaze.


    ¡°What do you even want from me?¡± I croaked, my eyes filled with tears and my throat clogged with sobs. His eyes softened and he reached for my hands on the table, to squeeze them, but I reeled back, flinching at his touch. I watched his face fall.


    He sighed, pushing a file toward me. I stared down at it and looked up to meet his gaze, only to find him staring at me. I couldn¡¯t hold his unwavering gaze, so I looked away.


    ¡°I want to marry you, Peach.¡± He deadpanned, keeping a straight face. I stared at him for a very long time and burst intoughter that had tears falling off my face. I was clutching my tummy so hard. I could barely breathe. I wheezed, struggling to catch my breath and then, I looked up to see him still keeping that straight face.


    Myughter seized.


    ¡°Are you kidding?¡± I asked him, sending him one of my death res that didn¡¯t earn the tiniest reaction from him.


    ¡°I¡¯m not. I want to marry you, Peach.¡± He repeated himself, enunciating every word to my hearing as though he wanted it to stick. I stared at him like he had gone out of his mind and scoffed loudly.


    ¡°You must be mad if you think I¡¯m going to fall for that, Mr. Mafia boss. You don¡¯t scare me, Jaxon. You don¡¯t. You just strike me as a mentally deranged man that needs to get himself checked in a psychiatric hospital.¡± I voiced out, monotonously.


    ¡°I can assure you, Peach. I¡¯m quite sane and still at my most reasonable self. I mean every word. I want to get married to you, Peach.¡± He said, again, and I shot up from my seat.


    ¡°You can go fuck yourself. I don¡¯t give an actual damn. If you¡¯ll excuse me, I have work to get to. Go find something to do if you don¡¯t have one!¡± I snapped at him.


    ¡°Sit down, Peach.¡± He said softly, and I let out a mirthless chuckle.


    ¡°Make me, Jaxon.¡± I dared him and turned around to leave.


    ¡°GET BACK HERE, AND SIT YOUR PRETTY ASS DOWN, EVALINE.¡± He ordered me, his cold, loud voice echoing in my ears and reverberating through the four walls of this mansion, in an attempt to bring the building down.


    I froze.


    Fear creeping into me.


    ¡°You heard me the first time, Peach. Get back here. Right now. I¡¯m not done talking to you. You only leave when I tell you to.¡± He added, audaciously. And like I was hypnotized, I found myself spinning on my heels and walking back to where I sat.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± Hemended, falling back onto his chair.


    ¡°Now, sign the papers.¡± He ordered, and I felt the corner of my eyes prick me. I scoffed, biting down on my lips.


    ¡°What makes you think I want to marry you? Is it about the other night? It was just sex!¡± I yelled at him. He shifted backwards in his seat, and the chair screeched. Then, he got up and approached me, where I sat, frozen.


    He came around, stopping behind me. His hands moved to my sides and settled on the table as he squatted to my level, breathing on my neck in the process. My knees wobbled where I sat, rendering me dizzy. Tingles shot up across my spine, and goosebumps sprouted all over my skin.


    He dropped his lips to my neck, and I let out an involuntary moan that had me tilting my head to the side to give him ess to my neck. He swept my hair off my neck and spread gentle, soft kisses around the skin of my neck, back and forth. An action that had me holding onto the edge of the table, soft moans leaving my lips. I was dizzy with pleasure and my legs had turned to jelly.


    ¡°God, the sounds you make drive me crazy.¡± He whispered in my ears, and I moaned at the words that left his mouth. I could feel heat pooling between my legs, leaving my panties soaked.


    ¡°You see that?¡±


    He chuckled.


    ¡°Right there. That¡¯s enough to assure me that you would marry me.¡± He spoke so confidently with a conviction that scared the hell out of me.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look me in the eye and lie to me that whenever you close your eyes, you don¡¯t see me hovering above you, my fingers moving so daintily on the curves of your skin? My fingers working wonders on your body, and extracting those soft sounds you make from your mouth,¡± He didn¡¯t stop kissing me, and I wouldn¡¯t stop moaning shamelessly.


    ¡°Have you forgotten how you moaned so hard when I was buried deep inside you? Huh, Peach? You have forgotten how you stared at me with your eyes clouded with so much lust, telling me how badly you wanted me? How you threw your head backwards when my lips met your soft mounds and aching buds.¡± He chuckled, and it sounded so erotic to my ears. I released a shaky breath.


    ¡°You have no idea how hard I am right now.¡± He sounded so breathless and I got off my chair, abruptly, with tears pooling in my eyes.


    ¡°You are sick,¡± I whispered, my breath quivering. I grabbed my bag with shaky hands, and my legs wobbled as I made my way out of the rooftop.


    ¡°You have a week, Peach,¡± he began, causing me to halt.


    ¡°And you should know, I never take no for an answer. I want you, Peach and I will stop at nothing until I get you. I¡¯m not a very patient man, so please, don¡¯t get me mad by wasting my time.¡± His tone was soft, but the threats they held were so ring, staring right back at me in the face. I breathed harshly, and staggered out the door, my eyes brimming with tears.


    What the fuck have you done, Ashley Evaline Miller?

 Chapter 24

    JAXON


    ¡°I¡¯m so proud of you, Son.¡± Dad chuckled, his green eyes that looked just like mine, sparking with so much pride that had me smiling back at him.


    No!


    ¡°Ohe on, Rodney, you sound as if you are the only one who¡¯s proud of him. I¡¯m proud of you too, Son.¡± Mom nced at me through the rearview mirror. I smiled at her, teary-eyed, toying with my unknotted tie.


    ¡°My son is a man now! Goodbye high school!¡± Dad yelled with so much excitement.


    No! No!


    ¡°He¡¯s still going to be my baby,¡± Mom grinned.


    No!


    I tossed in my sleep, turning to my side, my head moving to the sides as I struggled to open my eyes, but I failed miserably at it.


    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m eighteen now,¡± I grumbled and she chuckled.


    ¡°I love__¡±


    No! No!


    She barely had a chance toplete her words, when she screamed out my dad¡¯s name so hard.


    ¡°Rodney!!!¡± Mom screamed.


    I looked up from my phone, to see a truck heading over our way. My dad was trying to swerve to the side, in a bid to avoid running into the truck, but the brakes had failed.


    ¡°Mom!¡±This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    No! No!


    The truck ran into our car, shattering the windscreen that broke into pieces, sttering everywhere, with some shards piercing my face. The car somersaulted really hard, tumbling to the floor with an ear-shattering sound.


    No!


    Agonizing screams.


    More screams___  I watched my mom that had blood gushing out of her head so badly as she tried to speak to me, but the words weren¡¯t forming. I watched my parents struggle to hold on to their life that was slowly slipping away from them. I couldn¡¯t save them¡­


    No!


    No!


    I thrashed around in my bed, my hands iling, my breathpletely punched out of my lungs as I struggled to hold on to any ounce of it that was left. My eyes were filled with tears. I couldn¡¯t speak, I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°No!¡± I screamed so hard, when I finally found my voice, jolting upright with a start, and utterly drenched in my sweat. My breath came out in short pants, loud and uneven, sounding so bruised and punched. My heart pummeled loudly against my chest with my chest constricting in pain that made it so hard to breathe. My eyes moved around my dark room with nothing in sight. I tried to locate my bedsidemp with my hands and when I found the switch, I flicked it on.


    How the fuck did I fall asleep?


    It was able to illuminate the room to an extent. I kept my eyes fixed on the white walls, trying to control my erratic breathing. I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath, and then I exhaled, brushing my fingers through my hair. I turned to my nightstand, bringing my wristwatch to my face. The time read 5 am.


    It¡¯s about damn time I got up anyways.


    I had a meeting early this morning. I got up from my king-sized bed that was soaked with sweat, ambling to where the light switch was located. I switched it on and the bright lights came on, illuminating my room. I got out of my clothes and headed for the shower.


    I stood under the hot scalding water that burned my skin, not in the least eliciting the slightest emotions from me. Instead, it left my heightened nerves calm. I was out of the shower in no time with my towel wrapped securely around my waist. I picked up my phone from the nightstand and dialed Duncan¡¯s number. He picked up at once.


    ¡°And where the hell are you?!¡± I growled into the phone.


    ¡°I¡¯m outside thepound, boss,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Get here in two minutes and I swear to God, I will blow your fucking balls off if you are one secondte.¡± I barked and hung up. I took off my towel and went into my walk-in closet to get dressed. I settled for a crisp white shirt and a pair of ck cks, pairing them with some jewelry.


    By the time I was out of my closet, Duncan was already waiting in my room with his head bowed.


    ¡°Good morning, boss.¡± He greeted me.


    ¡°Good morning, Duncan,¡± I answered curtly, buttoning up my shirt and spraying my cologne.


    ¡°The Limousine is all prepped and ready downstairs boss.¡± He spoke, his voice holding no emotion in it. I nodded and tucked my gun into the back of my trousers, picking up my phone. I walked past him and left the room.


    The living room was bustling with maids going to and fro about their morning business. They stopped what they were doing when I set foot into the living room. The air was thick with so much tension and their heads bowed in respect. I didn¡¯t bat so much as an eyelid in their direction because I wasn¡¯t fazed by their greetings. I turned to my left and found Alberta waiting with my coffee.


    My eyes softened a little on seeing her. I took the cup from her and took a sip.


    ¡°Good morning, Alberta. Did you sleep well?¡± I asked her and she gave me a motherly smile that was filled with so much warmth, eliciting a tight-lipped smile from me.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Gray, and yes, I slept well.¡± She answered with an unending smile. I tend to wonder why she smiles so much. There wasn¡¯t anything peculiar to smile about every time, but then, it was Alberta. Smiling was a reflex action of hers.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in the evening.¡± I gave her a curt nod and spun on my heels, heading out of the house. True to Duncan¡¯s words, the Limousine was already in thepound, the door widely opened by one of my guards. I stepped in and Duncan followed behind, shutting the door.


    ¡°Where to, Boss?¡± The driver inquired.


    ¡°To the Warehouse,¡± I answered coldly.

 Chapter 25

    JAXON


    My fingers moved on the screen of my phone as I tapped away on it, the air in the car filled with so much tension that I could barely hear either the driver or Duncan breathe. With the silence that reigned in the air, I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if I heard a pin drop. I looked up from my phone, looking straight ahead, and the pace at which the car moved became slower as we approached the enormous Warehouse. There was no other building in view apart from the warehouse that upied a vast amount ofnd with the rest being smooth tarred roads.


    The car came to a stop and the driver pulled over at a safe distance. I didn¡¯t want to alert them of my arrival. It was a beautiful day to catch some lying bastards. I was in a shitty mood and I was sure that I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to put a bullet through anyone¡¯s head. Duncan got out of the car and held the door for me so that I could step out.


    I smoothed the non-existence crease on my shirt and advanced to the quiet building. He pressed the red button on the wall and the industrial door moved upward so we could step in. I saw it. The fear in their eyes. The moment their eyesnded on me, and I loved it. It gave me a sense of pride in a way. I watched as they scrambled to their feet, increasing the pace at which they worked.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    The vast space was bustling with activities, my men scurrying on their feet to get the cartons in ce. The tall, wide shelves were stacked to the brim with big brown cartons that could conveniently contain a human if shoved into it. The warehouse was illuminated with bright lights that were almost blinding. I looked up at the stairs to find it was so busy as well. They were busy offloading our new shipment.


    ¡°BOYS!¡± Duncan¡¯s cold voice boomed, garnering their attention. Their eyes dropped to me and they stopped everything they were doing, bowing their heads in respect and mumbling greetings I barely acknowledged.


    ¡°Get to work. I just came to oversee things myself.¡± I spoke up, ncing at my wristwatch. My eyes strayed to the top floor in the process, where three men stood, ufortably. It didn¡¯t take putting two and two together. The fright in their faces and the asional shifting of their feet gave them away. My lips twitched in a smirk and I strode forward. They paved the way for me as I made my way upstairs.


    ¡°Gentlemen,¡± I called, undoing my cuffs. I handed my cufflinks to Duncan, who was already at my back, rolling my sleeves to my elbow.


    ¡°Good__m__Good__morning, Boss.¡± One of them stuttered and my lips stretched in a wide smile. I beckoned him to step forward. The hesitation that clouded his eyes left me thoroughly amused. He summoned up courage and moved forward, stopping right in front of me. I could smell the fear radiating off him and I hated him.


    I hate weak men. They disgust me.


    I grabbed him by the throat, and he held onto my hands that were wrapped tightly around his neck as I lifted him by the neck. His eyes reddened as he struggled to utter a word, and I kept choking him. I didn¡¯t stop. I didn¡¯t want to. I growled and threw him to the rails, leaving him to fall to the floor with loud breaths escaping his lips.


    I turned to the other two, who took a step backwards and I moved forward too with a cold, taunting smirk on my lips.


    ¡°Open the box,¡± I ordered, cracking my knuckles.


    ¡°OPEN THE FUCKING BOX!¡± I bellowed, my strident voice booming across the vast space, followed by an unnerving silence. I watched as the two of them jittered uncontrobly, making their way to the boxes in front of them. However, the first one in the front reached into his clothes and brought out about six sachets of Coke that had me snickering.


    I didn¡¯t even have to bring out my gun.


    ¡°Drop them into the box,¡± I instructed, and he did as he was told. But before he could utter one more word, I was already in front of him,nding a heavy punch on his face that had him spitting out blood on my white shirt. I looked down at my shirt with the utmost disdain, reaching for my gun at the back of my trousers.


    ¡°YOU THINK YOU CAN STEAL FROM ME AND GO SCOT-FREE?¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t even have the fucking decency to hide it properly, you fucking retard.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking because he got on the rails and wanted to jump down, but the impact of several bullets at the back of his head had him dropping downstairs with a loud thud. With my eyes still fixed on him, I fired a shot to my left and the second guy dropped dead.


    I turned to my right, my eyes zeroing in on the one I choked earlier, watching me with horror and dread imprinted on his face. I growled and marched forward, kicking him to the ground and stepping on his face and he was writhing in pain underneath me, eliciting a sadistic chuckle from me.


    ¡°You know,¡± I began, chuckling, my cold gaze moving around the warehouse.


    ¡°It¡¯s honestly how you all think you are so smart and you can steal from me without me realizing it because I don¡¯te to the warehouse often,¡± I applied pressure on his face and he grunted in pain, blood spluttering from his mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you all to stop. By all means, please, keep at it. Nothing fuels my happiness other than murdering thieves brutally and I can assure you that if I ever sniff you out__¡± I paused, matching his face, even more.


    ¡°I will set you aze and watch you burn to the ground, screaming for help and thrashing around helplessly, while I stand over you with my ss of whiskey in my hand as I watch you burn from head to toe until there¡¯s nothing left but your ashes,¡± I spoke, my voice dangerously calm as I enunciated every fucking word, so it could sink into their brains.


    ¡°Taken?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, Boss!¡± They shouted in unison.


    And with that, I stared down at the bastard underneath my foot and put a bullet through his brain, the contents sshing on my chest. I scoffed and kicked his corpse off.


    I watched his dead body with no ounce of remorse and then, I spun on my heels, heading downstairs.


    ¡°Get me a fucking shirt and stop staring at me like a fucking moron,¡± I growled at Duncan, who bowed his head and skipped off to my office in the warehouse to get me a new shirt. He soon came running in with a new white shirt. I took off the blood-stained shirt I had on me and threw it on his face, snatching the new one from him.


    I wore it and began buttoning up, looking up to face the rest of my men with the ghost of a smile on my face.


    ¡°Gentlemen, you can start your day now.¡±

 Chapter 26

    JAXON


    I was slouched against my chair in the conference room, twirling my pen between my fingers as the middle-aged man in front of the projector kept me updated on what had been going on in the Oil Firm. I saw his lips moving but I was long gone. I couldn¡¯t hear a thing that he was saying anymore. I don¡¯t think I have been paying attention to him in the first ce, but the blonde-haired man in front of the Projector looked like he was walking so hard to impress me. Why wouldn¡¯t he want to? He is currently the acting CEO I installed there. He wouldn¡¯t want to lose the source of his money


    I scoffed.


    I twirled around in my swivel chair because I was so bored to the bones and I did not want to listen to him speak with me anymore. I just wanted a breath of fresh air, and the world outside the see-through ss in the conference room seemed to give me that.


    ¡°I¡¯m still listening, Jacob,¡± I spoke in a bored tone when I noticed he had gone quiet. That was all it took for him to continue speaking.


    But then, I zoned out again.


    It¡¯s been two days and I haven¡¯t heard anything from Peach. Two fucking awfully long days that seemed like a thousand years. I couldn¡¯t count the number of times I had waited by my phone or the number of times I had rushed to my phone, whenever it chimed and I was starting to get so impatient.


    I hated being made to wait. Whenever I want something, I expect to get it without so much stress, but Peach was making this so difficult. I wasn¡¯t asking for too much. All I wanted her to do was marry me ande spend my money without having to do a single thing. She could finally get the life she deserves, by my side. She was meant to rule beside me. She was a Queen and should be treated as one.


    I want to worship the ground she walked on. I wanted to have life by her side and I didn¡¯t care if I had to burn the world down to get what I wanted. I had to reach out to Genevieve Royce, who was owing me a favor when I was starting to lose my mind, so I could see her and when I finally did, it felt as though I could finally breathe again. I didn¡¯t understand how much I was addicted to her presence until she walked up to that rooftop in that sinfully tight midi dress.


    There was nothing I wanted more than to let her hair loose from the ponytail she tied it in. I hate seeing her hair tied. I wanted to see that mass of brown waves flow down her shoulders and highlight her hypnotic honey eyes. I wanted Peach and I didn¡¯t just want a short-term thing with her. I wanted her by my side as my wife, my Queen, and the mother of my kids.


    I have never wanted anyone the way I wanted her and that scared me a lot more than I cared to admit. I was so attached to her without even knowing the slightest thing about her. I never cared about how people saw me, but I saw the look in her eyes that day. She was so scared of me and I hated it. I didn¡¯t want her to be scared of me. It disturbed me greatly that she saw me as a monster.


    ¡°Get out, Jacob, and get me, Duncan,¡± I ordered.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Gray.¡± That was his response as he walked out of the conference room. I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. The door creaked open and I spun around in my chair, my chilling gaze settling on Duncan¡¯s rigid frame.


    ¡°Any news?¡± I asked him, and of course, he knew what I was talking about.


    ¡°How is she? Is she alright? Is she safe?¡± I bombarded him with more questions.


    ¡°Mydy is fine, boss.¡± He answered and I sighed.


    ¡°I want her protected, 24/7. Tell the rest of my men to keep watch on her. I want her safe.¡±  I instructed.


    ¡°Yes, Boss.¡±


    ¡°What else have you found out?¡± I asked him, raising one of my brows.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t found out much__¡±


    I cut him off, pounding my fists on the table, the harsh reverberating across the room. Duncan flinched but I was too angry to care.


    ¡°What do you mean by you haven¡¯t found out much? I told you. I want every single detail about her. I want to know what she¡¯s doing at every hour of the day, what she eats, where she goes, who her friends are and her family! I don¡¯t care! I want every bit of information about her!¡± I fired at him.


    ¡°It will be on your desk by the time you get home, boss. I promise you.¡± He assured me.


    ¡°It better be. NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!¡± I bellowed, dismissing him. He bowed his head onest time before leaving the room.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, pushing the papers on my table away and raking my fingers through my hair. God, Peach, don¡¯t get me mad. I don¡¯t want to do the unthinkable to have you. Why is she making everything so difficult?This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.

 Chapter 27

    ASHLEY


    ¡°You have a week, Peach.¡±


    ¡°You have a week, Peach.¡±


    Fuck, no¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m not a very patient man, so please, don¡¯t get me mad by wasting my time.


    No¡­


    ¡°I want you, Peach and I will stop at nothing until I get you.¡±


    God, what the hell have I gotten myself into? It¡¯s been three days since west spoke and no matter how hard I tried to assure myself that he was just bluffing, there was this dark feeling that gnawed at my guts, telling me to wake the hell up and that I wasn¡¯t dreaming. This was reality and what I was running from had finally caught up with me. It left me wondering why it always had to be me. Why was this happening when I had just begun to get my life back? When I thought I could finally move past what happened, my demons and my secrets came knocking.


    I could see the look in those green eyes when he spoke to me. The determination his eyes held burned like wildfire and he wasn¡¯t in the least interested in hiding it. He wanted me to see that he meant every word. Out of the one-week ultimatum he gave me, I had used three. An ultimatum that had sent me over the edge, leaving me so scared and jumpy every damn time. I can¡¯t even remember thest time I had a good sleep. After locking all the doors in my house, I was always so scared to close my eyes because I felt like he could be lurking in the shadows waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    After feeling like I was being watched at my house, the first time I came back home from work and felt like someone was on the other side of the road, I brushed it off, thinking it was just my mind ying tricks on me and all I needed to do was rest. But then, in the Maldives, at the resort¡¯s dinner party, the incident in the bathroom hallway left me with a great conviction that someone was following me, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined it was a Mafia boss that was hot on my tail. Heck, I couldn¡¯t even piece it together until ourst encounter. That bastard hired people to follow me. He hired people to keep a tail on me.


    That would have been understandable but the fact that he had to get through to me by reaching out to Genevieve Royce, my boss, to send me over to his ce, was creepy. If anything, I didn¡¯t feel safe in my workce anymore. It just left me so scared and so furious at Genevieve for selling me out the way she did. Since the incident, I have had to struggle with my restraint to barge into her office and confront her about the whole thing. She even went as far as acting so oblivious. That shady bitch! After I returned to work, looking like a ghost, she didn¡¯t bother to ask me anything about the so-called ¡®meeting¡¯ she had sent me to. She justpletely wrote me off.


    How evil could her cold, dark heart get? I thought women were supposed to look out for each other. Why was she so cruel to hand me over to him?! Couldn¡¯t she have refused? What did I ever do to her? I needed not even the least convincing anymore that Genevieve was one hell of a bitch and a ruthless human being!


    I didn¡¯t understand what he wanted from me. It was just sex. He needs to get over it. People have one nightstand every time and he doesn¡¯t see them making a fuss about it. I exhaled, my thoughts straying to the things he said to me that afternoon. His soft, erotic, and alluring voice and how badly it turned me on. I had gotten home with my panties so soaked and could only me it on the fact that I was ovting and my hormones were all over the ce.


    I couldn¡¯t get those words out of my head. It did things to me. It did things to my body. Things I didn¡¯t want and things I could barelyprehend. That man was a piece of shit. An arrogant piece of shit, who thinks he could get any woman with his stupid money.


    ¡°Have you forgotten how you moaned so hard while I was buried inside you? Huh, Peach?¡±


    I released a shaky breath, my hold on the pen in my hands tightening more than it should. I found myself snapping my legs shut, a soft sound leaving my lips.


    ¡°How you threw your head backwards when my mouth met your soft mounds and aching buds?¡±


    Fuck! That bastard!


    I hated how my body reacted to his dirty words, how it reacted to his touch like I had known him for years. I hated how it left me so soaked, made me so breathless, and made me crave more of what he was offering. I hated how my nipples hardened and strained against my dress when he said those words to me. I hated how good his neck kisses felt, how they left my core aching for his touch, and how I moaned shamelessly when he kept kissing my neck. I knew, deep down in me that if I had stayed longer than I was supposed to on that rooftop, I would give in the way my body burned at his touch. I would allow him to bend me over that rail, and have his wicked ways with me. As much as I hate to admit it, my pussy dripped so heavily at the words that left his mouth that I couldn¡¯t stop fantasizing about how skillful he was with it when he ate me out.


    ¡°Ashley, what is wrong with you?¡± I groaned, running my fingers through my messy ponytail. I felt tears prick the corner of my eyes and I knew I was going to start crying any moment now. It was a good thing I wasn¡¯t wearing makeup anyway. I breathed, picking up the files I had just finished working on, and then I rose to my feet and walked out of my office, shutting the door. I made my way to Genevieve ve¡¯s office and knocked gently at her door. She ushered me in and I stepped into her office, my eyes zeroing in on her frame that had her back turned to me in her swivel chairAll content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Good morning, Gen,¡± I mumbled quietly.


    ¡°Good morning, Ashley. You can drop the files and leave.¡± She muttered, not turning to spare me a nce. I dropped the files on her table, gulping. I tried to open my mouth to confront her about the reason she did what she did to me. To ask her why she pulled the ¡®boss¡¯ card on me. I wanted to yell at her and turn her office upside down because I was so furious with her, but I couldn¡¯t speak.


    So, she whirled around in her seat.


    ¡°And what are you still doing here?¡± She asked, her obsidian ck eyes eerily cold and piercing.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Is there something you would like to say to me, Miss Miller?¡± She cocked a brow at me, narrowing those dark eyes at me, intimidating me. I took a step backwards, shaking my head sideways.


    ¡°Good,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll just leave,¡± I spoke.


    ¡°Yes, you should leave.¡± She dismissed me and I didn¡¯t wait to hear one more word from her before stepping out of the office and shutting the door behind me. I released a shaky breath, tears pooling in my eyes. For a moment there, I thought she would bring it up and even try to apologize for her wrongdoing, but the fucking bitch couldn¡¯t say anything.


    How could she hurt me like this? What did I ever do to her? Was this a payback of some sort? If she were so mad at me and wanted revenge at all costs, she could have just fired me and saved herself the stress of selling me out to the Mafia boss. Did she do it for the money she would be getting? You know what? Fvck Gen and Fvck Jaxon. I don¡¯t give a damn! They could burn in hell for all I care.


    I marched into my office and mmed the door shut, storming over to my table and pushing away the things that were on it, then I let out an agonizing scream, with tears streaming down my face. How did it all get so messed up?

 Chapter 28

    ASHLEY


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk, Noah. Get the hell out of my sight!¡± I snapped at the photographer in front of me, who watched me with dull eyes and still tried to speak to me.


    ¡°Ashley__¡±


    ¡°Oh fuck off,¡± I growled and walked past him. I didn¡¯t know how someone could be such a pest. Like dude, get the fucking hint. I don¡¯t want to speak with you. I don¡¯t want to hang out with you. I don¡¯t want to go on a date with you. Just leave me the hell alone. I was tired and needed a break. I had so much on my te and I didn¡¯t need him adding to it with his childish infatuation.


    I got into my car and mmed the door shut. I ignited the engine and made to drive out of the parking lot when my phone sounded with a loud ding. I groaned and picked up my handbag, searching for my phone. I took it out and unlocked it.


    And then, my blood ran cold at the text that popped up on my screen.


    ???????


    ?????, ?? ????h,


    ???? ? ?????? ??? ?h?? ????? ?? ???????? ? ???¡¯? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ?? ?h???? ??? ??????¡¯? ????, ????h. ? ???? ?? ??????. ??¡¯? ???h?? ? ??? ?? ???.


    What the fuck?


    How did he even get my number? I sat up in my seat, my eyes wandering around the parking lot that looked as normal as it could ever be. My heart thudded loudly in my chest, fear crawled up my spine and my eyes glistened with hot tears. My hands gave the phone away and I shuddered, heaving a bruised breath. I squeezed my eyes shut and the tears dropped. I soon broke down into loud sobs, asional sniffs, and hups leaving my lips.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t hide this from them anymore. Ivana and Dawn needed to know what was going on. So, I picked up my phone and sent a text to them.


    Me.


    There¡¯s something you two should know. Meet up at my ce in thirty minutes.


    I hit the send button and threw my phone on the seat beside me. I fastened my seatbelt and drove out of the parking lot.     An unnerving silence reigned in the air and I could feel the air on my nape starting to erect, a metallic taste rolling off my tongue, which made it so difficult for me to swallow my spit because it tasted like toxicity. I could feel my heart in my mouth as I looked down at my fingers, tugging at the hem of my sweatshirt. After dropping the bombshell and telling them what went down, without holding back any information, they just became frozen, not uttering a word and leaving me a nervous train wreck.


    A tear dropped on my hands and I looked up to meet Dawn¡¯s teary blue eyes, but that wasn¡¯t what scared me. It was the pure, undiluted, and chilling rage that clouded her eyes, alongside hurt and disappointment. Ivana¡¯s expression was just nk. I couldn¡¯t read it. A shaky sigh escaped Dawn¡¯s lips and she rose to her feet, punching her palms and pacing around in circles.


    ¡°Dawn¡­¡± Ivana trailed off.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t speak to me, Ivana. I might lose my shit if you say a word to me¡­ just let me be. Let me think.¡± She shunned Ivana, who didn¡¯t look like she was going to back down from trying to talk to her.


    ¡°Dawn, sit down, and let¡¯s talk.¡± Ivana urged, and she scoffed.This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    ¡°Oh really?¡± Dawn chuckled, mirthlessly.


    ¡°Daw__¡± I barely spoke before she came for me.


    ¡°Not one word from you, Ashley Evaline Miller, and fvck you!¡± She bellowed harshly at me and I let out a shaky breath, tears streaming down my face. This was it. My worst fear finally came to pass. My friends see me as a whore. A fvcking bitch that opened her legs for any man that gives her a nickname.


    ¡°DAWN DAWSON, SIT THE FVCK DOWN!¡± Ivanamanded, audaciously, her stern tone giving no room for argument. I watched as Dawn plopped down on the couch that was far away from where I sat, looking straight ahead. Ivana shifted to where I sat and cupped my face so I could look at her, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to. I was so ashamed of myself.


    ¡°Ashley, please, look at me.¡± She urged, her voice breaking. I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°Ashley, please¡­¡± She pleaded and when I finally looked into her amber eyes. She still had a smile on her face but they were so ssy as she was trying so hard to rein her tears in.


    ¡°Did you guys at least use protection?¡± She asked me.


    ¡°I¡­I¡­ yes, yes, he did. I don¡¯t know what to do, Ivana. I¡¯m so screwed. I slept with a Mafia boss, who wouldn¡¯t let me go until I became his wife. I don¡¯t want to marry him, Ivie. I can¡¯t marry him. This man is so ruthless and has not even the tiniest bit of human feelings.¡± I spoke, sniffing.


    ¡°We are going to fix this, but Ashley, have we ever made you feel like you are alone? Like we are going to judge you for something you had no control over? You got drunk and lost your V card, Ashley. So? Shit happens! We are your best friends. Why do you always keep things from us?¡± Ivana asked, her voice drawn to a whisper.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we were ever her friends, Ivana.¡± Dawn snorted.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Dawn! If you are not going to be a supportive friend right now, you might as well leave. She made a mistake! She knows! There¡¯s no use in getting mad at her!¡± Ivana rose to her feet. She was yelling now! She rarely lost her cool.


    ¡°Look at the girl for goodness sake! She¡¯s vulnerable, Dawn and all she needs right now are her best friends! Not someone whining into her ears to make her feel more terrible than she is.¡± Ivana continued, her rage still evident in her voice.


    I hated this. My best friends were fighting because of me.


    ¡°When exactly are you going to realize that being angry isn¡¯t always going to solve the problem? It will only worsen the whole thing. God, Dawn, you are just so hard to understand. I get that you are hurt and angry at her. Heck, I am too! But you don¡¯t see me screaming her ears off and that¡¯s because there are certain orders to things,¡±


    ¡°This? You can do better than this, Dawnie. You can do better.¡± Ivana uttered softly. I watched Dawn drop to the couch and buried her head in her palms, sobbing so hard.


    ¡°I¡¯m just so mad because she has been going through something this bad and wouldn¡¯t speak up about her feelings. I¡¯m mad because my best friend is in so much pain and I can¡¯t do anything to help her when she won¡¯t even open up to us.¡± Dawn sobbed, and Ivana squatted in front of her, rubbing her legs.


    ¡°She¡¯s opening up to us now, so why don¡¯t you give her a shoulder to lean on right now?¡± Ivana asked. Dawn heaved a loud breath and got up from where she sat, sauntering over to my ce and throwing herself in my arms, crying so hard.


    I broke down. Again.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I know I say this all the time but I am so sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you, girls. I was just scared of dragging you into a fight that wasn¡¯t yours, to begin with.¡± I sobbed and Ivana took my hands in hers, smiling at me.


    ¡°We are not just friends, Ashley. We are sisters and we don¡¯t run off when the going gets tough. We face it together. As a family. We¡¯ll figure this out. I promise you.¡± Ivana answered. Dawn got out of my arms and wiped my tears, dropping a long soft kiss on my hair and I sighed.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told them, patting my tears off my face.


    ¡°I just feel so light-hearted.¡± I chuckled and they giggled.


    ¡°Do you want to move in with me?¡± Dawn asked, peering at me.


    ¡°No, Dawn. I will be fine. I promise you. I will be very careful.¡± I countered, shaking my head sideways with a smile on my face.


    ¡°Are you sure? Or do you think we can talk to the police about this?¡± Ivana shifted closer, picking up her phone from her bag but I was so quick to snatch it from her grasp.


    ¡°No police,¡± I said sternly.


    The duo looked like they were going to protest, but I shook my head.


    ¡°Girls, promise me. No police.¡± I frowned, stretching my pinky forward. They stared at my finger for a while, then I arched a brow at them before they finally intertwined their pinkies with mine.


    ¡°Fine,¡±


    ¡°Whatever you say,¡±


    I giggled and enveloped them in a hug, smiling with teary eyes. I was extremely grateful that I had these girls in my corner because I wasn¡¯t sure what I was going to do without them.


    ¡°I love you, girls.¡±


    ¡°Aww, Ashley boo. We love you too.¡± They responded and we giggled, nudging each other like idiots. Nothing could be better than this. Facing my problems squarely with these girls by my side. There was nothing that could go wrong with them by my side, but how wrong I was¡­.


    So wrong¡­

 Chapter 29

    ASHLEY


    ¡°What the hell?¡± I asked no one in particr as I tried igniting the engine of my car but it wasn¡¯ting on. I hissed through my teeth and picked up my phone that was lying on the seat beside me, powering it to check the time. God, I needed no soothsayer to tell me howte I was. I groaned and got out of the car, mming the door shut before I proceeded to open the bo. Not like I knew anything, I was going to check in there. I scrunch my face, tapping the battery with the tip of my blood-red nails.


    ¡°Ohe on!¡± I whined.


    ¡°Just fucking start already!¡± I snapped. I crouched softly, taking one of my stilettos off and hitting the pencil sole on the car battery, hoping it would miraculously make the care alive. After trying to no avail, I wore my shoes and went into the car to get my bag, deciding to order a ride. Genevieve would chew me raw if I didn¡¯t get to that office in twenty minutes.


    I locked the car and waited for my ride, which pulled over in front of my house in no time. I greeted the cab driver and he started the ride.  I kept shifting ufortably in my seat, chiding myself mentally about how I woke upte. All I wanted to dost night was finish up the work on myptop, but I ended up spending much more time than I should have, sitting in front of theptop, so I sleptte and I woke upte.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I knew there was no time for me to start beating myself up about what had already happened. The car halted in front of the Allure¡¯s building and I alighted after paying the driver. I skidded into the building, paying the littlest form of attention to anyone.


    ¡°Gen wants you to see her in her office,¡± Maxine uttered, holding my gaze. She never tried speaking with me after Ished out at her the other day and I was super grateful for that.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I simply said and dropped my bag in my office before heading to Gen¡¯s. I made sure I knocked before I entered and she ushered me in. She had a ss of fruit wine in front of her and a half-filled bottle, her fingers moving swiftly on the keys of her keyboard.


    ¡°Gen, Maxine told me you wanted to see me,¡± I spoke up and heard her scoff. She went on typing, ignoring my existence, before she finally decided to acknowledge me at the time she wanted. She stopped what she was doing and fell back onto her chair, taking a sip from her ss of wine.


    ¡°You are fired, Ashley.¡± She deadpanned and my eyes widened, a scoff exiting my lips. I stared at her as though she had grown two heads, squinting my eyes at her and unable to believe the trash she had just spewed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get mad and do things you wouldn¡¯t like Peach.¡±


    Wait, was this it? This was how he wanted to get back at me for rejecting his offer.


    I felt my eyes water at the impact of his words in my mind.


    ¡°You are firing me? Huh, Genevieve? Why?!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from bombarding her with questions and yelling at her.


    ¡°This is my business, NOT YOURS! And I get to decide how I want to run it, NOT YOU!¡± She retorted, the harshness of her tone matching mine. Her eyes shed with so much fury as she took me in with those dark eyes of hers, challenging me.


    ¡°Oh fuck you, Gen! This is about him! The same client you asked me to meet up with. He¡¯s the one who put you up to this. He asked you to fire me, didn¡¯t he?¡± I queried, arching my brow at her and I watched an ounce of surprise flicker in those emotionless eyes of hers.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± She deadpanned, not meeting my eyes anymore, and I scoffed. She didn¡¯t even know how to look me in the face and lie to me. My eyes grew blurry with tears and they soon came streaming down my eyes.


    ¡°You are so evil, Genevieve! So evil! What did I ever do to you? Why would you treat me like this? All these years, I have stuck by your side and discharged my work effectively. I stuck with you no matter how overbearing and demanding you were! I didn¡¯t leave, Genevieve. I didn¡¯t bail on you and now you have decided to fire me because he asked you to? How inhumane can you get?¡± I spat out my words with disgust, pain, and hurt evident in my tone. She disgusted me so much that I could barely stand the sight of her.


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve to be called a human, Genevieve,¡± I said to her face, scoffing.


    ¡°Do you think it was easy for me to do this? Yes, I know how you have stuck with me over the years and that¡¯s why you have always remained my favorite!¡± She snapped at me, rising to her feet and it felt nearly imaginary. I saw tears pool in her eyes but she looked skyward and then, the tears were just gone.


    Herst sentence gave me a whish that had me staggering backwards without being shoved by anything.


    ¡°I¡¯m your favorite? Then why have you been treating me like shit and why would you sell me out this way? Gen, you have no fvcking excuse! No excuses and don¡¯t you daree up with one!¡± I shouted.


    ¡°I had to do it! I had no choice! He asked me and I couldn¡¯t say no! I just couldn¡¯t say no. You have no idea how much it breaks my heart to see you like this. You have no idea how hard it is to let you go, but I have to do it. I have to.¡± She sounded so desperate like she wanted me to see reason with her, but all it did was elicit a mirthless chuckle from me.


    ¡°You know what, Gen¡­¡±


    ¡°Screw you and your work. I was getting so tired of it anyway. I¡¯m done here. I have nothing to say to you anymore.¡± I spoke, my voice was drawn to a whisper. I gave onest long nce and spun on my heels, heading out of her office.


    ¡°Ashley, wait!¡± She called, sharply. Her tone wasced with urgency. I halted and turned to face her, my lips quivering as I red really hard at her, but that didn¡¯t seem to faze her.


    ¡°Ashley, he¡¯s obsessed with you. So obsessed with you,¡± She began, earning a slight furrow of my brows.


    ¡°You have to do what he wants. You have no idea how far he¡¯s willing to take this. And no, he would never hurt you, but I can¡¯t say the same for those around you. Just¡­ give him a chance to prove himself to you.¡± The tears she was holding back and trying to hide finally spilled and she did nothing to stop it.


    ¡°Rot in hell, Genevieve Emilia Royce,¡± I said coldly and spun on my heels, storming out of her office and leaving Allure for good.

 Chapter 30

    ASHLEY


    My life was falling apart.


    It was a mess. How did it all get to do this?


    How could my life change this much because of a one-night stand? Which, by the way, has taken a lot from me. My boyfriend, my sanity, and now my job. I wasn¡¯t even sure what else it was going to take from me and I had a feeling this wasn¡¯t the end. It felt like my life just started spiraling. And then, Genevieve¡¯s words wouldn¡¯t stop ringing in my ears as I packed the rest of the things that I had left in my office.


    Sure, I had acted like I didn¡¯t give a damn when she tried speaking with me, but I could feel my heart thumping wildly against my chest as she spoke to me about him. The way she portrayed me was enough to make me so scared. I considered the option of running away but I just knew he would find me and that was the most dangerous thing I could attempt right now.


    The driver spared me a nce through the rearview mirror and I found myself faking a smile through my tears to assure him that I was okay, when all I wanted to do was to stand on the edge of a cliff and scream so hard about how unfair life has been to me. He didn¡¯t seem convinced, but he nodded his head anyway. At some point, I stopped wiping my tears because they wouldn¡¯t stop flowing and blurred my vision. I watched the driver pull over at a safe spot in front of my house. I paid him and got out of the car.


    I opened the door and threw my bag on the nearest sofa, marching into my room to take a quick shower. I instantly felt a little relieved after the cold shower and I changed into a pair of short PJ bottoms and ck sweats. I went into the kitchen and browsed through the fridge, trying to find something to eat. I took out the leftover pizza from the fridge and microwded it.


    But, I was still on my first slice when I heard the doorbell ring. I frowned and picked up my wine ss, taking a sip before walking to the door and pulling it open. The face of myndlord came into view and I found myself smiling at him, but what had me furrowing my brows was the fact that he didn¡¯t smile back at me. Mr. Jones was a very bubbly man and I was confused about how he had a frown stered on his face.


    ¡°Mr. Jones¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°Is¡­uh¡­is everything okay? How can I help you?¡± I asked him, one of my brows tugging up in a questioning manner.


    ¡°You need to leave, Ashley.¡± He said coldly and his facial expression remained nk afterwards. I stared at him, wiggling my brows at him and hoping he would just break into loud guffaws and just brush it off that he was just trying to get a ride out of me.


    He has to be kidding.


    Right?


    ¡°Leave where? Do you want to renovate the house? You should have informed me bef__¡± He cut me off before I concluded my sentence.


    ¡°You need to evacuate. I don¡¯t want you upying this house anymore!¡± He snapped, dropping the bombshell, and I took a step backwards, squinting my eyes at him to know if I was being mistaken or not, but he didn¡¯t look as though he was kidding with me.


    I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe it.


    ¡°I paid for my rent a few weeks ago, remember? Does it ring a bell because I think you suddenly developed amnefuckingsia!¡± My voice was rising now and I didn¡¯t give a flying fvck!


    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding, Ashley. You need to leave and you need to do it now. About the money, I can make a refund. That¡¯s no big deal but you have to get your things and leave now.¡± He stated matter-of-factly and I released a shaky breath, my wine ss dropping to the floor and shattering into pieces.


    He didn¡¯t seem fazed at what just happened. Rather, he seemed determined to make his point.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want a refund! Why are you suddenly sending me packing? I need a REASON!!!. Why on earth are you doing this?¡± I asked, taking a step forward and stepping on the shards of broken ss that pierced my feet, but I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted him to give me a reason he is doing all this.


    ¡°Ashley__¡±


    ¡°Just tell me!¡± I screamed at him, the tears I didn¡¯t know were already pooling in my eyes, and streaming down my face. He opened his mouth to speak but then, it was almost like my brain woke up from its slumber and my eyes went wide with shock, my jaw dropping to the floor as I connected the dots.


    ¡°That fvcker did this?!¡± I asked him.


    He looked like he didn¡¯t understand what I was saying, but I was done with people taking me for a fool.


    ¡°Oh, I am so going to kill that bastard. Where is  my fucking phone?!¡± I yelled at no one in particr, mming the door in Mr. Jones¡¯ face before storming into my bedroom to get my phone. I browsed through my phone and was lucky to still find the text he sent the other day, so I dialed his number.


    Almost like he had been waiting for me to call, he picked up at one ring, not saying a word. Just his soft breathing. That was all I could hear.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to find you, then I will kill you and rip your fucking throat out, you bastard!¡± I growled into the phone, clenching my fist tightly. He didn¡¯t say a word. He just kept quiet for a very long time and that pissed me off more than I already was.


    ¡°Say something, you bas__¡±


    ¡°My Peach,¡±


    He called softly.


    His voice was thick with amusement and heavy with a slight hint of seduction, sounding somewhat smoky. I swallowed, audibly, losing my voice for a second. What made me so angry was that this was the same man who was behind my misery, who was behind how my life was falling apart, sounding like he had just woken up from his sleep. Sounding so innocent and clueless.


    ¡°Do not call me that, I have a name!¡±


    ¡°Relieving me of my job wasn¡¯t enough. You just had to make me homeless too. How low can you go?¡± I scoffed and he chuckled.


    ¡°Peach, you have no idea¡­¡± He trailed off.


    ¡°You have no idea how low I can get and how far I¡¯m willing to take this.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t care! I¡¯m not_¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m still talking, Peach. What did I tell you about cutting me short, whenever I am talking?¡± He asked me with a hint of annoyance in his tone.


    ¡°And do I look like I give a damn? Great, you are crazier than I thought. How unreasonable can you be? I told you I didn¡¯t want you and then you decided to retaliate by getting me fired at my workce and making me homeless. Somewhere in your birdbrain, do you think you could break me by doing that? Do you think that will make me warm up to you? I really can¡¯t wait to show you how wrong you are.¡± I clicked my tongue, palming my forehead.


    ¡°I can assure you, Peach. I¡¯m still at my most reasonable self. You really don¡¯t want to see what I look like when I¡¯m irrational. What I¡¯m asking of you isn¡¯t much, Peach. It¡¯s not as hard as you make it seem.¡±


    ¡°I just want to marry you!¡± He spoke, frustration evident in his tone. He sounded almost like a child that was denied his hoodie bag.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this harder than it is already. I¡¯m only willing to take this further than it is, if you are not willing to sumb to what I want. You are a smart girl, Peach. Make the right choice.¡± He sounded so convincing like he wasn¡¯t in the least capable of the smallest evil. Heck, I would have fallen for how persuading he sounded if I didn¡¯t know what he was capable of doing.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯d rather die than marry you!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Well then, you leave me no choice!!!¡± He bellowed. The harshness of his voice had me flinching backwards.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you one thing though. Your resistance makes this whole thing more inciting. I WILL burn the world to the ground and take out anything ready to stand in the way of me having you and still get to have you in the end, Peach,¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a man of my word. You can ask around. I want you, Evaline, and I will stop at nothing until I have you right where you belong.¡± He spoke, enunciating every word and desperate for me to realize how badly he meant every word.


    ¡°Where?¡± I snickered.


    ¡°In my arms. Right beside me and underneath me.¡± He answered, his voice thick with a kind of determination and conviction that scared me. I felt my legs shake and tremble at his words, my back hitting the sofa behind me when it felt like my legs would fail me.


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± I asked in a whisper, tears clouding my entire vision. I was so exhausted and I just wanted him to leave me alone.


    ¡°Because I can and because I want you, but you are being so unyielding, so you have been a very bad girl and you need to be taught a lesson,¡±


    ¡°For your good, I really hope you don¡¯t try to y smart with me¡­¡± He trailed off, his voice overly cold and was enough to send shivers down my spine, not even in a good way. In a way that made me want to pull every hair on my scalp out.


    ¡°You think you can break me? Well, try harder, you fucking bastard!!!!¡± I screamed into the phone and heard himugh softly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can, Peach. I KNOW I CAN. I have been so lenient with you. I don¡¯t want to get ruthless with you. And as I said, I¡¯m not a very patient man. I can get cranky when I don¡¯t get what I want,¡±


    ¡°I will break you into so many pieces and you will still walk down the aisle and tell me ¡®I DO¡¯ on the Altar.¡±


    I released a shaky breath, my legs finally giving me away and I dropped to my feet, bunching my knees to my chest.


    ¡°I expect an answer soon. Don¡¯t keep me waiting, my Peach.¡± That was thest thing he said before he ended the call. I was so weak. I was tired and couldn¡¯t even bring myself to cry anymore.


    I just sat there, frozen, staring into space.

 Chapter 31

    ASHLEY


    I just wanted to breathe.


    I just wanted to be away from all this, probably hide in a dungeon and lock myself in there away from my problems. That way, all I would have to worry about was staying alive. I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about someone out there getting me. Most times, I wish I could just leave everything behind and run away to a ce he would never find me. I would have considered taking my life but then, I didn¡¯t want to die. I want to live. I want to have the job of my dreams, thrive so beautifully, and live my dream life where I had everything I wanted, married to the most charming man on earth, who would move mountains for me to see me happy.


    I didn¡¯t want to run like this. I didn¡¯t want to live like a fugitive, who is constantly on the move from something demonic in her past. These days, I find myself asking a lot of rhetorical questions. I found myself wondering what my life would look like if I had stood my ground that night and said no to going out with my friends. Would I have been able to escape this terrible fate? Would I have been able to not get tangled in this mess? What would it have been like if I hadn¡¯t entered that room that night?


    Surely, my life wasn¡¯t perfect, but I was okay and I had some peace of mind to hold on to. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about what it would look like if I hadn¡¯t ventured down this road at all. I was subtly ming my friends for what went wrong that night. I didn¡¯t know what else to do because if I did not me them, I would have to confront my innermost thoughts that kept reminding me that all these were my fault.


    I didn¡¯t want that.


    It was easier to deal with this way.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I pushed my cart forward, looking through the varieties of choctes on the shelf. I grabbed a  handful and dumped them in my cart, then moved forward to the next shelf that housed the chocte biscuits. After Mr. Jones threw me out of my house. I had nowhere to go. I didn¡¯t want to call Dawn or Ivana. Thankfully, they were out of town on business trips. It was the only reason I could pull this off. I also didn¡¯t want to go to my parent¡¯s because I was too exhausted to keep up with them.


    I have been staying at a cozy hotel, paying them every night from my savings, because I didn¡¯t know how long I would be staying there. I had a lot of money saved. I was no pauper. I knew how to manage my ie well, so I barely felt the absence of my job in my life. Instead, it felt like a heavy burden was being lifted off me. It felt so good not to do something that has only ever made me sad and extremely worn out, anymore. It was like a breath of fresh air. I knew I couldn¡¯t continue to live on my savings, but it would have to suffice for now.


    I wanted to get some air after staying cooped up in my hotel room all week, battling with excessive paranoia of someone watching or following me. It has messed with my mental health so badly that I could barely differentiate between what was real and what wasn¡¯t, anymore.


    I tucked my hands into the pockets of my jean shorts and wheeled my cart to the counter so that I could pay for what I bought. The sales assistant at the counter shed me a warm smile as she began sorting through my things. I smiled stiffly at her, my eyes wandering around the store. I fiddled with the hem of my baggy sweat, feeling my heart thump wildly in my chest and making me feel as though my lungs were starting to hurt and I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.


    I tried to hold it in, dipping my hands into the back of my shorts to fetch my card.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, ma¡¯am. Your bill has been sorted.¡± She brushed me off with a smile and I froze, my faux smile wiping off my face and her words gave me a mental whish that had me reeling backward.


    ¡°What the fuck¡­¡± That was the only thing I could bring myself to whisper. Hot tears soon started pooling in my eyes, my lower lip trembling heavily. I grabbed the bag in front of her and dashed out of the store, without waiting for her to utter one more word to me.


    How did he know I was here?


    How did he find me, again?


    Fuck!


    I gged down a cab that took me to the hotel I was staying in. After paying him, I got out of the car, my eyes moving around my surroundings with my heart beating so hard in my chest. I skidded to the entrance like someone was hot on my tail. The guard pulled the door open for me and I stepped in.


    ¡°Miss Miller!¡±


    ¡°Miss Miller!¡±


    I blinked, the familiar voice which I had grown ustomed to, snapped me back to reality and I whisked my head in the direction of Thalia, the receptionist. My mouth ran dry and I struggled to hold on to my breath when I finally felt my nerves gox. I took a deep breath and exhaled, sauntering over to her.


    ¡°Good morning, Ms. Miller,¡± She grinned at me.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± I corrected.


    ¡°Anyways, you have a package!¡± She squealed and I furrowed my brows. She chuckled at the expression of confusion on my face, giving a dismissive wave in the air. She crouched a little and brought a bouquet of red roses, alongside a cute pink paper bag, setting them on the tiled surface.


    I licked my dry lips and picked up the bag, dipping my hand into it. The first thing my hand touched was a note. I took it out, bringing it to my face and skimming through the contents with my eyes.


    It read;


    ? ?????? ?????? h?? ???? ??? ???? ?? ????h??? ??? ????. ???h ?? ???h??? ????h?? ??. ???? ????? ???? h??? ?? ? ????????, ????h. ?? ???? ??!


    My heart stopped beating and my sight became blurry with tears. My hand gave away the bag in my hands and I screamed, breaking into a run for the elevator and ignoring Thalia¡¯s horrified calls. I was punching the buttons on the elevator, desperate for the doors to open and when it finally did, I dropped to the floor, shaking and sobbing heavily.


    I didn¡¯t even know when the elevator stopped working. I managed to push myself off the floor, stepping out of the elevator. The doors closed and I found the door that led to my room through my blurred vision. I swiped my key card on the door with my trembling hands and stepped into the room. I switched on the lights and ambled into the ensuite bathroom, getting under the shower with my clothes on.


    The contact of the cold water on my skin had me shivering softly. My legs gave me away and I fell to the floor, bunching my knees up to my chest. I couldn¡¯t cry anymore. I just sat under the shower with its water dripping and staring into space.

 Chapter 32

    JAXON


    PUNCH!


    PUNCH!


    PUNCH!


    PUNCH!


    I sent heavy punches at the punching bag, causing it to fly backwards at the weight of my heavy blows. My knuckles were starting to hurt and my wrists were aching so badly, but I wasn¡¯t ready to stop punching the bag. All I wanted to do was vent my pent-up anger and frustration into the bag because that was the main reason it was there in the first ce. I increased the weight and strength of my punches, delivering heavy blows to the bag. Non-stop.


    My jaws were clenched tightly, my teeth grinding against each other, almost like a vein in my neck was about to pop. The sleeveless sweats and shorts I was wearing were drenched in sweat that wouldn¡¯t stop trickling down my face, which made it look like I had just stepped out of the shower.


    I changed my stance, breathing heavily and giving light wheezes in between, punching the bag again. Each blow is heavier than thest one. At some point, the gloves in my hands tore and I stopped punching, unwrapping the gloves off my hands and putting on new ones. I let out a loud grunt, ring daggers at the punching bag that looked like it was going to fall off any time soon. I growled loudly and punched it, which sent it flying backwards again, and before it could recover from the first punch, I delivered another one to it. One much stronger that had the punching bag falling off from where it was hung.


    I tore the gloves off my hands, looking around the gym, my head pounding at the sides with so much headache that it made me feel like my head was going to split into two. My hands were itching. I was desperate to vent out this anger that wanted to overwhelm me. The main reason why I hade down here was to blow off some steam, but instead of blowing off steam, I was aggravated. So aggravated. I was so frustrated and just wanted to scream!


    I took a nce at Duncan, who was standing by the entrance like a statue, his head bowed and his handsing to rest in his front. I scoffed in irritation and looked to my left, my eyes straying to the grey walls of the gym. I marched forward, growling and sending a hard punch to the wall, causing a huge dent. My knuckles had blood gushing out of them but I couldn¡¯t care less. I kept on punching the wall furiously, growling at intervals.


    I have met women.


    Women with the body of a goddess.


    Intimidating women, submissive women, weak women, and any kind of woman one could think of. But never have I met one so stubborn and defiant as Ashley Evaline Miller. The five-feet-three-inch tall woman was doing things to my head. She was messing me up so badly, shattering me into pieces and molding me back into a whole. If it were any other woman that had been trying this hard to resist me, I would have thought twice about blowing her brains off.


    But there was something about this woman that just made me want to drop to my knees for her if she asked me to. I knew, deep down, that I wouldn¡¯t think twice if she asked that of me. I would do it without batting an eyelid. I would do it in a heartbeat. She exerted a crazy amount of control over me without even realizing it. Hell, I would worship the ground she walks on if she asked me to.


    I was willing to do anything for her.


    Why couldn¡¯t she fucking see that?


    Why! Why! Why!


    I didn¡¯t want to hurt her this way. I didn¡¯t want to make her go through the harsh reality of losing her job and losing her home in one day, but she provoked me. She made me do it. I tried so hard to be level-headed. I tried so hard to be rational and reasonable! Fuck! I even tried to be patient! Something I DO NOT DO under normal circumstances. I have given everything there is to give and it was so disturbing how her resistance made me want her, even more. It made me crave her in ways I couldn¡¯t understand.


    It was driving me mad.


    It was funny how she thought she could hide from me at the Royal Hotel. One of the very few hotels that I own. I knew I didn¡¯t have to mention that to her because I didn¡¯t want to scare her off. There was no reason to reveal that secret. I knew her every move. I knew everything she did daily. Almost as though I was there with her.


    And seeing her in those ridiculously big sweats that threatened to swallow her small frame and shorts that revealed those beautiful legs, I wanted nothing more than to have them wrapped around me as I thrust into her mercilessly, reminding her of who she belonged to. She just had to ruin everything by tying her hair in that wretched ponytail. It irritates me that she would want to hide that bundle of lushness in a ponytail.


    She looked breathtaking and it almost hurt to look at her. I was a gentle person. I couldn¡¯t watch my woman shop and pay with her money. I had to instruct Duncan to go pay with my card before she left the store. And then, I dropped a little gift for her at the reception. I just wanted my Peach to be happy. I wanted to make her the happiest woman in the world if she would let me.


    She had chosen not to see the right thing standing right in front of her and I was going to do everything within my power to make her see it. Deciding it was high time I called to see if she got my gift. I puffed some air out of my mouth and tucked my hands into my pockets, fishing out my phone and calling her number.


    It rang three times before she finally picked up.


    ¡°Hello,¡± Her soft, melodious voice flowed through the speakers of my phone and into my ears, causing me to exhale in contentment. I have always wondered what it would feel like, having this voice be the very one that wakes me up in the morning and being thest person to tell me goodnight.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Peach__¡±


    ¡°I have told you. Do not call me that! Jaxon, what do you even want from me? Jaxon, I am so tired and I am losing my mind already. Please, just leave me alone. Let me go.¡± She begged, her voice growing so weak at the end of her words. I heard her sniff and that broke my heart, shattering it into pieces.


    ¡°Why are you crying, Peach?¡± I asked, audaciously. I hate hearing or seeing her cry. It hurts me.


    ¡°Really? Are you being serious right now or are you trying to be funny?¡± She scoffed and I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.


    ¡°You are the reason I am like this and you have the nerve to ask me why I am crying. Gosh, Jaxon, you are unbelievable. A total psycho, if I might add. You know what? Fuck you!¡± She yelled into the phone.


    I chuckled, finding her anger so amusing.


    ¡°You should wear your engagement ring, Peach. It¡¯s in the bag I bought for you. You are going to be my wife. You need to wear one. You know I would love more than anything to be on my knees and ask you to marry me. But then¡­¡± I paused, clicking my tongue.


    ¡°You chose to do it this way,¡± I exhaled.


    ¡°An engagement ring?!¡± She asked, horrified.


    ¡°Yes, Peach. An engagement ring. Beautiful just like you are.¡± I answered softly, brushing my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°Arden!¡± She snapped.


    I haven¡¯t heard my middle name in such a long time and God, it couldn¡¯t have sounded more beautiful than it did right now. I suddenly wished more than anything that she could always call me that.


    ¡°You should keep calling me that. It sounds so gooding from you.¡± I spoke up, unable to suppress the wide grin that was tugging at my lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I am never going to call you that because I am never going to marry you!¡± She yelled at me.


    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like the ring? Don¡¯t worry. You don¡¯t have to wear it. It wasn¡¯t expensive anyway. It was just fifty thousand dors. I will get you a more beautiful and deserving one for a Queen like you.¡± I waved it off.


    ¡°Fifty thousand dors to get a ring for a girl who doesn¡¯t want to marry you? Jesus Christ, Arden, you are crazy! Fucking crazy! Don¡¯t call me anymore. I have made up my mind. I am not going to marry you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­ You can go to hell,¡± She gritted and hung up on me. I blinked, unable to wrap my head around the fact that she just hung up on me. Again. I frowned, tightening my hold on my phone and almost breaking it into two.


    ¡°DUNCAN!¡± I bellowed.


    He came running from where he stood, stopping right in front of me and bowing his head in respect.


    ¡°Introduce n C.¡±


    I uttered monotonously and saw a look of surprise sh in his eyes, but he was so quick to collect himself. I dismissed him with a wave of my hands and he bowed before leaving.


    Just wait and see how I am going to break you, Peach. You are either mine or mine. No arguments. I was done being reasonable. This time, I was going to take what I wanted by force. Just the way I have always done it.

 Chapter 33

    ASHLEY


    I tossed and turned in my sleep all night. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to close my eyes. The irrational fear of someone lurking in the shadows anding to get me ate at me so much that I couldn¡¯t sleep. On the other hand, I would have chosen to step out of the room and get some air in by taking a tour of the hotel, but I couldn¡¯t do that because nowhere felt safe. Not even the confines of my hotel room. I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he was out there, watching me and waiting to grab me at any moment.


    I was so sure that if I stood up from this bed and headed to the mirror to check out my reflection, I wouldn¡¯t like what I would see in the mirror. So, I justy in bed, utterly weak and emotionally exhausted. My limbs were hurting, my head was pounding, and every bone in my body felt like it was going to snap into two. At this point, I didn¡¯t even think there were any tears left for me to cry. I groaned and rolled over to my side, grabbing my phone from my nightstand to check the time. It was just 6 am. I exhaled and thought of what I could do to distract myself today, but I couldn¡¯te up with anything. To distract me equals getting up from this bed.


    However, something felt so wrong. So, so wrong and I couldn¡¯t ce it. I couldn¡¯t shake off this terrible feeling that gnawed and ate at me, telling me that something was so off. It just made me feel so ufortable and so disturbed and I knew a part of my reluctance stemmed from the fact that my mind was gued by this feeling and somehow, I just wanted to stay in bed and not step a foot outside of my room because I wasn¡¯t interested in seeing how the day wouldn¡¯t turn out.


    I pushed the duvet off my body and garnered some strength to get on my feet. I slid my legs into my flip-flops and sauntered into the bathroom. I picked up my toothbrush and spread some paste on it before dipping it into my mouth and started brushing. My eyes strayed to my reflection in the mirror and I just couldn¡¯t keep my eyes off it. I looked miserable. I have always been strong on washing my hair and giving it the utmost princess treatment. I have always loved to take care of my skin, keeping it smooth, fresh, and radiant, but what I saw right now, in the mirror, staring back at me, scared me so much that I began to doubt if it was truly my reflection.


    I looked like shit.


    But then, I decided that this wasn¡¯t the time to start moping about my physical appearance. I washed my brush and tucked it in its ce, ambling into the shower cubicle. I peeled my clothes off my body and took a warm quick shower. Once I was done, I blow-dried my hair and used a lotion on my skin, changing into a pair of shorts and a tank top. I plopped on my bed and ordered breakfast through the inte.


    The doorbell rang in no time and I sprung up from bed, skipping to the door to get my food. I opened the door and mumbled a greeting to the guy at the door, taking the food from him and locking the door. I grinned at the sight of pancakes, syrup, strawberries, and grapes, alongside some scrambled eggs and a jar of orange juice. My mouth watered at the thought of digging in, but before I had the chance to dig in, my phone rang and I groaned, rolling my eyes before picking up.


    It was a group call from Ivana and Dawn.


    Oh, I missed them.


    ¡°Hey, bitch!¡±


    ¡°Ash, sweetheart!¡±


    The girls yelled in unison and I giggled, waving at them. Dawn had her hair pouring over her shoulder, sporting a wide smile and soft makeup on her face. Her blue eyes sparkled with so much life that it nearly made me jealous of how happy she was. Ivana, on the other hand, had her blonde hair in a messy bun, rocking her bare face that had a striking glow without makeup.


    The girls look so good!


    Oh, and well, I look like shit.


    ¡°Hey, girls,¡± I sighed, shing them a weak smile. Ivana¡¯s smile fell and Dawn arched her brows.


    ¡°Hold on, Ashley, where are you?¡± Dawn queried, her eyes lingering on the wall behind me. I palmed my face in frustration, deciding not to hide the truth from them anymore. We have all agreed after what went down that we wouldn¡¯t keep secrets from each other, ever again.


    ¡°I¡¯m at a hotel,¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Hotel?!¡± They screamed, their eyes as wide as saucers.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I mumbled dryly.


    ¡°What are you doing at a hotel?¡±All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Are you on a solo getaway thingy?¡±


    ¡°No, girls. I¡¯m not on a solo getaway shit. Listen, I lost my job and my house the same day. Remember the Mafia boss I told you about? Yeah, he is behind the whole thing. Something about getting what he wants.¡± I rolled my eyes at the end of my statement.


    ¡°Babes, why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± Dawn asked, softly.


    ¡°No, seriously, this guy is a psychopath! What the hell does he want from you? Okay, that¡¯s it. We are calling the police!¡± Ivana snapped and I shook my head in response.


    ¡°I already said no police,¡± I countered Ivana.


    ¡°Yeah, I agree with Ash,¡± Dawn said dryly and Ivana shot her one of her death res.


    ¡°We should kill the guy. I know where we can hide the body.¡± Dawn gave a half-shrug and my eyes went wide with shock. I wasn¡¯t the only shocked person. Ivana stared at her like she had grown two heads.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± We shrieked.


    ¡°What?!¡± She retorted.


    ¡°Gosh, you girls are unbelievable. We are not killing or arresting anyone. I will figure this out myself, is that clear?¡± I asked, sternly. The duo exhaled and nodded their heads.


    ¡°Alright, I will talk to you girlster.¡± I smiled at them, waving at the screen.


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    ¡°Love you too,¡± I grinned and hung up, falling back onto the bed with a light groan escaping my lips. I sat up immediately and dug into my food, munching on every bit of the food that was on the tray. I furrowed my brows when I realized I hadn¡¯t gotten any calls from my parents in days and that was weird. If Dad didn¡¯t call, Mom would. I dropped my pancake and picked up my phone to dial their numbers but none of them were going through.


    ¡°That¡¯s odd,¡± I mumbled under my breath, a pondering look marrying my features. I thought about going over to their ce but I brushed it off. Silly me. I should have collected Julia¡¯s number the other day. It would havee in handy. I shrugged casually and continued eating my food.


    I¡¯ll just keep trying to reach them.

 Chapter 34

    ASHLEY


    I stayed in my room all day and when it was evening, I decided to go for a swim in the hotel¡¯s pool. A shower or soaking myself in the bathtub wouldn¡¯t do it for me. I just wanted to be in the water and rx, allowing it to soothe my nerves. So, I changed out of my clothes into a blue two-piece bikini. I picked up my sunscreen and my phone and went out of my room. I got into the elevator and suddenly felt my nervousness building up and I knew why. I embarrassed myself in front of Thalia the other day and I didn¡¯t know if I had it in me to face her after what went down. She would probably think I was mentally unstable.


    God, I hate him so much.


    I rolled my eyes and stepped out of the elevator, my eyes straying to the reception, where Thalia was already staring at me. My eyes widened and I cleared my throat, quickening my pace and wanting to get out of there as soon as possible.


    ¡°Ms. Miller!¡± She called, sharply, and I groaned. I didn¡¯t move from where I stood, I merely waved awkwardly at her and skipped off before she could say anything else. I walked through the sliding doors and headed straight for the pool area. I was so relieved when I found out it was void of a single soul. I giggled and pranced forward, setting my phone and towel on a sun lounger. I took off my bunny slides and walked to the edge of the pool, then slowly, I sunk my leg into it and shivered at the cold contact of the water on my skin.


    I let the edge go and allowed the water to carry my legs, wherever it sees fit. I moved my hands in a half-cirction on the surface of the water, basking in thefort it had to offer while making a whip kick with my legs in the water. I didn¡¯t get to swim for more than five minutes when my phone chimed lightly and I rolled my eyes. So, Mom decided to text me back after the numerous texts I had sent her. I pouted when I realized that I had to get out of the pool to get my phone. I sighed and swam to the edge of the pool, holding onto the rails and getting out.


    I picked up the towel and dried my body, then took my phone and unlocked it. I furrowed my brows, seeing it was a video. I clicked on it and what I saw shattered my heart and mind into a gazillion pieces. My parents were locked up in a cell, yelling for help and screaming for something to let them out. Their horrified screams, especially my mom¡¯s, filled my ears, rendering me immobilized. I barely had the chance to process what I had just seen, when a text popped up, right underneath the video.


    ytime is over Peach.


    I¡¯m giving you 48hrs.


    You either say yes or I send


    their heads to you as a souvenir.


    What the fuck!!!


    I let out an ear-shattering scream, my heart feeling as though it had just been ripped out of me and smashed into pieces. My skin felt as though I was on fire, my vision blurred with so many tears I didn¡¯t even know I had in me.


    What have I done? What did I get myself into? What did I get my parents into? As though taking my job and home from me wasn¡¯t enough, he just had to kidnap my parents. The bastard hit me where I hadn¡¯t expected and it hurts like a bitch! If anything happened to them, it was going to be on me. Their blood was going to be on my hands. It was all my fault all this was happening to them. They weren¡¯t part of the whole thing in the first ce, but I had managed to drag them into the crossfire with my stupidity and recklessness.


    I dropped to the floor, picking up my phone that had fallen from my hands, breathing heavily. I went to my log and dialed Ivana¡¯s number. It didn¡¯t ring for long before she picked it up.


    ¡°Hey, Ash!¡± She chirped into the phone and I let out a shuddered breathing.


    ¡°Ash?¡± She spoke into the phone again.


    ¡°Ash, what¡¯s going on? Are you¡­are you crying?! Ashley, speak to me!¡± She eximed, her voice thick with worry. I choked out a sob, digging my fingers into my wet hair and pushing it back.


    ¡°He took my parents, Ivana,¡± I whispered and she gasped.


    ¡°What do you___ oh my God!¡± She yelled into the phone.


    ¡°He took your parents?! No, no, Ashley. You have to go to the police to report this! You have to go to the police! He can¡¯t get away with this! It¡¯s not fair!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°You know what? I¡¯m taking the next flight. I will inform Dawn. We areing home.¡± She spoke firmly, her tone giving no room for argument.


    ¡°Ivana__¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it! Just go!¡± She shouted and hung up on me. My lips quivered, my breathing out in short pants. I managed to rise to my feet, wobbling like a zombie. I didn¡¯t bother to pick up my towel. I just rushed out of the pool area to change into dry clothes. I changed into dry clothes and picked up my purse and phone, leaving my room. I ran downstairs and gged down a cab that took me straight to the station.


    I didn¡¯t count the money that I dumped in the hands of the cabman. I just paid him and alighted from the car, dashing into the station like a psychotic person.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Good day, ma¡¯am,¡± said the man seated by a cubicle.


    ¡°You have to help me!¡± I cried.


    ¡°You have to help me!¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, just breathe and tell us what the problem is,¡± The man spoke calmly and I nodded my head, taking a deep breath and swallowing the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth. I closed my eyes tightly and they fluttered open again, meeting the worried gaze of the officer.


    ¡°Please, sit,¡± he said calmly.


    I took my seat in front of him and tried to steady the quivering of my lips, my tears dropping on the table.


    ¡°My parents have been kidnapped by a man who has been threatening me for a very long time. He got me fired at my workce, sent out of my home and now, he took my parents,¡± I exined, sniffing.


    ¡°How long has this been going on? I mean, how long has he been threatening you?¡± The officer asked and I took a deep breath.


    ¡°A few weeks now,¡± I mumbled, tears pooling in my eyes.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am___¡± He proceeded to address me but his speech got shortened by the appearance of another officer, who gave me a cursory nce before leaning to whisper something in his ears. I watched the first officer who had been attending to me intently and then, the warmth and assurance that clouded his eyes earlier slowly dissipated into dread. I furrowed my brows as he nodded his head and waved the officer off.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am¡­¡± He trailed off, sighing.


    ¡°I am sorry, we can¡¯t help you.¡± He dropped the bombshell and I froze, my brain freezing up and shutting itself down. I let out a shaky breath, wheezing lightly as a sudden rush of negative emotions hit me all at once, giving me no room to breathe. The rage I had been trying to suppress, slowly built up again and this time, I could feel my face getting flushed and my jaws overly clenched.


    ¡°What. Did. You. Say?¡± I spat out my words, staring at one of the men in the force, who had sworn to protect the citizens of their country, no matter how hard it might be. No matter the circumstances, who had pledged loyalty? Telling me t out to my face that they couldn¡¯t help me!


    What nerve?


    I was so shocked by his audacity.


    ¡°We can¡¯t help you, ma¡¯am. I am sorry,¡± He sighed, and that was all it took for me to lose it. My fists met the smooth surface of the table, banging against it loudly. An action that had him flinching backwards.


    ¡°Oh, you don¡¯t get to be fucking scared!¡± I screeched, getting up from my seat.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get to be scared when you just look me right in the eye and tell me that you can¡¯t help me. After I exined to you that someone was after my life! A man kidnapped my parents, who hadn¡¯t wronged him in any way, just to get back at me! And you are telling me you can¡¯t help me!¡±


    ¡°Are you kidding?!¡±


    ¡®Ma¡¯am, I am going to have to ask you to leave,¡± His voice was soft, convincing even. But I didn¡¯t care! I was mad with rage! I was angry and I felt cheated!


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± I screamed at him.


    ¡°Fuck you for giving me hope in the first ce and taking it away from me!¡±


    ¡°He asked you not to help me, didn¡¯t he?!¡± I shouted in his face, tears streaming down my face uncontrobly.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am___¡±


    ¡°Answer me, Goddamnit!¡± I shot at him, pushing away the stack of papers and theputer he had on his desk, fury shing in my eyes and my breath quickening.


    ¡°Someone get this woman out of here!¡± He shouted at the top of his voice and some officers sauntered into the reception.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, you need to leave. You wouldn¡¯t want us to get violent with you by carrying you out.¡± A female officer spoke to me and I scoffed.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll leave.¡± I chuckled mirthlessly before turning to the first officer and sending him a cold smile.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered, teary-eyed, my voice thick with sarcasm. I picked up my purse that had fallen off in the middle of the ruckus, walking out of the station with no destination in mind.


    I couldn¡¯t cry, I couldn¡¯t breathe. I just kept on walking, clutching the straps of my purse in my hands, utterly numb.

 Chapter 35

    ~ASHLEY~


    I didn¡¯t know how I got back home yesterday. All I knew was that I was back in my hotel room, and I had no strength left in me to cry. I was just so drained. The only energy I had left in me was what I used in taking a shower and changing into my nightwear before getting under my covers and drifting off to sleep, allowing myself to embrace the escape it could offer. Even though I knew it was momentary.


    The doorbell wouldn¡¯t stop ringing, irritating the crap out of me. I was too tired to move a limb, let alone throw the covers off my body and go get the door.


    ¡°Who the hell is it?!¡± I snapped, utterly irritated. I didn¡¯t even know I had that much strength in me to snap at someone. When I realized the incessant ringing wouldn¡¯t stop, I got out of bed and slid my feet into my flip-flops, marching over to the door and ready to give the person a piece of my mind. I twisted the knob and pushed it open, revealing the beaming face of Thalia that made me want to rip out every hair on her scalp and shove it down her throat for disturbing my sleep.


    I threw a nasty re at her that had her recoiling backwards, squinting her eyes at me.


    ¡°What the fuck do you want, Thalia?!¡± I yelled at her. I was so irritated and I wasn¡¯t in the mood for chit-chat. I had bigger fish to fry.


    ¡°Sorry for barging in on you. I didn¡¯t mean to do that to you.¡± She squeaked out and I rolled my eyes, palming my face and waiting for her to get on with the crap I knew she was going to spew. God have mercy because if she disrupted my sleep for something so trivial, I would wipe the walls clean with her fucking face.


    ¡°Um, your parents are waiting for you in the parking lot,¡± She spoke, suddenly not maintaining eye contact with me. Her words, as they left her lips, gave me a mental whish that had me reeling backwards almost as though I had just been drenched in a cup full of water from the Arctic Ocean.


    ¡°What?!¡± That was the only word I coulde up with.


    She shifted on her feet, wiping her hands on her red dress. The smile on her face appeared too bright, which had me arching my brow at her in confusion.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± My voice came out in a whisper and she bobbed her head in response, grinning from ear to ear. I let out a sigh of relief, chuckling. I didn¡¯t know when I threw myself in her arms, which made her wrap her arms around me in return.


    ¡°Thank you, Thalia,¡± I told her, sobbing while she rubbed my back in an attempt to get me to stop crying. I sniffed and heaved a sigh, pulling away from her. I turned around to grab my phone and I followed her out of the room, shutting the door behind me. My pace was much faster than hers, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind. Soon, I was getting into the elevator, and my heart filled with so much relief and excitement.


    The elevator came to a halt and the doors opened, allowing us to step out. We headed straight for the parking lot with her trailing behind me, which was odd. But, I didn¡¯t care. I just wanted my parents back. We got to the parking lot and my eyes wandered around my surroundings, in search of my parents, but I couldn¡¯t find them. I turned around to face Thalia, who had a guilty look stered on her face.


    ¡°Where are they?¡± I asked her, furrowing my brows at her, my tone hard.


    ¡°You can leave, Thalia.¡±


    That voice. That fucking voice. AGAIN!


    ¡°Yes, boss,¡± Thalia replied. She threw him a curt nod and me, a soft cursory nce before spinning on her heels and heading into the building. My heated gaze left her receding figure, dropping and zeroing in on the bastard in front of me.


    He brushed his fingers through his messy hair, his pure diamond wristwatch glowing in the morning sun in the process, alongside his knuckle rings, almost blinding me in the process. I had to shield my eyes from the bright light that filtered from the surface of his essories. Those green eyes were cold. Eerily cold in a way that had me taking a step backwards and swallowing my spit. They glowed despite the chilling coldness they held, piercing into my body unabashedly.


    I gasped softly, my eyes trailing down his Adam¡¯s apple to his exposed chest that was left out in the open because he didn¡¯t button up to his chest. The white shirt pressed against his body in a way that made me suddenly jealous of the contact the shirt was having with his skin. It was neatly tucked in his grey cks. The demi-god aura that surrounded him, mixed with so much confidence and dominance was almost choking. It was so ring. He was a man who knew the effect he had on people and owned it with his full chest.


    ¡°Hey, Peach,¡± he said softly, his lips twitching in a sinful smirk.


    ¡°Arden, what do you want?¡± I asked, dryly. His middle name sounded way better than his actual name. It had a certain ring to it that yed over and over in my head and I couldn¡¯t get it out of my mouth. Calling him Arden had be a reflex action of mine. It was like something I had no control over.


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you done enough?¡±


    ¡°You took my parents__¡±


    ¡°Because you have given me no choice, Peach!¡± He snapped at me.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You gave me no choice. I had to do what I had to do to get your attention in any way that was possible. You pushed me to the wall. You had to pay for it, Peach.¡± He said sternly, his eyes fixated on me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you get it? I want nothing to do with you. You are a monster! A Mafia boss that kills for a living! I can¡¯t marry you, Arden. You can¡¯t force me to. You shouldn¡¯t force me to.¡± My voice was drawn to a shaky whisper at the end of my words, earning a scoff from him. He strode forward, confidently and effortlessly, his tall frame towering over my short frame in a way that made me feel so tiny and intimidated.


    ¡°Did you wear this flimsy thing all the way here?¡± He queried, his eyes suddenly growing darker than they were, causing me to gulp. It was so sudden, his hands found their way to the small of my back, yanking me to his chest in a way that had me crashing into his firm chest, eliciting a gasp from me.


    ¡°I hate it when people ogle at something that belongs to me. It irks me, Peach, and how many times do I have to tell you to stop tying your hair in a ponytail?¡± His hands found their way into my hair, tugging at my hair band and yanking it off. My hair dropped to my shoulder, en masse.


    ¡°I am not a thing to possess. GET THAT, ARDEN!¡± I yelled at him and he chuckled.


    ¡°You have the nerve to wear something this short ande outside where tons of people are lurking? Including men!¡± His voice hardened, reeking of so much possessiveness that made my core grow hot.


    ¡°I should punish you, Peach,¡± His voice was low as he squeezed my waist, earning a light moan from me. He didn¡¯t seem like he gave a damn that we were standing in the parking lot of the hotel. He just did what he wanted with no care in the world. His hands went further and rested on my ass, squeezing a handful, which caused me to moan into his chest, and then suddenly, he spanked me so hard that I cried out.


    ¡°Arden,¡± I sounded so breathless and I hated it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Peach,¡± he ordered me, and that was all it took for me to get back to my senses. I snatched myself out of his grip and took a step backwards, ring at him.


    ¡°I am not going anywhere with you!¡± I yelled at him.


    ¡°It¡¯s funny how you think you can bargain with the Devil, Peach. Get your ass in that car right now and let¡¯s head the fuck home!¡± His strident voice boomed, housing a scary audaciousness to it.


    ¡°Leave me alone!¡± I snapped and whirled on my heels to walk out on him, but I had barely taken two steps when he caught up to me and grabbed me by the waist.


    ¡°He__¡±


    I didn¡¯t have the chance toplete my statement before he jammed a syringe into my neck. I gasped, wanting to speak, but my mouth felt too heavy to move. It felt like my brain was starting to shut down and my eyes were starting to close on their own. My entire body felt so heavy to even move a limb.


    ¡°Thought you might say that.¡± That was thest thing I heard before I felt myself being lifted off the ground, into someone¡¯s arms.


    And then, darkness.

 Chapter 36

    ASHLEY


    Oblivion.


    Limbo.


    Anything. I just wanted to fade away into nothingness, my memory erased from everything and anything. I wanted to melt away and not just exist anymore. I just wanted to be gone. And that was the reason I was struggling to hold onto the darkness, even though I could feel it slipping away from my grasp. I was going to hold onto it for as long as I could because that way, I don¡¯t get to wake up and face my new reality. I just want to be stuck here and that waspletely fine by me.


    But then, no matter how hard I tried to hold on to that utter darkness, the harder it got and slipped away from my grasp, breaking my heart and shattering me into a million pieces. The first thing I felt when I started waking up was a dull ache at the side of my neck with no memory whatsoever. It was there but it also felt like it wasn¡¯t there. I struggled not to jolt awake but I could only resist for long before my eyes finally snapped open.


    The beautiful white walls met my vision and I couldn¡¯t help but gasp at how alluring it looked. I tried to sit up, groaning a little, my eyes moving around the vast space that was made into a luxurious bedroom. The interior decoration of this room was rich, screaming all shades of luxury and overly breathtaking with slight touches of the color grey. Everything here was furnished to taste. And when I looked to my left, there was a giant see-through ss that beheld the stunning sight of a clear blue pool, giving the utmost resort vibes.


    This room was beautiful!


    I loved every inch of it.


    I brought my hands up to my face and massaged my forehead, a light groan escaping my lips. How did I even get here? Panic and fright settled into me as I pushed the grey covers off my body, revealing my bare legs that were barely covered by the white shirt I was wearing. My eyes widened in sheer horror, my brainpletely nk of an exnation for this.


    ¡°I¡¯d kill to have this sight on my bed every day,¡± That soft-spoken voice had me whipping my head in the direction I presumed the voice came from and I was right. He was slouched on the grey couch with a half-filled ss of alcohol, twirling it between his fingers. His cold green eyes were fixated on me and it was then I noticed that he wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt. The only clothing he had on him was ck sweatpants.


    Fuck, he was gorgeous without a shirt on. He had the most wless skin for a male, alongside a lean mouth-watering body with the muscles in the right ces. His lush ck curls looked like he had run his hands through them repeatedly. It was so messy.


    Then, I gasped. The memory of him stabbing me with a syringe flowed back into my mind. I turned to my side and grabbed the rm clock on the nightstand, hauling it at him. It met him on his chest but he didn¡¯t flinch or bat an eyelid where he sat.


    ¡°You drugged me!¡± I shouted, getting up from the king-size bed. I was on my feet now, my fists clenched so tightly, shooting himser beams through my eyes.


    ¡°Yes, Peach. I drugged you.¡± He answered in a bored tone.


    ¡°What is wrong with you?!¡± I asked, throwing my hands up in the air.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem? You asked me to marry you and I said no. Then, you went ahead to get me fired at my workce and found a way to throw me out of my house. And as if that wasn¡¯t enough, you kidnapped my parents!¡±


    ¡°Gosh, Arden. Fuck you!¡± I yelled at him and watched his lips twitch in a smirk. An action that left me so infuriated, causing me to yell out in frustration.


    ¡°Aw, Peach. You already did and I¡¯ll tell you what? You LOVED it. But don¡¯t worry, we can always do it again and you don¡¯t have to worry about keeping your voice down. The room is soundproof. You¡¯ll be able to scream just fine as I pound into you,¡± He said all that with a straight face and my eyes went wide, my cheeks turning red in embarrassment.


    I brought my hand to my face to facepalm myself but then, I caught sight of the diamond ring on my ring finger.


    ¡°You gave me a ring?!¡± I yelled, incredulously.


    ¡°Yeah, I couldn¡¯t resist wearing it on your beautiful finger. I told you that you needed a ring.¡± He shrugged, taking a sip from his ss. I gritted my teeth at him and made to remove the ring from my finger when he advanced to where I stood at a speed I didn¡¯t understand, which caused me to topple backwards,nding on the bed with him pointing a gun in my face.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t shoot me!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°You take that ring off and I will empty the bullets in this gun into your brain.¡± His voice was so cold and I barely knew when a tear rolled down my cheek.


    ¡°Understood?¡± He asked me and I nodded.


    ¡°Use your fucking words, Peach!¡± He growled, cocking the gun.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! I understand!¡± I shouted, tears streaming down my face. I heard him exhale before putting the gun away. Then he moved forward and I moved backwards. He caught up to me in no time, hovering above me with me trapped underneath him. I breathed shakily, a tear rolling off my cheek. He leaned into me, his hot breath fanning my face. It tickled my face, causing me to sigh. I felt goosebumps sprout all over my skin, a warm burn spreading across my face just at the breath that left his nostrils.


    His hand moved from where it was, clutching one of my thighs and throwing my leg around his waist, eliciting a gasp from me. He wasn¡¯t saying anything to me, but the only thing I could hear was our heavy breathing. His fingers came up to my face, brushing my cheek airily, earning an involuntary moan from me.


    Then, he fucking chuckled.


    He tilted my face to meet his heated, burning gaze that drilled holes into every inch of my body, unabashedly. His green eyes had tons of emotions swirling in them, and it felt as though he wanted me to see what was in his eyes. He wanted me to feel every ounce of emotion that shed through his eyes.


    He didn¡¯t want to hide from me¡­


    ¡°God, Peach, you are so beautiful,¡± He whispered and his finger brushed my lips, parting them. He swiped his finger over my lip and I moaned, taking in one of his fingers and sucking on it, earning me a guttural groan from him. Why was I doing this? Why did it feel like my body was on fire underneath him? The kind of fire I wanted him to put out. How can something be so wrong, yet feel so fucking good?


    He knocked the breath I had left in me when his lips brushed the hollow of my neck. My hands automatically went to his back, pulling him a tad bit closer to me, and I tilted my head to the side to give him more ess to my neck. He took his sweet time to assault my neck with hot, feathery kisses that left me so weak to my knees. My legs wobbled underneath him and I felt a throbbing heat pool between my legs. A loud moan exited my lips when his fingers brushed my nub which I didn¡¯t even know had gotten so hard, straining against the material of his shirt I was wearing.


    ¡°Fuck, Arden,¡± I moaned, digging my fingers into his hair and tugging at it. I didn¡¯t understand how neck kisses could leave me this weak and breathless, leaving goosebumps to sprout on every curve of my skin and tingles shooting up my spine. The kisses were soft and fiery and they made my toes curl so badly.


    I waspletely and utterly soaked.


    ¡°Do you want me to stop?¡± He detached his lips from my neck, a breathy chuckle leaving his lips. The words were on my lips but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say them. My brain was yelling out yes, but my body was saying an entirely different thing. I was weak, breathless and every part of my body ached for even a graze of his fingers.


    ¡°You have no idea, do you?¡± He smirked against my neck.


    I was a moaning mess underneath him.


    ¡°How much control I have over your body and it¡¯s funny how you are not ready to admit that. I own you, Evaline, and even your body knows it. It¡¯s sensitive and reacts to the touch of its owner.¡± He spoke so confidently, his voice heavy with conviction.


    I whimpered, my core burning with juices that wouldn¡¯t stop pooling, soaking up my thong with its thickness.


    ¡°Heck, I could have my way with you right now. It¡¯s going to be easy ess,¡± he grunted, popping one of the buttons of my shirt open. His teeth grazed my neck and he sucked on it, tugging at the skin of my neck. I moaned, lifting my back off the bed and pulling him close to me with my leg that was wrapped around his waist.


    I was so vulnerable. So vulnerable that it brought tears to my eyes.


    ¡°You want me to touch you? You are going to BEG for just my breath on your skin. I would break you in ways that you wouldn¡¯t seeing, bend you to my will until you are willing to admit your deep and darkest desires, Peach.¡± He chuckled, squeezing my waist. I threw my head backwards, my pussy throbbing with so much ache.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at the Altar, Mrs. Gray,¡± He kissed my cheek before getting off me and sauntering out of the room, leaving me in a pool of my wetness. I exhaled, tears brimming in my eyes. I knew there was no running away anymore.


    I was stuck with this man.


    This dark, dark, ruthless, ruthless man.

 Chapter 37

    ASHLEY


    A girl¡¯s wedding day is meant to be the happiest day of her life. It¡¯s meant to be the day when she feels as though she was floating in the clouds, filled with so much happiness. But here I was, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to smile. I was just dead inside. I was so sure the makeup artist could smell my sadness on me. That was how overwhelming it was. I didn¡¯t think I had uttered more than two words to her since she started working her magic on my face.


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I don¡¯t want heavy makeup,¡± I spoke up, grouchily. I had snapped at her before I realized what I had done wrong.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mrs. Gray.¡± She apologized and I scoffed.


    Mrs. Gray my fucking foot!


    She wrapped up what she was doing and added finishing touches to my face before adding a setting spray to keep the makeup in ce. She knew I just wanted to be alone, so she packed up and walked out of the room to give me the privacy that I needed. I turned to the mirror, sighing at my reflection.


    It is safe to say I made a beautiful bride. The artist didn¡¯t have to do much to highlight my face and make me look like a goddess. I loved how she thoroughly kept it nude. I was digging the nude lips a little too much. I didn¡¯t want something shy for my wedding gown, so I went with a silk dress that had high, low exaggerated sleeves. One stopped at my elbow and the other was hanging a few inches above my elbow.


    The pure white material hugged every curve of my body, and right at the side was a dangerous slit that ran up to my mid-thigh, giving away my legs that were d in silver heels. The other side of the dress had a drape that wrapped around my waist that came to my side in folds, dropping to the floor. My brown hair was in a chignon bun that was adorned with diamond clips and hairpins that made me look like royalty. I exhaled, twirling my engagement ring around my finger, sadness threatening to swallow me whole.


    I didn¡¯t even have the strength to cry anymore.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Dawn and Ivana¡¯s voices came up behind me and I whirled around to face them. The duo had tears brimming in their eyes and I looked away from them, not wanting to cry.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± Ivana came forward with my bouquet in her hands. The girls were beautifully dressed in cream silk dresses, pairing them with gold heels and wless makeup. They were adorned in the same color but in different styles.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get this over with,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Where is my dad?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°He should be here in two minutes,¡± Dawn answered, shing me an assuring smile. I opened my mouth to speak but my dad, stepping right through the door, cut me short. The girls pulled me in for a warm hug and kissed my cheeks before leaving the room.


    It was just my dad and me.


    My old man sauntered forward and I threw myself in his arms, trying my hardest not to let my tears spill.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Princess. I am so sorry. I wish there was a way I could bring an end to all this. I am so sorry.¡± He sniffed, wrapping his arms around me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I will be fine. I promise.¡± I assured him, pulling away lightly, so I could look him in the eye as I spoke with him. He didn¡¯t seem convinced, but he nodded, nheless. He dropped a long kiss on my forehead and I sighed.


    ¡°I love you.¡± He whispered.


    ¡°I love you too, Daddy.¡± I grinned at him.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± He asked.


    Was I ready?


    ¡°We can wait until you are, baby girl. I am sure he wouldn¡¯t mind waiting an extra hour by the Altar.¡± Dad snickered and I chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do this.¡± I smiled at him, and he took my hand in his, leading us out of the room to the garden in the house, where the wedding was being held. Left to him, he wanted an extravagant wedding, but I insisted and stood my ground that I wanted small. He had told me he didn¡¯t care, as long as he was marrying me. Anything was okay with him. Yeah, after making me sign those damned papers!! Of course, he would be cool with anything.


    Dad squeezed my hand softly, as we approached the garden and the bridal music cued in. The small crowd looked over their shoulders and got on their feet as my father walked me down the aisle, where he and my best friends were waiting. I caught sight of my mother in the front seat, who had a small smile on her face. I managed to smile at her, my heart thumping wildly in my chest.


    When we finally got to where he was, I took in the sight of him dressed in a ck suit, his signature stone-cold expression glued to his face. I rolled my eyes at him and watched his jaw clench, eliciting a scoff from me.


    Oh, he can go to hell.


    ¡°Hurt even the smallest strand of her hair, I will find you and haunt you to the ends of the earth. I mean it.¡± My dad threatened him, sporting a death re on his face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll guard her with my life.¡± He answered and my dad dropped my hand into his waiting cold ones. I wanted nothing more than to snatch my hand out of his grip, but I knew I couldn¡¯t do that. It was just like crying over spilled milk. I threw him a stink eye and looked away. His cold green eyes lingered on me before he nodded at the priest to proceed.


    ¡°Dearly beloveds, we are gathered here today____¡±


    I blocked the priest out.     ¡°Please, repeat after me,¡± The priest spoke, turning to Arden.


    ¡°I,¡±


    ¡°I,¡± he repeated.


    ¡°Jaxon Arden Gray,¡±


    ¡°Take you, Ashley Evaline Miller, to be mywfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part.¡±


    He took the ring from the priest and took my hand in his, looking into my eyes with gazillions of emotions shing through them.


    ¡°I give you this ring as a token of my abiding love, as a sign that I have chosen you above all others.¡± His voice was soft, filled with emotions I couldn¡¯t decipher as he slipped the diamond band onto my ring finger, making it a duo with my previous engagement ring.


    The priest turned to me, sending me a warm smile, and I fought the urge to snort in his face.


    ¡°Please, repeat after me,¡±


    ¡°I,¡±


    ¡°I,¡± I repeated, my voice starting to break.


    ¡°Ashley Evaline Miller,¡±


    ¡°Take you, Jaxon Arden Gray,¡± The words felt so heavy in my mouth that I choked out a sob.


    ¡°To be my__mywfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward___for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish___¡± I released a shaky breath.


    ¡°Till death do us part.¡±


    I took his hand and collected the ring from the priest, looking up to meet his eyes. They were soft, urging, and filled with a twinge of hurt that had me scoffing.


    ¡°I give you this ring as a token of my abiding love, as a sign that I have chosen you above all others.¡± A tear dropped as I slipped the ring onto his finger.


    My heart broke and shattered into a million pieces. All my life, I had dreamt of this day, of doing this with someone I love more than life itself. But here I was, selling my soul to the devil.


    ¡°I now pronounce you as husband and wife,¡± The priest grinned, ¡°You may kiss the bride.¡± He concluded and Arden, giving me no room for argument, pulled me by the waist to himself and locked lips with me.


    An action that knocked my breath out of me, causing my vision to turn blurry, my legs wobbly as I looped my hands around his neck. It felt as though I had been waiting for this all day. The kiss was soft, almost assuring, and made my stomach twist into beautiful knots that erupted into butterflies, leaving me a floating mess.


    He pulled away reluctantly, staring down at me as the crowd apuded us.


    ¡°Mrs. Gray,¡± he whispered.


    ¡°Mr. Gray,¡± I answered.


    He didn¡¯t break eye contact with me, instead, those green eyes bore holes into me, shedding offyers of my skin, shattering me into pieces, and molding me back into a whole. I couldn¡¯t peel my eyes off him, no matter how hard I tried to.


    It felt as though I was hypnotized by those gorgeous green orbs that did nothing but set my entire being on fire. It left my heart a thudding mess, spreading across a slow, warm burn to every inch of the blood that flowed through my veins, in a way that made me utterly breathless.

 Chapter 38

    ASHLEY


    I watched as the girls downed their drinks at a go, getting up from their seats and picking up their purses. My eyes widened in rm and I stood up also.


    ¡°Wait, you guys are leaving?!¡± I practically yelled. Their eyes softened and they shot me a sad smile,ing to my side to hold my hands in each of theirs.


    ¡°We can¡¯t stay here forever,¡± Ivana said.


    ¡°Yeah, at some point, you are going to have to go inside to meet him. You can¡¯t avoid him forever.¡± Dawn spoke quietly and I felt my heart sink to the bottom of my stomach. They were right. I have been sitting out here since the wedding ended and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go inside to face him.


    ¡°But__¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± Ivana said softly and I threw myself in her arms, my shoulders quaking with sobs. Dawn joined in the hug, wrapping her arms around my body. The girls and I stayed that way for a while before they finally pulled away.


    ¡°Promise toe visit me always?¡± I asked them, and they nodded with teary eyes. They kissed my cheeks and spared me onest nce before they turned around and headed for their car. I watched as the duo got into Dawn¡¯s car and then, they drove out of Gray¡¯spound.


    My heart fell and I sighed, bringing my hands up to my face and wiping my tears. Thepound was illuminated with bright golden lights that poured into thepound in a bedazzling manner. The sight was breathtaking. There was no sugarcoating it. I looked around the heavily guardedpound.


    and sighed before spinning on my heels and heading into the house.


    ¡°Wee, Mrs. Gray,¡±


    ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Gray,¡±


    ¡°Wee home, Mrs. Gray,¡±


    ¡°Congrattions, Mrs. Gray,¡±


    Those were the words that I heard from the housemaids, who had automatically be my maids too. There was nothing that irked me more than the title, Mrs. Gray.


    Ashley Evaline Gray, that was who I am now. Whether I liked it or not.


    I rolled my eyes at them and mumbled a greeting back at them, grabbing the hem of my dress and ascending the staircase. My heart pummeled loudly against my chest, with each step I took, approaching the room I was going to be sleeping in.


    No, our room.


    When he told me we would be sharing a room, I nearly ran mad because I couldn¡¯t imagine how much torture that was going to be. Staying in the same room as him. It seemed like the most impossible thing on earth. I knew I was choiceless because there was no use crying over spilled milk. There was nothing I could do or say to him that would make him change his mind about being in the same room with him. It would only make him mad and I was tired of being at the receiving end of his wrath.


    My sweaty and shaky hands twisted the knob that led to the room. I poked my head in and slowly set foot into the dark room. My eyes wandered around as I tried to look for the switch. And when I finally found it, I flicked them on and was stunned at the sight of him sprawled on the bed with aptop on his legs. He was typing away on theptop with no care in the world, thick-rimmed sses hanging on the bridge of his nose.


    Wait, he uses sses?!


    What the fuck?!


    I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth, and then I took a deep breath and shut the door behind me. An act that didn¡¯t even earn me the slightest blink in my direction. He was so focused on what he was doing. I gathered the hem of my wedding dress and headed straight for the bathroom, where I stripped out of the dress and got under the shower. Once I was done showering, I wrapped a towel around my body and folded the dress neatly, tip-toeing out of the bathroom.


    I skidded into the closet and released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding. I shoved the wedding dress into a drawer and took off the towel, changing into a pair of cotton shorts and a tank top. I stepped out of the closet and approached the bed intending to get a pillow and sleep on the couch.


    There was no way in hell I was going to sleep in the same bed as him. I went to the other side and spared him a nce. He didn¡¯t remove his gaze from what was in front of him. Then, I picked up a pillow and turned around to leave.


    ¡°And what do you think you are doing?¡± He asked, nkly, his eyes fixated on hisptop. I froze in my steps, blinking, and then, I turned to him, frowning.


    ¡°Well, what does it look like, genius?!¡± I snapped at him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t use that tone with me, Peach.¡± He spoke, his voice dangerously calm. It held the kind of calmness that sent chills crawling down my spine. I swallowed, audibly, mustering up my courage to defy him.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care!¡± I fired at him.


    ¡°I am not sleeping in this bed with you. Oh, I would rather shove hot iron down my throat than sleep in the same bed with a monster like you!¡± I yelled further, breathing heavily. He was quiet. Very quiet and that didn¡¯t sit well with me. He stopped typing and looked up, our eyes locking in a stare. I couldn¡¯t read him because the expression on his face gave nothing off. He was as nk as a sheet of paper.


    ¡°Do not make me shut you up with something that will keep you busy for the rest of the night,¡± he deadpanned. My brain went nk for a moment, trying to grasp what he just said and when I finally did, my face flushed and my eyes widened.


    ¡°You sick freak, I would rather jump in the ocean than suck you off! Fuck you!¡± I shouted, hauling the pillow in my hands at him. I threw him a stink eye and spun on my heels, heading for the door.


    ¡°GET YOUR PRETTY ASS BACK HERE!¡± He barked and I flinched, spinning around with wide eyes and wondering how his voice could be that thick and overly loud. It was deafening, even. I knew he wasn¡¯t kidding with the way he had his zing eyes pinned on me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me do it for you. Trust me, I have no problem doing that.¡± He added, audaciously. I swallowed, fiddling with the hem of my tank top before sluggishly making my way to the bed. I got out of my flip-flops and climbed on the bed, facing the other side and not wanting to look him in the eye. I heard him exhale before trying to cover me with the duvet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fucking touch me, Arden! Keep your horrific hands to your fucking self!¡± I yelled at him and pulled the covers over my head, sniffing. I didn¡¯t hear anything from him other than the sound of his fingers hitting the keyboard on hisptop.


    I let out a shaky breath, squeezing my eyes shut. I hate him. I hate this house.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    I hate everything and by the time I am done with him, he would willingly file for a divorce. Does he want a battle? I¡¯ll give him WAR.

 Chapter 39

    ASHLEY


    Empty.


    Yeah, that was the word. The gaping hole that had taken residence in my mind, a hole which I knew that no matter what I tried to dabble in, it wasn¡¯t leaving any moment now. I felt hollow, dead inside and it was as though I was fading into nothingness because if anyone had told me months ago, that my life was going to take a drastic turn, I would look the mother-fucker in the eye and spit in their face, telling him or her to go rot in hell.


    I had my life all nned out. I met a guy I loved. A guy who manipted me and messed with my mind into thinking what he wanted me to think. Heck, he was so toxic and I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to see it. They tried to warn me about him but I was too blinded by what I felt for him, so I allowed him to break me. I was even delusional enough to think that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.


    And then that one night, he came into the picture, shattering my resolve and turning my life into a moreplicated mess at the snap of his fingers because he thinks he can! What could be sicker and more twisted than that?


    With the way my life was one huge mess, it saddens me to wake up every day, knowing full well that there was nothing I could do about it. That I had no control over my life. It wasn¡¯t mine to control anymore. It belonged to him. The thought of marching into the bathroom and drowning myself in the bathtub seemed like the easiest way to go, but I tried it once and it didn¡¯t end well for me. Instead, I almost lost my friends. Besides, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to be that selfish.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    The first thing I did when I opened my eyes was drop my hands beside me, hoping I would feel him beside me, but the cold space that met with my hands crushed my heart and had it settling into the pit of my stomach. I gritted my teeth and sat up on the bed, propping my back against the pillow. My eyes strayed to the space beside me and I red at it, rage seeping into me as a scoff exited my lips. He didn¡¯t even have the decency to wake up beside me. He just had to get up early and run, just like the fucking coward he was.


    Why are you mad?


    I blocked the voice out of my head, deciding not to pay attention to it because it doesn¡¯t matter. It never did. I brushed my hair away from my face and got out of bed, sliding my feet into the bunny slides that were by the bedside. I picked up my phone and got up from the bed, sauntering into the bathroom to get ready for the day. Since I was going to be all by myself in this big house, I might as well make use of my day to the fullest.


    I walked over to the huge sink and opened the faucet, running my hands through the clear water that gushed out from the tap. It was soothing and had me sighing softly. I retracted my hands and reached for one of the toothbrushes that were tucked in the inbuilt container attached to the wall. I got to it and brushed my teeth, rinsing the brush and returning it to the container.


    I got out of my PJs and got under the shower, taking a quick bath. I was out in no time with my towel wrapped around my frame. I crouched to the floor and picked up my clothes that were lying on the floor. He was a neat freak, judging by how spotless the bathroom was and I was grateful for that because it was one thing to be dealing with a Mafia boss but a dirty one. Hell no. I will pass.


    I dumped my clothes in the hamper and ambled into the vast closet. It was appalling to think that he was the only one using such a big space, but then, it happened and he had to share it with me. Even at that, the size of this closet was ridiculous. I looked to my side of the closet and sighed, remembering how he stubbornly insisted that I wasn¡¯t going back to my old apartment to get my clothes. To add salt to injury, he single-handedly went shopping for clothes for me and he was thorough with it.


    Thinking about it made my cheeks turn crimson because he got me every single thing there was, including my undies. I was very disturbed as to how he knew the right sizes. He couldn¡¯t possibly get it right after that one night, right? That guy was a demon. A fucking demon. I mean, he has only ever seen me once.


    Yeah, extensively.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± I muttered under my breath, shunning that tiny voice. I took off my towel and plodded it to the chest of drawers that housed my undies. I took out ckce panties and slid them on, discarding the thoughts of wearing a bra. I was indoors and thest thing I wanted was an inconvenience. I picked out a shirt and paused, dropping it back on the rack before moving over to his side of the closet.


    I browsed through the tons of shirts that were neatly hanged on the rack. There were many shirts and trying to keep up with the number made my eyes spin. My eyes strayed to a red shirt that stood out amidst the array of shirts, and then I smiled, taking it out. The familiar toe-curling scent that belonged to me pped me in the nostrils and I shut my eyes, drawingfort from the dizzying smell.


    I loved it when my man was particr about the way he smelled. It was enough to drive me crazy.


    Your man?


    I tuned it out again.


    I wasn¡¯t going to entertain its foolishness.


    I unbuttoned the shirt and shrugged it on. I sucked in a breath and allowed therge shirt to cocoon me. It was sofortable that it almost made me cry at how good it felt to be wearing his shirt. It wasforting and made me feel at ease.


    Maybe, just maybe. I might have just found my new obsession.


    His shirts.


    I could see myself getting used to this. I tread even further, pushing open the drawers beneath thepartment that housed his shirts. The first one contained his ties, but I haven¡¯t seen one on him since I have known him. Why keep ties when he doesn¡¯t use them? Arden surely was full of surprises. I shut the drawer close and moved on to the next one. The sight of his neatly folded briefs had me all red in the face and I giggled. I mmed the drawer shut and puffed out some air through my mouth.


    I didn¡¯t even know why I was snooping around his things. But then, he wasn¡¯t around and I could do whatever it was that I wanted with his things. I was so sure that he would do the same if roles were reversed. I left the drawers and moved on to the one beside it. This one was muchrger. I pried it open and almost took a step back at the light that filtered from his expensive essories that were thoroughly diamonds.


    Geez, how obsessed was he with diamonds?


    I shut the drawer and my eyes darted to the rings on my finger. I twirled my wedding band, toying with it, and then I exhaled before my eyes drifted to thepartment that housed his various cologne and sprays. The midnight ck bottle of perfume lured me in and I found myself hopelessly attracted to how beautiful it looked. I picked it up and popped it open, spraying a little on my wrists and neck. I was blown away by the overly familiar smell of citrus and berries that oozed out of the bottle. I shut it close and knew I had to get out of there before I decided to spend the rest of my day snooping through his things.


    And with that, I spun on my heels and headed out of the closet. I strutted to the bed and picked up my phone, sliding my legs into my bunny slides and sauntering out of the room.

 Chapter 40

    ASHLEY


    The hallway was eerily quiet and my eyes wandered around for a bit before I took the stairs and descended them slowly. The sight of people scurrying up and down, trying to get one or two things done made me ufortable. It didn¡¯t sit well with me that I was going to be living in this house with multiple maids at my neck and call. God, I wanted to scream out in frustration that I could take care of my house myself and needed no one to help me with, but the quick rundown of that conversation with Arden in my head didn¡¯t seem so good and I knew it wasn¡¯t something I could discuss with him.


    Therge living room was almost spotless, and in truth, I knew it was going to take a while before I got used to walking into a ce as breathtaking as this living room every day. Everything in here reeked of luxury and it made me a little scared to touch anything because I didn¡¯t want to ruin a thing. I just stood by the edge of the staircase like a gaping fish in the water.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray.¡± The soft voice of one of the maids pierced through my thoughts and I snapped out of my thoughts, my eyes drifting to the maids that were working in a corner of the living room.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray.¡± They greeted and that was all it took for greetings to start trooping in from every angle. I wouldn¡¯t be so irritated by them greeting me if they weren¡¯t bowing their heads in respect. I wasn¡¯t a princess for fucks sake!


    God, what has he done to these girls?


    ¡°Jesus Christ, stop bowing your heads!¡± I cried out in frustration, throwing my hands up in the air, and I watched the dread that slowly crept up to their faces. The sight made me feel a pang of guilt settling into me and I exhaled, brushing my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°I am sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to snap at you guys.¡± I apologized, smiling at them.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t mean to make you angry, Mrs. Gray.¡± One of them apologized, followed by soft mumblings of apologies from the rest of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡±


    I groaned at the fact that I couldn¡¯t even ask them their names because I was so certain that I would forget most of them. I brushed it off and settled on the fact that I could always get to know themter.


    ¡°You guys can go do something else, I just want some quiet to myself.¡± I dismissed them and they bowed their heads, eliciting an eye-roll from me. I watched them filter out of the living room, leaving me all alone.


    My eyes scoured the living room, at a loss for how to find the kitchen. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have sent them away. At least, they would have pointed me in that direction. So, I followed my instincts and made my way toward the door that was situated in a corner of the living room, twisting the knob and stepping in.


    And, I was right.


    But I felt my brows snap together at the sight of the feminine figure that had her back turned to me.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± My tone came out harsh but I didn¡¯t give a damn. What the fuck was she doing in my house? I could feel my protective instincts starting to kick in as I marched forward, but she spun around and a stunning shade of violet orbs shed with my brown orbs, eliciting a light gasp from me. I had to look twice before it became clear that she looked a tad bit older than me. She was petite and had warm ivory skin. Her brown hair was pulled tightly atop her head in a glossy bun that enunciated the way her eyes sparkled with so much warmth and softness.


    The unending smile that yed on her lips had a smile forming on my lips. I tried to repress it but the harder I fought, the harder it got.


    God, she was gorgeous.


    ¡°You are so beautiful!¡± Iplimented, moving forward and a soft chuckle escaped her lips as she sized me up with her eyes, sporting an impressed look on her face.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray.¡± She greeted me and my mouth went wide in a circr shape. I was stunned at how the words that rolled off her tongue were coated in a slight German ent. It sounded so beautifuling from her.


    ¡°You are German?!¡± I shrieked.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Gray.¡± She answered, beaming at me.


    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s so cool! Can I hug you?¡± I asked, utterly fascinated at the sight of her. I didn¡¯t wait for her response, I closed in on her and wrapped my arms around her. Her embrace was warm andforting and she smelled like vani. I suddenly didn¡¯t want to step out of her arms because it felt as though I had known her for years.


    ¡°Wee home, Mrs. Gray.¡± She said softly, patting my back, and I exhaled. I stepped out of her arms and hopped on the counter, swinging my legs in the air.


    ¡°Please, call me Ashley.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°I am Alberta. I am the Head maid and the cook.¡± She introduced herself.


    ¡°I am sorry, but I can¡¯t call you by your name. You are my boss¡¯s wife and that makes you my boss too.¡± She countered softly with a smile on her face.


    I frowned.


    ¡°But he is not here now, is he?¡± I arched a brow at her and she chortled, shaking her head sideways. She spared me a lingering look with an amused smile on her face, then moved to continue what she was doing. She was setting up a tray and that had me grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Are you psychic? Gosh, I am starving.¡± I spoke up and she stopped short, looking up from the tray and I caught on the surprise that shed through her eyes, causing my eyebrows to tug up, quizzically.


    ¡°Oh, this is for Mr. Gray but I could whip up something for you after setting up his tray. I could do it now. I will just dish__¡± I cut her off, my voiceing off so harsh.


    ¡°Arden is in this house?!¡± I growled, getting off the counter that I was seated on. Her once bright expression slowly morphed into confusion, then transcended to fear. My heart fell when I saw the fright that marred her perfect features.


    ¡°Uh¡­yeah, he is in his study.¡± She further revealed and my frown hardened even more. He was in this house all along and he had the nerve to leave me all by myself in the room and go tend to unimportant things in his study? One of us might have to die today by the time I am done with him.


    It¡¯s either him or HIM.


    My eyes shifted from Alberta¡¯s stiff frame and I looked down at the tray beside her.


    ¡°You know what?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°I will take the food to him.¡± I deadpanned, my voice hard and my gaze stern. My tone was firm enough for her to know that I meant what I said, so she didn¡¯t counter what I had just said.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Gray.¡± She affirmed and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°And where the hell is his study located?¡± I arched a brow at her.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Just take the other stairs that lead to the west wing. It¡¯s the first room you wille across.¡± She answersd, and without waiting to hear one more word from her, I picked up the tray and marched out of the kitchen, rage coursing through my veins with each step I took, heading to the west wing. I ascended the stairs, my face extremely flushed and my jaws ticking in anger. My blood burned with a wave of pent-up anger that brewed in me.


    But then, all of a sudden, every ounce of anger I felt while I wasing from the kitchen began to dissolve, morphing into something more sinister that hammered at my guts and gnawed at me, yelling at me, prickling my senses, sending across a message that came in the form of a brain wave and telling me to get the hell out of there right now.


    I felt fear creeping into me, unnerving chills crawling up my spine, surging through me, and closing in on me. It made my hands grow hot on the tray, a dull ache settling into my fingers and making them tremble hard, almost causing my hands to give away the tray that upied my hands. But the curiosity that niggled at me was much stronger, so I willed myself to move forward.


    The door that led to his study was slightly ajar and that chilling darkness that loomed in the air hit me in waves, a shaky sigh escaping me. One step was all I took, stepping into the study and walking in on an ear-shattering gunshot that sounded three times. My heart jumped multiple times, and my steps wobbled. My brain went bleak as my eyes met the shirtless physique that belonged to my husband, his upper torso drenched in blood with a gun in his hands.


    What the fuck?!


    And on cue, the tray in my hands fell off and came crashing to the floor with a shattering sound, eliciting an agonizing scream from me. The noise caught his attention and he looked up from the lifeless body in front of him, his cold green eyes shing with mine and punching my breath out of me. My eyes became overly blurry with tears as I wheezed heavily.


    I was mortified.


    I just saw my husband shoot someone in 3D.


    The air in here grew toxic and I sucked it in, tasting the horror on my lips, which rendered my head fuzzy. Unable to withstand what I just saw, I gave in to the movement of my legs and allowed it to lead me.


    I bolted out of the room.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach!¡± He bellowed and hell broke loose as he ran after me.

 Chapter 41

    ASHLEY


    I could feel it on my breath. I could feel it on my skin. I could taste it on my lips and it made it so difficult to swallow the saliva that had pooled in my mouth because it felt like a thousand needles were suddenly stuck in my throat and it made it such an impossible thing to gulp. I could see it whenever I shut my eyes and it tugged at the strings that held my sanity in ce, wanting to rip it away from me.


    The horror.


    The dread.


    The blood.


    I could feel everything. It was as though the switch that controlled my emotions flickered to its highest. Heck, it felt like it waspletely detached from the wall that housed it, stomped on repeatedly, and broken into pieces, leaving me with no control over how I felt. The air in the room felt hotter and tighter, closing in on me as I struggled to get a hold of my breath that was slowly leaving me.


    I was sitting on the cold tiled floor in the room, my knees bunched up to my chest. My chest was constricted in pain and my breath came out in drags and wheezes as I dug my manicured fingers into my skin, drawing blood out of my wrists. I was incapacitated by the dread that shook me to the core. The gore wreaked havoc on me, shredding my sanity into the smallest bits I could barely piece back together.


    Hot tears spilled from my eyes and I choked out a sob as I shut my eyes, the memory shing in my mind, in a much clearer picture as I watched the dead body drop to the floor, his body drenched with blood and a gun in his hands. The lifelessness in his eyes when our eyes locked knocked the breath out of me again, my skin prickling with uncanny goosebumps, fear crawling up my spine.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He looked every bit of the monster that he was and that broke me. The searing sight was imprinted in my memory and I knew it wasn¡¯t leaving any moment soon.


    ¡°Peach! Fuck! Open the door!¡± He hollered and I jumped off where I was sitting in fright, my face morphing into a much whiter color as though I had just encountered a ghost. I could hear his ragged and bruised breathing outside the door, rendering me immobilized where I stood.


    For the first time since I walked in on that scene, I took in the spit that had built up in my mouth and gulped down its acidic taste that had my throat burning.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± I screamed, tears blurring my vision.


    ¡°Peach, please¡­¡± He begged me and I shook my head as though he could see me.


    ¡°You killed him!¡±


    ¡°You are a monster!¡±


    ¡°You killed him!¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    I was crying and bawling my eyes out, unable to breathe as I hurled those words at him, all at once, not stopping to catch my breath.


    ¡°Just open the door and let me exin things to you!¡±


    ¡°Peach, baby, I would never hurt you! I swear!¡± He shouted, frantic, his voice coated with so much desperation that had my skin crawling with so much disgust, the blood flowing through my veins burning with so much that threatened to rip me apart.


    I almost gave in to it.


    ¡°You have no excuse!¡±


    ¡°Get the fuck away from me!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you, Arden. Just go!¡± I bellowed, my legs giving me away and I dropped to the floor with a thud, digging my fingers into my hair and tugging at it, desperate for even any form of escape, so I wouldn¡¯t stop feeling this pain that the scene had plunged me in.


    ¡°Peach__¡±


    ¡°FUCK OFF!¡± I growled, and after a while, he must have given up because I heard his footsteps recede until I couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore, leaving me all alone.


    The room became so quiet and the only thing that echoed through the vast space, sending me over the edge, was the erratic sounds that were emitted from me, tumbling out in loud wheezes that had my chest constrained in so much pain that it was more than what I could handle.


    The silence in the room was deafening.


    I couldn¡¯t direct my focus on my breathing.


    So, I just fell to the floor, my eyes shutting close as I gave in to the cold clutches of the darkness.     A gentle knock sounded at the door, causing my eyes to flutter open, reluctantly. I shivered softly at the cold contact of the floor against my skin. I struggled to keep my eyes open as I willed myself to get up from the floor that had given me severe body aches. I groaned softly at the throbbing ache that settled in the sides of my head, pounding against it and threatening to split it into two. I sat up and looked down at the red shirt I was still wearing, a frown creasing on my face.


    The knock sounded at the door again and this time around, I couldn¡¯t control the irritation that seeped into me, wanting to engulf me in mes at how my skin prickled with disgust. I directed my heated gaze to the door, ring at it.


    ¡°Mrs. Gray?¡± Alberta¡¯s silvery voice prated the huge door that served as a barrier between us, seeping into my ears and heightening my frustration even more.


    ¡°What?!¡± I barked, my voice coated with a certain loudness I didn¡¯t even know I possessed at this point.


    ¡°Uh¡­you haven¡¯te downstairs for dinner and I thought I should bring it over to you.¡± She divulged and my eyes went wide, wandering around the vast room and bemused at the fact that it was nightfall already.


    How long was I out for?


    ¡°I am not hungry,¡± I mumbled grouchily.


    ¡°But Mr. Gray insisted__¡± I cut her off, refraining her from uttering his name.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what he says! Get away from my door right now and don¡¯t fuckinge back! I just want to be alone!¡± I yelled at her and heard her sigh.


    ¡°Mrs. Gray__¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that!¡± I fired instantaneously.


    ¡°You have to eat, Mrs. Gray.¡± She persuaded, trying to coax me into giving in but I was past reasonable. I wanted her gone.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything from that sick freak!¡±


    ¡°And if he is so concerned, he can shove the food up his ass. I don¡¯t give a flying fuck!!!¡± I screamed, my voice cracking.


    ¡°Just get the fuck away from my door!¡± I added, screaming at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°I will juste backter.¡± She answered and I scoffed under my breath, rolling my eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯te back!¡± I hollered.


    He can choke on his million-dor food all he wants. I wasn¡¯t going to eat anything that was cooked in this house. I didn¡¯t give a flying fuck if it sat well with him or not. I was a human being, not his property that he could toss around however he saw fit.

 Chapter 42

    JAXON


    My demons.


    The ones I thought I had managed to tame by throwing myself into work and dabbling into anything that came in the form of distractions. They were back and if it was barely noticeable before, it tripled in size this time around and messed with what was left of my senses.


    I wasn¡¯t called the devil for no reason.


    My personality portrayed me that way.


    And in truth, I loved it. I loved being referred to and seen as the devil. The title came with utter satisfaction that had me convinced that no one could dare cross my path and not have to answer for it. I loved the fear and dread that the mere mention of my name evoked in people.


    I lived for it because, in a way, it made me feel like I had control over one thing. That my will wasn¡¯tpletely taken from me and my life wasn¡¯t overly under the control of the demons that upied my head. I could give up everything, but I couldn¡¯t give up that control I had over that aspect of my life. It was my drive. It was the only reason I still felt alive. I couldn¡¯t live without it.


    But then, she came into the picture and changed everything.


    For once, I wanted to be good to her. I wanted to be worthy of her. Heck, the thought of everybody perceiving me as a monster wasn¡¯t enough to earn the slightest reaction from me, but the thought of her viewing me as a monster made me feel as though I couldn¡¯t breathe. It didn¡¯t sit well with me. It disturbed me and shattered me into a gazillion pieces. And God, I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head. The mortifying look in her eyes when she saw me shoot one of my men. I just got so angry. The fucking bastard was stuttering!


    It only spelled out one thing.


    She was terrified of me and I hated it so much. I didn¡¯t want her walking on eggshells around me. I didn¡¯t want her to view me as someone that was messed up in the head. She was so scared of me and I saw it in her eyes. The protective instincts kicked in because she felt like I would hurt her.


    Fuck, I could never hurt her.


    I wouldn¡¯t be able to live with myself if I did.


    Being away from her for nearly a week made me feel like I was losing my hold on my sanity and it didn¡¯t even help that we weren¡¯t on good terms. Alberta had tried to cover up for her when I asked her how she was coping, but I caught on to the lies that hung in her tone. She had no choice but to open up to me that she locked herself in the room and wouldn¡¯t eat anything no matter how hard she tried to persuade her.


    She is mad at me. I get it. I can try to live with that. But starving herself? I couldn¡¯t and if I had to force the food down her throat this evening, I was so down for it. The limousine came to a halt and a guard scurried to the door, pulling it open and I got out of the car, shrugging off my zers and striding into the house.


    ¡°ALBERTA!¡± I bellowed and the brte came running at the sound of my voice. She scurried out of the kitchen and walked over to where I was, bowing her head in respect. I pinched the bridge of my nose, raking my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°Where is my wife?¡± I asked her and she shifted backwards in fright at the sight of the death re that marred my face.


    ¡°She¡¯s upstairs, Mr. Gray.¡± She answered, her head dropping to the floor.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see anyone upstairs.¡± I dered, walking away from her. I took long strides, ascending the staircase, and nearly in the blink of an eye, I was standing by the door that led to our room.


    ¡°Peach!¡± I hollered but got no response.


    ¡°Peach, ytime is over!¡±


    ¡°Open the door or I swear to God, I will bring this house to its fucking feet if you don¡¯t open up and let me in!¡± I fired, my voice booming and resonating across the hallways. I got so terrified when she wasn¡¯t answering. What if something had happened to her? What if she suffocated or lost consciousness?


    ¡°PEACH!¡± I shouted, my voice breaking.


    ¡°Fuck you, Arden!¡± She yelled back at me and I puffed out some air through my mouth, brushing my fingers through my hair and pinching the bridge of my nose. The relief that washed over me, knowing she was safe, was second to none, even though it didn¡¯t anyway dispute the fact that I was irritated. I was frustrated and I was so furious with her. I could feel my patience wearing thin with each passing second.


    I growled, punching the door and that earned me a scream from her.


    I took a step backwards and took in the size of the door, weighing my options in my head, but then, I stopped short when I remembered that Alberta had the spare keys to the room. I dropped it off with her one time and forgot about it.


    ¡°ALBERTA!¡± I bellowed, calling out to her. The older woman, who valued her life, came running in a matter of seconds.


    ¡°Get me the spare keys to this room,¡± I ordered her, and without waiting to hear one more word from me, she bolted out of my presence to go get me the keys.


    ¡°You can open the door now and I will go easy on you,¡± I spoke up coldly, ring at the door and trying to refrain from the luring urge of kicking it down and ripping it from its hinges. I opened my mouth to speak when I was met with her silence, but Alberta¡¯s presence prevented me from speaking further.


    I took the keys from her and dismissed her. I inserted the keys into the keyhole and twisted the knob open. I tried to push it forward but I soon realized that she was blocking it with her back. I chuckled darkly because I was obviously stronger and she was just being stupid.


    ¡°Really, Peach?¡± I asked in a bored tone, kicking the door forward and stepping into the room. I locked the door and threw the keys somewhere in the room, leaving her at my mercy.


    ¡°Get out!¡± She yelled at me, teary-eyed. The sight of her honey-brown eyes pooling with tears tugged at my heartstrings and made my chest constrict with pain, eliciting a soft exhale from me.


    ¡°I leave town for five days and you decide to starve yourself, huh?¡± I asked, arching my brow at her. She was ring defiantly at me, her chest heaving. An act that showed that she was having trouble breathing properly. I did a double take, sweeping my eyes over her small, curvy frame that was d in one of my numerous shirts with her wavy brown hair a gorgeous mess pouring down her back.


    It looked even better on her.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even stand you!¡± She spat out in disgust, taking a step backwards. The coldness in her brown eyes seemed to falter, morphing into something more fragile. It was that fear that I had seen in her eyes that day.


    ¡°You won¡¯t even let me exin!¡± I shouted at her, throwing my hands up in the air.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Because there¡¯s nothing to exin, you fucking bastard!¡± She retorted sharply and I decided that I was done with her yelling at me. I threw a calctive gaze in her direction, striding forward and closing in on her. She screamed, racing backwards and crashing against the wall.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± She snapped, her eyes brimming with tears.


    ¡°For fucks sake, why are you so unyielding?¡± I demanded, utterly exasperated with her resilience. How hard was it for her to understand that I would never hurt her? Fuck, she was like the only thing holding me together, stopping me from going ballistic and ruining everything! She was the only thing keeping me in check!


    ¡°You want to know why?¡±


    ¡°Because I hate you so much for taking everything away from me and keeping me hostage in thisrge ass house in the name of being married to you!¡±


    ¡°For fucks sake, I am not a toy to possess!¡± She screeched and I growled, yanking her to myself by her arms. Her next action left me stunned because I didn¡¯t even remember that I had my gun tucked in my back. She reached for it and pointed it in my face, sporting a cold, defiant look in her eyes. She tilted my head backwards with the cold tip of the gun.


    For a second there, I felt my heart skip at the thought of her pulling the trigger. I took a step backwards, raising my hands in the air with a frown on my face. How the fuck was she even able to hold it perfectly?


    ¡°Peach, drop the gun!¡± Imanded, my voice rising a notch.


    ¡°Now you want me to drop the gun? Does it fucking ring a bell when you pulled a gun on me because I refused to wear the stupid ring you bought?¡± She asked, her lips twitching in a light smirk, not in the least bothered to hide the amusement that swirled in her eyes. She was right to be amused. She had the big bad mafia boss under her control.


    It was undeniable. She looked stunning.


    Fuck, she looked so hot with a gun in her hands. She looked like she was set to burn the world down. She couldn¡¯t have seemed more badass and I couldn¡¯t suppress the smile tugging at my lips that had her furrowing her brows, blinking hershes softly at me. Her posture faltered and I moved swiftly, hijacking the gun from her and mming her back against the wall, eliciting a gasp from her.


    I threw the gun somewhere in the room, farther away from us, taking her hands and pinning it above her head, against the wall.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± She shouted at me.


    ¡°You¡¯ll keep your fucking mouth shut or I will have no problem shutting it up for you,¡± I said sternly, tugging at my tie. I added pressure on her hands that were pinned above her head as she wouldn¡¯t stop fighting to get out of my grip. Her lips began trembling and her eyes got watery. I tied her hands to keep them in ce and picked her up like she weighed nothing, dropping her on the bed with a thud. She was still thrashing around on the bed until I yanked her close with one of her legs in my hands.


    I felt her shiver softly and I smirked, pressing a soft kiss on her ankle, earning me a sharp gasp from her that had her lifting her body off the bed. I would be lying if I said it didn¡¯t bring an unnerving amount of satisfaction because of the way she was sensitive and reacted to even the slightest graze from me. It made me so fulfilled.


    ¡°You see¡­Peach,¡± I trailed upward, kissing her leg and breathing on it, ¡°I own you.¡± I proimed, pressing a kiss to her leg and I heard a soft cry escape her lips. She squirmed and writhed in pleasure underneath me, trying to break out of my grip, but I was stronger. I didn¡¯t understand how that fact manages to elude her and pushes her to do the most stupid but adorable things.


    ¡°Your body,¡± I chuckled against her leg, brushing my hands airily on it and she moaned, an involuntary grunt leaving my lips. Fuck, the sounds she makes will be the death of me. They left my member twitching in my pants.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She cried when my lips met her thighs.


    ¡°Your mind,¡± I ran my tongue across the skin of her legs and felt her wiggle in my hold.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± She moaned and I smirked against her thighs.


    ¡°Your soul,¡± I growled, breathing on her thighs. I felt one of her legse around my back, tugging me closer, and I grabbed the fleshy part of her thighs, spreading her legs.


    ¡°Belongs to me,¡± I spoke, sucking on the flesh of her thighs.


    ¡°YOU BELONG TO ME!¡± I stated matter-of-factly, my tone reeking of possessiveness. I didn¡¯t know if it was because of the way I sounded or how I assaulted her thighs with feathery kisses that had her moaning so loudly, plunging me into an abyss of insanity. My finger brushed her thigh, earning me a reaction that I loved as I left her leg and got on top of her. I knew without a doubt that beneath her legs was an ocean of liquid right now.


    Those honey-brown eyes seemed to have taken a darker shade of brown that had me growling possessively. They were clouded by want, desire, lust, and screamed seduction at one nce. Those emotions tugged at the ties that held my resistance in ce, wanting to rip me off it. I brought my hands to her face, trailing them around her jaw and below. They dropped to her corbone and I leaned in, burying my head in the crook of her neck and sniffing her.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± She cried,tching her palm on my back.


    ¡°You smell just like me and you have no idea how it drives me nuts,¡± I said huskily, sucking on the skin of her neck. An airy moan was emitted from her and I grunted, my hands brushing the buttons of the shirt she was wearing.


    ¡°Just take the damn thing off,¡± She breathed, her voiceing out in a whine and sounding so needy. I let out a breathyughter and detached my lips from her neck, looking down at her with a light smile on my face.


    ¡°Tempting, but you have to eat first, baby,¡± I said softly, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead. I tugged at the tie that held her hands together, loosening it and slipping my fingers into hers, intertwining them. I crouched softly and dropped a kiss on our intertwined hands, causing her to sigh.


    I rolled us over and she was now straddling me, her hair falling over her face en masse. My hands came around her waist, gently pulling her down so that she could rest on my chest. She didn¡¯t fight it. She caved in and wrapped her tiny arms around me. A cute yawn left her lips and I chuckled.


    It felt sofortable.


    The thought of staying this way with her suddenly seemed appealing. I shut my eyes and dipped my hands into my pockets, easing out my phone. I went to my contacts and dialed Alberta¡¯s number. She picked up the first ring.


    ¡°She will eat now,¡± I said into the phone and hung up. I snuck a nce at her and realized that she was fast asleep. She was exhausted.


    I smiled and kissed her forehead, wrapping my arms around her to keep her in ce.


    This was enough.


    More than enough.

 Chapter 43

    ASHLEY


    Satisfaction trickled through my veins as I tucked my lips between my teeth, gazing at the masterpiece that was sleeping beside me. He was shirtless. In the past few weeks that I have been married to him, I havee to notice that he hates wearing a shirt to bed. His wless ivory skin was out in the open, only for my eyes to see. He didn¡¯t have all the muscles in the world, but he was ripped enough to make my mouth water at the sight of his abs.


    His chest fell and rose with ease, the bags under his eyes seemed to be fading. He hade back homete at night and even though he thought I was deeply asleep, I saw him walk in with a bloodied shirt. He rushed to the bathroom to change because he didn¡¯t want me to see him, but I did. And in truth, I didn¡¯t know how to feel seeing him with blood on his hands and his chest. So, I just didn¡¯t allow myself to feel. I turned my emotions off because if I didn¡¯t shut them out, they would overwhelm me.


    I exhaled, my eyes flitting to his messy ck curls that looked glossier under the morning sun that filtered into the room. It was weird to see him without his jaw locked so tightly, without that murderous re and cold look in his eyes. Right now, he looked like a baby that had just been breastfed and was tucked into bed. He looked so peaceful.


    His thick ckshes were so tempting that I almost reached out to touch them and those sinful salmon-colored lips of his that were enough to ride any woman to ecstasy. The thought of him having gone down on another woman didn¡¯t sit well with me. It left this ufortable and unnerving feeling of rage stirring up in me. I furrowed my brows, ring at him. I scooted closer to him, breathing softly on his face. I brought my hands to his face, brushing the pad of my thumb over his soft cheek. It trailed further and I brushed it over his lips, utterly fascinated at the sight of him.


    He was so handsome that it hurt my eyes to look at him for so long. My eyes flickered to his messy hair and I couldn¡¯t resist the temptation that surged through me as though it was a force to reckon with, so I gave in. I dug my fingers into his hair and a soft sound left my lips at how lush it felt in my hands. My lips twitched, an involuntary smile crawling to my lips.


    ¡°That feels so good,¡± he mumbled and I froze, my hands freezing in his hair, and the tips of my fingers suddenly went numb. I wet my lips with my tongue and tried to move away from him but he tugged me to himself, picking me up and that made me shriek. Before I knew what was going on, Inded on hisp. His eyes fluttered open and I hitched at the brightness of his eyes. I returned his warm look with a death re, trying to wiggle my way out of his hold, but it only made him groan.


    ¡°Stop moving. You are only going to make me more turned on than I am.¡± He grunted, holding me firmly by the waist and I grew red in the face, sitting still in his arms but not meeting his gaze.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be holding back from touching me, Peach.¡± He said to me, sincerity dancing in his green eyes. I huffed, folding my arms around my chest. I watched his eyes linger on my breasts and I threw him a stink eye.


    ¡°Go fuck yourself, Arden!¡± I growled at him and he smirked at me, running his fingers through his hair. I bit my lip at that action because he couldn¡¯t have looked sexier than he did right now. His hold on me seemed to have grownx and I took that as my cue, getting up from hisp, but he spanked my ass before I could get off the bed.


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± I yelled at him.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± he chuckled, falling onto the pillow. I rolled my eyes, still feeling the stinging ache on my butt, but there was something more overwhelming than the ache. The after-pleasure.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    Fuck, what¡¯s going on with me?


    ¡°Do that one more time and you won¡¯t have hands anymore!¡± I growled at him but the bastard didn¡¯t seem fazed, instead, he looked amused.


    ¡°Is there anything you want to do today?¡± He asked and it ticked off the conversation I had with the girls yesternight before I went to bed. The girls and I agreed to go shopping for some girl bonding.


    ¡°Yes, I am going out with my friends,¡± I answered him, walking over to my dresser to find a band for my hair. He probably pulled it off my hair when I was asleep because I remembered clearly that I tied my hair before going to bed yesternight.


    Control freak.


    ¡°Alright. I will ask Duncan to prepare some guards.¡± Arden deadpanned like it was the most normal thing in the world and the speed at which I swung my head in his direction scared me. I arched a brow at him and a second was all it took before that guard came back up again. His eyes went cold, holding a hint of challenge in them. It felt as though he was daring me to go against what he had just said and I scoffed, clicking my tongue.


    ¡°You must be fucking insane if you think I will allow some damn guards to hover around me like a hen when I am with my friends!¡± I snapped at him, walking over to the bed. He didn¡¯t spare so much as a nce in my direction and what he did next infuriated me. He picked up his phone and started tapping away on it.


    ¡°You seem to forget that I wasn¡¯t asking, Evaline.¡± His voice seemed dead but I would rather die than allow this bastard to exert his sick control over me.


    ¡°I am not your puppet! I am your wife! Your equal! You don¡¯t get to dish out orders for me without consulting me first! You fucking control freak!¡± I shouted at him, hauling the pillow I grabbed at his head.


    ¡°Then fucking act like my wife and do every damn thing I tell you to do!¡±


    ¡°God, Peach!¡±


    ¡°Your stubbornness won¡¯t get you anywhere, it will only get you into trouble, along that sharp thing you call a mouth!¡± He growled at me, throwing his phone somewhere in the room, and then he got up from the bed, approaching me with long strides.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s the only thing I have left since you have taken everything away from me!¡± I fired at him, rage simmering in me.


    ¡°YOU WON¡¯T RAISE YOUR VOICE AT ME, EVALINE!¡± He bellowed, his green eyes taking a darker shade of green, causing shivers to shoot up my spine. My heart lurched in my throat when he took an unnerving step forward, causing me to swallow my breath that tasted like death, tears spilling out of my eyes.


    ¡°You are a devil, Arden.¡±


    ¡°So I have been told,¡± He deadpanned and I scoffed, unable to control my tears.


    ¡°You control, you manipte, you do whatever damn thing it is that you want without caring about how others will feel! God, I am so sick of you! I am disgusted at the sight of you!¡± I spat in his face and spun on my heels, walking out on him, but he was quick to grab me and yank me to himself, eliciting a yelp from me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I yelled at him.


    ¡°What did I say about walking out on me whenever I am done talking?¡± He asked, his voice dangerously low with his harsh breath fanning my face, causing me to release a shaky breath. His hold on me tightened and I fought to get out of his grip, but the stronger I tried, the harder his grip got. Hot tears spilled from my eyes and I barely met his gaze, but my heart wouldn¡¯t stop pounding furiously against my chest.


    ¡°Look at me, Evaline!¡± Hemanded and I flinched, a sob tearing through my mouth. ¡°You fucking look me in the eye whenever I am talking with you!¡± He growled, yanking me into his chest and I screamed. His hands met my jaw and he tilted my head to meet his eyes that were so dark and terrifying, and chills scattered everywhere on my body.


    I breathed shakily.


    ¡°Now, what did I say about walking out on me?¡± He repeated his question, his searing tone alerting me of his impatience.


    ¡°I should never do that!¡± My voice rose a notch.


    ¡°Fuck Peach! You are pushing my buttons and there¡¯s only so much that I can take. I don¡¯t want to yell at you but you always manage to rile me up.¡± His tone grew softer and I sniffed, trying to pry myself out of his overly strong grip. His hands, which were tightly wrapped around my waist, softened a little, moving to cover the entirety of the small of my back. He released a breath, dropping a kiss on my cheek.


    ¡°Let me go, Arden. I want to go and get dressed.¡± I mumbled grouchily, not meeting his eyes. He exhaled and let me go. I didn¡¯t waste a second with him. I marched into the bathroom, shutting the door with a bang.

 Chapter 44

    ASHLEY


    I didn¡¯t want to allow my thoughts to dwell on what had just happened, so I got in the shower and took a quick bath. I just wanted this to be done and over with. I couldn¡¯t wait to get out of this hellhole. I was out of the shower in no time. I wrapped my towel around my body and another around my wet hair.


    I stepped out of the bathroom only to find the room void of his presence. I couldn¡¯tprehend the pang of overwhelming sadness that hit me afterwards. I exhaled, strutting into the closet, and nearly flinched, when I found him leaning on the huge ss table in the middle of the closet. I blinked, swallowing my spit before I willed myself to move forward into the room.


    ¡°Peach, I am sorry.¡± He apologized but I ignored him. I sauntered over to the drawer that housed my undies, pulling out a matching set ofcy ck underwear. I took off my towel, not in the least bothered that he was standing in the room. It was stupid to be hiding from him when he had already seen everything there was to see about me. I wore my panties and strapped on my bra, feeling his heated gaze on me.


    ¡°Peach__¡±


    ¡°Arden, just leave, okay?¡± I turned to him and watched his face fall. He didn¡¯t seem content with the attitude I was starting to give him, so he walked over to where I was, pulling me to himself.


    ¡°Peach, I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to yell at you. You weren¡¯t making it any__¡± He paused when he saw how cold my gaze had gotten, gulping before he continued. ¡°_ I have no excuse, I am sorry.¡± He mumbled, looking like a child that had his favorite toy taken away from him. I sighed, nodding my head.


    In a way, the fact that he knew what he did was wrong. It warmed my heart and it made me feel proud of him.


    ¡°Just¡­¡± I paused.


    ¡°Yelling doesn¡¯t solve everything. It only makes things worse. I understand that you are the big bad Mafia boss, but here, you are my husband and you should be willing to talk things out with me instead of going all Mr. Wolf on me. It¡¯s rattling to see you that way.¡± I exined to him, calmly while holding his gaze. It was strange to see him wearing his emotions on his face. His green eyes were warm, amodating, and filled with something akin to¡­adoration.


    ¡°I am sorry. I won¡¯t do that again.¡± He promised and I smiled at him. I suddenly grew shy under his gaze, but before I could look away from him, he imed my lips in a soft kiss that had me shivering softly in his arms. I looped my hands around his neck, standing on my tip-toes while he supported me with his arms on my waist. He knocked the breath out of me when his lips began moving slowly against mine, causing goosebumps to scatter around my skin, seizing me in its electrifying hold. My eyes snapped shut instinctively.


    The soft, sizzling kiss made my toes curl, rendering me a breathless mess as he ravished me with his sinful tongue that was enough to rob me of all my senses, nullifying them in a way that made me want to give it all up and give in to this pleasure that consumed me from the inside out. I palmed the back of his head as the kiss began growing hotter, digging my fingers into his lush curls and I tugged at them, earning me a sound he made at the back of his throat that sounded like a low growl. I moaned shamelessly into his mouth, when his hands dropped below my ass, cupping them in his palms.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Our tongues fought for dominance as we explored each other but at some point, I had to give in because, weirdly speaking, the kiss made me want to give up every ounce of control I had left in me. The kiss ripped off my resistance and left me a needy mess. Needy for everything he was willing to offer me. My hands left his neck, resting on his firm, hard chest, and I slowly pushed him against the ss table, wanting to fuse my body with his in every way that was humanly possible.


    He let out a low approving growl that sparked up my desire for him. I could barely feel my legs which had gotten numb from the intensity of the kiss. I moaned into his mouth when he grabbed my butt cheeks again, my nipples growing excessively hard against the material of my brassiere. I could tell the sound drove him mad. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, shattering into a thousand fireworks when I heard a foreign sound leave his lips.


    Arden moaned.


    He fucking moaned.


    FOR ME.


    He pulled away shortly, even though I could smell the reluctance that oozed off him. My eyes which had fluttered shut earlier snapped open to meet his stormy gaze. I chuckled, heaving a breath and then, I rested my forehead on his. His hands were still on my waist and I brought my palm that housed my wedding ring onto his chest. As though he could sense what I did, his hands that housed his wedding band moved over mine, seizing it in a soft hold that made sparks course through my veins.


    Our hands look so beautiful.


    So fucking beautiful that it brought tears to my eyes.


    ¡°What in fucks name was that?¡± I asked, breathless, referring to the sizzling kiss we had just shared.


    ¡°I just kissed you senseless, Mrs. Gray.¡± He chuckled, squeezing our intertwined hands. My cheeks grew hot and I giggled. He let out a breathyughter that sounded like music to my ears, detaching our forehead, but he didn¡¯t stop holding me, staring down at me with so much warmth in his eyes.


    ¡°You should get dressed for your outing. I don¡¯t want your friends to hate me more than they do.¡± He grumbled, not failing to express his displeasure.


    ¡°Well, you are the big bad wolf, so yeah, they hate you.¡± I shrugged casually and watched him scrunch his face in a cute frown that made my heart skip. He stared at me and wanted to debunk what I had just said, but the arching of my brows which were tucked up in a challenging manner had him retracting his statement, his shoulders slumping in defeat.


    ¡°My cards are in the drawer over there. Take as much as you want and get whatever you want.¡± He pressed a kiss to my temple and I smirked. If the big bad mafia boss tells me to spend his money, who was I to oppose? Hell yeah! I would drain his bank ounts.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked with a smirk.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± He kissed me, cupping my bare ass. His lips dropped to my neck and he pressed a soft kiss on it, my breath hitching softly as I sucked in a breath.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stay long,¡± he murmured, still not letting me go. The thought of canceling on my friends and finishing what we started was so consuming, but I couldn¡¯t do that to them, so I just exhaled.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I answered. He kissed my neck again and my vision grew faint, but then, he let me go, dropping a kiss on my forehead before leaving the closet. I pouted, the loss of his body heat hitting me hard.

 Chapter 45

    ASHLEY


    By the time I was done dressing up, Arden was in the shower and it was a good thing because I was dead sure he wouldn¡¯t let me move an inch from this room because of what I was wearing. Not like it was bad, but the possessive beast in him wille out to y when he sees me in this outfit. It was a look I have always wanted to try with my casuals. I was d in army green cargo pants with a ck corset bralette that did so little in hiding my boobs. My cleavage was out in the open and the bralette stopped a few inches below my breasts.


    I paired my outfit with cute white sneakers and a matching shoulder bag, my hair tucked securely in a sleek low bun, not to mention the bold red lipstick on my lips. I had one of his numerous ck shirts draped around my shoulder in case I got cold, but it was a cute fit and Arden was an ass! So, I did the one thing I knew I could do. I ran out of the room before he was out of the showers, racing down the staircase.


    I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding when I got to the bottom of the stairs. I puffed out some air and patted my bun, my eyes doing a quick scan of the living room which surprisingly had little to no workers in view. I rolled my eyes and spun on my heels, heading into the kitchen to say hello to Alberta.


    I twisted the door handle and stepped into the luxurious kitchen, my eyes zeroing in on a girl that was dressed in a ck hoodie on a pair of skinny jeans, and leather boots. She had her brown hair covering most of her face and Alberta had her back turned to her, trying to regte the gas cooker.


    ¡°Alberta?¡± I called, confused, and the duo swung their heads in my direction, simultaneously. My eyebrows snapped together at the miniature of Alberta that stared back at me, wide-eyed. The resemnce she shared with Alberta was unnerving. She had the exact violet orbs and brown hair as Alberta, but her skin was much brighter and the shade of her lips was darker than Alberta¡¯s. She had the same aura as her but she gave off this bad bitch vibe which I instantly loved.


    She jumped off the counter, amusement swirling in her eyes.


    ¡°Is this her?¡± She turned to her mother, who sent her a cautious look, almost like she was warning her to watch her tongue. She debunked what her mother told her and approached me with a grin that had my lips twitching in a smile.


    ¡°Holy shit, Mrs. Gray, you are hot as hell!¡± She eximed, her eyes raking over my frame with admiration written all over her face. My cheeks turned red at herpliment.


    ¡°Zelda!¡± Alberta chided her.


    ¡°Apologize, NOW!¡± She said sternly. Zelda¡¯s face fell and she walked forward, pushing her hair away from her face.


    ¡°I am sorry, Mrs. Gray.¡± She mumbled and I chuckled, waving her off.


    ¡°Alberta, leave the girl alone.¡± I giggled and watched Zelda¡¯s eyes brighten up at what I had just said. She was soon grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°I apologize for my daughter¡¯s behavior, Mrs. Gray.¡± Alberta intercepted and my eyes brightened at the revtion. Wow! She was her mom? They looked like they weren¡¯t much older than each other. No shit, Alberta was a fine-ass mom.


    Zelda stretched her hands forth.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Zelda. I am twenty years old and I attend Stanford University where I major in fashion design. I am a Sophomore.¡± She introduced herself, grinning and I ignored her handshake, engulfing her in a warm hug. She didn¡¯t expect it but she reciprocated, wrapping her arms around me.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I loved the energy around her. I knew instantaneously that we were going to click so well.


    ¡°Please, call me Ashley. Can you do that for me?¡± I asked her, hoping she wouldn¡¯t be as stubborn as her mom, who was hellbent on addressing me as Mrs. Gray, regardless of how many times I tried to correct her.


    ¡°Uh, sure¡­¡± She trailed off with a chuckle and let her out of my embrace.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± She cooed and I chuckled softly.


    ¡°And the fit?¡± She cocked her head to the side.


    ¡°It makes you look so badass!¡± Shemented and I smiled, basking in the numerouspliments she threw my way. My eyes strayed to Alberta who had gone back to what she was doing, leaving us girls alone. I was going to say something but the kitchen door creaked open, which caused Zelda and I to snap our heads in its direction.


    The sandy blonde hair that belonged to Arden¡¯s right-hand man had me scoffing, his stone-cold sapphire blue eyes scanned the kitchen thoroughly. My eyes moved over his lean frame that was d in a ck shirt tucked in ck cks and matching shoes. He had an earbud stuck in one of his ears. Then, his eyes strayed to my figure and I could have sworn I saw something flicker in those blue eyes before they retained their masks.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray.¡± He said curtly and I smirked. I knew the bastard didn¡¯t like me. The hatred radiated off him in fucking waves and it was fun to see him still respect me despite how much he hates me. I didn¡¯t know his reason for hating me, but I could care less because he was my husband¡¯s employee and that makes me his boss too.


    I heard Zelda mumble something along the line of ¡®fuck¡¯ under her breath and I felt my brows draw together in confusion.


    ¡°What do you want, Duncan?¡± I asked him, my tone emotionless.


    ¡°The boss wants Alberta to bring his meal upstairs.¡± He answered, his jaws locking for a second. I chuckled, enjoying his misery.


    ¡°You can leave. She will join you soon.¡± I waved him off with my hands, and without wasting one more second in the kitchen that had tension hanging in the air, he left.


    Fucker.


    I turned to Zelda, who still had her eyes fixed on the door, but what sold her out was the red tint on her cheeks. I nudged her, smirking lightly, and she looked away from me, clearing her throat before she went to the counter.


    Was that what I think it was?

 Chapter 46

    ASHLEY


    ¡°So, what¡¯s the sex like?¡± Dawn asked like it was the most casual thing in the world. My eyes almost flew out of their sockets while Dawn looked so horrified. I stared at the redhead on the screen of my phone, who was twirling her hair between her fingers, her blue eyes sparkling with so much mischief as she grinned from ear to ear.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± I shrieked, lifting my body off the egg chair I was seated on. My cheeks suddenly grew so hot at the question she just asked.


    ¡°Girl, you are crazy!¡± Ivana yelled, but she was unable to hide her amusement. I could see past the horrified facade she had on her face because beneath it, was a smile that was about to break out.


    It made me more embarrassed.


    ¡°What?!¡± Dawn shot at us, defending herself with a grin.


    ¡°Have you seen the man? He looks like Adonis¡¯ first son!¡± She eximed, tucking her hair behind her ear. I threw her a nasty re and she raised her hands in mock surrender while Ivana¡¯s heated gaze was trained on me.


    ¡°That¡¯s my husband you are talking about!¡± I didn¡¯t realize I had snapped at Dawn until I watched a look of surprise sh across her face and it had me turning crimson before dropping my back into the egg chair that swung sideways because of my weight. Heck, my legs were barely on the floor.


    I suddenly couldn¡¯t hold their gaze any longer and the view around the Patio seemed like the most interesting thing in the world. In truth, I thought I had seen it all on the rooftop, but this Patio held the most beguiling view. I could see almost everything in my surroundings, not to mention the cool breeze that blew my hair around. The patio was circr, surrounded by cute milk cushions and egg chairs, alongside a firece in the middle of the space, and the flooring was made of beautiful grey stones.


    ¡°Uh uh, no, we are not doing that, Ash. We are having this talk.¡± Dawn debunked and I groaned, tucking my hair behind my ear. I looked at her, amusement etched on her face and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stare at Ivana because I wasn¡¯t ready for the intensity of her gaze.


    ¡°Talk about what?¡± I frowned, wanting to get myself out of the mess I had tangled myself in.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, we are talking about it. A few weeks ago I could remember that we practically forced you to go into the house to meet him because you were so scared of him. All I am saying is, you hated the guy and now, you should have seen the look on your face when Dawn said he¡¯s hot. You looked like you were going to pounce on her.¡± Ivana spoke calmly, her voice holding a hint of taunt in it and it made me red in the face, eliciting a giggle from her.


    ¡°Yeah, girl. You looked like you were going to murder me. Come on, what¡¯s going on?¡± Dawn asked and my eyes flitted to her twinkling ones.


    ¡°Nothing is going on anywhere, ugh, you girls are so nosy!¡± I whined, digging my fingers into my unpacked hair. The knowing look on Ivana¡¯s face had me doing a double take, causing me to arch my brows at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s that look for?¡± I queried and she chuckled.


    ¡°Dawn, I think Ashley is starting to warm up to him.¡± Ivana directed her answer at Dawn, earning a loud squeal from her. I just stared at the duo like they had gonepletely insane. I do not like the man! He¡¯s a murderer! He kills people for a living. How is a person in her right senses supposed to like someone like that?


    ¡°Girls!¡± I chided them, horrified, ¡°What the hell are you two saying?¡± I queried, a frown etched on my face, but the two minxes seemed to be so convinced that I liked him. I don¡¯t like him or do I? Of course not! Sure, he is hot and all, but that was it. I couldn¡¯t possibly grow a soft spot for someone like him.


    ¡°So, you are saying¡­¡± Dawn trailed off, sitting up on her bed to face the screen properly with this sly smile on her face. My eyebrows drew together at the expression on her face. I spared Ivana a cursory nce and she passed me a teasing smile, wiggling her eyebrows at me.


    ¡°Since that day¡­¡± Dawn drew her words again.


    ¡°Oh, get to it!¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°You guys haven¡¯t, you know, had sex?¡± She asked, pouting and Ivana burst intoughter. My eyes grew wider than their normal side and my cheeks grew hot at her vulgar choice of words.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± I eximed.


    ¡°Girl, please!¡± She retorted.


    I turned to Ivana for support, but the blonde-haired girl had amusement sparkling in her amber eyes. She was expecting me to answer Dawn¡¯s question.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had sex!¡± I whisper-yelled, my eyes doing a quick scan of my surroundings to check for anyone that was hanging around. Afterwards, I threw the giggling girls a stink eye, huffing.


    ¡°Sure, we kiss___¡± I dropped the bombshell. The words had spluttered out of my mouth before the realization of what I had done hit me like a punch in the guts. I swallowed, blinking softly.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± I trailed off, staring at the two girls who had their mouths hanging in shock.


    ¡°Bitch, you kissed him!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    Shit.


    ¡°What? No! We didn¡¯t kiss!¡± I lied through gritted teeth but the duo saw past the lies that I was spewing. I groaned softly, weighing the options in my head. I could decide to hang up on them and face the consequencester or I could just tell them the truth.


    The kiss was so good but it suddenly became so hard to admit it. It felt like a weight on my throat. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say it.


    ¡°Girl, you didn¡¯t even say anything the day we went shopping together!¡± Dawn cried out. Ivana had the ghost of a smile on her lips, almost as though she knew what I didn¡¯t. I blinked, reverting my gaze to Dawn. Hers, I could handle, but not Ivana¡¯s.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Yeah, we kissed. It wasn¡¯t that__¡±


    ¡°I am so sure the red tints on your cheeks will disagree with you, Evaline,¡± Ivana smirked and I pouted, palming my face to suppress the twitching of my lips.


    ¡°Ugh, your babies are going to be so cute,¡± Dawn cried.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± Ivana and I shrieked in unison.


    ¡°What? I am just stating the obvious.¡± She mumbled with an eye roll and I heard Ivana mutter something along the lines of ¡®crazy girl¡¯ under her breath. I brought my hands to my hair and brushed it backwards, my eyes straying to the enormous gate in the distance. On cue, a dark grey Lamborghini drove into thepound, eliciting a slight furrow of my brows. I can boldly say I knew all the cars in thispound and there was not even a replica of a Lamborghini in thepound.


    ¡°Babe, are you okay?¡± Ivana asked and my eyes beheld her worried ones. I forced a smile at her.


    ¡°Girls, I will talk to youter. I have to attend to something.¡± I told them and they blew kisses at me.


    ¡°I love you,¡±


    ¡°We love you too,¡± They smiled at me and hung up. I dropped my phone on myp, packing my hair in a messy bun before looking up to see the car door being opened by a man I presumed to be the driver of the Lamborghini. The first thing my gaze anchored on was a pair of heels that seemed to glow so brightly even though it was starting to get dark. Afterwards, there was lush ck hair and when the feminine figure rose to her feet, I was beyond stunned.


    She had straight ck hair that poured down her shoulders and her porcin skin was void of blemishes. She had ck Dolce Shades covering her eyes but I could still see her shimmering lips that were perfectly glossed, pursed in a slight frown. My eyes dropped to her attire and I found myself sucking in some breath.


    She doesn¡¯t have the curviest body but she had a pair of wless legs and a slim frame that augmented the ck satin skirt she was wearing, which stopped right on her mid-thigh. She paired it with a red off-the-shoulder blouse that had overly puffy sleeves, alongside a ck Jacquemus bag. The driver shut the door behind her and she flipped her hair over her shoulders, sauntering into the house.


    My house.

 Chapter 47

    ASHLEY


    I was puzzled.


    Stupefied, even.


    I sat in the egg chair for a while, trying to collect my thoughts and also trying to wrap my head around the fact that someone just waltzed into my house like she owned the damn ce. With the speed of light I could barelyprehend, I jolted upright and grabbed my phone, marching into the house. Pushing the door open, I walked in to see relief washing over Alberta¡¯s face, causing me to furrow my brows.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Mrs. Gray, you are here.¡± She took in some air, and for some weird reason I couldn¡¯t decipher, I gave Alberta a mental pat for addressing me the way she did. It just sounded right because of thedy in red who struck me as an imminent threat. On cue, she whirled around and took off her shades.


    Nothing could have prepared me for the monolid set of deep hazel eyes that shed with mine. I let out a soft gasp at the sight of the siren-likedy who stood a few feet away from me, utterly short of words.


    Her eyes¡­


    They had to be her most beautiful asset.


    They were sharp, striking with pools of emotions scattered across them. The contrast of dark brown and green has never seemed more beautiful. She had the most alluring eyes. They were bright, sultry, and intense. I have seen my fair share of people with hazel eyes, but hers struck me the most. However, I didn¡¯t miss the disgust that shed through her eyes, darkening them.


    Oh, okay.


    Two can y this game.


    My lips twitched and I strutted forward, stretching forth my hand that was adorned by my wedding ring with a conceited smile on my face.


    ¡°Ashley Evaline Gray. Jaxon¡¯s wife and who are you?¡± My eyes did azy sweep on her tall frame and I couldn¡¯t help the smirk that was starting to form on my face. She looked disturbed. Very disturbed and as much as I was trying to tame the anger that was starting to brew within me. I couldn¡¯t have been more pleased that I got to her. I guess all the years of being best friends with an actual bad bitch finally rubbed off on me.


    ¡°Allegra Carson-Moretti,¡± She said curtly, her contempt-filled eyes settling on my ring finger. I watched anger flicker in those hazel orbs and I suppressed the urge to giggle in her face. I couldn¡¯t help but notice the slight Italian ent that her words were coated in. Herst name and her looks had me crossing out the only option I had in my head.


    She wasn¡¯t part of the Gray family. Who the hell was she?


    ¡°Now, can we skip to the part where I ask you what the fuck you are doing in my house?¡± I grimaced and she stared at me unflinchingly, even though she came off as intimidating, I stood my ground and put up an unfazed look. I wasn¡¯t going to allow this bitch to walk into my house and try toe off as a domineering Alpha female.


    ¡°Bitch,¡± She murmured under her breath and I scoffed.


    ¡°Oh, I am about to show you what a bitch acts like if you don¡¯t tell me what the hell you are doing here!¡± I growled at her, taking a step forward. I was going to rip every strand of her hair out of her fucking scalp if she didn¡¯t give me an answer!


    The front door was pushed open and the sight of Duncan¡¯s sandy blonde hair had relief washing over me as he stepped aside and the tall frame of Arden sauntered into the living room. He stopped short, taking in the scene in front of me, and I stood there, watching his already sour mood take a much more drastic turn when the coldness in his eyes gained a much heftier footing.


    There was something dark in his eyes.


    Akin to rage and what else I couldn¡¯t decipher.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing here, Allegra?¡± His words came out in a growl that had me flinching where I stood. The dark-haired bitch¡¯s features grew tense but she was so quick to conceal it, walking away from me and heading over to where Arden stood. The ties that were holding myst self-control in ce snapped in two and in the blink of an eye, I strode to where Duncan was and yanked the Glock that was tucked securely in his waistband, pointing it in her face.


    ¡°Get the fuck out of my house, now!¡± I yelled at her, fury shing in my eyes. Her eyes widened and she took a step backwards.


    ¡°Jaxon! She¡¯s pointing a gun at me!¡± She screeched. I heaved a breath, sparing Arden a cursory nce. He had an unreadable expression stered on his face, taking a step backwards as Allegra tried to cling to him. The act only riled me up, even more. I hated it! She should get her fucking hands off him!


    ¡°BITCH! NOW!¡±


    ¡°Jaxon! Do something!¡± She cried.


    ¡°Or I can promise you, you won¡¯t walk out of this house with your head still in ce! Leave! Now!¡± I thundered, my eyes growing hard.


    ¡°Get your fucking hands off my man and get the hell out of my house!¡± I bellowed, striding forward. She yelped and nearly tripped before she dashed out of the house, shutting the door with a bang.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I muttered under my breath, trying to take a deep breath to calm myself, but it wasn¡¯t working and I was beginning to tear up. I cussed, mumbling profanities under my breath, and without sparing so much as a nce in his direction, I stormed upstairs.

 Chapter 48

    JAXON


    Rage simmered through my veins, threatening to consume me from the inside out. My mood which had beenpletely sour before I got home seemed to have spiked up, rendering me overly irritated. The air that hung in the room was toxic, unnerving even. The event that just urred was enough to leave everyone on the tip of their toes. Heck, I could smell their fear.


    ¡°Get the hell out of my sight and stop staring at me like a fucking moron!¡± I growled at them and they scampered off in different directions, leaving Duncan and me alone. I raked my fingers through my hair, groaning in frustration. I didn¡¯t say anything to Duncan before marching upstairs.


    I didn¡¯t even know what I was going to say to her. I have seen her angry but today, she was like a ticking time bomb that had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to explode. I could see it in her eyes, the rage, the fierceness. She was like a different person a few minutes ago. She looked every bit of the Queen that she was always meant to be.


    My Queen.


    My lips twitched in an involuntary smile. She held me at gunpoint before, but I couldn¡¯t have been more surprised when she pulled a gun on Allegra. She was a natural and I knew I didn¡¯t have to be told that she kept track of my movements the day I threatened her with a gun and easily grasped how to use it. My peach was so full of surprises and I would be damned if I wasn¡¯t interested in unraveling the mystery that was her.


    I made a mental note that she still had a gun with her before twisting the door handle and stepping into our room. I spotted her by the dresser where she was busy with her night routine like she didn¡¯t just threaten Allegra with a gun. I exhaled, knowing that I had to be careful of what I said to her.


    ¡°Peach,¡± I called her, but got no response. I walked deeper into the room and took out my cuffs, unbuttoning my shirt and throwing it somewhere on the bed, prancing over to where she was by the dresser, and then, I crouched to her level, trying to touch her but she reeled back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me,¡± Her tone was dead.


    ¡°Peach, please¡­¡± I trailed off in exhaustion.


    ¡°Just let me exin and you can do whatever pleases you afterwards,¡± I spoke up, brushing my fingers through my hair, my eyes fixated on my still frame.


    ¡°How long have you been fucking her?¡± She asked me and those words gave me a whish, causing me to rise to my feet while I stared at her with bewilderment stered all over my face.


    ¡°What the fuck, Evaline?!¡± I snapped.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Yes, Arden. How long have you been sleeping with her?!¡± She got up from her chair, causing it to screech loudly. Her cold brown eyes met mine which told me that she didn¡¯t care in any way her words affected me.


    ¡°Why would you say such a thing?! Christ, I am not sleeping with Allegra!¡± I debunked, throwing my hands up in the air and she scoffed. The mention of her name was enough to let repulsion sprout all over my skin.


    ¡°Well, tell me why the hell she was in the house and she was trying to touch you! You stood there and allowed her to put her infected hands on you! How dare you, Arden?!¡± She yelled at me. Her eyes were quick to get watery and she snorted, muttering a ¡®fuck¡¯ under her breath. The tears in her eyes did not help the way my heart clenched tightly as though I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore.


    ¡°Allegra is my ex-fiancee,¡± I answered quietly and her eyes met mine, anger shing through those honey-brown orbs, giving them a darker shade.


    ¡°You have an ex-fiancee?!¡± She screeched.


    ¡°Yes, and we broke off the engagement two years ago!¡± I said quickly.


    ¡°Peach, Allegra is my past and I am over her. I have been over her since the second she decided to leave. I didn¡¯t know about hering here. I am just as surprised as you are. She broke it off with me saying she couldn¡¯t be with me anymore because she thought I had unresolved personal trauma that wasn¡¯t her burden to bear. I honor our vows, Evaline. I would never do that to you.¡± I spoke softly, pulling her to my chest and she huffed like a little child.


    ¡°How do I even know that you are telling the truth?¡± She asked sharply, meeting my gaze.


    ¡°You know I am telling the truth, Peach. There¡¯s nothing out there for me. I have found the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with.¡± I whispered, wrapping my hands around her waist.


    ¡°The next time I see her in this house, I am shaving her bald!¡± She yelled. My lips curved in a smile at how overprotective she sounded. It further proved to me that this whole thing between us wasn¡¯t one-sided. She met my gaze and arched her brow at me when she saw that I was smiling.


    ¡°What?¡± She grumbled, folding her arms around her chest. The cute frown on her face caused me to chuckle.


    ¡°There¡¯s only you, Peach and that¡¯s the truth. You have me. You have all of me and I am not going anywhere.¡± I proimed, tilting her gaze to meet mine. She turned crimson and I smirked, loving the effect I had on her. She seemed hesitant but she finally nodded, eliciting a sigh from me.


    ¡°Alright,¡±


    She looked at me and her lips slowly stretched in a smile, draining me of every breath I had left in me. She was so beautiful. So beautiful that it hurts to even look at her for so long. Then, she stood on her tiptoes and imed my lips in a kiss that had me picking her up and she wrapped her legs around me with my palms resting on her ass.


    Fuck, this woman had no idea what she did to me. She had me wrapped around her fingers and I was so into her.


    And that scared me a lot. A lot more than I cared to admit. The small-framed brte was slowly bing my addiction.


    An addiction I could never get enough of.

 Chapter 49

    ASHLEY


    ¡°So, Duncan, huh?¡±


    I sparked up a conversation, rinsing the knife in my hands in the sink. The girl beside me stiffened, her hands growing numb as she set the knife in her hands on the chopping board. I was bored out of my mind and my grump of a husband was in one of his asshole moods. He had been holed up in his study all day with his men and I knew that because Duncan was nowhere to be found. I didn¡¯t want to think about what he might be up to in that study, so I decided to make dinner for us.


    I knew I was going to have to y the boss card and that was what I did with Alberta when she tried to get me to give up on cooking dinner. I knew I had to get her out of the house and she couldn¡¯t say no to me when I told her to go with the driver on grocery shopping. So, I was stuck with Zelda who insisted on helping out. I have been eating Alberta¡¯s meals for a while now and I just wanted to do something different. It was tiring having someone make my meals. I wanted to eat something I made myself.


    I paused, turning to Zelda who seemed pretty intent on not giving me an answer to my question. She had her unwavering focus on the spring onions that were on the chopping board. I could have sworn I heard her mutter strings of curse words under her breath.


    I smirked, taking a paper towel and dabbing my hands with it.


    ¡°Zelda?¡± I called, cocking my head to the side. I knew she wasn¡¯t going to answer me any moment now, so I gotfortable and dropped the knife holder, nting my hands on my hips while I waited for her response.


    My unwavering gaze had her faltering and she dropped the knife, groaning softly. My eyes made a light sweep over her slim frame. She was d in a cropped hoodie and a pair of matching shorts. She turned to me, tying her hair in a messy bun since it wouldn¡¯t stop getting in the way of what she was doing.


    ¡°What about him?¡± She queried with a straight face and I chuckled, walking over to where she stood, and then I continued chopping the onions. I knew what she was doing. She was ying the dumb card. Well, she has to try harder than that because I saw her that day and I couldn¡¯t shake off this feeling in me that her feelings seemed¡­unrequited.


    ¡°Z,e on!¡± I stopped short, throwing my hands in the air before allowing them to fall limp by my sides. She bit her lips and suddenly grew red in the face, eliciting a giggle from me. I was kind of amused and it had me wondering if that was what I always look like whenever I turn crimson.


    Well, damn.


    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ nothing with Duncan,¡± She trailed off, lying through her teeth. She wouldn¡¯t meet my gaze anymore, so she hopped on the kitchen counter, careful enough not to ce her butt on the ingredients that were arranged on it.


    ¡°You know you can just tell me you don¡¯t want to tell me, instead of lying to me.¡± My tone came out stern, followed by a questioning arch of my brows at her. She tugged at the ropes of her hoodie, avoiding my eyes. I chuckled dismissively and went to check the sauce that was on the cooker. I uncovered the lid and stirred it a little, pleased with the aroma I was perceiving, and then, I sealed it shut. I moved to the counter and grabbed the ingredients, alongside the chopped onions, adding them to the sauce before shutting the lid again.


    She watched me, quietly and she wasn¡¯t that subtle because I could feel her eyes on me. That could only mean one thing. She was debating whether she could trust me or not and that brought a smile to my face.


    ¡°Your secret is safe with me,¡± I blurted out as I cleaned the area surrounding the cooker with a cleaning cloth. She exhaled and I dropped the cloth, turning to her.


    ¡°I have liked him since I was in my senior year in high school. It was just a crush at first and I¡­ I tried to keep it under control but it grew into something more intense.¡± Her voice came out so shaky and I furrowed my brows, walking to her side. She couldn¡¯t look at me and was unable to stop the quivering of her lips.


    ¡°Crazy, right?¡± She faced me, chuckling bitterly. Her violet eyes were shimmering under the bright lights in the kitchen with pain evident in them.


    I shook my head, countering her words.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± I answered quietly.


    ¡°I thought he would notice me someday, but have you seen Duncan?¡± She chuckled.


    ¡°Yeah, no offense. He is an ass.¡± I snickered and she nodded her head with tears in her eyes.


    ¡°None taken,¡±


    ¡°I have liked him since then. I wear my makeup, I invest in fragrances. I buy clothes. I just¡­ want him to notice me but he never did, and fuck, it hurts that I have no control over the way I feel for him. Am I really that in?¡± She choked out a sob and I sucked my teeth, cursing Duncan in my mind for doing this to her.


    ¡°Aw, honey,e here,¡± I coaxed, engulfing her in a warm hug. She wrapped her hands around me, sniffing. Zelda was such a beautiful youngdy, she didn¡¯t deserve this. Heck, Duncan, the asshole didn¡¯t deserve her.


    ¡°I just want him to like me back!¡± She whined, crying in my arms. I pulled away from the hug, cupping her face and wiping her tear-stained cheeks.


    ¡°Listen to me, Zelda,¡± I said sternly.


    ¡°You are amazing. You are beautiful, strong, smart, let¡¯s not forget, a total badass. There¡¯s nothing wrong with you. You hear me, my girl? There¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with you and if he refuses to notice you, that¡¯s his fault, not yours. I don¡¯t want you thinking you are doing something wrong or you are the problem because you are not,¡±


    ¡°And I am so sure that the right guy who¡¯s going to love you the way you deserve is going to cross paths with you, sooner than you think.¡± I consoled her, brushing my hands over her hair. She pouted and nodded her head, earning a giggle from me. I brought my hands to her face, wiping her tears, and then, I dropped a soft kiss on her forehead.


    ¡°Thank you, Ashley.¡± She said in a small voice. I wiggled my eyebrows at her and we burst intoughter. Zelda was warm and amodating. I saw her more like a sister I never had. She had so much of her mother in her and the bond we had didn¡¯t seem forced in any way.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    The oven¡¯s timer went off and I chuckled, letting her go before rushing over to the oven. I turned it off, wore my gloves, and brought out the grilled chicken that had me salivating at the sight of it. It was dripping with a dark red substance that was greased all over it. I knew I couldn¡¯t wait to dig in.


    ¡°Where is that bastard that calls himself my brother?!¡± A disembodied voice yelled from the living room and my head snapped up from the chicken in my hands, my eyes meeting Zelda¡¯s horrified ones.


    ¡°No bad words!¡± Another voice chided.


    What the¡­

 Chapter 50

    ASHLEY


    The air thickened with so much tension, and when I finally moved from where I stood, I dropped the tray on the counter. Zelda hopped off the counter and I knew her instinct was to go check out what was going on in the living room, but I had everything under control.


    ¡°Stay in here and handle everything for me.¡± My tone was quite clear that I wasn¡¯t asking. I ordered her to do so and she nodded in response. I took off my gloves and walked out of the kitchen.


    I was plunged into confusion at the sight of two women in the living room. One was older and the other one was much younger. I could tell from her hourss figure because she had her back turned to me. My eyes strayed to the kids that were running around the living room, excited giggles emitting from them. I walked forward, and like the two women could sense my presence, they spun around and I felt my brows snap together. Their gaze at me had my anxiety spiking up dangerously high.


    I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth as the youngerdy approached me with a frown on her face.


    ¡°Hold her,¡± She ordered, dropping her baby in my arms. I was awestruck at the sight of the little girl dressed in a powdered blue onesie that was in my hands. She looked too good to be true, ethereal even. She was deeply asleep, her lips curled in a cute pout that had me cooing with a smile on my face. She was so beautiful. I rocked her gently in my arms, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Jaxon!¡± She bellowed and I nearly flinched, but I remembered that I had a child in my arms. She turned to one of the guards in the room, ring at them.


    ¡°Get me your boss!¡± She ordered them sternly.


    ¡°There will be no need for that.¡± Arden¡¯s cold tone drew me out of the trance that the little girl had plunged me in. I snapped my head up, beholding the sight of my husband who descended the staircase with his hands tucked in the pockets of his ck sweatpants, which he paired with a sleeveless shirt. It was fair for me to deny the fact that he looked very edible in casuals.


    My mouth formed an ¡®O¡¯ shape when the youngerdy hauled her designer bag at Arden, who ducked. I could tell he saw iting because he was too unfazed about the whole thing.


    ¡°Maria!¡± The older woman chided and I turned to her where she sat. The woman looked like she was staying out of the duo¡¯s business since she had decided to make herselffortable.


    ¡°You got married and you didn¡¯t even tell me! I am going to kill you, Jaxon. I swear to God! How could I not have been informed? Do you know how long I have been waiting for that day toe? I had given up at some point that it would never happen! How dare you, Jaxon?!¡± She was yelling at him so loudly and I had half expected him to tell her off or something, but he didn¡¯t do anything, he just stood there, running his fingers through his messy hair. He watched her yell to her heart¡¯s content.


    ¡°Maria__¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, Jaxon. I am so angry right now!¡± She snapped, cutting him off.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± She queried, her eyes moving around. His cold green eyes moved around the room until they settled on me, the coldness in them dissipating into a much softer emotion that left me red in the face.


    ¡°She¡¯s behind you,¡± he smirked, and on cue, both women swung their heads in my direction, simultaneously, causing me to take a step backwards, my heart pounding in my chest even though I didn¡¯t know why. I held the baby tighter in my arms, taking in the dark-haireddy that stood a few feet away from me, watching me with her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets.


    She looked like a goddess with her wavy ck hair that cascaded down her back. It looked so glossy and lush and I knew it didn¡¯te without her having to spend thousands of dors on hair care. Her green eyes reminded me of Arden¡¯s. Hers was just a warmer replica. Her face waspletely bare of makeup and it made it even more obvious that she was a natural. She was wearing a ck top that was tied in a knot around her waist, paired with skin-tight jeans that hugged her curves like a second skin. She looked way taller than me in her heels, but she was not as tall as Arden.


    Staring at her intently, it was then I noticed a slight resemnce between her and Arden. It wasn¡¯t so obvious, but if you looked closely, it was there. Arden, whom I didn¡¯t realize had gotten to where I was, pulled me to his side, pressing a soft kiss on my cheek.


    ¡°Maria, meet my wife, Ashley. Peach, meet Maria, my younger sister, and over there is my Aunt, Aunt Caroline.¡± He nudged his head in the direction of the stunning blonde-haired woman who had a smile on her face as she swept her eyes over my frame.


    ¡°Gosh, why didn¡¯t you say anything? I just dumped Xyra in your arms without sparing you a nce. I am so sorry.¡± Her voice was filled with remorse and I waved her off with a smile. She approached me and chuckled, drawing me in for a side hug because of the baby that was in my arms. She kissed my cheeks and whispered in my ear.


    ¡°Wee to the family, sister.¡± She said quietly. Hearing her call me her sister made me feel so wee.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled at her.


    ¡°You are so beautiful!¡± She gushed and wouldn¡¯t stop checking me out.


    ¡°Hello, Ashley.¡± The blonde-haired woman whom Arden introduced as Aunt Caroline sent me an ardent smile. Her aura was so weing as she leaned in and kissed both my cheeks. Then, she swatted Arden on the arm with a death re on her face.


    ¡°Were you hiding her from us?¡± She asked sternly and I looked up to see him rubbing his nape with a guilty look on his face.


    ¡°No, Aunty. I wasn¡¯t hiding her. It all just happened so fast. I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to keep it from you. I am sorry too, Maria.¡± He apologized to both of them and Maria threw him a stink eye, huffing. She took her baby from me and I almost didn¡¯t want to let her go anymore. She could sense it too and she chuckled as I handed her the sleeping beauty.


    ¡°She has that effect on everyone.¡± She grinned at me. It seemed almost too good to be true that she had a child. She was too stunning to be a mom. Arden inched forward and dropped a kiss on Maria¡¯s cheeks, alongside the baby in her hands. Maria made her way over to the baby carrier in the living room, putting her daughter in it.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Aidan, Almond,e meet your uncle Jaxon¡¯s wife!¡± Aunt Caroline hollered at the kids I had seen running around earlier. The kids shrieked and ran over to where she was. I left Arden¡¯s side and crouched to their level.


    ¡°Hey, munchkins. My name¡¯s Ashley.¡± I smiled at them and they threw themselves in my arms, smothering my face with kisses. I giggled, wrapping my arms around the duo. I pulled away lightly staring at the identical kids and that had me concluding that they were twins. They had the same blonde hair as their mom with striking blue eyes.


    ¡°Hi, Aunty Ashley.¡± They chorused and their cuteness tugged at my heartstrings. The two of them got whisked off their feet by Arden and their excited giggles filled my ears as they pulled and tugged at his ears and nose.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t my two little minxes,¡± he grinned at them, staring at them like they were the only thing that mattered the most and that brought a smile to my face. I watched him and he looked nothing like the man that¡¯s always spotted with a tight scowl on his face, instead, he had his guard down around the two little humans.


    It made me feel a certain kind of way I loved.


    He let them out of his arms and they kissed his cheeks before skipping off to somewhere in the house. He had his eyes fixed on them with a smile on his face, and then, his eyes met mine and I sucked in some breath not because of the intensity in his eyes, but because of the way his eyes zed over my frame. I felt so conscious in the flower print summer dress I was d in that stopped around my mid-thigh and had loops at the back. The man was practically undressing me with his eyes, and strangely, I didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Instead, I loved every bit of it.


    The clearing of throats by the two women standing in the room was enough to snap me out of my lustful haze. I turned crimson, tucking a stray strand of my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Uh, I made dinner. Are you guys interested?¡± I asked them in a small voice and their eyes widened.


    ¡°Of course!¡±


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s head to the table, Maria.¡± Aunt Caroline nudged Maria with a knowing smile on her face. The duo giggled and pulled themselves to the dining area. I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding but that didn¡¯tst long because Arden was by my side at the speed of a light I could barelyprehend, yanking me to his chest.


    I squirmed in his arms when he wrapped his arms around me, his breath fanning my face, eliciting a soft sigh from me. My eyes flickered to his, holding his gaze that seemed to have gotten a shade darker. I swallowed, watching him, and then, his hands crawled under my dress, squeezing my bare ass and I fist his shirt in my hands, moaning into his chest.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach, are you wearing anything under this dress?¡± He queried, his voiceing out so husky. It had me biting my lips, robbing me of my breath.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I answered, breathlessly.


    ¡°I am wearing a thong.¡±


    My voice came out so low and he muttered strings of curse words under his breath. The profanities couldn¡¯t have sounded sexier and it had heat brewing between my legs. He dipped his head in the space of my neck and I released a moan as I felt him breathing on my neck. His breaths were starting toe out uneven.


    ¡°Arden,¡± I breathed, and he growled.


    ¡°They are waiting at the table.¡± I reminded him and he cursed, exhaling, and he pulled away from me, pressing a kiss on my cheek.

 Chapter 51

    ASHLEY


    I went back to the kitchen and let out a sigh of relief when Zelda already had everything prepped. I kissed her cheeks and requested she help me get the dishes on the table. She exchanged pleasantries with Maria like they had known each other for years. It took me a while before I remembered that Alberta had been working here for years, so they probably knew each other that way.


    ¡°Let me help out,¡± Maria offered to help me dish the food and I shook my head with a polite smile.


    ¡°I have it under control.¡± I grinned at her and pulled out tes, dishing out everyone¡¯s food. It wasn¡¯t something so special. It was just curry sauce with shrimp, alongside the chicken I grilled earlier, and a little rice. I didn¡¯t know we were going to have guests over, so I just settled for a regr meal since I thought it was just going to be Arden and me. But, the women wouldn¡¯t stop gushing over how good it looks.


    I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to smile at them, feeling his unwavering gaze on me the whole time. It had goosebumps scattering all over my skin and left my heart a thudding mess, leaving me so red in the face. My eyes strayed to Maria¡¯s as I dropped her te in front of her. She had a smirk on her face and her aunt wouldn¡¯t stop grinning.


    I served their meals and served him too. Our eyes locked in a stare and my breath hitched at the way he stared at me. Like I was bedazzled in diamonds. Like I was his favorite thing in the world. I swallowed when I realized I was going to be seated by his side. Something about it scared and excited me at the same time, but I put on my best-unaffected look and settled in the seat beside him.


    I dished my meal and spared the women at the table aisant smile. We dug into our meals and began eating. The two women made small talk and looked like they were in their world. Not that I minded, it was amusing to watch them giggle like little kids about the smallest of things and it also gave me the chance to catch my breath.


    I reached for my water, cing the ss on my lips when I felt his strong hands on my thigh and I nearly choked on the water I was drinking. I whisked my head in his direction, sending him a warning look, but he had his eyes on the phone that was in his other hand, tapping away on it like he had no care in the world.


    I sucked in a breath and dismissed him, going ahead with my meal. His hands brushed over my dress which seemed to have hitched. I released a small gasp, my hold tightening on my fork. I tried to sp my legs shut but he was faster and held me in ce. I turned to him with disbelief stered on my face and this time, he met my eyes and his lips twitched in a devious smirk. I couldn¡¯t resist biting my lips because of how hot he looked. He must have seen how distracted I looked because he used that opportunity to slide his hands under my short dress.All content is ? N0velDrama.Org.


    He was going to finger fuck me right in front of his sister and his aunt! Was he crazy__I shivered when his hands grazed my thigh, a soft sigh leaving my lips. And like I was under his spell, I parted my legs and gave him ess to my opening. I spared him a cursory nce, watching him sit there like he wasn¡¯t about to torture me with his sinful fingers while I was a squirming mess on my chair.


    I was beyond soaked.


    I didn¡¯t understand the enigmatic control the green-eyed man had over me. It was unnerving because I didn¡¯t understand how I could be so turned on by his touch. His hands brushed over my clothed area, and then, he swerved my thong aside and slipped a finger into my warm opening.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± The cuss word flew out of my mouth and the women sitting opposite me turned to me with a confused look. I sent them an apologetic smile, shoving a forkful of chicken into my mouth and munching on it aggressively as he stroked my Clitoris. Fuck, I didn¡¯t know how I was going to keep my voice down. My hold on my fork tightened when he began stroking my sensitive spot, non-stop, uncontroble gasps leaving my lips.


    I brought my water to my lips and took arge gulp. I released a shaky breath, holding onto the edge of my table. Maria¡¯s eyes met mine and my knees trembled when he began pumping his fingers in and out of me. It was slow at first, but it grew faster.


    ¡°Ashley, are you okay? You look flushed.¡± She seemed concerned and I couldn¡¯t possibly tell her that it was her brother that had his tortuous fingers inside me.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± My voice sounded so rushed and it had Aunt Caroline sparing me a nce, he chose to stroke me at that moment and I couldn¡¯t help but let out a small sound. Fuck, the bastard knew how to use his hands. He was so good with them that it made me start tearing up. My body couldn¡¯t handle the pleasure that threatened to overwhelm me.


    ¡°I am¡­uh! I am okay!¡±


    She didn¡¯t seem convinced but she nodded, turning to Maria whose lips twitched. Oh, fuck me. My cheeks went up in mes. I sped my hands together and my knuckles were beginning to turn white. He added one more finger, curling his fingers in me as my walls clenched around his fingers.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± I mumbled to myself, digging my fingers into my ponytail. I tried to snap my legs shut but he prevented me from doing so, brushing his hands over my clitoris and I took my water again, taking a long swing that threatened to choke me when my stomach began tightening in huge knots. My breathing became harsher, tears filling my eyes. My knees wobbled as he pleased me with his fingers and I choked out a sob at how good it felt.


    ¡°Hm,¡± I couldn¡¯t resist moaning.


    I didn¡¯t know if Aunt Caroline and Maria chose to ignore me but they were both busy with Maria¡¯s phone, checking something out on it or they pretending to. I brushed my hands over my hair to suppress my moans as I approached my climax. His pace became faster, my core throbbing with so much juice that kept my vulva so warm and slick. His fingers glided back and forth on the moist surface and I whimpered softly, my eyes brimming with unshed tears.


    It felt so fucking good.


    So, so good.


    It made me so breathless. I could barely control the sounds that left my lips.


    I squirmed in my seat, moaning softly, falling back onto it as my legs began to spasm uncontrobly. I let out a low moan when my juices flowed out of me, onto his fingers, heaving a sigh. I came all over his fingers. I tried to get a hold of my heavy breathing and then, I turned to him. He had satisfaction written all over his face, contented that he just made mee all over his fingers, right in front of his family. His lips twitched and his eyes zeroed in on my nipples that were straining against the material of my dress.


    Yes, it was all him.


    My eyes drifted away from him andnded on Aunt Caroline and Maria who were staring at us with teasing smiles.


    ¡°Ugh, new couples,¡± Aunt Caroline gave a dismissive wave of her hands in the air, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and never step out again.


    Fuck, she knew.


    They knew!


    Maria¡¯s chuckles made me more embarrassed than I was. He leaned closer and kissed my cheek. Does he have no shame at all?


    ¡°Thank you for the food,¡± he whispered, his hot breath tickling my ears. I knew it wasn¡¯t the food we were eating that he was talking about.


    ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s shameless. Honey, eat your food, it¡¯s no big deal.¡± Maria answered like she could read my mind, giggling, and I turned crimson, looking down at my food that seemed to have gotten warm.


    Gosh, I couldn¡¯t believe that they heard me moan and it was all his fault! I threw him a stink eye and he gave me a proud smirk. I huffed, looking away, my legs still feeling a little weak from his fingering me. I was so embarrassed that I barely looked up from my food all night.

 Chapter 52

    ASHLEY


    I ced my hands on my kneecap, pulling my jog to an abrupt stop. My breathing came out in loud wheezes and harsh pants as I struggled to get a hold of it. My chest constricted in a dull pain that had me squeezing my eyes shut for a moment before I got upright and tied my messy hair in a ponytail. My knees were almost numb, a dull ache shooting through them. I puffed out some hair through my mouth and began jogging lightly back to the vi.


    Irritation surged through my veins, making my skin crawl as I remembered that I didn¡¯t get much sleep throughout the night. All I could do was close my eyes and just hope that, somehow, I would fall asleep, but I didn¡¯t. I roughly got two hours of sleep before I got out of bed around 5 am, resorting to clearing my head and this feeling of utter helplessness that threatened to consume me. I was suffocating and I needed to get out of that house before I lost my fucking mind.


    The light jogs I engaged myself in slowly reduced to walks and I gave up on trying to jog. I had done enough for the day, at least. I pressed the button attached to the wall by the gate and heard a soft click. The gate opened slightly and I was able to step in. One of the guards hanging around bowed his head in respect and I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to roll my eyes. As I approached therge front porch, that sense of dejection and helplessness washed over me, overwhelming me and it suddenly became so hard to breathe.


    This ce didn¡¯t feel like home, instead, it felt like a fucking cage. A golden cage, one I needed some sort of escape from because if I didn¡¯t, I would lose my mind. I lost myself already, my mind was the one thing I was desperately clinging to. I didn¡¯t even know who I was anymore and this girl wasn¡¯t the girl I knew. The girl I knew had a purpose, she had a life, she had a vision, and she had goals, but that girl was gone the minute I got a ring on my finger.


    Everything was taken away from me and God, I was exhausted. I was so tired. I didn¡¯t know how to deal with this. It was bad and it was eating me up.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    I let out a frustrated sigh, brushing my fingers through my hair and being careful enough not to allow my earbuds to drop from my hair. I rang the doorbell, my lips pursed in an irritated frown, apanied by the impatient tapping of legs on the floor as I waited for someone to answer the door.


    The door was pulled open after a while and the maid bowed her head, mumbling a greeting I couldn¡¯t bring myself to give a damn about. I pushed past her and stepped into the house. I started walking away but I stopped, taking a deep breath. I suddenly felt a twinge of guilt hit me for what I just did to the poor girl.


    She didn¡¯t deserve that. I shouldn¡¯t have been so rude to ignore her greeting. It was unlike me and I knew I had to apologize. So, I spun around to face her. I saw an unmistakable look of fear sh in her eyes and I furrowed my brows.


    ¡°I am not going to hurt you,¡± I didn¡¯t know what prompted me to say that, but I did because I didn¡¯t want her to perceive me as that kind of person. I didn¡¯t want to be feared. I wasn¡¯t the big bad mafia boss. I was just a girl who happened to be taking hisst name.


    Yeah, not like I wanted to.


    I watched her tense features visibly rx and a smile crept upon my face.


    ¡°I am sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed you out of the way.¡± I apologized and I meant it. A smile overtook the dullness that had been imprinted on her porcin skin and she nodded eagerly, her green eyes twinkled with softness.


    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, Mrs Gray.¡± She grinned at me and I chuckled, nodding my head. I spun around with a grin on my face, my eyes doing a quick scan of the busy living room. The maids were at it again. Was there a day they didn¡¯t clean?


    ¡°Good morning, girls!¡± I chirped with a warm smile on my face. They stopped what they were doing and bowed their heads a little, greetings trooping out of their mouths.


    ¡°God, you all should stop with the head bows. My husband and I are two different people. When you see him, you can bow or go on your knees for all I care but me, just a greeting is fine.¡± I ryed, and I watched doubts spread all over their faces.


    Okay, I didn¡¯t want to do it this way.


    ¡°Understood?¡± I arched my brow, sounding as cold as I could.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Gray.¡± They chorused.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t so hard now or was it?¡± I asked, grinning. I nted my hands on my hips and watched them go back to their various positions. I brought my hands to my ears and took out my earbuds, tucking them in the case I retrieved from the pocket of my hoodie, which I pulled off immediately, leaving me in just my sports bra and short yoga pants. I retrieved my phone from its pocket and unlocked it, tapping away at it as I made my way to the kitchen.


    ¡°Ashley!¡±


    Oh, crap.


    I tried to prepare myself for the impact of the bone-crushing hug that wasing my way, followed by her loud footsteps that echoed in my ears. I looked up from my phone with a vibrant smile on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯m sweaty!¡± I announced, but that didn¡¯t deter her because she flung herself in my arms and I giggled, wrapping my hands around her midsection. I inhaled the sweet scent that emitted from her, sighing softly as I patted her back, running my palms across its length.


    ¡°Ugh, it feels like I haven¡¯t seen you in years.¡± She whined, detaching herself from my body. And of course, Zelda was glowing. Her beauty was like a p on the face. It hits every time I stare at her. Her eyes were at their brightest. Her lips shimmered with her signature berry gloss, appearing so full. Her long thickshes pped against each other as she took me in, brushing her brown hair away from her face.


    ¡°Girl, you saw me a few weeks ago!¡± I eximed and she looped her arm around my neck, leading me to the kitchen. She pushed the door open as she filled me in on some random gist at school, our loud squeals filling the air. Alberta had an amused look on her face as she assessed us.


    ¡°Good morning, Alberta.¡± I smiled warmly at her.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs Gray.¡± She answered and I skipped out of Zelda¡¯s arms, making my way to the fridge to get myself some water. I was dehydrated and it felt like my brain wasn¡¯t functioning properly. I took out a bottle and went to the sink to rinse my ss before pouring my water into it and taking arge gulp.


    ¡°So, what¡¯s for breakfast?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°There¡¯s French toast, waffles, coffee, and some pancakes alongside varieties of syrups.¡± She answered and I grinned, my tummy rumbling at the same time.


    ¡°Great! Set the tray!¡± I chirped.


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s all set, alongside you and Mr Gray¡¯s.¡± She told me and I furrowed my brows in surprise, dropping my ss on the marble that surrounded the sink.


    ¡°I thought¡­ I thought he would be at work by now.¡± I spoke, confusion hanging in my voice. Although, I was a tad bit excited about him not being at work yet because I have been meaning to talk to him about something very important we haven¡¯t had the time to talk about. If he wasn¡¯t on a trip, he woulde homete and sneak into bed to cuddle me whenever I was asleep. That man needs to learn some manners. I was his wife and I needed his attention too!


    ¡°You know what? Don¡¯t worry.¡± I gave a dismissive wave of my hands in the air. My eyes roamed the kitchen and they settled on the tray on the counter. I stalked over to Zelda and Alberta, kissing their cheeks before grabbing the tray and then, I made my way out of the kitchen.


    I was going to reason with him and heaven knows I wouldn¡¯t take no for an answer. I would do anything to make him say yes.

 Chapter 53

    ASHLEY


    I kicked the door open with my legs, sauntering into the room. I shut it with my legs again and spun around to see him striding out of his closet with his phone in his hands. He was aggressively punching letters on the keypads and the sound it made was irritating as fuck. But then, I found my eyes zing over his frame. I didn¡¯t care if I was checking him out unabashedly.


    The man was hot and I was damn sure he knew it too. He looked like a fucking snack. I couldn¡¯t wait to devour his crisp white shirt that clung to his leanly muscr frame, sinfully. His shirt was neatly tucked in his cks which he paired with ck shoes I was sure would cost a fortune. He had his zer draped over his forearm that flexed a little as he typed on his phone muttering a curse word that sounded sexy as hell. I found myself tucking my lip between my teeth, gulping.


    He looked up from his phone and stopped typing, his lips twitching in a smirk as he took in my frame, but that smirk was quick to morph into a frown when his eyes settled on my outfit. I found myself rolling my eyes at him and that seemed to tick him off, even more.


    ¡°Don¡¯t roll your eyes at me, Peach, and what the hell are you wearing?¡± He demanded sternly and I scoffed, stalking over to the nightstand and dropping the tray.


    ¡°Dhur, I went out to jog,¡± I stated the obvious, shrugging casually at how dumb he sounded, but that seemed to piss him off as I watched his face contort in a deep frown and then, he strode forward, ring at me and I arched a brow at him, throwing my hoodie on the bed with my hands nted on my hips.


    ¡°I told you to stop wearing revealing outfits! You didn¡¯t even stay indoors! You went out like this!¡± He growled possessively and I exhaled, palming my forehead. His possessiveness was so annoying. This was my body for goodness sake, but I couldn¡¯t say that to his face because I needed him sane for the conversation I was about to have with him, so I just sped my hands together, taking a deep breath to control my anger.


    ¡°Arden, please¡­¡± I trailed off, shutting my eyes.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to do this right now. I want to talk to you about something more important, so stop being a possessive ass and listen to me.¡± I shunned him with a stern look and then, the frown on his face dissipated, morphing into a more rxed look and he tucked his hands in his pocket, throwing his zers on the bed.


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± He urged me.


    Okay, here goes.


    ¡°Arden, I am tired of staying here all day. It¡¯s suffocating and before you tell me there are many things to do indoors, I will have your ass know that I have tried everything. I had dreams of my own before you came along and took me out of the life I used to know. You can¡¯t be doing what you love while I am stuck here, ying housewife. My dreams are valid too,¡± I paused, examining his features, observing for any slight change in his demeanor that seemed nk, but I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me, I continued.


    ¡°Way before you happened, I have always wanted a publishingpany of my own and that was the reason I was stuck with Genevieve, working my ass off for that lying bitch because I wanted to save up for what I wanted to do, not because I loved working for her. It was just a job for me, not what I loved doing.¡± I breathed, taking a step forward.


    ¡°The writing world is my ce and I swear to you, I can feel it in my bones. I want to make a difference with my firm, Arden. I want to change lives through it. I want to allow writers to put their work out there. I don¡¯t want to stay in this big ass mansion all alone. It¡¯s holding me back from doing what I love. I can¡¯t do this. I would lose my mind without pursuing what I love.¡± I concluded, taking a deep breath, and running my fingers through my hair while I waited for him to say something.


    ¡°No,¡± he deadpanned and I veered backwards without being shoved by anything, feeling the weight of his words hit me hard. I squinted my eyes at him in disbelief, staring at him as though he had grown two heads and was running out of his mind. I knew he was a domineering bastard, but I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.


    I studied his rigid features, his green eyes boring into mine, beholding a brewing storm in them. They grew hard with each look he gave me, eliciting a scoff from me. I honestly couldn¡¯t believe the nerve of this man at times.


    ¡°What do you mean no? I don¡¯t understand.¡± I arched a brow at him, filled with the need for him to expatiate on what he said. My voice was calm, but I was far from being calm. I was boiling on the inside.


    ¡°You heard me, Peach. I just said no. I don¡¯t want you to work. You will stay in here like the good girl you are supposed to be. You don¡¯t need to work. I can give you everything you want. All you have to do is to ask. Cars? Money? Houses? Shares? Name it. I would do it for you, but not this.¡± His voice was thick with determination as he picked up his zer from the bed, shrugging it on and buttoning it up.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want your money! I am very buoyant enough to start up apany!¡± I snapped, struggling to keep my temper in check. I was trying so hard to be reasonable with him, but he didn¡¯t look like he wanted to listen to me. He has always had his way with everything and this one thing I ask of him, he doesn¡¯t want me to have it.


    The thought of it had tears pooling in my eyes as I stared at him.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You are not working, Evaline. I have said all there is to say about it.¡±


    The words that left his lips did nothing but rile me up further than I was. I red at him defiantly. I didn¡¯t care if I was going to go to war with him because of this, but I wasn¡¯t going to sit here like some trophy wife.


    ¡°Oh, you are kidding,¡± I chuckled, wiping my tears.


    ¡°You are kidding, Arden, because I don¡¯t understand what your problem is. I don¡¯t understand your excessive need to control everything! I am not a mannequin! For fucks sake, you should have gone for one instead! I don¡¯t even care about that, but all I know is that I am not going to sit in here and have you treat me like a damn trophy!¡± I yelled at him, my voice thick with so many emotions and audaciousness. I couldn¡¯t stop the tears that were streaming down my face.


    He let out a scoff, taking a step forward with a challenging stare resting upon his face. His eyes were cold and hard, brimming withsers and brimstones, but I couldn¡¯t care less. I didn¡¯t give a fuck if he was the devil himself! He was going to listen to me. It has always been him calling the shots, but today, that changes! He was going to shove his fucking godplex down his throat!


    With every step he took, I couldn¡¯t help the erratic beating of my heart. It pummelled loudly against my chest, a shaky breath leaving me when I felt his alluring scent p my nostrils, invading my senses as he stopped right in front of me, towering above me like a fucking pir. He had this cold smirk on his lips, breathing softly on my face, and I felt myself take in some spit.


    ¡°Peach,¡± He called.


    I breathed shakily.


    ¡°What part of my expression tells you that I am kidding, huh?¡± He asked me, chuckling darkly like the devil himself, and I felt tears spill from my eyes as I struggled to rein them in.


    ¡°You want to work?¡± He scoffed and I whimpered.


    ¡°The only job you have is to stay by my side and let me provide every damn thing you want. The only job you have is to be my fucking wife!¡± His voice came out so harsh, filled with unnerving fury that had my breath seizing, causing me to take a step backwards.


    The tears I was struggling to hold back spilled, my veins shimmering and burning with indecipherable hatred for this man that stood in front of me. He stared at me, unflinchingly, cocking his head to the side and wanting his words to sink into my brain, but it was far from that. I meant it when I said I was going to go to war with him if I had to. He spun on his heels, heading out of the room.


    ¡°GET THE FUCK BACK HERE, RIGHT NOW, ARDEN GRAY!¡± I bellowed audaciously, my loud voice reverberating across the walls of my ears, filled with a chilling coldness that could freeze up an entire ocean. His body grew still and he halted in his tracks.


    I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me, instead, I continued.


    ¡°You can leave now and I can assure you, there will be no home toe back to because I will burn this house to the ground with everyone in it and it¡¯s going to be on YOU! I don¡¯t want to get mad, Arden but you are pushing me past my limit¡­¡± I trailed off, my voice holding a hint of dare.


    ¡°It¡¯s your call,¡± I uttered with a sadistic smirk crawling up my lips. He turned to me and scoffed, taking long strides over to where I was. I stood rooted to my spot unflinchingly, sporting a defiant look on my face.


    ¡°You think you can order me around?¡± He queried coldly and I chuckled mirthlessly, tilting my head to the side with a daring look on my face. He opened his mouth to speak but I beat him to it, yanking him to myself by his tie and pushing him to sit on the bed.


    ¡°You will sit the fuck down and listen to every damn thing I say,¡± I instructed, getting on hisp and straddling him.


    ¡°Got it?¡± I questioned and he watched me, nodding his head.


    I knew I had him at my mercy now and I could do whatever I wanted with him. It was so good. It felt so fulfilling to have the big bad mafia boss wrapped around my fingers when I could make or mar him. I knew I had power over him right now.


    And that power?


    I was going to fucking use it.

 Chapter 54

    ASHLEYCopyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    My hands came up to my hair and I tugged at the band that held it together, taking it off and allowing it to drop on my shoulder, cascading down my back. I adjusted my frame on hisp, shifting slightly and that earned me a grunt from him. His hands were wrapped firmly around my waist and his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed slightly as he took me in with his eyes that seemed to have gained a darker shade to them.


    Fuck, he was so gorgeous up close. My breath hitched at the sight of him. This man was a god. He was breathtaking, and hands down the most beautiful human I have ever set my eyes on. His hands trailed from my waist, settling on my ass and he cupped them, giving it a light squeeze as he buried his head into my chest, grunting softly because I knew he loved what he was feeling in his hands. I wasn¡¯t trying to brag, but those babies were heavenly.


    I smirked, cradling his head in my arms whilst helping him massage his scalp. He buried his head deeper into my chest, his lips brushing my now taut nipples that were straining against the material of my sports bra. The low, approving growl that exited his lips made me know that he loved the feeling of being babied by me. And weirdly, I wanted to take care of him. I wanted to make him feel so good.


    I moaned softly when his nose brushed my nipples. My pussy throbbed and pulsated, needy for him, needy for his touch. He squeezed my ass and I moaned loudly, throwing my head back. He wanted my sports bra out of the way and he didn¡¯t fail to show his frustration as he tugged at it. He shrugged the material off my body and my boobs sprung free, bouncing softly. My buds were aching and they were swollen. They were hard and ready for him, and then he tilted his head backwards, soaking in the view in front of him.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach. You are going to be the death of me.¡± He groaned, leaning forward and devouring my boobs with his eyes that had darkened with lust that shook me to the core, rendering my legs which were wrapped around him, numb. He leaned in, kissing the swell of my breasts while cupping them in his hands, to feel them. I whimpered, frustrated that his mouth wasn¡¯t exactly where I needed it. He breathed on my nipples and I let out a breathy moan, then he enclosed his mouth around one of them, eliciting a loud moan from me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cried, digging my fingers into his hair as he ravished my breasts like he had been starved of them for years. He tugged and sucked, showering a lot of attention on them. I didn¡¯t care if my loud moans and soft sobs were being heard outside of the room. All I could do was squirm in his arms as he devoured me. He teased my nub with his mouth, fondling my other breast in his hands. He pulled away lightly, looking up to face me with want written all over his face.


    My breath came out harshly as I shrugged his zer off him. His tie followed and then, I unbuttoned his shirt. I wanted to see him. I wanted to see all of him. I slid down hisp, crouching between his legs, and then I knelt, working my hands up to his belt. I got rid of it and undid his fly. I looked up to see him staring at me with raw desire clouding his face.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I asked, keeping my voice so low.


    ¡°With everything. I am all yours.¡± He answered and I smirked. He arched his back off his bed and I leaned closer, lowering his cks and his briefs. His hard member sprung out of its confines, hitting my face in the process and I giggled, a soft moan leaving my lips. I tilted my head backwards, gawking at the thick long flesh that had my pussy dripping with moisture. It was throbbing so hard with pre-cum staining the tip.


    I took hold of it, basking in its warmth and loving how it fitted perfectly in my arms like it was made just for me. It was so amusing that this dick belonged to me. It was all mine. Mine to do as I pleased. My nipples hardened when I heard him grunt as I worked my hands up and down his long length. I didn¡¯t have to do much, his pre-cum was enough to keep it moist as I pumped my hands around it.


    I leaned in, breathing softly on the sensitive head, and heard him make a sound at the back of his throat.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, Peach.¡± He sounded so breathless, his voice gruff and overly husky. I kissed the tip, swirling my tongue around the head and he groaned. Then, slowly, I wrapped my lips around the tip, moaning at how warm it felt against my tongue. My pace was slow, my hands massaging his balls. His hands came to the back of my head as he guided my mouth around his shaft. Then, I tested my limits and went further, taking more of him into my mouth as I began sucking him off.


    ¡°God! That¡¯s it, Peach!¡±


    His loud grunts and moans urged me on, fuelling my courage as I began pumping him in and out of my mouth at a fast pace. I bobbed my head to the rhythm and his hands moved to my hair, holding them together as I continued pleasuring him with my mouth. His grip on my hair tightened and I moaned loudly when he began fucking my mouth. I ran my tongue across his length, taking him in my mouth again. I whimpered when he began hitting the back of my throat, gagging softly.


    ¡°Oh fuck!¡±


    ¡°God!¡±


    ¡°Harder!¡± Hemanded me and I did as I was told, sucking the thick flesh and massaging his balls with my other hand. He grunted loudly, tugging at my hair. I gagged again, nearly choking as tears filled my eyes, but I didn¡¯t stop. I loved how he felt in my mouth. I wrapped one of my hands around his length, working my hands around its moistness. I looked up from the dick I was choking on watching him throw his head backwards as I sucked him off, taking him all in like a good little girl.


    He thrust into my mouth even more and I moaned, my pussy pooling with so much liquid at the sound that emitted from his lips. It felt so good that I was the one driving him crazy. That I had him wrapped around my fingers and at my mercy. It made me feel on top of the world that I was the only one capable of extracting those stimting sounds from him. My head bobbed up and down as I felt him throb in my mouth, thickening up.


    Fuck, he tasted so good. I could suck him off all day and not get tired of it. He was so thick and warm and filled me up without having to stress.


    ¡°You taste so good,¡± I told him, my words came out muffled because I had his dick in my mouth.


    His grunts sounded so deep,ing from the back of his throat. I moaned, swirling my tongue around the cap and scraping my teeth around it.


    ¡°Jesus, Peach!¡±


    ¡°Oh shit!¡± He growled and I couldn¡¯t be more soaked than I was when his thrusts grew faster, alerting my senses that he was approaching his release. I quickened my pace as he tugged at my hair, leaving a dull pain on my scalp. He grunted, swelling in my mouth.


    His body grew so tense underneath me as a groan rippled from his lips, shooting his seeds in my mouth and I moaned, feeling the warm thick liquid that seeped out of him. I gobbled it all up greedily, not leaving a single drop out. His hold on my hair grewx. He dropped on the bed with a thud and I got off my knees, climbing on top of him.


    He looked a lot more rxed than he did in the morning. I guess that was what a good blow job does. Who would have thought being sex-starved could make him grumpy? I leaned down, trapping him underneath me. He released a heavy breath, his handsing around my waist. I pushed my hair off my face, leaning to im his lips in a hungry kiss. It heightened my want for him and when I heard him moan, it felt as though I was going to lose it as the passion between us grew more fiery, consuming us. He squeezed my waist, sucking on my lips and that elicited a soft moan from me, my nubs hardening when they brushed his bare chest.


    A soft knock sounded at the door and he growled, deepening the kiss. I moaned when he flipped us over and his mouth imed one of my boobs. I fisted the sheets in my hands, wrapping my legs around him. He weakened me further, kneading my breasts while he ced feathery kisses on the skin of my neck, his thumb flicking my nub.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡± I cried, choking out a sob at how good he made me feel. He was choking me with pleasure and I loved every bit of it. The knock sounded a little louder and I moaned even louder when his hands brushed the hem of my yoga pants. Fuck, I was so turned on than I could ever imagine but the knocking grew persistent and it left me so irritated about who was disturbing us.


    ¡°That¡¯s Duncan,¡± he breathed and I sighed in frustration, squeezing my eyes shut. He nudged my jaw with his head, urging me to look him in the eye, and I did. His eyes shone with warmth and he had adoration written all over him, emotions that didn¡¯t in any way dim the sizzling want his eyes held.


    ¡°God, I want nothing more than being buried inside of you right now, showing you the effect you have on me.¡± He said huskily, kissing my jaw and I whimpered, my core throbbing so hard. I could feel the warm liquid oozing out of me.


    Gosh, fuck, Duncan!


    ¡°But it¡¯s important I leave right now. You hear me, my girl?¡± He asked me, trailing kisses from my jaw, down to my corbone until it rested on the swell of my breasts, taking one of my tits in his mouth and I moaned, arching my back off the bed and he chuckled.


    ¡°So eager for me,¡± he murmured against my breast. He stopped, to my utmost disy, dropping a chaste kiss on my lips.


    ¡°Do me a favor, try not to touch yourself while I am gone.¡± He smirked at me and I bit my lip, watching him get off me. I peered at him beneath myshes and watched him get dressed, my eyes soaking up every inch of him with utter fascination and admiration.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he ordered, shrugging at his zers. I got up from the bed, stalking over to where he stood. He yanked me forward when my steps got too slow and I came crashing into his firm chest. His hands dropped lower from where they were on my waist, grabbing a fistful of my ass as he buried his head in the crook of my neck, groaning softly.


    ¡°Fuck, you have the softest ass.¡± Hemented and I giggled like a child.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked him, standing on my tip-toes.


    ¡°Fuck yeah,¡± he affirmed, grabbing me softly by the neck and locking our lips in a warm kiss. I wrapped my hands around his neck, moaning into his mouth and he groaned before pulling away. His breathing was ragged and uneven. He pressed a soft kiss on my forehead.


    ¡°I will see youter,¡± He told me and kissed my cheek, dropping his head to the crook of my neck and sniffing me in. He was so touchy. Overly clingy, but I loved every bit of it. He reluctantly let me go and made a beeline for the door, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind him.


    I exhaled, brushing my fingers through my hair and then, I fell back on the bed with a soft thud.


    What was going on with me?

 Chapter 55

    JAXON


    My body jerked as I turned to my side, my breath slowly seizing as I struggled to keep my eyes open, my muscles growing stiff.


    ¡°Rodney!!!¡± Mom screamed.


    I looked up from my phone, to see a truck heading over our way. My dad was trying to swerve to the side, in a bid to avoid running into the truck, but the brakes had failed.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    No! No!


    The truck ran into our car, shattering the windscreen that broke into pieces, sttering everywhere, with some shards piercing my face. The car somersaulted really hard, tumbling to the floor with an ear-shattering sound.


    No!


    Agonizing screams.


    More screams___  I watched my mom who had blood gushing out of her head so badly as she tried to speak to me, but the words weren¡¯t forming. I watched my parents struggle to hold on to their life that was slowly slipping away from them. I couldn¡¯t save them¡­


    No!


    No!


    ¡°Arden, baby! Baby, wake up!¡±


    ¡°Arden!¡±


    ¡°Arden!¡±


    The voice was so distant, breaking even. I tried to focus on it, but the harder I tried to cling to it, the farther it retreated from me. I thrashed around in my bed, my hands iling, my breathpletely punched out of my lungs as I struggled to hold on to any ounce of it that was left. My eyes were filled with tears. I couldn¡¯t speak, I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Baby, try to keep your eyes open! It¡¯s me, I am here!¡± The voice yelled again and my body stiffened when I felt someone reach out to touch me.


    ¡°NO!¡± A scream rippled through my mouth when I finally found my voice. I jolted upright, loud, uneven breaths escaping me. I was drenched in sweat, a splitting headache jamming into the sides of my head and it had me groaning softly, squeezing my eyes shut. My heart pounded furiously against my chest, constricting with pain.


    ¡°Hey, hey, baby, look at me,¡± the familiar voice urged, and I groaned. I felt soft feminine hands brush my body and I flinched, recoiling from the touch. The small hands reached out to me again, and this time¡­it felt so familiar. I opened my eyes, slowly, my gaze shing with shimmering honey-brown orbs that were filled with so many tears. I slowly took in her figure, easing into her touch.


    She looked so frightened, soft sobs leaving her lips as she wrapped her arms around me, hugging me so tightly.


    ¡°God, you scared me. I was so scared, Arden. You weren¡¯t breathing. You won¡¯t stop thrashing around and muttering incoherent words. I¡­I barely understood anything.¡± She sounded so shaken up, loud hups hanging in her voice. I hugged her back, burying my face in the crook of her neck and breathing in her familiar honey extract scent. Fuck, she smelled so good. Her hands glided back and forth on the length of my naked back as she sniffed.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°Are you alright? Do you need me to get you water?¡± She bombarded me with questions, trying to pry herself out of my grip, which seemed to have gotten tighter.


    ¡°No,¡± I spoke up, my voice sounding hoarse, and then I cleared my throat.


    ¡°Just stay with me, Peach. Please¡­¡± My voice was thick with pleas, breaking lightly but I tried my best to hold it in, not wanting to sound weak.


    ¡°Of course, baby. Of course. I am here. I am not going anywhere.¡± Her tone was warm and reassuring as she cradled my head to her chest, a sigh of satisfaction evading me. She was kneeling beside me, holding me in her arms, but I didn¡¯t want that. I wanted her to be as close as she could to me and having her stand beside me felt so far away. I needed to feel her, to get drunk in her scent and fuse my body with hers.


    So, I wrapped my hands around her waist, picking her up and dropping her on myp. I clung to her so tightly like a child that didn¡¯t want to let go of his mother, as though my life depended on it. Her hands stroked my hair, massaging my scalp and we fell into afortable silence, drawingfort in each other¡¯s arms.


    ¡°I am so sorry. I wish there was anything I could do to make you feel better.¡± She mumbled and I groaned against her chest, bncing her properly on my legs. I was acting like a huge man-child right now, but I didn¡¯t care. I loved being tended to by her. I loved it whenever she bestowed upon me her undivided attention and it was what I was getting right now and I intend to make the most of it.


    My hands left her waist, trailing down her exposed legs that were wrapped around me. She squirmed in my arms, releasing a soft sound when my hands grabbed the fleshy part of her thighs. I groped her ass, squeezing them softly and she moaned, strings of cuss words leaving her lips, leaving me overly aroused and hard for her.


    That was what this woman does to me. The slightest touch from her was enough to leave me craving for her. It was enough for me to lose my grip on my sanity. It was enough to plunge me into an abyss of madness, yanking away every form of restraint I had. She made me want to lose control and possess her in ways she couldn¡¯t possibly fathom. She shifted in myp, her ass grazing my bulge.


    I groaned.


    Then, she cupped my face, meeting my gaze, and fuck, it felt like I stopped breathing at the sight of the masterpiece that was in front of me, gazing down at me with want and lust evident in those brown eyes as she peered at me beneath hershes, looking like a temptress without having to try too hard. She leaned forward and I watched her gulp, sighing softly. The warm breath that oozed off her softly fanned the skin of my face and I felt goosebumps sprouting all over my skin.


    Her lips brushed my jaw and a tiny moan exited my lips, eliciting a chuckle from her. She loved this. She loved that she had me right where she wanted. This woman was beginning to understand the effect she had on me and she was ying the cards to her advantage. I opened my mouth to protest as my hands cupped her soft ass but she beat me to it, iming my lips with her soft ones.


    I was engulfed in mes, burning to ashes in the arms of this woman as she kissed me, and my whole world ceased to exist. I didn¡¯t wait for her to demand entrance when I opened up to her, kissing her back with the same amount of intensity she channeled into the kiss. She wreaked havoc on me, melting me into a hot puddle. I lost myself in the sizzling kiss that knocked every ounce of breath I had left in me. The passion was fiery and overwhelming and it consumed both of us as we ravished each other.


    I pulled away, breathing heavily as I rested my forehead on hers. Our loud, uneven breaths filled the room and I detached our foreheads, our eyes locked in a stare. My eyes grew darker, my pulse racing hard as my cock twitched in my sweatpants when she bit her lips, the want in her eyes shaking me to the core.


    ¡°I need to be inside of you right now,¡± I demanded, my voice low and gravelly,ing off a tad bit dominant, and fuck, the effect it had on her when I heard her moan was enough to drive me insane.


    ¡°Fuck this!¡± She cursed, crashing her lips on mine.

 Chapter 56

    JAXON


    Everything went into mes, our passion and lust consuming us as the kiss deepened when she slipped her tongue into mine, her hands gliding up and down my naked back. My hands crawled underneath therge ck shirt she was wearing, getting a feel of her sulent ass. I knew she was wearing a thong. It was like her go-to panties and that made my member twitch even more.


    Her small hands left a scalding sensation everywhere she touched on my body, marking me as though she didn¡¯t want me to forget her touch. As though she was staking her im on me and I fucking loved it!


    ¡°Oh, take the damn thing off!¡± She whined and I granted her wish when her lips broke apart, my hands found the buttons of the shirt she was wearing, yanking it off and shrugging it off her body in a nanosecond.


    There she was, sitting atop me, breathing heavily.


    Fuck, this woman was the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen. She had the most beautiful body and it brought me so much satisfaction that she was all mine. Her brown waves were pouring down her shoulders, her eyes twinkling with desire, making her look more amorous. Those red lips looked fuller and that was courtesy of me kissing the fuck out of her.


    Her supple skin felt so soft against my hands, glowing under the dim lights in the room. My eyes strayed to her breasts and I found myself gulping, a soft groan exiting my lips. The perky goodness looked fuller, goosebumps evident on them. Her protruding nipples stood proud and taunted, the pinkish flesh as hard as a rock. They were swollen and I knew that with the way she took a shaky breath, it was obvious they were aching for my touch, leaving her all needy for me.


    ¡°You drive me insane!¡± I growled, flipping us over and she moaned when our lips met each other, moaning into the kiss as she fisted my hair in her arms. Her legs were instinctively thrown around me, my crotch grazing her soaked area and she whimpered. The tiny airy sound tugged at the ties that held my sanity together. I tugged at her lips, eliciting a moan from her as I pulled away, my lips meeting her jawline.


    I showered kisses everywhere my lips could meet on her neck, marking her, sucking and biting on the skin of her neck as she writhed underneath me, pleasure rocking through her. My hands moved from her upper waist, brushing her hard nubs and she let out a whimper that had me straining against my pants.


    ¡°Arden, please¡­oh, fuck! Just touch me,¡± She choked out a sob and I smiled against her neck, knowing I hadn¡¯t even started with her, because by the time I was done with her, she wouldn¡¯t be able to walk for the next few days. I was going to fuck her brains out of her.


    I kneaded one of her soft mounds, grunting at how soft it felt in my hands. She cried, trying to wiggle her way out of my hands, but I chuckled, darkly, taking one of her nubs in my mouth while I toyed with the other one. She jerked softly when I began swirling my tongue around her bud, kneading and tugging at the other one softly. Her nails found my back, digging into them as my hands extracted sighs and moans of pleasure from her.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t stop!¡± She begged, her voice reeking of immense pleas. I devoured her boobs hungrily like I had been starved of them for years. This wasn¡¯t the first time I had been sucking on them, but it sure feels like it because she always had a way of making me so needy for her. I tugged at her nipple that was in my mouth, taking my mouth off it and she whined in displeasure.


    My fingers brushed her waist and she squirmed when I pulled at the hem of her red thong, loving the beautiful contrast it produced with her skin. She arched her back off the bed, giving me the chance to take the damp material off. I brought it to my nose, sniffing her arousal. She smelled so good, amplifying my need to taste her. I grabbed her by the leg, yanking her to myself and throwing her legs around my neck. I spread them apart, and then I leaned in, gracing my sight with her throbbing cunt.


    It was pooling with so much liquid, swollen and pulsating heavily. The sight of it made me gulp, salivating until I felt my mouth run dry. Its moistness was so beautiful. I breathed on her thighs, brushing my nose against it and I felt her shiver in my hands, a shaky sigh leaving her lips. I sucked on the fleshy part of her thigh, eliciting a moan from her. The soft sound drove me mad, unleashing my inner beast as I kissed the skin beside her cunt.


    ¡°Arden,¡± She breathed, her voice thick with impatience, which caused her to bring her hands to the back of my head, pushing me into her and her juice creamed my nose. My mouth mped down on her swollen clit and her back was arched off the bed, a soft cry leaving her lips. She tried to shut her legs close but I held her back from doing that, grabbing onto the fleshy part of her thigh as I began feasting on her.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡±


    I swirled my tongue around her vulva, giving her clitoris a soft lick as I relished in the rich creamy taste of her. Her legs trembled heavily in my hands, growing numb as she began squirming in my arms. They were almost shutting close because of the overwhelming pleasure I had plunged her into, with my tongue. I delved my tongue into her opening, tongue fucking her and a scream tore through her mouth, apanied by a choking sob that had me chuckling, my teeth grazing her clit.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± She cursed, her hands threading through my hair. Her fingers grazed my scalp, eliciting a low approving growl from me as I sucked harder, ravishing her. She sobbed, thrashing around on the bed, her moans clogged with sobs.


    ¡°That feels so fucking good¡­¡± She whimpered as I thrust my tongue into her, retracting it and stroking her sensitive spot with my tongue. She jerked softly in my hands and I loved that she was very responsive to every of my touch. It brought me so much satisfaction, watching her break and sob in my hands as I pleasured her, plunging her into an overwhelming state of ecstasy. She arched her back off the bed, unable to control her screams, her tight hold leaving a stinging pain in my scalp.


    ¡°Oh, Arden!¡±


    My tongue stroked the swollen bundle of nerves, grazing my teeth with it. She wouldn¡¯t stop pooling with so much liquid and fuck, she tasted amazing.


    ¡°You taste so fucking good, Peach!¡± I moaned, swiping my tongue across every corner of her throbbing cunt. It wouldn¡¯t stop dripping with moisture. My girl, she was all wet for me. Her legs rocked with tremors, punched breathing eluding her as she sobbed, not in the least interested in holding back. I was driving her to the edge and I knew. I sucked even harder, her toes curling around me. She spasmed uncontrobly in my arms, approaching the peak of the pleasure I offered her.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡±


    ¡°Let it go, my love.¡± I crooned, and her muffled moans were what I heard next as she twisted on her side. I knew she had her head buried in the pillows as she screamed into it, her juices exploded in my face, creaming my face and I chuckled, gobbling it all up. I sucked every drop off as she whimpered, breathing heavily.


    I got up from where I was, hovering above her. I gazed down at her, trailing my fingers on her soft cheek before dipping them into her mouth. I watched her suck as I pumped it in and out of her mouth, earning me soft moans from her. She looked so alluring, sprawled underneath me, right where I wanted her. Right where she belonged. She was made just for me. She was all mine. She belonged to me, body, mind, and soul.


    I own her and I was going to fuck her as I pleased. I leaned in, kissing her cheek, trailing down to the hollow of her neck. The soft feathery kisses extracted light moans from her as I approached her ears, biting her earlobe and grabbing her breasts, kneading them. She moaned, evoking sizzling emotions in me.


    ¡°Whose girl are you, Peach? Who do you belong to?¡± My voice came out so husky, morphing into a growl when I didn¡¯t get an answer. I cupped her pussy, gliding my hands through its moistness.


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Whose woman are you?¡± I demanded, biting her earlobe and slipping one of my fingers into her warm hole. Her hands tightened around me as she buried her head into my neck, a soft sob eluding her. I thrust my finger into her and she moaned again.


    ¡°Yours!¡± She whimpered.


    ¡°Say it again!¡± I growled, stroking her.


    ¡°Oh, God! Yours! Yours! I am all yours, Arden!¡±Her words came out rushed, swallowed by her loud moans. Her nails were digging into my back as she sobbed into my neck, overwhelmed by the intensity of my fingers that curled into her, clenching against her walls.


    ¡°Fuck, please don¡¯t stop!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God! It feels so good!¡± She cried, writhing in my arms, falling apart and shattering into pieces. Just the way I wanted her. The control I had over her body drove me to the edge, rendering me an unhinged mess. She jerked in my arms, sucking on my neck as I pumped my fingers in and out of her.


    Her warm, slippery core clenched around my fingers as I increased my pace, sending her to the edge. The pent-up pleasure that had been building up in the pit of her stomach came bursting through its confines as she shattered into pieces in my arms, sobbing into my neck, her juices emitting from her. I retracted my fingers from her warmth, slipping it into my mouth and sucking the sweetness off while maintaining eye contact with her. She bit her lips, digging her fingers into her hair.


    Fuck!


    I was crazy about this woman.


    She had me spellbound and I wasn¡¯t going anywhere. She had me wrapped around her fingers, right where I was supposed to be.


    ¡°I want you to fuck me. Hard.¡± She looked into my eyes, defiance written all over her face. Her honey-brown orbs couldn¡¯t have looked sexier with the unbridled lust she had engraved in them.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    My lips twitched in a smirk, and my hand moved from her legs, brushing upward, cupping her breast before it stopped right around her neck and I wrapped my hands around it. I didn¡¯t choke her, instead, I grabbed her by the neck and kissed her senselessly, ridding her of her defenses and swallowing up her moans in my mouth. She tugged me closer with her legs wrapped around me while she yanked me to her by the drawstrings of my sweatpants.


    An indication that she wanted them gone. I withdrew my lips from hers, getting out of my sweatpants. My cock sprang free, rock hard and ready for her, the tip stained with pre-cum as it throbbed heavily. I leaned over to the nightstand to grab a condom but she stopped me, our eyes locking in a stare.


    ¡°I am on the pill,¡± She whispered.


    ¡°Dawn and Ivana forced me to.¡± She added when she saw the look that crossed my face. I pushed her gently, her back hitting the bed while I pinned her hands above her head, kissing her hungrily. She arched her back to meet me when I threw her legs around my shoulder, teasing her entrance with the tip of my cock.


    ¡°Arden, please¡­¡± She trailed off, and my eyes locked with her frustrated and teary ones. I parted her folds with my hands, my cock lining up with her wet entrance. We both moaned at the impact of our skins in contact with each other.


    She was so warm and slick, earning a grunt from me and I bent to her level, swallowing her moans when I mmed into her with a swift thrust that had her jerking in my arms. My cock had her stretching as she buckled her hips to meet my thrusts when I began pounding into her, mercilessly, loud moans exiting her lips.


    ¡°Harder!¡±


    I freed her hands from my tight grip, grabbing her by the hip and mming into her with hard thrusts. She fists the sheets in her hands, twisting and turning on the bed with screams emitting from her as my thrusts got stronger and harder. Her body was quivering violently, every pound extracting cries and moans that fuelled my sizzling desire to fuck her senseless.


    I was hitting her walls.


    So hard and all her moans and cries did was to make me want to milk her of every sound that left her lips, rendering her voiceless for days.


    ¡°You are so tight!¡± I grunted, increasing my pace. I bent to her level and took one of her bouncing breasts into my mouth and she cried softly, digging her nails into my back as I rammed into her mercilessly. Her moans came out so muffled and I found my finger moving down to her throbbing cunt, stroking her clit while her pace grew harder. Fucking her and stroking her was overly stimting for her, leaving her body to convulse in my hands.


    She was dripping with so much moisture, my thrusts growing harder, whimpering and sobbing underneath me as she clenched around me. I pulled out of her, a whimper of dissatisfaction leaving her lips, but before she could protest, I flipped her over, her face sinking into the sheets with her ass raised in the air. I grabbed her by the hip, plunging my thick length into her.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± She cried when I began pounding into her from the back. Tremors rocked through her as my thrusts grew more potent, extracting muffled moans from her, her head buried into the sheets. I guided her hips with my hands meeting her halfway with my swift thrusts. I clenched around her warm walls, throbbing inside of her. Her moans and sigh-cries, alongside the guttural grunts emitting from me, mixed, and sounded like music to my ears. She was so tight, so warm, clenching around me as though she was made for only me.


    ¡°Fuck, Arden!¡±


    ¡°Oh, God, I can¡¯t take it!¡± She sobbed, eliciting a dark chuckle from me. I pounded into her even more, leaving her at the mercy of my merciless thrusts. I grabbed her boobs, kneading them and tugging at the nubs, stimting her even more. The intensity of the pleasure reduced her screams into whimpers.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± She sobbed.


    ¡°You like that, huh?¡± I demanded, my breathing out ragged and uneven.


    ¡°Oh, yes. More!¡±


    I pushed harder, hitting her sensitive spot, and leaving her a quivering mess. She clenched around me so tightly, my cock swelling up in her as a growl rippled through me. My muscles contracted, tensing up as I sumbed to the pleasure that was beginning to build up in the pit of my stomach. A scream tore through her lips, apanied by a growl that emitted from me as we both found our release. I groaned, filling her up with my warm loads and she whimpered softly.


    I pulled out of her and she rolled on her side, breathing heavily and running her fingers through her hair. I joined her under the covers pulling her to me as I struggled to catch my breath. Her taut nipples brushed my chest and I found my hands parting her legs, sliding a finger into her soaked entrance.


    She was dripping and throbbing so badly.


    ¡°Still so wet for me, huh?¡± My fingers stroked her as she held onto me so tightly.


    ¡°I want you,¡± She breathed, crashing her lips on mine and she climbed on top of me, straddling me. The covers that were barely covering her boobs came dropping off, revealing her overly perky mounds with buds that stood so stiff and rigid. Her hair was sticking all over her face, due to her sweaty body, but she still looked so breathtaking.


    ¡°God, you are so beautiful.¡± She whispered, gazing down at me, her eyes raw with emotions that tugged dangerously at my heartstrings. I lifted her slightly, and she slowly dropped down, taking all of me into her warmth. She soaked me up clenching around me. I groaned, cupping her ass.


    We were both consumed by the passion that had engulfed into mes between us, soaking up each other and giving in to our desires and it scared me, how consumed I was by everything regarding this woman. How she was tearing down my walls without having to try so hard, bringing out the vulnerability I had struggled to shove deep into the back of my mind.


    I wasn¡¯t just addicted to her.


    I was obsessed and consumed with her.

 Chapter 57

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Have a great day, Mrs Gray,¡±


    The chauffeur¡¯s voice drew me out of my thoughts, snapping me back to reality. I looked through the tinted ss of the Bentley, exhaling softly. I hummed a response to him and picked up my Chanel bag, then made to get out of the car but he was quicker than me, holding out the door for me with his head bowed in respect.


    I took off my shades, tucked them in my hair, and then I stepped out of the car, sending him a warm smile in the process.


    ¡°I will send you a text when I am done here,¡± I told him, averting my gaze from the gigantic building. He replied to me but I was too distracted to keep track of what he was saying and began walking away. I was d Maria understood the fact that I was prone to losing my mind in that house, all by myself. Arden was on a trip to Russia, something about him sorting out some shipment of some sort and meeting up with one of his allies. I couldn¡¯t care less. Heck, I didn¡¯t give a damn. He could live there all his life for all I cared.


    It was none of my fucking business.


    You didn¡¯t say that when he had you bent over the desk in his study, fucking your brains out a few weeks ago.


    That tiny voice in my head mocked me.


    Well, that¡¯s not the point here!


    And the days after that?


    I grew red in the face.


    I scoffed to myself, clutching the handle of my bag in my hands. Maria had asked me if I wanted to go shopping with her, and God, I would take anything I could get to be away from that house. Dawn was swamped with work and Ivana wasn¡¯t in the country. She had a big event she was nning and it wasing up very soon. So yeah, I was all alone.


    I stepped through the sliding doors and wasn¡¯t prepared for the impact of the bright lights that filtered through the huge chandelier in the middle of the vast space that was filled to the brim with designer shelves and racks, containing varieties of fashion items. One amazing thing about Bev Luxe was the fact that the whole building was used for their boutique, so there were different sections for every form of clothing there was.


    My eyes had barely wandered around the vast space for a few seconds when a high-pitched squeal flowed into my ears. The screech almost had me jumping out of my skin and I swung my head in the direction of the ck-haired beauty that raced in my direction, in heels that looked like they could drill a hole into a rock. I didn¡¯t understand how she could run in those death traps. Heck, the slip-on ss heels I was wearing felt like a truckload of work for me.


    I knew I couldn¡¯t brace myself for the impact of the bone-crushing hug she engulfed me in, no matter how hard I tried to. She wrapped her arms around me so tightly, her sweet scent invading my nostrils and her richughter sounded like music to my ears. I giggled, hugging her back but not as tight as she did me.


    ¡°Maria, I can¡¯t breathe!¡± I groaned, patting her back gently and she chuckled, whining afterwards.


    ¡°I am so sorry. I am just so excited to see you.¡± She freed me from her death grip, sporting arge grin on her face, her eyes glittering with a warmth that made me feel at ease.


    ¡°Girl, you are turning heads in that outfit! You look amazing!¡± She threw me apliment, unable to hide her astonishment. I scoffed yfully, looking down at the dark blue jeans I paired with a cropped white thin-strapped inner that stopped a little inches above my belly button, coupled with a ck leather jacket.


    I was under-dressed,pared to how exotic she looked in her crimson thin-strapped midi dress that had a slit at the side and was sort of a high-low dress. The contrast between the material and her skin was bedazzling. She looked so badass, sporting wless makeup on her face. Maria was that girl and she never hesitated to show it off.


    ¡°You are the one looking like a million bucks, not me.¡± I countered, a smile dancing on my lips and she rolled her eyes,tching her hands onto mine, and began leading me to the section I presumed she was shopping.


    ¡°Baby!¡±


    I looked up, my eyes anchoring a muscr man that looked like he was in his mid-twenties, cradling a baby to his chest. My eyes widened in realization when it urred to me that it was Maria¡¯s husband and God, he looks so young! I knew it wasn¡¯t my business but I was tempted to ask the duo when they got married. Maria untangled ourced hands, skipped over to him, and dropped a kiss on his lips.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    The guy didn¡¯t hesitate to slip his arms around her waist, pulling her close and deepening the kiss. I couldn¡¯t fight the grin that was slowly forming on my face. I couldn¡¯t help it. The duo was so cute. Even after they broke the kiss, the intensity in their eyes when they stared at each other was iprehensible to me. I felt a light pang of jealousy hit me, my chest constricting in pain when I nced at my ring finger. I scoffed, tucking my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Ash, meet Andrew, my husband.¡± Maria¡¯s warm voice pulled me out of the trance I seemed to have gotten tossed in at the sight of them looking so in love. I looked up at them, false cheerfulness creeping up to my face and I sauntered forward, holding out my hand for a handshake, but he surprised me by pulling me in a side hug, kissing my cheek before he took a step back.


    Maria just clung to him, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Families don¡¯t do handshakes.¡± He grinned at me, his blue eyes gleaming with utter softness. I chuckled in amusement, nodding my head.


    ¡°Got it,¡± I giggled.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet the woman who¡¯s the newest addition to the Gray family.¡± He spoke, his voice thick with amusement. I sent him a tight-lipped smile and he turned to his wife, kissing her cheek.


    ¡°I am just going to take Xyra home,¡± He patted the back of the sleeping girl on his chest. Maria bobbed her head in response and the duo shared onest kiss before he let her go. I heard them mumble ¡°I love you¡± to each other and then, he turned to me.


    ¡°I will see you around, Ashley.¡± He smiled cheekily at me and I sent him a little wave, watching him strut out of the boutique.


    I met Maria¡¯s warm gaze when my eyes were averted off his retreating figure and she walked forward, looping her arms around me and kissing my cheek in the process.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go spend our men¡¯s money!¡± She squealed, wiggling her body and I giggled, nudging her on the shoulder with a silly grin on my face as she led us further into the store.

 Chapter 58

    ASHLEY


    The silver sequined dress that stopped a few inches below my mid-thigh was exquisite. The straps formed a criss-cross around my neck, satin folds adorning the nting upper bust. It had a skin at the side with silver embellishments beautifying it.


    I know it was supposed to make me feel like a million-dor supermodel that was about to grace the runway or even a princess of some sort, but I scoffed at the sight of myself in the mirror, irritation coursing through my veins, burning through my emotions and overwhelming me.


    I mped my teeth on my glossed lips, chewing at it until I was almost tasting my blood while I tried to rein in the beads of tears that were beginning to form in my eyes. I let out a low growl, hissing through my teeth as my hands found the zipper at my back. I tugged at it, pulling it down and allowing the dress to fall at my feet. I got out of it, leaving me in my ckce panties. I crouched on the floor, picking up the dress and throwing it somewhere across the dressing room.


    I began pacing around in circles.


    Maria was overly quiet but I could feel her unwavering gaze drilling a hole into my body from where she sat on the couch. I didn¡¯t know if she was debating whether she should speak up or not, but___


    ¡°Ash__¡±


    ¡°Fuck off, Maria!¡± I cut her off sharply, my eyes drifting to her tall frame that sat elegantly on the couch, staring at me with a pointed look. I stopped short, observing her seemingly calm demeanor and waiting for any slight shift in it, but I saw none, and that had me knitting my brows at her in confusion.


    ¡°Come sit with me, Ash.¡± Those words rolled off her tongue, coated with the silkiness of her soft voice as she kept her eyes fixed on my frame, waiting patiently for me toply with what she had just said.


    I exhaled, walking to where she sat. She sent me a cautious look when I plopped down on the seat beside her, surveying my every move before she reached for my hands taking them in hers. I kept my eyes trained on our hands.


    ¡°I know about everything,¡± She spoke up quietly and her revtion had me snapping my head up to meet her warm gaze. I furrowed my brows at her for a moment, then scoffed loudly.


    ¡°Yes, so you knew about how your brother came out of nowhere and took everything away from me, leaving me at his mercy! I had my whole life nned out, Maria but Arden came along and ruined the whole thing! Do you even have any idea how suffocating it has been?¡± I queried, retracting my hands from her and rising to my feet.


    ¡°And I am so sorry, Ashley. I am so sorry. I freaked out when Aunt Caroline told me about the whole thing because I know how hard it must have been for you. I am so sorry and I am not making excuses for him because no one should have to go through that, being stalked, kidnapped, and forced to get married to a man you know nothing about!¡± She threw her hands up in the air, her voice quivering.


    ¡°Ashley¡­please, just sit down and let¡¯s talk.¡± She pleaded, her tone was so convincing. I stared at her, doubts etched on my face, but I still sat down, regardless, wrapping my arms around myself.


    ¡°Jaxon is an asshole for what he did to you. Nothing in the world can justify that, but if there¡¯s anything else I am so sure about, he desires to make things work between you too, and honestly¡­that¡¯s the only thing you can do for yourself right now. He¡¯splicated, a whole lot but with you, it¡¯s like he¡¯s a whole new person. He cares about you, Ash and even if he doesn¡¯t know how he wants to show you, he does¡­¡± She trailed off, chuckling.


    ¡°He¡¯s the most stubborn bastard I have ever met, but he chooses to be vulnerable to you. He wants to let you in if you are willing to try this with him and just see where it leads you guys. Fighting him won¡¯t work and staying mad at him will only limit your happiness. He¡¯smitted to you, Ash and if there¡¯s anything I can assure you of, it¡¯s the fact that he honors your vows and he expects you to do the same.¡± She told me, scooting over to where I was and taking my hand in hers.


    ¡°That man will go out of his way to make you happy. Heck, he will worship the ground you walk on. It¡¯s written all over him and he can¡¯t even hide it. Girl, have you seen the way he stares at you? He¡¯spletely whipped!¡± She eximed and I chuckled, choking out a sob.


    ¡°Thest thing he will do is to let you go, so why don¡¯t you just make things easy for yourself and just¡­try to be happy. Come here,¡± She murmured, pulling me close and engulfing me in a warm hug. I sighed in contentment, feeling as though a heavy burden had been lifted off my chest¡­notpletely, but I felt lighter than I had been in weeks.


    ¡°But¡­what about Allegra?¡± I spoke up, my voice holding a hint of irritation in it. Maria picked up on it and she chuckled, pressing a kiss on my hair, then she let me go, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear.


    ¡°Listen,¡± She began, sitting up.


    ¡°Yes, we all thought they were going to end up together because Jaxon loved her and barely even hesitated to propose to her, but Allegra is just a fucking bitch, who decided it was okay to call off the engagement with him, leaving him when he was at his most vulnerable self. She said she couldn¡¯t be all wrapped up in his burden and he had unresolved personal trauma he needed to fix.¡± She divulged and I could detect the trails of irritation and rage that hung in her voice.


    ¡°Allegra is his past and you, my dear are his fucking present and future. She¡¯s all barks and no bite. You have nothing to worry about.¡± She said, her voice reassuring.


    ¡°I am so sorry I yelled at you. I was just so frustrated.¡± I apologized. It was at the tip of my tongue to ask her about her brother¡¯s nightmares and I was so sure that that night wasn¡¯t the first time it was happening, instead, it was the first night I had witnessed it and it wasn¡¯t pretty. I have never been that scared of losing anyone in my life because he wasn¡¯t even breathing. I was so freaked out. But then, it was so obvious how fragile Maria was¡­I didn¡¯t want anything that would get her so worried.


    It was bad enough as it is.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡± She grinned at me, her eyes filled with reassurance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to deal with his controlling ass. He¡¯s so possessive and dominating, and most times, it feels like I can¡¯t even breathe in that house whenever he starts. The man is such a control freak! He wants to control everything including my life! I mean, he won¡¯t even allow me to work.¡± I huffed, folding my arms around my chest with a tight frown on my face.


    Maria chuckled.


    ¡°Well, have you seen yourself? You aren¡¯t exactly the easiest person to reason with whenever you are angry. Girl, have you seen that body? I am a woman but damn!¡± She whistled lightly after her statement and my cheeks grew hot as I threw her the stink eye.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t get me wrong¡­¡± Her voice trailed a hint of amusement to it. She pulled me to herself by the arm, kissing my hair.


    ¡°I am not asking you to be a fool, but it would make so much sense if you would just pass your message across to him without yelling back at him. Being a Mafia boss, he¡¯s so used to being the one to bark orders at people, so¡­he¡¯s new to the roles being reversed. I think he¡¯s starting to understand how that feels and his power-driven ass isn¡¯t taking it so well.¡± Maria borated and truly, when she broke it down like this, it shed more light on things.


    ¡°And you can deny it all you want, but Ashley, I think you are just as obsessed as he is with you and you are scared that if you let go of that hatred that you feel towards him, you are going to fall so hard beyond what you canprehend. In the real sense, I think you are the one that¡¯s so scared of being vulnerable with him.¡± Maria said without mincing words and my body grew so still in her arms at her analysis.


    I didn¡¯t know how to process what she had just said. It made my throat heavy and I didn¡¯t know how to swallow my spit without it hurting. My eyes seemed so clogged with tears and I held onto her so tightly. I couldn¡¯t afford to fall for him. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to growfortable with him. I wasn¡¯t growing attached to him, right?


    ¡°What you two have¡­¡± She went on.


    ¡°If you two give it the room to blossom, it might turn out to be one of the most real connections I have evere across. Something so raw, something so consuming, and the thought of it makes me so happy for you two.¡± She was so unapologetic about the way she sounded. She was being point-nk. She didn¡¯t seem like she cared if I got angry or not, but I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to be angry.


    All I did was bring my hands to my face, wiping my tears.


    ¡°So, Ashley¡­it¡¯s all up to you.¡± She concluded, stroking my arm. I bobbed my head in response and got my head off her shoulder, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug.


    ¡°Thank you, Maria,¡± I whispered and she hummed in response.


    ¡°Come on, go put on your clothes, and let¡¯s get out of here. We can go back to the Vi and stuff ourselves with food or what do you think?¡± She asked and I tilted my head backwards, grinning at her.


    ¡°You bet!¡± I squealed.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Food. The only thing that matters right now. Everything else could go up in mes and I wouldn¡¯t care less.

 Chapter 59

    ASHLEY


    Maria and I held on to each other, giggles emitting from our mouths as we made our way out of the store withrge shopping bags in our hands. My eyes surveyed the building and they dropped into the familiar Bentley that brought me here this morning, so I pulled Maria along with me, leading us to the car while we made small talk.


    ¡°Good evening, Mrs Gray. Good evening, Mrs. Armstrong.¡± The chauffeur greeted us, relieving us of therge bags that we were carrying. We mumbled greetings in return to him as he held out the door for us to settle into the car. I sank my butt into the plush leather seat of the car, throwing my head backwards. He clicked the booth shut and came into the car, driving us out of thepound.


    ¡°Lawrence, did you get it?¡± Maria asked.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Armstrong.¡± He grabbed the paper bag on the front seat and Maria practically snatched it from him. I squealed when the strong smell of burgers and fries hit me. Maria took one for herself and handed me the bag, barely catching her breath before she dug in.


    ¡°Gosh, I am starving.¡± I groaned, retrieving a burger from the bag. I took arge bite, moaning at how good it tasted. Maria had her mouth stuffed with burgers, munching on them.


    ¡°Did you know that Zelda likes Duncan?¡± Maria¡¯s question came out of nowhere and almost had me choking on my burger. She chortled, passing me the untouched bottle of water beside her. I set my burger beside me and snatched the water from her grip, taking a long gulp from the bottle.


    ¡°Maria!¡± I chided, catching my breath.


    ¡°What? I only asked a question but judging by your reaction, I think you know about it.¡± She countered with a huff, biting it into her burger.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± I mumbled, toying with the stic bottle.


    ¡°You can¡¯t lie to me, Ash. I have known that girl since she was little. She¡¯s family. So yeah, I have always known she does. I was just asking if you know too.¡± She deadpanned with a shrug and I stared at her, my eyes threatening to fall out of their sockets.


    ¡°There¡¯s always one thing that would make her derail from our conversation whenever we are on a call. She will just start talking about him before she can stop herself.¡± Maria sighed, running her fingers through her hair.


    ¡°I know, right? Poor Zelda. She likes him but God, Duncan is such an asshole! He¡¯s a grumpy ass human being. The guy irks me so much!¡± I frowned, anger consuming me at the thought of him.


    ¡°And that¡¯s what makes it moreplicated!¡± Maria said exasperatedly, throwing her hands up in the air.


    ¡°I doubt the___¡±


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I think we are being followed.¡± The chauffeur¡¯s baritone voice interrupted Maria and I furrowed my brows, trying to grasp what he had just said and I did because, by the time I could wrap my head around what was going on, my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°Wait? What!¡± I screeched.


    Maria looked over her shoulder, fright marrying her face, and I did the same. My eyes zeroed in on a ck car that was hot on our tail. My heartbeat picked up a faster pace, the burger beside me dropping to the floor when I shifted in my seat.


    ¡°How¡­how long have they been following us?¡± Maria demanded, her voice was quivering but she was still struggling to retain the confidence it always held. I could tell she was so scared.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°For a while now,¡± Lawrence answered.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± Maria cursed.


    ¡°And you didn¡¯t think to say a thing? Fucking step on it and get us out of here! Loose them!¡± She instructed, yelling at him.


    ¡°Sit tight, ma¡¯ams,¡± he told us.


    My heart lurched in my throat when Lawrence stepped on the elerator, an act that threw Maria and me forward, a scream rippling through our mouths. I didn¡¯t even know what would have happened if our seatbelts weren¡¯t properly buckled and tucked safely in itspartment. My fear was spiked up dangerously high, tripling in folds, my heart thumping wildly against my chest, hurting with every beat at the extremely high speed he moved at.


    My vision was so blurry, tears obstructing every damn thing in front of me. My lungs were tightening up, and every breath I took choked me. My lips quivered and my hands trembled. Mariatched her hands onto mine and I looked up to face her, appreciative of the fact that she still saw it fit to offer mefort at this moment, then she threw me a curt nod.


    Then, we heard it.


    The first gunshot.


    My entire being grew paralyzed with fear. The loud shot and the ear-shattering contact it made with the car had Maria screaming, choking on her sobs. I felt my whole life sh before my eyes when Lawrence made a sharp turn to the other side of the road, swerving past cars like a maniac, equally moving at a high speed that made everything so blurry.


    It rained fire and brimstones afterwards because of the unceasing shots that the bastards in the car behind us rained at the car and I could feel every impact the bullet made on the car.


    ¡°Lawrence, watch out!¡± Maria screamed, and my eyes widened, a strangled sob rippling through my mouth at the sight of the huge truck that was approaching us. I felt my soul leave my body, dread seizing me in its tight hold as Lawrence swerved to the side, narrowly avoiding a scrape on the car.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cried.


    The terrifying gunshots didn¡¯t stop, instead, they grew worse and it felt as though they were closing in on us with how close the gunshots sounded.


    ¡°Shit! Shit! Shit!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit, we are going to die!¡± Maria sobbed.


    ¡°Try to stay calm, alright?! The car is bulletproof!¡± Lawrence yelled out to us, but it didn¡¯t make us feel any better. Instead, it left us in an apprehensive mess. He took a sharp turn again, colliding with a car he didn¡¯t seeing and we screamed. I could have sworn I heard something break. The driver in the car yelled a cuss word we didn¡¯t get to listen to before Lawrence sped off.


    A deafening gunshot sounded again and this time around, I felt it reverberate across the wall of my ears, echoing over and over again with my heart in my mouth while tears streamed down my face uncontrobly. The ring horns that emitted from each car as we swerved past them in a manner that would be deemed as irresponsible driving, made my stomach churn with nerves.


    Lawrence matched the brakes abruptly and the car that had been speeding to meet our pace sped past us, but before they could take reverse and take a turn to keep on our tail, Lawrence increased his speed, stepping on the elerator and then, he barely took a stop. I didn¡¯t even know how we lost them, but we did.


    The air in the car was thick with so much tension, mixed with our scorched and shredded breathing. Heck, I could taste the toxicity on my tongue and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to swallow the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth. We were all still trying to wrap our heads around what just happened. I mean, we narrowly escaped.


    The road that led to the Vi soon came into sight and I sucked in a deep breath.


    ¡°Stop the car,¡± I croaked.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am__¡±


    ¡°Ash__¡±


    ¡°Stop the mother-fucking car!!!¡± I shouted, teary-eyed, giving in to the anger that seemed to have garnered the better part of me. My voice was quivering and had raw emotions.


    ¡°I just need to fucking breathe!¡±


    Lawrence obeyed me and slowed down, pulling over at the side of the quiet road. The duo were silent while I drew in deep breaths and puffed them out, trying to rein my tears in, but I failed terribly at it, so I gave up on trying so hard and let them flow. I brought my hands to my face and wiped them, sniffing lightly.


    ¡°I have to call the boss,¡± Lawrence spoke up, whipping out his phone from his pocket, but before he could dial Arden¡¯s number, I snatched the phone from him and he turned to me with furrowed brows.


    ¡°Ashley¡­¡± Maria trailed off.


    ¡°You are not going to call my husband and when hees back home, you are going to keep your damn mouth shut because if you say anything to him, I will find you and kill you myself.¡± I threatened him, my voice was cold and stern, thick with unnerving audaciousness that seemed shocking to me. I didn¡¯t know where I got the courage to address him like that.


    ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± He answered curtly.


    Then, I turned to Maria, who gulped, audibly.


    ¡°Got it?¡± I demanded, arching my brow at her, but she was quiet and my frown deepened even more. It was as though she didn¡¯t want toply and that elicited a humorless scoff from me.


    ¡°Got that, Maria Armstrong?¡± I queried and watched her wet her lips with her tongue, nodding her head. I quirked my brows at her response.


    ¡°Of course, Mrs. Gray.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Get us back to the Vi,¡± I ordered Lawrence, who ignited the engine and began driving us home.


    I couldn¡¯t risk Arden finding out. I just couldn¡¯t because he had told me to always go out with my guards whenever I am leaving the Vi, but I dismissed it today. I felt like it was just shopping with Maria, no big deal and I was going to be safe.


    But then, this happened.


    I leaned on the ss, a shaky sigh eluding me as the thought of him finding out overwhelmed me, leaving a terrific fear to consume me.


    Fuck, what have I done?

 Chapter 60

    ASHLEY


    My phone chimed softly, then it sounded with a loud ring that had irritation seeping into me. I groaned, throwing the covers over my head. I didn¡¯t want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to sleep, but clearly, the person calling didn¡¯t understand what boundaries and privacy meant because my phone kept ringing incessantly.


    I hissed through my teeth, pushing the covers off my body. I peeled my eyes open, squinting them because of the sensitivity of the lights. My hands roamed the other side of the bed, trying to look for my phone, but I couldn¡¯t find it. I looked to my right, my eyes straying to the nightstand where the fucking phoney, vibrating with so much energy. I red at the object, snatching it off the surface of the nightstand. I brought the phone to my face and checked the caller, unable to fight the urge to roll my eyes.


    Of course, it was my mom.


    I mean, I missed the woman and I should have known that the only person capable of blowing up my phone with calls and messages was her. I swiped the receiver¡¯s icon and ced the phone on my ear.


    ¡°Where did you keep your phone?!¡± Her question came out in a screech that had me taking my phone off my ear for a second. Her voice was so loud, it felt like it was going to pierce my eardrums for a moment there.


    ¡°Mom, you are yelling.¡± My voice came out so groggy. I brought my hand to my temple and massaged it gently, falling back onto the pillow with a sigh evading me.


    I heard her sigh.


    ¡°I am sorry, honey.¡± She apologized.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Mom.¡±


    ¡°So, how have you been?¡± Her voice was quick to regain the usual chirpiness it always held and that brought a warm smile to my face. I dug my fingers into my hair, gently untangling the knots that must have formed overnight.


    ¡°Oh, I have been great. What about you and Dad?¡± I demanded, rolling off the bed and getting my feet into my flip-flops. I pushed the rest of the covers off my body and got up, ambling into the bathroom.


    ¡°Hey, Princess!¡± My dad hollered and a wide grin spread across my face.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± I squealed and heard my mom mumble something along the line of Daddy¡¯s girl under her breath and that had me chuckling. Of course, I was a daddy¡¯s girl. Heaven knew I missed the man so much. I hadn¡¯t seen him in such a long time and the thought of it made me so sad.


    ¡°How have you been?¡± His question pierced through my thoughts and I blinked, exhaling softly as I pushed through the door that led to the bathroom.


    ¡°I am fine, Dad. I am,¡± I assured him. Without him saying anything, I knew what he was hinting at. It seemed like a simple question on the surface, but it was deeper than it sounds. He was indirectly asking me how Arden had been treating me.


    ¡°I wish there was a way I could get you out of that brute¡¯s clutch.¡± My mom seethed, hatred brimming in her voice. It was far from my mom not to be assertive about what she felt and this was her spelling out her hatred for my husband. But then, something about her hating him just didn¡¯t sit well with me. It made me ufortable and set me on edge.


    ¡°Mom!¡± I called.


    ¡°What?!¡± She retorted sharply and I sighed.


    ¡°I agree with her, baby. That mancks empathy,¡± Dad aided her, backing her up and that was all it took for me to snap.


    ¡°You two, stop it! Alright?¡±


    ¡°Arden is not that bad and yes, he is treating me well. I don¡¯t want you two speaking ill of my husband. It breaks my heart to hear you two say that about him. Arden is different, okay?¡± I chided them, defending him fiercely. It wasn¡¯t until I finished yelling at them that I realized how protective I sounded.


    ¡°Ashley?¡± My dad called, sounding as though he wanted to rify if it was me he was still speaking to. He couldn¡¯t hide how surprised he was.


    ¡°Is there something you are not telling us?¡± He demanded, his voice soft with affection but still holding a hint of curiosity in it.


    ¡°I am not hiding anything.¡± My voice sounded so small and I heard Mom scoff in the background.


    ¡°That man is turning my daughter against me!¡± She fumed and my brows drew together in a tight frown.


    ¡°Not everything is about you, Mom!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± My dad warned.


    ¡°Look, Dad, I can¡¯t deal with her right now. She¡¯s clearly overreacting. I don¡¯t want that kind of energy around me right now. It sounds like she has already made up her mind about him and that he is a monster. I mean, I shouldn¡¯t be surprised. She has always hated the men that are involved with me.¡± I bit at him, my voice sounding so harsh. I rolled my eyes afterwards, dumping my phone on the marble tiles surrounding the sink.


    I looked into the mirror, gazing at myself.


    ¡°You know that¡¯s not true, Ashley. Your mom only wants the best for you.¡± He coaxed me, keeping his voice soft.


    ¡°You heard what the girl said. I am the problem and that¡¯spletely fine. You know what? Enjoy your married life with the monster and don¡¯te running when he breaks your heart!¡± She shouted at me and hung up. I blinked, not wanting to believe that she just hung up the phone on me because I defended myself. God, I don¡¯t understand my mom at times. That woman really needs to learn how to take a chill pill. Every fucking thing gets on her nerves.


    She¡¯s so bossy and annoying!


    Gosh, I am done with her!


    Throughout the time I spent in the bathroom brushing my teeth, I was fuming so much. I couldn¡¯t believe what she just did to me. I mean, I thought we were in a better ce, but then, a leopard never changes its spots. She¡¯s always going to be like that and I would rather keep my distance than stress myself trying to get her to see things myself.


    I took a quick bath and blow-dried my hair, tying it in a ponytail before changing into a short ck dress. I was staying indoors and there was no reason to be all dolled up. I made my way to the inte in the room, so I could call Alberta to bring my meal upstairs, since I was feeling toozy to go to the kitchen.


    I had barely taken two steps to the bed when a loud gunshot went off downstairs, apanied by ear-shattering screams. My soul left my body and I nearly jumped out of my skin, a shaky breath escaping me. My mind went numb and even though my brain was yelling at me to move from the spot where my legs were suddenly glued, I couldn¡¯t. I just stood there, frozen. The next thing I heard was heavy footsteps approaching the room, and it grew closer, my heart lurching to my throat.


    The door was kicked open, revealing a furious Arden with a gun in his hands. I shut my eyes, a shaky breath eluding me and I took a step backwards, tears streaming down my face.


    He knows.


    He fucking knows.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± He ordered, his thick, dark voice resonating across the room, wanting to bring it down to its feet. My heart jumped in its confines and I shook my head in response. I didn¡¯t want to look at him. I didn¡¯t want to see the look of disappointment on his face.


    ¡°Fucking look at me, Evaline!¡± He bellowed and I flinched, sobbing. My eyes snapped open at hismand, only to see him striding over to where I stood. I couldn¡¯t breathe, fear engulfed me and numbed me. His eyes were stormy, clouded with tears. The sight of it broke my heart. It shattered me to pieces, to see him so vulnerable. I tried to reach out to touch him but Arden reeled backwards at my touch, as though it disgusted him. I couldn¡¯t control the sobs that left my lips.


    Rage, hurt and disappointment were written all over his face and he didn¡¯t hide even the slightest bit of those emotions. He wanted me to see everything. He wanted me to see how mad he was at me.


    ¡°Please¡­¡± I begged him.


    ¡°What the fuck were you thinking? What were you thinking, stepping out of the Vi without your fucking guards? God, Evaline, what¡¯s wrong with you? How daft can you be? You even had the nerve to threaten Lawrence and Maria not to tell me. Is that really how low you think of me? Is that really how much you don¡¯t respect me? Is that really how low you trust me?¡± He threw questions at me, his voice was breaking so badly and I knew he was struggling and not wanting to break down in front of him.


    ¡°I am sorry, Arden. I didn¡¯t want to bother you. I didn¡¯t want you to worry about me. I didn¡¯t want you to leave everything you were doing ande running because of a shootout that I didn¡¯t even get hurt from. I am sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡± I apologized, my lips trembling.


    He scoffed.


    ¡°I nearly went mad when Lawrence told me. Do you know the kind of thoughts that crossed my mind? You could have lost your life! My enemies are always targeting me! They are always looking for the slightest chance to get to me and use my weaknesses against me! They are always after me and that¡¯s why I am always telling you to take your guards with you, whenever you are leaving the Vi!¡± He shouted at me and every one of his words stung, causing tears to spill from my eyes.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°I am sorry,¡± I choked out.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even hear it from you. You didn¡¯t even have the decency to respect me enough to tell me. I had to hear it from my worker. From Lawrence! He got what he deserved anyway, for withholding information from me for nearly a fucking week! He¡¯s lucky I didn¡¯t kill him.¡± He chuckled, mirthlessly, and I felt a pang of guilt hit me because of what I put poor Lawrence through.


    I couldn¡¯t have hated myself more than I did right now.


    ¡°I can¡¯t even look at you right now.¡± His voice was quiet, filled with so much hurt. It felt as though someone ripped out my heart and stomped on it until there was nothing anymore. I was in so much pain and it hurts me even more that I was the one behind his pain. It shattered me.


    ¡°Arden, please. I am sorry, alright? I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you.¡± I pleaded with him, sobbing. He didn¡¯t spare so much as a nce in my direction and he spun on his heels, marching out of the room and mming the door shut with a bang.


    Tears streamed down my face and I let out a shaky sigh, my legs giving me away and I dropped to the floor, bunching my knees up to my chest and crying my eyes out.


    This was all my fault.

 Chapter 61

    ASHLEY


    I have been indoors since he stormed out of the room, curled into a ball under the sheets and crying my eyes out. I groaned, yanking a piece of tissue from the Kleenex box beside me, and wiping my face with it. I threw it somewhere in the room, hugging myself. I wish I could turn back the hands of time. I would have made smarter decisions. I wouldn¡¯t have threatened Lawrence and Maria, preventing them from telling him. Heck, I would have told him myself.


    I have seen him angry. I have seen him look like a volcano but I have never seen him the way he looked this morning. He looked broken. He looked betrayed. He looked hurt and it was all because of me. The fact that I was the source of his pain made me want to rip my hair out of my scalp, and then stuff it into my throat. It affected me. A lot more than I let on.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    He hadn¡¯te back into the room after he left the other time and it was almost nightfall. I was looking forward to himing back home. I was looking forward to being in his arms again, to being held and babied by him. He wouldn¡¯t even look at me. My mood dropped from a thousand to zero.


    A knock sounded on the door and I rolled my eyes, not wanting to get out of bed, but much to my irritation, the knocks persisted and I had no choice but to get out of bed. I wore my flip-flops and made my way to the door, twisting the knob. The worried face of Alberta came into view. She was holding a white tray in her hands. I was a sucker for food, but I had no appetite. My taste buds were overly numb.


    ¡°I am not hungry, Alberta.¡± My voice came out so hoarse and her eyes softened at my words.


    ¡°Has he had anything to eat since he went out?¡± I demanded and she shook her head, sighing afterwards.


    ¡°He has been in his study all day. He asked not to be disturbed.¡± She answered, examining my features.


    ¡°You should have something, you know?¡± She tried to cajole me, keeping her voice soft.


    ¡°No, I am not hungry. I have to go and see him.¡± I told her, stepping out of the room and shutting the door behind me. She opened her mouth to protest but she snapped it shut when she saw the look on my face, sighing softly.


    ¡°Of course, Mrs Gray. I¡¯ll just take this back to the kitchen.¡± She smiled at me and spun on her heels, heading back to the kitchen. I was left alone with my thoughts and that had me sighing.


    I mustered up courage and began making my way to his study. Dread filled me, remembering the first time I went to the study and that was also the first time I saw him kill someone. The thought of it made me shudder, goosebumps sprouting all over my skin. My heartbeat doubled in speed, pummeled so hard against my chest as I approached his study.


    The quietness of this wing once again had fear creeping into me. It had chills crawling up my spine, fear engulfing me. I quickened my steps and released a breath. I didn¡¯t know what I was holding when I sighted his study, but I furrowed my brows at the sight of the hefty bodyguards that were positioned at the entrance. I scoffed, anger surging through my veins at his petty behavior.


    Did he think his guards were going to hold me off from seeing him?


    Well, he was in for one hell of a surprise.


    But then, something about that sight was triggering for me. It was nostalgic because that was the exact situation that led to our first meeting and I felt an unconscious smile crawl up my lips, spreading across my face in a grin. It made my heart flutter. It was funny because a few weeks ago, I didn¡¯t think I would be saying this or feeling this way.


    ¡°I want to see my husband.¡± I wasn¡¯t asking. I was ordering them. When they didn¡¯t give me a response, I scoffed, cocking a brow at their insolence.


    ¡°Are you two hard of hearing?¡± I queried, folding my arms under my chest.


    ¡°The boss said he doesn¡¯t want to see anyone.¡± One of them said curtly and I sent him a mean look. The duo were towering over me like goris, but I refused to be intimidated by their height. They had nothing on me because whether they liked it or not, I was still their boss¡¯ wife and that automatically made me their boss too!


    ¡°You two fuckers will step the fuck aside while I go in there to see him. Do I look like just anyone to you two?¡± I demanded, assertively, and even though I knew it was petty, I shed my ring in their faces, ring at them. I stalked forward and tried to step in but one of them reached out to touch me and I chuckled, mirthlessly.


    ¡°Touch me and you won¡¯t have hands anymore,¡± I said sternly and twisted the door handle, stepping into the dim room, then I shut the door with a loud bang. I hissed through my teeth, spinning around, and I sure wasn¡¯t ready for the impact of his cold green eyes drilling holes into my body. It was as though he wanted to embed his gaze into my body and I could feel my skin burn at the intensity of his eyes. He had a knack for making me feel like I was about to go up in mes under his gaze.


    He looked like shit. His curls looked a lot messier than they did when I saw him in the morning. I needed no soothsayer to tell me that was courtesy of him running his fingers through them, almost a thousand times. His facial features came off as rigid and that showed me that he was struggling to keep his emotions in check. His shoulders seemed a little sagged as he twirled his tumbler in his hands, the golden liquid in it swaying side to side. My eyes flickered at the bottle of whiskey in front of him and a soft sigh evaded me.


    ¡°Did you tell them not to let me in?¡± I queried, one of my brows tugging up at him, against my will. Irritation simmered through my veins, a scoff leaving my lips at how far he was willing to take this. I was fucking repulsed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to see anyone,¡± he answered, his voice detached. There was an emphasis he made on the word ¡®anyone¡¯ that made my heart clench in pain, beads of tears forming in my eyes. There was something so dismissive about that word that shattered me to pieces.


    ¡°Wow, so, Arden, am I anyone now?¡± I questioned him, scoffing. My voice was beginning to break and he didn¡¯t even look like he gave a fuck if I cried a river. He looked like he didn¡¯t give a damn about me.


    ¡°I am your wife!¡± My voice rose a notch.


    ¡°Well then, fucking act like it!¡± He barked at me, throwing his tumbler at the wall and causing it to shatter to pieces.


    ¡°We are supposed to be partners, remember?¡± His voice came out in a snap, hard and stern. They stung so hard because it felt like he was trying to jog my memory about the fact that we were supposed to be partners.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think I know that?¡± I queried him, holding back my tears.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you do.¡± He chuckled, humorlessly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you know that, because if you did, you would understand that everything I am doing is to keep you safe. You had just one thing you needed to do, just one thing. All you had to do was trust me and listen to me. But you just couldn¡¯t do that and it almost cost you your fucking life!¡± He was yelling at me and I couldn¡¯t stop my tears from flowing.


    ¡°Do you know how it messed with my head that something could have happened to you? Peach, it would kill me if something had happened to you! I would not be able to live with myself!¡± He growled, pounding his fists on the table.


    I released a shaky breath.


    I was tired of him being so mad at me. It was exhausting. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I moved from where I stood, approaching him.


    ¡°Don¡¯te close!¡± He warned, but I debunked his warnings and followed my heart. I stopped right in front of him and saw him look away from me. I heard a shaky sigh elude him and that tiny, vulnerable sound had my breath seizing.


    I got on hisp without thinking, straddling him. I brought my hands up to his face and felt him stiffen underneath my touch. I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me. I stroked his cheek with the pad of my thumb and heard him suck in a breath. I cradled his face in my palm, pressing a soft kiss on his forehead.


    ¡°I am so sorry. I was stupid. I didn¡¯t mean to make you worry. I am so sorry.¡± I ranted, sniffing.


    ¡°Please, just look at me. It breaks my heart seeing you this way.¡± I pleaded and he tilted his gaze to meet my soft one. His watery green eyes had my breath punched out of me. His vulnerability was written all over him. He was like a broken little child. I squeezed my eyes shut and brought my palms to the back of his head, drawing him closer until his head was resting on my chest.


    There was nothing moreforting than this position, right now. It made me feel like I was finally able to breathe after weeks of him being away from me. I felt soplete. I felt more alive.


    His limp hands were soon wrapped around my waist, pulling me close and adjusting me on hisp. Fuck, I miss his hands on me. It was sudden. I didn¡¯t even see iting. One moment, he had his head buried in my chest and the next, his hands were crawling into my dress, palming my ass and giving it a soft squeeze. I couldn¡¯t fight back the moan that flew out of my mouth, causing me to dig my fingers into his hair, my nails grazing his scalp.

 Chapter 62

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Why do you love disobeying me, Peach?¡± He demanded, huskily. His fingers found the hem of my thong, tugging at it before he let it go. It left a stinging pain but the aftermath was pleasurable. My teeth mped down on my lips, taking it in. I could have sworn I felt my eyes roll in their sockets.


    I was practically breathless in his hands.


    ¡°Use your words, Peach.¡± He ordered me and fuck, he couldn¡¯t have sounded hotter. I found his controlling ass so hot and it made my core grow hot, throbbing with liquid. I knew it was only a matter of time before my panties got soaked. His fingers brushed the skin of my ass, trailing down the fleshy sides of myp, daintily. He left a burning, scintiting sensation, everywhere his fingers touched.


    ¡°Arden,¡± I sucked in a breath, ¡°I am sorry.¡± My voice came out so small and breathless. He wasn¡¯t making it any easier. I didn¡¯t understand how he wanted me to form a coherent speech when his hands were getting busy underneath my dress.


    ¡°I have missed you,¡± he whispered, detaching his head from my breast. His eyes were steadily on mine and the emotions they held knocked the breath right out of me. I was dumbfounded. I didn¡¯t understand how and why he could stare at me like I was adorned with the world¡¯s best diamonds. Like I was so priceless. Like I was worth looking at and that scared the crap out of me.


    My palms went to his chest and he released a soft breath as though my palms were burning through the material of the shirt, my touch embedding itself on his bare skin. I found the shirt an obstacle and the next thing I did was unbutton it, shrugging it off his ripped body.


    His broad, wless chest came into view and I felt my throat run dry. I didn¡¯t think I would ever get used to seeing him like this. It was almost like he managed to get even more beautiful. Every. Fucking. Time. He was so handsome that it hurt my eyes to stare at him for so long. He tugged me closer with his palm that rested on the small of my back. His hands moved upward, finding the zipper that held my overly short dress together. He drew it downwards, the tightness of my dress growingx on my body.


    His hands found their way to the straps of my dress, pulling them downwards, and my bare breasts came into view. His green eyes darkened at the sight of my taut nipples that were out in the open, only for his eyes to see. I grew conscious under his gaze and he could sense that because his hands came around my waist, holding me firmly in ce.


    ¡°You are so beautiful,¡± he whispered, his voice thick with adoration. He uttered those four words with so much conviction that had lumps thickened up in my throat, and beads of tears formed in my eyes.


    And with that, I crashed my lips on his, kissing the fuck out of him. I didn¡¯t know how much I missed the feeling of his lips against mine until our lips touched again. The kiss started as soft and slow but our hunger for each other consumed us, the heat between us amplifying in a thousand folds. My hands crawled up the nape of his neck as our tongues fought for dominance, slipping into his lush curls and taking a grip of them. He let out a growl at that action and that fuelled my courage even more, my nipples tightening against his chest.


    My fingers grazed his scalp, a moan exiting my lips as I tasted the whiskey on his tongue. He tugged at my bottom lip, teasingly, my breath growing harsh at that moment. Fuck, the man knew how to kiss me. He knew how to break me up with just a kiss. He knew how to set my entire being on fire. My knees buckled underneath him, my core growing hotter and wetter. He broke off the kiss, leaving us a panting mess as we both struggled to catch our breaths. His eyes brimmed with a raw desire that had my cheeks heating up in mes.


    ¡°Do you want to do this here?¡± He asked me and it brought so much warmth to my heart that he sought to ask me what I wanted before we proceeded.


    ¡°I want you. Now. I don¡¯t care if people are outside. I want to moan your name and let them know who I belong to.¡± I bit my lip, eyeing him beneath myshes, my voice thick with assertiveness. He didn¡¯t hide how impressed he was with what I just said. I watched his lips twitch in a smirk as he yanked me forward, his lips meeting the hollow of my neck.


    My eyes snapped shut, his lips plunging me into a hole of ecstasy. My toes curled as his feathery kisses extracted breathy moans from me. His hands brushed my belly button and trailed upward, kneading one of my breasts in his hands.


    ¡°Arden!¡± I moaned and he chuckled against my neck, tugging at my aching bud. The rigid flesh was so sensitive against his fingers and it left heat pooling between my legs. My knees grew numb when his lips left my neck, taking one of my nubs in his mouth. He ravished my boobs with patience, leaving me a wiggling mess in his arms.


    ¡°Oh, fuck.¡±


    He sucked me off like a little child that had been starved of his mother¡¯s milk for weeks. He swirled his lips around my are and I whimpered, nerves shooting through me as I threw my head backwards. His touch on my left breast was warm and rousing. I was a breathless puddle in his arms, my pantiespletely soaked. He detached his lips from my breasts, grazing his hands against my nub, and I shivered.


    He toyed with them, his eyes fixated on them like they were something of fascination to him.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you,¡± he proimed, giving my nipple a soft pinch. I whimpered, throwing my head backwards.


    ¡°You are even more sensitive to my touch.¡± He noted, kissing my neck and sucking on the skin.


    ¡°Were you a good girl while I was away?¡± He queried, his hot breath fanning my neck. It burnt through my skin, embedding itself into the core of my soul. His breath was enough to set the entirety of my being on fire.


    ¡°Did you touch yourself while I was gone?¡± He asked, giving my breast a soft squeeze as he nuzzled his face into my neck. My body rocked with tremors and pleasure that were too much for me to handle.


    ¡°Evaline?¡± His voice came off as irritated when I didn¡¯t reply to him and he flicked my nipples, a stinging ache resonating across its flesh. But fuck, I moaned at how good it felt. It sounded sick and twisted but I wanted him to flick my nipples again.


    God, the man thoroughly understood me and my bodynguage.


    ¡°You dirty, dirty girl. You loved that, didn¡¯t you?¡± He chuckled, sounding so amused.


    ¡°Yes, fuck, yes. I love it.¡± I breathed and he flicked my nipples again. I couldn¡¯t suppress the loud moan that left my lips. My middle was throbbing with so much ache. It was pleasurable and painful at the same time.


    ¡°Arden, please. Just fuck me.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question, Peach.¡± He rified, swiping his tongue across my corbone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t touch myself!¡± I cried, pping my palms over my mouth when he rolled and twisted my sensitive bud between his fingers.


    This man was running me mad with pleasure.


    ¡°Good girl. I think you deserve to be fucked. You will agree with me, won¡¯t you?¡± His voice was dark, erotic, and sounded so gruff. His hands grabbed my thigh and I took that as my cue to lift myself off hisp, so he could take my panties off. The pink material was soaked with arousal and I watched him smirk before dumping it on the floor. He grabbed me by my nape, crashing his lips on mine and I moaned into the kiss.


    My hands found his belt, undoing it, alongside his fly. I brought my hand to his chest and pushed him backwards, so he could rx and watch me ride him to another realm. My teeth found my lips and I pulled down his grey cks, his thick, throbbing lengthing into view. My throat ran dry at the sight of it. His hands came to my exposed thighs, bunching up my dress, and he helped me up a little.


    His cock lined up with my slick entrance, grazing it a little and I let out a loud moan when it plunged into me, causing me to throw my head backwards.


    ¡°Fuck, you are so tight!¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±


    We both moaned in unison. His hardness stretched me and had me dripping with moisture. It clenched around my warmth, wrapping around it so tightly. I felt my eyes pool with tears at how good it felt to have him inside me again. I wouldn¡¯t trade this feeling for anything in the world. It took me a moment to adjust to him being inside of me. His hands were securely wrapped around my waist, guiding me as I began going up and down his thick length, riding him.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach. Just like that, baby!¡±


    My hands were bnced on his chest, his cock hitting my walls, extracting loud moans from me. I rocked my hips and began bouncing on him, causing my boobs to move aggressively. He pushed himself off the back of the chair, taking one of my bouncing boobs in his mouth and I whimpered, cradling his head against my chest. My legs rocked with tremors, spasming uncontrobly as I rode him. His thick warm flesh had my eyes rolling in their sockets, my brain almost melting into nothingness. My vision seemed faded, ck dots appearing in them as an overwhelming vibration coursed through every inch of my being.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Fuck, I thought about being inside of you every day,¡±


    ¡°I missed your tiny little cunt wrapped around my cock,¡±


    ¡°I miss those tiny little sounds you make when I eat you out. Fuck, I missed you, Peach.¡±


    Heid out all his thoughts on myp, burying his head into the crook of my neck as I bounced heavily on him. I cried, digging my nails into his broad back. I was dizzy with pleasure. Being inside me made me feel so good. His hands tightened around my waist, digging his nails into my sides as he swelled up inside of me.


    ¡°Oh, fuck. Right there!¡±


    ¡°Shit, I missed this.¡±


    I grabbed his head, mming my lips on his and moaning into his mouth. My body trembled above him and fuck, when I felt his fingers brush my hardened nubs, it felt as though my body was going to shut down because of how good it felt to have his hands on me and having him buried deep inside of me, mming into me and hitting my G spots. It was fucking stimting. I couldn¡¯t control the loud moans that exited my lips and I certainly didn¡¯t give a fuck if his guards were standing just outside his study.


    ¡°You feel so good,¡± I moaned, throwing my head backwards.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, Peach!¡± His voice came out in a growl and then his mouth found my breasts. I choked out a sob, whimpering when I felt my stomach tighten up in huge, heavy knots. My knees buckled and my toes curled. I buried my fingers in his hair, tears spilling out of my face as I approached my climax.


    ¡°Jesus, Peach!¡±


    ¡°You are going to be the death of me!¡± He growled and I screamed, finding my release. I whimpered, when he shot his loads into me, his seeds creaming my inside. His head dropped to my neck, loud breaths invading us while I stroked his hair with so much tenderness. Our juices were mixed, flowing out of me, but he didn¡¯t pull out and I loved how warm he felt inside me. But that feeling was cut short because he pulled out of me after a while.


    ¡°You were amazing,¡± he remarked, kissing my neck, and I chuckled. His fingers found my tied hair and he tugged at the band, letting them loose. My hair came cascading down my back and he moved away from my neck, tilting his head backwards to soak in the view above him.


    ¡°You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.¡± He whispered, his tone dripping with raw affection. His eyes raked my body, unabashedly. I didn¡¯t understand how I looked beautiful to him in this state. I was so sweaty and my boobs were on disy, not to mention the fact that I smelled like sex. He leaned in, burying his head into my neck and sniffing me. His hands cradled my waist, holding me securely in his hands. It was almost as though he wanted to fuse our bodies.


    He was so clingy and it was so cute.


    ¡°And let¡¯s not forget, you look well fucked.¡± He smiled against my neck and I chuckled, stroking his hair, eliciting a hum from him.


    ¡°That feels so good, don¡¯t stop.¡± He told me, sounding so sleepy. It was so satisfying to see him act like a child. It was beautiful, but seeing him all vulnerable with me made my heart race so hard.


    ¡°I am obsessed with you, Peach.¡± He revealed, and my mind went nk at those words. It wasn¡¯t what he said. It was the way he said it, almost like the words held a hidden meaning in them. His voice was thick with warmth, adoration, and something else I couldn¡¯t deduce. I didn¡¯t know how to answer him, so I kept mute and continued stroking his hair with a thousand thoughts running through my mind.

 Chapter 63

    ASHLEY


    I woke up to the impact of hot, sizzling feathery kisses, trailing across my exposed neck and against my will, and a moan rolled out of my mouth. I arched my back off the bed, trying to get more of what he was offering, and I heard him chuckle. I whined, groaning softly, my eyes fluttering open, locking in a stare with twinkling green eyes that sparkled with mischief.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I whispered to the man, who wouldn¡¯t stop nuzzling his head into my neck. I tilted my head to the side, giving him ess to my neck. The warm kisses made me so dizzy, rendering my vision useless. His long, sinful fingers pinched my nipples through satin sheets that barely covered my body and I whimpered, trying to snap my legs shut because of the way it was brimming with so much liquid. He shifted the sheets off my body, revealing my perky mounds that were aching for his never-ending touch.


    I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth, a little ashamed of myself because of how much of a thirsty whore I was. I didn¡¯t understand how just even a graze of his fingers on my skin was enough to make my middle feel like a fucking ocean, brimming with slimy liquid. It was embarrassing. My body was so responsive to him. He took my earlobe in his mouth and swept his tongue across the skin beneath it.


    I fisted the sheet in my hands, moaning.


    His growing bulge was pressed firmly against my ass that was resting on his middle and I smiled, understanding what he had just done. He wanted me to see the kind of effect I also had on him. Not giving me the chance to reel from the fact that he was overly hard for me, his thumb brushed my buds and I moaned, my hands going behind me to palm his head.


    ¡°Fuck,¡±


    He swirled the aching bud between his fingers, leaving me a moaning, panting mess in his arms. My knees had practically turned to jelly underneath him. He knew he had me right where he wanted me. Needy and breathless. And at this point, he could make or mar me. He pressed a soft kiss on my supple skin, toying with my breasts.


    ¡°Do you want me to stop? We can get into the shower, you know?¡± I could feel the bastard smiling against my skin.


    ¡°Oh, fuck you!¡±


    ¡°You will be a good girl and watch your tongue or I will leave you hanging. You won¡¯t even get to touch yourself,¡± His voice came out in a whisper, but I didn¡¯t miss the underlying threat that had me taking in some air.


    ¡°God, Arden, just touch me already.¡± I breathed, desperate for even a breath on my throbbing pussy.


    ¡°Legs apart, Peach.¡± He chuckled behind me and I did as I was instructed. His hands brushed my inner thigh and I let out a harsh breath, apanied by a whimper.


    I couldn¡¯t fight the gasp that exited my lips when his finger brushed my throbbing clit, stroking it softly. My nipples tightened as he began working his fingers around my moist vulva, causing my clit to pulsate heavily.


    ¡°You are so wet, Peach. Have you been thinking about me in your sleep?¡± He demanded, huskily, kissing my ear.


    ¡°Ugh, fuck yes!¡±


    ¡°Hmm,¡± I bit my lip.


    ¡°That feels so good.¡±


    His fingers stroked my sensitive spot and I couldn¡¯t stop dripping heavily, whimpers leaving my lips at how good he made me feel with his hands. He inserted a finger into my warm entrance, my walls clenching around him and I threw my head backwards, causing it to meet the soft pillow as I moaned loudly. He pumped his finger in and out of my wetness, leaving me a convulsing mess in his arms.


    ¡°You like that, huh?¡±


    ¡°You like how you little cunt clenches around me?¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­I like it. I love it!¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I choked out a sob, twisting on the bed and writhing in pleasure. I arched my back to meet his frustratingly slow pace, wanting to get more of what he was offering. When he sensed my uneasiness, he took it up a notch and increased his pace, pumping his finger in and out of my warm core. He added one more finger into my pussy, curling them inside of me and my eyes rolled skyward in their sockets. My breath came out in harsh pants. I was nearly melting into liquid on the bed, his sinful fingers nullifying what was left of my liquidized senses.


    ¡°You are so warm and tight.¡± He growled into my ears, sucking on the skin of my neck.


    I fisted the sheets in my hands, twisting on my side, a loud sob eluding me. My body couldn¡¯t handle the intensity of the pleasure his fingers bestowed upon me. My body rocked with tremors as his finger stroked me, so softly. I convulsed heavily in his arms, unable to suppress my breathy moans and soft-sigh-cries.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God! Yes, right there!¡±


    ¡°Harder!¡±


    I sounded so needy but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to give a damn. I hadpletely thrown my manners out the window, the minute he slipped his fingers into me. I wouldpletely be a whore for those fingers because they pleasured me so well and left me on the verge of losing my grasp on my senses. The intensity of the pleasure had knots building up in the pit of my stomach. It was overwhelming and overshadowed the entirety of my being, leaving me a whimpering mess.


    ¡°Arden!¡± I cried.


    He chuckled against me, the vibration of the rich sound resonating across the walls of my ears, amplifying my arousal.


    ¡°Let it go, my love. I¡¯ll be here to catch you when you shatter.¡± He kneaded my breasts and I felt my muscles contracting heavily, nerves shooting through me as I approached my release, thrashing around in his arms.


    I buried my head in the sheets to muffle my screams and loud sobs, his finger stroking me with his mouth on my breast, swirling his tongue around my nub. He pumped out of me, non-stop and it was so stimting because my walls clenched around him, my juices exploding and creaming his fingers as I whimpered into the sheets, crying softly. I shattered in his arms and just like he promised, he was there to hold me together.


    I was panting heavily, chuckling, because that had to be the best way to wake up.


    ¡°You should have seen how beautiful you looked in my arms when you reached your climax.¡± He chortled, kissing my neck and I turned to face him, my legs still feeling a little numb from that mind-shattering release.


    Our lips locked in a soft kiss and I moaned into it, going ahead to straddle him. His hands cradled my ass, squeezing the bare flesh. It was so easy for him because I was utterly naked under the sheets. I was so needy of him. I couldn¡¯t get enough of this man. Since he got back from his trip, we have not been able to keep our hands off each other.


    Heck, I wasn¡¯t even bored.


    He broke the kiss to my dismay, looking up to soak in the view in front of him and I pouted. He held me firmly with his hands on my waist, grinning at me, and I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I hope you are not too tired for a morning surprise?¡± He demanded and I furrowed my brows at his question.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s somewhere I want to take you to.¡± He revealed, his eyes twinkling with softness. He sounded so cheery and excited like he couldn¡¯t wait to take me to where we were going.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I demanded, pouting.


    ¡°No, that would ruin the surprise.¡± He countered, grinning at me. I hated being curious, but I had no choice but to stay that way, since he seemed pretty insistent on not telling me where we were going.


    ¡°Come on, go get dressed.¡± He urged me and I sent him a tight frown before rolling off him. He smacked my ass before I could get off him and I turned to him, flipping him off.


    ¡°Keep your vile hands to yourself!¡± I chided him.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t seem so vile a few minutes ago,¡± he smirked, and I grew red in the face, dashing into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. It didn¡¯t help because I could still hear his guffaws.


    He¡¯s such an asshole.

 Chapter 64

    ASHLEY


    I was a little skeptical about my dress. I mean, I didn¡¯t know what he would think about it. Was it appropriate for where he was taking me? What if he thinks it makes me look fat? But then, I loved the dress. The thick brown material pressed firmly against my body like a second skin. It entuated my curves and highlighted the shade of my skin. It was a long-sleeved dress that stopped little inches before my knees. The plunging neckline exposed a little cleavage, cupping my bosom perfectly.


    I had my hair tucked securely in a sleek low bun, highlighting my look with soft makeup. My lips were coated in a dark red lipstick that made my lips appear fuller. My entire look screamed daring at a nce, but I loved it. I paired the dress with a pair of stunning nude stilettos. I smoothened my palm over my sleek hair, sighing a little, then picked up my perfume and sprayed the sides of my neck and my wrists.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    If he doesn¡¯t like it, I could always change it.


    ¡®He¡¯s not Adam.¡¯


    My subconscious reminded me.


    Not wanting to dwell on that thought, I picked up my nude bag and stepped out of the closet. My eyes met his frame that was seated on the edge of the bed, tapping away on his phone. He looked dapper in his crisp navy shirt that was tucked in ck cks. No shit, that man looked like he was made for the runway.


    I cleared my throat to signal him of my presence. He looked up from his phone, his eyes anchoring on my lithe frame. Those green eyes did a slow crawl over my body and I watched him tuck his lips in between his teeth. He got up from the bed, striding over to where I stood. He closed in on me, his arm snaking around my waist and he tugged me forward, eliciting a gasp from me.


    ¡°I meant it when I said you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.¡± He professed, his eyes steadily on mine. He didn¡¯t shy away from my gaze. He wanted me to see what I did to him. He wanted me to see how I made him feel and I did see it because it had butterflies erupting in the pit of my stomach.


    He brought one of his hands to my face, grazing my cheek with the pad of his thumb. My eyes caught the diamond band on his finger and I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. My palm came over his hand and I looked up to face him.


    ¡°Your ring¡­¡± My voice trailed off, coated in surprise.


    ¡°You are still wearing it,¡± I noted, and those thick dark brows drew together in confusion.


    ¡°Did you think I would take it off?¡± He queried and I swallowed, unable toe up with an answer, ¡°Or you think I would stop wearing it because I am a crime lord?¡± He scoffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a symbol of my faithfulness and loyalty to you, to show you that I ce you above all others, that you are my Queen. To show you that I honor our vows and I wouldn¡¯t do anything to break them. It¡¯s an¡­extension of the way I feel about you.¡±


    ¡°I meant it when I told you till death to do us apart on the altar.¡± He added and those words were like a harsh jam to my guts, punching my breath out of me. I felt a bead of tears forming in my eyes, and a shaky sigh leaving my lips.


    ¡°I am never taking it off because your presence will forever be engraved in my heart.¡± He concluded, drawing me in for a soft kiss on my lips. I looped my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss.


    Fuck, something was changing.


    Something was changing and I could feel it. My confidence was beginning to waver and I was starting to fear the control this man had over me. It made me want to submit to him, to give in to what it was that was brewing between us, seeking to consume us and mold us into a whole.


    I broke off the kiss, panting heavily.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going before I change my mind and decide to bend you over that fucking dresser.¡± His words came out in a low growl and I bit my lips, refraining from telling him I would love that.


    ¡°I hope you don¡¯t mind me packing my hair?¡± I didn¡¯t know what prompted me to ask but I did and I was d I did. I watched his eyes light up at the fact that I put him into consideration concerning my hair.


    ¡°Gets on my nerves but I can manage, I wouldn¡¯t want other men ogling at what¡¯s mine.¡± He deadpanned and I rolled my eyes at his words.


    ¡°Shall we?¡± He asked me and I bobbed my head in response with a grin ying on my lips. He took my bag from me and wrapped his hands around my waist, leading me out of the room.


    Duncan was waiting by the bottom of the staircase and our eyes shed, on cue. His expression was unreadable, but that didn¡¯t deter me from sending him a victorious smirk. I don¡¯t know but there was something about the guy that made me want to rub it in his face that he fucking works for me. It felt so satisfying. I didn¡¯t know if it was definitely because my friend was not-so-subtly in love with him and his austere ass couldn¡¯t see it.


    He was so self-absorbed!


    And of course, my instincts were right because I saw his jaw locked, something flickering in his eyes but it was gone as soon as it came, making it so hard to decipher.


    ¡°Good morning, boss.¡± He directed his gaze at my husband, who was clinging to me as though his life depended on it. God, I loved how this man smells. It made me want to eat him up.


    ¡°Hello, Duncan,¡± I smirked at him, and boy, if he could roll his eyes, he would. I was acting like a petty bitch but I didn¡¯t give a fuck.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs Gray.¡± He answered curtly and I chuckled. Arden walked past him like a breeze and we sauntered further into the living room, walking in on Alberta, who was just ambling out of the kitchen with a vibrant smile on her face. Her energy was so contagious and I could feel a smile forming on my lips.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr Gray. Good morning, Mrs. Gray.¡± She chirped, greeting us.


    ¡°Good morning, Alberta.¡± I grinned at her but the bubbly expression was quick to morph into a frown when I noticed that the grumpy man beside me didn¡¯t respond and that caused me to jab him in the ribs with my elbow.


    ¡°Good morning,¡± he grunted, correcting himself.


    ¡°Peach and I won¡¯t be having breakfast. We¡¯ll be eating out. There¡¯s somewhere we need to get to.¡± He told her and she nodded with a smile. I sent her a warm smile before Arden pulled us out of the house. The car was already prepped by the time we got there. He pulled at the knob and helped me into the car before getting in through the other side.


    ¡°What about the guards?¡± I asked him, arching a brow.


    ¡°They are in the car behind us. I want us to have some privacy, besides. I want to be the one to drive my girl to where we are going.¡± He grinned at me and I turned crimson at his choice of words. ¡°My girl.¡± It made my heart flutter in a way before I could feel the effect of him calling me his girl. He dropped a soft kiss on my lips.


    I was a blushing mess.


    He leaned forward and helped me secure my seatbelt around me, fastening it. His hot breath fanned my face in the process, opening up my pores, and I saw him smirk at the effect he had on me.


    ¡°Tight enough?¡± He asked me, his lips twitching.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed.


    He moved away from me, and after fastening his seat belt, he drove us out of the Vi.


    I tried to probe him for answers throughout the ride but he wouldn¡¯t say a thing to me. He was so insistent on not telling me where he was taking me and always found a way to evade my questions so subtly. The man was so sleek and sly. I gave up trying to get answers from him and just allowed myself to enjoy the ride and we soon arrived at our destination in no time.


    He drove into the vastpound, pulling over in the parking lot that seemed void of cars. Thepound was home to a tall, dazzling skyscraper that looked like they had just finished working on, but the upper part was covered in a way that wouldn¡¯t let me see the top of the building properly. Looking down from the endless height had me a little dizzy in the car. My eyes wandered around thepound in confusion and he stepped out of the car, opening the door so I could step out too.


    ¡°Where is this?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go in.¡± He urged me with a smile and I rolled my eyes, taking his outstretched hands. He led me into the building, pushing the ss doors open. I could have sworn I couldn¡¯t feel my jaws anymore by the time we stepped in.


    The first floor was breathtaking!


    Everything in here was a shade of white and a stunning dark grey color. The modern interior design threw me offpletely. There were no words to describe it because it was captivating and intricate at the same time. His hands on my waist had me blinking, snapping out of my daze.


    ¡°This ce is so beautiful,¡± I remarked and he chuckled, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°Wait till you see the top floor.¡±


    He led me to the elevator, punching in some numbers on the buttons and it opened up so that we could step in. The sliding doors were sealed shut as we made our way to the top floor. I was a little worried and conflicted because I didn¡¯t know what was going on, but the assurance I saw in his eyes when our eyes locked, calmed me a little.


    The elevator sounded with a ding before I could utter a word and he led us out. We set foot into the quiet lobby and I furrowed my brows. We stopped right in front of a huge door and he turned to me with a smile.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­yeah.¡±


    He twisted the handle and paved the way for me to step into the vast office. He was right when he told me to wait until I saw the top floor. It felt as though my breath was knocked right out of me.  I was dumbfounded at the beauty of this office. There was something so distinct about the allure of this room that I just couldn¡¯t pinpoint the view.


    It was amazing with the massive see-through ss that covered the backspace. There was even a balcony attached to it, decorated with a red cushion and a round ss table. It was so simple but I couldn¡¯t stop imagining what it would feel like to sit out there and just rx. I bet I would feel on top of the world.


    The interior of the office screamed luxury and royalty at a nce because just before the gigantic ss, was a ck swivel chair with a huge shiny ck desk in front of it, which had two chairs tucked in front of it. There were huge ck shelves at the left side of the room, apanied by a cute little bar a few feet away from it. It had two tall ck stools in front of it.


    And in the middle of the room stood a round ss table, a plush ck sofa, and a matching cushion. The ensuite bathroom wasn¡¯t so far from where I stood.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± His soft voice came up behind me as his hands rested on my waist, pulling me to himself. He pressed a kiss to the skin of my neck and I couldn¡¯t fight the smile that crawled up my space, a soft sound eluding me.


    ¡°I love it!¡± I squealed.


    ¡°It¡¯s yours,¡± he deadpanned, and for a moment there, it felt like I was brain-dead. I couldn¡¯tprehend what he had just said. My body grew numb under his touch, a shaky breath evading me afterward.


    ¡°Sorry¡­uh, I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t understand you¡­¡± My words came out so rushed after I found my voice. It sounded as though it was breaking and I heard him chuckle.


    ¡°This whole building belongs to you,¡± he affirmed, and I let myself out of his grip, turning to face him. I took several steps backwards without being shoved by anything, my legs threatening to give me away. I could feel beads of tears forming in my eyes, my heart thumping wildly against my chest.


    I was immobilized.


    I didn¡¯t know how to react to what he had just said and that seemed to worry descending upon him.


    ¡°Baby, don¡¯t you like it?¡±


    ¡°Is it the interior or the location?¡±


    ¡°Is it too much?¡±


    ¡°Fuck, Peach, say something__¡± I cut him off with a scream and threw myself in his arms, my legs lifting off the ground. My screams were soon muffled, breaking into loud sobs. I didn¡¯t even know how to feel.


    All my life, I have always wanted to pursue my dreams of owning a publishing firm, but there have always been obstacles, now and then, even though I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me. But seeing him being so supportive of what I wanted to do made me so ted. It made my heart swell with pride. I was filled with so much excitement that I could barelyprehend it.


    ¡°Fuck, I don¡¯t even know how to thank you right now. I swear, I am going to pay you back every dime.¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this so you could pay me back, Peach. What¡¯s mine is yours. Heck, I would empty all my bank ounts for you, if you asked. That¡¯s how serious I am about making us work out,¡± he began, and I huped.


    ¡°I realized that holding you back from pursuing your dream doesn¡¯t speak well of me. If anything, I was trying to hold you back and that¡¯s not what I want, Peach. I want to be that man who stands by his girl¡¯s side and watches her grow, watch her evolve, and watch her actualize her dreams,¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to see this marriage as some sort of bondage. I want you to be your person and chase your dreams. I want you to do all that by my side and I would rather stand with you than stand against you.¡± He concluded, his voice thick withpassion and something akin to adoration.


    I couldn¡¯t find the right words to say to him. I just held on to him so tightly, bawling my eyes out like a little child, without caring that I could smear my makeup. He understood that I just wanted him to hold me in his arms.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°The papers are on the desk, you can sign them whenever you are ready. No pressure, my love.¡± He pressed a kiss on my hair and I sniffed.


    ¡°Why did you do this?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Because¡­¡±


    ¡°You have so much control over me and I am willing to do anything for you, just to put a smile on your face.¡± I didn¡¯t see him but I could imagine a wide smile on his face while he uttered those words and if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would say he sounded so whipped.


    He dropped me to my feet, his eyes not leaving mine. I could see in his eyes how much he meant everything he said to me. So, I leaned forward and connected our lips, looping my arms around his neck.


    If I wasn¡¯t so sure of anything.


    I was sure of one thing.


    And that being the fact that,


    I adored this man, to bits and pieces.

 Chapter 65

    ASHLEY


    Thunder pped violently just outside of our room. The ferocious sound echoed and resonated loudly in ourpound and miles away from us, but it sounded as though it was on repeat in my ears. It almost had me jumping out of my skin. I moaned softly, turning to my side to snuggle into Arden¡¯s body, but before I could reach out to hold him, I felt myself being held so tightly. The grip was so harsh and suffocating. I could barely breathe. I couldn¡¯t even find my voice.


    I had not reeled from that and was still trying to pry myself out of the right grip when I felt the weight of a leg on my body. My eyes snapped open, my eyes anchored on Arden¡¯s frame that was thrashing around on therge bed. The sight was enough to alert my senses that he was having another nightmare. His body was jerking furiously and the way he was stiffening was enough to tell me that his muscles were contracting. I shot up from where Iy, leaning over to him and trying to touch him.


    ¡°Hey, hey, baby, wake up! It¡¯s just me!¡± I tried to reach out to touch him but he recoiled from my touch. Tears built up rapidly in my eyes, streaming down my face and morphing into sobs.


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    He choked out, shattering me into pieces with how hoarse and scared he sounded. I tried shaking him back to present but all my efforts to do that proved abortive. My heart thumped wildly against my chest, fear engulfing me. At some point, it didn¡¯t even look like he was breathing.


    ¡°Baby!¡±


    ¡°Arden, wake up!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a dream!¡±


    I held onto him, shaking his stiff body. His incoherent speech morphed into loud sobs and whimpers. My hands cupped his face, trying to keep him in ce.


    ¡°Try to keep your eyes open, please!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± He screamed, the ear-shattering sound had my heart lurching to my throat, nearly causing me to jump out of my skin. He jolted upright, his breathing out in loud wheezes. His vision seemed so blurry. His chest rose and fell rapidly, I could barely keep track of its movement. He had tears forming in his eyes and I knelt beside him, trying to get him to calm down, but he retreated from my touch, and that stung like a bitch.


    ¡°Get away from me!¡± He yelled and my tears spilled.


    ¡°Hey, you are okay now. Baby, it¡¯s Peach. You are fine now.¡± I cooed, shifting closer. When I touched him this time, he seemed to have eased into my touch. I wasted no time in getting on hisp, gathering him in my arms, and cradling his head to my chest. He wrapped his arms around me so tightly, breaking down in my arms like a child. His shoulders quaked heavily with sobs as he held onto my shirt so tightly. I didn¡¯t say anything. I just allowed him to cry his eyes out. He cried so hard in my arms like he wasn¡¯t even scared of being vulnerable to me.


    Tonight?


    He just wanted to let everything out and I tried to be there for him as much as I could.


    ¡°You are okay, baby.¡±


    ¡°You are fine, baby.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I am here now.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, Peach. I am so sorry.¡± He huped, clinging onto me like his life depended on it. He buried his head in the crook of my neck, sniffing.


    ¡°I am not leaving you, Arden. It¡¯s alright. Everything is fine now. I am here and I am never leaving you. You can hold me for as long as you want to.¡± I told him, enunciating every word I spoke, because I wanted him to know that I meant everything I said.


    I was here to stay.


    I didn¡¯t care how bad it got.


    For a moment, the only thing akin to sound in the room was our mixed breathing. It felt peaceful holding him in my arms. It felt peaceful that I made him feel safe. The silence was peaceful and I didn¡¯t look forward to breaking it.


    ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± He asked, his voice sounding so hoarse. I didn¡¯t miss how guilty he sounded and that made my heart clench.


    ¡°No, I am fine. You didn¡¯t.¡± I lied smoothly. It wasn¡¯t like I lied. He didn¡¯t hurt me. His tight grip made my side hurt, but it wasn¡¯t something I couldn¡¯t handle.


    ¡°You are lying, Peach. Let me see.¡± He insisted and lifted my shirt, his hands massaging my body until it stopped around my waist and I couldn¡¯t fight the sharp wince that exited my lips. He stiffened, his muscles growing tense. I reached out to touch his shoulders but he evaded my touch, not sparing so much as a nce in my direction.


    ¡°I hurt you, Peach,¡±


    ¡°You should leave. I don¡¯t want you to see me like this.¡± His tone was dead and dismissive, but I saw past that facade. I saw a man who was trying to hide from me. A man who was scared of being so vulnerable to me and as understanding as I tried to be, it didn¡¯t dispute the fact that I was hurt.


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    ¡°I am not leaving you, Arden!¡±


    ¡°Baby, baby, look at me.¡± I pleaded, cupping his face, and I heard him let out a strangled sob. I couldn¡¯t fight the sigh-cry that escaped my lips as I connected our foreheads, breathing shakily.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to. I understand you, but baby, please, don¡¯t shut me out. Don¡¯t push me away. Let me help you. Let me help you get better. Let¡¯s do this together. Don¡¯t ask me to leave, Arden, because I won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I am not leaving you, Arden. I didn¡¯te into your life to leave when things got rocky. Until ourst breath, remember?¡± I queried, chuckling through my tears.


    ¡°Say it with me, my love.¡± I urged him and he tilted his eyes to meet mine. His teary green eyes locked with mine and I didn¡¯t miss the look of admiration and pride that flickered in those hypnotic orbs. I trailed my hands from his elbow, gently slipping my fingers into his. I looked down to stare at the art in front of me, a light cry rippling through my mouth.


    I looked up to see him staring at me already.


    ¡°Until ourst breath,¡±


    ¡°Until ourst breath,¡±


    And with those words, we sealed that promise with a soft kiss. I adjusted myself on hisp and his hands came around me securely while I looped my arms around his neck, my fingers sinking into his lush curls in the process. He released a soft moan and I felt my skin prickle with goosebumps. He squeezed my waist and I felt tingles shooting through my spine. The kiss felt as though it unlocked something more intense between us and that had sparks coursing through me like zaps of electricity.


    The kiss was soft, assuring and it expressed our unsaid thoughts. Things we knew in our mind but weren¡¯t ready to say. I gently massaged his scalp, slipping my tongue into his mouth. He moaned into my mouth and that sound drove me to the edge. It made me breathless and was enough to rid me of my senses.


    It felt like an awakening of some sort.


    It felt like a promise.


    It felt like we were bonding through that simple action.


    He slowly broke off the kiss, leaving us a breathless mess. His eyes were steadily on mine, flickering with emotions I couldn¡¯t bring myself to decipher. And slowly, I felt my eyes well up with tears, my lips stretching in a warm, assuring smile.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°If it¡¯s not you, it¡¯s not anyone.¡± He whispered, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead and leaving to decode what he meant by what he just said. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything, so I just willed myself to relish in thefort his embrace brought me.


    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get you in the shower to cool off,¡± I spoke up, cupping his face and he nodded in response. I got off him, sliding my feet into my flip-flops. I stretched out my palm, so he could take it and he did so without hesitation.


    I led him to the bathroom and quickly tied my hair in a messy bun. I looked up to see him gazing at me and my cheeks grew hot. I walked past him and helped him set up the shower. He got out of his sweatpants and stepped under the shower. I undressed and went in to join him, grabbing my body wash and shampoo, so I could wash him off. The bath was quick and we were soon out of the shower, changing intofortable clothes.


    My eyes strayed to the wall clock and I assessed the time. It was just past 3 am.


    ¡°Do you want to get something to eat downstairs?¡± I demanded softly.


    ¡°No, I am alright. I just want to get in bed with you.¡± He answered, stalking forward to meet me where I stood. He wrapped his arms around me and I inhaled his scent, loving the fact that he smelled just like me. He picked me off the floor like I weighed nothing and I squealed, the soft rumble vibrating against his chest. He chuckled and led us to the bed, dropping me gently.


    He got under the covers and pulled me to himself, pressing a soft kiss on my forehead. I snuggled into him and he wrapped his arms around me, cocooning me in his warm embrace.


    ¡°Thank you, Peach.¡± He whispered.


    ¡°Why are you thanking me?¡± I asked, curiosity niggling at me.


    ¡°For everything. For wanting to stick around my annoying ass even when all I have done is get on your nerves. For wanting to be there for me. For not finding me exhausting.¡± He borated, stroking my hair. I exhaled, trailing circles on his chest with a smile on my face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, it¡¯s something I want to do. I am happy to do it.¡± I debunked him, subtly. It took a while for me to realize that he had already fallen asleep. I chuckled, snuggling into him, even more.


    Arden made me feel safe.


    He was my safe space.

 Chapter 66

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Okay, people, get to work!¡± I pped my hands together with a wide grin on my face, subtly dismissing my editors. They mumbled greetings to me and soon filed out of the office, shutting the door behind them and I slumped onto my chair, spinning myself around. I kicked my heels off my feet, moaning at how good it felt not to have that death trap strapped to my legs.


    I threw my head backwards on the chair, sighing softly. God, no one said it would be so hard to run a firm. The past few weeks have been so draining. I leave home so early and get backte at night. Ivana told me that the first few months are always the hardest, because you have to put things in order and get everything going. And she was right. I couldn¡¯t afford a slip-up. I wanted everything toe out so nice.


    It was exhausting but I loved every bit of it.


    Heck, it still feels so unreal. Every day I walk in here to discharge my duties, it makes me question the fact that I, indeed, owned this ce. It made me rethink the fact that I was pursuing my dream, and somehow, I desperately hoped this wasn¡¯t some dream that was as real as it gets.


    I knew it was going to take some getting used to and I sure as hell was waiting to see how everything turned out.


    I got up from my chair and skipped towards the bar to pour myself a ss of fruit wine. I took a sip from the red liquid and my momentary bliss was cut short by the shrill sound that emitted from my phone. I rolled my eyes and ambled over to my desk, frowning a little at the disturbance. I picked up my ringing phone, my face lightening up when I saw that it was a group call from Dawn and Ivana. Gosh, it gets to me how they always make time to check on me, despite how busy their schedule might get.


    I swiped the green icon and their shrieks of excitement filled my ears, reverberating across the room. It brought a smile to my face and in no time, I was beginning to shriek like they were.


    ¡°Hey, bitch!!!¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not thetest CEO in town!¡±


    They were so excited for me and it warmed my heart, bringing tears to my eyes. I didn¡¯t know what I would do without them most of the time. They were just too good for me.


    ¡°Hey, girls!¡± I chirped, waving my hands at the screen. I made my way to my chair and plopped on it, adjusting my phone, so I could see them properly. Dawn looked like she was buried amid paperwork, one of her pens hanging in her ginger-red hair while another hung around her hair. She was clicking one of them in her hands, looking stressed as fuck but trust Dawn to pull off a tired face, looking like a million bucks. Her blue eyes, though tired, sparkled with so much life, and her lips pursed in a slight frown.


    Ivana, on the other hand, looked all dolled up in her corporate red dress, almost like she was set for work, and boy, she yed the dress. Her pale skin had a certain glow to it that made me nce at her twice. But of course, the woman needed all the glow she could get. Her dream wedding was finallying up in less than a month and she didn¡¯t even have to say it, she looked so eager to walk down the aisle and get married to the love of her life.


    ¡°You look amazing!¡± I squealed, directing mypliment at Ivana, who rolled her eyes in return before she shrieked lightly.


    ¡°I know, right!¡± Dawn chirped.


    ¡°I just want to get this over with and be married to him.¡± Ivana pouted and we giggled.


    ¡°Ugh,e on. I am sure you can wait a few more weeks. Gosh! You girls grew up so fast. I am the only single bitch among us.¡± Dawn faked a puppy face.


    ¡°Oh, please!¡± Ivana rolled her eyes.


    ¡°You were the one who insisted you were done with men.¡± She added, and I couldn¡¯t suppress the chortles that exited my lips. Ivana was right.


    Dawn stopped dating when we were in college. She¡¯d rather stick with no-strings-attached than get into a rtionship and I would be lying if I said I didn¡¯t understand her. It wasn¡¯t like she had never loved before. Of course, she has, but it didn¡¯t end well. She almost lost her life at the hands of thest guy she dated in college.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    No shit, Casper broke her.


    And it broke my heart that she wasn¡¯t over it yet. Heck, she didn¡¯t look like she was. We were just first-year students when Dawn met Casper and boy, did he sweep her off her feet. He was like the utmost prince charming that every girl wished for, but it didn¡¯tst for long because Dawn started withdrawing from us. And at some point, she stopped talking to us. Dawn was this crazy ass girl who loved to wear anything short. She lived for it but she suddenly started covering up. We tried to coax her to tell us what was going on but we couldn¡¯t get through to her.


    The only way we got to find out was the day he hit her and she tried to reach out to us by calling. Dawn was unrecognizable by the time we got to her apartment. My heart broke for her that day. She was barely breathing by the time we got her to the hospital. To date, I really don¡¯t know how she survived his brutal beating.


    It was after she regained consciousness that she opened up to us about how possessive he had always been of her. She didn¡¯t take it to her at first, but he started hitting her when she saw her with other people, including us, because ording to him, he should be her only priority. He would hit her and force himself on her at the slightest provocation. He didn¡¯t get away with it though, because the police made it their priority to find him and when they did, they didn¡¯t hesitate to send his ass off to jail where he belonged.


    Dawn was a strong woman. She tried to get back on her feet and channel her rage into who she was today, but something broke in her that day. Her ability to love and trust. He took that from her, and for what¡¯s worth, I sincerely hope she got that back. I sincerely hope she meets a guy that¡¯s going to love her the way she deserves.


    ¡°Ashley?¡± Ivana¡¯s soft voice drew me out of my thoughts and I blinked, looking up to meet her worried gaze. I chuckled softly, giving a dismissive wave of my hands in the air to assure her nothing was wrong with me.


    ¡°I am fine,¡± I uttered to aid my assurance.


    ¡°How are the preparations going?¡± Dawn asked, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°They are going great. I am so excited! I have always wanted to n my wedding. Gosh, I have this feeling that it¡¯s going to be so amazing!¡± She sounded so enthusiastic about the whole thing.


    ¡°I am probably more excited than the bride,¡± Dawn pitched in, her eyes twinkling with softness.


    ¡°How¡¯s work treating you guys, though?¡± I asked them, sitting up and propping my face on my elbows.


    ¡°Girl, I don¡¯t even want to dive into that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so stressful,¡±


    The twodiesmented and I heaved a sigh. I can totally rte to them. I mean, I was barely six months into this and it feels like I am carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll figure it out,¡± Dawn spoke up as though she could read my mind and I nodded my head with a light smile.


    ¡°He has not won me over, just so you know!¡± She wagged her finger at me, warningly, and I giggled.


    ¡°The guy took me by surprise. A firm, really?¡± Ivana expressed her surprise.


    They nearly flipped when I first told them about it. I mean, I was shocked too. This was a man who kicked against me working and then, he suddenly had a change of heart. It was so heartwarming that he was willing to make this work.


    ¡°What¡¯s that smile on your face?¡± Dawn teased me, and I couldn¡¯t help but grow red in the face.


    ¡°She likes him,¡± Ivana noted. She didn¡¯t sound like she was making a guess. She spoke with a strong conviction and didn¡¯t seem like anything was going to deter her from the opinion she had about this issue.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± I was so quick to debunk, getting all defensive.


    ¡°Whatever floats your boat, my love,¡± Dawn said in a sing-song voice and I rolled my eyes at how convinced they sounded.


    ¡°I have to go, girls. I have an appointment. I love you two!¡± Ivana hollered at us, blowing us kisses before she hung up.


    ¡°Love you!¡± I chirped to Dawn with a wide grin.


    ¡°Love you more,¡± She smiled at me and hung up.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned, untying my hair from its ponytail. I stared at myptop with a wary look, heaving a sigh before I got to work.

 Chapter 67

    ASHLEY


    My ck manicured fingers moved swiftly on the screen of my phone, my lips stretched in a wide uncontroble grin as I conversed with the girls on a group chat we had and often talked in. My hectic work schedule would agree with me that I desperately needed this Girl¡¯s Day Out. It¡¯s been a series of meetings with several editors during the week.


    I barely even got the chance to breathe throughout the week as all we did was to assess the samples of books that had been stuffed on our website, going through them to see the ones that were suitable for publishing, and boy, it¡¯s been a shitload of work. I wasn¡¯t going to pretend like I didn¡¯t enjoy every bit of it. I enjoyed it. Going through so many books which are distinct and unique in their ways, possessing alluring storylines, was so refreshing but it doesn¡¯t diminish the fact that it has been so exhausting and it upied every bit of my time.


    It was the weekend and I didn¡¯t want to stay indoors since Arden had an impromptu trip yesterday. I decided to hit the girls up for a girl¡¯s day out and I was really lucky because they were back in town for a while. Our hangouts always have me so giddy with excitement, not because I haven¡¯t seen them in a while. Well, it¡¯s part of it but it¡¯s basically because I looked forward to spending time with them and I loved hanging out with them. They weren¡¯t just my best friends, they were my family.


    So, being with them felt like being__


    ¡°Mrs Gray?¡± Lawrence¡¯s questioning tone jolted me out of my reverie and I looked up from my phone to see him sparing me a nce through the rearview mirror. I felt guilt engulf me once more. It was¡­kinda weird, having him work for me after what transpired between us the other day. I had been drowning in the guilt of what I made him do and what he went through in Arden¡¯s hands. Sure, I apologized to him for putting him in trouble and I evenpensated him but it all just couldn¡¯t go away like it never happened.


    Deep down, I think it will always be present.


    ¡°Mrs Gray?¡±


    He called me again.


    I blinked, putting my phone aside.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked him, my voice warm.


    ¡°We are at the beach.¡± He announced and I mumbled an oh, realizing my surroundings. I sent him a warm smile and picked up my woven bag, stepping out of the car and shutting the door behind me. I took my beach hat off my head, brushing my fingers through my hair that was sticking out in different directions, due to the soft breeze. I looked over my shoulder to see three guards, following me at a safe distance.


    I peeled my eyes off them, tucking my hat into my bag and I whipped out my phone afterward intending to fire a quick text to either of the girls that I was at the parking lot and was about to approach the beach but I was prevented from doing so by the catcalls I got, which made my skin to prickle with disgust.


    ¡°Yo, pretty thing!¡±


    One of the boys hanging around the parking lot called out to me and through my peripheral vision, I saw my guards approaching him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I prevented them from putting him in his ce and they retreated, nodding their heads simultaneously. I threw a stink eye at the boy in question, then I flipped him off afterwards. I made my way to the beach, my eyes scanning the bustling area with shrieks and disembodied waves ofughter echoing in the air. It reeked of undiluted happiness and the air in the atmosphere was pure and lively. I spotted Dawn and Ivana, who at the sight of me, raced towards me in their stunning bikinis, shrieking with no care in the world.


    I met them halfway and enveloped them in a bear hug, their soft giggles and chuckles seeping into my ears.


    ¡°Hey, bitch!¡±


    ¡°Girl, I missed you!¡±


    ¡°I missed you guys so much. Is it weird?¡± I asked after they let me out of their grip and they pouted, shaking their heads sideways. I couldn¡¯t help taking second nces at them because video calls didn¡¯t do justice in any way.


    I mean, thest time I saw Dawn on Facetime, she looked stressed as hell and still managed to pull off that sleek seductive look of hers. But right now? She doesn¡¯t even look at it. She was turning heads in her red sensual two-piece bikini that clung to her body like a second skin, enhancing her curves. Her smooth skin made a fine contrast with the flimsy material and pulled it off in a jaw-dropping way.


    The diva had no makeup on her face and she looked like she just stepped out of a Spa. Her ginger-red hair cascaded down her shoulders, looking super lush and shiny under the soft beaming of the sun.


    And Ivana? She looked too good to be true. She has always possessed a soft, ethereal beauty that just seems to announce itself wherever she goes. She looked enchanting in her ck swimsuit which revealed an ample amount of cleavage.


    Her blonde hair was thrown in a messy bun with tendrils framing her face, her ck LV shades sticking in her hair. Her lips looked a little shimmery and I knew it was the effect of her signature lip gloss. For a bride that was tying the knot in weeks, her skin goal was a thousand over a hundred. She was popping effortlessly.


    Gosh, I couldn¡¯t wait to see her in her wedding dress! She¡¯s going to look amazing!


    ¡°Now I feel under-dressed!¡± I whined, sticking out my bottom lip in a childish manner. Yes, I did feel under-dressed in my animal print bikini that I had a ck chiffon kimono draped over.


    ¡°What? Girl, are you kidding? Look at all those curves. Bitch, you are ying that bikini. I wouldn¡¯t look half as sexy as you did in it.¡± Dawn countered, her eyes doing a slow sweep over my body.


    ¡°Dawn is right, Ash. You look amazing. I bet he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off you when he saw you in the bikini.¡± Ivana chipped in, buttressing Dawn¡¯s point with a slight twitch of her lips. I grew red in the face, looping my arm around hers as they led me to the bitch. Dawn had her hand slipped into my other hand.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Ohhhhhh!¡± Dawn whistled.


    The two of them were embarrassing me!


    ¡°What? No! Arden is on a trip and about seeing me in this outfit? Hell no! I have never met someone so possessive as he is. He wouldn¡¯t let me out of the house dressed like this. He probably would prefer me dressed as a nun to a fucking beach.¡± I ranted, my lips pursed in a tight frown as I imagined the expression on his face if he saw me in a bikini. I was only able to pull this off because he wasn¡¯t around. I was pretty sure we were going to be having a sequel to World War II if the situation were reversed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t me the man!¡± Ivana said in a sing-song voice and I nudged her hard on her shoulder, eliciting a giggle from her.


    ¡°Yes, look at those babies!¡± Dawn added, smirking, referring to my boobs.


    ¡°I am done with you two. You guys are supposed to be my friends!¡± I chided, frowning and the duo snorted, leading me to the spot they had reserved for us.

 Chapter 68

    ASHLEY


    The beach was crowded but that was the fun of it! You get to feed your eyes with so many crazy things happening around you. Several people were hanging around, barely clothed. The females were in their colorful swimsuits and bikinis while the males were draped in shorts and nnel shirts of just shorts. They engaged themselves in various activities; diving and swimming in the water, hosting various pics, and roaming around the ce in cliques. The loud music ring through the speakers that were far from being in sight aided the bubbly atmosphere.


    I couldn¡¯t help the smile that tugged at my lips at the sight of these people. Their energy was so contagious.


    ¡°And vo!¡± Dawn squealed, snapping out of my daze and I looked to my front, spotting the space I knew belonged to us. It was upied by three sun loungers, a clothed stic table with different cocktails on a tray, alongside a basket filled with snacks. I dropped my bag and took a seat on the recliner, taking off my kimono because I wanted to feel the warm sun on my skin. I was grateful for the fact that I had incorporated my sunscreen into my routine while I was dressing up.


    Ivana handed me my all-time favorite cocktail; Pina Cda.


    I was obsessed with the creamy goodness. I took a long sip from it, my eyes fluttering shut as I allowed the cold coco-pine blend to soothe my taste buds, relishing in the after-taste of the rum.


    ¡°Golden,¡± Imented, and the girls giggled. Dawn looked to my rear, her blue eyes twinkling with mischief and a hint of seduction. Her gaze lingered on someone I was so sure was a male standing a few feets away from me. I couldn¡¯t resist the urge to roll my eyes before I looked over my shoulder, my gaze zeroing in on the familiar frame of one of my bodyguards, Chris.


    I wouldn¡¯t me her. The man was a sight for sore eyes.


    ¡°Geez! Dawn, you are practically undressing the man with your eyes!¡± Ivana chided her, calling her back to order. Dawn tucked her lips between her teeth, a flirty smile crawling up her face. She eyed the man beneath hershes before her gaze slowly drifted back to Ivana.


    ¡°What?¡± She eyed Ivana warily.


    ¡°Have you seen the man? He¡¯s a hunk. What¡¯s his name, Ashley?¡± She diverted herst question to me, her eyes sparkling with hope.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Chris,¡± I said dryly.


    ¡°Sheesh,¡± She drew her wordszily in a purr.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± Ivana cried and I chuckled, drowning in the waves of the beach shing against one another.


    ¡°You said you had something to tell us!¡± Dawn chirped, squinting her eyes at me when she saw how my forehead was quick to crease in confusion.


    ¡°Yes, Ash. You mentioned it this morning.¡± Ivana aided her in jogging my memory. I stared into space for a while, trying to look through my mind to see if I would remember saying something of such to them.


    Then, it clicked.


    My eyes widened in realization and I exhaled afterwards. I opened my mouth to speak but I was cut short by the presence of Chris.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, do you need us to help you vacate the people from the beach?¡± He asked me, keeping a straight face. I wouldn¡¯t lie. His question caught me off guard because I didn¡¯t know why he would think I wanted that or why he thought I would want to do that to innocent people who just wanted to have fun.


    It was baffling.


    ¡°Huh?¡± I demanded, unable to conceal my shock.


    ¡°I was asking__¡±


    ¡°No, Chris. I don¡¯t want that. What¡¯s the fun of being at a beach if it¡¯s void of people? This isn¡¯t a private beach, Chris, just leave the people to have their fun, okay?¡± I cut him off, my tone a little stern. He nodded his head in response, bowing slightly before he returned to his post, which was standing at a safe distance behind me.


    ¡°God! He¡¯s sexier up close!¡± Dawn purred.


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Dawn.¡± Ivana chided and Dawn stuck out her tongue at Ivana, childishly, to spite her. The duo were acting like overgrown babies and it was so amusing to watch.


    ¡°Yeah, about what you asked. I did say I had something to tell you guys.¡± I sat up, and their bright faces were quick to morph into worried ones and it had doubts settling into me about what I wanted to tell them. I didn¡¯t know how they were going to take this. I should have told them but I had been a little scared of their reaction because I knew how protective they could get.


    ¡°Ash?¡± Dawn urged me on with a slight arch of her brows. Ivana didn¡¯t look as aggravated as Dawn did. She was a lot calmer, her eyes filled with warmth and assurance that slightly overrode the worry those amber orbs held.


    ¡°Uh¡­yeah¡­¡±


    My voice trailed off and I sped my hands together, squeezing my eyes shut.


    ¡°Okay so, a few weeks back. A strangedy came into the house and at first, I didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions because I wanted her to introduce herself but she turned out to be Arden¡¯s ex-fiancee¡­¡± I paused, examining the look on their faces. If Ivana looked shocked, she was doing a very great job in concealing it but Dawn? Her eyes were almost the size of saucers, her mouth slightly ajar.


    ¡°Ex-fiancee?!¡± Dawn screeched.


    ¡°Wow. I mean¡­wow. Not like he¡¯s not entitled to having someone in his life before he met you but I am still shocked. He doesn¡¯t strike me as the kind of a person that does attachment.¡± Ivana mused, her tone conveying how applied she was.


    ¡°Oh, he does have one, and boy, I have never met a bigger bitch. She¡¯s gorgeous. I¡¯ll give her that. Very gorgeous,¡± I revealed, scoffing.


    ¡°She¡¯s an Italian woman,¡± I added.


    ¡°Uh¡­what¡¯s her name again? Yeah, Allegra Moretti, I think. I can¡¯t remember the name thates before__¡±


    ¡°The Italian designer?¡± Dawn queried, her eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. I was stunned at the new revtion. I didn¡¯t know she was a designer. But then, it made a lot of sense because her fashion sense was impable and very exquisite. The aura that she gave off was so¡­sleek.


    ¡°I have heard of her a few times,¡± Ivana said,  disdain evident in her voice.


    ¡°The bitch came to my house and tried to hit on my man. She was so lucky that she left before I pulled the fucking trigger!¡± I growled, not in the least interested in holding my anger. The girls suddenly grew quiet and I was forced to peel my eyes off the nothingness I stared into, meeting their horrified gazes. I arched a brow at them in confusion but then, it soon urred to me that I mentioned the part where I wanted to pull the trigger.


    ¡°Oh,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°You used a gun?!¡±


    ¡°You threatened her with a gun?!¡±


    They threw questions at me, all at once.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I answered, throwing my hands up in the air as I grew aggravated by their questions. Talking about her riled me up so much, poking my truckload of insecurities. I mean, the girl was like a fucking goddess, and me? I was just¡­


    Me.


    ¡°I threatened her with Duncan¡¯s gun. I just got so angry and I didn¡¯t¡­I didn¡¯t even know what I was doing, I just pulled the Glock out of his waistband and pointed it at her. I was so angry¡­she was touching him and¡­I was just so angry¡­¡± I was rambling and tears were starting to well up in my eyes.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Ash.¡± Ivana consoled me, reaching over to squeeze my hand in reassurance. Dawn threw me a soft look and I sent her a tight-lipped smile.


    ¡°Babes, you shouldn¡¯t feel threatened by her. You are the real deal and she¡¯s the fraud. She has no ce in your home. I don¡¯t like Jaxon but I have seen the way the man looks at you. He cares about you, Sweetie.¡± Dawn crooned, her eyes simmering with warmth.


    ¡°Dawn¡¯s right, Ash. She has nothing on you. She¡¯s just trying to make you feel intimidated because she knows she has lost to you. She¡¯s not worth your time, love. Don¡¯t waste your thoughts dwelling on her.¡± Ivana spoke, giving a dismissive wave of her hands in the air.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t get to be mad,¡± I began, tucking a stray hair behind my ear. I couldn¡¯t control the anger brewing in me, simmering through my veins and enveloping me.


    ¡°She was the one who walked out of his life. She was the one who decided she doesn¡¯t want him anymore. I met the man, I wanted him and I am the one wearing his fucking ring, so he belongs to me. He¡¯s mine and she¡¯s in for one hell of a surprise if she thinks she can take him away from me. I own that man. Every inch of him.¡± I spat out my words venomously, my voice thick with a possessiveness that stunned me after I uttered those words.


    But then, I meant every word.


    Arden is all mine.


    I wasn¡¯t going to allow one bitch, who walked out of his life, waltzed back into it, and tried to get him back as though she never left or broke him in the first ce. There was no way in hell I was going to allow that.


    ¡°Okay, slow down, Tiger.¡± Ivana jeered, her tone dripping with amusement. She had a teasing smile tugging at her lower lip and I rolled my eyes, flipping her off.


    ¡°Geez, you should have seen how hot you look staking your im on him,¡± Dawn said without mincing words, sporting a smirk on her face.


    ¡°I am just stating the obvious.¡± I shrugged casually, leaning to rest my back on the sun lounger.


    ¡°Ash is all loved up! Ivana¡¯s going to be a Mrs in a few weeks. Gosh, I am so proud of you girls.¡± Dawn cried, faking a sniff and I chuckled where Iy, Ivana¡¯s giggles seeping into my ears.


    I slowly drifted away from the conversation they were having, my mind straying to a certain green-eyed man that had been crawling around my thoughtstely. My lips slowly stretched in an unconscious smile that I could barely repress. I was trying so hard to push him to the innermost part of my mind but it wasn¡¯t working. Instead, trying to shake his thoughts off only aggravated them further.


    It felt like he was here to stay and that¡­


    That scared me.


    A whole lot.

 Chapter 69

    MICAH


    ¡°Where is she?¡±


    I demanded the moment I set foot into the penthouse, my unwavering gaze fixated on the muscr guard that stood against the wall, his arms crossed behind him, staring down at his feet.


    ¡°In her room, boss.¡± He answered.


    I scoffed, sparing him a wary nce before I sauntered to the staircase, racing up the staircase. I took to the lobby, heading straight for her room. My hands came up to my tie, yanking it off. My zer went off next. I undid my cuffs and popped a few buttons open, stopping right in front of the door that led to her room. I whipped out the keys in my pocket, inserting them in the keyhole and I twisted the door handle, pushing the door open.


    I stepped into the dim room, ensuring my senses were enhanced, and then proceeded to find the switch. My eyes darted around the grey-themed room, anchoring on her frame that was cuffed to the bed. My lips twitched in a sinister smirk and I prowled forward, assessing her seemingly still frame. I furrowed my brows, taking her in. She wasn¡¯t moving. Her sandy-blonde hair covered most of her face, her small curvaceous body curled into a ball. She was still in the flimsy pink shirt and Jean shorts that she had been wearing since the first day.


    Her curves were so pronounced in those shorts, her thick fleshy thighs out in the open. She had a wless pair of golden legs. My tongue darted out of my mouth, doing a slow sweep over my lips. She looked so amorous. The thought of being inside her was enough to give me a hard-on, eliciting a soft grunt from me. I got on the bed, approaching her figure, and then I yanked her by the hair, eliciting a whimper from her.


    I chuckled at the low, pain-induced sound.


    It was a massive turn-on.


    Her face came into view, and I smirked, gazing down at her spotless face. Her brows were perfectly carved. They were so thick and dark. Her longshes were sticking to her face and I knew it was because of the tears that were beginning to cascade down her face, rapidly. Her full, pink lips slowly trembled, soft sobs leaving her lips.


    ¡°Look at me, Belle.¡± I breathed, tightening my grip on her hair and she choked out a sob. Her refusal to listen to me only did nothing more than irk me. It infuriated me to the core.


    ¡°Fucking look at me!¡± I boomed and she flinched in my arms, causing me to apply more pressure to her hair.


    ¡°Please,¡± She pleaded.


    A dark chuckle rolled out of my mouth and I leaned closer,pletely trapping her underneath me. She whimpered, tugging at her hands that were restrained tightly by the cuffs. With every tug she made, she whimpered, her wrists growing redder, creating a blemish on her skin. I grinned at how sore her hands looked, yanking her forward with my hands on her hair.


    ¡°Stop,¡± She croaked, begging me.


    My eyes drifted from her sore hands, resting on her face and I took in the sight of her glistening blue eyes that were soaked with tears. Fear, dread, and exhaustion were engraved in them but it didn¡¯t in any way diminish that innocent look that made me take her from her father that night.


    That innocence that I desperately wanted to taint. That I sought to take away from her, then break her slowly until she was on the verge of ruin.


    I had seen her at a diner, where she worked, and wanted her the minute I set my eyes on her. It was nice. Something I wasn¡¯t, on regr days. I trailed her to where she lived and found out she stayed with her poor father. I offered the bastard some money to sell her off, so I could have her to myself as a sex ve and whenever I was done with her, she would work for me as one of my whores at my club. But he refused, so I put a bullet through his head and took her anyway.


    She threw her head to the side, stiffening as though she was repulsed when my finger grazed her cheek. I gripped her by the jaw, forcing her to look at me. Hot tears spilled from her eyes, her helplessness written all over her face. Her breathing came out so shredded and bruised, her lips quivering in fear.


    ¡°You think you are stubborn, huh?¡±


    ¡°Answer me!¡± I pressed my fingers into the sides of her mouth, my fingers digging into them, drawing blood from them.


    ¡°Please, just let me go.¡± She implored, bursting into tears. I smirked devilishly at those words that left her mouth. It was amusing how she thought begging me would make me change my mind about fucking her senseless. My hands brushed her clothes breasts, grabbing them roughly and she screamed, tugging at her restraints.


    ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°I beg you!¡±


    I grew irritated at her asional pleas and I whipped my palm across her face, a scream rippling through her mouth. I proceeded to uncuff her. I loved it whenever they writhed helplessly underneath me, thrashing around in pain as I had my way with them. I pinned her hands above her head, trapping her legs underneath me.


    ¡°Now, you can decide to be a good girl and I won¡¯t make it hurt or you can decide to be otherwise. Your call.¡± I revealed, a grin crawling up to my face.


    ¡°I have never done this before!¡± She shouted, probably hoping it would make me stop but I chuckled in amusement.


    ¡°The tighter, the better,¡± I whispered, grabbing her breasts roughly. She whimpered, writhing underneath me. Her sobs and agonizing screams sounded like music to my ears when I ripped her shirt, revealing her perky boobs that had my eyes darkening with want. My mouth descended on hers, silencing her sobs in the process as I fondled her boobs, kneading them in my hands.


    I shrugged her shorts off her wide hips and she kicked me in the face, in the process, aggravating me. I growled, connecting my fist with her face and she belted. I buried my knees onto herp, giving her nowhere to run to. She could only thrash around helplessly, sobbing profusely as she watched me rip her panties off her, leaving her bare beneath me.


    ¡°Please!¡±Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t do this to me!¡±


    ¡°You are beginning to get on my nerves and I am not inside of you yet!¡± I bellowed, my fingers piercing the sensitive skin of her already sore wrists and she whimpered. I applied pressure on her hands, getting rid of my belt and flying in the process.


    I was suddenly interrupted by the knock on the door and I muttered strings of cuss words under my breath. I heard her release a shaky breath, relief crossing her face. Her blue eyes shimmered with the hope that had me smirking at her.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll be back,¡± I assured her, yanking the cuffs closer. I cuffed her hands and watched her face fall, horror clouding her expression. Her eyes soon grew misty with fright engraved in them as she tugged at her restraints.


    ¡°Let me go!¡± She cried.


    I paid no heed to her and rolled off the bed, sauntering to the door while brushing my fingers through my hair. I pulled it open, revealing the familiar faces of some of my men. My face contorted in a grimace, fury descending over me as I took in the sight of their ipetent asses.


    ¡°What?!¡± I barked at them. The urge to m the door in their faces was so overwhelming. I seethed silently, waiting for them to state their case. The dark-haired male couldn¡¯t conceal the fear that was stered all over his face, causing me to arch my brow at him.


    ¡°We¡­¡±


    ¡°We lost some of our shipments to an explosion.¡± The other one dropped the bombshell, my hands growing cold against the door. The weight of those words resonated in my ears, echoing so loudly, dawning on me as I staggered backwards. A throbbing headache that sprung out of nowhere descended on my temples, hammering against them.


    Thunderously.


    ¡°Whose shipments?¡± I asked, my voice dangerously low as I stalked forward. They backed up, raising their hands in surrender.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I growled, raking my fingers through my hair. Fuck, fuck, fuck! That¡¯s a lot of money! Thousands of dors going down the drain! Fuck!


    ¡°We are sorry, boss.¡± One of them apologized and that ticked me off. I charged towards him, grabbed him by his cor, and mmed him against the wall, my heated gaze boring into him.


    ¡°You are sorry?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Just like how you are sorry for not being able to execute a simple task that was given to you! All you had to fucking do was be on their tail and murder those bitches! That was all you needed to do!¡± I yelled at him, rage coursing through me when I remembered how they failed to get the job done.


    I let him go, kicking him to the floor.


    ¡°Ipetent fools!¡± I bellowed.


    ¡°We are sorry__¡± The other one proceeded to apologize but I shunned him with a re.


    ¡°Do you know how long it took me to orchestrate that n? How hard I had to work before I could find the one thing I could use against him? That bastard! The resources I wasted in making sure this n was perfect yet, you two dumbasses decided to fuck everything up for me!¡± Imented, groaning in frustration.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed.


    ¡°Get out of my sight and go get those girls ready for auctioning!¡± I snapped and I watched their expressions morph into that of surprise.


    ¡°But you told us not__¡±


    ¡°How the fuck do you want me to finance other ns I have in mind?¡± I arched a brow at them in irritation.


    ¡°Go do as you are told! Get the girls!¡± I ordered, staring at them in disdain. They bowed their heads in respect, scurrying out of my presence. My burning gaze bore holes into their backs, hatred consuming me as I hissed through clenched teeth. I muttered profanities under my breath, raking my fingers through my hair in frustration.


    It was as though the son of a bitch was immune to every damn thing I did because it always ends up backfiring. The bastard thinks he is all that but he is not and I ached for the day I get to show him how little his existence matters. The day I get to stand over him while I watch him and everything he ever worked for, burn to the ground.


    I craved that day.


    I longed for it.


    I yearned for it.


    There was nothing I wanted more than the end of Jaxon fucking Gray. There was nothing I wanted more than to bathe in his blood and take away every damn thing that mattered to him. I wanted to hit him so hard where it fucking hurt and he wouldn¡¯t see iting.


    All he had to do was just watch.


    Watch me take everything he owned and use it as I saw, please. I was more deserving of that position than he could ever be and I couldn¡¯t wait to show him how.


    Jaxon Gray was a thorn in my flesh, one that I had struggled so hard to get rid of, for as long as I could remember. But I was about to be his worst nightmare. All I had to do was finish the Goddamn job.


    Then, I would rise like the phoenix and build my empire over his ashes. That was a promise.


    One I, Micah Zen Ramos, was aching to fulfill.

 Chapter 70

    JAXON


    I tapped my cigarette on my ashtray, driving into thepound. I pulled over in the garage, got out of the car, picked up the paper bag beside me, alongside my phone, and then I let myself out of the car, shutting the door. My eyes surveyed thepound that was crawling with guards. I peeled my gaze off them, heading into the house. The door was held out by the guard at the post, who threw me a curt bow. I didn¡¯t spare so much as a nce in his direction before walking past him like a breeze.


    I knew the living room would be void of workers by now, including the kitchen, and in a way, it made me less irritated. I ambled into the kitchen and fixed myself a steaming cup of ck coffee, sauntering out of the kitchen. I made my way upstairs and stopped short at the lobby, weighing my options in my head. I looked down at my blood-stained shirt and hands, subtly shaking my head at the thought of going to meet Peach like this. I knew she would be asleep by now but it still felt so disrespectful.


    So, with that thought in my mind, I made a beeline for my study.


    I stepped into the dim room, approaching my table where I dropped the paper bag, sliding into my swivel chair to keep myself busy with paperwork for the night. I couldn¡¯t afford to fall asleep. I had so much unattended work to go through. I groaned, a pounding ache hammering at the sides of my head. I brushed my fingers through my hair, pushing a few strands off my face.


    My eyes grew so itchy with each passing second, threatening to snap shut. My body was kicking against the effect of the coffee, exhaustion consuming me. But then, the thought of sleeping terrified me so much.


    I couldn¡¯t lose to my demons.


    Not tonight, at least.


    But then, the door creaked open and my head shot up from the papers, my gaze dropping to the small frame of my wife that slipped through the door, brushing a few strands of her hair, which she has tucked in a messy bun, away from her face. She looked so sleepy, constantly rubbing her eyes.


    Against how tired I was, my lips slowly twitched, stretching in an uncontroble grin as my eyes did a slow crawl over her frame. Her lithe frame was d in a sexy red two-piece nighty; a small thin-strapped top that barely dropped a few inches below her boobs that were poking the light material of the shirt, coupled with skin-tight shorts that showcased her massive curves.


    She was breathtaking.


    ¡°What are you doing in here? By this time?¡± She queried in a stern tone, every trace of sleepinesspletely drained off her face.


    ¡°Working,¡± I lied smoothly, averting my gaze from her face. My heart sank at that action because all I wanted to do was sit down here and gaze at her all night. Her light footsteps drew nearer. It urred to me then, that I was still wearing my shirt which had stters of blood stains across it, alongside my bloodied knuckles.


    My body grew still, my mind growing faint.


    I didn¡¯t want her to see me like this.


    She couldn¡¯t see me like this.


    I was going to get up abruptly from my seat but she was quicker because she had me tamed in no time, getting on myp and straddling me. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to look her in the eye because I didn¡¯t know what to say to her.


    ¡°Baby, look at me¡­¡± Her silky voice trailed off, overly soft. My mind urged me on but my brain told me an entirely different story. But she didn¡¯t allow that to deter her. She brought her finger beneath my jaw, tilting my face to meet her warm, waiting gaze.


    ¡°I am so sorry¡­I was going to change the shirt¡­I am so sorry¡­I have no¡­Fuck, I am sorry, Peach. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± I was stuttering. I didn¡¯t know how I was going to tell her that one of the men working for me at the warehouse got on my nerves and I shot him.


    I didn¡¯t know how¡­


    However, she stunned me with her next words.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me, Arden. You are not staying here because you are working. You are hiding. You don¡¯t want to sleep because you don¡¯t want nightmares to reur, so you are throwing yourself into work.¡± She analyzed, her tone thick with so much affection.


    I couldn¡¯t conceal my shock at the words that left her mouth because as much as I hated to admit it, she was right. She was so right. She has done enough already. I didn¡¯t want her to feel like I was a burden she had to bear. It wasn¡¯t her problem and she shouldn¡¯t be the one solving it.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you that we are in this together?¡± She demanded, her voice filled with hurt as she expressed herself. My chest tightened at the look on her face, sadness creeping into me.


    ¡°It¡¯s all on me, Peach. I don¡¯t want you to worry__¡± I retracted my statement in no time, seeing one of her perfectly carved brows tugged up at me in irritation. I exhaled, my shoulders slumping in defeat, and then I sunk into the chair, soaking in the view atop me. I couldn¡¯t help the way my lips curved in a smile at the sight of her bemused honey-brown orbs that bore holes into me.


    She shifted forward, her legs falling limp by sides as she cradled my face in her arms, peering into me with utmost softness and scrutiny. Her warm breath emitted her lips as she took me in, and brushed the skin of my face daintily, caressing it and eliciting a soft sigh of contentment from me.


    ¡°We are in this together. I already told you. I am not leaving. You don¡¯t have to be scared when you have me with you and it¡¯s alright to admit that you are scared of having those nightmares again. It¡¯s perfectly fine. It doesn¡¯t make you any less of a human¡­¡± She paused, watching me to make sure her words were sinking into my brain as she wanted.


    ¡°Vulnerability isn¡¯t weakness, Arden. I wish you could see that.¡± Her voice came out so small, her eyes growing misty. The weight of those words hit me all at once, ripping me off my defenses. There was something about those words that made me want to put my walls up so high but then, a part of me just wanted to let go and allow myself to feel everything and that part was so dominating.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°You are so strong, baby. So strong and you don¡¯t have to go through this alone, so please, let me help you. Let¡¯s get through this together. As one.¡± She offered, her voiceing out in a croak. It didn¡¯t conceal how soft, warm, and convincing it sounded.


    My hands slowly rested on the small of her back, pulling her close to me and allowing her dizzying scent to cocoon me. She exhaled, cradling my head to her soft chest and I sighed in contentment, a sense of calmness washing over me and taming my demons. Everything else seemed to fade into nothingness, my resolve breaking into pieces. And for that second, I let everything go and give in to the euphoric feeling that was apanied by being in her arms.


    Fuck, I could have her pressed to my body so tightly and still crave her to be closer to me. I was obsessed with her. She was the only constant thing in my life. The only thing that made sense and triumphed over every other shitty feeling.


    She made me feel¡­safe.


    ¡°I got you something,¡± I smiled against her chest, suddenly feeling so drowsy. She chuckled, her fingers crawling into my hair and massaging my scalp. I hummed at how good it felt, suddenly not interested in taking my head off her soft bosoms. But, I knew I had to. I let her go, sending her arge grin, and then I retrieved the paper bag on my desk, handing it to her.


    I watched with keen interest when she peered into the bag, brought out the medium-sized velvet box, and unboxed it. My whole world felt like it halted when a warm smile crept up her lips as she assessed the diamond ne in the box.


    ¡°I saw it at a jewelry shop during my trip. I thought it would look good on you.¡± I divulged and heard her release a shaky breath that had me furrowing my brows in confusion.


    ¡°Peach, what¡¯s wrong? Don¡¯t you like it?¡± I queried, panic surging through me.


    ¡°Of course, I love it! It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± She choked out a sob and I exhaled in relief, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. I took the ne from her, aiding her in wearing it around her neck and I was right. The glittering object glowed under the dim lights and felt like it was specifically made for her.


    The ne was stunning. She looked up from her neck, her eyes locking with mine in a soft stare. They shone with warmth and admiration, housing a hint of gratitude in them.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She whispered.


    And nothing could have prepared me for what she did next and nothing could always prepare me for that. I¡¯ll forever be thrown off bnce by that action.


    Her lips descended on mine, her warm, soft lips brushing against my lips, embedding themselves into its soft skin as I opened up to her, kissing her back with the same amount of intensity she poured into the kiss. The kiss wasn¡¯t demanding. Instead, it was soft, and slow and left me overly breathless, craving every inch of her. It was no news that I was consumed by every bit of her but kissing her tonight felt so different.


    It felt more intense, ridding me of my senses.


    I would do anything for this woman.


    Be anything for her.

 Chapter 71

    JAXON


    ¡°I am not cheap,¡± He scoffed, giving a dismissive wave of his hands in the air.


    Duncan¡¯s eyes met mine from where he stood by the door, his hands folded behind me. I gave him a look, signaling him to stay his hands and he threw me a curt bow. My eyes drifted from his tall frame, reverting to the blonde-haired man that sat across from me at the conference table. His eyes twinkled with a determination that made my lips twitch in a smirk, causing me to apply pressure on the pen between my fingers as I clicked it non-stop.


    I was slouched on the swivel chair across from him, spinning around softly, my eyes trained on him, watching his every move like a Hawk, and then I saw it. The slight shift in his expression and the tiny sweat that broke out on his face, followed by a swift bob of his Adam¡¯s apple.


    ¡°I know what I am offering and I am not going to sell it for cheap. If you can¡¯t afford my price, then I¡¯ll find a buyer elsewhere.¡± He said without mincing words, his eyes steadily on mine, wanting me to know he meant every word he uttered.


    I wasn¡¯t mad. I was just amused.


    Amused at how little he cared about his life and reputation. It was a little surprising that he was trying to pull off his egoistic side on me without caring how fatal the repercussions may be.


    ¡°One million dors is a fair price, Henry,¡± I said with a sweet smile ying on my lips, clicking my pen, even more, much to his annoyance. I watched him grit his teeth in annoyance, seething silently at the intentional mistake I made about calling him the wrong name. I knew what his name was. I just wanted to get on his nerves.


    ¡°It¡¯s Harold!¡± He snapped and the clicking of the pen stopped abruptly, a deafening, toxic silence brewed in the air, my muscles twitching lightly. I stilled in my seat, bringing my spinning to a halt. His sharp tone spiked my irritation but I didn¡¯t make it ring, instead, I tried to hold on to my calmposure, which I knew was bound to break any moment from now.


    ¡°Three million dors or nothing. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me. I have paying clients to attend to.¡± He dismissed me, rising to his feet. Duncan¡¯s eyes strayed to mine and I gave him a curt nod, sinking back into my seat to watch the show y out in my view. He intended to walk past Duncan with his briefcase but the stoic-faced male grabbed him roughly by the shoulder, leading him to the seat which he pulled back and sat him down on it, abruptly.


    ¡°What the hell?!¡± He asked, horrified.


    I smirked, rising to my feet and approaching him. His eyes grew wide at the sinister smile that yed lightly on my lips. He tried to get off his seat but Duncan roughly shoved him back on it. I stopped right beside him, tucking my hands in the pocket of my cks and I talked.


    Then, I leaned in,ing to his back. My hands dropped to his shoulders and I squeezed them lightly before they slid off him and rested on the desk, trapping him between my hands.


    ¡°Harold Jameson,¡± I chuckled, darkly, my voice overly low,ing out so deadly. I heard him release a shaky breath, shifting in his seat with his hands sped on his thighs. His trembling body grew still when one of my hands left the desk and rested on his shoulder but before he could recover from the stillness my tough had caused him, I gripped him by the hair, yanking his head backwards and a scream rippled through his mouth, causing me to chuckle.


    ¡°Oh,e now, Harold. I haven¡¯t even done anything to you yet.¡± I sneered, tightening my grip on his hair and he whimpered. I whipped out my Glock from my waistband, pressing the cold tip beneath his earlobe, eliciting a shaky sigh from him.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t hurt me,¡± He cried like a child and I chuckled in amusement.


    ¡°Yeah, you should have thought about that before refusing my offer. I thought you were tough. Aren¡¯t you, Harold?¡± I demanded coldly, pressing the tip of the gun further into his skin.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you?!¡± I bellowed, applying more pressure on his hair and a sob tore through his lips, irritation seeping into me at how weak he sounded.


    ¡°No!¡± He cried.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± I trailed off, trailing the gun from his earlobe, down to the hollow of his neck, and then I cocked the gun, pressing it into his neck while toying with the trigger.


    ¡°All I have to do is just pull the fucking trigger and you go, poof!¡± I mumbled an oh and chuckled under my breath.


    ¡°I could empty all the bullets in this gun, into your neck, then dismember them into unrecognizable pieces, stuff them in a body bag and throw your fucking remains over the fucking bridge and I will sleep like a baby tonight. You know that, huh?¡± I queried in a whisper, my tone dead, holding a hint of darkness in it.


    When I didn¡¯t get an answer from him, I reminded him of the fact that I had a gun pressed to his neck and he belted in horror.


    ¡°Please! I¡¯ll do anything you want___ please¡­please, don¡¯t kill me! Please!¡± He shouted, frantically, pleading for his life and it had my lips stretching in a smile.


    Threats never get old. Hearing people beg for their life will always remain amusing to me. I found their plea music to my ears, even though I always end up doing whatever I wanted at the end of the day but it gave me a sense of dominance over them and I would kill for that dominance.


    ¡°We are friends, aren¡¯t we?¡± I gripped his hair, chuckling.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t we?!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Yes, we are,¡± He sobbed.


    ¡°Which is why I am going to grant you mercy. Taylor!¡± I bellowed, beckoning at one of my boys that stood in the room. He scurried forward, dropping therge brown envelope on the desk. Harold flinched at the way it sounded with a loud thud.


    ¡°Open it,¡± I urged him and he picked it up with shaky hands. His hands almost gave the envelope away, during his quest of prying it open. He pulled out the pictures and papers in the envelope, skimming through its contents and a gasp eluded him.


    I chuckled, grabbing him by the throat and tightening my grip around his neck, eliciting a series of violent coughs from him. I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me from making my point clear.


    ¡°Now imagine what Heather, your wife would think of these pictures, and let¡¯s not mention what it¡¯s going to do to your reputation if it leaks to the media that you have a family outside of your fifteen-years-old marriage,¡± I paused, allowing my words to sink in properly before I proceeded, delving the tip of the gun into his neck with a sick grin on my face.


    ¡°Oops, did I forget to add the part where you embezzled funds from thepany you started up with your best friend a few years ago before you left him out in the dust and went ahead to start your fuckingpany! After stabbing him in the back!¡± My deep, dark voice resounded terrifically in the room.


    ¡°I hate greedy old men but I despise betrayers even more,¡± I applied pressure on his neck, growling out my words.


    ¡°I¡­am__surrrw_y¡± He pleaded, choking on his words but I didn¡¯t give a fuck if he was sorry or not. I just wanted to get my point across.


    ¡°Now,¡± I began, my voice dangerously low.


    ¡°You are going to take whatever it is I offer you. You pissed me off, so you¡¯ll only be getting half of the money but you are going to be a good boy and you are going to sign those papers, renouncing every im on thispany because it belongs to me now.¡± My voice was thick with assertiveness as I enunciated every word I spoke to him. I wanted him to know I meant every word.


    ¡°Got it?¡± I demanded, pressing my fingers into the sides of his neck and he winced out in pain, choking out a sob.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! I¡¯ll do anything you want!¡± He answered, his tone reeking of desperation.


    ¡°Now, sign the fucking papers!¡± I ordered, taking the papers from Duncan and handing them over to him, alongside a pen. He obeyed like a scared little rat and my lips twitched in a smirk. Duncan took the papers from him once he was done, tucking them neatly into the blue file.


    ¡°Now, that wasn¡¯t so hard, was it?¡± I asked and spun him around in his seat, so he could face me. He had his head bowed, asional sniffs leaving his lips and it made me so irritated. I crouched to his level, grabbing him by the jaw, so he could look me in the eye.


    ¡°Was it?¡± I asked, again.


    ¡°No, sir.¡± He answered, trembling.


    ¡°Good,¡± I noted and smirked, getting to my feet. I heard him release a sigh of relief but all his hopes of walking out of here, unscathed, were washed down the drain when I cocked my gun and shot him twice in the arm.


    He let out an ear-piercing cry, tumbling off his seat andtching onto his arm in pain. His pain-filled voice resonated across the room, echoing loudly and it brought a smile to my face.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get your money across to you, dearest friend.¡± I grinned and with that, I spun on my heels, heading out of the conference room with Duncan and my men trailing behind me.


    ¡°Our shipments have arrived at the warehouse, boss,¡± Duncan announced, struggling to catch up with my long strides, so he could punch in the digits on the Elevator buttons. I didn¡¯tment on what he had said but we both know I heard him and there was no reason to repeat himself.


    The ride downstairs was quite short.


    He pulled the car door open and I stepped him, then he shut the door behind him and got into the car, upying the passenger¡¯s seat. The chauffeur ignited the engine and drove us out of the parking lot.


    I sunk into the leather seat, whipping out my phone to dial her number. She picked up at the first ring and that brought a smile to my face.


    ¡°Hey, baby!¡± She chirped and my smile grew even wider.


    ¡°Hey, Peach,¡± I responded softly.


    ¡°How¡¯s your day going?¡± She asked me, her soft voice overridden by the rustling of papers that had me deducing that she was still at work.


    ¡°Taking care of business. As usual.¡± I answered, brushing my hair backwards and she responded with a hum.


    ¡°I know I should have told you beforehand but I just got the invite to a charity dinner tonight and I was wondering if you will go with me as my date?¡± I inquired, my voice thick with hope. I didn¡¯t want her to feel like I was inconveniencing her. I wanted her to do things of her free will.All content ? N/.?vel/Dr/ama.Org.


    ¡°A dinner?¡± She queried, unable to conceal her surprise.


    ¡°Hell yeah! There¡¯s no way in hell I would miss seeing you all dolled up in a suit and me in a dress.¡± She spoke, her tone suggestive, sounding a little lower than it did earlier. My lips curved in a smirk as though she could see me.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± She answered in a whisper.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at home, Mrs Gray,¡± I noted.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting you, Mr Gray.¡± She affirmed, seductively and I cussed under my breath, chuckling as she hung up.

 Chapter 72

    JAXONBelongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°What the fuck do you mean by you can¡¯t find the files?¡± I barked into the phone, my thunderous voice dripping with fury. I tucked my hand into the pocket of my cks, maintaining a rigid stance as I stared straight ahead, clenching the phone tightly in my grip with a deep frown resting upon my face.


    ¡°Sir__¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you are going to do it. If you are going to turn the whole building upside down to find the fucking file, do it because if you don¡¯t, I will be sending your head on a tter as a souvenir to your fucking family.¡±


    ¡°Understood?¡± I demanded, my threats earning me a round of shaky silence from him.


    ¡°Ye.. yes, sir.¡± He stammered.


    ¡°Now, get the fuck off my phone and get to work!¡± I bellowed, hanging up on him. I groaned out in frustration, raking my hands through my hair. I tucked my phone in my pocket, the soft clicking of heels behind me piquing my attention.


    I spun around, sharply and my breath got caught in my throat at the sight of her descending the staircase, looking every inch of the Queen that she was in her dress__I couldn¡¯t suppress the feeling of nostalgia that overwhelmed me, seeing her in that Peach-coloured satin dress. I felt everything, all at once because it jolted my memory, striking me that the first time I saw her, she was wearing a dress of the exact color, and calling her by the name of the color of that dress became a reflex action.


    God, she was stunning!


    My throat ran dry as my eyes did a slow crawl of her small frame that was dded in the dress that pressed firmly against her hourss figure. It was a mono-strapped dress with a full balloon sleeve. The silky material felt like a second skin against her body, tight from her bust down to her mid-thigh that housed a dangerous side slit that ran up to where the tightness of the dress stopped. Then it fell to the floor in a pool at her feet.


    She essorized it with a pair of diamond studs and the familiar ne I had purchased for her on my trip, alongside a beaded ck clutch and ck heels that looked like they could sink an endless pit into any surface.


    Her lush brown waves that I loved running my fingers through were pulled backwards in a sleek low bun, tendrils framing her face at the front. I didn¡¯t understand how she kept her makeup minimal and at the same time, made my breath hitch in my throat. The soft, dazzling makeup bestowed upon her face a pristine glow, leaving the dark red matte lipstick the only thing overly pronounced in her makeover.


    Evaline was all shades of regality. She was a natural Queen and she made her presence known with the resting bitch face that settled on her expression, housing a hint of challenge and subtle fierceness in those honey-brown orbs and there was this warm, fuzzy feeling that was associated with staring at her. There was a sense of serenity and contentment I felt watching her strut to where I stood.


    ¡°Is it too much?¡± I could have sworn I heard a hint of insecurity in her tone and that caused me to furrow my brows at her, slipping my arm around her waist and tugging her forward.


    ¡°You are perfect,¡± I breathed, catching a whiff of my cologne on her. I found it hard to control the way my heart thudded loudly against my chest, my pulse racing so hard. I stared at this woman and God, she was worth it. She was worth every stress I went through in making her mine and now that I have her, I would rather give everything up than let her go.


    She was my anchor. The only string of sanity that kept me in check. The only thing that made sense in my chaotic life and I would do anything to hold on to this shred of normalcy, which was her. She made me feel worthy, worthy of every good thing that has been happening to me since I met her.


    She didn¡¯t make redemption seem so bad.


    She smirked, her eyes roving every inch of my body and when my eyes strayed to get lips. She brought one of her perfectly manicured fingers under my jaw, tilting my face to meet her gaze. I watched her tuck her lips between her teeth and my arm that was snaked around her waist dipped lower, palming one of her ass cheeks and squeezing it softly, eliciting a moan from her.


    Her palm found my nape and she pulled me to her level, her luscious lips descending on mine. I moaned into her mouth when her fingers found their way into my curls, fisting them softly. My hand tightened on her waist, pulling her impossibly closer as though I wanted to fuse her body with mine. My cock twitched in my pants when I heard her moan as I smacked her ass.


    The kiss grew more intense, the heat between us thickening up and I knew I had to bring an end to it if we were going to attend that party tonight. I detached our lips, our uneven breaths filling the air. Her eyes seemed to have gained a darker shade to them, peering at me beneath hershes.


    ¡°I am not wearing any panties.¡± She announced, her voice sounding so sultry,ing off so low and my eyes grew darker, a growl rippling through my lips and I watched her smirk teasingly. My lips brushed hers and she moaned in anticipation, sighing softly.


    ¡°You are going to be the death of me,¡± I voiced out huskily and she chuckled, palming the back of my neck.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be quick and I¡¯ll try to keep my voice down.¡± She suggested, tilting her head to the side when she bit her lip. Fuck, she knew what she does to me and she had me right where she wanted me.


    ¡°Nice try,¡± I chuckled, smacking her ass. The sound she made turned me on even more and all I had to do was say yes to her request but I couldn¡¯t. I wanted nothing more than to ditch this fucking dinner and be buried inside of her but I had to show up to keep up my appearance.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know how badly I want to rip this dress off your body and take you in every corner of this house but baby, we have to go.¡± My voice came out in a plea at the end of my words. A smile slowly broke out on her face and she stood on her tiptoes, dropping a chaste kiss on my lips. Then, she grinned at me, her eyes twinkling with so much brightness.


    I was enthralled by her. She had me spellbound and I knew at that moment that the control she possessed over me knew no bounds and that would do anything she requested of me, just to see her face light up the way it did right now.


    ¡°Ready?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Hell yeah,¡± She whispered.

 Chapter 73

    JAXON


    I stepped out of the car and went to the other side, holding out the door. She sent me a sweet smile that had me grinning like a fool, slipping her small hands into mine. She couldn¡¯t conceal her shock when we heard the clicking of cameras, the bright lights shing in our faces. Her expression faltered, fear crossing her face and gnawing at my heart. I slowly slipped my arm around her waist, pulling her to my side.


    ¡°Arden¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, anxiously. I turned to her, bending to her level and taking her lips in a soft, assuring kiss. She stiffened but slowly eased into it, a soft sound eluding her. I pulled away shortly after, breathing softly.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°With everything,¡± She answered and I knew she meant it with the sincerity that swirled around those pools of honey-brown orbs and something about those words warmed my heart.


    ¡°I have got you,¡± I assured her, my eyes steadily on her. She stared at me for a moment and nodded afterwards, leaning into me and allowing me to lead her to the red carpet. The hungry reporters approached us, shing the cameras in our faces and nearly sticking their microphones into our mouths. She slowly eased into her surroundings, a breath evading her and then, she stered a smile on her face as we struck a pose for the camera before sauntering into the spacious hall.


    Trust David Anderson to go all out. The sixty-year-old man was a force to reckon with in the business world and whenever he wanted to go all out, he would, leaving no stone unturned. I couldn¡¯t hide how impressed I was as my eyes scanned the hall that was filled to the brim with dignitaries, chattering so loudly as they gave in to the soft music that yed in the background.


    I turned to the stunning woman beside me, who looked so immersed in checking out the interior decor with a wide smile on her face. I leaned in, kissing her cheek softly and she giggled.


    ¡°Just stay by my side throughout the night, can you do that for me, my love?¡± I asked softly and she grinned, bobbing her head in response like a little child. She pecked my lips and clung to me even more, and then I led us further into the hall, making sure my men were in sight.


    ¡°Mr. Gray!¡± The baritone voice which I knew belonged to David, called out to me in the distance. He took a champagne flute from one of the waiters that strutted around with trays in their hands. He approached me, sporting a bright smile on his slightly wrinkled face, donning a ck tuxedo.


    ¡°Mr. Anderson,¡± I threw him a curt nod when he got to my front, beaming with smiles.


    ¡°I am so honored that you could make it. I was kind of worried that you might not grace my invitation.¡± He ryed and I fought back a scoff, a grim look resting on my face. No businessman in his right sense would want to mess with me and David Anderson wasn¡¯t an exception. He wanted to be on a good note with me.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t miss it. I gave you my word.¡± I said monotonously, pulling my wife to my side and her eyes strayed to the older man¡¯s.


    ¡°Meet my wife, Ashley Gray. Peach, meet one of my very good friends, David Anderson.¡± I introduced them to each other and he grinned, stretching his hand forth for a handshake.


    ¡°I am so pleased to meet you, Mrs Gray. You are very beautiful, ma¡¯am.¡± He sent her a softpliment as Peach shook his hand.


    ¡°Good evening, Mr. Anderson. It¡¯s so nice to meet you.¡± She responded with a warm smile on her face.


    ¡°Come on, let me lead you to your table.¡± He offered, walking forward while Peach and I trailed behind him. He had a table specifically reserved for us and after thanking us for honouring his invitation, he left us to ourselves.


    ¡°Geez, I thought he wouldn¡¯t stop smiling at me. It was starting to get so annoying.¡± Peach spoke up the minute he was out of earshot. I couldn¡¯t fight the chuckle that escaped my lips. She was right. His incessant smiles were beginning to get on my nerves. I reached for her hands over the table.


    ¡°Peach__¡±


    ¡°Hey, handsome.¡±


    That familiar sultry voice came from behind me.


    Peach¡¯s bright demeanor slowly morphed into something much darker, something I couldn¡¯t ce my fingers on. Her eyes were so cold, her body still against her seat. Her hands grew cold in mine and she slowly retracted her hands from mine, looking up to face Allegra, who walked past me and stopped right in front of me, flipping her hair over her shoulder.


    Her hazel eyes twinkled with seduction, her lips curved in a flirty smile as she soaked me in with her eyes, peering at me beneath her eye fauxshes.


    She wasn¡¯t alone. She was with her date. A tall, dark-haired man was d in a ck button-up shirt that was tucked in ck cks. His expression seemed a little impassive as he wrapped his arm around her waist, staking his im on her.


    ¡°Allegra,¡± I said grimly, sparing Peach a nce through my peripheral vision. I saw how hard she was struggling to keep it together and I knew it was only a matter of time before she snapped.


    ¡°Jaxon,¡± She purred and I grimaced, irritated by herck of respect for her date, who clung to her like a fucking leech.


    ¡°I am not going to be pulling a gun on you this time around. I won¡¯t be subtle. I will stab your fucking eyes with my cutleries if you don¡¯t get the fuck out of here, right now.¡± Peach uttered assertively, looking up from the table, her cold eyes fixed on Allegra, who couldn¡¯t conceal her irritation.


    ¡°If it isn¡¯t the wife,¡± She rolled her eyes, disdain evident in her tone and Peach scoffed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it again,¡± Peach threatened her. She looked like she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give a fuck if she was causing a scene. She was more immersed in making her point clear.


    ¡°Run along, bitch.¡± She smiled sweetly at Allegra, who looked like she was about to pop a vein. She threw a nasty re in Peach¡¯s direction andtched onto her date¡¯s arm, storming off. It didn¡¯t matter that she had stormed off, the brte opposite me had her eyes fixated on her retreating, ring murderously at her. My eyes wandered around the bustling hall and on cue, soft music cued in and I knew it was time for a dance, so I did the one thing I knew, to salvage the situation.


    ¡°Do you want to dance with me, Peach?¡± I broke the tense silence and she swung her head in my direction, disbelief shing across her face. She snatched a champagne flute from a waiter¡¯s tray, downing it at once, and then she mmed the flute on the table with a frown on her face.


    ¡°Please,¡± I added, stretching out my hand, then she exhaled, slipping her hand into mine and she got up. I led us to the dance floor which was filled with couples who were so immersed in the dance. My eyes drifted to her waiting ones, settling on the deep frown on her face.


    ¡°Just think about me, not her. Not anything else. Think about being here with me and just¡­dance.¡± I said softly and her eyes softened, a soft exhale leaving her lips. We circled each other, our eyes locked in a sizzling stare that made my heartbeat pick up at a faster pace. Not in the sense of being scared, but a sense of aplishment that came with dancing with the most beautiful women in the room.


    She slowly entwined our hands, dropping the other one on my shoulder and my arm instinctively came around her waist.


    She slowly drew me in with those eyes that beamed all shades of golden brown under the lights, warmth shimmering in them. An ardent smile yed on her lips, her eyes fixated on mine as we started with slow movements to the music, syncing with the soft rhythm. The bright, yellowish lights that filtered from the chandeliers settled on her face, exuding a fine contrast of goldish pink with her pale-rosy skin.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She looked too ethereal to be standing in front of me, staring at me unabashedly like she wanted me to see every effect I had on her. Every other seemed useless at the moment, the world around us slowly fading into nothingness, leaving just us and we seemed content with it.


    I twirled her around, switching hands with her and she giggled, eliciting a smile from me. The stiffness in her body slowly rxed and she eased into my touch, trusting me enough to let me take the lead on everything. We moved sideways and she fell backwards, softly but of course, I was there to catch her as I always would, for the rest of my life. We lost ourselves to the rhythm of the music, discarding the world around us and drowning in the soft, warm, and fuzzy feeling that came with dancing with each other.


    And there was nothing that felt better than this.


    I didn¡¯t understand how I could be so consumed by the entirety of this woman. Everything I felt for her was so amplified, nullifying the feeling that one day, I might wake up and everything I felt for her was just going to be gone but it wasn¡¯t that way. It felt way too real. Falling for her wasn¡¯t just falling for someone. It was like walking into a ce and knowing you were home.


    Then, she leaned forward, debunking all the odds of the dance, and locked lips with me, punching every ounce of breath I had left in me. My hands tightened around her small waist and she looped her arms around my neck, kissing me as though her life depended on me, kissing me as though she was trying to mark her territory, rendering my senses nk.


    She pulled away, slowly, connecting our foreheads, leaving us to drown ourselves in our breaths.


    ¡°You are mine just as much as I am yours.¡± I knew she wasn¡¯t saying this for fun because of the fiery look in her brown eyes that screamed assertiveness at a nce. She was telling me so she could make herself clear and I understood her, a soft breath eluding me.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach.¡± I cussed in a whisper.


    ¡°I¡­¡± My voice trailed off, my hands moving up to her face to tuck her hair behind her ear and then, my eyes caught a very familiar face. I couldn¡¯t misce that face, not in this lifetime, at least.


    That golden hair.


    Those mischievous golden orbs.


    The egoistic look that was always engraved in those eyes, convinced him that he was the better version of me. That sick, twisted smile ying on his lips. Those features were enough to jolt my memory, reminding me of a face I hadn¡¯t seen in close to five years.


    Michah fucking Ramos of the Reem Mafia.


    It all happened so fast, everything else grew so blurry at that moment. He whipped out a pistol from his waistband, pulling the trigger so swiftly. My whole world shed right before my eyes, my heart lurching to my throat as I yanked Peach to my back, the bullet piercing my shoulder de in the process.


    The loud gunshot that went off alerted the people in the room, eliciting blood-curdling screams from them. A dramatic jolt in their senses spiked their fear, causing them to bolt out of the hall, tumbling over one another as they struggled to grasp onto their dear lives that were shing right in front of their eyes.


    Ear-piercing ss shatterings resonated across the room, followed by an incessant shooting.


    ¡°DUNCAN!!¡± I bellowed, my eyes scanning the room


    ¡°Arden!¡± Peach screamed behind me, the horror in her voice couldn¡¯t go unnoticed.


    ¡°Peach, you have to run when I tell you to! Alright? This isn¡¯t up for arguments, baby! You have to run! Now!¡± I yelled, cocking my gun, myser-like eyes surveying the room that was in total disarray, dented with screams of the innocent. I tried to scan the room for his presence that suddenly seemed to have vanished into thin air, a loud cuss word leaving my lips.


    ¡°I am not leaving you here!¡± She shouted at me, leaving me so aggravated.


    ¡°Get out! Now!¡± I belted and she screeched when someone grabbed her from behind me. I spun around to see Duncan hauling her over his shoulders and dashing out of the room while trying to rid his path of Micah¡¯s men that were littered across the room.


    ¡°You son of a bitch!¡± I screamed, wincing at the pain that had taken residence in my shoulder de, intensifying with each passing second.


    ¡°I am going to have so much fun ripping your head off your body!¡± I bellowed, audaciously, staying on guard in case he decides to spring up from nowhere and the dumbass couldn¡¯t have been more predictable, firing a shot in my direction but I evaded it, only to find myself attacked by one of his men, whom I twisted his arm to the side, giving him a smackdown and shooting him in the head before he had the chance to defend himself.


    ¡°MICAH!¡± My deep, dark voice resonated in the room, threatening to bring the now-gory room to its feet.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡± He swore and my eyes darted to the table that had been turned upside down and I knew he was hiding behind it. My lips curled in a dark smirk and I fired a shot in that direction, eliciting an agonizing scream from him.


    ¡°Not so smart now, are we?¡± I sneered, firing shots at his men. He chose that opportunity toe out of his hiding, shooting in my direction but I blocked the bullet from piercing my body again with one of his men that came on to him. I pushed his dead body off sight, his body dropping to the floor with a loud thud.


    ¡°I am going to stand over your fucking body and watch you burn, Micah!¡± I promised him and I mean to stand by every word.


    ¡°So full of your fucking self!¡± He spat out his words venomously.


    ¡°Come on! Come on! Is that all you have got?¡± I chuckled, darkly and the bastard crawled out of his hiding ce, sporting a smirk on his face and raising his hands in the hair in mock surrender, throwing his head backwards in mockingughter.


    ¡°Look at you, so fucking pathetic!¡± I growled.


    A sharp pain shot through my shoulders and I groaned, struggling to maintain my bnce. I sure as hell didn¡¯t see iting from behind me. It was only until it met me in the back that I felt it, causing me to gnash my teeth. My steps wavered, my vision growing faint and through my peripheral vision, I saw Micah retreating but I didn¡¯t allow him to get away unscathed. I fired two shots in his direction, numbing his knees and he copsed to the floor, a groan leaving his lips.


    My steps grew weaker as I tried to approach him, ck dots slowly appearing in my vision at the loss of blood. My legs gave me away and I fell to the floor, wheezing lightly. I groaned, squeezing my eyes shut, my teeth mping down on my lips as though they would suppress the pain I was feeling. I watched the bastard crawl out of the room but then again, through gritted teeth and the rage that coursed through my veins that he was slipping through my clutches, I shot him. Again.


    He let out a sharp cry, muttering strings of cuss words. I struggled to get off the floor, not wanting him to escape from me. My legs wobbled, blood gushing out of my back and shoulders. My eyelids felt so heavy as I approached him, my steps growing weaker with every step I took. I was doubled over by one of his men, who tackled me to the ground, and through my peripheral vision, I saw Micah slipping away.


    I channeled that anger into getting this bastard off him, knocking my head with his and he groaned, throwing his head backwards. My eyes darted to the gun that had flung a few steps away from me. My hands came around his neck and I tightened my grip around it, flipping us over, so I was sitting atop him. I delivered weak punches to his face, eliciting mocking scoffs from him.


    ¡°Weak!¡± He spat and I gritted my teeth. He reached for the gun but I was faster, twisting his hand in the process and hijacking the gun from him. I shot him in the head without hesitation, rolling off him and wheezing softly.


    I groaned, a banging headache hitting my temples. I garnered all the strength I had left in me, pushing myself up and staggering out of the room. My knees wobbled as I tumbled out of the deserted hall, nearly toppling over my feet. I couldn¡¯t do it anymore, my legs gave me away and I gave in to its numbness, hissing through my teeth.


    ¡°Arden!¡± I heard her scream and my ears perked up, panic surging through me. My eyes suddenly grew blurry with tears but I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw her running to where Iy.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°Fuck! You are bleeding!¡± She sobbed, kneeling by my side and lifting me. Her perfectly made-up face was already smeared, her tears washing her mascara and eyeliner down her face but she still looked gorgeous as hell. I chuckled when she cradled my head to her chest, sobbing.


    ¡°Duncan!¡±


    ¡°Duncan!¡±


    She yelled out to him.


    ¡°You are not supposed to be here,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You need to leave¡­¡± My voice trailed off.


    ¡°Shut it! You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do! What the fuck were you thinking taking a bullet for me? Are you fucking crazy? I didn¡¯t ask you to, you fool!¡± She sobbed, seething silently.


    ¡°I would do it all over again,¡± I told her, smiling through my tears and soaking in the view of utter perfection that was atop me. My eyes were slowly starting to close and I was struggling to hold on to the image of her face that seemed to numb the pain I was feeling. I wanted to stare at her for as long as I could but the more I tried to fight the darkness, the harder it drew me in, ruining me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare close your eyes! Look at me, Arden! Look! Duncan¡¯s here! We are going to get you to a hospital, I promise you!¡± She assured me, her beautiful eyes soaked with tears.


    ¡°Baby, please, don¡¯t close your fucking eyes!¡±


    ¡°Just try to focus on me!¡±


    ¡°Arden!¡±


    ¡°Get your fucking ass here, Duncan!¡± She bellowed, her voice quivering as she ordered him. That was thest thing I heard before I slipped into the cold arms of the darkness.

 Chapter 74

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Arden!!!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Arden, look at me!¡±


    ¡°Baby, look at me!¡±


    Those words kept ying over and over in my head, shattering me.


    You know that feeling when you have just stumbled upon a new song and you love it, then you slowly be obsessed with it, reying it on repeat for the longest because you can¡¯t get enough of it? Yeah, imagine it the other way around because that was exactly how I felt, except this wasn¡¯t my favorite music. This was my worst nightmare reying over and over again in my head, scarring me, tormenting and stripping me of my sanity.


    And no matter how hard I tried to shut it out, it came back stronger, resurfacing and shoving the harsh, bitter truth in my face. The guilt that consumed me and ate me up was unfathomable to me. It gnawed at me, draining every ounce of emotions I had left in me. It would have been better if it just overwhelmed me all at once and I wouldn¡¯t have to feel this way anymore but it didn¡¯t. It was slow, torturous, and unending.


    I was a shadow of myself. Heck, I would look into the mirror and I wouldn¡¯t recognize the girl that stared back at me. The soulless, angry, and broken girl, who didn¡¯t in any way have an ounce of resemnce to who I used to be. The only thing I could hold onto was the hatred I had for myself because if it weren¡¯t for me, so many things could have been avoided.


    That bullet was supposed to hit me but he took it for me. I didn¡¯t know what the hell he was thinking. I didn¡¯t know how he was so quick to offer himself as a sacrificialmb after promising me forever! Heck, I didn¡¯t ask him to! If he wasn¡¯t such a martyr, I would be in this bed and not him. He didn¡¯t deserve this. He didn¡¯t deserve any of this.


    I was so mad at him for doing this to me, for doing this to us, and for putting me in this kind of situation. He didn¡¯t even stop to think about how this would make me feel. He just threw me off thene and decided to make me live without him.


    The unceasing gush of the water pierced through my thoughts and yanked me out of my reverie. Being back in touch with reality only plunged me into the awareness of the banging headache that felt like it was going to split my head into two. I turned off the tap, cing my wet palm over my burning forehead and I sniffed. I turned it on again, getting my palm wet enough for me to be able to brush it over my face, in a bid to stop my overly high temperature.


    I wasing down with a fever. I knew it was bound to happen with the way I had been crying myself to sleep every day but I didn¡¯t care. Maybe it would all be better if I died. At least, I wouldn¡¯t get to be in so much pain anymore. I turned off the tap and wiped my hands over my ck sweats, stepped out of the bathroom, and shut the door behind me.


    The loud beeping of the heart monitor echoed throughout the room, spiking my irritation. I couldn¡¯t help the frown that descended upon my face as I inhaled the smell of drugs that now filled the room. My eyes strayed to his unconscious figure on the bed and my heart broke all over again, beads of tears forming in my eyes. I strode forward, climbing onto the bed where I could be closer to him.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone hovering around him. That was the reason I had him moved from the hospital after they got the bullet out of him and stitched him up. I wanted him to be somewhere familiar, filled with memories, and maybe, just maybe, that would trigger him back to consciousness. My mind wandered off to what the doctor told me that if we had wasted a few more seconds before bringing him to the hospital, we would have lost him. I didn¡¯t even know what to think because I couldn¡¯t imagine how it would feel to lose him. I hadn¡¯t lost him and I was barely sane anymore.


    For the first two days, I was managing to hold it together, hopeful that he woulde back to me but it¡¯s been a week now and it feels like I can¡¯t even breathe. Everything feels so iplete without him. I was struggling so hard to hold on to my sanity but I could feel it slipping away from me. I just wanted him back. I wanted my husband back.


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I croaked, taking his hand in mine. I brought it to my lips and pressed a warm kiss to it, a tear rolling off my cheek and dropping onto it.


    I hated how he couldn¡¯t answer me!


    I hated how he was so still!


    I hated the stupid machine and the oxygen mask. I hated the whole world and was so angry at everything and everyone.


    ¡°Arden, it¡¯s so hard without you. I can¡¯t do this without you, Arden. You have toe back to me. I am nothing without you and these past few days have been hell for me. I can¡¯t bear this anymore.¡± I cried, my shoulder quaking with sobs. My heart felt as though it was ripped out of me and crushed into dust.


    I was so tired.


    I was so exhausted.


    I sniffed, dropping his hand. A soft groan exited my lips and I squeezed my eyes shut, running my fingers through my messy hair. The throbbing ache didn¡¯t seem like it was going to stop anytime soon. A knock sounded at the door and I swung my head in the direction of the door, myser-like res drilling holes into the door and I gritted my teeth in annoyance.


    I didn¡¯t understand how hard it was for them to understand the fact that I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to be with him and I didn¡¯t want to see or talk to anyone. It was a strict instruction that I expected them to adhere to. I shot up from the bed, marching towards the door and yanking it open.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem?!¡±


    ¡°Is it so hard for you to understand the fact that I don¡¯t want to be disturbed?¡±


    ¡°I understand that you are old but do you have to be so daft?¡±


    I was yelling at the top of my voice, tears streaming down my face as I took in the sight of a teary Alberta. She looked so pale, her eyes adorned with bags underneath them. It made it so evident that she had not been sleeping. Her eyes which always looked like they could light up the whole world were so dull, stained with tears. She held a tray of food in her hands and the sight of it made me want to puke.


    I couldn¡¯t even remember thest time I ate something. I wasn¡¯t even hungry and I didn¡¯t have the urge to take water. My taste bud felt non-existing because how could I possibly eat when everything that was happening was all my fault in the first ce?


    I sniffed, brushing my hair backrds and I sent her a wry nce, arching my brow at her and expecting her to get the hell out of my sight.


    ¡°Alberta, just go. Please. I do not have the energy to deal with you this morning.¡± I pleaded, my voice breaking. My soul was so tired. I would give anything to fade into nothingness and just get away from all this pain. There was stubbornness and there was Alberta. I had told her countless times that she didn¡¯t need to bring food to me.


    I wasn¡¯t hungry!


    Was it so hard to grasp?


    ¡°You have not had a single meal in a week, Mrs Gray. You have barely stepped out of the room. I doubt you have had your bath.¡± She pointed out, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. I hissed through gritted teeth, finding her insistence overly irritating. I hissed through clenched teeth, ring daggers at her but she seemed determined to talk me out of my hunger strike.


    ¡°I am not hungry, Alberta. Do you need me to yell it in your ears? For fucks sake, you are suffocating me! Goddamnit!¡± I cried, my toneced with exasperation.


    ¡°Alberta is right, Mrs. Gray.¡±


    The detached masculine voice that interrupted our conversation had me averting my gaze from Alberta, swinging my head in his direction with a deadly speed that made my neck hurt. My eyes anchored on his lean frame that was now standing behind Alberta, his cold, piercing gaze fixed on me. I scoffed, arching my brow at him. He didn¡¯t seem fazed, not one bit and that infuriated me to the core.


    I didn¡¯t know who or what the guy thinks he was for him to get involved with things that concerned me.


    ¡°And what the hell are you doing here?¡± I queried, my voice thick with audaciousness. My gaze was cold, hard, and stern. Alberta caught on the atmosphere that had thickened with so much tension, taking a step backwards. He was now standing right in front of him, his expression overly nk.


    ¡°The boss wouldn¡¯t like it if you don¡¯t have any meal.¡± He said monotonously, subtly debunking my question and buttressing his point from earlier. I stared at him, long and hard, my gaze unflinching. If looks could kill, the look I had on my face was enough to incinerate him right on the spot but he didn¡¯t allow that to deter him from making his point clear.


    Then, my lips twitched in a smirk that transcended into a peal of full-blownughter that reeked of lifelessness, sounding so hostile. I chuckled, wheezing as I tried to catch my breath.


    ¡°The boss, you say?¡± I queried, my voice dangerously low. I leaped forward, stopping right in front of him and jabbing my index finger at his chest.


    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t like it if I didn¡¯t have my meal?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Well, he¡¯s not here to get mad at me for doing that, or is he?!¡± My voice thundered across the vast hallway, echoing so loudly.


    ¡°Look at him!¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s on that bed, unconscious and not showing signs that he is going to wake up anytime soon and you stand there, you have the fucking nerve to look me in the eye, telling me what he would like and wouldn¡¯t! Fuck you, Duncan! Fuck you!¡± I yelled at him, my breathing out in harsh pants as tears filled my eyes, blurring my vision.


    I breathed, taking a step backwards.


    ¡°Leave,¡± I ordered the two of them.


    ¡°Leave! Get the fuck out of my sight and don¡¯t you ever show your faces to me anymore! I swear to God, if I find anyone lurking around this room, I will put a gun through your head and blow your brains out!¡±


    ¡°Get out!¡±


    ¡°Out!¡±


    ¡°Fuck off!¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    I was screeching and growling at them like I had lost my mind. Hot, heavy tears streamed down my face and I retreated, mming the door in their faces. I choked out a strangled sob, sliding down the door and bunching my knees to my chest while I bawled my eyes out.

 Chapter 75

    ASHLEY


    I moaned in pain, trying to pry my itchy eyes open. My head felt so heavy and fuzzy. I could barely feel it because it felt like it had already split apart. My throat was so dry and it was beginning to hurt. Myshes fluttered rapidly and I pushed myself off the bed, groaning softly. The damned monitor was still beeping and I snorted, looking to my right to see him in the same position he has always been.


    I brought my hand to his cheek, swiping my thumb against it slowly while stroking his hair. A small smile made its way to my lips and I leaned in, pressing a lingering kiss on his forehead. The jingling of the keys by the door caught my attention and I furrowed my brows, my hands growingx in his hair. The door clicked and was pushed open, revealing the familiar dark hair. A frown made its way to my face, my eyes narrowing in slits.


    ¡°You all keep pissing me off!¡± I snapped, my voice sounding so hoarse like I hadn¡¯t used it in days.


    ¡°Well, hello to you too, Mrs Gray. I think you keep forgetting the fact that he is my brother before he became your husband, so you are going to hold your tongue and you WILL NOT address me in that manner.¡± Maria chided me, her crusty green eyes narrowed at my frame, holding a hint of challenge in them.


    Her tone made it clear to me that she was in no mood for the act I had been putting up throughout the whole week,cking the signature warmth it always held. I held her gaze for a while before looking away, folding my arms across my chest. My shoulders soon slumped in defeat, a tired sigh leaving my lips.


    I brushed my hair off my face, throwing it in a quick messy bun while avoiding her eyes. I could only hope that she would get the hint and get out of my face.


    ¡°Jesus Christ, Ash, look at you!¡± She cried, her loud voice hammering against my temples.


    ¡°Have you had a bath? You look sick!¡± Sheined, her flip-flops hitting the floor so loudly as she advanced towards me. She took her seat, reaching for my hands but I reeled backwards, sending her a cursory nce. She looked awful with her ck hair that was secured in a messy ponytail, strands of her hair sticking in various directions. Her eyes looked tired, decorated withrge bags underneath them and I knew without a doubt that therge brown shirt she was wearing belonged to Andrew.


    They have been staying here since the whole thing went down. The memory of Maria breaking down after I broke the news to her was so fresh in my mind. I didn¡¯t know what would have happened if Andrew wasn¡¯t there to keep her from spiraling. I was d she had a man like him by her side. He was her soulmate.


    And yeah, mine was lying on a sick bed.


    ¡°Ashley, I understand your pain but you can¡¯t keep doing this to yourself. You are just going to get sick. You can¡¯t keep hurting yourself this way. I know you miss him and we all do but please¡­¡± Her voice trailed off with a crack and I released a shaky breath.


    ¡°Just stop,¡± She pleaded in a whisper.


    I didn¡¯t respond to her because I was too exhausted to talk.


    ¡°Your friends are here to see you. They are downstairs. I told them to wait while I inform you. I know you don¡¯t want anyone around this room.¡± She announced, sounding so cautious.


    I didn¡¯t want them to see me like this.


    So vulnerable¡­


    So, I shook my head, refusing to see them.


    ¡°Please,¡± She implored me.


    ¡°Just to breathe in air that¡¯s not stuffed with drugs, to stretch your legs. You know you want to see them if you are being honest with yourself.¡± She coaxed, reaching for my hand and giving it a light squeeze. I stared into space, pondering for a while before I finally nodded in agreement.


    I spared a nce in his direction, then reluctantly got off the bed and slid my feet into my flip-flops.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I am allowing you to wear this downstairs!¡± Maria eximed. I opened my mouth to protest against what she said but she was quicker.


    ¡°Ma__¡±


    ¡°Wait right here!¡± She ordered me and dashed into the closet,ing back out with a speed of light I couldn¡¯t bring myself to decipher. She stretched the clothes to me and I rolled my eyes, getting out of my shirt and sweatpants that I had been wearing for days now. I shrugged on the white tank top and Jean shorts, strolling out of the room before she could point out the fact that my hair was a bed nest.


    I descended the staircase, my eyes taking in the surroundings. I hadn¡¯t stepped out of my room in days and as much as I hated to admit it, Maria was right when she insisted I needed to get out of my room and breathe in an air that was different from the one in the room. The living room was quiet, void of the tons of maids that were always crawling around every corner.


    My eyesnded on Dawn and Ivana¡¯s frame. I couldn¡¯t hide how surprised I was when I saw Vincent and a low squeal exited my lips. I skipped off the stairs, running into his waiting arms and he picked me up, spinning me around. I couldn¡¯t help it. I burst into tears in his arms, my shoulders quaking with loud sobs.


    Vincentpleted our circle and was the closest thing I had to a brother. I can¡¯t even remember thest time I saw him. It was always work or another thing that kept him away from sight, although he always got the chance to link up with his fiancee when work wasn¡¯t so crazy.


    ¡°Hey, Ash.¡± He chuckled, his deep voice echoing in my ears. He dropped me back on my feet and I looked up to face the muscr male. Vince has always been all shades of stop-and-stare. It wasn¡¯t any different now. His tousled brown hair looked a little messy, augmenting his warm baby-blue eyes that twinkled with softness.


    ¡°God! Vince! How have you been? It¡¯s been so long! How are you even here? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be in Canada?¡± I bombarded him with questions that made him overly amused, earning me soft chuckles from thedies in the room.


    ¡°Movies can wait but being there for my friend can¡¯t. I am so sorry I missed your wedding. I heard what happened and I am really sorry.¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± He said softly and I stepped into his arms, allowing him to hold me and tears began welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled, sniffing. He let me out of his grip after a while and kissed my hair, sporting a reassuring smile on his face. My eyes flitted to Ivana and Dawn, and then it hit me how much I have missed them and how much of a bitch I have been to them for the past few weeks, refusing to see them. I walked into their waiting arms and they enveloped me in a warm hug.


    ¡°I am so sorry,¡± I sobbed.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t apologize for what you have no control over, Ashley.¡± Ivana crooned, patting my back.


    ¡°You were hurting,¡± Dawn added.


    I was grateful for how these girls understood me, even more than I understood myself most times.


    ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you leaving one person out of the group hug?¡± The soft, teasing voice piqued my interest, my ears perking up instinctively. I stepped out of their embrace and looked over my shoulder, beholding the sight of my dad walking out of the kitchen with my mom trailing behind him.


    My mouth went wide in a circr shape, my eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. A light gasp escaped my lips, apanied by a tiny sob. My feet moved on their ord and I raced towards him, allowing him to engulf me in one of his numerous bear hugs that I missed so much.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    ¡°Hey, Princess.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry it took us a while toe. Your friends informed us about it yesterday.¡± He apologized, his voice filled with remorse that made my chest constrict in pain. I had been so mad at Mom that I took it out on him also and refused to go see them. I was the one who ought to feel guilty, not him.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You are here now and that¡¯s all that matters.¡± I gave him a teary smile, tilting my head backwards to assess him. He grinned at me and pressed a soft kiss to my forehead, which had me grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Hey, honey.¡±


    My mom called out to me and it hit me how much I have missed hearing her speak to me. My heart leaped up in excitement and my eyes drifted to her frame, holding her teary gaze. Given how we ended our conversation thest time, I didn¡¯t think she would show up. My mom could be difficult but I loved her. A little too much even.


    ¡°Mom,¡± I whispered and she dropped the bowl in her hands on the nearest table, ambling forward and she drew me in for a motherly hug. I basked in thefort of her arms, bawling my eyes out like a baby and she rubbed my back soothingly, whispering words of encouragement to me.


    ¡°God, have you been eating? You look so lean. Come,e, have your seat. I made you soup,¡± She voiced out, leading me to one of the couches in the room.


    ¡°And don¡¯t say you are not hungry because you are!¡± She chipped in, handing me the hot bowl of soup. My tummy rumbled loudly at the sight of the rich broth, eliciting loud snorts and giggles from everyone in the room. I hadn¡¯t realized how hungry I was until I had the broth in my hands. I wasted no time in digging in, munching on the chunks of beef in it. It was hot, spicy, and delicious.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    After consuming the hot broth, Dad was so quick to offer hisfort and I snuggled up against him, dropping my head on his chest and allowing his essence to cocoon me. I felt like a child in his arms as he stroked my hair, lulling me to sleep.


    ¡°Dad?¡± I called him.


    ¡°Yes, Princess?¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mumbled, a soft yawn escaping my lips.


    ¡°Hush, you don¡¯t need to thank me, now go to sleep.¡± He said softly, pressing a soft kiss to my hair. I slowly drifted into sleep, drowning in the soft chatters of my family that surrounded me. They made me realize I didn¡¯t have to do this alone. All I had to do was lean on them and allow them to weather through the storm with me.

 Chapter 76

    ASHLEY


    With the satin robe that was draped over my nakedness, I could still feel the chilly breeze on my skin, which caused me to drape it around my body, even more, my eyes wandering around the surroundings that led to the hot tub. I could do some stretching of my legs and Maria aided in getting me out of my room since she has been on my case after I stepped out of my room for the first time in a week. I couldn¡¯t have thought of a better way to spend the night.


    I hated to admit that she was right when she told me I couldn¡¯t stay in there forever.


    My steps grew slower and I paused, assessing the steam that oozed off the seemingly scalding liquid. I advanced to the brick-like seat, my eyes doing a quick survey of the area and when I saw no one in sight, I shrugged the ck material off my body, causing it to pool at my feet. I picked it up and threw it on the seat, stepping forward. The thought of stepping into the water made me swallow, so I took a leap and dipped my finger into the tub, wincing softly.


    I mustered up the courage and dropped my feet into the water, then the rest of my body followed and I swam forward, allowing the liquid to burn through my skin. It was ufortable at first but my nerves grewx, a wave of satisfaction washing over me afterwards. I sighed, giving in to the thoughts that chose to drown me as at that moment.


    The hot tub wasn¡¯t in quick sight, given howrge the area was. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if there were ces in this house I didn¡¯t know. That was the extent of its vastness. Arden had always told me about the hot tub in thepound but he never got the chance to bring me here. It was either he wasn¡¯t around and got swamped with work or other things needed our attention. I have always imagined what it would feel like to be in here with me, having him hold me to himself like his life depended on me, gazing at me like I was the most beautiful thing he had everid his eyes on.


    He didn¡¯t get the chance and I didn¡¯t even know if he ever would.


    My eyes began burning with hot tears. I was struggling to hold back. I released a shaky breath, sucking in some breath but it spilled anyway. My lips quivered, my lungs tightening up and making it so difficult for me to breathe. I was trying to hold back from breaking down but when I saw that it wasn¡¯t getting me anywhere, I let it go and allowed the tears to flow. At some point, I screamed, shattering into pieces in the pool.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    I couldn¡¯t see anything.


    All I could do was just cry.


    And that was all I did. I let it all out.


    I was so numb by the time I had finished crying and the little zeal I had in me when I wanted to rx in the hot tub, was long gone. It had dissipated into nothingness, leaving just a shell of myself. I sniveled, swimming forward, and then I let myself out of the pool. I heaved a sigh, picking up my robe and shrugging it on.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    And with that, I made my way back into the house. The guard who looked like a statue by the doorpost bowed his head to me in respect and it left me wondering if these guys ever get a day off. They were always hanging around, 24/7. I furrowed my brows, then shrugged casually, stepping into the house and shutting the door behind me.


    I was halfway through the path that led to the staircase when I resorted to going to the kitchen to get myself some water. It felt like a jolt to my memory when I remembered that Alberta might be in the kitchen by this time but then, the urge to get something to drink was much stronger, so resolving to pretend like she never existed, I head into the kitchen.


    Relief broke out on my face when I walked into the kitchen and couldn¡¯t find her in sight. I exhaled, advancing to the fridge. I took out a ss from the shelf, retrieving a bottle of water from the fridge. I poured some into the ss and took arge gulp. Once I was satisfied, I discarded the rest of the water, rinsed the cup, and set it back on the shelf, then I sauntered out of the kitchen.


    ¡°You are such a stubborn little thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±


    I froze, my eyes growing wide in their sockets. They darted around the massive space in confusion. The deep, baritone voice was enough to make me discern that the voice belonged to a male. It sounded so familiar but my brain couldn¡¯te up with anything. I couldn¡¯t register anything, no matter how hard I tried. Reflexively, all I should have done was mind my damn business and just head upstairs but the curiosity that niggled at me was much stronger and overwhelming.


    My senses were heightened and enhanced, ready to pick up on any sound that would lead me to where the voice wasing from. My wish was granted when a dark chuckle resonated throughout the room and I swung my head in the direction of the hallway that led to the guest rooms. It was an invasion of privacy but I couldn¡¯t care less at this point. This was my house and anything that happens in here, one way or the other was my business.


    My feet developed a mind of their own, leading me to the  hallways as I tried to be as discreet as I could, thankful for the fact that I wasn¡¯t wearing my flip-flops. I could have expected anything else but there was nothing in this world that could have prepared me for the sight in front of me.


    My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, my eyes doubling in size and nearly bulging out of their sockets. I was frozen, my legs glued to a spot. I couldn¡¯t for the life of me register what I had just seen.


    I would recognize that mane of sandy-blonde lushness anywhere but what appalled me further was the brte he had trapped against the wall, one of her legs thrown around him carelessly. The dark red satin robe she was wearing was almost falling off her shoulder, revealing a generous amount of her cleavage, which was out in the open for his eyes to see. The way she wiggled and swallowed in his arms screamed neediness at a nce.


    How bad she wanted him¡­


    My brain screamed at me to get out of there but I couldn¡¯t move my legs. I was immobilized. I just stood there, watching the duo that was consumed by lust because never in my wildest dreams could I imagine Duncan in a position like this with Zelda.


    ¡°You are just a desperate little whore!¡± He growled at her, tightening his grip on her hands that were pinned above her head, pressed tightly against the wall. He loomed closer, burying his head in the crook of her neck. Zelda¡¯s moan was so loud and it had me wondering if she was ready to risk blowing her cover.


    ¡°You just want to be fucked really hard, don¡¯t you?¡± He chuckled, berating her, and she moaned in response.


    ¡°Please,¡± She whispered, wiggling in his arms.


    I knew she had it bad for him but not this bad. Her words were coated with a certain desperation that just made my heart clench in pain. Zelda doesn¡¯t just like Duncan. She was obsessed with him. The kind of obsession that runs deeper than it appeared on the surface. It wasn¡¯t until I heard the rattling of his belt, apanied by a breathy moan that emitted from her, that I blinked, snapping back to reality.


    I wasn¡¯t about to watch my friend get fucked against the wall.


    Unsure of what to do with what I had just seen, I released a shaky breath, spinning on my heels and heading for the staircase, wanting to be away from her breathy moans that were mixed with his grunts.


    I know I should be happy for my friend for getting the guy she wanted but there was this strong conviction that pointed out the bitter truth to me that Zelda didn¡¯t get the guy, instead she was signing herself up for a heart-wrenching heartbreak. Things have been so crazy around here in the past week and if there was anything as clear as day to me, it was the fact that she was a distraction for Duncan, from everything that had been going on, and God, it crushed me because Zelda deserved better!


    She deserved better than him.


    My legs grew heavier as I ascended the staircase, reeling from what I had just seen because I still couldn¡¯t wrap my head around it. Maybe I should have just backed off because if I had just minded my business, I wouldn¡¯t have to walk in on something that heartbreaking. Duncan wasn¡¯t the man for Zelda and it kills me that she might have to learn the hard way. There was no way in hell I could tell her that, she had to see it herself. I could only hope that she wouldn¡¯t let it weigh her down too much.

 Chapter 77

    ASHLEY


    As I approached our room, every feeling of shock I felt from earlier, when I saw Duncan and Zelda, slowly vanished into thin air. The more I tried to hold on to it, my desperate attempt at grasping that emotion because it was so much easier to deal with, the harder it got to keep it with me. I wasdened with a sense of guilt that weighed me down so much, knowing I was going to walk into that room that had drained me of my emotions.


    However, there was this small part of me that held on to a spark of hope that glimmered inside of me, flickering now and then. This positivity that I could walk into that room and he would be on that bed, awake and waiting for me but I knew that this wasn¡¯t a book or some movie. This was reality! This was my reality! Yet, I couldn¡¯t help but desperately hope for some kind of miracle, some kind of magic.


    My legs felt so heavy, my breathsing out so small. I squeezed my eyes shut, drawing in some breath. My hand felt like it was going to slip off the doorknob but I gathered the courage and stepped into the dim room. Instinctively, I swung my head in the direction of the bed, my eyes flitting to his frame. The glimmer of hope that swirled around in me like a bubble was punched out of me, vanishing into thin air and my heart broke all over again.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I released a shaky breath, beads of tears forming in my eyes. My lips quivered and I trembled, my body feeling like it was just yanked out of a pool of ice. I puffed out some air through my cheeks, whirling on my heels to switch on the lights, to aid the brightness of the room. My eyes flickered to his frame and I furrowed my brows, unable to discern the sense of eeriness that struck me. There was something different about him but I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on it. It was indecipherable for me.


    I exhaled, shrugging off the robe on my body. My eyes darted away from him and I strolled to my dresser, taking a nce at my reflection in the mirror. Ever since the incident, I avoideding in contact with my reflection in the mirror because I knew what, or rather, who I would see would shatter me into pieces and I couldn¡¯t have been more right.


    There was a certain glow and lushness my hair used to have but now, it was so dim. My hair was so dry, my eyes were bloodshot. My skin looked so pink and I knew it was courtesy of me crying my eyes out, now and then.


    I looked awful.


    Heck, it felt like an understatement of the year. I couldn¡¯t stomach the sight of my soulless eyes, so I made my way to the bathroom to wash off. It was a quick shower because I didn¡¯t want to give in to the urge of soaking myself in the bathtub. Thest time I tried something like this when my life was falling apart, I tried to drown myself.


    I wrapped a towel around my head, sauntering out of the bathroom. I took a seat on the stool and dried my hair, patting my body dry, after which I applied a lotion to my skin.


    Maybe if I talked to him again, he would wake up, right? He might listen to me. I should try it again. I shouldn¡¯t just sit here and try to distract myself with a skincare routine. I shot up from my stool, ambling to the bed. I scooted over to his side, picked up his hand, and pressed a kiss to it.


    ¡°I am so mad at you, Arden,¡± I admitted, confronting the resentment I had towards him for what he did. My lip trembled, tears filling up my eyes but I wasn¡¯t even done.


    ¡°I am so pissed at you!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Why the fuck would you do that? I didn¡¯t ask you to save me! Why did you have to be the martyr? You can¡¯t go jumping in front of bullets after you promised me forever! No, you can¡¯t do that! It¡¯s so unfair!¡±


    ¡°We are supposed to be partners, remember?¡±


    ¡°We are supposed to be partners!¡± I had tears streaming down my face, blurring my vision.


    ¡°I need you, baby. I am falling apart. I can¡¯t do this without you. Honestly, it feels like I am going insane but maybe it would be better. At least, I would get a break from all this!


    ¡°Arden, you have to wake up because I don¡¯t see myself living without you!¡±


    ¡°I promise you, I am going to listen to you. I am not going to get on your nerves anymore. I will do whatever it is you tell me to do. I won¡¯t wear revealing clothes. I wouldn¡¯t go out without my guards. Heck, I would stop packing my hair in a ponytail!¡± I cried, squeezing his hands and burying my head in his chest, sobbing profusely.


    ¡°Really? You¡¯d do that for me?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, you fool! I love packing my hair to spite you and not even you can change that!¡± I countered him, hitting his chest. But then, I paused, blinking rapidly. I squeezed my eyes shut, shaking my head sideways. I didn¡¯t understand if it was all just in my head or if it was real. I took my head off his chest, sniffing. I did a double-check of his frame, furrowing my brows.


    ¡°Arden?¡±


    My question was met with a deep rumble in his chest. The familiar octave sound I had grown so attached to in the months of being with him. I didn¡¯t know how much I had missed hearing him talk until tonight. He took off the oxygen mask on his nose, setting it aside. He squinted his eyes, an indication that told me he was trying to adjust to the brightness of the light.


    ¡°Hey, Peach.¡±


    I gasped in disbelief, relief washing over me. I blinked, again, trying to wrap my head around what was going on.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°You are awake!¡± I yelled, ecstatically and he watched me with those mesmerizing green eyes that were filled with warmth, adoration, and amusement. I burst into tears, copsing in his arms and sobbing heavily. He tried to sit up with me in his arms, wrapping his arm around me and cocooning me with the unending warmth of his body.


    ¡°Hey,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, baby. I am here now.¡± He assured me, pressing a kiss to my temple.


    ¡°God, how long have you been awake?¡± I queried, hoarsely.


    ¡°Long enough to witness the strip tease you gave me earlier. It was one hell of a view.¡± His voice sounded so husky, rendering my cheeks on fire. It made it even clearer that being on a sick bed had nothing on this man because it wasn¡¯t even enough to rob him of his flirting skills.


    I lifted my head off his shoulder, looking up to stare at him to my heart¡¯s content. It felt like I could finally breathe. For someone who just jolted back to consciousness, he didn¡¯t look like it. With his messy bed hair and his glowing eyes, he looked like he was set to walk the runway. The intensity of those eyes, whenever they stared at me couldn¡¯t have seemed more evident, burning through every inch of my skin.


    They made me so conscious yet, I didn¡¯t want to shy away. I wanted him to see just how much his gaze affected me.


    Just how much I had it bad for him.


    ¡°Fuck, I missed you.¡± He proimed, watching me like he was in awe of me.


    ¡°Then, show me,¡± I whispered, gulping audibly. I leaned in, my breath fanning the skin of his face. His hand automatically connected with the small of my back, hoisting me on hisp and I gasped when he adjusted me properly, his eyes steadily on mine, holding me captive in its confines.


    Then, he grabbed me by the back of my head, his mouth descending on mine and my eyes snapped shut, instinctively. A slow, warm burn spread across my body, coursing through every inch of my being. His kiss awakened me, rejuvenated me, and indicted sparks into my seemingly nd life that had gone so cold during his absence. It gave me life. It gave me breath. It gave me purpose. He moved his lip against mine, plunging me into a world of madness. The passion between us doubled up in a thousand folds, melting me into nothingness.


    He teased me with his mouth and I moaned shamelessly into his mouth, my knees growing weak. His hands massaged my scalp, a sense of serenity washing over me. The kiss was slow but it stole every ounce of breath I had left in me. He slowly broke the kiss off, much to my dismay, resting his forehead on mine.


    ¡°I don¡¯t regret what I did, Peach. Hell, I would make the same choice if I were given the opportunity a thousand times.¡± He professed, his words knocking the breath out of me. Tears welled up in my eyes and my lips trembled, a soft sob rippling through my mouth.


    ¡°You are worth it and a lot more, Evaline.¡± He added and I could have sworn I heard a crack in his voice.


    ¡°Come here, you stupid man.¡± I sobbed, cradling his head to my chest. It was as though he had been waiting for that opportunity because he clung to me like his life depended on it.


    ¡°I am so d to have you back, big bad mafia boss.¡± My lips stretched in a smile as I stroked his hair.


    Maybe Maria was right. Maybe I was just as obsessed as he was with me.

 Chapter 78

    ASHLEY


    I missed this.


    I missed being held by him. I missed being flushed against his chest as he snuggled me to sleep. I still couldn¡¯t bring myself to believe that he was awake, holding me in his arms. It felt so surreal because I felt like if I let him go, he might disappear from my side and just fade into nothingness. I didn¡¯t want to go through all I went through thest time.


    My lips twitched in my sleep as I snuggled into him, even more, desperate to feel his arms around me. But then, every trace of the smile on my face waspletely wiped off when I felt him jerk in my arms, muttering profanities under his breath. His hold grew tighter, almost as though he wanted to squeeze out every ounce of breath I had in me. My eyes snapped open, instinctively, his nails digging into my bare skin and I winced.


    He was having a nightmare.


    Again.


    My eyes flitted to his restless frame tossing and turning in his sleep, his body drenched in sweat. My heart lurched to my throat, blood pounding furiously in my ears and I tried to pry myself out of his grip. My eyes grew misty, shaky breath evading me now and then. I reached out to hold on to him, wanting to keep him in ce but he flinched at my touch, reeling backwards.


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Mom!¡±


    ¡°Arden!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a nightmare, look at me! I am here!¡± I cried, cupping his face. His eyes were shut stiffly, his muscles tense under my touch. I couldn¡¯t even hear him breathe. I got atop him, trying to get him to open his eyes, my tears dropping down his body, non-stop.


    ¡°Baby, hey! hey!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± He screamed, jolting upright with a start. His body was drenched with sweat. I rolled off him, crouching to his side, loud hups emitting from me. A soft groan tore through his lips, his breathinging out so scorched and bruised. He dropped his head into his palm, trying to control his uneven breaths. I stared at him, unsure of what to do, my heart clenching in pain.


    His bruised breathing filled the room while I just sat still in a spot, my eyes scanning his frame, watching his every move. Hisposure was enough to tell me that thest thing he needed right now was me being all over his face. All in his space but I couldn¡¯t help it. He was in so much pain and I wanted to help whichever way I could.


    I shifted where I sat, reaching out to touch him but his body grew tense.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± He snapped, his loud voice echoing in the room. It was cracking and quivering. His tone caught me off-guard and I flinched visibly, tears filling my eyes.


    ¡°Arden__¡±


    ¡°God!¡±


    ¡°Just get the hell out of my face!¡± He bit at me harshly, breaking my heart with every word he uttered. He hissed through clenched teeth, muttering incorrigibles under his breath. He shifted away from me, pushing the covers off his body, and rose to his feet. My eyes widened in rm.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± I queried.


    ¡°I want to take a shower.¡± He said gruffly and without wasting any more seconds with me, he spun on his heels and headed to the bathroom, mming the door shut with a bang that threatened to rip the door off its hinges.


    I flinched, teary-eyed, my eyes drilling holes into the door. I dropped my head into my palms, digging my fingers into my hair. I just wanted this pain to stop. He was having such a hard time and wouldn¡¯t even allow me to help. I mean, it¡¯s barely been three days since he woke up, and then, the nightmares were back. He¡¯s not even allowed to catch his breath away from his demons.


    It was driving me to the edge that I didn¡¯t even know how to help him, that I didn¡¯t know how to take this pain away from him. He was shutting me out. He doesn¡¯t want to share his pain with me.


    I sat there in suspense, my heart hanging in my mouth as my shoulders quaked with sobs while I waited for him to step out of the bathroom. At some point, I wanted to screw the odds and just go meet him in the bathroom but I knew it would only make him so aggravated and that was thest thing I wanted.


    So, with how bad it broke me, I decided to give him the space he wanted.


    I didn¡¯t know how long he was in the bathroom but by the time he stepped out, relief broke over my face and he could see it too. He didn¡¯t hold my gaze for a few seconds before he sauntered into the closet,ing out a momentter and dressed in ck sweatpants.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    Then, I saw it in his steps.


    His hesitance.


    He wasn¡¯t sure how to face me after he just snapped at me and despite how crazy everything felt right now, my lips curved in a smile and I chuckled, sitting up.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I urged him, a light smile ying on my lips. He hastened up and got out of his flip-flops, getting into bed with me. I scooted close to him, drawing him in for a soft snuggle against my chest. I made sure I propped the pillows against the headrest so that our position would befortable.


    His breathing had gone back to normal,ing out softly. With the way he clung to me, it felt like he wanted to fuse our bodies, the fruity smell of his body wash invading my nostrils. The silence between us was in no way ufortable. Instead, it was peaceful and I knew that he needed it to collect his thoughts.


    One of his hands that were wrapped around my waist slowly detached from it and crawled underneath my baggy tee, brushing against my bare skin. I sucked in a breath, my nipples growing excessively hard under my shirt. I wasn¡¯t wearing a bra underneath, so it was easy ess to my boobs for him. His palm found one of my sensitive mounds, kneading it softly. My arm tightened around him, my fingers digging into his skin.


    ¡°They are so soft,¡± He whispered, expressing his admiration for them. A soft moan exited my lips when he began toying with my hard nub, flicking and tugging at it. My eyes fluttered shut instinctively and I cradled his head to my neck, slipping my fingers into his wet hair. Heat settled between my legs which had begun dripping with moisture. I sped my thigh shut, rubbing them together. He continued his assault on my breasts, whispering sweet nothings into my ears as I wiggled in his arms like a worm.


    ¡°Arden, stop teasing me.¡± I was out of breath, bing so dizzy as the seconds ran by and he chuckled against my neck.


    ¡°I missed them,¡± He whined like a child and his hands stopped moving underneath my shirt, eliciting a soft chuckle from me.


    ¡°Fine, you can keep your hands there.¡± I rolled my eyes and we fell into afortable silence that enveloped the both of us. But then, I knew it was only a matter of time before it was broken.


    And the thought of it scared me.


    So much.


    ¡°Can we talk?¡±


    He asked quietly, detaching his head from my neck. He pressed a soft kiss to my lips and our eyes locked in a stare. There was something about his eyes tonight, akin to fear, and that tugged at my heartstrings dangerously. He had a forlorn look on his face, and then I sighed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk about it if you don¡¯t want to. I am not being pushy.¡± I rified, kissing his forehead.


    ¡°I want to,¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s high time I spoke about it.¡± He announced, his voice thick with a determination that soon faltered after he puffed out some breath shakily, clinging to me like his life depended on it. I didn¡¯t probe him. I just held him because that was what he wanted.


    I sucked him some breath, knowing his revtion could usher a giant spin around our rtionship.

 Chapter 79

    ASHLEY


    ¡°It feels so fresh, baby,¡± He began.


    ¡°So fresh.¡±


    ¡°My mom and Dad have always been so extra. Well, my mom, mostly.¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°It was my high school graduation. Maria had a little fever and she had to stay back with Alberta, making Mom promise that she wouldn¡¯t stay back with her. I was the valedictorian of my set. Geez, you should have seen how hard they cheered for me that day, baby.¡± He spoke, his voice thick with adoration for them, coated with a hint of nostalgia. I couldn¡¯t suppress the smile that was beginning to form on my lips.


    ¡°Mom brought up the idea of a family dinner, so we couldn¡¯t stay back at school. We headed home¡­¡± His voice trailed off and he muttered a curse word under his breath.


    ¡°God,¡± He whispered.


    I needed no one to tell me how hard it was for him to open up about what was going on with him. He wasn¡¯t used to such a gesture.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    I held him even tighter.


    ¡°We were so happy in the car. They wouldn¡¯t stop telling me how proud they were of me. I even made a joke about me being a big boy because I was already eighteen. It was¡­¡± His voice began cracking, crushing my soul.


    ¡°It just happened so fast,¡± He croaked.


    ¡°Dad only took his eyes off the road for a second,¡±


    ¡°For a second, Peach!¡± His voice raised an octave higher.


    ¡°A truck was barreling towards us, right in our direction and the driver lost control of the truck. The next thing I knew, it was ramming into our car and there was¡­there were so many screams, shattering of sses as our car somersaulted.¡± He divulged, his voice barely above a whisper. He was barely holding it together and it was so evident how painful it was for him.


    I choked out a sob, holding onto him. I allowed the tears to flow. I didn¡¯t hold back. My heart clenched in pain for him because I couldn¡¯t even imagine how it must have felt for him to lose both his parents on one of the happiest days of his life.


    He was such a strong man.


    ¡°Peach, I watched my mother give up the ghost. She died right before my eyes and I couldn¡¯t save her! I couldn¡¯t do anything! You should have seen how terrified she looked! She didn¡¯t want to die, Peach! She tried to hold on for as long as she could, waiting for me to help her but I couldn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°I WAS HELPLESS!¡±


    ¡°I had no control over the situation!¡±


    He was yelling at the top of his lungs, letting it all out and falling apart in my arms. He couldn¡¯t hide his pain. He couldn¡¯t hide how much he was hurting, so he was screaming at me. The self-loathe in his tone terrified me, it had dread washing over me. It tore me apart.


    He was ming himself for what happened, for what he clearly had no control over. It mortified me how long he had been holding on to this hatred, to this anger. He must have tried to escape his grief and that was why it still hurt this much. He didn¡¯t allow himself to grieve for them.


    ¡°It was hell!¡±


    ¡°Waking up to find myself in a hospital, after three weeks of being unconscious!¡±


    ¡°I think a part of me died in that ident that day. A part of me that I am never going to get back.¡± He mumbled, his voice quivering like he was trying so hard not to break down but what he didn¡¯t know was there were no shortcuts to healing, if you refuse to follow the due process, it woulde back and overwhelm you. It will consume you more than you can ever think!


    ¡°I was just eighteen.¡±


    ¡°My whole world fell apart without my parents. I had to grow up really fast, for Maria. I knew I needed an escape from that horrible feeling, so I threw myself to work and began training to uphold my Father¡¯s legacy. I took over before my neenth birthday, channeling my anger into bing a better version of my father.¡± His tone was so cold.


    ¡°At some point, I began obsessing over the fact that it might have not been an ident. It might have been staged but it wasn¡¯t. It was just an ident!¡±


    ¡°That was the most infuriating part!¡±


    ¡°Finding out it was just an ident!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who I am anymore, Peach because I have learned to keep it all buried inside for so long that I barely feel anything, anymore,¡± He mumbled.


    ¡°Until you,¡± He said those two words, looking up to face me with his glistening green eyes. He had a warm smile on his face, watching me like I was a lost part of him that he just got back and that shook me to the core of my soul.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Arden opening up to me was like the final piece of a puzzle. It made so much sense. It dawned on me, jamming me in the guts and punching my breath out of me. His obsession to control everything stemmed from pain, not because that was who he was. It had eaten into him so deeply, aligning with his personality, making it so hard to decipher. That was the reason he couldn¡¯t afford to be vulnerable with anyone.


    I didn¡¯t even know how I was able to figure it out but I did.


    His control was all he had left.


    He utilized it like a weapon and it shaped him into the man that he was today. He was just a boy that had been shielding himself from pain after his whole world crumbled right before his eyes because what better way not to get your heart broken than to pretend you don¡¯t have one?


    Beneath the tough facade, he put up, was a broken man, who thought he was undeserving of his forgiveness. The self-loath he was holding on to was holding him back from truly healing from the pain of losing his favorite people in the world. I didn¡¯t even want to imagine how hard it must have been for him, running the deadliest crime organization when he was barely twenty and training his sister.


    And boy, he raised her into the badass woman she was today and I couldn¡¯t have been prouder of him. He had to be both a brother and father to her. He had to be her everything while he died inside, over and over again.


    ¡°I miss them so much, baby.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could get just a second and see them again. I wish we had skipped my Grad party because if it weren¡¯t for me, all this wouldn¡¯t have happened!¡± He screamed, holding onto me.


    ¡°I just want them back¡­¡± He trailed off, his tense body growingx in my arms and that was all it took for him to shatter into a thousand pieces in my arms. He broke down so badly, bawling his eyes out like a little child. All that pain, all that anger, all that exhaustion, all that hatred, he let go of it, for once and allowed himself to be vulnerable.


    He let it all out, sobbing profusely in my arms and I held on to him, crying my eyes out.


    I didn¡¯t know how long I held him but I did and allowed him to pour his heart out. I was grateful that he didn¡¯t shy away from me, instead, he allowed me to hold him so tight. My hands glided back and forth on his naked back, soothingly.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Let it all out.¡±


    ¡°I am here and I am never leaving.¡±


    ¡°You are okay, baby. You are alright.¡±


    I mumbled words of assurances to him, sniffing in between. His cries reduced to whimpers and then, transcended to hups. The room was filled with silence and I knew I was going to have to break it. The thought of saying the wrong thing has never scared me until today but I shrugged it off, not wanting it to overwhelm me.


    ¡°I am so sorry you had to go through all that, baby. I am so sorry you had to grow up so fast,dened with burdens and responsibilities. I am so sorry you had to die inside to be the best brother and father figure to Maria,¡±


    ¡°You are so strong, my love and I couldn¡¯t have been prouder of you because you did a great job. You turned your pain into something that made you into the great man that you are.¡± I crooned, chuckling softly, my voice filled with immense softness.


    ¡°But you don¡¯t have to go through it alone,¡± I shook my head as though he could see me.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± I prodded him softly and the way he clung to me indicated that he didn¡¯t want me to see him the way he was.


    ¡°Please, baby.¡± My voice was drawn into a whisper, thick with emotions. He released a shaky breath, lifting his head off my chest. He brought his face to my view and I cupped it softly, looking into his eyes. His eyes were bloodshot, glistening with tears. The exhaustion in them couldn¡¯t go unnoticed by me. He couldn¡¯t even hide it if he tried. I didn¡¯t have to say anything. I wanted him to see how much I meant every word I said to him.


    ¡°I have got you,¡± I promised, pressing my forehead against his. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to respond to what I said, so he nodded his head, my heart swelling with pride that he chose to believe me.


    ¡°Can I¡­¡± I trailed off, unsure of what he would think of my question.


    ¡°Ask me anything,¡± He broke the ice and I let out a shaky breath, massaging his cheeks with the pad of my thumb and his eyes fluttered shut at that act.


    ¡°When was thest time you have gone to see them?¡± My voice was barely above a whisper. He stilled beneath my touch but I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me. He hesitated before answering me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gone back there since the way we buried them.¡± His voice was so small and I could discern the shame it held but there was nothing to be ashamed of. He lost his parents abruptly and for someone who has spent nearly half his life ming himself for what happened to them, it must have been hard for him to go back there.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be ashamed, baby,¡± I said softly.


    ¡°But I should. I am a bad son.¡± He mumbled.


    I knew within me, with a strong conviction that Arden wasn¡¯t ready to let them go. He wasn¡¯t ready toe to terms with their death and that¡¯s the reason he couldn¡¯t go back there because going back meant admitting that they were truly gone and weren¡¯ting back. It was the hardest pill to swallow.


    ¡°You are hurting so much, Arden. You have done the hardest part which is opening up about it but you need to talk to a professional.¡± I voiced out the one thing that had been hanging at the tip of my tongue, ever since I found out about his nightmares.


    He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head slowly, not agreeing with me but I understood his fear and I understood how ufortable it was for him.


    ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    He was beginning to freak out, so I did the one thing that I knew would put him at ease. I kissed him. So, softly, sweetly, and very gentle with it. It was more than enough because his tense body eased into my touch, into the kiss, a soft moan eluding him.


    I broke it off because in as much as I wanted him inside of me, in as much as I missed how he always filled me up, we needed to talk and we needed toe to apromise.


    ¡°I will think about it.¡± He agreed, breathing heavily and my lips twitched in a proud smile, tears welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°But then, there¡¯s something we need to do. You might not like it but it¡¯s as important as speaking with a therapist¡­¡± My voice trailed off, hesitation hanging in it but he prodded me with a slight nudge of his head.


    ¡°You have to tell your family.¡± I dropped the bombshell and he stared back at me, his expression utterly nk. I gulped swiftly, blinking rapidly and before I could understand what was going on, he shifted forward, closing in on me. My back met the soft pillow and I swallowed.


    He had me trapped underneath him, staring down at me with an expression I couldn¡¯t decipher. His handnded on my leg, palming a handful of my thigh and I released a sharp gasp when he threw one of my legs around him, leaning into me and I sighed.


    ¡°Arden__¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that tomorrow,¡± He deadpanned, kissing me softly.


    ¡°But now, let me ravish you.¡± He demanded huskily and I moaned, his hands met the hem of my tee, pulling it over my head. My boobs were staring right back at him in the face and he groaned in satisfaction, his warm mouth enclosing around one of my nipples.


    I tossed my head backwards with a moan.

 Chapter 80

    ASHLEY


    A soft, tired sound rippled from my chest and I turned on my side, sighing softly.


    I slowly peered my eyes open, muttering profanities groggily. My eyes locked in a stare with mischievous green ones that gazed at me beneath those thick, long, and dark, darkshes. My lips automatically curved in a smile and I chuckled, shifting my head on the soft pillow. The light that peered from the bright chandeliers filtered into my eyes all at once but I would be damned if I shut my eyes because I knew there was no way in hell that I could ever get enough of those green eyes watching me.


    Heck, if it were any other person watching me sleep I would probably be freaked out of my mind but it was only Arden that would watch me sleep and I would feel goosebumps sprouting all over my skin, my breath hitching at the intensity of his gaze. His avid green orbs sparkled beneath the lights, brightening the whole room with the vivaciousness that swam in them. They were warm yet intense, scouring every inch of my body like I was an empyrean being.


    My cheeks chose that specific moment to rat me out but I couldn¡¯t me them or could I? I mean, leave it to him to stare at a girl and make her weak to the knees.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± I mumbled shyly and he chuckled, grinning from ear to ear like a little child that was just handed a bowl of cookies. The air that hung around him was so peaceful. It was something I hadn¡¯t seen since I had met him. That chilling, foreboding darkness was nowhere to be found. It was all warmth and vibrance. It made me so happy for him.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t find it creepy?¡± He asked me, amusement dancing in his orbs and I knew what he meant by that so I shook my head slowly, a smile ying on my lips.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way in hell I¡¯d find it creepy.¡± I rified, assuring him.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t resist watching you. God, you looked breathtaking. I feel like the luckiest man on earth for being a husband to an ethereal soul like you.¡± He spoke, the heart-tugging words rolling off his mouth effortlessly. It was no news that he was my husband but hearing him referring to himself as my husband couldn¡¯t have warmed my cheeks the way they did because I was blushing furiously.


    ¡°Oh yeah?¡± I queried, just to be sure of what I had heard, teasing evident somewhere in my voice.


    ¡°Fuck yeah.¡± He affirmed, chuckling. I brought my fingers into my hair, massaging it softly. The urge to suddenly get on his nerves couldn¡¯t have seemed more overwhelming.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­I have been thinking of getting a haircut. Maybe change it to a bob.¡± I hit the nail right on the head, my eyes steadily on his. The dazzling smile that rested on his features earlier, slowly dissolved, morphing into something darker, and then, a low growl rippled from his chest, which had me smirking.


    ¡°No!¡± He debunked, his voice rising several octaves higher. My words irritated him and he didn¡¯t hesitate to make that clear. I knew how obsessed he was with my hair and even if he wasn¡¯t, I loved my hair a little too much to change the entire outlook. My hair was my baby and I spent a lot on hair care.


    A breathyughter escaped me and I threw my head backwards, my shoulders quaking heavily.


    ¡°Okay, Rx. I was just messing with you before you go all Wolfy on me.¡± I chided him yfully, sitting up on the bed. I brushed my hair off my face, the covers hanging loosely on my naked body.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you cutting your hair.¡± I could tell it was meant to be an order but it came out as a whine and that had me chuckling in amusement. He rolled his eyes and slipped his arm around my waist, gently pulling me to his side and he pressed a soft kiss to the side of my head.


    ¡°So, are you ready?¡± I broke the ice, asking him the question that had been lingering in my mind and was so sure it had been lingering in his mind too. His warm, soft, possessive arm that was wrapped around my waist grew cold. I could feel the iciness pierce through the fabric of the covers, simmering into my skin and spreading across it, freezing up my entire body.


    Arden was quiet.


    Very quiet.


    He didn¡¯t utter a word.


    After the heart-wrenching conversation we had the other night, we both agreed that he was going to speak with a therapist. An agreement he caved into after a lot of persuasion from me but when I brought up the fact that he had to rip the band-aid off, he didn¡¯t give me a direct answer. Instead, I ended up beneath him, screaming his name as he fucked me senseless. I had concluded that he agreed with my suggestion and there was not even the slightest chance to think about him not agreeing with me because he kept me upied throughout that night.


    Although I couldn¡¯t help but notice that the heart-to-heart conversation seemed to have unlocked a deeper connection between us, strengthening the existing bond, even more. I could still feel his hesitation. It was niggling at me so hard and with just a nce at him, no matter how hard he tried to mask it, I could tell what he was feeling. It made me feel like I was beginning to turn psychic.


    It was no child¡¯s y to open up to his family about his demons but they needed to know. He couldn¡¯t do this alone. He needed his family with him and I feel like Maria had the right to know what was going on with her brother.


    I sat up, turning my body to face him, concern etched on my features.


    ¡°Baby,¡± I whispered and he exhaled, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He looked away from me, digging his fingers into his curls and I leaned into him, gently tilting his face to meet mine.


    I wanted him to look at me. I wanted him to know that I meant it when I told him we were in this together. I didn¡¯te into his life to bolt when things got worse. No, I was here to stay and I needed him to see that.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± I demanded, my voice reducing to a whisper. My eyes were fixated on his worried green ones. The undiluted fear I saw in them shook me to the core, rattling me but I stood my ground, determined to make him see reason with me.


    ¡°Arden?¡± I spoke up, waiting patiently for his response.


    ¡°Of course, Peach. I trust you with my life.¡± He answered and his words warmed my heart, bringing a smile to my face and my eyes soon grew misty. I chuckled through my tears.


    ¡°Then believe me when I say the peace of mind thates with opening up to them about what¡¯s truly going on with you. It would help them understand you better. You can keep something of this gravity from them__


    __They are your family, my love. They are not going to judge you if that¡¯s what you are scared of. And remember, I am going to be right beside you. If you need to stop and catch your breath, I will always be right beside you. If you feel like you can¡¯t do it anymore at some point, just look at me baby__


    __I will be right there.¡± I smiled at him, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. He stared at me in awe like he couldn¡¯t believe I was real.


    ¡°I don¡¯t deserve you, Peach.¡± He divulged, his voice cracking and I felt my heart skip at his words.


    ¡°If we are going to be ying the deserving card then I don¡¯t deserve you too,¡± I said with my face scrunched in a frown and he tugged me forward, a breathy chuckle evading him. My arms came around his neck and I kissed him softly, moving my arm around his tense frame, which caused me to break the kiss.


    Our eyes locked in a soft stare and he breathed softly.


    ¡°You are nervous,¡± I noted, my fingers threading their way through his silky hair, in a bid to soothe his nerves.


    ¡°I am fine. I am just a tad bit restless.¡± His tone was dismissive but I didn¡¯t allow that to throw me off. Instead, I had a suggestive smile descending on my features, my hands caressing his broad back.


    ¡°Let me distract you.¡±


    I offered and he urged me on with a soft nod of his head. Slowly, I guided his back to the headrest, kneeling in between his legs. I shrugged the covers off my body, revealing my naked body. I kept my eyes trained on his face and I watched a muscle tick in his jaw, his eyes darkening with lust. It brought a smirk to my lips and I leaned forward, toying with the drawstrings of his sweatpants.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tease me, Peach.¡± He warned huskily and I let out a breathy chuckle.


    ¡°Just rx and let me make you feel good,¡± I demanded, palming his crotch and then, I darted my tongue around the hollow of his neck, eliciting a guttural groan from him. I smiled against his neck, loving the effect I had on him. He was as hard as a rock with just a little kiss on his neck. I loved how hard he was for me because it was an extensive conviction that this man was all mine and I could do whatever I wanted for him.


    I went further, teasing him with my lips and my tongues, patiently bestowing pleasure on every part of his body, earning me arousing grunts that made me so turned on and overly satisfied.


    ¡°Peach!¡± He growled but I didn¡¯t say a word, instead, I chose to do this at my pace, discarding his frustrations.


    I slowly pulled his sweatpants downward, his cock springing on my face and I moaned at how warm it felt against my skin. The thick flesh throbbed heavily, stained with pre-cum at the tip. My mouth went dry, my throat itchy at the sight of it. I exhaled in satisfaction, pressing a kiss onto the tip and I felt him jerk underneath me. I went further, running my tongue across the flesh.


    Then I slowly took the tip into my mouth, sucking it off gently and he moaned, tossing his head back. I peered at him beneath myshes, utterly satisfied with the sight of him squirming in on the bed, pushing himself off the headrest. My nipples grew hard, heat shooting from my veins down to my core, a pool of moisture settling between my legs.


    I took my time, sucking him off at the tip before going all in, securing his cock with my small hands wrapped around it. I went with a slow pace, pumping it in and out of my mouth. His hands came to my hair, packing it in his hands and fisting at it.


    ¡°Yes, just like that, baby!¡± He grunted.


    ¡°Oh, shit!¡±


    ¡°You little slut!¡± He edged me on and I swirled my tongue around the tip of his shaft, grazing my teeth against the scalp. I worked the moisture of his pre-cum and my spit around his length, loving how good he tasted. He filled me up, his cock hitting the back of my throat. I was beginning to choke and gag on his dick but watching him grunt and cuss aloud was so satisfying and I was willing to take him all in like a good little girl.


    I was willing to send him over the edge.


    He tightened his grip on my hair, tugging at it and it left a stinging pain on my scalp, which I found pleasurable afterwards. My eyes were beginning to water so badly, glistening with tears. I moaned as he thickened up, fucking my mouth.


    ¡°Jesus, Peach!¡±


    ¡°Oh, God! Don¡¯t stop!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s so good, baby. Keep doing that!¡± He sounded so breathless, his voice overly husky. My buds were starting to ache for his touch so badly, leaving me in dire need of his mouth wrapped around one of them.


    ¡°Faster!¡± He demanded, tugging at my hair. I heed his request, pumping his cock in and out of my mouth. His hand guided my head as I bobbed my head in rhythm.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach! I want more!¡± He cried, the confidence his tone always had waspletely drained out of it, leaving a breathless and whine-like sound. He was a puddly mess underneath me and that brought a smile to my face. I quickened my pace when I saw that he was beginning to approach his release, thrashing around on the bed as I sucked him senselessly, ridding him of his mind.


    ¡°Shit, baby!¡±


    ¡°You little vixen!¡±


    He swelled up in my mouth, his grip growing twice as hard on my head. I let out a wanton moan when a deep rumble tore through his lips. He jerked, strings of cuss words flying out of his mouth as he shot his seeds into me, moaning so loudly. I could have sworn I heard his voice crack, a soft sob eluding him. His warm semen filled me up and I gobbled it all up. I sucked him clean, swallowing every juice that dripped out of him.


    His breathing came out so rugged and uneven. He threw his head on the headrest, panting heavily. I chuckled, crawling up to meet his gaze like a predator. I was overly soaked but I had a content smile on my face, seeing how I had totally wrecked him.


    ¡°Look at me,¡± I demanded, my voice sultry and like he was hypnotized, his watery green eyes met mine and I knew the tears were because of the heart-shattering orgasm I just gave him. I leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to his neck.


    ¡°Have you ever been sucked like that?¡± I queried. I already knew the answer but I wanted to hear him say it.


    ¡°Never, baby. Never. Where did you learn something like that?¡± He asked, chuckling in amusement and I smirked against his neck.


    ¡°Oh, I have been taking sses since the first time I tried it on you.¡± I stopped kissing him and faced him, my lips twitching in a smile at the expression on his face. I giggled and kissed him on the lips but he deepened it, squeezing my ass in the process and I moaned into his mouth. He was so swift, I barely saw iting because the next thing I felt was my back hitting the soft mattress. He broke off the kiss, kissing my neck. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to form a coherent speech because I could feel my brain melting.


    ¡°Arden,¡± I moaned.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be quick. I promise.¡± He murmured in between kisses and I chuckled, arching my back off the bed when his lips met one of my aching buds, and his hand gilded over my throbbing pussy. I whimpered, my body brewing with so much heat. I wanted nothing more than to have him buried inside of me but we couldn¡¯t keep his family waiting.


    We had to do this today and we had to do it now.


    ¡°Arden, get your torturous hands off me, and let¡¯s go take a shower!¡± I said in between chuckles and moans. He whined and sighed, rolling off me. I tried to catch my shredded breathing before turning to see him watching me with an adorable pout that made me want to give in to him.


    But I shook my head sideways, trying to convince myself that I could stand my ground. So, I got off the bed but not without getting a smack on my ass.


    ¡°I might let you fuck me if youe with me now to take a shower.¡± I lured him into taking a shower, keeping my voice so low. The next thing I heard was him tumbling out of the bed and I giggled.


    Horny man.

 Chapter 81

    ASHLEY


    ¡°What do you mean by the editor called in sick?!¡± I shrieked, mming shut the drawer that contained my undies. My eyes widened in sheer horror, nearly bulging out of their sockets. My lips were ajar as I tried to analyze the weight of the information that was dumped on me all at once.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs Gray. It happened three days ag__¡± I totally lost it with her because I didn¡¯t allow her toplete her sentence.


    ¡°What? Riley, are you being serious right now?!¡± My voice rose a notch but I was way past keeping my anger in check. Someone needed to put her in her ce and that person was me.


    ¡°Mrs__¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t Mrs. Gray me! Riley, what the hell?¡± I screamed into the phone, cutting her off.


    ¡°You mean one of my editors has been sick and you didn¡¯t think to tell me? You didn¡¯t think I deserve to be informed about it? I should be notified of things like this!¡± I snapped, getting aggravated.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss.¡± She apologized quietly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your apology!¡±


    ¡°Get an editor to review those works as soon as possible!¡± I fired into the phone and hung up on her. I groaned, palming my head and digging my fingers into my hair. I don¡¯t understand. I leave work for a while to look after my family and she messes things up so badly? What kind of an assistant is she?


    I don¡¯t know¡­


    Was I overreacting?


    Okay, maybe I did but I hated being kept in the dark regarding things that overly concerns me. I get that she feels like she had it all under control and didn¡¯t want to disturb me but then, it was mypany. I suddenly felt a truckload of guilt starting to crush me and I exhaled, squeezing my eyes shut. I considered calling her back and apologizing to her but the time was far gone. I didn¡¯t want to keep Maria and Aunt Caroline waiting.


    I hissed through my teeth, pulling the drawer open. I picked the first panties I couldy my hands on, sliding them on. I grabbed the mini ck body con dress and shrugged it on, throwing my hair in a messy ponytail. I was going to walk out of the room but I paused mid-way, going over to his side of the closet. I took his cologne and mildly sprayed it around the necessary parts of my body.


    It might beforting for him, for me to smell like him. I smiled softly and sauntered out of the room. The smile on my face slowly dissolved when I saw his rigid frame by the see-through ss in our room. I sighed and walked over to meet him, as quietly as I could.


    I wrapped my arms around his torso, cing my head on his back and I felt his taut muscles rx at my touch, bringing a smile to my face. On cue, he spun around and supported my stance with his arm around my waist, pecking my lips softly.


    ¡°I¡¯m terrified,¡± He spoke up, expressing how he felt. It brought a smile to my face and warmed my heart so that he could tell me how he truly feels. I loved that he did want to hide anything from me.


    ¡°I will be right there with you. All the way.¡± I whispered, assuring him and he nodded, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead. He exhaled, staring at me, and then he nodded his head, signaling to me that he was ready. We were about to leave but he suddenly held on to me and I furrowed my brows at him.


    ¡°You should know something¡­¡± He trailed off, his voice sounding so small.


    ¡°What¡¯s that, baby?¡± I queried, my eyes fixated on him.


    ¡°Aunt Caroline is my mom¡¯s twin.¡± He dropped the bombshell on me and my eyes went wide, threatening to bulge out of their socket. I opened my mouth like a gaping fish in the water, my words dying at the tip of my tongue. I was at a loss for words. I didn¡¯t know what to say or how to react to what he just said.


    He stared at me with pleading eyes, urging me to say something about what he just dropped on me.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°God, you are not mad at me for not telling you, are you?¡± He asked in a whisper.


    ¡°No!¡± I countered him quickly.


    ¡°No! What? No! I am not mad at you. It¡¯s yours to tell and you chose to tell me at the right time, so it¡¯s okay,¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really beautiful by the way because, in a way, you still get to have a part of your mom around you.¡± Iforted him with a warm smile on my face. He stared at me for a while and his lips slowly curved in a smile, relief breaking out on his face before he pulled me into a hug.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± He said quietly and I beamed as though he could see me.


    And with that, I led him out of our room. As we headed down the staircase, his hand grew so cold in mine but I tried my hardest to hold on to him, assuring him in my own way that we were in this together.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± Maria nearly screamed my ears off. She jolted upright from the couch she was sitting on with her husband and snuggled up against him. She lunged at me and I let my hand out of Arden¡¯s, throwing my head back inughter as she clung to me so tightly.


    ¡°Okay, Hulk, your grip is getting so tight,¡± I spoke up, patting her back and she giggled. She let me out of her death grip, grinning at me before she pecked my cheeks and walked past me to go say hello to her brother.


    Aunt Caroline met my gaze, warmth swirling in her eyes. It hit differently to stare at her, knowing she was a twin to my husband¡¯s mom. I couldn¡¯t conceal my shock and I could tell she picked up on it, so she got up from her seat and approached me, engulfing me in a hug. Her fresh scent wafted into my nostrils and I sighed, easing into thefort of her hug.


    ¡°How are you?¡± She said into my ears and my lips curved in a smile, a chuckle emitting from me.


    ¡°I am fine, Aunty,¡± I responded and she pulled away lightly, gazing at me with adoration swimming in her eyes.


    ¡°You are glowing,¡± She stated with a teasing smirk and I grew red in the face.


    ¡°Hey, Ash!¡± Andrew¡¯s loud voice echoed in the room and I turned my body away from Aunt Caroline, my eyes darting to his frame that wasing from somewhere in therge living room with his phone in his hands. I squealed and walked away from the older woman, strutting over to Andrew, who pulled me in a casual hug, kissing my cheek.


    ¡°Hey, Andrew!¡± I chirped.


    ¡°Where is Xyra?¡± I requested, my eyes wandering around the living room, in search of the little sunshine that had me wrapped around her fingers.


    ¡°Oh, she¡¯s asleep.¡± He grinned.


    I chuckled and left his side, grabbing Arden¡¯s hands and leading him to a couch. The whole family grew quiet, staring at us with eager smiles and I heard him release a breath beside me. I spared him a cursory nce, urging him on with my eyes and I squeezed his fingers in reassurance.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He began, his voicecking the usual confidence it always held and I could tell it scared him also.


    ¡°Yeah¡­uh¡­¡±


    ¡°I have something to tell you all,¡± He began, sighing. My hand found one of his and I slipped my fingers into his fingers, squeezing them in reassurance. The trio stared at us, the warm, easy smile on their faces slowly morphed into a serious expression as they could tell how serious the whole thing was.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I have been having nightmares,¡±


    ¡°Nightmares about the ident. I have been having them since a few weeks after the ident till date. Watching them die was so traumatic and I didn¡¯t know how to deal with the pain, so I channeled it into work and trying to take of Maria__


    __It¡¯s the reason Allegra left because the nightmares wouldn¡¯t stop recurring. She got tired of putting up with me and broke off the engagement__


    It made me so withdrawn, and emotionless and I started recoiling deeper into my shell. I didn¡¯t know how to tell you all, so I just kept it to myself and decided to deal with the pain. It was easier over the years because it became numb, rendering me unable to feel¡­¡± He trailed off, his voice thick with sadness, and then he spared me a nce, sending me a tight-lipped smile.


    ¡°Until she came into the picture.¡± He concluded and I smiled at him in return. I didn¡¯t have to say it, he could see it all over my face, how proud I was of him.


    A deafening silence echoed in the vast living room and it caused my heartbeat to pick up a much faster pace. My palms suddenly grew sweaty and I shifted in my seat, hating the silence that reigned in the air. I tried to study their features but the pounding of blood in my ears made it so hard for me to do.


    Aunt Caroline had tears building up in her eyes and with how her lips were quivering, I knew she was trying to hold them back. Andrew looked so appalled but somewhere beneath the shock that hung in his eyes, I could decipher a hint of understanding in them, like he was finally piecing a puzzle together.


    But then, Maria was eerily quiet. Her green eyes were so cold as she assessed her brother, shoulderspletely stiff. My heart lurched to my throat and I knew that within those stormy grew eyes was a brewing fury and I couldn¡¯t have been more right when she finally spoke up.


    ¡°Wow¡­¡± She trailed off.


    ¡°Wow,¡±


    ¡°Wow, Jaxon. Wow.¡± She chuckled mirthlessly.


    ¡°So, you have been struggling with PTSD for over ten years and you didn¡¯t for once, not even a second deem it fit to speak to me about it.  You didn¡¯t think it was okay for me to know what was going on with you,¡± Her voice was dangerously low, and then she stood up, slowly approaching him.


    ¡°Maria__¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it, Aunty.¡± She said coldly, shunning her Aunt.


    ¡°But boom!¡± She snapped her fingers to punctuate her words.


    ¡°She waltzed into your life and within months of knowing her, you were so quick to confide in her!¡± Maria yelled, tears streaming down her face.


    ¡°You barely even know her!¡± She screamed and those words pierced through my heart, gutting my intestines out in the process. They cut through every inch of my body, shattering me into pieces and I couldn¡¯t control the hot tears that burned in my eyes.


    ¡°MARIA!¡± Arden bellowed, snatching his hand out of mine and rising to his feet. He marched forward, stopping right in front of her and if it were me, I would be intimidated by the deadly look on his face but Maria didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± He warned her, his tone holding a searing edge to it.


    ¡°What? I shouldn¡¯t do what? I shouldn¡¯t speak my truth about the fact that she¡¯s not even family! She¡¯s just a girl you picked up on the streets and you decided to soil the reputable name of the Gray family by getting involved with her!¡± She shouted at him and the tears I was struggling to hold back poured heavily, my heart constricting in pain. I tried to keep my eyes open but I couldn¡¯t, my breaths were starting toe out harshly.


    ¡°You can get mad at me all you want but I won¡¯t stand here and watch you degrade my wife simply because she tried to help!¡± Arden¡¯s strident voice thundered murderously, echoing throughout the vast room.


    ¡°Don¡¯t__¡±


    ¡°SHUT THE FUCK UP, MARIA!¡± Hemanded her and through my hazy vision, I watched her veer backwards at her brother¡¯s tone.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be standing right in front of you all, opening up to you if it weren¡¯t for her!¡±


    ¡°Do you know how many times she has had to cry her eyes out, every night, watching me struggle between illusions and reality? Do you know how many times I hurt her in the process of jolting back awake? Do you know how many times she has had sleepless nights just so she could make sure I go to bed without any hassle?¡±


    ¡°NO, YOU DON¡¯T!¡± He fired.


    ¡°She has been my anchor!¡± He shouted.


    ¡°I am done having this conversation and in all honesty, I regret opening up to you about this.¡± His sharp voice was now drawn to a whisper, cracking heavily and without saying another word, he spun on his heels and stormed upstairs.


    Maria cast me a disdainful stare, her eyes filled with so much hate before dashing out of the house in tears with Aunt Caroline and her husband trailing after her.


    I just sat there, motionless, trying to wrap my head around what just happened. I tried to stand up from where I sat, but when I did, my legs gave me away and I copsed to the floor, breaking down into heavy tears.


    I couldn¡¯t control my sobs.


    I shattered into a thousand pieces.

 Chapter 82

    JAXON


    ¡°What do we know about him now?¡± I demanded from Duncan, sauntering past him and heading into my study while he shut the door behind us.


    I was trying to be discreet with work as much as I could. Peach insisted I had to properly heal before going back to work and it wouldn¡¯t be that much of a nice morning if she found out that I discarded her warnings of not setting a foot in the study and that was the reason I snuck out of bed before she could wake up.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    But then, I would lose my mind if I continued prancing around the house without doing anything. I was a workaholic by default. It was only a matter of time before I went back to work. I just had to get her to see the reasons with me.


    ¡°We can¡¯t find him, boss.¡± Duncan knew the repercussions of what he was saying and that was the reason he kept his voice really low. I halted in my tracks and spun around, tucking my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants and then, I shot him a scrutinizing gaze, watching him shift ufortably on his feet, his hard demeanor faltering.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I queried, as though I didn¡¯t hear him say it the first time but I needed him to say it again, my voice dangerously low.


    ¡°We¡­uh¡­we can¡¯t find him.¡± Heplied.


    ¡°What the fuck do you mean you can¡¯t find him?!¡± I barked, marching forward and grabbing him by the cor of his shirt. My eyes were locked with his, in a deadly stare, my jawpletely locked as I red murderously at him.


    ¡°We are trying our best, boss. It¡¯s like hepletely disappeared from the face of the earth.¡± He divulged and I scoffed at how stupid he sounded. The anger that surged through my veinspletely overrode every other emotion I was feeling and my fist connected with his face and he staggered backwards, blood spurting out of his mouth.


    ¡°ARE YOU THAT INCOMPETENT!?¡± I demanded coldly, my loud voice echoing throughout the study.


    ¡°If you have to disappear off the face of the earth to find him, then fucking do it because if you don¡¯te up with his location in the next forty-eight hours, so help me God, I will tear you to shreds!¡± I threatened him, enunciating every word that dripped with utter coldness.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss.¡± He apologized, bowing his head. I hissed through clenched teeth and peeled my eyes off his frame, pacing around the study with my hands constantly raking through my hair. I let out a low growl and kicked a chair out of my way, frustration overwhelming me.


    All my life, the very thing I have always been terrified of, is the reason I have always kept people at arm¡¯s length. The reason I have convinced myself is that pretending not to have a heart makes it easier not to get your heartbroken. Getting attached to someone. Hopelessly attached because it only meant one thing.


    Being vulnerable.


    And I have spent nearly half my life evading it because I knew I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the chaos that came with it. The target would cease to be me, instead, it would be the person I cared about because my enemies believe that by eliminating my love interest, it would leave me vulnerable and they would be able to get to me.


    But how do I stop something I had no control over? When in truth, it burned within me like wildfire, absorbing me from the inside out and the most terrifying part was that I loved everything about it. It was the most alive I had ever felt. It gave me a sense of purpose.


    His target wasn¡¯t me, at least, not yet. Instead, it was the very person that happened to be my anchor. The very person that could make me stay sane amidst my chaotic life. The very person that pulled at the strings that kept me in touch with emotions I barely knew I had. The very person whopleted me.


    My soulmate.


    And even though I had taken that bullet for her without hesitation, something I would do again if I had the chance, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to stop thinking about what would have happened if the bullet got to her instead of me. I would probably be out in the streets by now because the thought of living the rest of my life without Evaline in it was enough to drive me mad.


    And it had anger pumping through my veins,cing my soul with a desperation that made me want to incinerate Micah, give him a slow, painful death, and bathe in his blood, for daring to cross my path. For even thinking of getting to me through her because I would rather die than allow anything to happen to her.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s voice trailed off.


    ¡°What?!¡± I bit at him harshly.


    ¡°I just wanted to let you know that it¡¯s good to have you back.¡± He spoke up, his words knocking a harsh breath out of me. I whirled around at the impact of his words, our eyes locking in a stare. His stiff lips slowly stretched in a smile and I found myself chuckling, then I walked towards him, patting him on the back, a ghost of a smile ying on my lips.


    I wasn¡¯t fond of admitting it but Duncan had grown to be a part of me over the years. I got used to having him around and I considered him family but I would never say that to his face. I wouldn¡¯t want him to get ideas and start cking at his job. I wanted to keep him on his toes, not have him relish in the fact that he was the closest thing I had to a best friend.


    ¡°Now get to work,¡± I ordered him.


    ¡°Jaxon Arden Gray! I am going to shave you bald if you are in there!¡± I heard Peach yell from outside and my eyes went wide in shock, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach. She kicked the door open and stormed into the study, her rage-filled eyes anchoring on me.


    Then, she turned to Duncan.


    ¡°What did I tell you about managing his schedule?!¡± She queried, yelling at him. He stood stiff, watching her without uttering a word.


    ¡°You know what? Just get out. I will deal with youter.¡± Her voice was thick with assertiveness as she leveled a deadly gaze at him. Duncan threw her a curt nod and strode out of the room, leaving us behind.


    I didn¡¯t bother moving from where I stood because I knew it would only piss her off further, so I tucked one of my hands into my pocket, rubbing my nape with the other, and reflexively, my eyes did a slow crawl over her body. My lips twitched at how gorgeous she looked with her bed hair. She was d in one of my numerous ck shirts that looked like it wanted to swallow her small frame in it. There was no way I would ever get used to seeing her in my shirt.


    No way.


    The cold look in her brown eyes soon faltered, morphing into concern. She approached me, sighing softly and she wrapped her arms around me, cocooning me with her essence. I slipped my arms around her small waist, tugging her forward until there was no space left between us. She smelled like me. It made me want to eat her up.


    ¡°You never listen,¡± She sighed in defeat.


    ¡°I am so sorry, baby. It was important. I couldn¡¯t leave it unattended to.¡± I refrained from telling her that I was conversing with Duncan about a thousand ways I was going to make that bastard suffer because I knew Peach so well, she wouldn¡¯t allow me to go through with it.


    I knew she was priceless, from the first day I set my eyes on her but there was nothing in this world that I could use in qualifying how supportive she has been. She has been working from home ever since the incident and at some point, I began feeling guilty for holding her back but she was quick to clear everything up that she was happy doing this for me.


    She was so selfless when it came to me, I didn¡¯t understand why Maria couldn¡¯t see that. Remembering what she did only made a terrific rage simmer through my veins, my teeth grinding against each other in irritation.


    ¡°You are thinking about it again.¡± She spoke up, pulling away from the hug.


    ¡°And I don¡¯t understand why you are not mad at her!¡± My tone came out so sharp and it stunned her, causing her to take a step backwards.


    ¡°Arden__¡±


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t get to say those things to you and get away with it!¡± I snapped fury engulfing me.


    ¡°I told you, I am not mad at Maria. I wouldn¡¯t lie to you about how I feel. Yes, I am hurt by the words she said but I am not pissed at her. I understand where she ising from but it didn¡¯t warrant her reaction¡­¡± She paused, examining my features and then, she stepped forward, taking my hand in hers and squeezing them softly.


    ¡°Listen, just give her time toe to terms with what¡¯s going on. It¡¯s a lot. It¡¯s a lot of information and she doesn¡¯t know how to deal with it but I am d she has Andrew by her side to get through it.¡± Her eyes brightened with a smile. Her words struck me really hard, eliciting an approving sigh from me before I locked our lips in a soft kiss.


    ¡°How about Aunt Caroline?¡± She asked after breaking the kiss and I sighed.


    ¡°She mes herself for not figuring it out,¡± I revealed, feeling a twinge of sadness settling into me. A knock sounded at the door, interrupting us and we swung our heads at the door, simultaneously.


    ¡°Come in,¡± Peach spoke.


    The door creaked open, revealing a maid and I arched my brow at her instinctively.


    ¡°Um, Mrs. Gray, there¡¯s someone here to see you.¡± She ryed and I sent my wife a quizzical stare. I watched her bite her lip slowly, blinking afterwards.


    ¡°Leave,¡± I ordered the maid and she heeded my words, walking out of my study and shutting the door behind her.


    ¡°Evaline?¡± I called her and she sighed.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t get mad.¡± She squeaked and on cue, I folded my arms across my chest, staring at her for an exnation.

 Chapter 83

    JAXON


    The room was filled with utter silence that had me doing a double take of the woman standing right in front of me, chewing on her lips with nervousness written all over her face. I arched my brow at her, subtly telling her to tell me what had her so rattled that she was fiddling with the hem of her sleeves.


    ¡°Peach?¡± I called but I got no response.


    ¡°Baby, what did you do? Whatever it is, I am sure we can talk about it.¡± I implored her, keeping my voice overly soft. When she didn¡¯t respond to me, I walked towards her, taking her hands in mine.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Promise not to get mad?¡± She asked in a small voice and I sighed, nodding but she wasn¡¯t content with my response.


    ¡°I promise, Peach,¡± I assured her.


    ¡°So, remember I stayed upte yesternight and you asked me toe to join you in bed?¡± She inquired, her eyes steadily on mine.


    ¡°Yes, you told me you had some work you needed to attend to,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Well, I kind of lied.¡± She said slowly and I prodded her with my eyes.


    ¡°I booked an appointment with a therapist, who is currently waiting for us in our living room. Baby, trust me, it wasn¡¯t easy convincing her because she¡¯s a hotshot therapist.¡± She divulged and my hands instinctively went out of hers, her words giving me a mental whish. It felt as though I was drenched in a bucket of ice.


    I stared at her, wordlessly, waiting for her to debunk what she had just told me and tell me that she was just trying to get on my nerves but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she peered at me softly with pleading eyes, beseeching me to understand that she was just trying to help.


    ¡°You did what?¡± I queried, my lungs growing tighter with each word I uttered.


    ¡°I booked an appointment with a therapist.¡± Her words came out slowly, housing a hint of caution in them. I stared at her in disbelief, scoffing afterwards. I dug my fingers into my hair, threading them through it as I paced around in circles.


    ¡°Did you even think to ask me if I was ready for it yet?¡± I stopped pacing, questioning her, my voice dangerously low. I watched her swallow, wiping her hands on her shirt.


    ¡°Baby__¡±


    ¡°Of course, Evaline! You didn¡¯t think so! As always, you did what you thought was best! You decided on your own without consulting me first!¡± I fired harshly at her, earning me a widening of her eyes as she veered backwards at the weight of my voice that echoed throughout the room.


    ¡°What the hell is your problem?!¡± I snapped at her and she flinched.


    ¡°You really think I want to sit down in front of a shrink and have her analyze the entire history of my life? This is not your problem to fix, so fucking stay out of it and stop trying to be the savior, every fucking time!¡± I bellowed. She couldn¡¯t conceal her shock and it was so evident how my words cut through her with the way her eyes shimmered with hot tears.


    ¡°You had no fucking right!¡± I yelled, heaving loudly. I red at her, spinning around and heading to the table. I set my hands on the edge, trying to control the loud, uneven breaths that filled the room. Something about what she did aggravated me so much and it didn¡¯t take a while for me to realize that I had snapped at her because I was so scared of opening up.


    I was terrified and she just happened to be my object of aggression.


    ¡°You are right.¡± She affirmed, her voice cracking and overly quiet. The hurt in those words cut through me like a thousand knives were being hurled at me. My heart clenched and constricted in pain, guilt overwhelming me.


    I shouldn¡¯t have snapped at her. She didn¡¯t deserve it, not when all she was just trying to do was help. I puffed out some air through my cheeks, moving away from the table and approaching her. I was relieved that she didn¡¯t recoil from my touch. She weed it and wrapped her arms around me infort.


    ¡°How do you manage to stay so calm?¡± I asked her and she chuckled.


    ¡°Because I got to understand you.¡± She answered in all honesty and I kissed her hair, sighing softly.


    ¡°I am so sorry, I should have asked you first. It¡¯s not going to happen again.¡± She apologized quietly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize, baby. You were trying to help and I was being an asshole.¡± I voiced out, massaging her waist softly. I tilted her jaw to meet my eyes, gazing at her and unable to hide just how much she meant to me and how much I appreciated her, including everything she was doing. Her brown eyes swirled with softness as they took me in, slowly.


    ¡°So, is she still out there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, she is.¡± She answered.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go meet her then,¡± I announced, kissing her cheek and she squealed like a little child, wrapping her arms around me so tightly.


    ¡°Promise to be nice?¡± She pouted and I chuckled.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    She shed me a warm smile, leading me out of the study.


    Descending the stairs, my eyes were graced with the back view of a tall blonde, who stood proudly, admiring one of the paintings on the wall. Our footsteps seemed to have announced our presence because she spun around on cue, her eyes zeroing in on me.


    ¡°Good morning, Doctor Kendra.¡± Peach greeted her with so much enthusiasm I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to fake it. I just stared grimly at her. There was no denying the warm aura that surrounded the blue-eyed woman that was draped in a navy blue dress, paired with nude shoes.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray,¡± she chirped in excitement, sounding so energetic.


    ¡°We are so sorry for keeping you waiting.¡± Peach apologized, but the Doctor brushed it off with a smile, and then, her eyes darted to me. Peach, wrapped her hands around one of mine, chuckling softly.


    ¡°And this is my husband, Jaxon Gray.¡± She introduced me to her and the blonde-haired woman stretched her hands forth for a handshake. I couldn¡¯t hide how displeased I was but she didn¡¯t take it to heart.


    ¡°Kendra Martin.¡± She smiled at me and I took her hand, shaking it curtly.


    I turned to Peach, who was grinning so widely. She was really happy and I didn¡¯t want to be the one to quench that happiness, so I decided to suck it up and not be an asshole for one second. She leaned forward, dropping a chaste kiss on my lips, and then she retreated, leaving me all alone with the Doctor.


    I exhaled, tucking my hands into the pocket of my pants. The unending smile that had her blue eyes twinkling so brightly seemed to get under my skin, eliciting a snort from me.


    ¡°Do you want to take a walk with me, Mr. Gray?¡± She asked softly, her eyes trained on me.


    ¡°Jaxon,¡± I corrected her, wanting her to get rid of the formalities and she smiled.


    ¡°Do you want to take a walk with me, Jaxon?¡± She rephrased and I drew in a long breath, sauntering past her and out of the house like a breeze. She didn¡¯t seem to pick an offense to what I just did and right there, I concluded that she might be an expert at not taking offense to things.


    She shut the door behind her and fell into sync beside me, her eyes wandering around the vastpound.


    ¡°How are you?¡± She spoke up, breaking the ice. I whipped my head in the direction, wondering why she would ask me that out of nowhere. Asking how I was, was a normal question but in that moment, it felt like it struck a nerve and I think she could deduce that too because her face beheld a fleeting smile.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked dryly.


    ¡°That¡¯s the first thing you ask me? Is that how you engage your clients in a conversation?¡± I scoffed, looking away from her.


    ¡°You have a very beautiful wife.¡± She grinned at me and unconsciously, my lips twitched in a smile which soon morphed into arge grin.


    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s beautiful in and out,¡± I affirmed, grinning uncontrobly.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to have that one person that just has your back, regardless of how tough the going gets.¡± She told me, sending me a bright smile and I couldn¡¯t have agreed more. I stopped walking, heaving a breath.


    ¡°Am I going to be okay?¡± My voice came out so low but she picked up on my question, staring at me for a while before nodding.


    ¡°Yes, Jaxon. You are going to be fine.¡±


    ¡°But I can¡¯t do that if you are not willing to admit that you need help. The first step to healing is to want it because when you do, everything is easier.¡± She stated matter-of-factly.


    ¡°I want to be good for her. I want to be worthy of her. I want to be a better man.¡± Iid out my goals on herp and she smiled, nodding impressively.


    ¡°So yeah, let¡¯s do this,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I am d you are willing to work through this and I promise you, we¡¯ll take it at your pace. There¡¯s no need to rush,¡±


    ¡°Would you prefer indoor sessions or outdoor sessions?¡± She inquired and resumed walking. I followed her steps, falling in sync beside her.


    ¡°Indoor,¡± I said quickly.


    ¡°Great, works for me too. All you need to do is work through your schedule and give me a time you¡¯ll be avable, so from there we can reach an agreement.¡± She informed me and I threw her a curt nod.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be expecting you, Jaxon.¡± She grinned at me, and with that, she spun on her heels, heading into the house to get her belongings.


    I couldn¡¯t help the way my eyes lit up in a smile because maybe, just maybe, I might be worthy of redemption.

 Chapter 84

    ASHLEY


    ¡°So, you have fixed everything now?¡± I asked Riley, a little smile ying on my lips as I descended the staircase. I tucked my hand in the pocket of my shorts, grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. We got another editor to rece her.¡± She answered, trails of relief hanging in her voice. I mouthed a ¡®yes¡¯ fist pumping the air. Dahlia was a talented writer and I have been dying to publish her work since I went through it. I didn¡¯t want her to think we were unserious or that we didn¡¯t share in her happiness about publishing her first book. She was an asset, one I would do anything to keep.


    No kidding, but the girl¡¯s got magic in her hands.


    ¡°Now that¡¯s what I am talking about!¡± I chirped, skipping off the stairs.


    ¡°Have you spoken to Dahlia?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I called her this morning to let her know we have started working on her book and her presence would be needed at the firm.¡± She told me and I nodded my head vigorously, as though she could see me.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Riley¡­¡± My voice trailed off and I heard her sigh in the background. I squeezed my eyes shut, taking a deep breath and trying to control how racked I was with guilt.


    ¡°I am so sorry for snapping at you, Riley. I just hated that you kept something that huge away from me. I didn¡¯t mean to speak to you the way I did. Will you forgive me?¡± I pouted.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, ma¡¯am.¡± She chuckled and I groaned, brushing my hair backwards.


    ¡°God, Riley! Get rid of the ma¡¯am and call me Ashley.¡± I uttered dismissively.


    ¡°But__¡± She tried to protest.


    ¡°No, but, Riley. It¡¯s Ashley.¡± I said sternly and she exhaled.


    ¡°Alright¡­Ashley¡­ I have to go now. Dahlia will be here soon. We miss you so much and we can¡¯t wait to have you back at work.¡± She said with contagious enthusiasm which caused me to start grinning from ear to ear.


    ¡°Aww. Thank you, Riley.¡± I smiled as though she could see me, warmth coursing through my veins at her words. She murmured some words before hanging up and I chortled softly, tucking my phone into the pocket of my shorts.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs Gray.¡± The maids chirped and I swung my head in their direction, irritated that they were still calling me Mrs Gray instead of Ashley, but I tried not to give it off, stering a wide smile on my face.


    ¡°Good morning, girls!¡± I chirped.


    Their words of affirmation flowed into my ears as I made my way to the kitchen, desperate to have a cup of steaming tea to soothe my dry throat. I pushed the door open, stepped into the kitchen, and shut the door behind me. I whirled around, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach at the sight of the familiar dark-haired woman by the cooker. My chest constricted in pain on impulse, my face contorting into an expression of utter confusion.


    My eyes darted to Zelda¡¯s stunning frame that was d in a red dress, which seemed to be the right spark my memory needed because it brought back the memories of the other night that I walked in on her and Duncan. The picture tormented me, gnawing at my guts and gutted me out. It was a total taint to the image I have always had of her and no matter how hard I tried to convince myself that this was my Zelda, that this was the girl I knew and loved, but it just didn¡¯t work.


    It didn¡¯t wash away that memory.


    No, I didn¡¯t hate her. Not one bit. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to. I am just¡­disoriented and knowing the circumstances that surrounded what I saw that night didn¡¯t make me feel any better. Instead, I felt worse.


    Her violet eyes scanned my appearance and I could see the glow, warmth, and raw happiness behind those eyes. It did make my heart leap up in excitement like it always does whenever I saw that look in her eyes. Rather, it crushed my soul. It gutted out every ounce of happiness I had left in me, almost moving me to tears because I knew it was false.


    It was calm before the storm.


    ¡°Ash!¡±


    Her loud squeal tore through my thoughts and I blinked, not prepared for the impact of her bone-crushing hug. She chuckled softly and I wrapped my arms around her, patting her back gently. I knew I had to get my act together and that was exactly what I did. A warm smile spread across my face and I giggled, pulling away lightly. I pressed a warm kiss on her cheek and beheld her glittering orbs.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    She was so happy.


    I felt something prick the corner of my eyes but I tried my hardest to hold back the burning sensation.


    ¡°Hey, gorgeous!¡± I grinned.


    ¡°God, I have been dying to speak with you. You are always indoors with Mr. Gray.¡± Her tone gave off not even the slightest bit of teasing, but it made my cheek heat up warmly. She caught on to it and waggled her brow teasingly at me. I rolled my eyes and shifted my gaze to her. Her green eyes looked like they were determined to drill holes into my body. Her words came rushing back to the surface, pricking my heart not-so-subtly.


    Her stiff lips twitched in a small smile. My eyes scanned her figure and I picked up on the asional tapping of her manicured fingers on the surface of the counter, alongside the shifting of her feet.


    She was nervous.


    ¡°Zelda, give us a moment. Would you?¡± I turned to Zelda, who nodded with a smile, sauntering out of the kitchen and leaving us all alone. A deafening silence ensued for a while, rendering an air of toxicity in the kitchen. I puffed out some air through my cheeks, tucking my hands into my back pocket, in a bid to calm my nerves.


    ¡°Hey,¡± She said slowly and I shed her an encouraging smile. She exhaled, gathering the courage to strut forward and she took my hand in hers. Relief washed over her face instantaneously when she saw that I didn¡¯t reel from her touch. She blinked softly and her tears came pouring.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean everything I said to you. I was just so angry at him and I couldn¡¯t control it. I am so sorry.¡± She apologized and I drew her in for a warm hug. It felt like that was what she needed because she broke down in my arms, sobbing profusely while I patted her back gently.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t hold it against you.¡± I assured her, moving my arms soothingly across her back.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡± She murmured before pulling away.


    ¡°You do know you are family, right?¡± She asked me, her green eyes shimmering with tears under the lights. I chuckled through my tears and nodded, squeezing her hands softly.


    ¡°It¡¯s all__¡±


    ¡°There you are!¡± The soothing voice of Arden filled the kitchen and I felt Maria¡¯s hands go cold in mine. Her face grew pale. I spun around to see him heading my way after he shut the door. He had a wide grin stered on his face and a grin that mirrored his broke out on my face when he pulled me in for a soft long kiss.


    ¡°Hey,¡± I breathed, smiling at him.


    I stared at him for a while, soaking in the sight of him, and then I noticed something. He was staring directly at me. He wasn¡¯t looking anywhere else. It wasn¡¯t hard putting two and two together so that he was avoiding Maria. He didn¡¯t want to look at her and I couldn¡¯t have been more right when she stormed out of the kitchen, mming the door behind her.


    ¡°Baby__¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about her.¡± His tone was cold and dismissive. If there was anything I knew, it was to always tread carefully whenever he got like this. Probing him won¡¯t work. It will only keep him on edge.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed, throwing my arms around his neck and he pulled me closer by my waist, his firm hands holding me possessively.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± He whispered, burying his head in the crook of my neck. I tucked my lips in, suppressing a moan at his words, but the wanton sound tore through my lips when he grabbed a fistful of my ass.


    ¡°Always so responsive.¡± He murmured, sniffing me. He pulled me out of my lust-filled haze when he nted a chaste kiss on my lips and beheld my gaze.


    ¡°Have dinner with me tonight,¡± he voiced out, his eyes fixated on me.


    ¡°Real smooth, Mr. Gray,¡± I smirked.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I grinned.


    ¡°It¡¯s a surprise.¡±


    His tone was low and suggestive, earning a subtle bite of my lip from me. I chuckled softly and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around me, tightening his grip around me as he deepened the kiss.

 Chapter 85

    ASHLEY


    My lips twitched in a taunting smirk as I stared back at my reflection in the mirror, loving every bit of the badass woman standing right there. I was going to go for a look that screamed drop-dead gorgeous and dare I say that I fucking nailed it.


    I radiated luxury at a nce.


    Despite the ck material being an A-shaped dress, it still clung to my frame like a second skin, outlining every inch of my hourss figure. The thin straps of the dress pressed firmly against my shoulders. The plunging neckline revealed just the right amount of cleavage I wanted.


    I wanted him to be unable to keep his paws off me. His control? I wanted him to toss it out the window. I wanted him beastly and untamed and I was determined to bring out that side of him.


    There was something about him losing control that I found appealing.


    I had my hair pulled backwards in a low bun, my face perfectly made up in dewy nude makeup with bright red lipstick to highlight the entire look. I kept my essories simple. Just a pair of diamond studs, a bracelet, and the ne he got me.  I picked up his bottle of perfume and spritzed it on my body, picking up my ck clutch, and then I sauntered out of the room.


    The minute I opened the door, Duncan¡¯s cold ass face was staring at me. One of my brows was tugged up at him rudely, a loud snort eliciting my lips. I hated this guy and I saw no reason to hide it, even though his facial expression was enough to tell me that he gave no fuck about what I thought of him or how I felt about him.


    ¡°What?!¡± I shot at him rudely.


    ¡°The boss wanted me to bring you to where he is.¡± He simply said, his voice absolutely toneless. I scoffed and moved forward, bringing my elbow to his chest and mming him against the door, our eyes locked in a deadly gaze.


    He didn¡¯t even bat an eyelid.


    ¡°Just so we are clear¡­¡± My voice trailed off coldly with a cold smirk hanging on my lips.


    ¡°Under no circumstances are you going to hurt my girl, got that?¡± I queried, arching my brow just so he understood me perfectly. The fact that nothing about my tone gave off the fact that I was kidding made him nod in response, but that only seemed to tick me off.


    ¡°Use your words, boy!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Gray.¡± I could have sworn I saw his lips curve in a taunting smirk but the time was far gone, so I decided to let it slide.


    ¡°Now, take me to my husband,¡± I ordered, stepping away from him, and putting a sweet smile on my face. He brushed off a speck of non-existing dust off his shirt, walking further while I trailed behind him.


    I was stunned when Duncan led me to a familiar ce in thepound. He was long gone by now. The moment he saw that I had already figured it out, he practically vanished into thin air, not like I needed him here anyway. When Arden told me he wanted me to have dinner with him, I thought we would be eating out. I didn¡¯t know we would be having dinner on the rooftop.


    My heels made soft clicking sounds on the floor as I proceeded to push the door open. The cold, sharp gust of wind that made contact with my face caused me to gasp sharply, goosebumps erecting all over my skin. I stopped walking, my eyes demurely taking in the vast space that had been transformed.


    I was wowed by the effort he put into this. The path I was going to take to the table was neatly decorated with rose petals and golden candlelight that illuminated part of therge space. The giant table had varieties of neatly covered dishes arranged atop it, alongside two golden chairs that reeked of luxury. There was a huge rose bouquet in the middle of the table, coupled with arge lighted candle.


    The soft music that yed somewhere in the background totally set the whole mood, causing heat to rush to my cheeks. It almost made my eyes watery because we weren¡¯t even halfway into the dinner and I couldn¡¯t afford to look like a zombie now.


    My heart did multiple flips when he came out of the dark, sauntering over to me and looking like an absolute snack in his crisp white shirt that was tucked in ck cks. He didn¡¯t put much effort into dressing up. Heck, at a nce, I could tell it was his signature day-to-day outfit, but seeing him look all dapper made me want to eat him up.


    I gulped at the intensity of his green eyes that soaked me in like they had all the time in the world. He was staring at me, so nkly. I couldn¡¯t even read him and that plunged me into mass confusion.


    ¡°Hey, beautiful.¡± He rasped and I sucked in some breath. He closed in on me, pressing a soft kiss on the side of my head before pulling out a chair for me. I took my seat, taking a deep breath. There was something so cold about him tonight and it left me on an edge. He was so different from the man that asked me to go to dinner with him this morning.


    I tried not to make eye contact with him but I could feel his icy green eyes boring holes into my body and setting me aze.


    ¡°What¡¯s your problem?!¡± I bit out harshly, unable to suppress how I felt about how he was acting. I looked away from the table sharply, locking eyes with him. He grabbed the red wine and poured it into two sses, tantly ignoring me. I watched him pick up one of the sses, taking a sip from it. His eyes were on me the whole time and I scoffed.


    ¡°You love to get on my nerves, don¡¯t you?¡± He asked softly and I squinted my brows at him in confusion.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I queried him.


    ¡°How many times do I have to tell you to keep your hair untied?¡± He demanded, his eyes set dead on me. He twirled his ss in his hands, his hold on it growing morex as the seconds passed, and then, the ss dropped from his hands, colliding with the floor and shattering into pieces.


    No, it didn¡¯t scare me. It wasn¡¯t because of anything else. It was because I was used to seeing him this way. I just sat there, watching him with a scrutinizing gaze, and slowly, my lips twitched in a light smirk. I wasn¡¯t mad at him. Instead, I was fascinated.


    ¡°So, you are mad I tied my hair?¡± I asked him, my voice low as I cocked my head to the side, sizing him up with my eyes. He sunk into his seat, assessing me with his cold eyes, and then, his cold gaze faltered, revealing the raw, toe-curling desire beneath the sea of green essence.


    I could have sworn I had gotten the upper hand but he proved me wrong when a low, dark chuckle exited his lips, causing goosebumps to sprout all over my skin.


    ¡°You are enjoying this, aren¡¯t you?¡± He asked, sounding astounded. His eyes shone with amusement.


    ¡°What? No!¡± I spoke up quickly, lying through my teeth.


    ¡°Untie your hair,¡± hemanded me, and I frowned.


    ¡°No,¡± I deadpanned.


    ¡°Don¡¯t make me ask you again.¡± He warned.


    ¡°I still won¡¯t do it.¡± I knew I was starting to rile him up and the rational part of me urged me to stop, but the irrational part overshadowed the former, causing me to press on, even when I knew I was walking on shards of broken sses.


    This was going to burn me really badly, but I still didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Get up,¡± His voice was surprisingly soft but the coldness in his eyes convinced me otherwise.


    I held his gaze and felt my throat bob swiftly, running dry in the process. My legs felt numb underneath the table, the soles of my heels glued to the floor and my heartbeat picked up at a faster pace, hammering loudly against my chest. I could hear my blood pound really hard in my ears, the air that surrounded me growing eerily chilly.


    ¡°Evaline Gray, get the hell up from that seat and walk towards me. NOW.¡± Arden wasn¡¯t shouting at me but he spoke with an assertiveness that made my skin prickle so hard. The firmness in his tone made my heart pound erratically.


    I released a gasp, obeying him immediately. I got up from my seat and my legs nearly gave me away. His eyes were on me the whole time, watching my every move. My breath shuddered heavily, evading me as I made my way over to him. He got up swiftly and I could have sworn I felt my soul leave my body. He closed in on me, yanking me to himself and I breathed shakily, squeezing my eyes shut.


    He was, however, displeased by that act.


    ¡°Look at me, Peach.¡± He spoke softly and something in me knew that he was struggling to keep his anger in check. He wasn¡¯t yelling at me. Yet. And I knew I shouldn¡¯t give him any reason to do so.


    So, my eyes snapped open, meeting his fiery ones that had my breath hitching in my throat. He leaned in, his minty breath fanning my face as he brought his thumb to my face, trailing its pad against my cheek, so airily and I sighed from the impact, resisting the urge to snap my eyes shut, instinctively. My steps nearly wobbled but he wouldn¡¯t allow that, his strong hand kept me in ce.


    ¡°I have been giving you a pass, Evaline,¡± he began.


    ¡°But I see you don¡¯t appreciate my patience with you, so I am going to grant you what you want. I am going to throw my patience through the window and show you the reason I have been the head of this family for over a decade.¡± He told me, his tone overly cold, dominating, and reeking of determination, which caused my heart to lurch to my mouth.


    With one sweep, he cleared the table that was filled with varieties of delicacies, causing the objects on it to crash to the floor with thuds, tter, and shatter. He ruined everything with one sweep and the stormy look in his green eyes told me he couldn¡¯t give a damn and he further proved it when he pushed me to lie face t on the cold surface of the now-empty table.


    A sharp gasp eluded me.


    I could feel his impending presence that loomed behind me like something so foreboding, but there was something else¡­I loved how unpredictable the whole thing felt. He loomed closer and closer and closer until I felt his rock-hard bulge graze my behind, eliciting an airy moan from me. He leaned further, careful not to press all of his weight on me, hovering above me. He chuckled darkly, the erotic sound hitting the walls of my ears, sending a certain chill down my spine.


    He leaned in, his lips meeting my earlobe, pressing a cold kiss on it.


    ¡°I am going to spank you so hard and you are going to count. You are not going to hold back your moans either. I want the entirepound to know how much of a disrespectful whore you have been.¡± He told me, his voice giving no room for arguments. I couldn¡¯t hold back the tiny moan that emitted from me, which caused me to bite my lip in anticipation.


    ¡°Do you hear me?¡± He demanded and I nodded vigorously, earning me a loud smack on my ass. I cried out in pleasure, eliciting a satisfied chuckle from him.


    ¡°Use your words, Evaline!¡± He said sharply, his voice dripping with heavy disapproval.


    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Thest word had spluttered out of my mouth before I could stop myself and I could have sworn I heard a growling rumble from his chest. His hands came to the band that held my hair in a bun, tugging at it and yanking it off before I could even bring myself to breathe.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he whispered into my ears. He gathered the hem of my dress, bunching it up to my waist. The cold air swept across my butt cheeks, causing me to shiver lightly. His fingers crawled underneath the hem of my ck thong, gliding beneath the material which was detached from my ass with a speed of light I could barelyprehend.


    He ripped my panties off.


    He didn¡¯t say anything to me, but I could hear the unspoken words that hung in his mouth as his fingers airily moved across the skin of my butt. It made me drop my guard, causing me to rx and bask in theforting feeling his fingers bestowed on my ass. My eyes fluttered close, instinctively.


    The sharp, stinging contact his palm made with my ass caused my eyes to snap open on impulse, a loud moan rippling from my mouth. I sank my face into the surface of the table, a burning heat shooting from my butt, to my core, descending upon it so heavily that it left a pool of moisture hanging in there.


    ¡°One!¡± I moaned at how good it felt.


    His hands grazed the affected part of my butt, an airy chuckle leaving his lips. His palm descended heavily on that part again, eliciting a sharp cry from me. My eyes pooled heavily with tears, not because it was hurting me but because of how it knotted my insides, a  heavy feeling settled in my abdomen.


    It was so good that it brought tears to my eyes.


    ¡°Two!¡± A wanton gasp escaped my lips, heavy breaths apanying it.


    He spanked me, again, not giving me the chance to reel from the impact of the earlier contact.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Three!¡± I cried, my knees growing numb.


    Again.


    ¡°Four!¡±


    Again.


    ¡°Five! Oh, shit!¡± I was a panting mess on the fifth spank.


    With each spank, the burning sensation in my core grew more overwhelming, driving me nuts. And each time, he always managed to catch me off guard, not giving me the chance to soak in the contact. My legspletely turned to jelly beneath him, my pleasure heightening to its peak and I could have sworn I was near my release by the time he was done. It left me so frustrated and I knew that he could put me out of my misery with one more spank.


    Just one more¡­


    ¡°Arden, please,¡± I begged him, breathing heavily. He gripped me by my hair, a sadistic chuckle creeping into my ears. He yanked me up and without uttering a word to me, he hoisted me on the table, my moist core creaming the surface.


    He gazed at me with the utmost satisfaction,pletely pleading with himself because of the state he had me in. My makeup waspletely smeared, and tears hung in my eyes. Heck, I could taste my washed eyeliner and mascara on my lips. He strode forward, standing between my legs. He pressed himself further until his clothed crotch was brushing my bare pussy. My hands settled at my sides on the table as I threw my head backwards, moaning loudly at the contact.


    ¡°Just fuck me, please!¡± I cried, unable to endure how badly my pussy throbbed. His hand came to rest on my cheek, stroking it tenderly with a soft hum under his breath. I jolted at the contact, a soft mewl leaving my lips.


    ¡°So responsive,¡± He murmured. One of his hands mped down on my fleshy thigh, gripping it and spreading my legs apart. He crouched until he was staring directly at my liquidized cunt, looking so stupefied.


    ¡°My goodness, you are soaked,¡± he noted. He sounded surprised, not because he was surprised because I was wet, but because he was surprised that I was wet because of what he did to me.


    ¡°Just a stroke,¡± I whined, agitated, sounding overly breathless. He got up, much to my disappointment.


    I couldn¡¯t help the frown that creased on my face but it was soon wiped off when he grabbed me by the back of my head, his hot, needy mouth descending on mine in a mind-shattering kiss that caused me to moan heavily in his mouth. My heart sank to the pit of my stomach and I tugged him closer with my legs that were instinctively thrown around him. He let out a low moan, his hand kneading one of my boobs.


    He broke the kiss, our uneven breaths filling the air.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± He asked in a whisper.


    ¡°With all of my heart, my love,¡± I answered him.


    ¡°I am all yours.¡±

 Chapter 86

    ASHLEY


    My heels were long gone.


    My feet paddled softly against the cold floor of the hallways that led to where he was taking me. I nced at him, just like I had been doing since we left the rooftop. His quietness bothered me a lot. I didn¡¯t know which was more bugging. The fact that he had been quiet forever or the fact that I couldn¡¯t read him and I didn¡¯t know what was going on in his head. I think it had to be the two. My eyes darted away from his face to our entwined hands and I squeezed them softly, assuring him without words that I was here with him.


    He countered every one of my hopes to utter a word when he stopped in front of an onyx-ck door that radiated regality. He detached our intertwined hands, wrapping his arms around me and tugging me closer, and then he nted a soft kiss on my lips. He attached his forehead to mine, breathing softly.


    ¡°We could go back, you know¡­¡± His voice trailed and a frown automatically made its way to my face. If I wanted to turn back before, that feeling hadpletely diminished, leaving a burning curiosity to settle within me. I was now more inquisitive than ever.


    ¡°No, Arden. Just open the door.¡± I demanded, my voice firm. He exhaled and stepped away from me. I took that as my chance to examine his tense features. His green eyes were clouded with worry and something akin to fear. I furrowed my brows at him, wondering what was behind the door that had him so rattled.


    ¡°You have to understand that you can leave if you want___¡±Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    ¡°Open the fucking door, Arden Gray,¡± I ordered him and he nodded, inserting his hands into his pocket to retrieve a key he had gotten from his study a while ago. He inserted it into the keyhole and opened the door. Before he could say Jack Robinson, I had already stepped into the dark room.


    There was something about the room that made instant chills crawl up my spine. No, it wasn¡¯t the kind of chills I got whenever I was scared, it was the kind of chills I got whenever I found something exciting and so unpredictable. I stood at a spot in total darkness, my eyes straying to nowhere in particr. The lights came on in a nanosecond and a light gasp escaped my lips.


    My eyes scoured the dark blue-themed room. The lights were on but they were dim, giving the room a bluish aura. Everything in the room waspletely blue. But no, that wasn¡¯t what caught my breath in my throat. It was the setting of the room. The bed that upied the middle of the room was covered with dark blue satin sheets, and by the bedpost, two handcuffs hung at each side. The wooden stands that stood proudly in some parts of the room had different chains, whips, floggers and some other objects I could barely fathom neatly hung on them.


    The room reeked of one thing.


    Dominance.


    In abundance.


    And I knew, right there, that I was standing in a yroom.


    ¡°You are a Dom?¡± I asked quietly and I expected an answer to my question, but all I got was silence. I knew I should be terrified by the unpredictability of the whole thing, but I wasn¡¯t. I swallowed the spit that was starting to build up in my mouth and then, I felt his presence at my back. He wasn¡¯t overly close to me, there was still a few inches of space hanging between us, but I could feel the heat that radiated off his masculine body burning through the skin of my ck dress and surging through my veins.


    He inched forward, his fingers dropping on my shoulder de and I sucked in a harsh breath. I could feel the blood in my veins drying up, leaving a cold to shimmer in my veins. My mouth waspletely dry, my heartbeat quickening in pace. His lips brushed my earlobe and I couldn¡¯t suppress the loud moan that spluttered from my mouth.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, and I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. I grew nervous, wishing he would say something again. I have heard his voice in different shades but there was something about the way he spoke to me right now. It was ruggedly cold, a nerve-wracking dominance hung in his tone.


    ¡°Are you scared?¡± He queried, monotonously.


    ¡°No,¡± I answered in all honesty.


    I hadn¡¯t tried this before but I knew I was safe with him and a huge part of me found this so exciting.


    ¡°I trust you,¡± I told him and heard him chuckle. The dark sound was apanied by a soft kiss being pressed to my shoulder de and my eyes fluttered shut, breezily. I released a sigh, tilting my head to the side to grant him more ess to my neck.


    ¡°My Peach¡­¡± His voice trailed off.


    ¡°All mine!¡± He growled possessively, yanking me to himself until there was no space left between, and I moaned at the rough contact. I was pressed tightly against him, my backside grazing his crotch and I wiggled softly, eliciting a grunt from him. My pussy watered shamelessly at the sound that left his lips.


    ¡°All yours,¡± I whispered.


    His hands slipped off my shoulder de, crawling downwards until they rested on my breasts and brushed one of my hardened buds that was begging for a release in the dress I was wearing. Two of his fingers were soon encased around it, pinching it softly and I mewled, wiggling in his arms.


    ¡°You should know¡­¡±


    ¡°I am in total control here and we move at my pace. I have to know if you are willing to give up control for me. You are going to have to trust me and follow every one of my instructions. That¡¯s the only way this is going to work.¡± He divulged, making it so hard for me to keep track of what he was saying as his hands disappeared beneath my dress. I could barely find my voice and the only thing my brain couldprehend was spreading my legs. And that was exactly what I did because I felt a soft stroke on my clit, and it had tears pooling in my eyes.


    I was restless and frustrated and I needed a release.


    ¡°You are not saying anything,¡± He chuckled, stroking me again.


    ¡°Yes, yes. I¡¯ll do everything you say, just let mee.¡± I breathed and felt him retract his finger from my throbbing pussy.


    ¡°This is exactly how I want you.¡±


    ¡°A needy whore.¡±


    ¡°Under no circumstances are you allowed toe without my permission. Failure to understand thates with punishment. Do you understand me, Peach?¡± He demanded sternly, trailing his fingers on my barep and showering kisses on my exposed neck.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I responded.


    ¡°You are going to need a safeword in case it gets overwhelming and you want us to stop.¡± He spoke up, giving my waist a soft squeeze. His hands on me made it so difficult for me to form a coherent speech. My breath was seizing at intervals and my throat was running dry.


    ¡°Peach,¡± I uttered in a heartbeat. It was symbolic for me in so many ways. It couldn¡¯t have been more perfect.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± His voice was barely above a whisper and before I could process what was going on, he spun me around to face me and I could have sworn time was brought to a standstill when our eyes locked in a stare.


    I gasped.


    My breath was punched out of my lungs, seizingpletely.

 Chapter 87

    ASHLEY


    God¡­


    Hearing him speak to me since we stepped into this room was more than enough to convince me that he was an entirely different man in this room, but beholding his gaze and having him stand right in front of me, towering over me like a predator that was about to pounce on hisst meal, ticked all the boxes of the different shades of him.


    The dominating aura that had always surrounded him was tainted by something much more feral. Something raw and dark. His eyes burned with a devilish desire that incinerated me from the inside out. The hunger in those green essences was barbaric and it was so stimting in ways I didn¡¯t even know was possible. My legs felt so light in the air, and I knew that at any point in time, I was bound to lose my stance.


    He was like a god.


    And holy smoke, he looked so perfect that it brought tears to my eyes. I didn¡¯t understand how someone¡¯s dark side could be this alluring. I didn¡¯t know how his beastly side could be this enthralling.


    He stood there and took every ounce of my breath away.


    ¡°Turn around,¡± he instructed, his tone dead. Without hesitation, I obeyed hismand and sucked in some breath when I felt him behind me. His hands found their way to the zipper of my dress, pulling it down slowly. He pushed the straps of my dress downwards and the soft material fell off my body, pooling at my feet. I got out of the dress and swallowed.


    ¡°Look at me,¡±


    I spun around, facing him. I knew he had seen me naked countless times, but it didn¡¯t deter me from feeling so conscious under his scorching gaze. His eyes soaked me in demurely, basking in every inch of my body, and I felt my legs wavering, a shaky breath eluded me as my insecurities began enveloping me.


    ¡°Christ,¡± he whispered in awe.


    ¡°You are one hell of an enthralling woman.¡± For the first time this night, his voice softened,ced withfort and adoration. He took a step forward, yanking me forward, and I came crashing into his chest. His green eyes looked all shades of darkness and then, he chuckled, trailing his fingers on my cheek and I shivered.


    ¡°I am going to have so much fun tainting you.¡± He smirked and grabbed me by the back of my head, his mouth descending on mine. I opened up to him immediately and felt him pick me up without difficulty. I wrapped my legs around him, deepening the kiss and moaning into it. I was too immersed in the kiss to notice he had started moving and the next thing I felt was my back hitting the soft mattress.


    The silk sheets flopped against my skin. He was hovering above me, our heavy breathing mixed, producing a breathless sound and a certain amount of heat that fanned every inch of my skin. He was still in his shirt that wasn¡¯t fully buttoned up, tucked in his cks while I was utterly bare underneath him. His eyes couldn¡¯t have looked more captivating and they were enough to keep me distracted for him to cuff my hands to the restraints by the bedpost. He did the same to my legs and I just watched him the whole time, with utter fascination.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± he murmured, staring down at me. He got off the bed and walked over to one of the stands. I tried to lift my head off the pillow to see what he was doing but I could only move it a little, leaving me unable to see him. By the time he came back, his shirt was gone. It gave me the chance to ogle at his ivory skin that exuded a bluish glow under the lights. His messy hair shimmered with a raw azure color.


    He was so handsome¡­


    My eyes darted to the objects in his hands. He had a ck tie in his hands, alongside a ck object I recognised to be a vibrator. And like a wolf, he stalked towards me like its prey, his lifeless eyes trained on my body. I tried to mp my legs shut because of the way they throbbed heavily, but the restraints that held them apart prevented me from doing that. I let out a frustrated huff and tossed my head backwards.


    He got atop me, breathing softly. The warm air tickled my skin, scattering goosebumps across my skin. He stared down at me and I could read the warmth that was thrown across those green orbs, alongside a subtle look of question, and I nodded my head, urging him on. He brought the tie to my face and I caught a whiff of his fresh cologne before he blindfolded me.


    I was thrown intoplete darkness.


    The soft humming of the vibrator tore through my thoughts, jerking me back to reality. I felt his hot breath on my face and he captured my lips softly. I slowly eased into the kiss but then, it was a fucking decoy because when the humming object connected with my sensitive bud, I jerked, arching my back off the bed and moaning loudly.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, heaving. He teased my nub with it and I jerked violently, unconsciously tugging at my restraints. It left a stinging pain on my wrists, but the pleasure I felt from the vibrator assaulting my nipples overrode it. I mewled, wiggling beneath him. His lips met my neck and I whimpered, the vibration that coursed through the object sent tingles shooting through my body and straight to my core, stimting it and causing it to grow more moist than it already is.


    He was teasing me.


    He knew exactly where I wanted it.


    ¡°Sir, please!¡± I pleaded.


    He let out a derisive chuckle, trailing the object around my are while I trashed around on the bed, tugging at the restraints that bound my hands and legs, which I knew would leave a mark by the morning, but all I could bring myself to care about at this moment was to get just one orgasm from him.


    ¡°Not such a smart mouth now or are you?¡± He asked, his toneced with mockery.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± A wanton gasp tore through my lips when the vibrator grazed my sensitive bundle of nerves. He stroked it gently and I whimpered, arching my back off the bed in a desperate attempt to get more of what he was willing to offer me. I was frustrated and agitated. Every inch of my body yearned for his touch but he wasn¡¯t giving me what I wanted.


    He worsened my torture by increasing it to the highest he could get, gliding it around my slick vulva. My nipples hardened and my body rocked with tremors as my toes curled in ecstasy. My eyes felt like they were rolling back in their sockets and every limb in my body convulsed heavily, begging for a release from the burning sensation that coursed through my veins. Heavy knots formed in the pit of my stomach, amplifying every second with each stroke. I could feel myself hanging on the rear edge, thrashing around on the bed with loud sobs eluding me.


    I was overly drenched in sweat and I could feel my hair sticking to my face, getting into my mouth and muffling my sobs. I was almost shattered into a thousand pieces.


    And then,


    Just when I could feel myself falling off.


    He turned the damn thing off.


    ¡°Fuck! No! No!¡±


    ¡°Shit!¡±


    ¡°Sir please, please¡­let mee!¡±


    My sanity felt as though it was being yanked away from me. My body was imbued with so much ache, my pussy throbbing heavily, hurting me with how it pulsated now and then. My head felt light and my vision was overly faint. It was like being starved for years and then having a piece of meat dangled right in front of your face. Your taste buds hurt so badly to get even a graze of the seasoning it was soaked in and then, when you finally feel your nose soaked up with the tantalising aroma, the seasoning dotting on your tongue, it¡¯s snatched away from you.


    ¡°Now, why should I let youe?¡±


    ¡°You have been such a disrespectful whore!¡± He growled, his weight looming above me. He closed in on me, pressing his hard bulge on my glistening cunt, careful enough not to crush me with his weight. The contact of the thick clothes against my warm opening felt like a light jolt of spark through my body.


    I tossed my head backwards, a sigh-cry rippling through my mouth. I tugged at the restraints violently, hurting myself in the process. My body and my insides felt like they were burning from the inside out. It crawled with a heat our body contact produced, intensifying my arousal.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I cried.


    ¡°Please, sir¡­¡± My voice trailed off in a whimper. He buried his head in the crook of my neck, sniffing me in and chuckling into it. The deep, throaty vibration surged through me, shooting straight to my core and exuding more liquid from it. I let out a needy moan, my buds hardening even more. His palm found one of my boobs, kneading it softly. He tugged at my nipple, pinching and flicking it while I wiggled in his arms at his torturous assault.


    I was so sensitive to his touch. Even the breath that escaped him turned me on more than I had ever been turned on in my entire life. It rendered me shameless, leaving me to beg for even a brush of his fingers on my skin. My eyes welled up with tears of agitation, soaking up my blindfold.


    ¡°Please, sir¡­let me__fuck!¡± I screamed when I felt his finger stroke my sensitive clit. His mouth enclosed around one of my nipples and he slid a finger into my pussy. I nearly went mad at the stimting contact. I was so restless.


    ¡°More!¡± I begged and he chuckled. I sensed he was about to retract his fingers and I tried to mp my legs around his hand to keep him from doing that.


    ¡°Please! I beg you! Please!¡± I cried.


    ¡°You are a pool down there,¡± His tone dripped with utter satisfaction. He slowly pumped his fingers out of me, loud breathy moans emitting from me. My legs spasmed uncontrobly, my stomach churning with nerves. One of his fingers stroked my clit while the other pumped in and out of me. He quickened his pace when he added one more finger. I whimpered, my toes curling at the contact. He crashed his lips on mine, suppressing my loud moans as I approached my climax.


    ¡°Shit! I am going toe!¡±


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±


    ¡°Can Ie, sir?¡± I was practically screaming at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°Come,¡±


    It felt like I had been waiting for that one word my entire life. My body rippled heavily as I convulsed, screaming at the top of my lungs. I shattered into a million pieces in his arms, a loud sob tumbling from my mouth at how amazing it felt. My juices exploded out of me, creaming his fingers as I jerked uncontrobly, whimpering softly.


    My lungs were beginning to hurt and my muscles felt so tired, but it was the best orgasm I have ever had in my entire life. It left me wanting more.


    The blindfold was off my face in a second and my eyes met his now dark green ones that looked like they had been waiting to gaze at me. I tried to slow my heavy breathing, drowning in his hypnotic gaze. His fingers came up to my face, stroking my cheeks tenderly. I sighed, easing into his touch.


    ¡°Whose girl are you?¡± He asked in a whisper, his tone dark and threatening.


    ¡°Yours. I am all yours.¡± I responded in a heartbeat and he groaned, pressing a kiss to my jaw, moving to my neck and assaulting it with feathery kisses.


    ¡°You have no idea just how crazy you drive me. I am so obsessed with you that you can barely understand how deep it runs,¡± He kissed the swell of my breasts.


    ¡± You are all mine, Peach.¡± He pressed a kiss dangerously close to my nipples and I moaned.


    ¡°All mine,¡±


    ¡°Fuck, I¡¯d kill for you!¡± He growled, possessively, and I tossed my head backwards, yanking at my chains when his lips met my boobs, giving one of them a long, hard suck that left me so soaked. There was something about him staking his im on me that I loved so much. I loved him telling me about how much I affected him. I loved him telling me how I was undeniably and irrevocably his. Something about it drove me nuts and I loved every bit of it.


    My heart pounded erratically against my chest, my pulse raced hard and my cheeks went up in mes. His words only heightened how badly I wanted him inside of me, how badly I wanted him to im me as his, thoroughly. I wanted him to dominate me, use me and fuck me as he pleased.


    ¡°I want to be fucked. Hard.¡±


    I told him, peering at him beneath myshes and biting my lips. He groaned. His eyes darkened with lust and desire. He crawled away from me, unbuckling the restraints that held my legs together. My legs felt so numb, I could barely move them, but it didn¡¯t deter me from watching him undo his fly. He unbuckled his belt and got rid of it alongside his cks and briefs. His thick length came into view and I felt my mouth run dry, my pussy pulsating heavily. Heck, I could hear the soft breathing sound it made.


    It throbbed in the excitement of being fed.


    He got on the bed and leaned towards me until he was hovering above me, and then he kissed me, long and hard, leaving me breathless by the time he pulled away.


    ¡°You are still on the pills?¡± He asked me in a whisper and I felt my heart drop to the pit of my stomach. Arden was observant and he could pick up on the slightest emotion that crossed my face, so I tried to conceal my difort as quickly as I could.


    He didn¡¯t have to know.


    I could take care of myself.


    So, I said the opposite.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I breathed, hungry for him.


    ¡°Good girl,¡±


    He picked up one of my legs, throwing it on his shoulder with his eyes steadily on mine. The tip of his cock brushed and teased my opening, eliciting a whine-like moan from me. He could sense my neediness and desperation that radiated off me in waves which caused him to chuckle in amusement.


    ¡°You want this cock, don¡¯t you?¡± He queried, nudging my jaw with his head. I moaned softly at the way his cock brushed my slit.


    ¡°Badly,¡±


    ¡°Please, fuck me, sir.¡± I pleaded, swallowing audibly. His cock lined up with my entrance and he plunged into me swiftly, earning a loud moan from me.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I cried, tossing my head backwards. He always managed to leave me speechless anytime he was inside me. His thick length filled me up, stretching me like an stic band. My walls wrapped around him like they had been waiting for him all day long. I kept my eyes trained on his face, watching his face contort into an expression of utter satisfaction. He loved being inside of me as much as I loved having him inside me.


    ¡°So tight.¡±


    ¡°So warm,¡±


    ¡°All for me. All mine.¡± He groaned, pulling out of me and mming back inside of me. I moaned loudly, my knees buckling heavily. His head was soon attached to the hollow of my neck, a grunt of satisfaction eluding him as he mmed into me swiftly. Again. I whimpered, my nipples hardening. I tugged at my restraints, desperate to get them off and wrap my arms around him so tightly. I didn¡¯t know how he could fill me up and still make me yearn for more. It felt like it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I groaned when he thrust into me. He increased his pace, pounding into me like his self-control finally snapped. It felt like his tamed beast had awoken from a long slumber. His thrusts were deep, swift and hard. They extracted wanton sounds and whimpers from me, my toes curling around him. He pulled out of me, drilling into me with a force that had me yanking at my restraints, a scream rippling through my mouth.


    It felt so good.


    He felt so good.


    ¡°You are so tight, fuck!¡± He groaned, dipping his head downwards and capturing one of my nubs. He mmed into me aggressively and I tightened my legs around him, mumbling incorrigibles as he drilled into me. Each thrust is much more mind-shattering than thest. His pace grew faster with each thrust, extracting sounds I didn¡¯t even know I could make from myself. My body rocked heavily with tremors, my boobs bouncing aggressively as he thrust in and out of me.


    ¡°Harder!¡±


    ¡°Oh, shit you feel so good!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°Fuck!¡±


    ¡°Arden__oh my, fuck! Fuck!¡± He pounded me so hard, his hand grabbing me at the back of my throat as he crashed his lips on mine, swallowing up my moans while he drilled me mercilessly. My eyes welled up with tears as I arched my back off the bed, wanting more of his dick. My moans grew louder when his strokes grew more stimting and he started hitting my G-spot. Every limb and muscle in my body screamed for help as they racked with tremors and vibrating that left my knees buckling and my toes curling.


    My vision was beginning to grow faint, with ck dots appearing in my vision.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± He ordered me and my eyes snapped open, a feeling of satisfaction crashing over me in waves as I saw how badly he enjoyed being inside of me. The sounds he made were such a turn-on, amplifying my arousal even more.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach!¡± He growled, drilling into me and I moaned, my wrists hurting from being restrained. His wless skin glistened with sweat, his face contorting with expressions that screamed satisfaction at a nce. He looked like a god, pounding into me mercilessly and fucking my brains out, liquidising it and crushing my mind.


    A loud sob tore through my lips.Belongs to (N)?vel/Drama.Org.


    ¡°Arde__fuck! I am close!¡±


    ¡°Can Ie? Shit!¡± I screamed.


    ¡°Come with me, baby.¡± He groaned, the deep, throaty and animalistic sound rippling from his chest.


    He sucked on my nipples long and hard before attaching his head to the hollow of my neck, sucking on it and making sounds I could barely decipher. I cursed and muttered profanities, burying my face in his hair. I screamed, not caring if the ear-splitting sound could bring down the whole building. My stomach tightened heavily, and my legs jerked uncontrobly.


    He growled into my neck, shooting his seeds into me as my juices exploded out of me, eliciting a loud sob from me. He filled me up, breathing heavily against me. I whimpered softly, unable to feel any part of my body. I was drained. I was exhausted. Heck, breathing felt like one hell of a job. His hands found the cuffs that restrained my hands, taking them off and they dropped limply.


    Then, he looked at me, his eyes glowing with emotions I could barely decipher. He stared at me like I was too good to be true. Like he couldn¡¯t believe I was his.


    ¡°Nothing makes sense without you, Peach.¡±


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡± His voice trailed off, his eyes steadily on mine and then, without uttering a word, I grabbed his face and kissed him until he forgot how to breathe. I kissed him, channelling everything I felt into the kiss.


    I kissed him, iming him and marking my territory.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you cleaned up,¡± he whispered, his voice filled with warmth. He picked me up without hesitation. I was too tired to even lift a finger, so I allowed him to do whatever he wanted, giving into the darkness.

 Chapter 88

    JAXON


    The air that filled the room reeked of toxicity, tasting like an acidic element that was enough to gut one¡¯s intestines out. I could feel it on my skin and my tongue. Breathing it in, even. But just like all times, it barely gained any ounce of reaction from me. The rancid and pungent smell of the dried blood that was scattered across the fading walls in stripes seemed like any other normal smell to me.


    I had grown to find it fascinating.


    But what, however, was beginning to get on my nerves was theck of cooperation from the man tied upside down a few feet away from me. The familiar ck material of his ck tee that he was wearing the day we grabbed him at Micah¡¯s hideout had been adorned with several holes that were a result of the bloody pocket knife which I was tossing up and down in my hands.


    The blood that dotted off his body dropped to the floor like tiny raindrops and beneath him, was a pool of his blood which I had taken upon myself to drain out of him if he didn¡¯t provide me with answers.


    His whimpers were beginning to get annoying.


    ¡°Shall we try this again, my friend?¡± I demanded softly, folding the sleeves of my bloodied shirt to my elbows. I sucked off the tip of my pinkie which was stained with blood, approaching him with a sinister smile tugging at my lips.


    His ragged breath quickened, and soft, pathetic sounds eluded him as I drew nearer, flicking the pocket knife.


    ¡°Where is Micah?¡± I queried, my eyes set dead on him. He shook his head, dragging out his wheezy breath slowly. Beads of tears were starting to form in his bloodshot eyes that had horror imprinted in them.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± He cried out in frustration and I hissed through my teeth, digging the knife into his abdomen, eliciting a blood-curdling scream from him.


    ¡°Answer me, boy!¡± I bellowed, stabbing him again. I grabbed him by the hair, tightening my grip on it as I crouched to his level, wearing a sadistic expression.


    ¡°It¡¯s only going to get worse, you fool!¡± I yelled coldly, stabbing him in his arm.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I swear!¡± He swore and I scoffed,nding a punch on his cheek. Blood spluttered out of his mouth, sshing on my face in the process. I hissed through clenched teeth, rising to my feet.


    ¡°How convenient?¡± I muttered sarcastically.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know where he is, but you were seen at thest ce he was seen. Not to mention the strange calls on your phone.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to live? Huh, chap?¡± I asked him, cracking my knuckles.


    ¡°You can go to hell!¡± He cursed at me, his tone reeking of malice. Ha, there it is.


    ¡°Fine, I will.¡± I sighed, walking away from him.


    ¡°But you first!¡± I growled, spinning around with the speed of light and then, shed his throat. I threw the knife to the floor and walked out of the cell, yanking a handkerchief from Duncan, who was standing by the door.


    ¡°He¡¯s useless. Just like the others.¡±


    I sauntered past him like a breeze, tossing the bloodied handkerchief somewhere in the vast hallways of the dungeon. My strides were longer than his and he struggled to keep up.


    ¡°We¡¯ll keep looking, boss.¡± He assured me and I snorted at his uselessness. Leave it to Duncan to be useless when you need him to be useful. Fucking asshole.


    ¡°Oh, shut it. You dumbfuck.¡±


    ¡°You have an appointment with your therapist in ten minutes, boss.¡± And those words were enough to bring my steps to a halt. I whirled around, tilting a brow at him rudely, my lips pursed in a heavy frown.


    ¡°Are you fucking with me right now?¡± I queried him, my tone hard and stern with disbelief oozing off it.


    ¡°No, boss.¡±


    ¡°I need a fucking drink,¡± I growled, walking out on him.


    ______________


    Taking a shower and changing into fresh clothes didn¡¯t ease my tense muscles. The anger that brewed within me seemed to have doubled up in folds, consuming me from the inside out. My hands were clenched tightly in a fist as I marched towards my study. The harsh contact my Italian loafers made with the vinyl floors echoed loudly with each step I took, threatening to bring down the whole building.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I barged into my study, shutting the door behind me, but Duncan held it back from mming in his face, sliding in before the door mmed shut itself. I strode to my table, snatching a bottle of whiskey from one of my drawers, and proceeding to fetch a tumbler. I poured the liquid into the ss and downed it at a go, popping a few buttons open.


    It was at the tip of my tongue to tell Duncan to cancel my appointment with her, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to. Peach worked too hard for this and I didn¡¯t want to screw it up. Now, I regret forcing her to go back to work because if she were here, she would be giving me moral support.


    Every nerve in me screamed at me to pick up my phone and call her toe back home, but I knew how selfish that would make him, even though she would drop everything she was doing all at once ande home to me. She had missed out on a lot and I didn¡¯t want her to put her life on hold because of me.


    Besides, Ivana¡¯s wedding wasing up soon and when ites to weddings, it was always fittings, weird cake tasting and a shitload of other stressful things. She had to be there to give her friend all the support she needed.


    I wanted to be better for her. To be a better husband and a better man. I wanted to make our marriage work. I couldn¡¯t do that if I didn¡¯t start healing. And if that means keeping up with the therapist she got for me, then so be it. Heck, I would walk into fire for that woman if she asked me. I cared about her more than I did myself.


    I brushed my hair backwards, sighing softly.


    ¡°Is she here now?¡± I asked quietly, spinning around to face Duncan, who nodded his head in return.


    ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    ¡°Go get her for me,¡± I ordered him, looking down at my diamond wedding band and twirling it softly. That way, it felt like she was closer to me than ever.

 Chapter 89

    JAXON


    I took a swig from my tumbler, staring through the window with my face as nk as a sheet. I appeared calm on the outside, but I was a nerve-wracking mess on the inside. A knock sounded at my door and I heaved a sigh.


    ¡°The door is not locked,¡± I announced, and the door creaked slowly, apanied by the clicking of heels against the vinyl floor.


    ¡°Good morning, Jaxon.¡± Her bubbly and energetic voice, which was filled with so much enthusiasm, filled the room. I spun around in my swivel chair, my gaze zeroing in on the blonde, who had her hair tied in a high ponytail. Her slim frame was draped in a corporate midi red dress that matched perfectly with the crimson lipstick on her lips.


    She sauntered forward gracefully like she had the whole world parched on her palms, a bright smile stered on her face, which had her blue eyes twinkling with softness.


    ¡°Good morning, Kendra.¡± I retorted in a bored tone which sounded so dismissive, but like always, she didn¡¯t take it to heart. She slipped into the seat in front of me, dropping her ck bag on the table. An act that unconsciously gave off the golden band on her ring finger.


    It elicited a sigh of relief from me because I wouldn¡¯t want my therapist hitting on me even though I knew being married wasn¡¯t a limit for some promiscuous women. But then, something about Kendra convinced me that she was very professional and wouldn¡¯t be trying such with me.


    ¡°Whiskey?¡± I offered and she chuckled softly.


    ¡°No, thank you. I love to work with a clear head.¡± She said with a smile.


    ¡°So, you are married, huh?¡± I said in an attempt to start a conversation, but it was a decoy. I was trying to test her limits and she stunned me further with the ardent smile that was still etched on her face. Her eyes brightened at the mention of her marital life.


    ¡°Yes, I am. I got married to my best friend three years ago and our marriage is blessed with an adorable little girl.¡± She answered my question with a smile that said it was all about the unconditional love she had for her family. It made my lips twitch involuntarily.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    Maybe, just maybe. This will be me and Peach someday.


    ¡°How old are you, Kendra?¡± I said inquisitively. If I was going to be doing this with her, I had to hear from the horse¡¯s mouth, even though I knew that after this session, I would have Duncan do a quick background check on her to see if she was lying.


    One can never be too careful.


    ¡°Twenty-seven.¡± She answered honestly, maintaining eye contact with me. I shrugged casually, downing the rest of my whiskey at a go.


    ¡°So,¡± She sat up, a warm, assuring smile descending on her face.


    ¡°Tell me about yourself, Jaxon.¡± She inquired softly, her eyes searching mine.


    Yeah, we are really doing this.


    ¡°Jaxon Gray. Twenty-nine, soon to be thirty in a few months. I am¡­uh¡­a businessman¡­¡± My voice trailed off, intentionally leaving out the part where I was the biggest crime lord in the country.


    ¡°What do you love doing?¡± That question came out of the blue, knocking my breath out of me. I released a light gasp, my hands growing cold. She seemed to have picked up on my change in demeanour, so she reached out to grasp my hand gently but I flinched, recoiling from her touch.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I snapped.


    She exhaled softly, nodding with an understanding smile. It only aggravated me further. How could she be so calm while I was losing what was left on my mind?


    I was so quiet, my mind running haywire.


    ¡°Jaxon?¡± She called softly and I looked at her. She seemed relieved that I wasn¡¯t shying away from her gaze, then proceeded to speak with a light smile ying on her lips.


    ¡°I might have picked up on the fact that you are not big on trust and that¡¯spletely okay. It¡¯s fine. Baby steps. We will go at whatever pace you want.¡± She assured me gently. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to speak, so I simply nodded with an exhaustive sigh.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Should we take it again?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    ¡°What do you love to do, Jaxon?¡± She repeated her question, her tone much more gentler this time around, leaving a sense of safety hanging around me.


    ¡°I¡­uh¡­I used to paint.¡± I answered quietly and her eyes brightened. I was soon staring into space with a sad smile ying on my lips as I ventured down memoryne.


    ¡°Painting was like breathing for me. It was like the only way I could express myself.¡± I added, monotonously.


    ¡°So, why did you stop?¡± She asked, her voice drawn to a whisper.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t__¡± I took a deep breath.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t continue after my parents died in a car ident on my graduation day,¡± I added, scoffing at the end of my words. I avoided looking her in the eye because I didn¡¯t want to see that look of pity on her face.


    ¡°Ever since then, the thought of painting is just associated with a truckload of pain. I didn¡¯t want to be in pain,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°What did you do after your parents died?¡± That question wiped off the expression I had on my face and my head shot up from the table, my eyes locked on her face with a deadly re marrying my face.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± I gritted out, daring her to ask me that question one more time. She wasn¡¯t asking because she wanted to know what I did. She knew what I did but she wanted me to say it. What kind of a monster was she?


    A monster that wants you to face your fears A voice echoed in my head.


    ¡°What did you do after they died?¡± She asked me, dragging out her words gently. I got up from my seat, walking farther away from her before I caused damage I couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡°Stop asking me that!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Stop!¡±


    ¡°Jaxon, the only way this is ever going to work is if you trust me. You have to trust me, Jaxon. I am not going to hurt you.¡± She said in an attempt to calm me down.


    ¡°Do you want me to put a call through to your wife?¡± She asked me. My bruised breathing starteding out slowly and I squeezed my eyes shut, taking slow deep breaths to calm myself.


    ¡°No, don¡¯t call Peach. I am fine.¡± I disagreed immediately, ignoring the lingering ache in my temples. Her name. It worked like magic. It soothed my stiff muscles and gave me a sense of safety. I found myself returning to my seat in no time.


    I slumped into my seat in defeat.


    She was right. I had to trust her if I wanted this to work, but it wasn¡¯t my fault that talking about it made my lungs want to close up.


    ¡°I understand that this is hard for you, but that¡¯s why I am here. To help you sort through your feelings. To help you get through this.¡± She assured me warmly.


    ¡°Distractions,¡± I began.


    ¡°I looked for distractions when they died,¡± I added, sighing.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t want to face the fact that they were dead¡­¡± Her voice trailed off. I looked at her and nodded.


    ¡°You still don¡¯t want to.¡± She said in all honesty, earning a rude tilting of my brow.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°The death of loved ones often changes us in ways we don¡¯t understand. It was easy for you to seek distractions after their death because, as humans, we are programmed that way. Our brains try to find the easiest way to distract us from the truth, and while it¡¯s supposed to be a coping mechanism, some of us cling to that distraction, hiding from grief.¡± She exined.


    ¡°You never came to terms with their death, Jaxon. You have bottled up your grief for so long and holding back from grieving only causes more harm than good. It has eaten you since then, morphing you into an entirely different man.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s easier to run from the pain than to leave with it.¡± She revealed with a light smile ying on her lips.


    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± I frowned and she chuckled.


    ¡°Of course, it is. When was thest time you went to see them?¡± Her tone, although questioning, was very soft as she maintained eye contact with me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t gone back there since the day they buried them,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Because it¡¯s all my fault. They were in that car because of me. Because it was my graduation. I watched my mom give up the ghost and I couldn¡¯t even help her. She was waiting for me to help her but I couldn¡¯t do anything!¡± I spat out with so much undiluted venom.


    ¡°Because that¡¯s what you have made yourself believe and that¡¯s the reason you have been unable to let them go.¡± She voiced out.


    ¡°Healing is ufortable, Jaxon, but you have toe to terms with their death. I am so sure they wouldn¡¯t want to see you beat yourself up about their death the way you are doing right now.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time, Jaxon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s time to grieve.¡±


    ¡°All those emotions? It¡¯s high time you let them in.¡±

 Chapter 90

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Baby, you alright in there?!¡± I yelled out to the man in the bathroom. He had been in there for a while and I knew he wasn¡¯t just bathing. He kept the shower running as a decoy, so he could use that time to clear his head.


    I had been out of the bathroom over ten minutes ago and I was almost done with my skincare routine while he was still hiding in there from God knows what.


    ¡°Yes, Peach. I am fine!¡± He yelled back and my reflection in the mirror grew red in my cheeks. It beats me how badly he had me wrapped around his fingers because the slightest thing he did earned a shitload of reaction from me. No, it wasn¡¯t the first time I was hearing him speak, but he had a way of sounding different every damn time. Before I could stop myself, I was grinning from ear to ear in no time.


    A sugary giggle emitted from me as I dabbed a generous amount of serum on my face, massaging it into my skin.


    ¡°Come on out, you know you will always look good to me, even if you are covered in soap,¡± I urged him with a smile on my face and I heard his chuckle resonate throughout the room.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be right out, baby.¡± He answered and I nodded as though he could see me. I patted my skin and grinned, taking a moment to appreciate how wless I looked. I looked so different. Too different, even. This woman who gazed back at me in the mirror looked happy like she had everything all under control.


    Like things were finally working her way.


    Besides, we had a weddinging up soon and I didn¡¯t want to be caught looking like shrimp. So, I have all the time in the world to invest in my skincare routine right now.


    The soft creaking of the door had me diverting my gaze from the mirror to the entrance of the ensuite bathroom where my husband stood with a towelzily wrapped around his waist. He looked immersed in drying off his hair with the white towel in his hands. His ripped body glistened with droplets of water from the shower and from where I sat, I could pick up on the scent of his body wash.


    ¡°Well, hello there,¡± I mumbled seductively, falling back into my chair and staring at him to my heart¡¯s content. He paused what he was doing and looked up to face me. Nothing could have prepared me for the clearness of his eyes. They were bright and sensual.


    His thickshes pped against each other now and then, making him look too good to be true. My breath hung in my throat, drying up all the saliva I had in my mouth. His eyes weren¡¯t at their most intense yet I wanted to reach out and touch them because they fascinated me so much and struck every core of my soul.


    ¡°Fuck,e here.¡± He instructed softly and I got up from the stool immediately like it was stacked with a bag of hot coal that burned my buttocks. I ambled forward like a little girl, walking into his arms. One of his arms was thrown around my waist, tugging me to his chest. I threw my hands around his neck, maintaining eye contact with him.


    ¡°You make keeping my hands to myself so hard.¡± He confessed and I giggled. His palm connected with the back of my head and his lips met mine, weakening my legs. My defences waned as he moved his lips against mine, savouring every inch of it like he had all the time in the world. He kissed me like I was the only thing that mattered to him in a way that eased all of my unconsciously heightened nerves. He kissed me like I was the only thing that made sense in his life and made me forget whose air I was breathing.


    I gave up control as his tongue dominantly explored every corner of my mouth, sending a tingling sensation everywhere his hands touched. He growled into my mouth when I slipped my fingers into his hair. I felt my feet leave the ground and my butt meet the surface of my dresser, sending my beauty products to the ground.


    I broke off the kiss, chuckling at his impatience.


    ¡°What did I tell you about breaking my beauty products?¡± I queried, sternly, trying to catch my breath.


    ¡°We¡¯ll get you new ones.¡± He said huskily, slipping his hands underneath the dress and getting rid of my panties in one swift move. He stepped forward but I stopped him with a jab of my finger. I was horny as hell, but it didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t learn his lessons.


    ¡°I¡¯ll allow you to touch me when you have learnt your lesson,¡± I said with an innocent look and his eyes went wide.


    ¡°What? No!¡± He cried.


    ¡°What do you want me to do about this?¡± He asked, pointing to his bulge, and I shrugged.


    ¡°Take a shower.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°You are no fun!¡± He huffed and stormed into the closet. I couldn¡¯t fight the raucousughter that tumbled out of my mouth in waves. If there was anything I knew, it was the fact that Arden was so petty and he would undoubtedly get back at me for doing that to me. I was okay with it, as long as I got to teach him a lesson.


    A light smile danced on my lips as I cracked my knuckles. For a fleeting moment, my eyes darted to my slightly reddish wrists. The memories of the other night hit me in waves, causing me to suck in a breath. I have never felt something so intense that way. Every one of my emotions was heightened and in overdrive. Every feeling was amplified. It was torturous but I loved it.


    And I wanted it to be done to me again.


    I wanted to be tamed that way. I wanted to beg for an orgasm. To beg to be tainted. I loved the sick control he had over me that night. It was deep, evoking and mind-numbing. It was everything I never knew I wanted until I tasted it and it has left me craving more. I have always wanted a connection so consuming, so fiery with a little rush of danger even. Just the right amount of darkness but real.


    ¡°I hurt you, didn¡¯t I?¡± His cold tone pulled me out of my daydream and I flinched at his coldness. I blinked rapidly and dropped my hand, looking toward the entrance of the closet where he seemed to have been standing all this while, watching me in silence.


    ¡°No, baby. You didn¡¯t hurt me.¡± I said sincerely, walking over to him, but he didn¡¯t allow me to meet him halfway because his next words threw me off.


    ¡°How convenient,¡± he muttered sarcastically.


    He wants to pick a fight with me. I have lived with this man for months now and it felt like I have been married to him for years. Hence, the reason I was always able to deduce his next actions. I had grown to understand him so much and know him so well. I was connected to him in a way I haven¡¯t fully understood.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt you but you have been keeping your sleeves covered.¡± He snorted in mockery, his voice filled with derision.


    ¡°Arden!¡± I shunned him, walking towards him.


    ¡°I kept it covered because of this,¡± I whispered, shaking my head, gesturing at how he was acting like he was slowly going out of his mind.


    ¡°Because of this exact reaction.¡±


    ¡°Heaven knows I want nothing more than to not keep them covered. It¡¯s a reminder of what we shared that night. A reminder that you bore your soul to me as I did mine to you. A reminder that we became one that night.¡± My voice reduced to a whisper and I closed in on him, tilting his face so he could look at me.


    ¡°I choose you, Arden. Even when I didn¡¯t know it. Even when I didn¡¯t realise it,¡± I proimed.


    ¡°I love everything thates with you. The good, the bad and the one in between. Everything.¡± I said quietly, smiling at him. He released a sigh, easing into my touch with his eyes closed. He pulled me closer, dropping a kiss on my forehead.


    He held me in his protective embrace like he was so scared of letting me go.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be damned if I ever let you go.¡± He mumbled, kissing my hair, and I grinned like a child, wrapping my arms around his midsection. Well, I didn¡¯t want him to let me go either.


    ¡°I know it¡¯s the weekend, baby.¡± He spoke up like he had something to tell me. He knew I was listening and I didn¡¯t have to raise my head from his chest for him to continue.


    ¡°But, I have been meaning to show you something and there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to do today.¡± He voiced out. Now, that earned a reaction from me.


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked softly, looking up at him.


    ¡°Come with me.¡± He said with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes and that made me worried immediately, bringing a frown to my face, but I chose to trust him, so I followed him out of the room.


    ________________


    I knew I wasn¡¯t exaggerating when I said there were ces in this house I hadn¡¯t been to. That I had not gotten the chance to tour and I was right because I had never been to this wing of the house. If it were another person leading me through an overly quiet hallway, I would freak out, but Arden wasn¡¯t just anyone. I trusted him with my whole life, not to mention how he held on to me so securely.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    He swiped a key card at the door and it beeped, unlocking itself. He led me into the room and found his way to the side of the wall with the switch, flicking it on. My words died at the tip of my tongue. My feet were glued to the ground, and my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.


    For one, this room looked old but it didn¡¯t in any way diminish its beauty and it wasn¡¯t just a room. It was an art studio.


    The multi-coloured canvases and the smell of paint that lingered in the air proved that. There were some of the canvases that had ck clothing over them, and despite the room being old, it was extremely neat. The paint jars were neatly sealed and the paint brushes, although they had dry paint streaks on them, were tucked into their various containers.


    No single thing was out of ce.


    Art resided here and it was breathtaking.


    ¡°Whose studio is this?¡± I found myself asking as I looked around in awe, gaping like fish in water with a bright smile on my face.


    ¡°Mine,¡±


    That one word caused me to whip my head in his direction, my jaw ckening in surprise. I blinked, trying to wrap my head around what I had just heard. He had a shy smile on his face, massaging his nape. Nervous chuckles exited his lips now and then.


    ¡°Or at least it used to be,¡± he added in a small voice.


    ¡°What? Baby!¡± I whispered, skidding towards him. I gazed at him in disbelief, waiting for him to say something because I couldn¡¯t even find my voice.


    ¡°I spent a lot of my childhood here. Even as a teenager and¡­uh¡­my parents died, so I stopped painting.¡± He tried to say thest part like it didn¡¯t bother him, but I knew it did. So much that I could make out the beads of tears forming in his green eyes.


    ¡°God, I am making a mess of everything.¡± He chuckled through his tears and I walked over to him, enclosing my arms around him in a hug.


    ¡°No, baby. You are not. You are grieving and it¡¯s okay. There are no guidelines for it. Do it anyhow you want to.¡± I whispered, assuring him.


    ¡°Come,¡± He pulled away, wiping his tears, and I followed him. He reached behind the table in the room, pulling out a dusty brown box. I watched with curiosity as he unboxed it, revealing the contents.


    They were old pictures.


    But there was a particr picture which stood out the most. He handed it to me, so I could take a proper look. The striking resemnce between Arden and the man in the picture was unnerving. Even though he appeared older, Arden was still a splitting image of him. With his ck hair and intense pool of green eyes. It brought me so muchfort, knowing someday, I will get to grow old with him and see what he will look like when that timees.


    And the woman? If I had seen this picture before I met Aunt Caroline, I would have easily agreed that she was the one in the picture. But then, taking a closer look at her, her hair was more wavy and a darker shade of blonde. Melted brown eyes that swirled with a hint of warmth which couldn¡¯t in any way dim the fierceness engraved in those orbs. Even though she didn¡¯t have the same eye colour as Maria, it felt like I was staring at her.


    She was one breathtaking woman.


    ¡°They are a beautiful duo,¡± I uttered in admiration and he chortled behind me.


    ¡°They were¡­¡± His voice trailed off.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to refer to them in past tense if you don¡¯t want to. No rule says it has to be that way.¡± I told him, grabbing hold of his hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s high time I started doing that. And that¡¯s why I still have one more ce to take you. If I don¡¯t do it today, I never will.¡± He admitted and my face stretched in a smile. I felt like a proud mother. I couldn¡¯t hold back from kissing him softly on the lips.


    My eyes prickled with tears.


    ¡°I am so proud of you, baby,¡± I stated matter-of-factly.


    ¡°Kendra was right. It¡¯s time to grieve but the question is, are you ready to do it with me?¡± He demanded and I found myself giving Kendra a mental pat, making a mental note to tip her the next time I saw her.


    ¡°I¡¯m all in, baby.¡±

 Chapter 91

    ASHLEY


    I knew he told me he was fine, but it didn¡¯t stop me from casting worried nces in his direction, with every passing second. I sighed in difort, wanting to give in to the urge of kicking my ballet ts off my feet and sinking my body onto the bed, refusing to go with him because he clearly wasn¡¯t ready.


    I could tell by several things.


    The way he stared into nothingness in the mirror as he buttoned up his shirt. His shaky fingers as he missed some of the buttons in the process. The asional shaky breaths that evaded him now and then. Not to mention the shuffling of his feet.


    I bet he had even forgotten I was standing behind him.


    ¡°Here, let me help.¡± I threw my sling bag on the bed, walking towards him. I pushed his hands off the buttons, not meeting his eyes. I proceeded to button them properly, making sure not to miss a procession.


    ¡°Baby, I can fix my buttons.¡± He chuckled. A dry, lifeless sound that didn¡¯te out wholeheartedly. I resisted the urge to snort in his face.


    ¡°Of course, you can,¡± I mumbled. My voice came out filled with sarcasm and I heard him sigh.


    ¡°Peach¡­¡± His voice trailed off pleadingly.


    ¡°Arden, this doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± I didn¡¯t mean to snap but I did and I do not regret it. He was acting like he was going out of his mind and I wasn¡¯t just going to stand by and watch him ruin himself without talking him out of it first.


    ¡°Peach, please.¡±


    ¡°This is me pleading with you to see things my way.¡± He begged me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other way to see it!¡± I yelled, teary-eyed.


    ¡°You are rushing into it!¡±


    ¡°You are doing it again!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to feel it! You just don¡¯t want to and I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± My voice broke.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand if that¡¯s such a bad thing. I don¡¯t understand why you hate it so much.¡± I moved away from him, wiping my tears.


    ¡°Grief is ufortable, alright? But it doesn¡¯t mean you have to push it away. It will only cause more harm than good, Jesus Christ!¡± I shouted, throwing my hands up in the air.


    ¡°Would you rather I go alone?¡± He didn¡¯t sound angry. He sounded so worn out and it pricked my heart a thousand times like splinters of wood were being hauled at it.


    ¡°What? No!¡± I debunked, sniffing.


    ¡°Then,e on.¡± He said softly, grabbing my coat. He took hold of my hand and helped me into it, adjusting it properly. Then, he bent slowly and kissed me ever so softly. My body, as thoughpelled to ease into his touch, grewx immediately and I sighed.


    I brushed thepels of his coat and slipped my arm into his. I picked up my sling bag and we headed out of the house.


    The drive to the Cemetery was long and unnerving. It left this twinge of helplessness in me. One I couldn¡¯t control. The only form of spoken word that existed between us was our holding hands as he drove us to the cemetery. I had one of my hands entwined with his, asionally squeezing it in reassurance as my eyes couldn¡¯t bring themselves to stop darting to his side of the car.


    His eyes were cold, detached and fixed ahead on the deserted road before us that led to the cemetery. The tall trees at the side of the road, although green, feel as though they were withering away. Not physically, but the feeling was so strong that it couldn¡¯t be overridden.


    He pulled the car to a halt, bringing me out of my thoughts, and I sighed. He got out of the car and mmed the door shut, spinning around to the other side to help me get the door. I grabbed the white rose bouquet thaty on myp before letting myself out of the car.


    ¡°We are going to have to walk the rest.¡± He announced and I nodded at him with a light smile ying on my lips. He took my hand in his and led the way forward, our footsteps crunching every dead, dry leaf that littered the road in its wake.


    I knew just behind these giant iron bars lies what would either break or make him, but I knew this wasn¡¯t the time to chicken out. This was the time to be strong for him. He might act like he could pull it together right now, but I knew that the minute we set foot behind the intimidating ck see-through gates, his mask was bound to crack.


    And I was right.


    The minute we stepped through the gate, his hand slipped out of mine and I heard him release a shaky breath. His breathing was punctured with shaky sighs. I blinked softly, allowing my tears to spill, and then I inhaled, not wanting any more of it toe off. I turned to him but my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, seeing him clutching his chest so tightly. The flowers I was holding dropped to the floor with a loud thud.


    He couldn¡¯t breathe¡­


    ¡°Arden, baby,¡± I called him, cupping his face.


    ¡°Look at me,¡±


    His breath only came out in harsh pants and wheezes.


    ¡°Baby, please look at me. Just focus on the sound of my voice, alright!¡± I told him, watching the helplessness in his grow more intense. His green eyes were filled with so many tears.


    ¡°Focus on my voice,¡±


    ¡°My voice,¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Easy does it.¡±


    ¡°I am here,¡±


    ¡°Now, breathe, slowly,¡± I said softly and watched him take in some air, then slowly puffed it out. He did it a couple of times before he finally moved backwards, avoiding my eyes. I did the only thing I could think of. I ignored the fact that he didn¡¯t want to look me in the eye because he just had a breakdown and pulled him into a hug.


    ¡°We can go back home if you are not ready, baby,¡± I said quietly, cing my head on his chest.


    ¡°I am ready. I am. Come on. They are just over there.¡± His voice was breaking but he was still struggling to pull it together. I retrieved the flowers from the floor.


    It was like a whirlpool of mncholy.


    There was a coldness that was associated with these surroundings. A coldness that made me feel so hollow. I was wearing a few thousand dor coat, yet I could still feel the chilly air dancing on my skin, freezing me on the inside. The atmosphere was gloomy and morose. It left a dull, lingering ache somewhere in me that I couldn¡¯t ce and I could feel the part of me that was alive grow dimmer as we approached their headstones.


    The smell of freshly dug soil still lingered in the air. So overwhelming and overpowering that it nearly overrode the numerous fragrances of the fresh flowers on each grave.


    Every headstone in the cemetery had one or two bouquets on it. Each is carved in a unique colour. Mostly shades of Grey, ck and white with inscriptions on them. The flowerbeds and flowers on each grave served as the only source for bursts of colour, which I found somewhat peaceful. I could spot a few family crypts from afar and a small chapel that stood proudly on its own.


    ¡°We are here.¡±


    Broken, quiet and lifeless.


    That was what my husband sounded like. He sounded so different from the man I knew and I feared that turning to look at him would break me more than I was already. I choked out a light sob when I spun around to face him. He stared at me with void, blood-shot eyes, his shoulders were sagged and detached, making him look so unhinged.


    He was standing between two graves that were stered with Grey tiles. The middle was covered with neatly trimmed grass and an array of white stones.


    The first one read;


    IN LOVING MEMORY OF


    RODNEY VERNON GRAY.


    A loving husband, father, brother and friend.


    1965-2010.


    Fuck¡­


    The second one read;


    IN LOVING MEMORY OF,


    CORA MIRANDA GRAY.


    A loving wife, mother, sister and a friend.


    1968-2010.


    A loud sob escaped my lips and I had to p my palm over my mouth to control my sobs. Fuck, this was too much. I felt like I was about to lose my mind any moment now. He crouched softly, grabbing the flowers from me and cing them on their respective graves, a morose look descending upon his face.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± He chuckled.


    ¡°Hi?¡± It came out more like a question, but then a bitter chuckle rolled out of his mouth afterwards.


    ¡°I can literally hear mom say ¡®really?¡¯ then snort afterwards.¡± Heughed lightly and I felt myself chuckle, tears spilling out of my eyes.


    ¡°God¡­I¡­don¡¯t¡­fuck, I don¡¯t know what to say to you two other than I am so sorry. I am so sorry, Mom, Dad. I am so sorry that you two had to die so that I could live. I am so sorry I couldn¡¯t do anything to help. I am so sorry for not grieving you two. I am sorry for noting back here regrly after we buried you¡­¡±


    ¡°I am sorry!¡± He broke into sobs, his legs giving him away and he dropped to the floor, cing his head on the edge of the gravestone.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know how to live without you two. You were my whole world and all of a sudden, you were just gone. I had to grow up so fast, learn a lot of things on my own and look out for Maria. I had to sacrifice my humanity, so I could look after the empire you left behind.¡± He choked out.


    ¡°It was hard!¡±


    ¡°It was so hard!¡± He yelled amidst tears. The heart-wrenching sound gutted me mercilessly.


    ¡°On some days, I was so angry at you two for leaving me all alone in this world because I didn¡¯t even know how to deal with your loss and on other days, I was just numb. So numb.¡±


    ¡°I am so sorry I didn¡¯t grow up to be the son you would be proud of.¡±


    How wrong he was. I wanted to tell him how proud they must have been of him but my feet were just glued to the floor with tears clogging my throat.


    ¡°I am so sorry.¡±


    ¡°It took going off the deep end before I could finally confront the trauma your absence left behind. Grieving is so hard, Mom, Dad. It is very hard and God, these days, I can barely even feel my heart because it hurts too much. Too damn much. I am starting to feel that loss and it¡¯s so consuming. It¡¯s shattering me and there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± He admitted.


    ¡°I am a mess,¡±


    ¡°An absolute mess without you two.¡± He huped, digging his fingers into his hair.


    ¡°God¡­you should see Maria now¡­¡± His voice trailed off, holding unabashed admiration and unconditional love for his younger sister even though they were currently not on talking terms.


    ¡°She has grown so much. So much that it used to terrify me, but as she grew older, I got to realise she doesn¡¯t need me anymore. Not the way she used to, at least. Not going to lie, that¡¯s a bruise on my Ego. She has the best husband a girl could ask for,¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°Andrew Armstrong. Yes. Andrew Armstrong. Her best friend since they were little. She married him.¡±


    ¡°And I am an uncle!¡± He sniffed, wiping his tears.


    ¡°I wish you had been here to see your first grandchild. Maria¡¯s daughter. She has everyone wrapped around her fingers.¡± He lifted his eyes off the headstone, anchoring his gaze on me and I swallowed, wiping my palms on my dress. His lips curved in a smile and the dullness in his green eyes transcended into a glow that stole every ounce of the breath I had left in me.


    ¡°I brought someone,¡± His voice was reduced to a whisper. He didn¡¯t have to say it. His eyes urged me forward and I found my feet moving over to where he stood. I crouched to his level and he took my hand in his, pressing a soft kiss on my ring finger.


    ¡°My Wife.¡±


    ¡°Dad, you know how I used to tell you that I wanted to get married to a woman like mom?¡± He directed the question at histe father even though he wasn¡¯t there physically.


    ¡°I found her, Dad. I found her and I married her. It¡¯s the best decision I have ever made in my nearly three decades of being alive. She¡¯s the best thing that has ever happened to me.¡± He went on, his words stirring bubbles of happiness within me.


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Meet Ashley.¡± He turned to me with a teary smile. ¡°Ashley, meet my parents.¡± He croaked.


    ¡°Jaxon didn¡¯t have to tell me about you. I could see it in his eyes, in his actions and in his love for you that you two mean so much to him. I wish we had met under happier circumstances, so I could get to tell you thank you for giving me the very best of men. He¡¯s not perfect but he is everything I have always wanted.¡± I said quietly, cing my head on his shoulder.


    ¡°I am trying toe to terms with your death and I am going to let you go. I am going to stop holding on to your death and start healing. I am going to start living in the present. I know it¡¯s never going to be easy but you two will be with me every step of the way and that¡¯s more than enough.¡± He promised and a sob elicited my mouth.


    ¡°I love you both.¡±


    ¡°Always and forever¡­¡±


    I wrapped my arms around him and watched him break down into uncontroble tears, bawling his eyes out without holding back. He fisted my dress in his hands and buried his head in my chest, crying his eyes out and letting them go.


    I didn¡¯t let him go.


    I cried with him.


    So much.

 Chapter 92

    MICAH


    Have you ever just wanted to watch the world burn? Like you want the biggest surge of fire to descend out of nowhere and raze everything in its wake to ashes. Like you want to watch every living thing burn to death, screaming for help while the fire disintegrated them from the inside out, denting their flesh bit by bit until there was nothing left,


    Other than ashes.


    Like you want to watch a tsunami clear up everyone all in one sweep. Like you want to watch at the snap of a finger, the world is going void of every living thing. Like you just want to make them suffer and drink to the rhythm of their screams, the symphony¡­


    Was that borderline twisted?


    Yes.


    Do I want it to happen?


    I couldn¡¯t think of anything better other than making the world suffer for what has been done to me. No, I didn¡¯t wait to just let it go. I wanted to exact my revenge on anything and anyone. My anger was like a bottomless pit. An abyss. No matter how much I fed it. It never seemed to get filled up.


    But I knew just the right person that could put an end to this rage that was beginning to eat me up so badly. That was beginning to prey on my sanity, slowly ripping it away from me.


    Jaxon Gray.


    I had the perfect n!


    The one thatnded you in here? The tiny voice in my head mocked me.


    ¡°Oh, shut it.¡± I seethed.


    Everything was supposed to work out the way I had nned it. It was one big perfect n that I only had a shot at. It was supposed to be the ultimate weapon. The game changer. I spent months hatching that n. I put in everything I had, so it could work. My money, my resources, my time. Oh, I devoted a shitload of time to making that n work.


    And it did work.


    If it did, you wouldn¡¯t be hiding in here like a pussy. It echoed in my head again and I snorted, blocking it out.


    All I had to do was aim a perfect shot at her. All I had to do was get that bitch out of the picture but the bloody bastard just had to take the bullet for her! He was so blinded by her pussy that he decided to take the shot. Everything should have gone well! It should have been her who got shot. That shot ought to kill her and her death would serve as an opportunity for me to maim him once and for all, and then end him.


    After that, I was supposed to take my rightful position as the Mafia lord that ended Jaxon Gray. As the deadliest crime boss in the country!


    I should be dining with kings! Not him! I should be the revered one. NOT HIM.


    The bastard just happens to get every good thing. He gets every good thing. Never have I ever seen a woman so breathtaking. It almost had me cancelling the n. Her eyes had bursts of pure, untainted innocence swirling in them with a douse of fierceness and seduction.


    I have never seen sparks so pretty.


    And her body? It was to die for. She had the kind of body that could make a man go on his knees for her. That would make a man heed everything she says like a damn puppy.


    That kind of woman should belong to me and not him!


    After everything, the bastard didn¡¯t die. Instead, he left me on the run. He left me to hide like a weak, pathetic, son of a bitch. He was hot on my tail, so badly. Thest I heard, he had one of my boys in custody. It was no news that he would have been dead by now and I wasn¡¯t so sure if I could count on him not to b my hideout to him.


    It was a good thing I never trusted them with my actual hideout.


    I had to seek refuge in an old, abandoned mansion that was situated on a deserted property in the woods. It used to be for a wealthy man, who was driven by his obsession with a young girl. The young girl had her heartthrob but the old man wouldn¡¯t let her be.


    He extended a dinner invitation as a decoy one night and invited the girl and her lover. Two fools who saw it as an act of extended kindness. Rumour has it that he killed her lover right in front of her. Although she tried to escape, she didn¡¯t get far. She died at his hands too. He kept her corpse in the house for months until the police finally caught up with him and took him into their custody.


    Apparently, he wanted to keep her where he could always be with her. That was the reason he kept her dead body.


    Love.


    The biggest weakness that could befall a man.


    Why waste all your emotions on something so meagre, when you could have power and be unstoppable?


    ¡°Master?¡±


    I huffed at the interruption I presumed to be Matilda¡¯s voice. She was the maid one of my men got for me to help look after the ce and feed me whenever they were out looking for ways to fix this shit. Our current situation. The only useful thing they have evere up with in their Goddamn lives. But right now? She couldn¡¯t have seemed more annoying.


    ¡°What?¡± I moved from the chair I was seated in, craning my neck so I could see her in the dimly lighted room. The older woman had a tray of food in her hands, eliciting an eye roll from me.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Really, Matilda?¡±


    ¡°Food? That¡¯s the only thing your bird brain canprehend right now?¡± I spat out through gritted teeth with undiluted venom. The vein of my neck felt like it was about to pop but I was too angry to care.


    ¡°I am sorry, Master,¡± She pleaded.


    ¡°But you haven¡¯t eaten anything in days.¡± She exhaled and I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my teeth in annoyance.


    ¡°Matilda?¡± I called her.


    ¡°Yes, Master?¡± She answered.


    ¡°Get out, please.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°GET OUT!¡± I bellowed, earning a shriek from her which sent the tray in her hands ttering to the floor with a loud crash. She bolted out of the room and shut the door behind her. Her loud footsteps echoed for a while before they retreated.


    I snorted.


    I got up from the couch, taking a whiff of my shirt. The rancid smell that hit me caused me to scrunch my nose in disgust. I groaned in frustration, pushing my hair off my face as I walked out of the room.


    The floorboards of the hallway sounded with creaking sounds as I made my way to the deserted living room that was nearly covered in shrubs. Anger filled my veins when I remembered that Matilda ought to get rid of them. I was losing my mind! I can¡¯t be living in a creepy abandoned mansion that t-out looks like a house from a haunted movie!


    ¡°Fucking hell!¡± I growled.


    I stumbled over bottles that were strewn around every corner of the floor, a few shards of broken ss piercing my bare feet. I sank my teeth into my lips until I began drawing blood, trying to suppress the pain in any way I could. I reached behind the wooden wine bar, grabbing a bottle of whiskey. I poured some into a tumbler that looked like it had been there for a while, chugging the contents down my throat.


    ¡°Boss!¡±


    My head snapped up from the bottle of whiskey. My eyes anchored on the frame of one of my men that emerged from the creaky entrance door.


    ¡°What?!¡± I bit at him harshly, not hiding my irritation.


    ¡°I have some delightful news.¡± He informed me and I snorted, filling up the tumbler again. I downed the content at a go, chuckling softly. A dry, lifeless chuckle that transcended into a


    humorlessughter.


    ¡°News?¡±


    ¡°You mean dead ends?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°No, this is a man you would want to see. We have been trying to see if we can find him and I am happy to inform you that he has been spotted at a bar in town.¡± He was grinning from ear to ear. At the mention of a man, my ears perked up and I pushed the whiskey aside, arching my brow at him.


    ¡°Hm,¡± I mused.


    ¡°How far is it from this ce?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes, give or take.¡± He told me. I brought the whiskey to my lips, taking a long swig. My lips curved in a smirk as I stared at him.


    Now, this is what hope looks like.

 Chapter 93

    JAXON


    Emotions were underrated.


    They could make or mar you.


    It was one thing to have control over them and it was another thing to shut them outpletely. Our emotions are like windows into our souls. They define us. They make up the essential part of us. And shutting it out only renders us void. Shutting my emotions nulled mepletely and I began seeing being emotionless as a form of normalcy.


    I could barely differentiate between what was real and what wasn¡¯t.


    Of course, there were times when ruthlessness was a necessity. I have had to go through some phases in my life, and looking back now, if I didn¡¯t handle it with the right amount of ruthlessness, I wouldn¡¯t have scaled through that phase. Being dangerous could be necessary at times, but turning off the ability to feel wasn¡¯t a necessity.


    It¡¯s a coping mechanism.


    From the pain, from the grief, from the anguish, from the torture, from the despair, from the sheer agony.


    And the funniest thing about a coping mechanism was that it was bound to crack someday and all the feelings you were trying to guide against woulde rushing back onto the surface. All at once. They will leave no breathing space and consume you as a whole, plunging into a world of darkness where you will spiral and spiral and spiral until you lose all the vital parts of yourself.


    Losing my parents changed me. A whole lot. It set my life on an entirely different course. Not having my parents around the way I used to was very hard for me, not to mention how I had to step in as a father figure for my younger sister, whose life was just starting then. She was just a teenager and I had to take it upon myself to set her on the right path. It was hard at first, but it became a part of me when I numbed everything I was feeling and used taking care of her as a distraction.


    Running the Mafia made me realise I had to do away with one thing. My humanity. I had to throw it out the window, channelling my emotions into making the very best out of my family. It was easier to deal with the pain that way. As time went on, it only lingered as a dull ache, and at some point, I stopped feeling.


    Broken. Hollow. Damaged.


    I utilised my grief and made it into a weapon. Although I amassed a strong empire, I lost touch with who I was along the line. Letting those emotions back in was very tough because imagine having to walk through a raging fire, with needles sticking into your skin and clogging up your airway. Excruciating. That was the word. Now, imagine that pain doubling up in ten folds.


    That was exactly how I had been feeling.


    I wanted to run away from it at some point, but I wouldn¡¯t be breaking the cycle if I did. I will be continuing it. Kendra was right. It was high time I grieved even though it was the hardest thing I have had to go through in my life, there was a form of liberation I felt which couldn¡¯t amount to any other feeling I have felt in years.


    I was much lighter.


    Happier and ready to live.


    My eyes were darting into space with a light smile ying on my lips as I rocked back and forth on my feet on the patio, gently patting the back of the sleeping baby in my arms. My stomach grumbled loudly and I took that as my cue to get back inside. But the tiny human draped in a white onesie wiggled her body softly and a cute sound exited her lips. I detached her body from my shoulders and nced down at her, watching her scrunch her mouth cutely.


    She looked so surreal. Breathtaking, even. Her beauty made my heart flutter so softly. I have never seen a toddler that was so perfect as she was. Xyra had me wrapped around her fingers and made me wish for a child of my own. With Peach.


    I rocked her gently and made my way back into the house, where I was so sure Peach was almost done making dinner. She was hosting Aunt Caroline, alongside Maria and her husband. The thought of encountering her indoors suddenly gave me sweaty palms. I hadn¡¯t spoken to her since the stunt she pulled after I came clean to them about what had been going on with me.


    The guards standing at the entrance took a curt bow and held the door open for me, paving the way for me to step in. My eyesnded on Andrew who was on a phone call, gesticting with his hands as he conversed with the person he was speaking with on the phone. He mumbled some words into the phone when he saw me, hanging up immediately.


    ¡°Jaxon,¡± he called out to me cheerily, approaching me with his arms spread out for a side hug. I grinned, engulfing him in an embrace, careful enough not to squish Xyra between us. I patted his back before letting him go.


    ¡°Hey, sweetheart,¡± he cooed and I handed his daughter over to him. He was thoroughly smitten and he couldn¡¯t even hide it. His eyes shone with happiness as he rocked her gently.


    ¡°Baby,¡± Peach¡¯s soft, alluring voice invaded my thoughts, clearing up the haze I was tossed in, watching Andrew bond with his daughter. I spun around, swinging my head in her direction. She was strolling out of the kitchen with a jar of orange juice in her hand, dressed in a short emerald green dress that did nothing to conceal her wless legs and an ample amount of cleavage.


    Fuck me.


    Her hair was tied in a messy bun, eliciting a slight furrowing of my brows. It spiked my nerves but I found myself cooling off after a while when I realised that she had to pack her hair because she had been up and running in the kitchen all day.


    My eyes were fixated on her every move. The burning sensation that surged through my veins and the multiple skips of my heartbeat guided my strides as I approached her, gathering her in my arms and nting a soft kiss on her lips.


    I pulled away and watched myself being sucked in by the depth of those honey-brown orbs. She looked so ethereal standing there and gazing at me with a soft, blooming smile.


    ¡°Hey, Peach.¡± I grinned like a Cheshire cat. She was going to say something to me but her speech was cut off abruptly. Her eyes lingered behind me, garnering my attention and causing me to spin around. My eyes were anchored on Maria¡¯s elegant frame.


    My baby sister looked every inch a queen in the long pink summer dress she was wearing. Her hair was pouring down her shoulders. She had her lips tucked between her teeth as she fiddled endlessly with the hem of her dress.


    My eyes lingered on her frame coldly and I saw her throat bob swiftly. I had nothing to say to her. It was bad enough that she was so insensitive to my feelings, and to some extent, I could take that from her. I could have her treat me like shit. Heck, I wouldn¡¯t even bat an eyelid but my wife? Having her disrespect my wife? No, that¡¯s where I draw the line.


    I won¡¯t and can¡¯t take that from her.


    So, with that thought in mind, I made to walk past her but she stopped me bytching her arm around my elbow, pulling me backwards.


    ¡°Let me go, Maria,¡± I demanded instantaneously, but she was as stubborn as a mule. She wouldn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Jaxon, please. I want to talk with you. Let me speak with you.¡± She pleaded, her voice drawn to a whisper. I heard Peach and Andrew murmur strings of words under their breath before sauntering right away from our presence, leaving us all alone.


    I still wouldn¡¯t spare her a nce.


    ¡°Jaxon¡­¡± Her voice trailed off and I let out an involuntary shaky breath, which caused her to choke out a sob. I took a step backwards, tucking my hands into the pockets of my sweatpants. I arched a brow at her, demanding she get on with it.


    ¡°What could you possibly say, Maria?!¡± My voice rose a notch and she flinched. I wasn¡¯t even done talking. She did the talking thest time and it was her turn to listen.


    ¡°What on earth could you possibly say?¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t deserve that from you, Maria! No, I didn¡¯t and I am sure as hell that Peach doesn¡¯t deserve that from you too!¡± I yelled, screaming at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± I bellowed.


    She kept quiet, her breath quivering.


    ¡°Did you even have a quarter of how hard it was for me to open up to you about what was going on with me? No, you don¡¯t! I was struggling, Maria. So badly and that woman was all I had! She was all I had! She stuck with me through it all!¡± My eyes were brimming with unshed tears, the words I uttered slicing through my heart with each breath I took.


    ¡°You had the nerve!¡±


    ¡°The nerve to look her in the eye and tell her that she is not family. You hurt me, Maria. A whole lot and you were thest person I expected that from__


    So, please¡­just¡­go!¡± My voice was reduced to wheezes, tears blurring my entire vision. I couldn¡¯t handle the broken look in her eyes. The look of sheer agony that was engraved in her green orbs mirrored mine. Her tears streamed down her face uncontrobly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any excuse, Jaxon.¡± She admitted, her voice quivering and cracking.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°There was nothing you could have done that warranted my reaction. I was hurt, Jay. I was hurt and I didn¡¯t know how to handle the fact that you have been in pain for over a decade and I couldn¡¯t pick up on it. I mean, I knew their death changed you but I didn¡¯t know it damaged you, Jay. I didn¡¯t.¡± She sobbed.


    ¡°I was more angry at myself for not seeing how badly you were hurting.¡±


    ¡°Did you even know that I hated you at some point in my life?¡± Her words gave me a mental whish and my eyes widened. She chuckled mirthlessly, nodding her head to ascertain her ims.


    ¡°Yes, Jaxon. I hated you because I thought you were breathing down my neck. Because you were so controlling and demanding, but looking back at it now, I wouldn¡¯t be where I am now if it weren¡¯t for you! No, Jay! I wouldn¡¯t! You sacrificed your humanity so I could have mine!¡± Her loud, cracking voice echoed in the living room with her eyes fixated on me, bearing raw emotions in them.


    ¡°Jaxon, I am sorry for hurting you. I am. I really hope you will forgive me___¡± I cut her off by gathering her in my arms, engulfing her in an embrace.


    I was so tired of being mad at her.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay.¡± I consoled her, stroking her hair as she bawled her eyes out in my arms. She pulled away shortly but notpletely, giving me the chance to gaze at her. I tucked her hair behind her ear and pressed a long kiss to her forehead.


    ¡°I love you, baby sister,¡± I smirked and she swatted my chest, ring at me. A breathyughter flowed through my lips and she wrapped her arms around me, burying her head in my chest.


    ¡°I love you too, grumpy pants.¡± She murmured.


    I looked up to see Peach, Andrew and Aunt Caroline hanging just by the dinner table with huge smiles all on their faces.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I mouthed at them, teary-eyed.


    There was no greater love than family. It strengthens you, rejuvenates you, and during the toughest of times? They were always there to weather the storm with you. I was d I wasn¡¯t doing this alone. I was doing this with my family.

 Chapter 94

    JAXON


    My fists were clenched tightly, my jaw locked as rage simmered through my veins, icing up the blood coursing through them and freezing me from the inside out. My insides were on fire at the same time, my body was freezing. I was feeling two things at the same time. The veins that ran from my neck to my head threatened to pop and my face was heavily flushed.


    I chewed on my bottom lip, nearly drawing blood from it. The stinging pain that shot through the soft flesh was enough to elicit a wince from me, but I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to make a sound. Trying to get myself to speak would just seem as though I wanted to poke an angry dragon. At the opening of its mouth, spitballs of fire would erupt everywhere.


    I was trying my best to stay calm, but the way my legs shook disagreed with my ns. I shifted in my seat for the umpteenth time, staring out through the window of the car. The air that filled the car was toxic and tainted with sulphur. I could taste it in my mouth¡­the acidic feeling it left on my tongue was unnerving. I could breathe it in and I could feel my lungs tightening with each breath I took.


    The gates to Vi were drawn open and the limousine drove in, pulling over in the garage. A guard, whom I didn¡¯t even get a chance to decipher where he sprung out from, pulled my door open and stood aside so that I could step out. He shut the door and my hands found a way to the tie that warped itself around my neck, making me feel choked. I tugged at it a little, ckening it as I took long, powerful strides to the porch.


    ¡°Boss__¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear one word from you, Duncan!¡± I yelled, without sparing so much as a nce in his direction as he struggled to catch up with me, racing to fall in line with me, but I was faster. The guard that stood at the entrance pulled the door open and I sauntered into the house.


    I had barely taken one step when I felt a strong collision, resulting in the ttering of an iron tray. I took a step backwards with a frown on my face. My eyes dropped to the slim frame of one of the maids d in a uniform and an apron draped over it.


    She had her head bowed and was trembling heavily.


    ¡°I am so¡­so¡­ I¡­am¡­so¡­sorry¡­sir¡­I¡­was.¡± She was stuttering and crying, badly shaken up. I exhaled, walking away from her. She was already traumatised at the sight of me and I didn¡¯t want to add to it by scaring her.


    I could hear Duncan¡¯s hasty steps behind me, aggravating me further, so I spun around abruptly and swung my fist across his face, causing his head to snap to the side as blood dripped from his nose. It reminded me of the ugly red blotch I had on my shirt too.


    ¡°You had just one job, Duncan! One fucking job and you couldn¡¯t even fucking do it!¡± I bellowed, the thick, dark, resonance of my voice echoing throughout the room.


    He had his head bowed.


    ¡°How could you be so careless as to lose the fucking lead again? You know what? I don¡¯t want to see you right now because the urge to snap your neck is so overwhelming!¡±


    ¡°GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT! RIGHT NOW!¡± I uttered thunderously, blinded by rage.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss.¡± He muttered and I hissed through clenched teeth, spinning on my heels. I bumped into Alberta on the way, who mumbled a greeting to me, but I was too angry to respond. I marched upstairs and kicked the door open, letting out a frustrated scream.


    By the time I was done straining my lungs, I heaved a loud breath, raking my fingers through my hair in frustration as I paced around the room.


    ¡°Bad day?¡±


    The soft, luscious voice that belonged to my wife invaded my thoughts, and at first, it felt like she was just a voice in my head with how serene she sounded. But then, I whisked my head around the room, my eyes zeroing in on her frame that upied the chair in front of the reading table.


    She had her attention diverted from theptop on the table and her body half turned towards me, looking at me over her shoulders. Her hair was thrown in a messy bun, with a few tendrils sticking out on her face. She had thick-rimmed sses perched on the bridge of her nose, a blue pen stuck in her hair with her lips tucked between her teeth and was chewing unconsciously on it.


    Her expression was so calm. Like she was so used to seeing me like a ticking time bomb.


    ¡°Come here,¡± I exhaled, my voice thick with dominance. She got up immediately, giving me the chance to rove her body with my eyes unabashedly. She was d in a Nike two-piece.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    A ck sports bra that cupped her boobs in a not-so-subtle style. Her cleavage was out in the open, bare to my face and touch. The sports bra¡¯s straps formed a letter V around her neck. She paired it with matching, body-con sweatpants. The way the outfit clung to her frame like a second skin made me growl possessively, jealous at the close contact the clothes got with her body.


    The air of innocence that surrounded her poked the sleeping beast thatid dormant in me and was now stirring awake. She looked so pure and untainted and the urge to possess and dominate her was so strong.


    She stopped right in front of me, examining my tense features. I tugged her forward by her waist, tilting her chin, so I could soak in every inch of her wless face and drown in them. I took off her sses, threw them on the bed. My breath hitched at the sight of those brown eyes as they sucked me in. Hershes fluttered softly. An innocent act that was a massive turn-on.


    My fingers travelled to her cheek, the pad of my thumb caressing it airily. She sucked in a breath, squirming softly and my lips twitched in a smirk at her sensitivity.


    ¡°Hey, Peach,¡± I whispered, my fingers darting to her lips. I spread my thumb over it, toying with it softly but dipping my finger into her mouth. She sped her reddish lips around it and started sucking on it as I pumped it in and out of her mouth, eliciting wanton sounds from her.


    She peered at me beneath hershes, seductively. Blood rushed to my cock immediately and I groaned in frustration.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I have been wanting to teach you, Peach. I have always been waiting for a perfect time and now is a perfect time. Go get your sneakers and put them on.¡± I instructed her and she nodded eagerly, stepping out of my embrace. My hands felt the absence of her body heat and I spun around, sending a lingering look at her backside as she skipped into the closet to get her shoes.


    My cock twitched in my pants and I groaned, brushing my hair off my face.


    She was out of the closet in no time, her small feet tucked in a pair of ck sneakers. I was more than convinced that Peach could be dressed in a sack and still look so seductive. She pulled it off without having to try. I was such a lucky bastard. My lips curved in a cold smile, my eyes assessing her outfit and I nodded impressively.


    ¡°I am ready,¡± She muttered with a shy smile, eliciting a chuckle from me. I strode into the closet, heading straight for one of the drawers in mypartment. I retrieved a key card from the drawer and shut it. I was back out in no time, nudging my head towards the door.


    I pushed the door open and allowed her to step through before trailing beside her and leading her out of the house.


    We made our way to the back of the Vi, stopping in front of a porch. I swiped the key card against the scanner and it beeped softly, apanied by a soft click that signalled the unlocking of the door. I opened the door and she followed right behind me, stepping into the dark, vast room.


    I left her side, prancing toward the wall that housed the switch. I flicked it on, a dim light illuminating the room.


    I heard her gasp and our eyes locked in a stare. My lips curled in a devilish smirk, my head bobbed to the side. Nothing brought me so much satisfaction as seeing her so puzzled.


    ¡°Wee to your first shooting lesson, Mrs. Gray.¡±

 Chapter 95

    JAXON


    When I saw the look in her eyes, I just knew it.


    I knew that I had ascended a certain level of trust in her and it puzzled me so much how she was able to trust someone like me. I tried searching those honey-brown orbs for flickers of doubt but there was nothing.


    Her eyes mirrored the trust that filled up her soul. She had shown me on several asions how much she trusted me and knew I wouldn¡¯t hurt her, but today was different. She gave up control and surrendered to me, leaving it all up to me to lead the way.


    And no, she wasn¡¯t terrified. She was just appalled. I could see it in how her eyes wandered around the dark grey room. She was driven by a burning desire and anticipation, rocking back and forth on her feet with a smile on her face like a little child that was offered her favourite candy.


    My heart fluttered softly, astounded by how much she had grown from hating me to trusting me with her life.Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org.


    I chuckled.


    The massive space that was coated in a dark grey paint, surrounded by tons of inbuilt weapon shelves which were filled to the brim with different weapons and other forms of training equipment, was tainted with the corrosive smell of nitroglycerin, doused with sawdust and graphite. The room exuded a rush of danger, a chilling amount of power. It radiated off it in waves with a spark of dauntlessness that lingered in the air.


    The air in here felt different, highlighted by a dark aura. The dim lights bestowed upon the room a certain feeling of mystery, enhanced with confidence.


    A shooting range was located at one corner with various shooting targets hanging from the ceiling, ranging from paper targets that consisted of a bull¡¯s eye and silhouettes, alongside a reactive target. A steel shooting target.


    ¡°Baby,¡± She called me and I felt my heart skip multiple times before I turned to her. She had her hand ced on her cocked hip, tilting her head to the side with a teasing smirk ying on her lips. The smirk on her face mirrored mine. She strutted forward, stopping in front of me with a hint of challenge hanging in her eyes.


    ¡°Aw, you scared I can¡¯t handle it?¡± She pouted and I chuckled, slipping my arm around her waist and tugging her forward. I kissed her softly on the lips.


    ¡°I know you can handle anything. You are a Queen, Peach, and you are much more capable than you love to give yourself credit for. Heck, I have always known there was more to you than what meets the eye when you pulled a gun on me. Not to mention, Allegra,¡±


    ¡°I was impressed,¡± I told her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Her eyes lit up with a smile and she nodded her head.


    ¡°Now, learning how to shoot properly takes a lot of practice and practisinges with patience and the will to learn. It just doesn¡¯t happen overnight. You have to keep trying until you are perfect,¡± I began, moving away from her and going to one of the weapon shelves, to fetch a Glock.


    I walked back to her, her curious eyes boring holes into my body.


    ¡°I need to know if you trust me, Peach¡­¡± My voice trailed off. Although I knew the answer, I needed to hear her say it again. It brought me a certain amount of joy that I couldn¡¯tprehend when she told me how much she trusts me.


    ¡°You know I trust you, baby.¡± She said softly, her eyes conveying the sincerity that her voice carried.


    ¡°Good, nowe. Let me show you how to load it.¡± I beckoned her, leading her to the drawer that contained the bullets. She stood beside me, her ears perked attentively.


    ¡°This?¡± I twirled the Glock in my hand, examining it.


    ¡°Is a Glock 19. It¡¯s a semi-automatic pistol. And when I say semi-automatic, I just mean it¡¯s a kind of pistol whereby, when the shooter pulls the trigger and fires a shot at a target, a new bullet is automatically loaded.¡± I exined, sparing her a nce.


    ¡°Wow..¡± She mumbled, eyeing the pistol.


    ¡°So, this¡­¡± I pointed at the bottom of the gun, ¡°is the magazine. It¡¯s basically where the bullets, the rounds are stored,¡± I continued, seeing as she was listening with rapt attention, eyes set on the pistol. ¡°And this switch?¡± I pointed at the switch above the magazine, ¡°It¡¯s the magazine catch. You use it to detach the magazine from the Glock whenever you want to load your rounds.¡±


    ¡°This is the trigger,¡± My hands grazed the upper part of the dark object, ¡°And this is the trigger safety,¡± I pointed at the rear end of the trigger.


    ¡°This is the trigger guard,¡± I pointed at the object that held the magazine and the lower part of the gun together. She bobbed her head in response.


    ¡°This is a muzzle, often called a barrel.¡± I showed her the tip of the gun. ¡°This is the slide and the frame. The frame is where you position your finger when you want to pull the slide catch. The frame is the metal housing that includes the grip or the handle of the gun.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s show you how to load it, baby.¡± I yanked her to myself by the waist, fusing our bodies. I couldn¡¯t resist nting a chaste kiss on her lips and she let out a sugary giggle.


    ¡°The first thing you do is to take out your magazine. You remember the ce I showed you as the slide?¡± I asked her, detaching the magazine from the Glock and she nodded, pointing at it. I nodded impressively. She was catching on to it real quick.


    ¡°You¡¯ll pull it back and catch it. So, to load it with rounds, you pick up your magazine,¡± I took out a few bullets from the drawer. ¡°You¡¯ll put the first one in it, pull the round back and keep loading until it¡¯s filled up. You attach the magazine back to the gun.  Now, you¡¯ll ce your finger on the frame and pull the slide down the slide catch to set it in ce,¡±


    ¡°Do you understand it, Peach?¡± I demanded, my eyes fixated on her. She swallowed and nodded, her eyes drifting from mine.


    ¡°I am still going to show you how to unload the Glock, but first, let me unload it, so you can try it on your own,¡± I told her.


    I unloaded the Glock and handed it to her in pieces. She took in a deep breath and slowly exhaled. Then, she started loading it up herself. I couldn¡¯t repress the twitching of my lips as my heart swelled with pride. She wasn¡¯t only fast, but she tried to infuse her actions with confidence, convincing herself that she had it all under control.


    I was so proud of her.


    I grabbed her by the back of her head, crashing my lips on hers. She opened up to me immediately and my mouth stroked hers, dented with neediness. She moaned into my mouth when I slipped my fingers into her lush hair. I groaned, massaging her hair softly, and kissing her until she was out of breath.


    I broke off the kiss, slowly, then attached my forehead to hers, my heavy breathing swallowing up hers.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± I whispered and her cheeks grew red, eliciting a soft chuckle from me. She bit her lip, maintaining eye contact with me and I cussed under my breath, brushing my hair off my face and trying to keep my restraint intact. I had to get her to learn a few things first before I acted on my insatiable hunger to im her.


    I took the gun from her.


    ¡°Unloading a gun is quite easy,¡± I began.


    ¡°Just remove the magazine and pull the slide back, slowly and the rounds will fall out themselves,¡± I added, detaching the magazine from the pistol. I pulled the slide back and the rounds dropped, producing a ttering sound.


    ¡°Are you ready to shoot?¡± I queried, arching my brows at her. She stared at me for a moment and nodded slowly. I stretched my palm forth and she took it, smiling at me. I led her to the shooting target, stopping short before we got to the bull¡¯s eye. I created an ample distance and stood behind her, leaving a few feet between us.


    She let out a deep breath. It was that loud. I could hear it.


    ¡°I was born ready,¡± She answered, her voice carrying heavy determination in it.

 Chapter 96

    JAXON


    ¡°There¡¯s a probability that you might not get it on the first try and that¡¯s okay, baby. Remember what I told you, learning how to shoot takes practice. It takes patience in abundance,¡± My voice was soft,ced withfort.


    I took a step forward.


    Another.


    And another.


    Until I closed in on her. I was only a few inches away from her and I could pick up on how tense her body had be. She dragged out a shaky breath. I reached for her shoulders, dropping my hands on them and massaging them softly. She moaned softly, easing into my touch like it was the elixir she had desperately needed to calm herself down.


    My hands travelled down her shoulders and I pressed my body to hers, eliciting a sharp breath from her. I worked my fingers from her shoulders, carefully brushing them past her breasts and stroking her protruding nipples in the process, causing her to wiggle in my arms, arching her back to meet my touch. My hands rested on her waist, squeezing it softly and I breathed on her neck, smirking.


    ¡°Rule number one, Mrs. Gray, always remember to stay aware of your surroundings when you are shooting a gun. You should try to stay focused no matter what.¡± I enunciated, emphasising myst words.


    ¡°Now, focus on your stance.¡±


    ¡°Stand shoulder-width apart,¡± I instructed her to create a little space between her legs. She did as she was told. ¡°Stretch your dominant hand, by your dominant hand, I mean your right arm. The elbow should be almost straight.¡± I told her, taking her right arm and handing her the gun.


    ¡°The elbow of your left arm should be slightly flexed like an obtuse angle. Now, grip the handle firmly with your right hand, your pinkie, ring finger and middle finger should be wrapped around the handle firmly,¡±


    I guided her hand properly, ensuring she had her fingers secured around the handle.


    ¡°Add your thumb to secure it and position your index finger on the trigger.¡±


    ¡°Your grip should be firm but not too tight,¡±


    ¡°Pick up your left hand and wrap it around your right hand that¡¯s gripping the gun handle, so you will be able to bnce the weight properly without wavering.


    ¡°Good,¡± I breathed on her neck, eliciting a sigh from her. I had to bite back a chuckle. I knew my hovering presence had an effect on her and she was terrible at keeping it to herself. Her bodynguage sold her out.


    ¡°This is where it gets a littleplicated,¡± My voice was drawn to a breathy whisper.


    ¡°Take a calm, steady breath. Stay in touch with your surroundings. Stay focused. This is not the time to give in to distractions, baby.¡± I voiced out, bncing my hands on her hips to adjust her stance properly.


    ¡°Close your left eye and keep your right eye open. The darkness produced by your closed eye is luring you in but that¡¯s not the focus. Focus your attention on the picture your open eye is trying to paint for you. Narrow your open eye on the bull¡¯s eye.¡± My voice was soft andced withfort.


    I was trying to make her as calm as she could be.


    No, you are trying to push her buttons. The tiny voice in my head reminded me and I smirked.


    ¡°You set?¡±


    ¡°Definitely,¡± She answered, breathlessly.


    ¡°Take a deep breath,¡± I said to her and watched her draw in a breath, exhaling slowly.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl,¡± I said huskily.


    ¡°Align the front sight with the rear sight and allow your target toe into focus. Do you have your target now?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Yes,¡±


    ¡°Now, slowly pull the trigger in one smooth and controlled motion. Remember, it¡¯s okay not to get it right at first. That doesn¡¯t make you ipetent. It¡¯s called growth. You are evolving.¡± I assured her, gently.


    ¡°Fire,¡± I ordered sternly, and she pulled the trigger. She didn¡¯t hit the bull¡¯s eye, she missed.


    ¡°Again,¡±


    She missed.


    ¡°Again,¡±


    ¡°Again, baby. Focus on your target. You can do this.¡± I convinced her, trailing circles on her waist with my fingers, eliciting a light moan from her.


    ¡°FOCUS.¡±


    ¡°NOW, FIRE!¡±


    She fired a shot at the bull¡¯s eye, hitting it with one swift shot. The shot travelled through the bull¡¯s eye and pierced the paper target, denting a hole in it. My lips curved in a proud smile, pride surging through me.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± My lips brushed her ear, my arm curling around her waist as I tugged her to myself, possessively. She let out a sharp gasp, wiggling in my arms and her ass grazed my crotch, earning a guttural groan from me.


    I came here to train her how to use a gun but the lines between professionalism and the sexual tension that hung between us were starting to blur, intertwining with each other. I was hanging on a thin thread right now and I didn¡¯t know how long I could keep it together.


    My cock twitched in my pants as she pressed her body into mine, releasing a soft moan. I didn¡¯t get a chance for the effect her actions were starting to have on me when she slowly started grinding against me.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach!¡± I growled, my restraint snapping.


    I took the gun from her and she tossed her head backwards, resting it on my chest while I held her in ce with my arm secured around her waist.


    ¡°Arden, please¡­¡± She whined.


    I sucked on the skin of her neck, eliciting a moan from her. The soft sound sent a jolt of electricity coursing through my body. I gripped the handle of the gun, bringing the barrel to her neck. I pressed the cold steel of the barrel on her skin, trailing it downward. I was excruciatingly slow, a sense of satisfaction washing over me at how responsive she was to my touch.


    ¡°What do you want, Peach?¡± I demanded, my voice low.


    ¡°I want you to touch me, sir,¡± Her voice wasced with plea and neediness. The tip of the gun settled between her cleavage and she sucked in a sharp breath. I tugged at my tie, detaching it from my neck. I brought the navy blue material to her face, blindfolding her.


    I watched her throat bob swiftly in anticipation and I smirked coldly. The tip of the gun brushed her hardened bud that was poking through the flimsy fabric of her sports bra.


    ¡°Oh, fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°You like that, huh?¡± I queried, chuckling darkly.


    ¡°Oh, yes!¡±


    I showered feathery kisses on her neck, earning me sighs of pleasure from her. My impatience got the better part of me and my fingers found the hook that held the straps of her sports bra together, unsping it. I pushed the material downwards with the tip of my gun, revealing her boobs that spilled out of the sports bra.


    Her skin was dented with goosebumps. I watched as it dotted her skin. Her nipples hardened and her breath quickened,ing out so ragged. Her chest rose and fell heavily. She shifted on her feet, brushing her ass against my dick and I groaned.


    The tip of the Glock grazed her nipples and she tossed her head backwards, arching her back in pleasure. I could pick up the desperation in her actions, her mouth growing dry as I dangled the pleasure right in front of her but never allowed her to have it. It was evident how frustrated she was, given she had a blindfold on her face.


    ¡°Sir, please¡­¡± She whimpered.


    The barrel brushed her nipples and this time around, she couldn¡¯t fight back the loud moan that exited her lips. The rosy pink buds were so sensitive as she wouldn¡¯t stop jerking when the cold tip met them. She was thrashing around in my arms but I held her in ce, torturing her with the gun moving so airily on her skin.


    My fingers travelled down the exposed skin of her waist, disappearing into sweatpants. I tugged at the hem of her panties, slipping my fingers into it to feel how wet she was.


    Fuck, she was dripping with so much moisture. Thecy material of her panties was so damp, coated with her essence. I glided my finger over her pussy, stroking it softly and she mewled. I retracted my fingers immediately.


    ¡°You dirty, dirty whore¡­¡± I sneered.


    ¡°Look how wet you are.¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°You love this, don¡¯t you?¡± I mused, nuzzling my head into her neck.


    ¡°Yes! Yes! I love it. Please, sir, let me cum¡­¡± She pleaded. My lips stretched in a taunting smile and I spun her around to face me, removing her blindfold.  My eyes examined her features. Her hair was sticking out in several directions, her face flushed and her eyes darkened with desire, doused with heavy desperation. I could feel how much her body ached for my touch, through her honey-brown orbs.


    I whisked her off her feet and she hopped on me like a leech, wrapping her legs around me. I walked towards the drawer, tossing the gun in it.


    With a speed I couldn¡¯t decipher, I mmed her against the nearest wall, earning me a loud moan from her. I trapped her arms above her head, securing it with the tie in my hands. I tied her hands but made sure it wasn¡¯t too tight. I couldn¡¯t risk hurting her.


    She had her eyes fixated on me the whole time, bearing her soul to me. Her gaze shattered every ounce of theyers that made up my skin, leaving a burning sensation wherever her eyes met. She wore her emotions on her face, wanting me to see the kind of effect I had on her.


    ¡°Keep your hands above your head, no matter what,¡± I said monotonously, bringing my fingers to her cheek and trailing it on it softly. She jerked softly, jutting her chest out. My fingers brushed her sensitive bud and she let out a wanton moan. I buried my head in the crook of her neck, sucking on the skin of its base. She tilted her head to the side, granting me ess to her neck, unable to hold back from making sounds that left me so aroused.


    My mouth worked wonders on her skin, thoroughly, trailing from her neck to her chest and enclosed around one of her nipples. I swirled my tongue around it, picking her up and she sped her thighs around my midsection, loud moans emitting from her. She thrashed around torturously but I had her pinned against the wall, rendering assault on her skin with my mouth and hands.


    The sounds she made sent a zap of electricity across my veins, seizing me in a chokehold and amplifying my desire for her. My hands found her sweatpants and I got rid of them in one swift move, yanking herce panties off.


    I undid my fly, unbuckling my belt with my head nuzzling into her neck. My cock teased her opening, lining up with her entrance before I plunged myself into her with a force that mmed her back against the wall.


    ¡°Shit!¡± She cursed.


    ¡°Peach!¡± I growled into her neck, not moving. I wanted to take all the time in the world to savour how much being inside of her felt like home. She clenched tightly around me, my length stretching her. She was made for me. Just for me and being inside of her further confirmed that belief. She was so warm. Being inside of her would never cease to feel like a new feeling.


    I relished and basked in it.


    ¡°Sir, please,¡± She whined. I ced my hand above her pinned ones, pressing it tightly against hers and I mmed myself into her with a force that shook her, rattling her and causing her to produce a loud sound that filtered into my ears, shooting through my veins and rejuvenating me.


    ¡°You are so tight!¡± I grunted. I could feel my sanity slowly slipping away from me. That was what being inside of her does to me. It plunged me into a world of madness.


    I detached my head from her neck.


    My eyes met her hypnotic ones and I could feel my entire being engulfed in mes, the scorching heat incinerating me to ashes. Those brownish gold essence seized me in their electrifying hold as I pumped in and out of her, watching her face contort into pleasurable expressions as our souls bonded together like a cosmic thread. Her mouth was slightly ajar. Her skin was sweaty and flushed. Her hair was sticking to her face. She let out wanton sounds, not restricting herself from screaming my name as I pounded into her.


    She was breathtaking¡­


    I watched the mind-numbing emotions that were thrown across those brown orbs, tugging dangerously at my heartstrings, shattering me into pieces and moulding me back into a whole. Sparks coursed through my veins, deep, powerful feelings evoking in me while she kept her eyes fixated on me, pleasurable sounds emitting from her.


    ¡°Fuck, Arden!¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    A sob tore through her lips, her eyes brimming with unshed tears due to amplified pleasure that her body couldn¡¯t seem to handle anymore. My stomach tightened into huge heavy knots, my muscles rippling and spasming uncontrobly. She convulsed heavily in my arms, muttering strings of incoherent words that I couldn¡¯t pick up on. A growl rippled from my chest.


    ¡°FUCK!¡± She screamed. A guttural groan escaped my lips and I dipped my head into her chest, my hot mouth descending on her hardened buds. She let out a scream as we approached our climax, foreign sounds emitting from us. I shot my seeds into her, groaning. She whimpered softly, creaming my cock with her essence.


    My heavy breathing mixed with hers and my head dropped to her chest. She was still pressed firmly against the wall, her hands bound while we tried to reel from the mind-shattering sex we just had. It was so intense. I could feel her reaching out to my soul.


    I pressed a lingering kiss on her chest, my heart fluttering softly as sparks ignited within me, consuming me and warping me up like a yarn.


    No jokes. I was fucking high on her.

 Chapter 97

    ASHLEY


    There is no greater joy than watching the people you love get everything they deserve and more. It just leaves the feeling of warmth spreading all over, a knot of immense pride swirling like bubbles within you. It ignites a wave of pure, undiluted happiness in you.


    That was exactly how I felt today.


    That was exactly how I felt about Ivana getting married today. Heck, if I didn¡¯t know any better, I would say I was happier than she was and was the happiest woman on earth. But then, there was no denying the fact that I would top the list of one of the happiest humans on earth.


    I have looked forward to this day for years. I have looked forward to this day since the moment the duo professed their love for each other. I looked forward to the day they would make everything official and seal it with the approval of God. The moment they would bind themselves to each other in every way that was humanly possible.


    I was used to wondering how Ivana and Vincent were able to stay in love with each other for years, without getting tired. It felt like a form of sorcery. Their love never waned for a moment. If anything, it blossomed like never before, leaving the duo as crazy and as obsessed with each other as they have always been with each other from the onset.


    The duopleted each other in a way I would never fully understand.


    But now, I was starting to understand what it truly meant to be consumed by the existence of someone. I was starting to understand what it meant to be connected to someone that you could feel every ounce of what they felt too, just by a nce at them. I was starting to understand what it means for your body to burn just at the slightest contact with them. I was beginning to understand what it means to be into someone so badly that you would do anything for them¡­be anything for them¡­


    Without batting an eyelid.


    I was beginning to understand what it meant for someone to be your weakness¡­your blind spot. To be bound with someone in a way that surpasses even humans¡¯ prehension. In a way that was raw, real and intense. Astoundingly beautiful¡­


    The big white-themed room was filled with so many gift boxes that upied one corner of the room, alongside the presence of the designer and stylist, who were in charge of her dress. Different maids trooped in and out of the room with gift boxes in their hands. The king-sized bed had her essories strewn on it, coupled with her shoes and bouquet. Her wedding dress, which was sealed in a see-through polyester bag, was hung on the wall, bare to everyone in the room.


    She was seated on a stool by her dresser. A makeup artist was slightly crouched in front of her, enhancing her beauty with different make-up products. It was no news that we were runningte and the Artist wasn¡¯t done. But thankfully, her hair was already styled.


    ¡°Your mom will be here any minute now,¡± I giggled, putting my phone aside. Ivana sent me a warm smile through the mirror and I grinned.


    ¡°God!¡± Dawn groaned, barging into the room with the hem of her burnt-orange silk dress gathered in her hands. A wine ss upied her other hand. She was unting her blood-red nails in the process.


    The redhead had her hair styled in a simr body wave to mine, cascading down her shoulders in lush waves. Her blue eyes were enhanced and seemed darker because of her smoky eye shadow, highlighted by her shimmering nude lips. She essorised her dress with ck six-inch heels and a pair of onyx dangle earrings and a ne. Her hair was pinned to the side with cream, a pearly hairpin made a beautiful contrast with her ginger red hair.


    Dawn absolutely yed her bridesmaid¡¯s dress.


    Our dresses were of the same colour. Burnt orange silk floor-length dress. A corset dress that clung firmly to the upper body with droopy t straps off shoulder sleeves. It was folded in neat drapes around the hips, a dangerous side slit running up to the mid-thigh. It was a simple, yet oozing ss. It took a while before Dawn and I could decide on a particr style that screamed subtlety and elegance at the same time.


    But unlike her, I had on all nude makeup, which included shimmering lips and my hair was tucked in a messy chignon bun, held together with cream, pearly ws with tendrils dropping on my face. I paired my dress with silver heels and essories.


    ¡°Are you not done?¡± Dawn expressed her exasperation, huffing as she marched over to where I sat. She plopped on the bed, handing me her wine ss. I took a small sip from the ss.


    ¡°Almost done, ma¡¯am,¡± the make-up artist answered with a smile, grabbing a setting spray to keep the makeup in ce. She chirped and spun Ivana around, eliciting a gasp from us. My eyes suddenly felt so itchy and it took me a while to realise I had tears pricking them.


    She was breathtaking. I had always known she would make a beautiful bride but seeing it was a different thing.


    She was still d in her ck robe.


    Her blonde hair was elegantly styled in waves, pulled atop her head in a messy bun. It was styled with various baster pearl clips that essorised her hair and brightened the creamy goodness of her blonde hair.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    The makeup artist did an excellent job of preserving her pale skin. The subtle, nude make-up augmented her amber orbs that swirled with warmth. Her eye shadow had a pinkish hue but it wasn¡¯t all too noticeable. The rose-gold colour was more pronounced. Her lips were coated in salmon shade, topped up with gloss that made them pop elegantly. The contour, blush and bronzer enhanced her cheekbones, bestowing upon her the look of a Queen.


    She radiated regality at a nce.


    She has always wanted a fairytale wedding and right now, she looks like a modern version of Cindere.


    ¡°She¡¯s perfect,¡± I croaked, choking on my sob.


    ¡°You look so beautiful, Ivie!¡± Dawn cried.


    Her amber eyes shimmered with tears and we got up from the bed, sauntering over to her and engulfed her in a hug. She released a shaky breath, trying to hold back her tears. My heart twisted into beautiful knots. Not because I was sad, but because I was so happy for her and I couldn¡¯t help the tears that rolled down my cheeks.


    ¡°I am so happy for you, Ivana. You deserve all the good things thate your way and I am so d that you have a man as amazing as Vincent by your side, to weather through the storms with you. He loves you. So much. You two deserve each other. Take care of each other and be good to each other.¡± My voice was cracking and quivering. My lips trembled heavily. My eyes were blurred with tears.


    Dawn pulled away from the hug, crouching before her and took Ivana¡¯s hand in hers, brushing her fingers over her diamond engagement ring.


    ¡°I am so proud of you, you know that, right?¡± Dawn told her, a tear rolling down her cheek, but she made no move to wipe it. Ivana nodded vigorously.


    ¡°I love you and I am so happy for you.¡± Dawn broke into sobs and pulled her into a hug. The duo broke down uncontrobly, not caring if their make-up could get smeared. I couldn¡¯t even control my own tears, my emotions got the better part of me.


    ¡°I love you girls, I swear it.¡± She professed and we cooed.


    ¡°Alright! That¡¯s enough tears!¡± Ivana croaked, chuckling. We all giggled.


    ¡°Could you please touch up her makeup, so that she can get into her dress now?¡± I asked the makeup artist politely, who nodded with a light smile dancing on her lips. I could have sworn I saw dry streaks of tears on her face.


    Dawn moved away from Ivana and grabbed a few brushes and powder pallets from the make-up box, leading me to the bed, so that she could retouch my makeup. She tried to do it as quickly as she could and did hers too. By the time she was done, Ivana was ready to get her dress.


    The designer and the stylist fetched the dress from the wall while Dawn and I watched in curiosity as they helped her into the dress.


    It was a thin-strapped bustierce white dress with intricate beading designs. It hugged her upper curves and cupped her curves, then from her waist to her ankles, it dropped like a huge ball gown. It looked heavy but it was lightweight. Thecy dress revealed an ample amount of her cleavage, clinging to her body like a second skin. She had a white veil, which was adorned with silver beading and pearls, draped over her head, dropping to the floor in a pool of softs.


    It was the perfect wedding dress.


    ¡°You are so pretty!¡±


    ¡°You are so beautiful!¡±


    Dawn and I squealed like little girls. She giggled, her eyes glowing with warmth. Ivana made a gorgeous bride, there was no disputing that. I shed an appreciative smile at the designer and stylist for the great job they did in making my best friend look like a Queen on her big day.


    ¡°Honey?¡±


    The barely audible voice called and we swung our heads in the direction of the door. Our eyesnded on Ivana¡¯s mom, Helen, who was standing by the door, d in a beautiful emerald green dress. Her eyes, that were just like Ivana¡¯s, gleamed with unshed tears but somewhere in those golden orbs, I could see the immense happiness that swirled in them, doused with pride.


    ¡°Mom¡­¡± Ivana¡¯s voice trailed off, breaking slowly.


    ¡°Oh, honey,¡± her mom trudged from the doorstep, skidding over to where her daughter was. She engulfed her in a loving embrace. Dawn¡¯s hand that was syed over mine squeezed them gently and she sent me a warm smile.


    ¡°You look so beautiful!¡± Helen cried.


    ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡±


    ¡°Corey! Get in here! She¡¯s ready!¡± She called out to Ivana¡¯s dad, who sauntered in immediately. He paused at the sight of his daughter, gazing at her with adoration written all over his face. He slowly walked to where she was and pressed a long, lingering kiss on her forehead, eliciting a sugary giggle from Ivana.


    ¡°Hey, Daddy,¡± She whispered with a grin.


    ¡°Are you ready to walk down the aisle?¡± He asked, his voice wasced with softness. Ivana¡¯s eyes darted around the room, pure love and adoration thrown across those golden orbs.


    Then, she nodded her head.


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 98

    ASHLEY


    Ivana¡¯s dream wedding has always been a fairytale wedding. This was the most anticipated wedding of the year. The highest-paid actor in the Hollywood industry and one of the top event nners in the country. You can imagine the number of dignitaries that were in attendance at the reception that was being held at the Floral Hall.


    Ivana was known for bringing her A-game to any work she did, but she went all out with the interior decor of her wedding. The hall waspletely transformed. I haven¡¯t been able to keep my eyes off it since we left the church and headed to this ce for the reception event. My mind wandered to the event at the church. A light giggle flowed breezily from my lips as I remembered how Vince couldn¡¯t control himself from breaking into tears while he watched Ivana walk down the aisle.


    He couldn¡¯t keep it to himself.


    The church program was beautiful and concise. It evoked emotions in me. Both the ones I knew I was capable of feeling and the ones I didn¡¯t know I was capable of feeling. It was both intense and emotional. I was an emotional wreck for several seconds. The vows were so heartfelt and left goosebumps all over my skin.


    The only thing the decor reminded me of was pink clouds. It felt like an entirely different world on its own like I had transcended into a different ne. I waspletely hooked by the purplish-blue aura,plemented by beautiful cream flowers.


    The long soft lc chandeliers that hung from the ceiling in a string of beads looked so fascinating. The baby bluish light that filtered from the chandeliers that upied every inch of the ceilings illuminated the room, giving it a wondend feel. Balls of blue cotton candy had lc bulbs hung in their middle. Cream flowers hung on some parts of the wall but it mostly dominated the tables.


    The circr furniture was surrounded by cream-coloured chairs that were six in number. The middle of the hall created a pathway that was littered with flowers at the side, leading to the massive couch with lc flowers hanging at the side and right in front of it was a dance floor. The six-step, square-shaped cake hung a few feet away from the dancefloor, dotted with cream frosting and roses.


    The room was filled to the brim with guests, whose voices aided the lively and bubbly atmosphere. Waiters and waitresses pranced around with trays of food and champagne flutes. The background music was soft, not overly loud, because it was overpowered by the chattering that belonged to the guests, alongside the nking of cutleries.


    I was grinning from ear to ear where I sat. I watched the love-struck couple on the stage. Vincent had his arm wrapped around Ivana¡¯s waist, who was now dressed in a shimmering gold A-line floor-length dress. Vince¡¯s tuxedo was already gone. He had the sleeves of his white shirt rolled to his elbows. Ivana had her arms looped around his neck, asionally giggling when Vince stole cute kisses now and then. The duo looked lost in each other¡¯s eyes as they moved to the music ever so softly.


    They were so adorable!


    I brought my champagne flute to my lips and was going to take a sip but it nearly spilled on my dress because of the low, harsh voice that came up behind me. I swung my head over my shoulder, my eyesnding on Dawn, who looked infuriated. She was standing beside a tall, dark-haired man. The first thing I could pick up about him was his rich golden skin thatplimented his white shirt that was tucked in ck cks. His grey eyes were fixated on a fuming Dawn.


    Beautiful seemed like the right word to qualify him.


    ¡°Matteo, get out of my face!¡± Dawn gritted. I was going to step in but it was obvious Dawn knew him and I knew she could handle herself, so I stayed put.


    ¡°D, listen¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®D¡¯ me!¡± She snapped, irritated.


    ¡°D, I just want to talk. You have to stop treating me like this. You keep pushing me away every time,¡± The dark-haired guy cried out. His Italian ent was not hard to pick up.


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to talk to you! God, you are so annoying, Matteo! Pain in the ass! That¡¯s what you are!¡± She growled over the music, not caring if she was being heard or the fact that she was drawing attention to herself.


    ¡°Get lost!¡± She yelled and walked away from him. My eyes didn¡¯t leave his dejected frame. He was obviously trying to speak with her but Dawn wouldn¡¯t give him the chance to. His grey eyes paled and he sighed, spinning on his heels.


    I turned to my right.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ask,¡± Dawn shunned me, snatching my champagne flute and chugging the golden liquid down her throat. She mmed the flute on the table and I caught a glimpse of her shaky hands. I furrowed my brows and reached over the table, cing my hands on hers and squeezing them gently.


    She wouldn¡¯t look at me.


    Then, I realised how triggering this was for her.


    ¡°Dawn¡­¡± I trailed off.


    ¡°He is just a colleague at work, Ash. He got transferred to our branch not quite long ago. He¡¯s been on my neck and wouldn¡¯t let me breathe!¡±


    ¡°I have told him countless times that I do not like him! I don¡¯t even know how he is here!¡± Her words came out so rushed. Her voice was so shaky. She turned to me, blinking rapidly. My eyes darted to her fingers, which were now tapping the surface of the table.


    She was lying¡­


    Not the part about him being her colleague, but the part about not liking him. It was so ring. Her bodynguage sold her out. Dawn found it difficult to make eye contact whenever she was lying. Her shaky voice always sells her out, not to mention the rigorous tapping of her nails on a t surface.


    Dawn was a veryposed youngdy. She could be crazy but she wasposed. The only thing that could ever make her feel so rattled was whenever she was lying. It was as clear as day that she was terrified of attachments. She has always kept her guard up ever since the incident with her ex-boyfriend in college. She never lets anyone in. She always keeps men at arm¡¯s length.


    It was purely logical that the only reason Matteo was under her skin was because she liked him and that scared her so much. It felt like history was repeating itself and she didn¡¯t want that. She was trying to convince herself that she didn¡¯t feel anything for him.


    Just like you. The tiny voice in my head reminded me, but I shut it out. I didn¡¯t want to dwell on that thought.


    The whole thing was veryplicated. I knew I had to tread carefully. Any poke could throw her over the edge, so I decided to y along.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Ivana and me?¡± I asked her, against my judgement. I just couldn¡¯t hold back.


    She looked at me. A swift emotion shed across her eyes but she was quick to mask it.


    ¡°A lot has been going on¡­Jaxon, the wedding¡­I didn¡¯t want to bother you guys.¡± She mumbled.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I forced a smile.


    ¡°Will you be okay? I have to use the bathroom.¡± I demanded softly. She met my gaze, nodding with a faux smile. I exhaled heavily and kissed her cheek, rising to my feet.


    I smoothened the crease that might have formed on my dress, passed her an assuring smile and began making my way through the crowd. I asionally brushed shoulders against the waiters and waitresses but I made sure I shed them an apologetic smile before walking past them. I heaved a sigh of relief when I got to a less crowded part of the hall.


    My eyes wandered around the vast space, in search of the hallways that led to the bathrooms. I couldn¡¯t find any, so I spun around, colliding with a hard, firm chest. I groaned in pain, taking a step backwards.


    ¡°I am so sorry!¡±


    ¡°Did I hurt you?¡± The deep, baritone voice asked.


    ¡°You are damn right you did!¡± I fired, looking up to face him. His blue eyes brightened with a light smile when his gaze anchored on me. Although he was smiling, I couldn¡¯t miss the hint of remorse in his tone, eliciting a sigh from me.


    ¡°I am sorry too,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°I was looking for the bathroom. I don¡¯t really know anywhere around here. Could you point me in that direction?¡± He asked softly, his eyes fixated on me.


    ¡°Over there,¡± I nudged my head in the opposite direction. My tone was a little dismissive.


    ¡°I am Aaron.¡± He grinned at me, stretching his hand forth for a handshake. I eyed his outstretched hand, his intentions getting clearer to me. So, I decided to be petty. I stretched out my palm, the one housing my ring finger, shaking him. His eyes darted to my wedding band and he looked up, unable to hide the surprise that shed across his face.


    My lips twitched in a smirk.


    ¡°And what the hell is going on here?¡±


    The all-too-familiar voice was cold, dark and threatening. I whirled around to see my husband. One of his hands was tucked in the pocket of his ck cks while the other held his phone against his ear. He looked like he had just gotten off the call he excused himself to take.


    His green eyes were narrowed at us in dangerous slits, a hint of challenge engraved in them.


    Uh oh¡­


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I crooned.

 Chapter 99

    ASHLEY


    The bubbly atmosphere of the hall slowly dissipated into something dimmer¡­something colder than normal.


    The soft, beautiful music in the background slowly faded into nothingness. The tension that hung in the air was so toxic, apanied by a deafening silence. The temperature in the room made my skin feel like it was being pricked with ice splinters, and at the same time, it made me feel like the room had reached a certain boiling point, incinerating me from the inside out.


    It seemed as though it was just the three of us in the big room, the tension nullifying every ounce of happiness that filled the room earlier. My heart slowly picked up a faster pace as my eyes darted to Arden¡¯s rigid, leanly muscr figure, d in a navy blue shirt. The top few buttons of his shirt were undone. I remember undoing them in the morning before we left home, telling him I loved it when his shirt wasn¡¯t fully buttoned.


    It gave him a reckless look that I was shamelessly obsessed with.


    His jaw was tightly locked, hardening his wless features. His ivory skin was dented with a deep frown and I caught a glimpse of the veins that ran up his neck threatening to pop. His stance was so intimidating, as were his cold green eyes that were set dead on the man who stood beside me. One of his hands remained in his pocket. Although I knew it was clenched tightly in a fist. Yes, he was that predictable. His hold on his phone grew twice as tight but his eyes never left Aaron¡¯s frame.


    The smile on Aaron¡¯s face hadpletely wiped off, now reced with a look of fear that he was desperately trying to mask. The ufortable shifting of his feet sold him out.


    ¡°Babe?¡± I called out to Arden, but that didn¡¯t deter him from backing down from the heated staring contest. I moved away from Aaron, walking over to him andtching my arm around his.


    ¡°Baby¡­¡± My voice was drawn into an utmost softness.


    ¡°I was just leaving,¡± Aaron spoke with a smile that didn¡¯t reach his eyes.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s what you should do if you want to leave with your head intact. Leave.¡± Arden ordered him and my eyes widened at his threats. He didn¡¯t spare so much as a nce in my direction. Aaron stiffened and nodded, spinning on his heels and heading to the hallways that led to the bathrooms.


    I stepped away from him immediately.


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked in a bored tone.


    ¡°Well, someone has to do what you couldn¡¯t bring yourself to do since you clearly enjoyed the attention you were getting from him.¡± He shot back at me sarcastically, his words hitting me like a mental whish.


    I took a step backwards, squinting my eyes at him in disbelief. A scoff rolled out of my lips and I chuckled mirthlessly, nodding my head at him.


    ¡°I need air,¡± I said monotonously and whirled around, strutting to anywhere he wasn¡¯t.


    But Arden would rather shave his head bald than have me walk away from him. As my steps quickened, my heels clicking with the tiled floors, his long strides tried to catch up with me, but I was faster.


    ¡°You will not walk away from me, Evaline!¡± His voice boomed from behind me, echoing throughout the hallway. I scoffed in response, pushing the door open. I mmed it shut but he prevented it from closing, stepping in right after me.


    ¡°You want to be an asshole? Fine! Then I can be a bitch too!¡± I yelled at him, walking to the sink. I turned on the faucet.


    ¡°I have not been gone for five minutes and you are already warming up to another man!¡± He bellowed and I swung my head in his direction with a deadly speed that threatened to snap my neck. I stared at him as though he had grown two heads but he couldn¡¯t care less, his eyes were zing with anger.


    ¡°He was just asking for directions, Arden!¡± I shouted, frustrated.


    ¡°What the fuck is your problem?!¡± I fired at him.


    ¡°You are so insecure! You are such an insecure bastard!¡± I yelled at him, ¡°For goodness sake, I am wearing your ring and I am carrying yourst name!¡± I was screaming at the top of my lungs as I shed my ring in his face. ¡°Do you really not trust me after everything? Fuck, I can¡¯t even bring myself to leave even if I wanted, because you have all of me, you fucking idiot!¡± I screeched, mming my palms on the sink.


    ¡°Well, what would you have me do?!¡± He shouted, teary-eyed.


    ¡°Trust me, Arden! That¡¯s what you ought to do, you obsessed motherfucker! Trust me! Believe me that I am all yours and I am not going anywhere!¡± I retorted sharply, my voice quivering. I exhaled afterwards, looking away from him. I turned off the tap, dragging out some air and puffing it back in as slowly as I could.


    I turned to him, watching him stare at me with his watery green eyes. I sucked my teeth in annoyance.


    ¡°Come here, you fool.¡± I beckoned him and he heeded my instruction like he was induced into hypnosis.


    He closed in on me, invading my space. His fresh, masculine cologne hit my nostrils, assaulting them. He gazed down at me, bringing his finger to my cheek, but I was faster. I yanked him forward by his shirt, crashing my lips on his. He moaned, his hands cupping my ass. I whimpered, feeling a rush of neediness. With his strong, firm hands he grabbed me roughly and it was such a turn-on. He hoisted me on the sink surface, not breaking the kiss.


    My fingers found the buttons of his shirt, undoing them at a speed I couldn¡¯t decipher. I shrugged it off his body, pulling him closer, so he could stand between my legs. My hands which were syed on his chest, travelled upwards and curled around his neck. I dug my fingers into his hair, fisting his curls in my hands. That earned me a grunt that filtered into my ears, sending heat across to my panties, dampening them.


    His mouth stroked mine, hungrily, his tongue exploring every inch of my mouth. My mind went faint and my legs grew numb beneath him. I melted into a pit of steaming goo as he channelled all his emotions into the kiss, disintegrating me from the inside out. His hands squeezed my waist, adjusting me on the counter, moving to the upper part of my dress and he pulled my zipper down, pushing down the straps of my dress.


    He broke off the kiss,tching his hot mouth on one of my hardened buds. I tossed my head backwards, moaning loudly. My hands cradled his head as he devoured my breasts hungrily, eliciting wanton moans from me. He detached his lips from my breasts, marking me everywhere on my neck, my breasts, imprinting his touch where his lips touched on my body.


    ¡°You are mine, Peach. All mine.¡± He murmured in between kisses and I moaned in response. The bastard knew how to use his mouth, and right now, all my liquidised senses couldprehend was that I wanted him to fuck me against this sink. My body burned with an insatiable hunger that only he could put out. My veins coursed with a certain neediness and thirstiness that would make me feel like a fucking whore but I didn¡¯t.


    I was unabashed with the way I wanted him so badly. He was mine just as I was his. I wanted him to use me however he saw fit. I wanted him to toss me around like a ragdoll and fuck my brains out. My pussy throbbed with a burning sensation. I needed his dick.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I cried when he sucked on the skin of my neck.


    ¡°Arden, please! Fuck, please!¡± My hands hurriedly found his buckle. I unbuckled his belt and threw it somewhere in the bathroom. I undid his fly, reaching for his dick inside of his pants, but he grasped my hands, preventing me.


    I whined.


    ¡°Please,¡± My tone reeked with neediness.


    ¡°Beg me to fuck you¡­¡± His husky voice trailed off,ing out in its most unrefined form. It was so intense and made him sound so sexy. So domineering. It made me want to get on my knees and suck him off.


    I met his eyes, swallowing. They were darkened with desire. My core was utterly drenched at the look in his eyes. My nipples ached so badly for his touch, eliciting a shudder from me.


    ¡°Fuck me, please sir,¡± I pleaded in a whisper and he smirked sadistically. His thumb brushed my nipple and I sucked in a breath. He pinched it softly and I whimpered, liquid pooling between my legs.


    ¡°So responsive, all mine¡­¡± He murmured. He grabbed me by my throat, his hot mouth descending on mine. He shattered me into pieces and moulded me back in a whole with that one, fiery kiss. His hands disappeared beneath my dress, ripping my panties off in one swift movement. He discarded it and I felt his thick length brush my thigh, staining it with his warm, pre-cum.


    Good, he was just as affected as I was.


    ¡°This cock?¡± I moaned, pressing a kiss on his jaw.


    ¡°It¡¯s all mine,¡± I whispered. He growled, lining up his length with my wet entrance, and then slide into me with force. I released a loud moan as my walls clenched around him. His thick cock stretched me all the way, eliciting a shuddering breath from me. I mped my teeth on my lips, my eyes fluttering shut in bliss.


    ¡°God, I will never get used to being inside of you.¡± He groaned, pumping into me. I wrapped my arms around him, whimpering as I fused our bodies. I wanted him to be as close to him as possible. I arched my back to meet his swift, wicked thrusts, moaning loudly and not caring if anyone could hear me from outside.


    He pumped in and out of me, his thrusts extracting sounds from me. Ones I was capable of making and the ones I didn¡¯t know I was capable of making. I barely recognised my own voice. He was mming into me with force, grunting loudly in pleasure. The rush of satisfaction that overwhelmed me, knowing it was my pussy that was extracting those sounds from him was indescribable. My eyes snapped shut and I tossed my head backwards.


    I palmed the back of his head, clenching my thigh around him to aid his harsh thrusts. He plunged into me, hitting my walls vigorously. My eyes fluttered open,nding on our reflection in the mirror. His back glistened with sweat as he moved in and out of me, his firm hands securing me possessively around my waist. His lush ck hair was fisted in my hands¡­Loud grunts of pleasure, mixed with my loud moans and the sound of our skins pping against each other filled the bathroom.


    He looked so handsome.


    Like a god¡­


    We were so perfect, bounding together like peas in a pod, our souls colliding with each other. It was breathtaking and it brought so many tears to my eyes.


    ¡°Arden,¡± I moaned, my manicured fingers grazing his scalp.


    ¡°Fuck, baby! I am going toe!¡±


    ¡°Come with me, my love,¡± My words came out rushed, coated with loud breathy moans. My stomach twisted in heavy knots, my hard buds growing sensitive as they brushed against his chest, sparks of electricity and an overwhelming vibration surging through my body. My toes curled and I muttered strings of unclear words under my breath. My eyes snapped shut as the pleasurepletely overrode my body, consuming me. A loud sob tumbled out of my mouth.


    ¡°God, you drive me insane!¡± A growl rippled from his chest as he buried his head deep into the crook of my neck, muffling the animalistic sounds that emitted from him and shooting his loads into me. My muscles clenched and I creamed him with my juices, whimpering as my legs grewx and heavy.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I grabbed his face, kissing him long and hard. He broke off the kiss after a while and our eyes shed in intense eye contact. Arden has a way of looking at me in a way that made me feel he was reaching for the core of my soul but the deep, raw and intense emotions that built up in those striking green orbs rattled me to the core.


    They had goosebumps sprouting all over my skin, my heart pummelling wildly against my chest.


    ¡°I love you, Peach.¡± He whispered and my brain numbed itself. My body stiffened and my heart seized functioning.


    ¡°So much.¡±

 Chapter 100

    ASHLEY


    I sank my fingers into my wet hair, pushing it backwards and massaging my scalp to soothe the scalp with the remnants of the shampoo that hung in my hair. The warm water that drizzled from the shower cascaded my body, soothing my skin. My eyes fluttered open and I moved to the switch, turning it off. I stepped out of the shower cubicle, grabbing two towels. I wrapped one around my hair, wrapping the other loosely around my frame.


    I strutted out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. I trudged into the closet, drying my hair with the towel. I patted my body dry and plugged in my hair dryer, blow-drying my hair as quickly as I could. I fished out pink panties from the drawer, sliding it on, after which I pulled a pair of shorts from the rack, alongside one of Arden¡¯s shirts, which I have acquired as mine.


    I walked out of the closet, prancing to my dresser. I picked up my lotion and moisturised my skin with it, proceeding to put on my shorts and shirt. I snatched a hairband from the dresser, pulling my hair in a high ponytail. My eyes darted to my ck nightwear andcy panties a few feets away from the bed. My cheeks heated in embarrassment.


    Arden wouldn¡¯t keep his hands off me throughout the night and it was the same thing before he headed out with Duncan to go take care of business. He was such a horny dog.


    Well, you didn¡¯t think that when you were fisting the sheets this morning. My mind chided me and I giggled to myself. I retrieved the flimsy materials from the floor and dumped them in the hamper, scoffing at my torn panties. Only God knows how many of my panties Arden has torn. If he keeps this up, I wouldn¡¯t have any underwear anymore.


    And then, the thought I had been struggling to repress since the day it happened came rushing back to the surface. I stilled, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach.


    ¡°I love you, Peach.¡±


    ¡°So much.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I yelled at myself, walking to the mirror. I closed my eyes and inhaled, exhaling softly. Not today. I couldn¡¯t afford to go down thatne today. I could do it any other time but not today. I didn¡¯t want to think about how rattled and speechless the whole thing had left me. I totally went brain-dead. My mind numbed itself.


    I wouldn¡¯t even look him in the eye.


    There was this unspoken tension that hung between us. It was just there. We didn¡¯t address it. You mean you didn¡¯t want to address it. My subconscious mocked me and I gritted my teeth.


    ¡°I am not going to think about that. I am going to head out of the kitchen and go help Alberta out since I decided to take the day off today.¡± My voice carried a tone of finality. I nodded at my reflection in the mirror, stering a smile on my face. I snatched my phone off the nightstand and sauntered out of the room, shutting the door behind me.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray!¡± The maids chirped from their various positions and I groaned inwardly. I stared at them for a while, not responding to their greetings. I contemted telling them to go do other chores while I take care of the living room but it was far from the maids of the Gray household to allow me to get my way that easily. They were always so quick to y the Mr. Gray wouldn¡¯t like that card.


    ¡°Ashley,¡± I corrected and they responded with a shy smile, eliciting a grin from me. I knew what their responses would be like but it didn¡¯t deter me from trying my luck.


    ¡°Come on, head out to do other chores. I will clean the living room. I am home alone and I am bored.¡± I told them, a light smile dancing on my lips. They shook their heads simultaneously like robots, earning an arch of one of my eyebrows.


    ¡°Mr. Gray___¡± One of them spoke up but I shut her up with an eye roll.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother,¡± I huffed like a little child. Since they wouldn¡¯t allow me to do anything with them, I could always head to the kitchen and help Alberta out. She would be more appreciative of my presence. With that, I made my way into the kitchen. I opened the door and stepped right in.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Falsch mit dir! [What¡¯s wrong with you?!]¡±  Alberta¡¯s harsh tone had me flinching abruptly. I nearly jumped out of my skin because of how harsh she sounded. I had not gotten a chance to reel from the loudness of her voice when another hit me like a stray bullet.


    ¡°Ich mochte nicht daruber reden, Mama! [I don¡¯t want to talk about it, Mom!]¡± Zelda snapped back at her, her voice cracking.


    I furrowed my brows, trying to pick up on what they were saying. I wasn¡¯t dumb. I knew they were yelling at each other in German. I just didn¡¯t know why or what it meant.


    ¡°Ich habe dich vor diesem Jungen gewarn¡­ [I warned you about that boy¡­]¡± Alberta¡¯s voice trailed off, trails of exhaustion hanging in her tone. She looked like she was tired of yelling at her daughter. The angry duo were just ring at each other. They didn¡¯t even know I was standing in the room.


    ¡°Huh, what¡¯s going on here?¡± I asked, cautiously. I was trying to sound as subtle as I could because I didn¡¯t want to poke the wrong, irritable bear. The two of them swung their heads in my direction, their eyes widening in shock.


    I was taken aback at how dull Zelda looked. Her violet eyes were void of brightness. Her skin looked somewhat red, indicating that she had been crying. She had tears shimmering in her eyes. Her brown hair was styled in a messy bun. Her slim figure was d in an extrarge sweatshirt and jean shorts. The shirt was almost swallowing up her body.


    ¡°Zelda?¡± I called in shock.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray. Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Alberta queried, sighing softly. I could see the beads of tears forming in her eyes, which was struggling to hold back. And somewhere in those violet orbs was disappointment.


    My eyes darted to and fro between the duo.


    ¡°Alberta?¡± I called the older woman.


    ¡°Can you excuse us please?¡± I demanded softly and she nodded, wiping her tears. She yanked off her Apron and stepped out of the kitchen, leaving me and Zelda all alone. Her loud, shaky breaths filled the room. She averted her eyes from me, marching to the sink, where she turned on the tap, indulging in several things so that she wouldn¡¯t talk to me.


    I scoffed.


    I left where I was standing and strutted to where she stood by the sink.


    ¡°Are you going to tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± I queried, arching my brows.


    ¡°Go away, Ashley. You shouldn¡¯t be in here.¡± She shunned me coldly and I furrowed my brows at her rudeness. Although I had an inkling of what was going on, I didn¡¯t want to jump to conclusions.


    ¡°Excuse you?¡± I frowned. She nced up and my heart tore to shreds as I took in her teary orbs.


    ¡°Last I checked, this is my house,¡± I said audaciously. She whimpered, dropping the fork in her hands into the sink. A light sob flew out of her mouth and her shoulders sagged. She walked into my arms and threw herself on me, breaking down into my arms. My eyes were beginning to burn with unshed tears.


    ¡°You can always tell me anything,¡± I assured her softly. I wanted her to know I wouldn¡¯t judge her.


    ¡°I hate him, Ash. I hate him so much.¡± She sobbed, fisting her shirt.


    Of course, that bastard¡­


    I gritted my teeth, clenching my fists.


    ¡°I am going to fucking kill him!¡± I yelled, tears streaming down my face. She stepped out of my arms, shaking her head vigorously.


    ¡°No, no, please¡­ don¡¯t hurt him, please!¡± She cried, shaking her head. My heart felt as though it was being prickled with needles, clenching tightly in pain and making me feel like I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Tell me what he did,¡± I folded my arms across my chest.


    ¡°God¡­¡± Her voice was thick with emotions.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t lying. I am obsessed with him, Ashley. So obsessed with him that I know that if he walks right in through that door, I wouldn¡¯t hesitate to go into his arms, after everything he did to me! It feels like I can¡¯t breathe without him!¡± She screamed, gutting me with every word she uttered. I just stood there wordlessly and watched her cry it out.


    She needed to.


    ¡°We have been having sex, a whole lot.¡± She palmed herself, brushing her hair backwards. ¡°Ashley, he touches me at times and I feel my body burning for him. The control he has over me is so sick and insane. Just a slight brush of his fingers against me and I am all putty in his arms. He messed with me in a way I don¡¯t understand¡­¡± She paused, huping.


    ¡°I thought that if I allowed him ess to my body anytime he wanted, he would grow to love me but that isn¡¯t true. Duncan Wright looked me in the eyes and told me he could never love me. That all we had was just a fling!¡±


    ¡°A fucking fling!¡± She chuckled, tears pouring down her face. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to steady my breath. The anger that simmered in my veins zapped through me like an electrical current, consuming me and blurring my vision.


    ¡°I had a pregnancy scare a few days ago and my mom got to know about the whole thing. I couldn¡¯t hide it from her anymore. She¡¯s so mad at me, Ashley. She¡¯s so disappointed in me.¡±


    ¡°I hate myself so much!¡± She cried. I choked on my sob, walked over to her and enveloped her in a hug. She bawled her eyes out in my arms and I just held her, allowing her to get it off her chest. She needed to if she was going to heal.


    Heck, I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to say anything to her. Not because I didn¡¯t know what to say but because I was scared that saying anything could ruin everything.


    I only had one thought in mind.


    How to kill my husband¡¯s right hand man and get away with it?

 Chapter 101

    ASHLEY


    I smoothened off the crease on my ck zer dress, pulling my hair in a neat low bun. I smacked my bold red lips together, winking at my reflection before slipping on my ck stilettos. I sprayed my cologne and grabbed my bag, heading out of the closet.


    I strolled to my reading table, packing up myptop and files, proceeding to arrange them in myptop bag. I zipped it up and went to the nightstand to get my phone. My eyesnded on my husband, who was sprawled on the bed, the covers barely covering his shirtless back. His hair was a total mess, and judging by the position he was sleeping in, he was deeply asleep and I found it adorable.


    But then, all it would take would be me kissing his hair or hovering above him and we would be tangled underneath the sheets in no time. I couldn¡¯t afford that again. Thest time was wild. So, I retreated, resolving to not wake him because Arden needed all the rest he could get.


    And with that, I exited the room.


    Alberta was waiting with a cup of coffee at the bottom of the staircase by the time I got to her. I grinned widely at her.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray.¡± She smiled politely at me, handing me the coffee. I leaned over and kissed her cheek before taking a sip from the mug. I took a long sip. I relished in its creamy taste, proceeding to drop it on the saucer and then she took it from me.


    ¡°Good morning, Alberta. Thank you.¡± I shed her a smile and walked past her, heading over to my guards that were positioned at the front entrance.


    ¡°Where the fuck is Duncan Wright?¡± I demanded sternly when I got to one of them, handing him myptop bag. Maybe it was a good thing that Arden was still asleep because I was really in the mood to kick someone¡¯s ass. The guard I handed my bag opened his mouth to answer my question but he stopped.


    ¡°He is right behind you, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    I saw Red because the speed at which I swung my head in his direction almost had me believing that a bone in my neck had snapped.


    My face was scrunching in a deadly frown, anchoring on his tall frame that was advancing from one of the numerous hallways in the house. He had his phone pressed to his ear and I could deduce that he was either on a call or was just getting off it. With the speed of light, I charged towards his stiff frame, undiluted rage coursing through my veins. I swung my palm across his face, causing his head to swing sideways.


    ¡°You bastard!¡± I fired at him.


    I smacked my bag across his face, tears welling up in my eyes.


    ¡°HOW DARE YOU HURT HER AND TOSS HER AROUND LIKE A RAG DOLL?¡± I bellowed. Duncan didn¡¯t flinch. He just stared right back at me with his busted lips and bruised face. I furrowed my brows at him, wondering how he could be so cold despite everything he did to her. He didn¡¯t even look like he cared. He was not feigning it in the slightest. I moved backwards and scoffed.


    ¡°Rot in hell, Duncan Wright!¡± I spat venomously at him, storming out of the house with my guards trailing behind me. They caught up with me because of their long strides, pulling the car door open. I slid into the car, tossing my bag beside me. I squeezed my eyes shut, dragging out my breath as slowly as I could, trying to keep my anger at bay. I fell back onto the leather seat, sighing softly.


    ¡°Just take me to the office,¡± I told my chauffeur, and he began driving out of thepound.


    Duncan Wright was a cold-hearted monster and nothing, absolutely nothing, could ever change that. It was all his fault. Zelda was in so much pain because of him. I knew what it felt like to hold on to that shred of hope that he might change. I knew what it felt like to allow him to use you, hoping it would change him¡­what it felt like to be manipted and that was exactly what Duncan did to her. He didn¡¯t even feel remorseful.


    I couldn¡¯t help the truckload of guilt that was barrelling towards me, hitting me in the face and reminding me that all that was happening was my fault. If I had kept a proper eye on her, she wouldn¡¯t have fallen prey to him. She was supposed to be my sister and I was supposed to look after her.


    I failed. I failed her.


    Don¡¯t be so hard on yourself. Arden was fighting for his life then. The tiny voice echoed in my head, reminding me. It didn¡¯t do anything to quench the guilt, it only made me feel worse.


    There was nothing you could have done. It added.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    Even after hitting him the way I did, I still didn¡¯t feel satisfied. I wanted to do more than hit him.


    I looked up, my eyes settling on the building of my firm and I sighed. The Chauffeur drove into thepound, pulling over at therge front entrance. The guards stepped out of the car as quickly as they could, helping me with the door. I let myself out while they trailed behind me, one of them carrying my bag.


    The workers that walked to and fro on the first floor, tending to one issue or the other, bowed in respect and mumbled greetings at me. I shed them a forced smile because I knew that would be better than me ignoring them.


    One of my guards punched in the digits of the top floor on the elevator buttons. The doors slid open and we got in, then it transported us to the top floor.


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡±


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡±


    ¡°Good morning, ma¡¯am,¡±


    Greetings were thrown at me from every corner of the lobby. I tried my best to mask my irritation with a smile, walking past them and heading to my office. There was absolutely no way in hell that I could get used to my bodyguards trailing behind me. It felt suffocating but there was nothing I could do about it.


    ¡°Good morning, Mrs. Gray!¡± Riley¡¯s chirpy voice greeted me. She strutted out of her office that was just a stone¡¯s throw from mine, in her eight-inch heels which I still found myself questioning how she walkedfortably in them. Every blessed day.


    The redhead¡¯s energy was very contagious and I could feel it rubbing off on me already, dissolving all the anger I had in me. She had a white chiffon blouse tucked into a ck midi skirt that hugged her hourss shape. Her hair was pulled in a neat ponytail, highlighting her bright grey eyes.


    ¡°Good morning, Riley.¡±


    ¡°Coffee?¡± She queried with a smile.


    ¡°No, I am fine.¡± I told her dismissively, stepping into my office. I threw my bag on the desk and proceeded to kick off my heels when my eyesnded on the ck gift bag that had red roses imprinted on it as a design. For one, it was very attractive, but then, I couldn¡¯t help but furrow my brows.


    ¡°Riley?¡± I called in a questioning tone, turning to her.


    ¡°When did thise in?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°Not quite long ago, Mrs. Gray. A delivery man dropped it off and I signed the papers, so it could be handed over to me.¡± She answered me.


    ¡°Strange,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell you who it was from?¡±


    ¡°No, he didn¡¯t.¡±


    I kicked my heels off my feet, still staring at the bag.


    ¡°Thank you, Riley. You can leave.¡± I dismissed her.


    I was a little bit skeptical about the bag, but then, It might just be Arden up to one of his numerous surprises. I chuckled, snatching the bag off the table. I pried the contents open, taking out a ck velvet box. The curiosity that niggled at my thoughts was only fuelled at the sight of the box. I unboxed it, releasing a gasp at the overly blinding jewelry set in it.


    It was a simple ne, earrings and a bracelet. But the fact that I have lived long enough with Arden to recognise pure diamonds had my jaw dropping to the floor. I took them out, examining it.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I mumbled. I dropped them carefully, not wanting them to garner even the slightest scratch. I retrieved the next item from the bag, which happened to be a huge box of Victoria¡¯s secret perfume. It was a set of four but in one box. And from the scent that oozed off the medium-sized bottles, I knew they smelled amazing.


    The next item was a single rose, followed by an expensive bottle of red wine and choctes, alongside a pair of ck Yves Saint Laurent heels. The small red card I picked out of the bag had me chuckling. Arden would always drop a small card in a gift bag. It was his thing. I was grinning from ear to ear in no time, bringing the card to my face.


    Just so you know, these gifts don¡¯t measure up to how beautiful you are.


    My smile dropped abruptly.


    There were no initials. The only time Arden never put initials on the cards was when the whole ruckus about him wanting to marry me was going on. He stopped doing that. A long time ago. There were always the initials, A on his card. He was too possessive not to put one.


    It was like a rude awakening that jammed right into me, jolting me back to reality. This gift wasn¡¯t from my husband, I was so sure of it. If it wasn¡¯t from him, who was it from then?


    I shifted the gifts aside, hopping on the desk with furrowed brows. The first thought that struck me was to call my husband and speak with him about it, but Arden was bound to go overboard with anything that had to do with me. I knew what I went through with him when he was assigning body guards for me. There was no doubt that he might triple them in numbers, just to keep me safe.


    He doesn¡¯t have to know. I¡¯ll just tell him I just bought them.


    It¡¯s probably from a secret admirer in thepany. The thought of it made me chuckle. I found it cute and adorable.


    And with that thought in mind, I returned to my desk to start my work for the day.

 Chapter 102

    ASHLEY.


    My lips were quirked in amusement as I twirled around in my chair, watching Drake, who was standing by the projector, presenting his idea to everyone in the conference room while Aurelia constantly chipped in her suggestions.


    On a normal day, I would have cut her off and told her to hold her tongue but there was something about their banters that I found so cute. They were both my editors but the way they were always at each other¡¯s neck was fascinating.


    I chuckled, clicking my pen.


    ¡°It¡¯s just pure logic, Mrs. Gray. We have seen what these people read and the best bet would be to recruit writers who are experts in the Genre that people love to read,¡± Drake¡¯s eyes were solely fixed on me, watching my every move. I smirked, leaning into my chair and nodding at him to go on.


    ¡°Nope, that won¡¯t work.¡±


    The brte, who was so rxed in her seat interjected him. Aurelia had always been an exotic beauty and she owned it proudly. She flipped her purplish hair over her shoulder, turning to Drake, who had a huge frown on his face.


    ¡°We are not aiming to be stereotypical, Drake.¡± The words rolled off her tongue so calmly. She maintained her regal posture, her eyes locked on him in a challenging stare. She was daring him and she wasn¡¯t being subtle with it.


    Drake scoffed, tucking his hands into his pockets.


    ¡°Stop interrupting me, Aurelia.¡± He said coldly.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t tell me what to do. You are not the boss of me. I am simply just looking the other way and I am trying to make you see reasons why this idea won¡¯t work.¡± She wasn¡¯t raising her voice at him, yet every single word she uttered reeked with confidence.


    She turned to me, anchoring her grey eyes at me.


    ¡°The project to expand ourpany through a reading tform is still on, right, Mrs. Gray?¡± She asked softly.


    ¡°Yes, Aurelia. We are working on it,¡± I answered.


    I have been thinking of creating a reading tform where readers and writers can collide. New writers get the chance to put their work on the tform, readers read to pay. It¡¯s a win-win situation. The writers get a chance to garner early recognition for themselves and the readers get entertained with their intriguing books.


    ¡°Now, how do we pull that off if we are sticking with themon Genres?¡± Aurelia asked and her question hit me like a whish. I sat up in my seat, my ears perking up at those words. When she saw that she had sessfully gained my attention, she smiled.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I am not saying we can¡¯t publish themon Genres, but I am just saying the sole goal of thispany is to be distinct. We won¡¯t pull that off if we only stick to themon genres. Why don¡¯t we mix them up with the unusual ones too? Trust me, there are a thousand distinct story ideas out there that we are yet to discover, but if we are limiting ourselves, how do we want to discover them?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to hold ourselves back when in truth, the sky is big enough for birds to fly without hurting one another.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s spice things up.¡±


    ¡°Most people don¡¯t know what they want until they actually see it. Most readers might have been bored of keeping repeating a book with simr storylines. But when we put the unusual storylines out there, they are going to love it.¡±


    The other editors in the room didn¡¯t hesitate to put their hands together for a deafening round of apuse. I couldn¡¯t resist joining in too. I watched her, utterly appalled at her idea.


    ¡°You are a Genius, Rellie.¡± I called her by her nickname and she shed me a warm smile, basking in the praise that came in from different angles. Her eyes darted away from me, resting on Drake¡¯s rigid frame, who in turn, rolled his eyes at her.


    ¡°I___¡±


    The door that led to the conference room was pushed open and the familiar figure emerged, striding into the room like he owned the ce. The air of confidence and supremacy that hung around him, although familiar, still had my breath hitching. His signature resting bitch-face was so pronounced and made him twice as hot in his white shirt that was tucked in ck cks. He yed his go-to outfit like that was the first time he was wearing it, rolling the sleeves to his elbow and leaving a few buttons undone.


    It made him look reckless.


    I couldn¡¯t get over how beautiful this man was and it still left me wondering how I managed to snag someone as hot as he was, as my husband. It feels so surreal at times.


    ¡°Good morning, Mr. Gray.¡± Several greetings from my editors echoed in the room.


    ¡°We are done here.¡± I dismissed them, my eyes still fixated on him. They all rose to their feet and filed out of the room, alongside his bodyguards, including Duncan, whom I threw a stink eye before he sauntered out.


    He got to me and picked me up from my chair like I weighed nothing, eliciting a squeal from him. He hoisted me on the desk, capturing my lips in a soft kiss, but he pulled away when I made to deepen it. His action made me frown.


    ¡°Hey, Peach.¡± He whispered, gazing at me beneath hisshes. I tucked my lips between my teeth, giggling. I tossed one of my legs on his back, drawing him closer, so that he could stand between my legs. My hands were now syed on his chest, alluring green eyes boring into mine.


    ¡°Hey, husband.¡± I grinned.


    ¡°Well, someone snuck out without telling me.¡± He mused, squeezing my waist and I giggled when he buried his head in the crook of my neck, sniffing me in. Even with how he ced me on his desk, he was still taller. Arden had a way of making me feel so short.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to wake you,¡± I rasped when he ran his tongue across the skin of my neck.


    ¡°You smell so good.¡± He murmured, kissing my neck. I tightened my legs around him, snapping my eyes shut. I tilted my head to the side, giving him ess to my neck.


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I moaned softly as he sucked on the skin of my neck.


    ¡°I saw what you did to Duncan¡¯s face.¡± He chuckled against me, slipping his hands underneath my dress. My breath hitched and I swallowed, parting my legs when I felt his fingers brush my thigh. He was so quick at shifting my panties to the side, stroking my clitoris.


    I was already a pool down there.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I tossed my head backwards, arching my back to meet the pace of his fingers, but then he retracted them, eliciting a whine from me.


    ¡°Oh,e on!¡± I cried out in frustration. I was dripping wet and I just needed him to touch me. He pulled away from my neck, smirking at me. He bent to my level, caging me on the desk with his hands syed on the surface of the desk.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered my question¡­¡± His voice trailed off with a glint of tease in his now-dark green eyes.


    ¡°He deserved it,¡± I huffed.


    ¡°God, I love your temper even though it gets on my nerves at times.¡± He grinned and kissed my cheek before getting me off the table. He took his seat on the chair, pulling me onto hisp.


    ¡°Careful, Peach. You are soaking my trousers with your juices.¡± He whispered, smirking at me as he bnced his hands on my ass, yanking me forward and my barely covered pussy brushed his clothed crotch. I whimpered with pleasure.


    He was hell-bent on making me sexually frustrated and he wasn¡¯t even done. His hands came up to my zipper, pulling it down while I watched him, out of breath. He pushed the sleeves of my dress downwards, removing my arms out of it. I was left in my redcy bra.


    He watched me and strings of curse words elicited his lips. He pushed himself off the chair, dropping his head on my cleavage, which he pressed a soft kiss too. He groaned in satisfaction and I bit my lip, cradling his head against my chest. I was too distracted to notice him working his fingers on my bra hook.


    He unsped it abruptly and got his head off my chest, freeing my boobs from its confines. He tossed the bra somewhere in the room and I giggled, digging my fingers into my hair, freeing it from the ponytail I had it in. I shook my hair softly, working my fingers through its knot.


    ¡°You are going to be the death of me,¡± he uttered those words with a strong conviction, swiping his thumb against my bottom lip. He inserted his finger into my mouth afterwards and I sucked on it, moaning softly. He slowly retracted it from my mouth, trailing it down my chin, down to my chest and when his fingers neared my boobs, I sucked in a breath and watched my nipples grow excessively hard beneath his touch.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°So sensitive,¡± he whispered, brushing the pad of his thumb against one of my buds. I had to mp my teeth down on my mouth to submerge the moans that threatened to leave my lips.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you holding back your moans. I want everyone in this building to hear the sounds you make as I pleasure you. I want them to know who you belong to.¡± He told me, his voice thick with dominance and assertiveness.


    Arden showered kisses everywhere on my upper body except my breasts. He was punishing me even though it made me so restless. I loved it. I loved how he pushed me right over the edge and pulled me right back. He stopped kissing me, burying his head into my chest.


    ¡°I wanted to ask you to go on a trip with me. Consider it our honeymoon. You didn¡¯t get a chance at that when you first married me and I want to right that wrong,¡± His voice was so soft. I felt myself smile at the attempt to make up for his past deeds.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll allow me, that is,¡± He whispered, massaging my waist softly. I loved how his fingers felt on my bare body.


    He enclosed his mouth around my nub, tugging softly at it before pulling away, to my dismay.


    Fuck¡­


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I demanded and he nced up, smirking.


    ¡°That¡¯s a surprise.¡± He grinned. My phone beeped on the table and I groaned, lifting myself off his legs and snatching it off the table. I unlocked it, seeing as it was a message that popped up on my screen.


    Unknown


    I see you got my gift. Do you like it?


    My blood went cold, my hands freezing on the screen of my phone. I furrowed my brows, a wave of uncertainty hitting me. This further proves that the gift isn¡¯t from Arden.


    ¡°Is everything okay?¡± He queried and I looked up from my phone to meet his scrutinising gaze that was so ufortable. I stered on a faux smile, which I desperately hoped he wouldn¡¯t detect. I dropped my phone on the table and propped myself on hisp.


    ¡°Less talking, more touching.¡± I cupped his face and kissed him. He squeezed my ass, causing me to moan against his mouth.

 Chapter 103

    ASHLEY.


    ¡°And that¡¯s what I am talking about!¡± Dawn chirped, her energetic voice flowing through the speakers of my phone where I ced it on the surface of the sspartment that was located in the middle of the vast closet.


    I frowned at the red lingerie that I held up in the air before tossing it back into my drawer.


    ¡°What? No!¡± Dawn countered my actions.


    ¡°Pick it back and drop it into the box. NOW!¡± She ordered me, and I turned to the redhead, who was sprawled on a sofa, dressed in a ck robe that was practically falling off her shoulders and revealing a generous part of her cleavage.


    Her blue eyes were narrowed at me in slits.


    ¡°It¡¯s too revealing!¡± I shot back at her with an eye roll.


    ¡°So?¡± She scoffed.


    ¡°It¡¯s a honeymoon, bitch! You have to look hot for him. As in H-O-T!¡± She spelt it out boldly.


    ¡°I know,¡± I snorted.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t. If you do, you wouldn¡¯t return that fine piece of seduction back to the drawer. You guys are travelling out of the country for an alone time. The guy is leaving all his businesses behind to be with you, so make it worth his while.¡± She borated, flipping her hair.


    I chuckled.


    ¡°Have you met Arden?¡±


    ¡°That man finds me appealing in whatever it is I wear. I don¡¯t have to impress him. He is already impressed.¡± I waved her off, scanning through my array of dresses, given I was still in my underwear and I needed something nice to wear!


    And that was the reason I called her!


    ¡°Exactly! He finds you appealing in what you wear, so there¡¯s no harm in driving him crazy, even more.¡± She shrugged, grinning.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I pulled the drawer open, grabbing the lingerie and dumped it into my box. She squealed afterwards.


    ¡°So, has he told you where he is taking you?¡± She grinned at me and I shook my head in response.


    ¡°No,¡± I pouted.


    ¡°He said that would ruin the surprise. I tried to get him to tell me but he is so stubborn.¡± I added, frowning. I snatched a skinny jeans from the rack, shrugging it on. I twirled in front of the camera, so she could see it.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Girl, I love it. Pair it with a cute crop top.¡± She voiced out, expressing her admiration for the jeans.


    My pink thin-strapped top followed afterwards and I knew that all I had to do was y it with cute white sneakers. The outfit made me feel like a teenager again.


    ¡°Have you spoken to Ivana?¡± Dawn asked.


    ¡°Thest time we spoke, she told me they were in Mn. Ugh, you should have seen her. She¡¯s glowing.¡± I answered, zipping my box shut.


    ¡°Aw, you girls.¡±


    ¡°Going on honeymoon and all.¡± She cooed and my cheeks grew red.


    ¡°D,e over here!¡±


    The masculine voice had me whipping my head towards Dawn direction so fast, in a way that I could feel a bone in my neck snap. My eyes widened in shock. I could have sworn I have heard that voice somewhere. It was so familiar.


    ¡°Dawn?¡± I called, demanding for an exnation with the arch of my brow.


    She looked like a deer caught in headlight, biting her lower lip in embarrassment as she twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers.


    And then, it clicked. The nickname was like the final piece of the puzzle. It was the guy from Ivana¡¯s wedding. Matteo. The one she was yelling at.


    ¡°D!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a second,¡± She hollered back at him and turned to me with a shy smile, shrugging.


    ¡°What?¡± She feigned innocence.


    ¡°Girl, spill!¡± My voice rose a notch, amusement evident in it.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to talk about.¡± Dawn looked me in the eye and denied vehemently.


    ¡°Are you being serious right now?¡±


    ¡°Love you, babes. Have fun!¡± She chirped and hung up. I stared at the screen of my phone, dumbfounded. Memories of how she spoke to him at the party came resurfacing. She sounded like she genuinely didn¡¯t want anything to do with and now, this¡­


    I exhaled, deciding to trust her. If Dawn wants to keep it from me, right now, she has every right to. I just have to hope that she would open up to me whenever she feels she want to.


    Once I was done doing a double-check, I grabbed my bag and wheeled my box out of the room. A gentle knock sounded at the door while I was busy rummaging my dresser.


    ¡°Come in,¡± I ushered in the person at the door. The creaking of the door got my attention, causing me to look towards the door.


    My eyesnded on Zelda, who trudged in, her hands shoved in the back pocket of her ripped shorts that she paired with arge ck sweater. Her hair was thrown in a messy bun with some strands of her hair sticking in several directions.


    I stared at the bubbly twenty-year-old, whose eyes was void of the spark it normally held. All I could make out was an unending paleness that seemed to suck me in the more I peered at her. Her skin seemed to have lost its glow. Her face was covered in slight redness which I knew was the downsides of her crying every time.


    Those violet orbs were lifeless and they rattled me to the core with their lifelessness. My heart broke for her.


    ¡°Zelda,¡± I muttered, dropping my things and walking towards her. She took a step backwards, rocking back and forth on her feet.


    ¡°Mr. Gray is waiting by the car outside. He told me to help you with your box.¡± I didn¡¯t miss how dismissive her voice was but I didn¡¯t hold it against her, not when she was hurting this much.


    ¡°Ze__¡±


    ¡°I heard what you did. You shouldn¡¯t have. I told you not to hurt him. He doesn¡¯t want me, that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll deal with it. I didn¡¯t ask you to hit him.¡± She frowned, her eyes brimming with tears.


    I sighed.


    ¡°He hurt you, so he deserves it and if I get the chance to do it again. I wouldn¡¯t hesitate. He¡¯s a sick, maniptive bastard!¡± I didn¡¯t mean to but I yelled out myst words, causing her to flinch, squeezing her eyes shut.


    ¡°Zelda, I am sorry.¡± I muttered in remorse, reaching out to touch her but she didn¡¯t allow me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    She was acting out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get the box downstairs myself. You can leave.¡± I told her, ignoring the way my eyes burned with unshed tears. It hurts to see her in so much pain and she still wouldn¡¯t allow me help her. She peeled her eyes off me and left the room.


    My shoulders slumped in defeat and I pushed my hair backwards, sighing softly. I procured my bag, stuffed my phone in it and wheeled my box out of the room. One of the guards took my box when I got to the door, pulling it open, so that I could step out.


    Arden had his back turned towards me, the glow of the sun descending on his warm ivory skin. His arms were bare and open to my touch through the ck sleeveless shirt he was wearing on matching ck nts. He paired the simple outfit with pure white sneakers. Watching him, I could only evere to one conclusion. I can never get tired of seeing him in casual clothings.


    He chose that specific moment to spin around and my breath hitched at the sight of him. His green eyes were piercing, heavy with amusement as his eyes did a slow crawl on my body. I willed myself to move forward, my cheeks growing redder with each step I took towards him.


    He slipped his arm around my waist, pulling me closer when I got to him and then, he nted a kiss on my lips.


    ¡°You look beautiful,¡± He whispered.


    ¡°You cleaned up nice.¡± I told him, running my hands up the length of his arms.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡¯


    ¡°You are damn right I am.¡± I giggled. He let me out of his arms, pulling the car door open. He helped me into the passenger¡¯s seat and shut the afterwards, then he got in through the other side.


    He leaned over to my corner and fastened my seat belt, his eyes lingering on my cleavage in the process. I smacked his chest and he let out a breathyughter, rolling off me and sliding into his seat.


    ¡°You still won¡¯t tell me where we are going?¡± I pouted, giving him my best puppy eyes.


    ¡°That¡¯d ruin the fun, Peach.¡± He smirked.


    And with that, he fastened his seat belt and drove us out of the Vi.

 Chapter 104

    JAXON


    The moment the jetnded, I put my phone aside, tucking it in my pocket. I turned to my side, chuckling at the sight of Peach, who was curled into a ball beneath the wool body cover. She was fast asleep already. She wouldn¡¯t stop bugging me about where we were heading to and at some point, I wanted to give in because of how cute she was, but I stood my ground.


    I reached for her face, tucking her hair behind her ear and my breath got caught in my throat for a moment. She looked so peaceful while asleep. Too good to be true, even. Her pale rosy skin was glowing, void of any ounce of blemish. Her reddish lips were curled in a tiny pout, cute sounds eluding them now and then as she stirred in her sleep. The strands of her brown hair that were sticking out in different directions framed her face, highlighting the fine contrast they made with her skin.


    I have been married to this woman for months now and every passing day, when she wakes up in my arms, it still feels so unreal to have someone as beautiful as she was as mine. I could never get used to waking up beside her every morning. Evaline gave me a sense of purpose. She gave me something to look forward to, every waking day of my life. I didn¡¯t know what separation anxiety meant until she came into my life and then I understood what it meant to crave someone¡¯s presence so much, to be obsessed with it and being away from them, even for a second, makes you feel like you can¡¯t breathe.


    There was just that sense of ipletion that lingered within me whenever she wasn¡¯t around me.


    Whenever I wasn¡¯t home, I looked forward to the day I would be back at home and hold her in my arms. Whenever she wasn¡¯t close to me, I craved her presence more than the air that I breathe.


    I never thought I could be this into someone. That I could be this vulnerable with someone. She made vulnerability so beautiful. She waltzed into my life and sshed colours onto its dullness. Most times, I felt like I wasn¡¯t worthy of her, but she was always ready to prove me wrong, that I deserved her just as much as she deserves me.


    I loved her from the moment Iid my eyes on her, but my demons withheld me from admitting it. I thought someone as cold and ruthless as I was didn¡¯t deserve someone with such a bright aura. That I wasn¡¯t capable of loving anyone, not even myself. I spent a decade hating myself, so self-love just didn¡¯t even feel right. But then, she emerged and changed everything.


    With each day that passed, it became clearer to me that I wasn¡¯t just obsessed with her. I was in love with her and I was d I got it off my chest, telling her after the mind-blowing sex we had in the restroom at her friend¡¯s wedding. I couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. I could vividly remember the expression on her face after I said it.


    She was just frozen.


    She didn¡¯t say it back. I knew she felt something for me. I was so sure of it but I didn¡¯t know if she loved me, the way I loved her and not knowing was giving me an intense anxiety. I spent every day worrying about the fact that she never said it back nor was she willing to address it.


    But I was willing to wait. No matter how long it takes. I leaned forward and pressed a lingering kiss on her forehead before picking her up in bridal style.


    The door was pried open as some of the hostess mumbled farewell greetings to us. I stepped out of the Jet with her in my arms. It was nightfall already. My guards that trailed behind me were quick to catch up with my strides, moving past me to pry the door open. I dropped Peach in the backseat, so she could sleep properly without disturbance.


    I drove out of the runway, heading straight for the Vi. When the idea of a getaway suddenly struck me, there was no better ce that I could think of than Santorini, Greece, and luckily, I had a Vi in Oia, which I purchased here during one of my business trips. The view was everything. I had been so drawn to it since the moment I saw it and I knew it woulde in handy someday. The Vi wasn¡¯t the only thing I owned in Greece. I had other properties too.


    I wasn¡¯t lying when I said I wanted to give her the whole world. Heck, I¡¯d buy the world for her if she asked. That was how much control she had over me and how much I loved her. I stole a nce at her sleeping figure through the rearview mirror and grinned.


    The ride to the Vi was quite short, given it wasn¡¯t far from the airport. The gates automatically slide open, paving the way for me to drive in. I pulled over in the driveway and tossed the keys to the first guard that stepped out of the car. I carried her out of the backseat.


    ¡°Get our bags from the trunk,¡± I ordered without sparing them a nce. I punched in some digits into the buttons on the system and the door clicked open. I chose the room downstairs because it beheld a breathtaking view of the sunset and the hot thub. It was the most attractive room in the building.


    I dropped her on the bed gently and proceeded to help her out of her clothes, leaving her in just her panties. I grabbed the hem of my shirt and pulled it over my head. I slid the shirt over her body and pulled the covers over her. With onest nce, I made my way out of the room to fetch myself a ss of whiskey and I was back in no time.


    As I was about to get in bed with her, the loud ringtone of my phone cut through the silence that reigned in the room. I exhaled and retrieved my phone from my pocket. A huge frown settled on my face when I checked the caller ID.


    ¡°What did I tell you about disturbing my peace? I am on my honeymoon for fucks sake, Duncan! What the hell do you want?¡± I barked into the phone, my thick voice echoing throughout the room.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss. Good evening, boss.¡±


    Listening to him speak was beginning to get on my nerves because I was still mad at him for the stunt he pulled with Zelda. Zelda was like my little sister and just like Maria, I hated seeing her hurt, but he discarded me like I meant nothing and still went ahead to get involved with her sexually without having any intentions of being with her. He used her.


    I held back from telling Peach that after she left the house the other day, I had seen Duncan with a bruised face and asked him what was wrong. He told me my wife hit him. I didn¡¯t marry a violent woman. She might have a temper but for her to raise her hands on him, he must have done something terrible. When he eventually told me what he did, it took all I had not to put a bullet through his head, but I settled for beating the crap out of him, giving him a clear warning to stay the hell away from her.


    ¡°Well, what do you need?¡±


    ¡°This is not a breathing contest,¡± I snorted.


    ¡°We might have found a lead on Micah Ramos,¡± he announced, and I scoffed, tucking a hand in the pocket of my pants as I paced around the room.


    ¡°You might have or you have found a lead on him?¡± I queried him, arching a brow as though he could see me.


    ¡°Boss__¡±


    ¡°I can remember giving you clear instructions that you should only inform me if you have found a concrete lead on him, not the other way around, boy!¡± I fired at him, my voice raising an octave higher.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss. I¡¯ll keep looking.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now get the fuck off my phone.¡± I growled, hanging up on him.


    ¡°Arden?¡± Her soft, groggy voice intercepted my thoughts and I swung my head in her direction, gazing adoringly at her. She was peeking at me through hershes. Her eyelids looked heavy because they kept closing.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Is that Duncan?¡±


    ¡°Go to sleep, Peach.¡± My voice softened. I walked over to the bed and got under the covers with her, pulling her small frame to myself.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± She asked, wrapping her arms around me. She looked up, expecting an answer to her question.


    ¡°Greece,¡± I whispered and she mumbled a ¡®wow¡¯ under her breath. She yawned softly, dropping her head on my chest.


    ¡°I love you,¡±


    I muttered, pressing a kiss on her hair. Whether she heard me or not, it didn¡¯t matter. All that matters was that I was holding her in my arms right now and I couldn¡¯t have asked for a better evening.

 Chapter 105

    ASHLEY


    Greece was a very beautiful country. The night Arden told me we were in Greece, I couldn¡¯t process it properly. Although, I was caught off guard, I didn¡¯t react to it as I supposedly would, if I were clear-headed. I was a screaming mess when he told me again. It was one of those countries that I had been looking forward to visiting and my dear husband had just made my wishe true when he decided that he wanted us to have our honeymoon there.


    It was one of the oldest countries in the world and after millennia of being in existence, it still held the same appeal as before. It was even more breathtaking as the years went by and the fact that it was the cradle of modern civilization made it even more fascinating to me.


    This getaway was something I needed but didn¡¯t realise how much I actually needed it until I was here. Work has been so crazy and I needed an escape. There couldn¡¯t have been a better form of escape than this.


    When the limousine came to a halt, I opened my clutch and brought out mypact to check if my makeup was still intact. I didn¡¯t want something heavy, so I just went for some subtle sultry makeup, besides the date came off as a surprise. I wasn¡¯t aware until two hours ago when a delivery man showed up with a box.


    In the box was a beautiful ck thin-strapped padded dress with rhinestones designs that was simr in concept with a heavy chain. There was a matching ck clutch and heels alongside a sexy ck thong with a bottle of expensive perfume that screamed seduction.


    And of course, I made sure I brought my A-game. I stepped out looking like a million bucks.


    The Chauffeur stepped out of the car and helped me with the door. I let myself out, flipping my hair over my shoulder. I couldn¡¯t help the impressive smile that crept onto my lips.


    ¡°Have a nice night, ma¡¯am,¡± He bade me farewell.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± I said softly.


    At a nce, I knew it was a five-star restaurant. Arden loved luxury and he never hesitated to unt it. I strutted forward, letting myself into the luxury dining area after the guard at the entrance pushed the ss doors open.


    I gasped,ing to an abrupt stop. I tightened my grip on my clutch, my eyes darting around every corner of the brightly illuminated restaurant that was void of upants. I knew it would cost an arm and a leg to dine in a restaurant this exotic. I mean, the furniture alone screamed ss and royalty.


    ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Gray.¡±


    The masculine voice drew me out of my thoughts and I looked to the right. My eyes were fixated on a smiling waiter, who had a notepad in his hands, d in a sparkling white shirt and ck pants, alongside a wine ck bow tie.


    I was unable to mask my surprise because he knew my name.


    ¡°Good evening¡­¡± My voice trailed off until I caught his name on his name tag. ¡°Hector,¡± I added, shing him aisant smile.


    ¡°Your reservation is this way, ma¡¯am. The boss has been waiting.¡± He announced and his words caught me by surprise. The boss? Wait, does he own this ce?


    I nodded after a while, nudging my head forward, so he could lead the way.


    He led me away from the regr tables and detached the thick red velvet rope that was strewn at the entrance of where I presumed to be the VIP section. I stepped right through, heading to a particr table that was secluded. I knew that was where I was going, because there was no way in hell I would miss that mass of ck curls.


    My breath was punched out of my lungs when he looked up from his phone, zing his eyes over my body, unabashedly. There was a way he stared at me that made my breath elude me and left Goosebumps all over my skin.


    My legs felt light on the surface of the floor and I couldn¡¯t help but gulp because of how mouth watering he looked in his simple Maroon shirt and ck cks. My mouth ran dry at the sex appeal that oozed off him. Red was definitely his colour and I knew that if it weren¡¯t for the fact that we were outdoors, I would be throwing myself at him and begging him to fuck me.


    The rate at which I am horny these days is rming. Heck, I had to sp my leg because of the warm liquid that was beginning to dot my panties.


    ¡°Hello, Peach.¡± He smirked, rising to his feet. He strode forward, slipping his hand around my waist and then he kissed me softly. My knees went weak, threatening to give me away if it wasn¡¯t for his firm hold. The heat that radiated off him, mixed with his cologne was disturbing in a sensual way.


    The night had barely begun and my panties were soaked. Just great.


    ¡°You look alluring,¡± he whispered, and my cheeks reddened.


    ¡°Well, you look hot too.¡± I answered back, biting my lips. He chuckled, pulling out a seat for me. I slipped onto it and ced my clutch on it. He reached for my hand, brushing his thumb over my wedding band.


    My mind wandered to what the waiter said the other time and I furrowed my brows.


    ¡°Do you own this ce?¡± I arched a brow at him in surprise. The smile on his face was enough to answer my question as he brought my hand to his mouth and kissed it.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he answered, and I gasped.


    ¡°How many businesses do you even have?¡± I queried in amusement.


    ¡°Quite a lot.¡± He grinned. Without looking over his shoulder, he made a signal with his hands, beckoning to the waiter.


    ¡°Good evening, Sir and Ma. Wee to the Royal Bistro. My name¡¯s Hector and I will be your waiter for tonight. What would you like to have?¡± He smiled at us, handing Arden the menu, but my husband nudged his head at me. It was his own way of telling medies first.


    I giggled.


    I took the menu and scanned the exquisite dishes. I finally settled for the one that appealed to me the most.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have the Moussaka and a ss of water and orange juice,¡± I told him. I didn¡¯t want to drink any wine. The thought of it had my stomach churning so badly.


    ¡°What about you, sir?¡± He asked Arden.


    ¡°I¡¯ll have what she¡¯s having.¡± He said with his eyes fixated on me. His gaze was soft yet intense.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be with you shortly.¡±


    And just like he said, he was back with our meals in no time and we dug in. It tasted even better than it looked. I couldn¡¯t resist moaning in satisfaction when I had the first bite and I could tell that it had an effect on Arden. He wouldn¡¯t stop sending me lingering looks that I found overly piercing.


    We were done with our meal in no time and Hector came to clear the table. I took a serviette and proceeded to wipe my mouth clean, taking a sip from my juice afterwards.


    ¡°If you want to fuck me, all you have to do is ask.¡± I deadpanned, looking him straight in the eye with a smirk ying on my lips. He stared at me, tapping his fingers on the table a little noisily.


    ¡°Desperate, aren¡¯t we?¡± He chuckled, leaning into his seat.


    All he needed was a push and I was going to push him to the edge because there was no way in hell I was walking out through that door without getting fucked by him. I was too horny to think straight.


    And then, a thought struck me, eliciting a devilish smirk from me.


    With my eyes steadily on him, I took my hands off the table, pushing my fingers underneath my dress and I slowly got rid of my panties. I felt my moisture cream my palm when I took it out. I set it on the table, biting my lip before pushing it towards him.


    Just like I wanted, his green eyes shed with a darkness I found so erotic. He picked it up from the table, bringing it to his nose, and he took a long whiff, grunting in pleasure. He stuffed my panties into his pocket, sitting up.


    ¡°GET UP.¡± He ordered and I rose to my feet at hismand, swallowing. Before I got to him, he was already on his feet, yanking me forward and that action elicited a moan from me.


    He spun me around and I came crashing against his hard chest. My butt was firmly pressed against his bulge and I could feel all of him through the fabric of my dress. I whimpered as my pussy throbbed. His lips brushed my earlobe and I let out a wanton sound.


    ¡°Ever since you walked in right through that door, I have wanted to rip this tiny dress off your body and take you against every corner of this restaurant.¡± He proimed and each word he uttered sent a jolt of heat to my core, moistening it up. His husky, breathless voice heightened everything.


    His fingers brushed the skin of my corbone and I sucked in a breath, sping my leg shut. They travelled downwards and I moved against him, causing him to groan.


    My eyes were snapped shut, my head tilted to the side as breathless sighs eluded me. His fingers dropped below my cleavage, disappearing into my dress, and I felt his thumb brush my sensitive nipple.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± I sighed, wiggling in his arms. He mped my bud with his index finger and middle finger, tugging at it. An erotic chuckle rolled out of his mouth.


    ¡°You are unusually sensitive,¡± he murmured, pressing a kiss on my neck. Every of his touches made my body burn, even his mere breath. It was all so heightened. My emotions were all over the ce, and despite how frustrated I was with his teasing, I was still filled with this insatiable need for more.


    ¡°I love that!¡± He growled.


    I was lying face t on the surface of the table. I moaned loudly at his roughness. He grasped the hem of my dress, pulling it and bunching it up to my waist until my bare ass was all in his face. I heard the rattling of his belt afterwards.


    Then, he leaned in, pressing his hard-on against me. I whimpered, teary-eyed. His lips met my ear.


    ¡°You just couldn¡¯t keep it together, could you?¡± He asked me and I shook my head, unable to respond.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Use your words, Evaline!¡± He yanked me by my hair. My nails were wing at the surface of the table, leaving a mark as I dragged them against it, moaning at his dominance-filled voice.


    ¡°No, sir,¡± I muttered, and he chuckled.


    ¡°What do you want, whore?¡± He queried, fisting my hair.


    ¡°I want you to fuck me so hard until I can barely walk out of here.¡± I made my intentions known to him unabashedly.


    ¡°Fine,¡±


    His warm cock was out of his briefs were he had tucked it in, brushing against my entrance and in one swift move, he plunged into me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cried out in pleasure, mming my palms on the surface of the table. He didn¡¯t move. The only thing I could hear from him was the strings of cuss words that flowed breezily from his lips mixed with his satisfied grunts.


    His cock filled me up, stretching me until there was nothing to stretch anymore. I felt every inch of him inside of him. He was so warm, eliciting a whimper from me.


    He applied pressure to my hair and slowly pulled out of me, mming back into me with a force that rattled me and shook the table. I gasped in pleasure, squeezing my eyes shut. I was unable to get enough of him. I craved all of him until there was nothing to crave anymore. He felt so good inside me.


    He thrust into me, again, eliciting a loud moan from me.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡±


    ¡°I want more!¡± I pleaded, desperately.


    He rammed into me with full force, aiding his thrusts with one hand on my waists. He mmed into me again, causing me to whimper in pleasure. My eyes were brimming with tears at how good it felt. I was tossed into an abyss of immense pleasure that melted me against the surface of the table. I could feel my senses dissolving into a pool of liquid, overridden by the intensity of his harsh thrusts.


    Every thrust weakened my legs, which I struggled to bnce it¡¯s weight on my heels but failed miserably at it. I wanted more of what he was offering. I needed him to go faster and he could pick up on my desperation through my whimpers that overpowered my loud moans.


    He quickened his pace, ramming into me while fisting my hair. His grip tightened against my waist and he began hitting my G-spot, stimting me. My boobs that were squished against the table were aching so much, desperate for his touch. My nipples strained against the material of my dress, poking it.


    ¡°You love that, huh?¡±


    ¡°You loved being fucked like a whore?¡±


    He grunted, chuckling.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I cried, burying my head into the surface of the table to muffle my loud moans.


    Arden was merciless and ruthless with his thrusts. He couldn¡¯t care less that the restaurant still had one upant, who could be anywhere. He fucked me, staking his im on me and I was so loud. I enjoyed having him fuck me so hard against the table. I loved the fact that I went out with him for dinner and I ended up being the dessert.


    ¡°Oh, my-fuck!¡± I screamed when his thrusts grew harsher.


    ¡°God, you are so tight and you feel so good!¡±


    ¡°I love how your little cunt wraps around my dick. It drives me insane!¡± He swore, yanking my hair. A stinging sensation shot through my scalp but I found it pleasurable.


    ¡°Sir, I am going to cum.¡±


    ¡°Can I cum?¡± My words came out rushed, overpowered by my breathy moans. Huge knots tightened in my abdomen. The pent-up pleasure felt like it had morphed into a ball and was waiting to explode.


    ¡°Cum with me, baby,¡± he grunted.


    My walls clenched around him. My mascara, mixed with my eyeshadow and my tears, trickled down my face and I was tasting it on my lips. My legs spasmed uncontrobly, a surge of vibration shooting through me.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach!¡±


    ¡°I love you!¡±


    My muffled screams tainted the surface. The deafening sound that emitted from me collided with the growl that rippled from his chest as he shot his loads into me. My toes were curling as I shattered into a thousand pieces on the table.


    My head dropped to the table with a soft thud. I tried to catch my breath, chuckling in between. He was still inside me. He didn¡¯t pull out and when he did, I whimpered at the loss of body contact.


    I could barely feel my limbs. He picked me up and dropped me on the table, brushing my hair away from my face before kissing me softly. Our juices trickled down my legs.


    Then, his lips met my forehead in a soft kiss.


    ¡°I love you, Peach. So much.¡± He whispered. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to say anything, so I just allowed him to hold me.

 Chapter 106

    ASHLEY.


    I turned in my sleep, snuggling into Arden¡¯s body and allowing his warmth to cocoon me. The smell of his body wash wafted into my nose and I felt nausea hit me immediately. Bile rose to my throat and I tried to pry myself out of his strong hold. The more I took time to get out of his arms, the overwhelming the urge to throw up became.


    When I finally freed myself from his grip, I bolted off the bed, dashing right into the bathroom. I uncovered the lid of the water closet, puking my dinner out. I groaned, massaging my temples. I spat out the remnants of the vomit into the closet and closed the lid, dropping to the floor with a thud.


    I suddenly felt so weak and light-headed. It felt like I had just puked my intestines out. I made sure to stay close to the closet and got everything out of my system before I got up and flushed it.


    I sauntered over to the sink, rinsing off my mouth and face. I took a quick look at my reflection, furrowing my brows. I looked alright. If I were sick, I would be pale. It¡¯s probably Arden¡¯s body wash. I scrunched my nose in disgust, resisting the urge to storm into the bedroom, grab his body wash and throw it out. I made a mental note to tell him to change it before walking out of the bathroom.


    I don¡¯t like the smell of that body wash.


    My eyes darted to the wall-clock in the room and it read; 1:00 am.


    I exhaled and proceeded to get on the bed, throwing the covers over my body. I had barely shut my eyes when the chiming of my phone interrupted my sleep. I groaned in displeasure and reached for it on the nightstand that was just beside me.


    I brought the phone to my face, mumbling incorrigible under my breath, groggily as I unlocked it. A new message popped up on the top part of my screen, causing me to jolt up with a start.


    My eyes widened in shock.


    Unknown


    You should know¡­


    I don¡¯t like being ignored.


    It gets on my nerves, beautiful.


    My hands froze against my phone and it felt as though my veins were reced with splinters of ice, freezing from the inside out. Cold sweat broke out on my face and my phone felt slippery against my wet palms.


    The unknown sender was texting me again. First, it was the gifts and then, the text at the office, which Arden was just a blink from finding out. Now, it was a threat in the form of a text. The message was a propeller that took my breathing up a notch and my heart began pounding furiously against my ribcage.


    I shot up from the bed, stepping out of the room through the sliding ss doors that led to the hot tub.


    I exhaled, my fingers hovering on my screen while I debated whether to text back or not but then, I fucked the odds in my head and decided to send a text back, demanding what the person wanted from me.


    ME.


    What do you want from me?


    Why do you keep texting me?


    Leave me alone. I don¡¯t want to talk to you!


    I hit the send button and shortly after I did, a new message came in.


    Unknown Sender.


    Now, there¡¯s a good girl.


    ME.


    Stay away from me.


    A new message came in again.


    Unknown Sender.


    I can¡¯t do that.


    I scoffed, deciding I had had enough of this bullshit. I switched off my phone afterwards, digging my fingers into my hair and brushing it backwards.


    I spun around, only to crash into a hard surface. I nced up and my heart dropped to the pit of my stomach at the sight of my husband. His cold green eyes bore into me, unflinchingly. His gaze was so scrutinising that it made me swallow really hard. I released a shaky breath, taking a step backwards.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± He queried, his eyes fixated on me. It was almost as though he was dating me to lie to him.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± I answered in a heartbeat.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like that,¡± he replied, tucking his hands into his pockets. He squinted his eyes at me and scoffed.


    ¡°Are you lying to me, Peach?¡± He demanded.


    ¡°What? No!¡±


    His gaze didn¡¯t waver and I knew I had toe up with something.


    ¡°Fine, you caught me.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°I threw up not quite long ago. The scent of your body wash is upsetting, so I came out to text Ivana and Dawn about it.¡± I half-lied. I wasn¡¯t exactly lying. I did throw up. I just exempted the part where a maniac has been texting me for days now and that¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t have to know.


    ¡°You are throwing up?¡±


    ¡°Come here,¡± He pulled me closer without warning, feeling my forehead. I giggled like a child at how he was acting like a mom.


    ¡°I am fine, Arden. But you have to change the body wash though.¡± I scrunched my nose in disgust.


    ¡°You are sure you are okay?¡± He asked me again, worry etched on his face.


    ¡°Yes, I am fine but you can make it better.¡± I gave him a sensual stare before moving away from him and shrugging my robe off my body. It fell to the floor with a plop, revealing my naked body which shivered beneath the cold. I bobbed my throat swiftly, turning to him and pushing my hair off my neck.


    His dark green eyes were narrowed at me, desire etched in them. They swept over my frame subtly, leaving a ball of fire everywhere they touched. My breath hitched softly as I stood rooted to a spot, waiting for him toe to me. But then, he didn¡¯t. So, I took it up a notch and strutted over to the tub, getting in. I sucked in a breath when the scalding water met my skin, eliciting a swallow and a chuckle from me.


    I dived deeper, pushing my head beneath the surface and getting back out.


    ¡°Come on, Arden¡­¡±


    ¡°Are you scared to fuck me now?¡± I teased him, giggling with a lip bite. He chortled and got rid of his sweatpants. His thick length was soon out in the open, bare and essible to my touch. I felt my pussy throb at the sight of it, causing me to sigh in frustration.


    He strode forward, dominantly, letting himself into the tub. I was a few feet away from him, watching him intently.


    ¡°Come here,¡± he ordered me, and I swam forward. My pace might have been too slow for him because the minute I was inches away from him, he tugged me forward with force and I moaned. Fuck, I loved it whenever he was rough.


    My back met the edge of the pool in no time and our lips collided in a fiery kiss that thickened the fiery sensation that hung in the air. The tub suddenly felt a thousand hotter. My toes curled in pleasure and I moaned against his mouth when he dug his fingers into my hair, fisting them in his hands. My vision grew blurrier with each stroke of his lips against mine and I could have sworn I melted into a puddle when he slipped his tongue into my mouth, exploring and savouring every inch of my mouth, leaving me to catch up with his hungry pace.


    He detached our lips, tugging softly at my lips with a chuckle. He hoisted me up, wrapping my legs around him and he gently slid into me,tching his mouth on my nipple at the same time.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I moaned loudly, cradling the back of his head to my chest. I tossed my head to the back when he pulled out of me and slide into me again, ravishing my boobs like he had been starved of it.


    My legs wavered and he had to keep me in ce with his arms, holding me firmly. He weakened my knees with his thrusts. His head left my boobs, meeting my neck where he showered soft kisses onto.


    ¡°The way you clench around me drives me crazy, baby.¡± He whispered into my ears, tweaking my nipples softly, his strokes getting stronger. My eyes fluttered shut in pleasure, a nerve-wracking ecstasy washing over me. I whimpered when he began hitting my sensitive spot, eliciting loud, breathy moans from me.


    ¡°Fuck, Arden!¡±


    He grabbed one of my legs that were wrapped around his waist, hoisting it on his shoulder, so he could prate properly and his strokes were so deep when he did that, hitting my walls mercilessly, causing me to mewl in pleasure. The contact of the sizzling water on my skin, alongside his mind-shattering thrusts was so stimting, causing me to dig my nails into the skin of his back.


    ¡°You love that, huh?¡±


    ¡°You love how good it feels, how good I feel inside you?¡± He chuckled, darkly, sucking on the skin of my neck and plunging in and out of me with an intensity that shook me to the core.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I whimpered. My brain couldn¡¯t bring itself to conjure speeches and my mouth couldn¡¯t even convey them. My senses were overpowered by the heightened pleasure I felt, robbing me of my defences. I dragged my manicured nails across his back, not caring if they were going to leave marks on his.


    He kneaded my boobs in his hands, flicking his thumb over my nipple as he groaned into my neck.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°This pussy, this boobs, you, all mine. Every inch of you belongs to me, Peach. Do you understand that?¡± He demanded huskily, mming into me with an heavy force that rammed me against the edge of the tub.


    ¡°Oh, my God!¡± I cried out in pleasure.


    ¡°Do you understand that?¡± He growled possessively.


    ¡°Yes, I do. Yes.¡± My words were rushed and coated with moans.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± he murmured.


    ¡°Oh___shit! Arden, I am going to fucking cum!¡± My vision was blurred with tears, huge knots building up in my abdomen. I tightened my hands around him, breaking into a loud sob as a surge of vibration shot through me. It overwhelmed me and crushed me with pure ecstasy.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, baby. Cum with me.¡± He grunted.


    My legs shook uncontrobly, my toes curling in pleasure. I fisted his hair, a scream eluding me as I found my release. He growled into my neck, muttering profanities before shooting his seeds into me and filling me up with it.


    He chuckled, taking his head off my neck and looking up to gaze at me like I was an empyrean being that had just dropped from the sky. He squinted his brow in awe, swiping his thumb over my lower lip.


    ¡°Fuck, you are perfect.¡± He whispered, teary-eyed. His words reached out to the deepest part of my soul, brushing it so daintily, yet it shook me to the core, eliciting a gasp from me.


    ¡°I love you,¡± he added, and without giving me any moment to respond, he imed my lips in a soft kiss. I cupped his face, kissing him back with equal intensity.


    Answering him could wait.

 Chapter 107

    JAXON


    ¡°But__¡±N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°There are no buts, Duncan!¡± I fired into the phone, but then, I took a deep breath, clenching my fist. I dragged in a breath, trying to control the surge of anger brewing within me.


    ¡°There are no buts.¡± My voice reduced to a harsh whisper.


    ¡°I am sorry, boss.¡± He apologised.


    ¡°Just do what I asked you to do. Micah can wait. Whether he likes it or not, I will be the one to end that bastard. Right now, all I need you to do is to get right on what I told you to find out,¡± I paused, brushing my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°I would do it myself, but I don¡¯t want to stir up doubts in her,¡± I added.


    ¡°Be discreet,¡± I warned him.


    ¡°Yes__¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­what¡¯s going on?¡± Her lilting voice filled the room and I knew she was already out of the dressing room. Damnit. I spun around, trying my hardest to sh her a convincing smile.


    She arched a brow at me in question.


    I hung up immediately, striding forward. My eyes zed over her appearance and my lips twitched in a smirk. Half of her brown waves were held up in a high ponytail and the rest of those wavy locks dropped below her shoulders, alongside the unpacked ones.


    Her bold red lips twitched in utter displeasure and she narrowed her brown eyes at me, examining me, and it caused me to gulp.


    ¡°Arden?¡±


    ¡°Everything is fine, Peach,¡± I said softly, reaching out to touch her but she moved backwards. Her recoiling from my touch brought a frown to my face and I wasn¡¯t able to conceal it.


    ¡°Who were you on the phone with?¡± She demanded.


    ¡°Duncan,¡±


    Despite the answer I gave her, she didn¡¯t seem like she believed me. I could still pick up on the hint of doubt that hung in her now-dim eyes. She huffed after a while, giving a dismissive wave of her hands.


    ¡°Do you have everything you want now?¡± I asked, tucking my hands into my pockets. She rolled her eyes.


    ¡°I was going toe out here to tell you to help me with my zipper but you are being all shady.¡± She didn¡¯t hide the fact that she was displeased by my vagueness and it took a lot of restraint not to bite back at her and tell her how convenient it was for her to use me of the same thing she was doing.


    Peach was hiding something from me. I knew it. I could feel it. I just didn¡¯t know what it was. I could pinpoint it. The more I tried to convince myself that it was just me being paranoid, the harder she gave me reasons to debunk it as my paranoia.


    First, it was at her office and then, the other night at the Vi. If she wasn¡¯t checking her phone every minute, she would be spacing out. Not to mention the fact that she had been extra jumpy.


    Going through her phone would only mean that I didn¡¯t trust her. I do.


    But it was bing hard to trust her when she was acting this distant¡­when she was keeping things from me. I genuinely hoped that she woulde to me with whatever it was that was bothering her, but every minute that passed and she failed to tell me about it, only gave my paranoia the upper hand.


    So, I¡¯d rather just get to the root of this on my own and I can only hope she doesn¡¯t give me a reason to not trust her anymore¡­


    ¡°Come here,¡± I mumbled and walked towards her when I noticed how reluctant she was to move closer to me.


    She was standing right in front of the full-length mirror. I closed in on her, slipping my arm around her waist to pull her closer. She sucked in a breath when I kissed her shoulder, writhing softly in my arms.


    My eyes fluttered open and I took a look at our reflection in the mirror. The shimmering short dress with a droopy neck looked amazing against her skin. It was as though she was dipped in a jar of glitter. It barely went a few inches past her mid-thigh, showing off a lot of skin.


    ¡°Fucking hell,¡± I groaned, working my hands around her hips and they gripped the hem of the dress. The urge to slip my fingers beneath the___


    ¡°I am not wearing panties¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, sounding so sensual.


    Damnit.


    I pressed my body against hers from behind, wanting her to feel what those words did to me. I grasped her thigh possessively and she moaned, tilting her head to the side which gave me ess to her bare neck. Itched my mouth against the wless rosy surface, sucking on it.


    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± She moaned, wiggling her butt against me. She was only making it harder than it was.


    This woman drove me nuts.


    ¡°Excuse me, sir___oh, my God!¡± The sales attendant, who stepped into the dressing room, shrieked at the top of her voice and ran out of the room in embarrassment.


    I chuckled.


    I slipped off my jacket and wore it over her dress, cing a kiss on her cheek. ¡°We¡¯ll pick this upter,¡± I promised her, whispering dangerously into her ear. She whimpered softly. I smacked her ass before letting her go and she giggled.


    ¡°You are carrying the bags!¡± She chirped and sauntered out of the dressing room, leaving me behind to gulp hard at how amazing her legs looked in that dress.


    I made my way out of the dressing room and headed to the counter where a heap of clothes were thrown on one side of the t surface. The sales attendant behind the counter shed me s warm smile.


    She folded the clothes neatly into several paper bags and gave me my bill. I paid with my card and heard her mumble some words of farewell to me in Greek and then, I turned to Peach, who was seated on one of the couches.


    She grinned at me and hopped off the couch, looping her arms around mine.


    ¡°So, where do you want to go next?¡± I asked her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to the Vi,¡± She responded, kissing my cheeks and we walked out of the store, stepping into the bustling streets of Oia.


    I pulled open the door to the backseat and tossed the bags in it, shutting it close. I turned to her and furrowed my brows, taking in her eyes that swirled with mischief.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive.¡± She whispered once she got to me, snatching the keys from my pocket.


    ¡°Peach__¡±


    ¡°Get in, Mr. Gray!¡± She giggled.


    I stared at her for a moment and my shoulders slumped in defeat. There was no use arguing with the woman. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to if I wanted, so I decided to trust her.


    I slipped into the passenger¡¯s seat and shut the door. She ignited the engine and it roared to life.


    The minute she tucked her hair in a messy bun and turned to me with that sexy, mischievous smirk, I knew shit had just got serious but then, I couldn¡¯t deny the fact that she looked hot.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Her voice was low, suggestive even. She peered at me beneath hershes and bit her lower lip softly.


    And with a smirk equally as devious as hers, I muttered back. ¡°Hell yeah.¡±

 Chapter 108

    JAXON


    I knew my wife was crazy, but not this crazy. Heck, I didn¡¯t know she was a crazy driver. It was always me doing the driving whenever we had somewhere to go.


    But today, I saw a side of her that I didn¡¯t even know existed.


    Peach drove like she couldn¡¯t care less about breaking rules. She drove like she couldn¡¯t bring herself to give a fuck about what other people thought. The traffic held every vehicle in a literal chokehold but my wife swerved past the cars like a professional driver, screaming at the top of her lungs.


    Her scream matched her excitement and it fuelled me in a way that consumed me with delight. My mouth was nearly stretching to the back of my head, due to how hard I was grinning.


    The strands of her hair that weren¡¯t tucked properly into her bun were sticking in different directions because of the open roof that had been pulled backwards.


    I didn¡¯t make any attempt to caution her. I was fascinated by her recklessness. I didn¡¯t want a Queen who adhered to rules, I wanted a Queen who broke them and she fit right into that criteria.


    ¡°Whoops! This is amazing, baby!¡± She yelled at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°Step on it!¡± I yelled right back at her and she stepped on the elerator, increasing the speed at which she drove.


    She spared me a nce through her peripheral vision, slipping her hands into mine. She squeezed them softly, a blooming smile creeping onto her lips.


    I squeezed them back. It was my own way of assuring her that I had got her.


    The deafening sounds of the sirens that echoed right behind us, filling up the entire street, interrupted our moment and her eyes widened in shock. It was the police.


    They were trying to pull us over.


    I could see the flicker of doubt in her eyes. She was contemting whether to halt or not, but what was the fun in that?


    ¡°Keep going, baby. Don¡¯t stop.¡± I urged her.


    The sounds of the sirens grew incessant, but just like I had told her not to, she didn¡¯t stop. Instead, she increased her speed and swerved past the numerous cars on the busy street, nearly ramming into some cars in the process. And I didn¡¯t for once detach our entwined hands. Instead, I applied pressure on them, squeezing them softly and assuring her that we were all in this together.


    ¡°Arden__¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop,¡± I instructed.


    The car was hot on the tail, nearly catching up to us but the moment they nearly caught up to us, she would pick up the pace again, creating an ample distance between our car and their car.


    ¡°We have to lose them!¡± She told me, and without hesitation, the pace at which she was moving reduced when the traffic was beginning to clear off and theirs increased as they struggled to catch up with us. It gave her the upper hand because when she matched the brakes, the car came to a halt, creating a screeching sound at the contact with the asphalt.


    The force jerked us forward, nearly sending our heads mming against the dashboard. She gasped in surprise.


    Their car sped past us, given the speed at which they were moving earlier. And by the time they got the chance to reverse, Peach had taken a sharp turn, speeding off without a destination in mind.


    ¡°Yes!¡± I fist-pumped the air.


    ¡°That¡¯s my girl!¡±


    ncing through the side mirror, I discovered that we had lost them and that brought a grin to my face. I spared her a nce and she smirked, looking straight ahead.


    My eyes darted to an empty parking lot and she slowly pulled over in a spot, getting rid of her seat belt.


    She leaned towards me and grabbed my face, crashing her lips on mine. Her strokes were fiery, passionate and urgent, knocking the breath right out of me. She moaned against my mouth, moving over to my side in the passenger¡¯s corner and then, she propped herself against myp.


    She broke the kiss afterwards, breathing heavily. Our loud, uneven breaths filled the small space of the car. She shifted her weight on myp, settling her bare pussy on my dick and she moved against it, sensually, moaning softly.


    ¡°I want to take the lead,¡± She whispered, her darkened brown orbs peering into mine. I nodded, breathlessly, my eyes fixated on her.


    Her palms connected with my chest, pushing me backwards until my back collided with the surface of the seat. She grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head.


    I let her. I watched with utter curiosity, giving up control for her. Just this once. She tossed my shirt aside and gasped softly, pushing her hair away from her face. She released a breath, swallowing afterwards.


    Her hands roamed every inch of my bare skin, her eyes clouded with sheer softness. The contact of her fingers against my skin left a sizzling me in its wake, eliciting shaky breaths from me.


    That was how much she affected me. That was how much control she had over me.


    She brought her hands to her hair, tugging at the band that held them together, and they came pouring over her shoulder. She looked every bit of the enchantress that she was, watching me with honey-brown orbs that were clouded with desire, her lips that were coated in bright red lipstick tucked between her teeth and a seductive smile hung on her lips.


    She shifted. Again. I couldn¡¯t hold back a groan. I grasped her by the waist, tugging her forward and she moaned, pushing the straps of her dress downwards.


    Her boobs spilled out of the dress, bare and essible to my touch. They were covered in goosebumps, her pinkish nipples standing erect.


    ¡°God, Evaline¡­¡± I trailed off, huskily. My eyes darkened with lust. I reached for the side of her face but she was faster.


    Her lips brushed mine and I gasped softly. And then, she crashed her lips on mine, setting the entirety of my being on fire. My fingers slipped into her hair, grabbing a fistful of her hair and she moaned against my mouth, amplifying my arousal.


    I palmed her ass through her dress, squeezing it softly, and that action elicited a groan. She took the kiss up a notch, channelling every emotion she felt into it. The hunger, the passion, the lust. It was sizzling.


    Her fingers hastily found my zipper and she undid it, alongside my fly and the buckle of my belt. My briefs came sliding downwards in no time and she bunched her dress to her waist, lifting her body off me a little.


    The tip of my cock brushed her entrance, earning a swift moan from her. She slowly lowered herself on my dick and it slipped into her, stretching her with every movement. I grabbed her by the waist, aiding her movement.


    ¡°Arden,¡± She moaned, unable to bring herself to move against me. It was as though she was trying to savour having me inside of her and I didn¡¯t mind. It gave me the chance to take in the breathtaking sight atop me.


    Those lips that looked like they were dipped in crimson essence were ajar, airy gasps flowing through them.


    ¡°Fuck, Peach,¡± I whispered. My lips met her neck, giving it a soft suck and then, she began bouncing up and down my length, moaning softly.


    My hands were grasping her waist firmly, aiding her thrusts, eliciting groans from me. I showered feathery kisses on her, drowning in the pleasurable sounds my cock extracted from her. I enclosed my mouth on one of her nipples, tweaking the other in my mind.


    The loud, breathy moan that escaped her lips urged me to go further. She palmed the back of my head, pressing it against her boobs as though she wanted more of what I was offering. I swirled my tongue around it, tugging at the other.


    And it was pure satisfaction having her writhe in pleasure above me.


    Her pussy clenched tightly around me, wrapping around the skin of my cock, filling me up.


    I have never felt soplete.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her fingers grazed my scalp as she tossed her head backwards, my cock plunging in and out of her. The ecstasy was shuddering, causing me to bury my head into the crook of her neck, submerging the growls that exited my lips while kneading her breast and flicking my thumb against her sensitive bud.


    Peach rode me, driving me into a ne of madness where my self-control waspletely trashed into the bin. The surge of raw, overwhelming pleasure that shot through me, consumed me and stripped me of my senses.


    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡±


    My hands crawled beneath her dress, grabbing her ass while she bobbed her pussy up and down my length.


    ¡°God, you¡¯ll be the death of me,¡± I groaned into her neck, roving my hands through every inch of her wless skin. I wanted to embed my touch on her body. I wanted to mark her. I wanted to im her in every possible way.


    ¡°Arden__fuck! Baby, I am going to cum__shit!¡± She rapped out all in one breath, every word she uttered conveying her pleasure.


    ¡°Fuck, cum with me, baby¡±


    She wrapped her hands around me, digging her fingers into my skin. My dick clenched around her and the knots that tightened around my abdomen came bursting through, causing a growl to ripple through my chest. I shot my load into her and at the same time, she let out a scream which she couldn¡¯t submerge, creaming my dick with her essence.


    Her head dropped to the base of my shoulder, her heavy breathing cocooning me. I tugged her to myself, holding her possessively against my body.


    I didn¡¯t pull out of her. She didn¡¯t even say anything to me about it. Heck, I loved being inside of her.


    I allowed the silence to envelop us and embraced everything that came with it.


    I loved this woman. A little too much.

 Chapter 109

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Look, Riley, you are beginning to__¡± I sucked in a breath. The impact of the high octave my voice held wasn¡¯t so subtle against my temples. A terrible ache hammered against my temples consequently, eliciting a groan from me.


    I fell back onto the surface of the pillow, puffing out a breath before rolling to the other side.


    ¡°Riley,¡± I took a deep breath.


    ¡°Handle everything,¡± I added.


    ¡°I can¡¯t show up to work for now. I am a little under the weather.¡± I told her, pulling the covers over my body.


    ¡°I am sorry about that, Mrs. Gray. I will handle everything, I promise.¡± She answered, her voice etched with concern.


    ¡°Will you be fine, ma¡¯am?¡± She asked me and I sighed, nodding my head as though she could see me.


    ¡°Yes, Riley. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I responded and hung up on her.


    It was rude, but it was the best thing for both of us.


    Keeping up the conversation would only spike my irritation further and I didn¡¯t want another one of my meltdowns where I just snap at everything and everyone. Arden has mostly been at the receiving end of it all.


    I heaved a breath of frustration underneath the covers where I was curled into a ball. My limbs hurt so badly, I could barely move it. I threw the covers off my body, sat up and dug my fingers into my hair. My eyes were filled with liquid in no time and I grabbed the pillow, screaming into it to release my pent-up frustration.


    I hated how much of a crybaby I was bing. The littlest things make me cry these days. I couldn¡¯t get food into my system at times but it didn¡¯t diminish my___


    ¡°Fuck,¡± I shot up from the bed as quickly as I could, pping my palm over my mouth. I dashed into the bathroom, pushing open the lid of the toilet seat.


    I emptied my guts into it, without holding back. The puking drained me and it had me dropping to the floor with a thud. My fingers came up to the side of my head, digging into my hair. I groaned in difort.


    ¡°I hate this,¡± I grumbled.


    Thinking about the fact that Arden was supposed to be here with me and he wasn¡¯t made me grit my teeth in annoyance. He had some stupid emergency business trip he had to tend to. The bastard left before I__okay, fine. He didn¡¯t. He tried telling me he was leaving for France but I told him to get out of my face because he was interrupting my sleep.


    Yeah, you shouldn¡¯t have yelled at him. My subconscious snickered and I rolled my eyes. With the little strength I had left in me, I pushed myself off the floor and headed to the sink. I opened the faucet and rinsed my mouth, alongside my face.


    My head dropped limply as I set my hands on the sink surface, releasing a soft breath. My eyes fluttered shut but they soon flew open due to restlessness. My head shot up, my eyes darting to my tired reflection in the mirror.


    I was stunned into silence. I could have seen anythinging but not how exhausted I looked. I was tempted to go back into the room to pick up my phone to call Arden and tell him toe back home because I didn¡¯t understand what was going on with me.


    My blurry eyes took in my appearance. My hair was thrown in a careless bun in which nearly all the strands of my hair were covering my face and sticking in different directions. My eyes were so pale, stained with reddish essences around my sclera. My skin was flushed, the red undertones bing so pronounced due to my endless crying.


    I couldn¡¯t do it anymore. I couldn¡¯t stand my reflection anymore without my skin crawling with utmost revulsion. The woman in the mirror looked nothing like me. Hissing through clenched teeth, I stormed out of the bathroom and marched into the closet.


    I grabbed the hem of the baggy tee I was wearing, pulling it over my head and I tossed it somewhere in the room. I unhooked my bralette, whimpering softly at how heavy my boobs felt.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    I discarded it and while rummaging through my drawers, my eyesnded on a few boxes of tampons in my drawer__my blood ran cold.


    I moved away from the drawer, going over to the full-length mirror, where I could assess my body.


    ¡°I amte,¡± I whispered to myself. I have never beente. In the history of women with regr periods, I was so sure I would be topping that list. What made it so ring was the fact that I was starting to realise that I didn¡¯t get my periodst month and this month¡¯s was a few dayste.


    What the hell is going on?


    ¡°No,¡± I chuckled, running my fingers through my hair while pacing around the room.


    My heartbeat took up a faster pace, hammering loudly against my ribcage, threatening to burst out of its confines because of the erratic beating of my heart. Dread filled me up, consuming me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I whispered.


    I stopped pacing, letting out a shaky breath and brushed my hair backwards. The air in the closet suddenly felt so suffocating. I was choking on my breath and I knew I had to get out of there.


    I returned to the bathroom to take a shower, trying to repress the ring truth that struggled to resurface in my mind. It was right there. Like a bundle of nerves waiting to be poked, but I was so terrified of pricking that open wound, knowing it meant admitting what I didn¡¯t want to admit.


    While I browsed through my closet, the signs were there, waving themselves in my way like a dor bill, but I chose to ignore them because embracing it would only cause me more harm than good.


    ¡°Irregr periods are normal. It¡¯s nothing to worry about, Ashley.¡± I said to myself, stering a smile on my face. With onest nce at my reflection, I snatched my phone off the nightstand to go get some food to eat in the kitchen.


    I dragged my feetzily against the surface of the stairs, running my palm across the iron bars. I heaved a sigh of relief. I didn¡¯t know I was hoarding within me when I realised that none of the maids were hanging around.


    With an eye roll, I made my way into the kitchen, unannounced.


    My presence garnered the attention of Alberta, who was busy by the sink. The hope that brewed within me at the thought of seeing Zelda in the kitchen, was quelled in no time when I detected her absence. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach but I managed to ster a smile on my face.


    ¡°Good morning, Alberta,¡± I mumbled to the older woman, who was still sporting a radiant smile on her face, despite the current strain between her and her daughter.


    Sure, I might have been distracted, but that didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the current state of things between Alberta and Zelda. Their rtionship hadpletely gone sour. Zelda recoiled into her shell,pletely. Even though she was around, her absence was mostly what we got at times.


    I knew how badly Alberta was hurting and I hated how she was trying to cover it up that she was fine. The distance between her and her daughter was killing her. I knew it.


    All these wouldn¡¯t be happening if it weren¡¯t for that__


    ¡°Mrs. Gray?¡± Her soft voice lured me out of my thoughts and I blinked, my gaze drifting to her.


    ¡°Yes?¡± I inquired, arching my brow at her.


    ¡°I asked if you were hungry. We have varieties for breakfast.¡± She answered me, keeping her eyes fixated on me.


    Her violet orbs held a hint of question and worry in them. I wasn¡¯t so fixated on the fact that she might have something boggling her mind, instead, I had far more important things to worry about.


    ¡°Yeah, um¡­I¡¯ll have whatever it is that¡¯s avable. Thank you, Alberta.¡± I smiled at her and she nodded, proceeding to whip up something for me.


    ¡°How is she?¡± I asked out of the blue and I watched her hands freeze against the saucer she was holding. My heart clenched in pain but it wore off when she exhaled.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡­¡± Her voice trailed off, breaking bit by bit. She soon pulled herself together, sighing softly for the umpteenth time.


    ¡°Lost,¡± That one word was barely audible. It broke me and shattered my heart into a thousand pieces. The stinging sensation in my eyes brought me back to my senses, eliciting a light sob from me.


    I couldn¡¯t stay there anymore, the air suddenly felt so toxic. I spun around and dashed out of the kitchen, trying my hardest to steady my quivering lips. With each step I took, heading for the staircase, my eyes blurred.


    The sharp ringtone that shot through the speakers of my phone, which vibrated against my back pocket, filled the room and caused me to halt in my tracks.


    I sniffed, wiping my tears. I whipped the phone out of my shorts pocket.


    My fingers hovered on the screen of my phone, my lips twitching in displeasure. A confused frown made its way to my face.  I furrowed my brows, contemting picking up the call or not, because there was no disy name. It was an unknown number calling me.


    I tried slipping the phone back into my pocket but the minute it stopped ringing, it would start ringing again. It was incessant and it was beginning to get on my nerves.


    Irritated, I swiped the receiver¡¯s icon.


    ¡°WHAT?¡± I barked into the phone. All the anger that surged through my veins was directed at the word that shot through my mouth. Its resonance reverberated throughout the room.


    ¡°Hello, Ash.¡±

 Chapter 110

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Hello, Ash.¡±


    That voice¡­


    That dark, nerve-wracking voice, dripping with an unnerving amount of sinister. A chilly eeriness that froze up the blood that coursed through my veins.


    At first, memories of him were reduced to fragments, but as the days went by, it became hard to piece his face together and then, it was just suppressed, crumbled to dust afterwards. Like he never existed.


    But those two words, were like an abrupt jolt in my memory, poking at the segment that housed the thought of him and they came barrelling towards me in waves. They consumed me, messed with my emotions and tossed them around the ce.


    They were so overwhelming. The shes of thest fight that transpired between us, upied every inch of my thoughts. It felt like I was reliving a nightmare. All over again. Each jolt to memory was more potent than thest.


    ¡°Are you fucking someone else?¡±


    No, no, no, I don¡¯t want to go down that memoryne. It was so triggering. Everything about his voice was so triggering.


    ¡°Do not raise your voice at me!¡±


    It was at the tip of my tongue, to yell out so loud, for someone to make it stop, but it was as though the words died in my throat. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to speak if I wanted to.


    ¡°Liar!¡±


    Please, stop.


    His voice was echoing in my head as though he was right beside me. The thick, dark masculine voice was deafening. The memories were so vivid, eliciting shaky breaths from me. My eyes were so blurry. Everything in our vast living room looked and felt so distant through my vision.


    ¡°I own you, Ashley, and I will do whatever it is I want with you and your body. You belong to me. No one else!¡±


    Make it stop.


    The violent trembling of my hands and my body snapped me back to reality. A wave of coldness descended upon me, pricking my pores and shooting into my veins. It froze me up from the inside out.


    ¡°Oh,e on, sweetheart,¡± his deep chuckle filtered through the speakers, causing goosebumps to sprout all over my skin.


    My lungs were closing in on me. I couldn¡¯t breathe through my nose. I tried doing it with my mouth but it was such a herculean task getting air out of my system when I had none left in my lungs.


    He clicked his tongue, sighing afterwards.


    ¡°Ashley!¡± He drew out his words. My name seeped with so much irritation that hinted at his impatience.


    ¡°Don¡¯t__¡±


    ¡°A_Adam¡­¡± When I finally found my voice, it came out in a weak, croaky whisper which made me sound so pathetic. If he could take a whiff through the phone, he would be able to catch up with the raw, chilling scent of fear that oozed off me.


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I could have sworn I heard his voice soften, but unlike the effect, it would have on me months ago, where my cheeks would heat up and my heart would be left a thumping, wild mess in my chest, it was the opposite.


    Disgust simmered through my veins. It enveloped me, triggering the bile I was trying so hard to suppress. An unnerving rage, which I didn¡¯t know I had bottled up in me, consumed me and fuelled my next words.


    ¡°What do you want? How the fuck did you even get my number? Why are you calling me?¡± I rapped out all in one breath, my chest tightening with so much pain.


    ¡°Easy, love,¡± I could detect trails of mockery in his voice, which spiked my annoyance.


    ¡°Adam!¡± I bellowed and that earned me a menacing cackle from him. He didn¡¯t seem fazed by anger. He sounded so amused.


    ¡°Get to the fucking point,¡± I said through gritted teeth.


    ¡°I want to see you, Ashley.¡± Adam Ruiz uttered those words so casually like it was the most normal thing in the world.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    A raucous, humourlessughter that tumbled out of my mouth afterwards. The emptiness it held resonated through the vast space of the living room. Iughed. So hard. Tears began straying to the corner of my eyes.


    ¡°Am I some sort ofic relief?¡± He spat out those words with a hint of malice.


    I chuckled, wiping my tears.


    ¡°You are joking, right?¡± I asked with a ghost of a smile ying on my lips as though he could see me. ¡°Bold of you to assume that I¡¯lle to see you, Adam.¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Yes, you will.¡± He sighed, tiredly. I didn¡¯t miss the thick conviction that hung in his voice. He was so convinced that I woulde to see him.


    ¡°That¡¯s it, I am han__¡±


    ¡°What if I told you I could tell you about the person who has been sending you numerous texts and gifts?¡± His question knocked the breath right out of me, my eyes widening in shock.


    ¡°Liar,¡± I spat.


    ¡°I¡¯ll text you the address.¡± He dismissed my words like they meant nothing to him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bete, Ashley.¡±


    ¡°We have a lot to catch up on.¡± That was thest thing he said to me, and then, he hung up.


    I was left standing in the living room, stunned into silence with my phone tightly in my grasp. I red into nothingness, tears filling up my eyes. My mind felt shattered while I struggled with the spark of conflict within me.


    _________________


    I was out of my fucking mind. I knew it. The smartest move after I received that call would be to call my husband and inform him about it. But then, involving Arden would be so chaotic. I can¡¯t speak with him about it.


    I made a resolve to speak with him about it once everything blew over. I would go to Adam and get answers from him about who has been texting him. I will tell him off after that. We have no business together anymore.


    We stopped having a business together when he bailed on my ass and ran off to God knows where with the bitch he was shoving his mouth down her throat.


    But then¡­


    I couldn¡¯t just shake off this feeling in me that I was about to make the biggest mistake of my life. I could wash off the feeling of immense dread that loomed within me, hinting at the darkness that lurked in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.


    You are making a stupid mistake and you know it. That tiny voice, my conscience, whispered subtly to me but I shrugged it off. I tuned it out because I couldn¡¯t afford to be talked out of this.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right thing,¡± I muttered to myself, snatching my keys off the nightstand. I didn¡¯t bother changing out of the jeans shorts and extrarge tee I was wearing. I slid my feet intofortable slides and left the room.


    The moment my bodyguards sighted me with my keys and phone, descending from the staircase, they left their positions and strutted towards me, eliciting an inward groan because I knew how hard it was going to be to get rid of them.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mrs. Gray.¡± One of them spoke up.


    ¡°Which of the cars would you like to take, so that we can get it ready for you?¡± The other asked.


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± I trailed off, staring at the trio.


    ¡°I am just going out for a drive,¡± I added, quickly, shing them a soft, convincing smile. A sceptical look crossed their faces at the point at which I was driving.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be going alone.¡± I dropped the bombshell.


    ¡°But__¡± The overly muscr one, who had been quiet since the beginning of the conversation, tried to intercept but I shut him up with an arching of one of my brows.


    ¡°The boss wouldn¡¯t like it if you went out without us,¡± hepleted his words. I was pissed at his disobedience but I decided to let it slide.


    ¡°I called him already.¡± I didn¡¯t know where that lie came from. When I saw the relief that washed over their faces, I gave myself a mental pat.


    My words of assurance elicited a sigh from them and they nodded in response.


    ¡°Alright, Mrs. Gray.¡±


    Without saying one more word to them, I walked past them and out of the house. I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding when I stepped on the porch.


    Throwing my hair in a messy bun, I got into the ck Chevrolet, fastening my seatbelt.


    And then, I drove out of the Vi.

 Chapter 111

    ASHLEY


    While I looked right ahead of me, gazing at the deste tarred roads, my eyes wouldn¡¯t stop shifting towards the tall trees that filled up the woods on each side of the empty road. The eeriness had fear creeping into me.


    There was no car in sight.


    The speed at which I was driving, slowly reduced, when I began approaching the only house I could make out in sight. The urge to furrow my brows was irresistible.


    Who the hell lives on the outskirts of town where there are no other houses in view? Isn¡¯t he scared of being attacked in the middle of the night, or worse getting eaten by a wild animal?


    The creepiness that oozed out of these surroundings made my stomach churn with nerves. I mped my teeth down on my bottom lip, nearly drawing blood from the soft flesh. My palms gripped the edge of the steering wheel, so tightly that I feared if my stronghold lingered a little too much, I might be detaching the steering wheel from its housing.


    I puffed out a hot breath, pulling over and then I sighed. I retrieved my keys and phone, let myself out of the car and mmed the door shut.


    My brows were drawn together in scrutiny, darting to and fro the house and the address on my phone. But then, it was Adam. The guy had a thing for penthouses. He loves the luxury ustomed to it. I guess that¡¯s what happens when you have been with someone for two years. You know how predictable they can get¡­


    Yet, you didn¡¯t see the betrayaling. My subconscious snorted.


    I wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts and headed for the porch. I frowned when I saw that I had to input a password to be able to get in__the soft click of the door garnered my attention and I stepped into the house, shutting the door.


    I walked further into the living room.


    It was starting to dawn on me how stupid I was foring in here alone when I saw no one in sight. My heart palpitated furiously against my ribcage, hurting me with every moment it made. Chills crawled up my spine and dread descended upon me in waves. I could feel cold sweat breaking out of my pores.


    ¡°Damn.¡±


    I whirled around, abruptly, crashing into a hard surface in the process. My breath got caught in my throat and I took a step backwards, swallowing really hard.


    My eyes shed with his chocte brown eyes that swirled with a chilling coldness, surrounded by heavy darkness. His eyes were so cold, yet they still managed to hold a hint of mischief in them.


    They were dark and hollow.


    ¡°Adam,¡± I acknowledged, maintaining eye contact with him. I didn¡¯t know where the boldness came from but I was willing to hold on to it, for as long as I could, because it was the only thing I had left.


    ¡°How long has it been again?¡± He demanded, taking a step forward and I took a step backwards. ¡°Three?¡± He did it again and I stepped back. ¡°Four, five months?¡± He whispered and that was it.


    I lost it.


    ¡°Get away from me, you bastard!¡± I fired, losing my shit. I couldn¡¯t stand this man. There was no reason to hide it.


    He didn¡¯t budge, it only heightened his fascination.


    ¡°You have changed¡­¡± He stopped walking, his eyes scanning every inch of my face. I was filled with so much revulsion as they descended below my face, resting on my boobs. It didn¡¯t hit me, until then, that I wasn¡¯t wearing anything underneath my shirt.


    I wasn¡¯t keeping a bra on because of how sore they made my boobs feel. Oh, fuck it.


    ¡°God, you look even more beautiful,¡± he whispered, his voice infused with fascination. He chuckled and tucked his hands in his pockets.


    I swallowed, audibly, tucking my hair behind my ears and I watched his eyes darken in rage, causing my heart to lurch to my throat.


    ¡°You married that bastard!¡± He bellowed, harshly, striding forward and then, he closed in on me. My lungs tightened up and I practically stopped breathing, squeezing my eyes shut.


    I needed no soothsayer to make it clear to me that he must have seen my wedding band.


    ¡°After everything,¡± I could feel his breath on my face, eliciting a shudder from me.


    He was invading my space, so much, that I could barely breathe. The rancid smell of whiskey that lingered on his breath made me struggle so hard to repress the bile that was building up in my throat. My eyes shimmered with so much liquid and I feared that if I opened my house, the tears woulde pouring down my face. Non-stop.


    ¡°After everything we have been through together! You chose him over me! You chose to be with him, you fucking whore!¡±


    It was as though the tiny thread binding my waning self-control snapped. My eyes flew open on impulse, coupled with the tears that burned in my eyes, I could feel the sizzling me that upied every inch of it, fuelling my rage.


    With strength and boldness I didn¡¯t know I possessed, I shoved him. Hard and he went flying backwards. He wavered in his steps. I didn¡¯t miss the look of shock that marred his face.


    ¡°Fuck you, Adam Ruiz! Fuck you!¡± I screamed. All that anger. All that pain. All that hurt. It was evident in my strident voice that boomed across the room, threatening to bring the foundation of the house to its feet.


    ¡°You stand there and look me in the eye, calling me a whore for choosing him over you when in truth, you are the asshole, who bailed on me and left town without a fucking word!¡± I fired at him, my veins coursing with so much anger that it threatened to consume me.


    I didn¡¯t care. I gave in to it.


    My eyes shed with fury as I watched him squint his eyes at me in disbelief.


    ¡°I loved you. I took care of you. I defended you. I fought my friends and family for you, on several fucking asions!¡± I yelled, tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°And what did you do?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°You hurt me. You manipted and gaslighted me. You abused me, psychologically, physically and emotionally. You messed with my emotions. You made me believe I wasn¡¯t worth anything. And when you fucked me up, you fucking left me out in the cold!¡±


    ¡°I nearly died while trying to get over you!¡± I was wheezing between my words. My throat was clogged with so many sobs, my eyes blurred with hot tears. My heart wouldn¡¯t stop constricting in so much pain.


    I knew Adam had no heart and his next actions further proved that to me. He stared at me, unflinchingly. His cold brown orbs were set dead on me, icing up the blood that surged through my veins.


    His eyes didn¡¯t give off any ounce of emotion, even though I was yelling at him so hard, with tears streaming down my face. He watched me go ballistic without saying a word.


    And then, he strode forward, brushing his hair off his face. His lips slowly tugged in a sadistic smirk that had fear creeping into me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know?¡± I didn¡¯t know what he meant, but his question reflexively punched my breath out of me. It gave me a mental whish. I didn¡¯t miss the mockery his tone wasced but it was mostly heavy with disbelief, coupled with how he squinted his eyes at me.


    ¡°So much for being the husband of the year!¡± He spat coldly. His words were thick with undiluted malice.


    ¡°Your oh-so-precious husband isn¡¯t only a murderer,¡± His steps were slow and menacing, mirroring the darkness in his voice. ¡°Not only an egotistical bastard!¡± He fired and I flinched.


    ¡°He is also a bloody liar!¡± His voice thundered across the room.


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked and he chuckled.


    ¡°You stand there and use me of bailing on you when in truth, your husband threatened me and saw to it that I took the money he offered, signed a contract with him and got the hell out of town! He made me leave!¡± The weight of his words had me veering backwards in shock, a surprised gasp invading me. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach at those words.


    ¡°You are lying,¡± I croaked, shaking my head sideways.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡± He scoffed and spun on his heels, heading to the dining table where he snatched off a bunch of papers. He marched towards me and threw them at me.


    With shaky hands, I crouched on the floor, desperately hoping that what I heard wasn¡¯t true, but the ring, familiar signature of my husband stared right back at me on the piece of paper, seizing my breath.


    I dropped to the floor with a thud, hot tears streaming down my face.


    He made Adam leave? I could excuse that but why didn¡¯t heter tell me when things got smooth between us?


    Adam walked over to where I was, crouching at my level and he tilted my chin. My teary gaze locked with his cold one.


    ¡°That fucking bastard lied to you all along because he wanted to keep you for himself. If he loved you like he imed and if he wasn¡¯t so insecure, he would have told you¡­¡± Every word was like a p on my face, gutting me out, shredding my heart into a thousand pieces.


    Determined not to let him get to me, I pried my face out of his hold and got to my feet.


    ¡°And what about the gifts?¡± I frowned.


    ¡°You said you were going to tell me who the sender was,¡± I added, wiping my tears.


    ¡°I am the one spending them.¡± He answered, monotonously, without batting an eysh. I stared at him, arching my brow at him in question.


    ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡±


    ¡°Think about it¡­¡± His voice trailed off with a sadistic smirk on his lips.


    ¡°Shortly after we fought, you got a bouquet of roses, a designer bag and a bottle of wine from an unknown sender. It was only a love note that was in there. I was trying so hard to earn your forgiveness and I knew that including my name would make you reject the gift. I didn¡¯t want that, so I stuck with being anonymous,¡± he exined, pausing briefly to examine the look on my face.


    ¡°There¡¯s no__¡± My words died in my throat as the memories of that day came rushing back. Adam hit me and I left his ce. I went to the club with my friends to de-stress and that was the first time I met Jaxon.


    It wasn¡¯t long after our first night together that I got a gift from an anonymous person. Over the months, I have allowed myself to believe that the gift was from him. I didn¡¯t allow my thoughts to explore other options.


    ¡°And the second time!¡± His harsh voice pulled me out of my thoughts.


    ¡°The one at your office,¡± he sneered and clicked his tongue in distaste. ¡°I sent it through a delivery guy,¡±


    ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± I whispered, tears filling my eyes in realisation.


    ¡°You have been the person texting me!¡± I screamed, ring daggers at him.


    ¡°Bingo!¡± He snapped his fingers, releasing a menacing chuckle.


    ¡°Took you long enough,¡± he scoffed. ¡°You should have connected the dots when I called you but what do I expect from someone as dumb as you are?¡± He began approaching me and I stepped backwards, abruptly with my heart thudding in my chest.


    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± I let out a shaky breath, my eyes darting around for any source of escape, but I found none and the minute my back hit the wall.


    I knew it was game over.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?!¡± He growled, closing in on me. He mmed his fists against the wall and I flinched, snapping my eyes shut. A tear rolled down my cheek in the process.


    ¡°After how hard he tried to make me stay away from you, I still can¡¯t.¡± His voice softened at the end of his words.


    His hand gripped my waist, roughly, pinning me against the wall while pressing himself against me. The contact of his bulge against me made me shudder in revulsion. His hot breath that reeked of alcohol fanned my skin and I felt him press a kiss on my jaw, eliciting a whimper from me.


    ¡°Adam, please, just let me go¡­¡± I begged him.


    ¡°Fuck it, I missed you.¡± He squeezed my waist, burying his head in the crook of my neck, which he pressed a kiss on. His rough hand disappeared beneath my shirt.


    ¡°Please!¡± My eyes flew open.


    I began thrashing beneath him, desperate for an attempt to get out of his excessively hard grip. Tears filled my eyes and my throat was clogged with sobs, reducing my voice to croaky whimpers.


    ¡°Stop fighting me, Ashley. You know you want it,¡± He groaned, his hands brushing the swell of my breast. He grabbed it roughly, eliciting a frantic scream from me.


    ¡°Fuck, you got bigger!¡±This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°They are just as sulent as I remember!¡± He growled, sucking on the skin of my neck. My desperation to get away from him was heightened and amid my attempt to escape his harsh grip, a thought struck my mind and I willed my body to go limp in his hands.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do anything you want, just stop being rough. You are hurting me.¡± I whimpered softly and he halted his kisses on my neck, chuckling.


    ¡°My whore. All mine. I knew you missed me.¡± Those degrading words made me feel like a knife was being driven into my chest.


    His thumb found my nipple, brushing it softly and he groaned in pleasure. And that was it. He loosened his grip around my waist and I wasted no time in kicking him where the sun doesn¡¯t shine, extracting a painful grunt from him and he dropped to the floor with a thud.


    With the speed of light, I bolted out of the house.


    ¡°YOU BITCH!¡± The thick, dark resonance of his voice echoed behind me.


    I didn¡¯t stop running. I dashed out of the house and got into my car, retrieving my keys with shaky hands. I ignited the engine and drove out of the residential area.

 Chapter 112

    ASHLEY


    A seemingly unending ache throbbed heavily at the side of my head as the gate to the vi was pulled open. I sniffed, driving towards the parking lot where I pulled over in the avable space.


    I felt so exhausted. My limbs were so tired. My eyes hurt so badly. I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to cry anymore if I wanted to. All it brought was an unending amount of pain. It felt as though shards of ss were pricking my eyes and I found it so hard to close it because doing that only worsened the ache.


    My head dropped limply on the steering wheel and the engine went off. I exhaled, detaching my head from the wheel to retrieve my keys from the ignition. And then, I got out of the car.


    My legs wobbled heavily when they connected with the surface of the ground, but I didn¡¯t allow that to deter me. I willed myself to move forward.


    Stepping into the house, every wave of tiredness that consumed me dissipated into thin air. Itpletely vanished, reced with a sense of eeriness and utter puzzle. As I took in the frantic maids, who were trying to arrange the disorganised living room, as quickly as they could. The tense atmosphere and the agitation that filled the air were enough for me to denote that something was wrong.


    Terribly wrong.


    My eyes surveyed the living room, which was in disarray, and I was unable to suppress the gasp that left my lips. This wasn¡¯t how I left the living room. Hell, it was a far cry from what it used to look like on a normal day.


    The sofas and couches weren¡¯t in their normal position. The throw pillows were strewn across the floor. The broken ss centre table red back at me mockingly, in all its shattered glory, and the t-screen TV looked like a hole had been poked through it. As the maids went about their business, the shards of ss they stepped on made a crunching sound that made me feel as though my heart was being crushed to bits and pieces.


    It was deafening.


    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± I threw the question at no one in particr and that halted their actions. They swung their heads simultaneously in my direction, their eyes widening in sheer horror.


    ¡°Good evening, Mrs. Gray.¡± Their greetings came in from every angle of the room. It didn¡¯t quell my worries, it heightened them.


    ¡°Why is everywhere so disorganized?¡± I queried, arching my brow. They didn¡¯t utter a word and that caused me to squint my eyes at them in confusion. Their silence, however, ticked something off in my brain, causing my eyes to go wide in shock.


    ¡°Arden is back,¡± I muttered more to myself than them, and uttering those words felt like a mental whish, seizing my breath for a moment.


    If Arden was back and he was this destructive, that meant something really bad happened. Without wasting any more time with them, I dashed past them like a breeze and raced upstairs swiftly, bolting to our room.


    The air that surrounded the lobby was so cold. It was dark, foreboding and had shivers crawling up my spine. It was as though the atmosphere was shifting between two temperatures, thick with utmost tension.


    One on hand, the coldness that lingered in the air made me feel like I had stepped into an ice cave, snowballs shooting into my system, through my pores and denting my bloodstream with an unnerving amount of iciness, which froze up the blood that coursed through my veins. The little to no air that emitted from my nostrils was freezing me on the inside out.


    And at the same time, my insides felt like they were on fire, a surge of heat rushing through my body, nonstop. The baggy tee wrapped around my frame felt so suffocating, heating up against my skin and causing hot sweat to break out everywhere.


    My emotions were thrown all over the ce, consuming me and making it so hard for me to swallow. I moved from the spot I was rooted in, twisting the knob with shaky hands that slipped from my grasp before I finally stepped into the room.


    It was like a one-on-one encounter with the darkness. If the air out there was cold, it was freezing in here. The temperature didn¡¯t fluctuate. It t-out felt like an Ice Queen¡¯s castle and it left sprouts of goosebumps crawling all over my skin.


    I willed myself to move forward, and given how I knew the nook and cranny of the room, I flickered the switch.


    The bright light illuminated the room, giving me a view of how much destruction my husband had wreaked on the luxurious bedroom. It was disastrous. Almost as though a train barged into the room and crushed everything in its wake.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    I gasped in horror.


    ¡°Hey, Peach,¡± His emotionless voice filled the room, causing me to swing my head in the direction I presumed I heard his voice from. My eyes drifted to his frame that was leaning on the wall close to the bathroom entrance.


    His shoulders were slumped and his posture was slouching. Almost as though he was tired. His ck curls were a wild mess. His roughly buttoned shirt had stters of blood on it. The tumbler he was holding up gave away his bloodied knuckles.


    And his eyes¡­they were bloodshot. The coldness that was etched in them terrified me. So much. They were sharp and narrowed on my frame, assessing every inch of my body like he was shedding off the protectiveyers I didn¡¯t know I had on my skin.


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± I maintained a smile, through teary eyes, even though I was a nerve-wracking mess on the inside.


    He pushed himself off the door frame, taking a sip from the amber liquid in his tumbler. And then, he began approaching me. With every step he took towards me, my heart pounded so hard against my chest. I didn¡¯t know how long I could keep up the confident facade. My trembling figure attested to that.


    Arden closed in on me, encircling his arm around my waist. He yanked me to himself and I allowed myself to drawfort in his embrace, even though he reeked of alcohol. My eyes fluttered shut and I leaned into him, sighing softly. He felt so warm, so familiar. I allowed myself to drown in his essence. It was intoxicating and I let myself get high on it.


    The man drove me crazy in ways I can¡¯t decipher.


    His hold was very possessive as he sniffed my hair, sighing afterwards. He spun me around and my back met his chest, eliciting a gasp from me. He hovered behind me, his breath fanning the surface of my neck. He leaned in, dropping his head on the base of my neck. He nuzzled his head against it and sniffed me in, groaning softly.


    I shifted against his bulge, releasing a sigh of pleasure. He had not even touched me yet and I could feel my panties getting soaked in anticipation of what he was about to do to me.


    While his other hand still held his tumbler, his free hand grabbed the hem of my shirt and I knew he wanted to pull it over my head. I raised my hands in the air, allowing him to get rid of it and he discarded it.


    The rush of the cold air that washed over me had me shuddering. It brushed my hardened nipples, eliciting a sigh from me.


    ¡°Perfect,¡± he whispered. His breath fanned my bare skin, leaving Goosebumps all over my body. The heat of his breath pierced my skin, shooting straight to my core.


    His fingers torturously grazed my skin like he had all the time in the world, leaving me to wiggle against him. They travelled down my corbone, his index finger and middle finger mping against my erect nipple.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I tossed my head backwards, a cry of pleasure emitting from me. Arden chuckled in amusement. The breathy moans that flowed breezily out of my lips didn¡¯t deter him from assaulting my boobs with his fingers, paying undivided attention to each one of them.


    The room echoed with my loud moans and the pleasurable grunts emitting from him. His fingers dropped below, slipping into my shorts.


    ¡°Spread your legs,¡± he instructed softly. I did as I was told and he slipped his fingers into my heavily soaked panties, pushing it aside before gliding his finger up and down my clitoris.


    I jerked in his arms, arching my back with my eyes closed. ¡°Arden!¡± I cried.


    ¡°You like that, huh?¡± He whispered, nibbling my earlobes. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to respond to him because he already had a finger plunging into my hole. I gasped.


    ¡°Your words, baby. Use it.¡± He told me, pumping his fingers in and out of me.


    ¡°Fuc__oh__fuck__yes!¡± My breath hitched, tears brimming in my eyes at how good his soft strokes felt. I wriggled and writhed in pleasure in his arms, bringing my hands up to my breasts to knead them. I tugged softly at my nipples, tossing my head backwards when his thrusts got faster.


    ¡°So wet for me,¡± he moaned into my ears.


    ¡°Were you this wet for him?¡±

 Chapter 113

    ASHLEY


    ¡°Were you this wet for him?¡±


    That question pulled me down from my peak. An rm went off in my brain, resounding loudly in my ears, threatening to split my eardrums into two.


    It felt as though I was drenched in a bucket of ice. Every ounce of pleasure that surged through my veins ceased, reced by an overwhelming desire to bury myself beneath the ground.


    My mind went nk. It underwent a shutdown that rid my body of the very organ that pumps blood to every part of my body. My body, which felt as though it had been engulfed in mes earlier, throbbing with pleasure, went stiff in his arms.


    ¡°Were you this wet for him?¡± Arden repeated his question, snapping me back to reality. His voice was dangerously calm, yet it had an edge to it, spiking my anxiety and causing it to skyrocket into a thousand folds.


    My words hung at the tip of my tongue but I had no idea how to convey them. The truth waved itself in my face like a dor bill, knocking my breath right out of me.


    He knows. Arden knows.


    Knowing how badly this could end brought tears to my eyes and a shaky breath evaded me.


    ¡°Ashley Evaline Gray, I ask you again,¡± His hold tightened possessively on my waist, his hot breath shedding offyers of my skin. ¡°Were you this wet, when you were with him? Were you this responsive to his touch?¡± He whispered into my ears. His emotionless voice was infused with so much darkness that it terrified me.


    ¡°Arden, please¡­¡± I croaked.


    ¡°ANSWER ME!¡± He demanded, his cold, furious voice thundering across the room. I didn¡¯t get a chance to reel from how animalistic he sounded when he hauled his tumbler at the nearest wall.


    The golden liquid sshed against the wall and the tumbler came crashing down, shattering into pieces and producing an ear-splitting sound that made me flinch in his arms. My heart lurched to my throat in panic.


    ¡°Evaline, do not make me ask you one more time. Were you this wet when you were with him?¡± He demanded, coldly, yanking me back to himself. His grip was so tight.


    ¡°Arden__¡±


    ¡°Answer me!¡± He snapped, moving away from me. He let out a frustrated groan, kicking away everything in his path as he raked his hands through his hair.


    ¡°Arden, I can exin to you. I swear it. Just¡­please, let me tell you everything.¡± I pleaded. The deadly speed at which he swung his head in my direction, his teary green eyes shing with mine, made me veer backwards without being shoved by anything.


    I sucked in a harsh breath.


    ¡°Oh, you can exin?¡± He chuckled mirthlessly.


    ¡°You think I am going to stand there and have you tell more lies to my face? Huh? Evaline?¡± He threw questions at me, every word he hauled at me felt like a hot knife was being plunged into me.


    I couldn¡¯t breathe. My throat was clogged with so many sobs.


    ¡°How__¡± He cursed under his breath, marching towards me in long strides. ¡°How could you do this to me?¡± His voice was reduced to a painful, harsh whisper. His ssy eyes were anchored on me, filled with the need to understand why I kept something of that magnitude from him.


    ¡°I asked you!¡± He bellowed.


    ¡°If anything was going on, in your office, in Greece, Evaline, you looked me in the eye and you lied to me. How dare you?¡± The weight of his voice echoed throughout the room, nearly deafening me.


    ¡°I was going to tell you,¡± I defended myself weakly, tears streaming down my face.


    ¡°Did you know I had to put a tail on you?¡± He queried, squinting his eyes at me. His words knocked the breath right out of me. I couldn¡¯t believe my ears. Heck, I couldn¡¯t process what he just said.


    ¡°I waited. I really did. I hoped that you woulde to me about what was going on with you. I hoped that you would trust me enough to tell me what was wrong. I did,¡± He paused, breathing shakily. He had pure pain masking his expression. The vulnerability in those green eyes tore me to shreds.


    It broke me.


    ¡°But you didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°I had to put a tail on you. I had Duncan find out what was really going on,


    ¡°I got a call from one of your bodyguards this afternoon, telling me that you were heading somewhere without them. I knew I had to be smarter than you if I was going to figure out what was going on. So, I made sure they give me reports about every single thing you do.¡±


    ¡°Sure, I wasn¡¯t around but I was aware of every damn thing that goes on in this house!¡±


    ¡°Duncan tracked you__¡± He paused.


    ¡°And you can imagine my shock when I found out it was about that sick bastard who hurt you. You have been in contact with him and you didn¡¯t think I should know that he had been texting you?¡± He looked at me like he couldn¡¯t even recognise the woman standing right in front of him. Disbelief, anger, and hurt were thrown across his orbs.


    ¡°Baby, I swear it, just let me exin to you,¡± I spoke up, my voiceced with pleas. When I swallowed the lump in my throat, it felt as though I had tons of needles pricking me from the inside out.


    ¡°Did you fuck him?¡±


    His question was like a p on my face, eliciting a gasp.


    ¡°What?¡± I squinted my eyes at him in disbelief.


    ¡°Evaline, did you fuck him? Don¡¯t make me repeat myself!¡± He yelled at me, fury shing in his eyes.


    ¡°What? No! I didn¡¯t sleep with Adam! You are the only man I have ever been with, Arden. You were my first, for Christ¡¯s sake! What the hell is wrong with you?¡± I couldn¡¯t control my outbursts.


    I was yelling at him without caring that I was the one at fault. I marched towards him, discarding his rage and I shoved him backwards, hitting his chest furiously.


    ¡°And I am supposed to believe you because I am stupid?¡± He scoffed, throwing my hands off his body as my touch disgusted him. He stared at me with utmost revulsion. The look in his eyes gnawed at my heart, so badly that I could barely breathe.


    It had me staggering backwards.


    ¡°I can smell him all over you!¡± He fired, taking a menacing step forward. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to move from the spot I was. I was immobilized, my lips trembling heavily.


    ¡°And you expect me to believe that you didn¡¯t fuck him?¡± He sneered, his voice dripping with hate.


    ¡°I__¡±


    I sucked in a harsh breath when he stopped right in front of me, his ssy green eyes boring holes into me. He wanted me to see how much I hurt him. He wanted me to see how much I had destroyed him.


    ¡°Don¡¯t disrespect me by lying to me, please¡­¡± His voice was breaking, bit by bit. The confidence it held waspletely stripped of it. He didn¡¯t sound like that domineering man I have always known. He was like a little boy, waiting so desperately for a rumour to be debunked.


    ¡°Arden, I swear__¡±


    ¡°YOU ARE STILL LYING TO ME!¡± His sharp voice had me wavering in my steps. Hot tears spilled from my eyes. I squeezed my eyes shut, unable to look him in the eyes while I answered him.


    ¡°He__he touched me¡­¡± My voice trailed off hoarsely. My eyes flew open, reflexively, taking in the coldness in his eyes. He didn¡¯t flinch when I said that but then, the demeanour he was trying so hard to stick to faltered. It broke. Tears spilled out of his eyes rapidly and he did nothing to stop it.


    He breathed shakily, taking a step backwards. And another, another¡­


    ¡°Did you like it?¡± His words were rushed out in a shaky mumble. They gutted me out, clenching my heart in pain.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head vigorously. ¡°He harassed me,¡± I added, quietly.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have happened if you had been fucking honest from the start!¡± He snapped, teary-eyed.


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty riching from the same person who paid off my boyfriend to leave town, so he could have me all to himself!¡± Those words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop myself. Harsher than I intended.


    I didn¡¯t miss the sh of surprise in his eyes, causing me to scoff.


    ¡°Yes, I paid him off!¡± His voice raised an octave higher. ¡°And, I would do it again if I get the chance to do it! That bastard doesn¡¯t deserve you!¡± He screamed at me, non-stop. His voice was thick with so much assertiveness that it terrified the crap out of me.


    ¡°I am not sorry for it!¡± he yelled.


    ¡°You know why? Because it gave me the best thing that has ever happened to me!¡± His words punched out the breath I had left in me, causing the liquid to pool in my eyes.


    My mouth was left ajar but that didn¡¯t stop him from getting his point across. His words were starting toe out in wheezes, eliciting shuddering breaths from me.


    ¡°I am not sorry for making that bastard leave town. Yes, I am that selfish because I love you so much and I can¡¯t even imagine living the rest of my life without you!¡± He uttered those words to me, harshly even though I had heard him say those three words to me several times now. It still didn¡¯t stop it from reaching out to the deepest part of my soul, striking them so that it halted my breathing.


    I just stared at him. Frozen.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°He is the reason you wouldn¡¯t say it back to me, right?¡± He demanded, his eyes fixated on me. My emotions were all over the ce. My words died in my throat. I didn¡¯t know what or how to say it.


    I was just there, watching him gut me into a thousand pieces with his words. I wanted so badly to debunk what he said but I couldn¡¯t. It felt as though some invisible force was holding me back.


    Arden watched me, desperately, his eyes filled with so many tears, waiting for me to say those words back to him, but I didn¡¯t. He squeezed his eyes shut, clutching his chest while he wheezed softly.


    And then, he let out a loud sob. He dug his hands into his hair, raking his fingers through it in frustration. He looked like he was going out of his mind and it was so heart-wrenching for me to watch.


    I was just shocked.


    He turned to me, nodding his head. ¡°Right,¡± he muttered, walking towards me. He stopped right in front of me, bringing his fingers to my cheek and he trailed them on it, so softly.


    ¡°You should know though,¡± he began.


    ¡°You belong to me, Evaline. You always have and you always will. I meant it when I said I am going to burn down the world if I don¡¯t get what I want. I meant it when I told you that I would take out anything, living or nonliving, in the way of me having you.¡±


    ¡°YOU WERE MADE FOR ME!¡± He growled, his eyes darkening with rage and a glint of something so dark that I couldn¡¯t ce my hands on it.


    ¡°So,¡± He chuckled. ¡°You are stuck with me,¡± He whispered and slipped his arms around my waist, pulling me closer. He grabbed the back of my head.


    And then, he crashed his lips on mine. He kissed me hard. He kissed me until I couldn¡¯t breathe. He kissed me as though he was marking his territory. So fiercely, so passionately and I responded with equal fervor, tasting the tears on my lips. He slowly broke off the kiss after a while.


    ¡°Until ourst breath.¡± That was thest thing he said to me before he stormed out of the room, mming the door shut with a bang that threatened to rip the door off its hinges.


    I was struck into a daze, staring into space with fresh tears brimming in my eyes. My lips trembled heavily and my eyes grew blurry with every shaky breath I took.


    My legs, which suddenly felt so light on the surface of the ground, gave me away and I fell to the floor with a thud, shattering into a thousand pieces afterwards.

 Chapter 114

    JAXON


    I tap the tip of the burning cigarette against the ashtray after taking a few drags from it. I toyed with it against the edge of the tray but the sudden wave of anger that washed over me didn¡¯t give me a chance to relish in the satisfaction I got from it, because I was already picking up the tray and throwing it against the wall.


    The small object made a crashing sound against the floor, adding to the list of the destroyed objects littered across the dark room, whose source of light was the rays of moonlight that filtered directly into the room, through the windows.


    It cast a dim glow on the disorganised space of my study. I walked away from the desk, squeezing my eyes shut and then, I dragged in a breath, puffing it out slowly. It felt as if a surge of volcano erupted within me and I was struggling to keep it at bay.


    Knowing every nook and cranny of my study gave me the upper hand, coupled with the moonlight¡¯s reflection in the room. I strode to the bar, crushing every broken bottle in its wake and grabbed a bottle of whiskey, pouring arge amount into the tumbler.


    I chugged the content down my throat, all at once.


    My eyes were narrowed on my phone that was on the table and I exhaled, caving into the thought of calling her. I wasn¡¯t going to, but the more I tried to convince myself that I could get through this on my own, the harder it became.


    So, with a tired sigh, I snatched the phone off the table and slumped on the chair, cing her number on a dial.


    She picked up on the first ring.


    ¡°Jaxon?¡± She sounded shocked. She couldn¡¯t conceal the surprise that oozed off that one word. I didn¡¯t miss the trace of sleepiness in her voice.


    Guilt hit me in waves.


    I breathed heavily.


    ¡°Jaxon, are you there?¡± She asked and my eyes fluttered shut. A tiny part of me was beginning to regret calling her.


    ¡°I am so sorry for interrupting your sleep.¡± I apologised.


    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I told you that you could call me at any time, remember?¡± A hint of tease hung in her voice and I knew that her drowsiness had cleared off. I heard some rustling in the background and I knew she was trying to make herselffortable.


    ¡°I know, Kendra,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Now, what¡¯s going on in that head of yours? Talk to me.¡± She implored me, her voice maintaining its softness.


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°Jaxon, breathe.¡± She told me and I sighed.


    ¡°Peach and I had a fallout,¡± I began. Memories of our fight flooded my mind in waves. It consumed that I could barely breathe. Every word. Every lie. Every tear.


    I could still hear her voice.


    Her smell, when I sniffed her in. His smell. It lingered around me and it was suffocating me like a leash was strapped around my neck.


    The look in her eyes when I told her I loved her and how she didn¡¯t say it back, shattered me into a million pieces.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Kendra knew I zoned out but she didn¡¯t take it personal. The tenderness of her tone made it more than clear that she was ready to listen to me, not caring if it was midnight.


    ¡°Peach lied to me, Kendra.¡± I wasn¡¯t raising my voice but they came out, sounding so venomous, filled with so much anger and contempt.


    Her soft breathing at the other end of the phone was my cue to continue.


    ¡°She looked me in the eye and lied to me. You can imagine having someone you love with everything in you, looking you in the eye and lying to you about something they know you will find out, sooner thanter.¡± I chuckled mirthlessly and then, it morphed into a full-blownughter, eliciting tears from me.


    I let out a scream afterwards, banging my fists on the desk.


    ¡°She lied to me!¡± I yelled, teary-eyed.


    ¡°Let it all out. I am here. I am listening.¡± Kendra cooed, assuring me.


    ¡°She has been getting texts from a strange number for days and her sneakiness made everything so obvious. I tried getting her to tell me the truth but she wouldn¡¯t open up to me,¡±


    ¡°I was very worried, Kendra and I know I overstepped by having someone track her phone, to find out what was really wrong. It didn¡¯t end there__¡± I paused, running my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°I found out that her ex-boyfriend had been texting her!¡± My voice raised an octave higher.


    ¡°Maybe I wouldn¡¯t be this pissed if she hadn¡¯t arranged a meeting with him. She went there without telling anyone. Not even me. She allowed him to touch her.¡± My voice was infused with so much annoyance and I was hauling my tumbler at the wall in no time.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed.


    ¡°Kendra, I love this woman. So much that it fucking hurts!¡± I bellowed, unable to control the tears that dropped effortlessly from my eyes.


    ¡°He¡¯s the reason she wouldn¡¯t tell me she loves me. He is the reason she wouldn¡¯t say it back to me. That fucker!¡± I hissed through my teeth.


    She chose to break the ice at that moment.


    ¡°Did she tell you that?¡± She asked me, knocking the breath right out of me with that question.


    ¡°Well, she didn¡¯t exactly say anything either!¡± I got defensive.


    ¡°Jaxon,¡± Her voice was soft and clear.


    ¡°Ashley loves you, and deep down, you know it too. She loves you so much, but I think the problem here is her not wanting to admit the fact that she¡¯s in love with a crime boss.¡± Nothing gave me a mental whish than herst words.


    ¡°How did you know?¡±


    ¡°I do my research on my clients, Jaxon, and you are not exactly a hard man to find.¡± She chuckled. The shocking part of it was how calm she sounded. She wasn¡¯t fazed, not in the slightest. If it were another person, they would be running for the hills.


    ¡°And you are not scared?¡± I arched a brow like she could see me.


    ¡°If I were, I wouldn¡¯t have epted to be your therapist in the first ce. Call it curiosity, if you will.¡± She said without mincing words, but there was a hint of yfulness in her voice.


    I hadpletely run out of things to say, so I just exhaled in exhaustion.


    ¡°You two need to talk, Jaxon. You need to talk things out with her.¡±


    ¡°Where are you?¡± She inquired.


    ¡°I am in one of my other houses,¡± I answered, monotonously.


    ¡°Go home and speak with your wife, Jaxon. You can¡¯t stay away from her forever. I know you miss her and I am sure she misses you too.¡± Her voice wasced with pleas.


    ¡°Thank you for listening, Kendra.¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± my voice trailed off and it hardened. ¡°I will do as you have said.¡± That was thest thing I said to her before hanging up.


    I threw my phone on the desk. I pulled out one of my drawers and retrieved a gun from it, shutting it close. I rose to my feet, going over to the bar to fetch myself a ss of whiskey before leaving the study and making my way to the basement.


    __________________


    I kicked the door open, making my footsteps as loud as it could be. I wanted, more than anything, to notify him of my presence. I made my way down the stairway that led into the basement.


    The tiny bulb that hung in the middle of the dark, empty room, highlighted his bloodied figure that was tied to a chair. He was slouching. Dare I say falling off even? A sadistic smirk tugged at my lips at how battered and bruised he looked.


    Duncan was already retrieving a chair in no time, cing it in front of him and I settled on it, dropping my hand, which upied the gun, over the headrest.


    ¡°Tired, already?¡± I smirked, kicking him with my leg and he groaned out in pain. His limp head slowly moved up and I couldn¡¯t help but smile at the bruises on his face.


    It was nothing too serious. Just his busted lip, and pocket knife carvings on his face. His face had dried patches of blood on it but it was nothingpared to the red liquid that dotted the floor due to cuts on his body.


    His brown eyes smouldered with hate. He couldn¡¯t conceal it, eliciting a chuckle from me.N?velDrama.Org is the owner.


    ¡°Go¨Cto¨Chell!¡± His words were incorrigibles, given the numerous punches he had survived.


    I smirked.


    ¡°I am already in hell, Adam.¡± I tutted a little, giving a dismissive wave of my hands in the air.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk.¡± I sat up, propping my elbows on my knees. I watched him with utmost fascination, proud of the scars on his face.


    ¡°Why did youe back? Knowing what was involved?¡± I asked him, arching a brow.


    For the first time since we started the conversation, his lips twitched in a mocking smile, revealing his bloodied teeth. I scoffed, pushing my back to rest on the chair and throwing my arm on it. My head was tilted to the side as I waited for his answer.


    ¡°You have seen her, Jaxon. She¡¯s like a goddess. Who wouldn¡¯t want such a girl?¡± His voice was hardening bit by bit, causing me to chortle.


    ¡°Knowing the risk involved?¡± I narrowed my eyes on him.


    ¡°Yes, knowing the risk. I couldn¡¯t¡­ stay away from her for long. I knew it when I signed that contract. I am just as obsessed as you are¡± He paused, casting me a wary nce.


    ¡°I just want my girl-¡±


    The rage I had been trying to bottle up since I set foot into the basement came bursting through its confines. It swallowed me whole and controlled me because one minute I was seated and the next, I was on my feet, kicking the chair out of my way.


    And then, I shot him in the ankle.


    An agonising scream tore through his mouth, echoing throughout the basement and tainting its silence.


    ¡°She¡¯s not your girl!¡± I bellowed.


    ¡°She was never even yours, to begin with. You just happened to have a chance with her and you screwed it up,¡± I marched over to where he was in the blink of an eye, closing on him.


    ¡°That woman was made for me! She belongs to me! She¡¯s all mine!¡± I told him, jabbing my gun into his chest and my fist collided with his mouth, causing his head to jerk to the side, apanied by blood splutters that soiled the floor.


    ¡°Look at me!¡± I ordered him. He didn¡¯tply, so I grabbed him by the jaw, digging my fingers into it. They were piercing it really hard. Loud wheezes and groans emitted from him.


    ¡°I told you to sign that contract that day. I paid you half a million dors, you disgusting bastards!¡± I spat venomously.


    ¡°What did I say to you afterwards?¡± I demanded from him, throwing his head backwards. When he hesitated with his answers, I fired another shot at his arm and he screamed, thrashing around in his seat.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± He cursed.


    ¡°I am going to ask you one more time,¡± my tone was dead, yetced with an edge. ¡°What did I say to you afterwards?¡±


    He choked out blood, coughing violently. I was ready to blow his head off but his wheezes held me back.


    ¡°You¨Csaid¨Cyou-you told me not toe back to town anymore.¡± He stuttered.


    ¡°So, why are you back now?¡±


    ¡°Because I want her back!¡± He snapped at me and that took all his strength, causing him to cough out blood violently. I crouched in front of him and chuckled.


    ¡°You want her back?¡± I asked, amused.


    ¡°You want my wife back?¡±


    ¡°Is that the reason you have been texting her? You didn¡¯t even stop there,¡± I clicked my tongue. ¡°You just had toy your fucking hands on her!¡± I hollered, my voice infused with so much venom.


    ¡°You never should havee back to town, Adam. You should have stayed invisible. You shouldn¡¯t havee after my girl.¡± I exhaled, running my fingers through my hair.


    ¡°You think youare all that? You won¡¯t even know what hit you.¡± He scoffed. A smirk made its way to his lips.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯ll be shocked by what I think.¡±


    ¡°And about what¡¯s hitting me? I dare you, Adam Ruiz. Give it your best shot.¡± I said in a frigid tone.


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± he said coldly.


    ¡°As I said, I am already there. Come join me.¡± With a psychotic smirk, I fired a shot at his second ankle, eliciting an ear-splitting scream from him. I kicked the chair off its feet and he fell to the floor with a thud, his back still strapped against it.


    I rammed my shoe into the side of his face, applying pressure on it. He was choking beneath my feet but I couldn¡¯t care less.


    Worse, I wasn¡¯t even satisfied.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you in your next life and even if I don¡¯t, I will find you and kill you all over again for messing with my girl.¡± Those were thest words I said to him before blowing his brains off.


    I shot him. Non-stop, channelling my anger at his dead body because he was the reason my home was falling apart.


    A look of disdain marred my face and I kicked him aside, tossing my gun to Duncan.


    ¡°Get rid of him,¡± I said coldly and began unbuttoning my bloodied shirt, striding out of the basement.

 Chapter 115

    ASHLEY


    The wave of tiredness that washed over me got stronger with each passing second, heightening my distress. Staring out through the window of the conference room was something I loved to do.


    But right now, all it did was spike my anxiety further than it was. It ought to serve as a distraction, but it had me drifting in and out of my thoughts. The scenery, the atmosphere, none of it seemed appealing.


    In a way, it was getting on my nerves.


    Reverting my forlorn gaze to my employees, I arched my brow at them rudely. They were all staring at me like I had grown two heads and it was very irritating. At some point, I began thinking I had dirt on my face, judging by their bewildered expression.


    My frown deepened when my eyes flitted to Aurelia, who was standing by the projector, sporting a nk face.


    ¡°What?¡± I barked harshly and I wasn¡¯t even sorry for it. I didn¡¯t like how they were staring at me like I was an Alien that dropped from the sky.


    ¡°We are sorry, Mrs. Gray.¡± They apologised, eliciting a scoff from me.


    ¡°I was trying to ask what your view was on the presentation.¡± Aurelia cut in, calmly. The nk expression on her face didn¡¯t falter.


    I rolled my eyes and sank into my seat.


    ¡°Just get out. All of you. We¡¯ll take this again.¡± I gave a dismissive wave of my hand in the air. Their sighs echoed in the room, but I paid no attention to it. They rose to their feet and filed out of the conference room, leaving me all to myself.


    ¡°Are you okay, Mrs. Gray?¡± Aurelia¡¯s lilting voice pierced my thoughts and I looked up to meet her gaze.


    She was still standing by the projector. When she saw she had my attention, she strutted forward and took a seat at the table. Her eyes softened for a bit.


    I sighed and brought my hands to my face, massaging it.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± My voice trailed off and I paused.


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you are. You are always so active during our conference meetings, but these days¡± She paused and that caused me to spare her a nce. ¡°You have been so withdrawn.¡± She added.


    ¡°I am just a little tired, that¡¯s all.¡± My tone was very dismissive.


    The sigh that emitted from her hinted at her resignation to stop poking me. She looked at me and nodded, not because she believed me. She didn¡¯t. She just wanted to hop off my back and I appreciated that.


    If she pressed further, I would be snapping at her in no time.


    ¡°You should go home then. I am sure Riley can handle the rest of your schedule for the day.¡± She suggested.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Home.


    A ce where he wasn¡¯t.


    It has been hell these past few days. Every day, I wake up, hoping that he will be by my side when I am awake, but the disappointment crushes my soul. I might have called him a thousand times but he wasn¡¯t picking up. His absence ate at me in a way that rendered me so void. Our conversations haunted me so much that I found myself reliving them. I didn¡¯t know how attached I was to him until he left.


    You are not just attached to him, Ashley. You love him. The tiny voice in my head echoed to me but I tuned it out.


    ¡°Mrs. Gray?¡±


    I swung my head in her direction and shed her a stiff smile. She stared at me for a moment and nodded slowly, hopping off the desk.


    ¡°Aurelia?¡± I called her and she halted in her tracks, looking over her shoulder.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I whispered.


    She smiled at me and walked out.


    The conference room suddenly felt so suffocating and I rose to my feet in no time, prancing out of the room. I trudged into my office and started packing up.


    I put a call through to Riley once I was done and she came answering in no time.


    ¡°Good afternoon, Mrs. Gray.¡±


    ¡°Hey, Riley.¡± I dropped my bag on the table and turned to her. Her eyes grew pale as she approached me.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am fine. I just need to go home to rest for a bit. I need you to clear my schedule for the day. Can you do that for me?¡± I inquired, picking up my bag.


    ¡°Sure, I can. Please, take care of yourself.¡± She was pulling me in for a hug before I could say anything else. Instead of protesting, I only eased into it. I retracted after a while, shing her an appreciative smile, and I proceeded to leave the office.


    I unlocked my car with my keys and it beeped softly. I got in and threw my bag on the seat beside me, fastening my seatbelt. I ignited the engine and drove out of thepany¡¯s premises.


    The thought of going back home terrified me to bits and pieces. It shattered me. It crushed my soul. I was all by myself in that big house and I was slowly losing it, but it wasn¡¯t easy at work either. If I wasn¡¯t snapping at my workers, I was drifting in and out of my thoughts. I wasn¡¯t even getting anything done with that pattern.


    How could I be so stupid?


    How could I not read between the lines and pick on my naivety? I was falling back into my old cycle and I didn¡¯t even see it. I didn¡¯t understand how I thought I could get anything past Arden. I should have opened up to him when I had the chance. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to him.


    A shaky breath eluded me as I clutched the steering wheel tightly. The road ahead of me was a little deserted and there weren¡¯t many cars in sight. I stole a nce at my rearview mirror and furrowed my brows.


    A ck SUV was trailing me.


    I wasn¡¯t going to dwell on it that much, but I couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling niggling at me, so I decided to step on the elerator and increase the speed I was moving at. The car did the same and that was when my heart rate quickened.


    Someone was following me.


    My breath hung in my throat and tears began welling up in my eyes, making it so hard for me to breathe. It felt like my lungs were tightening up with each breath I took. I reached for my bag with my other hand and retrieved my phone, dialling Arden¡¯s number.


    It rang for a while but he didn¡¯t pick.


    ¡°Fuck it, Arden! Pick your call!¡± I cried, holding the steering wheel in ce with my shaky hands. The dread that seeped into me was slowly consuming me, intensifying my anxiety with every passing second.


    ¡°Shit!¡± I cursed.


    I opted for sending him a voice message instead.


    ¡°ArdenArden! I think¨CI think someone¡¯s following me. Please, call me!¡± I was far too distracted with my phone to notice a car speeding out of the nearest turn. When my eyes darted to the road, I let out a horrific scream and matched my brakes abruptly.


    The sudden action produced a screeching sound at the contact of my tires against the asphalt. My head jerked forward and would have collided with the windshield if it wasn¡¯t for the seatbelt that secured me tightly in ce.


    Tears dropped rapidly from my eyes, my cries reducing to wheezes. I jerked my head upwards and my eyes went wide with horror when I saw two hefty men stepping out of the car. I tried igniting my engine to make a reverse but the SUV was already blocking my path in the back.


    My body trembled violently as the air in the car got thinner and thinner. My vision was so blurry because of the tears that wouldn¡¯t stop drizzling down my cheeks.


    And it was as though a spark jolted my brain out of the blue. I unlocked the door and got out of the car, proceeding to make a run for it. The driver of the SUV chose that specific moment to step out of the car, approaching me in long strides.


    ¡°Someone help!¡± I screamed at the top of my lungs.


    ¡°He¡± My words died in my throat when someone pressed a white cloth on my nose. All I did was suck in a breath and my eyelids suddenly grew heavy. I tried to fight back but I was already being swept off the surface of the ground.


    ¡°Be careful with her. The boss doesn¡¯t want her to be hurt.¡± That was thest thing I heard before everything else went dark.

 Chapter 116

    JAXON


    ¡°So, you mean to¡± I chuckled, raking my fingers through my hair in frustration. I chuckled again. And again. And again. I was infuriated, but at the same time, I found the whole situation amusing.


    My workers knew the kind of person they worked with, yet they found new ways to aggravate me. It was as if they derived some sort of sick pleasure from watching me dish out punishments to them.


    He shifted on his feet, looking down at his feet. Hisposure was beginning to falter. His trembling gave him away.


    The air in the boardroom grew hotter by the second. It was thick with deafening silence, the temperature fluctuating now and then. With the tension that apanied the loud silence, I was so sure I would hear a pin drop.


    They sat in their seats like statues, unable to utter a word. No one wanted to be the scapegoat, but with the way my anger was escting, one of them was bound to go back home without his body intact.


    ¡°You mean to tell me that our sales have gotten this bad and you didn¡¯t think I should know about it?¡± I asked him, narrowing my eyes on his frame. If gaze could incinerate people, then he would have been six feet under. Worse, he would have crumbled to ashes.


    ¡°Answer me!¡± The resonance of my harsh voice filled up the room, threatening to swallow it whole. ¡°And you look me in the eye while I am talking to you!¡± I bellowed.


    His head shot up and his eyes locked with mine. The sheer horror that dented his eyes and dimmed them seemed fascinating for a moment. Heck, I would have relished it if I wasn¡¯t so angry.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¨Cam sorryboss,¡± He was a weak, stuttering mess. My fists collided with the surface of the desk, causing everyone to flinch in fright.


    ¡°You are sorry?¡± I scoffed.


    ¡°Will sorry bring back everything I lost? Are you being serious right now? Will your fucking apology make up for the money I have lost in the past week?¡± I threw questions at him, utterly outraged and not stopping to catch my breath.


    ¡°What-¡± My ringtone prevented me from saying a word further. My eyes swatted to the phone on the table and the caller ID made my heart skip multiple times.


    It was Peach.


    It took every ounce of restraint I had in me, not to reach for the phone and hear her voice. The thought of abandoning everything I was doing and going home to meet her was so tempting. My soul ached and yearned for her touch. For her. Heck, it felt like I could finally breathe when I saw that call.


    But then, the thought of Adam touching her, in all the ces I have touched her and made her scream my name. The thought of her moaning in his arms the way she did, whenever I had my hands and mouth all over her body, whenever I was buried deep inside of her, fuelled my anger and I found myself declining the call.


    I hissed through my teeth, muttering profanities under my breath. I knew the guy was dead, but it didn¡¯t make me quench my anger. It only amplified it because I wanted nothing more than to kill him a thousand times again.


    Again.


    Again.


    Again.


    Like I was induced into a trance, I snapped out of it. She could call all day long and I wouldn¡¯t pick. She has to learn the hard way. That¡¯s the only way she would learn to trust me, because whether she liked it or not, we were bound together, for eternity.


    I exhaled, a wave of exhaustion suddenly washing over me. My back met the headrest and I threw my head backwards, spinning around in the swivel chair.


    ¡°I need to breathe and you are all suffocating me, so get out. Now.¡± My voice was calm, yet it held a ring edge to it.


    They didn¡¯t have to be told twice. They scrambled to their feet and scampered out of the room, shutting the door behind them.


    I missed her. I missed my woman. I missed her smell, her voice, her touch. I missed everything about her. From the moment I stormed out of the room that night, it felt like I left a part of me in that room and the farther I was away from her, the more iplete I felt.


    I knew I would go out of my mind if I didn¡¯t know how she was faring and that was why I made it my life¡¯s mission to call Alberta every day and ask after her.


    My mind wandered to thest time I called Alberta and what she told me about her being sick. I knew I should be with her at home, helping her get through this, but the fact that he touched her wouldn¡¯t leave my memory.


    It was driving me crazy.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed.


    My phone chimed softly and I picked it up. I furrowed my brows when I saw the voice message from her. The urge to ignore it niggled at it but my curiosity was stronger. So, I tapped on the y button.


    A smile automatically made its way to my face but it didn¡¯tst long.


    ¡°Arden¨CArden! I think¨CI think someone is following me. Please, pick your call!¡± Her words were rushed. Her voice was quivering so badly, infused with so much fear.


    My heart lurched in my throat and I froze in my seat. My mind went nk on its own as I tried to grasp what was going on. For several seconds, I couldn¡¯t process anything. I was racked with shock.


    It was as though an rm went off in my brain, screeching loudly. That was all it took to jolt me back to consciousness. The first thing my mind could process was the phone call.


    Peach was in trouble. She had been trying to reach me but I didn¡¯t pick up her calls.


    I shot up from my seat in a nanosecond.


    ¡°DUNCAN!¡± I bellowed and the doors swung open.


    My eyes were fixated on him. I was trying tomunicate with him but every attempt I made only brought so much liquid to my eyes. My heart thudded against my chest, pounding horrifically. My breath was hanging in my lungs, drying up itself. The air in the room got thinner by the second and when I moved, I was a staggering mess.


    My breath came out in wheezes and I was clutching my chest. It felt like my whole world was beginning to spin, non-stop and I had no control over it.


    Unable to grasp my emotions that were all over the ce, I let out an excruciating scream.

 Chapter 117

    ASHLEY


    This was the most numb I have felt in days and strangely¡­I liked it. It wasn¡¯t so bad. Compared to the rollercoaster of emotions I have been tossed into these past few days.


    There was so much quietness,pared to the loudness in my head. It felt like I was hanging in a delicate bnce. Stuck in oblivion, even, where my conscious mind and unconscious mind were struggling with a breach.


    As peaceful as it felt, it made me feel so empty and I was struggling to snap back to my consciousness, but it was like I was being held back by an invisible force. It soon urred to me that I was the one holding myself back.


    And that was because somewhere between the numbness that enveloped me, there was a part of me like a fireball, struggling to resurface, and somehow, I was convinced that I knew what awaited me if I woke up and that was the reason I was holding back.


    But then, the numbness and the darkness slowly began clearing off. I struggled to hold onto it but it slowly slipped out of my grasp and I felt my eyelids flutter softly.


    I didn¡¯t fail to notice how heavy they felt because they were closing back in a nanosecond. The numbness I felt seemed to have been all in my head because the second I jolted back to consciousness, I felt a bone-crushing ache consume me, weakening every one of my limbs.


    I couldn¡¯t even move my body even if I tried.


    A tiny sound escaped my lips when I finally managed to keep my eyes open. The rough ceilings my gaze collided with had me furrowing my brows in confusion.


    My room doesn¡¯t look like this. I was sure of that and the discovery I made had my eyes darting around the room. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach when I took in my surroundings.


    For one, if it weren¡¯t for the sash window, I wouldn¡¯t be able to make out anything in the room. Even at that, it was still a tad bit dark. The rays of the moonlight pierced the window, reflecting its silvery essence in the confines of the old room.


    It looked like it hadn¡¯t been used in years and the furniture was out of date. I had to peer harder until it hit me that I was in a Victorian-themed room. On a normal day, I would have been fascinated but the creepiness that oozed off the room in waves terrified me so much and had dread consuming me.


    There was something about the eeriness of this ce that made chills settle on my skin. It made my stomach twist and churn with nerves, propelling my heartbeat to beat faster than its usual pace.


    Then, I tried to move. ¡°Argh!¡± I let out a sharp scream, induced with pain and my eyes moved to my hand. My eyes widened in sheer horror and the sight of the cuffs that bound my hand to his bedpost. It was even worse when I tried to pry my hands out of it. My other hand was also restrained by a cuff.


    Tears welled up in my eyes, leaving my throat clogged with sobs. I tried remembering how I got here but my brain couldn¡¯te up with anything.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡± I cried frantically. My eyes wandered around the room in distress, searching for a means of escape. The old wooden door just stared right back at me, mockingly. Even if I could leave the room, the cuffs binding me to the bed were a stumbling block.


    ¡°Please, let me out of here!¡¯ I squeaked, tears streaming down my face effortlessly.


    ¡°Please!¡±


    I tugged at my restraints, a little harshly, but all it left on my wrists was a sharp pain that resonated through the bones in them. Despite all my screaming, no one came to my rescue and I was beginning to get tired with each passing second. The condition I was in wasn¡¯t even helping the situation.


    My fluctuating hormones brought tiredness along with it every time.


    I exhaled, biting my trembling lips.


    When the door creaked open, my head snapped up with a deadly speed that threatened to detach my head from my neck, swinging towards the direction of the door.


    A deep frown made its way to my face when my eyes shed with a pair of sinister-looking golden orbs. They twinkled with a glint of mania and mischief. The darkness in those eyes was ring and it had the hair on my nape erecting.


    His golden hair looked really messy and he looked like he was in histe twenties. The ck shirt he was d in wasn¡¯t fully buttoned and it was tucked into ck pants. There was something about him that felt so familiar but I couldn¡¯t pinpoint it.


    ¡°Ah! Sleeping beauty is awake!¡± He chirped, shutting the door behind him. ¡°I was wondering when you would wake up.¡± He leaned on the wall, folding his arms across his chest.


    He couldn¡¯t hide the fascination that gleamed in his eyes and it made my veins simmer with so much hatred for him, without even knowing him.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you and why are you keeping me in here?¡± My voice was cold and hard.


    ¡°Easy, sweetheart,¡± he smirked, raising his hands in mock surrender. He pushed his frame off the wall and walked forward, retrieving a chair. He ced it at the edge of the bed, taking his seat.


    ¡°You are not deaf or are you?¡± I didn¡¯t care that I was being rude. I just didn¡¯t want to be anywhere around this man and it was hard to conceal my hatred for him.


    ¡°Oh,e on!¡± He whined.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break my heart and tell me you don¡¯t remember me¡­¡± His voice trailed off and he wiggled his eyebrows at me.


    ¡°How-¡±


    Like a harsh strike against my head, I connected the dots and let out a gasp, eliciting a chuckle from him. That wasn¡¯t the only thing I remembered. I remembered leaving the office¡­ and I got osted by some men¡­ I tried calling Arden but he wasn¡¯t picking up his calls.


    ¡°What did you do to me?¡± I barked at him, tugging at my restraints in a bid to reach for his face and w his eyes out.


    ¡°If you are not careful, I¡¯ll put you back to sleep!¡± His voice came out harsh and menacing, causing me to flinch.


    ¡°You were the one behind the shoot out at the charity dinner-Arden¡¯s-¡± He cut me off.


    ¡°Call me Micah, sweetheart.¡± He grinned.


    ¡°If I were you, I would let me go right now, because every second you hold me hostage brings you closer to your death!¡± I seethed.


    ¡°Fuck, you are one beautiful woman. Did he ever tell you that?¡± He asked me and his question knocked the breath right out of me and had my jaw dropping in surprise. He didn¡¯t seem fazed by my threats.


    ¡°Go to hell,¡± I said coldly.


    He got off his seat and went around the bed, stopping right by the bedside. I tried to mask my fear and put up an unaffected front but my shaky breath gave me away.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he began in a raspy voice. ¡°How hard it was for me to keep my hands to myself while you were sleeping,¡± he chuckled and I gasped. ¡°You are lucky I love them struggling.¡± He reached for my face and I tilted my head to the side.


    That got on his nerves, eliciting a scoff from him.


    ¡°Get your fucking hands off me!¡± I yelled and he swung his palm across my face, bringing tears to my eyes. I mped my teeth down on my lips to submerge the sob that threatened to ripple through my mouth.


    I wasn¡¯t about to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break.


    In the blink of an eye, he was trapping me beneath him and I was forced to scream, forgetting the fact that I didn¡¯t want him to see me break.


    ¡°Let me go! Don¡¯t touch me!¡± I cried.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we take a look at what¡¯s beneath the shirt?¡± He mused to himself, unaffected by my screams. I have never felt that powerless in my entire life. I thrashed and tugged at my cuffs, trying to get myself out of it, but it wasn¡¯t working.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    My legs were pinned beneath him.


    ¡°Please! I beg you!¡±


    All my pleas fell on deaf ears and he ripped my shirt open. The buttons of my chiffon shirt detached from its button-hole, shattering into pieces.


    I felt so bare and dirty beneath him. His fingers brushed my corbone and I squirmed in disgust, wiggling underneath him. They settled between my cleavage and he groaned. The animalistic sound was so disgusting.


    ¡°You are stunning!¡±


    ¡°Jaxon Gray is such a lucky bastard! He gets all the good things!¡± He growled. My eyes were blurred with tears, short pants emitting from me. My heart pounded against my chest as he toyed with the straps of my bra.


    ¡°Please, stop touching me!¡± My skin crawled with utter revulsion, my voice thick with loud sobs. I was tasting the tears on my lips due to how loud I was crying.


    He couldn¡¯t bring himself to give a damn. He looked like he was enjoying himself. When he swept his thumb on my lips, I didn¡¯t hesitate to mp my teeth on it.


    He yelled out in pain.


    ¡°Fucking bitch!¡± Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have done that because his fist connected with my face and I groaned. A loud sob tore through my lips as he rolled off me. His glowering eyes snapped towards me and I cowered backwards in fear.


    ¡°No one ising to save you, just so you know!¡± He growled.


    ¡°You can resist me all you want. It doesn¡¯t change the fact that I am going to have my way with you.¡± He released a derisive chuckle and I spat out blood.


    ¡°Fuck you!¡±


    ¡°Oh, yes you will.¡± He grinned and with onest lewd nce at my exposed breasts, he spun on his heels and stormed out of the room, mming the door shut.


    It echoed after him with a loud bang that threatened to rip the door off its hinges. The terrifying sound made me flinch.


    Tiredness descended upon me heavily, rendering my muscles so limp. I couldn¡¯t even make a sound because of how hoarse my voice had gotten.


    I stared at the door and my shoulders slumped in defeat. When I couldn¡¯t hold on anymore, I gave in to the tiredness and allowed it to envelope me.

 Chapter 118

    JAXON


    ¡°Arden¨CArden¡­¡±


    ¡°I think someone¡¯s following me.¡±


    ¡°Please, pick your call!¡±


    Her voice echoed in my head, incessantly. It was pointless trying to shut it out because it only emerged stronger than before. It haunted me. It destroyed me. It shattered me. It consumed me.


    The fear and distress that oozed off those words crushed my soul. It didn¡¯t help the guilt that overwhelmed me. If I hadn¡¯t been such an asshole. Such a stubborn prick, I would have been able to save her from him. From Micah.


    That bastard.


    He¡¯s going to wish he had neverid his hands on her when I find him. The fucking coward couldn¡¯te directly for me. He just had to get to me through the woman I love.


    The thought of what she must be going through in his hands aggravated my punches. It got more aggressive and I wouldn¡¯t stop ramming it against the punching bag that was swinging backwards, due to the weight of my hard punches.


    It never got the chance to stay back in bnce before I sent it flying backwards with an aggressive punch.


    My wrists were hurting. My knuckles throbbed so hard. My fingers had a sche shooting through them but I didn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t afford to stop. If I stopped punching, I would go crazy.


    I was drenched in sweat. Heck, it felt like I had just stepped out of the shower with my clothes on.This text is property of N?/velD/rama.Org.


    Duncan¡¯s walking into the room didn¡¯t avert my attention from the punching bag. My gaze even got deadlier. It was narrowed to the stress-


    relieving objects inser-like slits. I was practically shooting daggers at it, through my eyes.


    ¡°Coming in here,¡± I paused, delivering a punch to the bag. ¡°Should it mean that you finally have a fucking lead or I can assure you that your face is about to be the next punching bag.¡± My voice was dangerously calm but he knew I wasn¡¯t kidding with the threatening edge that was infused in it.


    ¡°Good evening boss,¡±


    ¡°Get to the fucking point!¡± I snapped.


    ¡°We still haven¡¯t gotten a lead. We tracked her car and her phone but it was traced to the point of the kidnap. We can¡¯t find her.¡± His tone was t-out dead, eliciting a reaction from me.


    With onest, solid punch at the bag, I moved backwards, breathing heavily. My punctured breath filled up the dim gym. I ripped my gloves off my hands, aggressively, tossing them somewhere in the room.


    My head snapped to his frame and I arched a brow at him, taking slow, menacing steps towards him. ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find her?¡± I asked harshly, narrowing my eyes on him.


    I could have sworn I saw him gulp swiftly.


    ¡°We-¡±


    ¡°Obviously your best isn¡¯t enough!¡± I went ballistic at him.


    ¡°You are not trying enough. Try harder!¡±


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t find her? We have got the best men in tech, for goodness sake!¡± I growled, marching towards him in long strides. I grabbed him by his cor, ring intently at him.


    ¡°We are working on it, boss.¡± He assured me and I hissed through clenched teeth, shoving him backwards.


    I walked away from him, raking my hands through my hair in frustration. I was going out of my mind. I was losing it. My sanity was slipping away from me.


    ¡°Boss,¡± he called out to me.


    ¡°What?¡± I barked.


    ¡°You have a call,¡± he announced.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s from an unknown number.¡± Those five words had me whipping my head in his direction. I exhaled and waved him over. He dropped the phone onto my palm and I picked up the call.


    ¡°Who the hell is this?¡±


    A deep throaty chuckle rang out through the speakers and I furrowed my brows in confusion.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break my heart and tell me you don¡¯t remember your old friend.¡± The haughtiness in that voice¡­ was so familiar. I had a faraway look on my face for a while until I finally connected all the dots.


    ¡°Micah,¡± I spat.


    My jaw was locked tightly.


    ¡°Where is she?¡± I demanded coldly, tightening my grip on the phone.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± His tone was dismissive.


    ¡°Where the hell is she?¡± I growled into the phone, losing my shit with him.


    ¡°How does it feel, huh?¡± He taunted me, unfazed by my treat. It took everything in me not to haul my phone to the wall.


    ¡°How does it feel to have what you want the most taken from you?¡± He sneered and I scoffed, clenching my fist.


    ¡°I¡¯ll hang your bloody head on a bloody spike!¡±


    ¡°You want your girl?¡± He snickered.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe to get her? I¡¯ll text you the address. Let¡¯s end this once and for all.¡± His voice was heavy with pride, eliciting a sadistic smirk from me.


    ¡°I dare you, you son of a bitch.¡± I said coldly and the bastard hung up on me before I could say anything else.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, fisting my hair.


    ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡±


    I turned to Duncan, who stared back at me with a hint of emotion on his face.


    ¡°Get the boys,¡± I told him. With how dead my voice sounded. He didn¡¯t have to be told twice. He gave me a curt how and sauntered out of the room.


    ¡°I aming to get you, Peach.¡±

 Chapter 119

    JAXON


    The car came to a halt at a safe distance, in the middle of nowhere. I furrowed my brows, looking through the windshield in confusion. I was propelled to believe that I had the wrong address but the GPS couldn¡¯t be wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s the right ce¡­¡± Duncan¡¯s voice trailed off beside me and my frown deepened.


    ¡°Son of a bitch,¡± I mumbled under my breath.


    ¡°He just had to choose a less obvious hideout. Fucking coward.¡± I sneered and got out of the car, mming the door shut. I looked over to where Duncan was standing.


    ¡°Get the guys on guard. I don¡¯t trust that bastard,¡± I instructed. He nodded in response. ¡°Yes, boss.¡±


    The only sound akin to noise was the chirping of the birds in the distance, alongside the crunching sounds my boots made with the dry leaves as I weaved my way deeper into the woods. My vision and my hearing seemed more enhanced as I navigated my way forward. I wasn¡¯t even giving myself any chance to be caught off guard.


    Micah could be a fucking fool, but the bastard isn¡¯t far from having a few tricks up his sleeve.


    The old Victorian mansion came into view, deepening my grimace. It looked like a house straight out of an old horror movie. It was so creepy and left goosebumps sprouting all over my skin. I found myself wondering how the hell he found this ce.


    I was whipping out my Glock in no time, aiming it at the hefty guard at the entrance of the mansion, but my men were quicker because his body was falling to the floor with a loud thud in the blink of an eye.


    My eyes darted around in scrutiny before I proceeded into the house, kicking his heavy body out of my way as I muttered incorrigibles under my breath.


    I kicked the door open, colliding right with a man I didn¡¯t hesitate to shoot. The deste living room was way too dark for me to make out anything. I wouldn¡¯t have seen anything in sight if it weren¡¯t for the rays of the moonlight that reflected in the room.


    I fired a shot at the man on sight. I felt my body whipped into a strong grip from behind and I groaned, jabbing my elbow into his stomach. It earned a loud grunt from him and I put a bullet through his head, breathing heavily.


    Two armed men emerged from a corner in the room but I was already aiming shots at them.


    I got knocked off my feet from behind.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I groaned.


    My assaulter descended on me, kicking my gun out of my grip. I growled, headbutting him. I applied pressure on his neck, flipping us over. I rained punches on his face, rendering him weak, and then I knocked him out cold.


    I rolled off him, picking up my gun.


    The unceasing fire outside of the mansion signalled my men¡¯s upper hand. Once I saw the living room was clear, I kicked the body out of my way, my face contorting in a deep frown.


    ¡°MICAH!¡± I yelled.


    ¡°Come on out, you fucking coward!¡± I spoke with undiluted venom.


    ¡°Oh, I am right here, you moron!¡± He spat and I spun around, aiming for his head, but I froze at the sight of Peach in his grip. He was holding her by her hair. Her eyes were filled with so many tears that streamed down her face, uncontrobly.


    My heart clenched in pain, causing me to stagger backwards. The sight weakened me to the bones.


    I knew he had me right where he wanted me, judging by the smirk on his face.


    ¡°What is it about this girl, huh? What?¡± His voice raised an octave higher, dripping with raw malice. He yanked at her hair and she screamed.


    ¡°Arden!¡± She cried.


    ¡°Shut up, you stupid bitch!¡±


    ¡°Stop hurting her!¡± Every ounce of confidence in my voice waspletely depleted. My voice was reduced to a weak, croaky whisper.


    ¡°God, you are pathetic!¡± He growled.


    ¡°Just let her go, okay?!¡± My voice raised a notch.


    ¡°You are so blinded by your feelings for her that you don¡¯t even realise how weak it makes you.¡± He sneered.


    ¡°Easy for you to say!¡± I bit at him.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°You are the one who took an innocent woman just to get back at a man like you. If that¡¯s not weakness, then I don¡¯t know what that is.¡± I told him, my voice void of any emotions.


    That struck a nerve because his frown deepened.


    ¡°Your jealousy will be the end of you, you know?¡± His lips curved in a smirk, eliciting a deep frown from me.


    ¡°You im to love her,¡± he paused, sparing her a disgusted nce. ¡°Yet you don¡¯t even trust her!¡± He bellowed.


    He could tell by the expression on my face that I didn¡¯t understand what he was saying. That made him scoff in annoyance.


    ¡°Did you even know how easy it was getting Adam to agree toe between you two after he came back to town?¡± He had a psychotic grin on his face, knocking my breath right out of me.


    ¡°What?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°You-¡±


    ¡°Shut up!¡± He fired at Peach when she tried to intercede.


    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t been such a prick, you wouldn¡¯t have pushed her right into harm¡¯s way by leaving her all vulnerable!¡± He spat.


    Fuck, what did I do?


    ¡°But it worked just fine for me because you yed right into my arms,¡± he clicked his tongue in distaste, flushing Peach¡¯s body against his. He pressed the barrel of the gun on her neck and a scream tore through her lips.


    ¡°Get your fucking hands off her!¡± I bellowed.


    ¡°One wrong move and she is gone, so I suggest you get on your fucking knees and do as I say!¡± He fired back at me, the harshness of his tone matching mine.


    The bastard had me right where he wanted me. I gritted my teeth in annoyance and went on my knees. My jaw was locked tightly.


    ¡°Now, drop your fucking gun!¡± He ordered. I sumbed to his words, not holding back because I could lose everything but not her. I couldn¡¯t lose her, so Iplied.


    He pranced forward, dragging her along. She looked so terrified. My heart broke with every tear that rolled down her cheek.


    She didn¡¯t ask for this. She shouldn¡¯t have gotten entangled with the whole thing in the first ce. I was the selfish asshole who wouldn¡¯t let her go.


    ¡°Baby, I am right here, okay? I am here?¡± My voice softened as I fixed my eyes on hers alone, tuning out every other thing. Although she was scared shirtless, my words seemed to quell her uneasiness.


    ¡°Oh, for the love of God, keep your damn mouth shut!¡± He snapped, his eyes darkening in rage.


    ¡°Jaxon Gray, leader of the Vixen Mafia, how does it feel to have everything taken away from you? To be at the receiving end?¡± He asked with a derisive chuckle. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying it way too much and I hated it.


    I wanted nothing more than to snap his fucking neck and put him through hell for hurting my girl.


    ¡°Screw you,¡± I said coldly. If gazes were murderous, Micah would have been six feet below the ground.


    ¡°Oh, you are the one who¡¯s going to-¡± A loud gunshot went off and Micah let out an excruciating scream. His vulnerability at that moment made his hold on Peach growx and she fell to the ground with a loud thud.


    Her safety had clouded everyone of my reasoning and I was bolting off where I knelt, running to where shey on the floor, wincing in pain.


    ¡°Hey, hey, I have got you,¡± I whispered, helping her up.


    She was wavering in her steps but I was able to hold her in ce with my hands. Her relief didn¡¯tst long because her eyes went wide with shock.


    ¡°Jaxon! Arden!¡± Two voices yelled all at once but it was hard to ce because one minute, I was standing beside her and the next minute, I was sent flying to the other end of the room. She had pushed me with a strength I didn¡¯t know she possessed, causing me to crash against the surface of the floor.


    The moment Inded on the floor, multiple gunshots went off, immediately and everything went blurry all at once. I couldn¡¯t make out anything anymore¡­


    Every sound felt so distant.


    All I could do was watch her body drop to the floor with a thud.


    ¡°Evaline!¡± I screamed.


    I garnered all the strength I had left in me, dashing off to meet her body on the floor, where she was sprawled, groaning in pain.


    I pulled her body to myself, shaking her frame vigorously. My eyes wandered around the room, uneven breaths eluding me. My eyes darted to Duncan¡¯s bloodied frame by the door, clutching his arm tightly. He was losing a lot of blood.


    His gun slipped off his bloodied hands and met the surface of the cold floor, alongside Micah¡¯s dead body a few feet away from him.


    ¡°Ar¨Cden,¡± Her strained voice diverted my attention to her body. The blood that gushed out of her upper chest was so much, soaking up her skin.


    ¡°Peach, look at me!¡± I screamed.


    Her eyelids were getting heavier but she was trying to hold on to my arm as tightly as she could. Her hold on my hands got weaker and weaker.


    ¡°Someone, help!¡±


    ¡°Ar¨Cden,¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything, baby. Just focus on the sound of my voice.¡± I pleaded desperately in a quivering voice, applying pressure on her bleeding chest. I pulled my shirt over my head, stuffing the material against the affected area.


    ¡°I am here, don¡¯t say anything¡­¡± My tears were obscuring my vision, making it really hard for me to see her.


    ¡°Sto¨Cp¨Cstop-¡± She coughed violently.


    ¡°I am going to get help, I promise,¡± I assured her, trying to be strong for the both of us, but the fact that Duncan¡¯s body was lying a few feet away from me, disputed that fact.


    He shot Micah, no doubt, and that took all the strength he had left, rendering him so weak.


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡± My desperate voice rang out in the room. My eyes wandered around the room, fervently, in search of anyone or anything that could help.


    ¡°Boss!¡± One of my men yelled, barging into the living room.


    ¡°Get a fucking ambnce!¡± I bellowed at him shakily.


    But by the time I turned to Peach, I could only make out thest three words she said to me. ¡°I¨CI¨CI loveyou,¡±


    My whole world shattered right into pieces because her eyes snapped shut afterwards, eliciting an ear-splitting scream from me.

 Chapter 120

    JAXON


    ¡°Jaxon,¡±


    ¡°Jaxon,¡±


    ¡°Jax-¡±


    ¡°I can hear you!¡± I snapped.


    I stopped pacing and spared Aunt Caroline a nce. Her eyes were soft with assurance but it didn¡¯t do anything to quell my restlessness. It only left me more perturbed than I was.


    ¡°Jaxon, have your seat for goodness sake,¡± she implored me. My stone-cold gaze seemed to have given me away that I wasn¡¯t about to listen to her, so she took a step forward, grabbing my arm.


    My eyes stung with unshed tears, thickening the lump that settled in my throat. It was hard trying to keep my tears at bay, and at some point, I gave up on trying. I allowed it to stream down my face effortlessly.


    ¡°She¡¯s¡± I breathed shakily. ¡°She¡¯s in there because of me!¡± The quiver in my voice overpowered its octave.


    ¡°My wife is fighting for her life and it¡¯s all because of me!¡± I yelled at her, snatching my hands away from her grip.


    ¡°Do you think yelling and pacing down the halls of the hospital would change the situation?¡± Maria¡¯s harsh tone had me whisking my head in her direction. I levelled a glowering look at the dark-haired woman rocking her daughter gently in her arms.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± My voice was t-out cold. My eyes were locked with hers in a death stare. If she was affected, she didn¡¯t give anything away. She only peered at me with her green teary orbs.


    ¡°Why are you acting like you are the only one that cares about her?¡± She asked, her voice carrying a mixture of pain and hurt.


    ¡°We do too! And that¡¯s why we are here! So, why don¡¯t you stop acting like an asshole, ming yourself and sit the fuck down!¡± Maria yelled at me, not caring about my hardened gaze.


    I stared at her, my chest heaving up and down. I didn¡¯t even know what to say to her. My thoughts were jumbled and it was hard for me to evene up with a word, so I peeled my eyes off her, walking farther away from Aunt Caroline, raking my fingers through my hair.


    For a moment, I thought about how empty she felt when I nearly lost my life during that shootout. If this was how she felt, then I needed someone to take this pain away.


    It hurts so much that I could barely breathe.


    ¡°We have been here for over twelve hours and that fucking doctor keeps telling me to keep my calm!¡± I bellowed, attracting attention to myself.


    ¡°Jaxon!¡± My aunt chided me sternly.


    ¡°I swear to God, if he steps out of that ward and tells me to calm down one more time, I am going to wreck a fucking desk in his face!¡± I growled.


    Andrew sauntered into the lobby, looking nearly as dishevelled as I was. His dull eyes were narrowed at us and his strides increased. He walked over to where his wife sat, grabbing hold of her hand.


    ¡°Has the doctor said anything?¡± His question was directed at no one in particr. His eyes wandered amid us trio as he waited for answers.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I scoffed, sparing him a nce.


    Maria threw me a stink eye and turned to her husband. ¡°Duncan is fine but we haven¡¯t heard anything about Ashley¡¯s health.¡± She answered him softly.


    Fuck, what was I thinking about dragging her into my mess? Why did I leave home in the first ce?


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I cursed, the resonance of my voice travelling across the length of the room.Material ? N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°Hey, hey, hey,¡± Andrew¡¯s tender voice came up behind me and he was grabbing me by the shoulder in no time, shaking my body vigorously. My breath trembled so badly, fresh tears filled up my eyes.


    ¡°Jaxon, look at me.¡± He told me and my eyes swatted at him, holding his gaze. He was just as worried as I was.


    ¡°She¡¯s going to make it through this, I promise you.¡± He assured me.


    ¡°I should never have brought her into all these things. I am supposed to be in there, not her!¡± My voice came out harsher than I intended. He didn¡¯t take it to heart. His eyes conveyed his sheer understanding.


    ¡°I can¡¯t lose her, Andrew. I would fall apart without her. I am going to crumble. She¡¯s the only thing keeping me together.¡± My voice was reduced to whispers, bare of any ounce of confidence.


    ¡°And you won¡¯t lose her,¡± his words were seeping with conviction.


    ¡°She¡¯s going toe back to you. Come here,¡± he exhaled, drawing me in for an embrace. I didn¡¯t think about anything else. It was exactly what I needed because I was bawling my eyes out in his arms like a little child.


    Andrew didn¡¯t let me go. He held on to me so tightly and allowed me to be vulnerable in his arms.


    ¡°Where is my daughter? Where is she?!¡± My head shot up from Andrew¡¯s shoulder, snapping towards the entrance.


    Peach¡¯s mom had her eyes travelling around the room until itnded on us. She wasn¡¯t alone. She was in thepany of her husband, Dawn, Ivana and another guy who didn¡¯t look familiar to me in any way, but all I could notice was his protective hold around a disoriented Dawn.


    Aunt Caroline got off her seat, plodding over to where her mom was and then she pulled her in for a hug. The older woman broke down into tears, holding on to my aunt. The sight ripped me to shreds. I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes on them for long.


    ¡°Jaxon, how is she?¡± Ivana¡¯s swollen eyes were locked on mine. Her messy blonde hair was tucked in a bun but nearly all the strands were sticking out in different directions.


    ¡°Say something!¡± Dawn snapped.


    ¡°Baby, calm down.¡± The guy holding her pulled her back. If it weren¡¯t for his strong grip. The vicious-looking woman would have sunk her ws into my eyes.


    ¡°This is all his fault!¡± She yelled at me.


    ¡°Dawn!¡± Ivana cautioned her with a deep frown and she huffed, wiping the tears that ran down her cheeks.


    ¡°Don¡¯t yell at me!¡± Her voice was meant to be harsh but it came out as a quiver.


    ¡°Baby-¡± The guy in herpany tried to speak but she shunned him.


    ¡°Stay out of it, Matteo.¡±


    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to yell at you, then stop acting like a fucking child and stop pointing using fingers at anyone,¡± Ivana¡¯s voice seemed to have regained its calmness but it still held an edge to it.


    ¡°Now is not the time to be ounting mes. We are here for our friend and if you cannot respect him as the man she loves, you sure as hell respect the fact that he is her husband!¡± Her voice rose a notch, carrying an assertiveness that had everyone sealing their mouths shut.


    All Vincent did was wrap his arm around her waist, massaging her side softly, in an attempt to keep her anger in check.


    The blonde had her fixed on a fuming Dawn, who in turn red at me and stepped out of her man¡¯s arms, marching over to one of the seats and plopping on it.


    Then, Ivana turned to me. Her eyes softened immediately.


    ¡°Has the doctor said anything?¡± She asked me, her eyes shimmering with tears.


    ¡°We haven¡¯t heard anything,¡± I answered her, suddenly too weak to raise my voice. Mr. Miller walked past me without a word, going over to join his wife.


    I exhaled.


    ¡°Hey, man.¡± Vincent patted my shoulder while the other guy threw me a curt mod which I acknowledged stiffly.


    ¡°Mr. Gray?¡± The deadly speed at which I whipped my neck over my shoulder nearly snapped the bones surrounding it into pieces.


    The Doctor¡¯s step wasced with urgency but mine was more inhumane speed. We were all rushing towards him in a nanosecond, invading his personal space.


    ¡°How is she? Where¡¯s my wife? Is she okay?¡± I threw questions at him, grabbing him by the shoulder. A look of relief washed over his face and that immediately had immense relief surging through me.


    ¡°She¡¯s fine now.¡± Those three words filled the room with sighs offort.


    ¡°She¡¯s stable now, and thankfully, the baby is fine too. She¡¯s still unconscious though.¡± The Doctor¡¯s words knocked out every ounce of breath I had left in me, shoving me backwards like an invisible force.


    I was puzzled, watching him with bewilderment. He looked equally surprised.


    ¡°What baby?¡±


    ¡°Mrs. Gray is about six weeks gone.¡± He dropped the bombshell, eliciting a gasp from everyone.


    My legs gave me away and I dropped on the nearest seat with a thud. I couldn¡¯t make sense of what he was saying. My thoughts ran haywire, matching the pace of my erratic breathing.


    ¡°Wh¨Cat¨CI¡ªshe is pregnant?¡± I rushed out my words in stammers.


    Peach was carrying my child. Our baby. Did she know she was pregnant? Did she put herself in harm¡¯s way knowing there was a life growing inside of her?


    ¡°Can¨Cfuck!¡± I groaned, raking my fingers through my hair. I sucked in a deep breath, looking up to meet everyone¡¯s worried gaze.


    ¡°Fuck, I didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know she was pregnant. We¨Chave¡ªoh, my God!¡± I was a stuttering, quivering mess.


    ¡°Jaxon, Jaxon, look at me.¡± Ivana was crouching in front of me in no time. Her soft voicepelled me to yield to her request. Her eyes glistened with happy tears. She couldn¡¯t hide it. She took my hands in hers, squeezing them softly.


    ¡°Everything is going to be fine. Right now, you should go and see her.¡± She whispered to me and I nodded my head, trying to keep my eyes fixated on her blurred frame.


    ¡°Now, go.¡± She urged me and I turned to the doctor.


    ¡°Can I see her?¡±


    ¡°Yes, pleasee with me.¡±


    ¡°Ivana¡± Dawn tried to disagree.


    ¡°Dawn, please! Let the man see his wife. We can go see herter. Just stop being so difficult!¡± She snapped.


    ¡°Ivana¡¯s right.¡± Peach¡¯s Dad spoke up for the first time since he stepped into the hospital. They all shared a nce and nodded afterwards.


    ¡°Go,¡± her mom mumbled to me and I rose to my feet, wiping my tears.


    And then, I allowed the doctor to lead me to the private ward she was in.

 Chapter 121

    JAXON


    My hands hung mid-air, a few inches away from the surface of the door. I swallowed the lump that gathered in my throat, wiping my hands on the trousers I hadn¡¯t changed out of in days.


    They did try to get me to change it.


    But I didn¡¯t want anything that would take me back to a ce where she wasn¡¯t. So, I was stuck here looking utterly dishevelled.


    Heaving a sigh, I twisted the knob and stepped into the room, shutting the door behind me.


    I spun around and I didn¡¯t miss the look of surprise that shed across his face. He wasn¡¯t one to disy his emotions, but it was hard for him to conceal his shock. The hospital wear made him look very weird and the chuckle that tumbled out of my mouth was hard to submerge.


    ¡°Good morning, boss.¡± His chapped lips quirked in a small smile that elicited a grin from me. There was no need to keep my guard up right now. It was useless anyway.


    After all, he was on that bed because he was trying to save me. To save her. If he hadn¡¯t shot Micah, the tables would have spun differently and we would have been telling a different story.


    And for that, I was grateful to him.


    ¡°Drop the formalities.¡± I threw a dismissive wave in the air, slipping into the seat beside the bed.


    He looked shitty. There was no sugarcoating it. His eyes were pale and his blonde hair was very dry. The bags beneath his eyes were nothing to write home about. They made his eyes appear sunken and hollow.


    ¡°Geez, you look like shit,¡± I remarked and he chuckled throatily, coughing violently afterwards. I reached for the bottle of water behind me, handing it to him.


    He took arge gulp and returned it to me, sending me an appreciative smile.


    ¡°How do you feel now?¡± I asked him. My eyes softened a little bit and he sighed, sinking his body into the cocoons of the soft pillow as gently as he could.


    ¡°Like a truck ran me over, but I will live.¡± He smirked at me.


    ¡°Thank you, Duncan. I never got a chance to say it. Heck, my pride wouldn¡¯t let me say it at times,¡± I chuckled, tears welling up in my eyes. He smiled back at me and I ced my hand on his, squeezing it gently with an appreciative smile on my face.


    ¡°I¡¯d probably be six feet under if it weren¡¯t for you and Peach would be dead too,¡± I added, a forlorn look settling on my face. The tears that brimmed heavily in my eyes began dripping down my face rapidly, obscuring my gaze.


    ¡°We look after our own, remember?¡± He reminded me with the ghost of a smile ying on his lips.


    ¡°That we do,¡± I buttressed what he had said.


    ¡°Is she awake?¡± His voice was barely audible but I could pick up on what he said, due to our proximity.


    ¡°She¡¯s not and I am scared that I wouldn¡¯t be able to keep it together for much longer. I miss her, Duncan.¡± I heaved a shaky breath.


    ¡°A Queen doesn¡¯t abandon her subjects. She¡¯lle back to you.¡± He assured me with a smile and a chuckle flowed breezily from my lips.


    ¡°Yeah, I hope so.¡± I sighed.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    ¡°I¡¯lle to check up on youter, man,¡± I told him, patting his shoulder. shing him a weak smile, I rose to my feet and sauntered out of the room, shutting the door behind me.


    _________________


    The loud beeping, which I could never get used to, no matter how many times I have been here reverberated throughout the room. It was incessant and each beep felt like a prickle against my skin, depleting me of every ounce of hope I had in me before I walked in here.


    The mncholy that lingered in the air always found a way to weigh me down. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that I had it all under control, it just crushed every surge of hope within me.


    I hated the unceasing sound!


    I hated the white walls!


    The bright lights!


    I hated seeing her so helpless on that bed. A painful reminder that she was in that position because of me. Her body was tucked beneath the covers and the oxygen mask on her nose was to the machine that monitored the steady rhythm of her heartbeat.


    My legs were light against the surface of the ground. A wave of tiredness engulfed me, swallowing me whole. Myboured breathing picked up a faster pace, echoing simultaneously alongside the heart monitor.


    I wanted to rip my heart out and stuff it somewhere, so I wouldn¡¯t feel this way anymore. I was torn to shreds, shattered into a gazillion pieces. I felt so hollow, yet so full of emotions that surged through me, all at once, tearing me apart.


    I was slumping into the chair in front of her in no time, releasing a punctured breath. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach as my fingers reached to brush a strand of her hair off her pale face.


    Her supple skin was drained of colour. Her hair was so dry and void of its lushness. She seemed to have lost a lot of weight. She appeared lifeless but the rising and falling of her chest dissuaded that theory.


    ¡°Hey, Peach.¡± I couldn¡¯t recognise my voice. It was hoarse, cracked and strained. I took her hand gently, brushing my fingers over the rocky part of her ring.


    My eyes scanned every inch of her face. It was as if I didn¡¯t want any movement she made to flicker past my view.


    ¡°If you were here right now, you¡¯d probably be talking my ears out on how I should stop apologising-¡± I paused, exhaling softly. The soft breath was apanied by a lone tear that rolled down my cheek. ¡°But the truth is, I can¡¯t stop ming myself for putting you through this,¡± I added.


    ¡°You and our baby¡­¡± My voice trailed off, filled with sadness.


    ¡°I am trying to be as positive as I can that you are going toe back to me but it¡¯s been very hard.¡± I bared out my soul to her,ying my worries all on herp.


    ¡°It¡¯s so hard without you, Peach. Fuck, I am losing my mind.¡± I let out a strangled sob, burning my face onto the back of her hand to muffle the sounds that emitted from me.


    This womanpleted me. Utterly. Thoroughly. Completely. And without her, I was crumbling so hard. I didn¡¯t know who or what to be without her. She was my anchor and I was falling apart without her.


    My sanity was drifting away from me.


    I dragged in a long breath, puffing it out slowly, and I sniffed against her hands. I brought my hands to my face, wiping my tears.


    ¡°Baby, you have toe back for me. For us. For our baby. For our new family.¡± I pleaded.


    ¡°I miss you so much that it hurts.¡± I whimpered like a little child. With her, vulnerability has always been out of the question and right now, it was no different.


    ¡°I love you, Peach. Juste back to me.¡± My eyes shimmered with so many tears, blurring her frame from my view.


    A knock sounded on the door and I quickly wiped tears, pressing a kiss to her hand.


    ¡°The door is not locked.¡± I said hoarsely.


    It creaked open and Maria stepped into the room. Her already dim green eyes appeared duller than it was when she saw the position I was in. She advanced to where I sat and pulled me into a hug that I eased into, dropping my head on her shoulder and sobbing like an infant.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Jay.¡±


    ¡°Everything will be fine.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯lle back to us. She has to. There are so many people and things waiting for her. She knows that too.¡± Maria¡¯s words of reassurance was supposed to be like a balm to soothe my wounded soul.


    It ought to quell my uncertainty.


    But it didn¡¯t.


    Because at this point, I wasn¡¯t so sure of anything anymore and it begs the question of how the hell I am going to navigate this world without the love of my life by my side.

 Chapter 122

    JAXON


    I pushed the ss doors open, letting myself onto the rooftop. The chilling breeze that lingered in the air wrapped me up in its airy and soothing essence, running swiftly across every inch of my skin that was bare to its touch.


    It cocooned me and I couldn¡¯t help but release a soft sigh. A wave of tranquillity washed over me, luring me into its embrace, and I found my stiff muscles sumbing to the sensation.


    The chills that settled on my skin pierced their way through it, easing me off the weight that seemed to burden my shoulders before I stepped onto the rooftop.


    I tucked my hands into my pockets, striding toward the strong iron bars that made up the rails. My hands dropped on it, wrapping around it immediately while I soaked in the beguiling view of the city from where I stood.


    There was a distinct allure the evening possessed from up here. I literally felt like I was floating in the air, utterly captivated by the sheer beauty the night held. The moonlight cocooned the dark clouds with its silvery essence, surrounded by stars that felt like sprinkles of fairy dust.


    The bustling city echoed with the sound of moving vehicles that moved in synchrony with the busy street. It was vibrant with life and the golden hue of the lights that surrounded the tall buildings blended with the ethereal glow of the moonlight that oozed on the surface of the earth, seizing me in a chokehold with how enchanting it looked.


    The surge of satisfaction that coursed through my veins was simply fulfilling. The view was so surreal and it almost appeared as though I had transcended into another ne, simply because of how breathtaking it looked.


    However, it was a distraction because the thoughts I was trying so hard to suppress and needed an escape from started resurfacing and then quenched every bit of satisfaction that dared brew within me.


    It consumed me in a matter of seconds, increasing my pressure on the iron bars.


    All those pent-up feelings, I visualised it and it morphed into a ball of volcano. It shot through me in the form of an agonising scream, extracting tears and shaky breaths from me.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± I yelled into nothingness. The air mingled with the pain-induced sound that emitted from me, shooting it through the miles away from me.


    ¡°Let it all out.¡±


    The masculine voice that came up behind me made my back stiffen. My hands froze against the iron bars. Gathering myself, I swallowed the lump that settled in my throat, spinning around in a painstakingly slow way.


    My eyes darted to his figure by the door, watching me with the nkest expression ever.


    I was baffled as to why he even spoke to me, because the man hasn¡¯t said a word to me since the thing with Peach happened.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it together if you can¡¯t,¡± he simply said, walking towards me. He took his ce beside me, staring into the night.


    His eyes drifted from the sky andnded on me. I had to gulp to keep my breath in ce.


    ¡°Oh, Jaxon.¡± He sighed.


    ¡°I don¡¯t hate you,¡± he began, and I exhaled in relief. Heck, I didn¡¯t even know I was holding my breath until he began speaking.


    He chuckled.


    ¡°Well, I used to, but I don¡¯t think I can hate the man my daughter loves.¡± He shrugged casually, casting me a wry nce.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean I necessarily like you either.¡± He deadpanned and my heart dropped alongside his words.


    ¡°I think I can live with that and I understand where you areing from. I am not exactly the ideal son-inw, given the wrong foot we started with.¡± I exined, maintaining eye contact with him.


    His lips quirked in a smile.


    ¡°Her mom is just very protective of her. She doesn¡¯t hate you either. It¡¯s kind of hard to hate the person whom your daughter¡¯s life revolves around. She can¡¯t keep a grudge for long.¡± The ghost of a smile yed on his lips.


    I nodded without saying a word.


    ¡°I love her,¡± I proimed, and he looked at me. His eyes softened and he exhaled.


    ¡°I know you do, but it doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t feel good to hear you say it. It¡¯s all we have ever wanted for her. For her to be happy and I am d she is finally with a man whopletes her.¡± His eyes mirrored the softness in his words.


    ¡°So¡± The crack in his voice was evident. ¡°So, be good to her.¡± All I could read in his eyes and hear in his words was an unconditional love of a father for his daughter.


    It brought so many tears to my eyes and before I knew what was going on, he was drawing me in for a manly hug, which I reciprocated.


    ¡°This still doesn¡¯t mean I like you.¡± He croaked.


    I chuckled. ¡°As I said, I can live with that,¡± I murmured to him, smiling softly.


    ¡°Mr. Gray?¡±


    I was forced to retract my body from his embrace. I looked over my shoulder and furrowed my brows at the warm smile on his face.


    ¡°She¡¯s awake and she¡¯s asking for you,¡± he announced.


    _________________


    ¡°She is awake and she is asking for you.¡±


    Those nine words impelled my brain into overdrive because, at the speed of light, I was breezily moving past her dad, nearly knocking the doctor down and bolting to her ward.


    I nearly tripped on my heels but it didn¡¯t deter me from channelling all my energy into getting to my destination.


    I pushed the door open, barging into the ward like a maniac. It attracted the attention of everyone else in the room. They looked over their shoulders, beaming with radiant smiles that sparkled with so much life.


    They encircled her frame, obstructing her from my view, but when they saw how apprehensive I looked, they were paving the way for me to get through to her, baring her figure to my view.


    My heart stopped.


    Not because I was sad or scared. It was because she knocked the breath right out of me with the blooming smile on her face that illuminated the room, mirroring the vibrant energy oozing off her aura.


    ¡°Peach¡­¡± I choked out in a whisper.


    My legs moved me from the spot where I stood at a speed I couldn¡¯tprehend because how I found myself in her arms was all so blurry.


    I gathered her frame in my arms and I broke into uncontroble sobs at how perfect she felt in my arms. I didn¡¯t care that it appeared like I wanted to fuse my body with hers. I just wanted to hold her and feel her against me.


    When she enclosed her arms around me, I melted into a puddle against her, sniffing against her chest. I breathed in her scent and I could feel every dead cell in my body awakening with a renewed sense of energy.


    The rejuvenation I felt was overwhelming.


    She smelled like antiseptic but it didn¡¯t make her less appealing. She consumed me with her embrace, pressing her body against mine like she was so scared I could let her go.


    My sobs, her silence, and her touch were the words we needed to say at that moment. I was content with not having to say anything. I just wanted to be in her arms for eternity.


    The receding footsteps indicated that our family were quietly leaving the room. They could sense how our souls were rekindling like an old me and wanted to give us all the space we needed.


    ¡°I missed you. Fuck. God, I missed you. I missed you, Peach. It hurts. I missed you.¡± I was rambling in her arms and all it earned me was a soft chuckle that made me squeeze her frame even more, sighing in bliss.


    ¡°Can you say something?¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Hey, husband man.¡± Her luscious voice seeped into my ears and shot through me like a surge of vibration that ignited every dead feeling in my body.


    ¡°Hey, baby,¡± I mumbled back at her, not letting her out of her grip. She didn¡¯t seem to mind. She wanted me to hold her as much as I could.


    I let her out of my arms after relishing her embrace.This is property ? N?velDrama.Org.


    Her brown eyes seized me in a chokehold, stripping me of my breath when I locked eyes with her. They gleamed with so much life, their vibrance rubbing off on me. It felt like our souls were merging through our eye contact. I could feel her. All of her. Her energetic mood fuelled me up instantly,pleting me like a puzzle.


    My eyes scanned every inch of her face, taking it in bit by bit of her wless face, and I was left to wonder how she managed to appear more ethereal than she previously was.


    I was consumed by this woman. I knew it but the thought of it still felt so surreal and made me giddy with happiness like a little child.


    ¡°Do I-¡±


    I was cursing under my breath in a nanosecond, gently grabbing the back of my head and capturing her lips in a kiss.


    I didn¡¯t know how much I had missed her until our lips connected, dissolving the world around us. It rendered it hollow, transcending us into a ne where only our presence mattered. Her soft lips against mine engulfed my being into mes, incinerating me into ashes yet, making me feel the most alive I have ever felt.


    Our lips moved in sync, tossing us into an endless loop of ecstasy that consumed every inch of our being. My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach, erupting into butterflies as my lips stroked hers hungrily, iming her and showing her just how much I had missed her.


    She moaned against my mouth and I felt myself overwhelmed with a burning sensation that coursed through me, causing me to fist her hair in my hands.


    My lips slowly detached from hers. I gave her lower lips a soft tug, breathing heavily against her mouth. My head connected with hers and her hot breath kissed the skin of my face, leaving me all hot all over.


    ¡°I love you, Arden. I am so sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you. I am really sorry. I love you and I am so sorry for all I put you through.¡± Her words were overpowered by her loud sobs.


    I brought my hands to her face, wiping her tears with the pad of my thumb.


    ¡°Say it again,¡± I whispered, awestruck.


    ¡°I love you, Jaxon Arden Gray. So much.¡± She repeated the words that reached out to the core of my soul, striking the perfect chords.


    I gasped, tears suddenly filling my eyes.


    ¡°Fuck, I love you, baby,¡± I responded, kissing her softly.


    ¡°And our baby,¡± I added, cing my palm on her tummy. A look of surprise shed across her face, eliciting a teary chuckle from me while I nodded vigorously in affirmation.


    ¡°Oh, my God¡­¡± Her voice trailed off shakily. Her eyes shone so brightly with happy tears. She ced her hand over mine, caressing it softly with her eyes fixated on mine.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be a mum?¡±


    ¡°Yes, baby. You are going to be a mum and you will make me a father. You don¡¯t know how happy you have made me with this.¡± I voiced out and she let out a strangled sob, burying her face into my chest.


    ¡°I am so sorry, Peach. For leaving, for putting you and our baby in harm¡¯s way. I am so sorry.¡± I apologised and she lifted her head off my chest.


    ¡°I am sorry for everything too. I shouldn¡¯t have lied to you. I am so sorry.¡± She mumbled back at me, her voice equally as quivering as mine.


    ¡°I am so d I got you back, baby.¡±


    Then, she looked at me and smiled. ¡°Until ourst breath, remember?¡±


    ¡°Until ourst breath,¡± I affirmed, and with those words, I locked lips with her again and felt my heart stop in the process.


    She was that love that came without warning. The redemption I didn¡¯t know I needed until I set my eyes on her. Ashley Evaline Gray was my anchor.


    Shepleted me and made me feel more alive than I have ever felt.


    And with her?


    Forever seems exciting.

 Chapter Epilogue

    Four yearster¡­


    ASHLEY.


    ¡°Duncan, I do not give a fuck!¡± Arden¡¯s strident voice boomed across the room, threatening to bring the house to its feet. The resonance of his voice was thick and rough.


    I exhaled and turned off the gas cooker.


    ¡°Get it done!¡±


    ¡°I do not care how you are going to do it but find that fucker¡ªyou know what? Just get out!¡± He fired and I flinched.


    I wasn¡¯t near him but the effect of his brazen voice made my heart m against my ribcage.


    ¡°Where¡¯s my wife, Alberta?¡± I heard him ask Alberta and I rolled my eyes, strutting over to the counter to pick up a napkin.


    His loud footsteps echoed behind the door and he pushed the door open in no time. My head shot up from the kitchen ind. My eyes drifted to his tall figure standing a few feet away from the door.


    His eyes were pinned on me and the intensity in them made me feel so conscious of the little ck dress I was wearing. My mouth ran dry as my eyes roved his shirt-d body, unabashedly.


    Age has nothing on my husband. He still looked as ravishing as always. He rocked the hell out of the crisp white shirt he was wearing in his signature style. The white material was tucked into his ck pants. His curly hair looked a little out of ce but it didn¡¯t in any way diminish his hotness.


    ¡°Hey, baby.¡± My voice came out in a squeak. He was closing in on me in a matter of seconds, tossing his phone on the ind and I followed because he swept me off my feet, mounting me on the ind.


    My breath quickened immediately. He parted my legs, standing in between them while his hands gripped my thigh possessively, crawling into my dress.


    His head was buried in my cleavage and I heard him release a deep groan. I swallowed the spit that was building up in my mouth, cradling his head against my chest.


    ¡°Fuck, you smell like me.¡± He said with a husky growl. When his fingers brushed my bare hip bone, the primal sound deepened, thick with so much satisfaction.


    ¡°You are not wearing any panties.¡± He murmured, kissing my neck.


    My legs had turned to jelly on the counter and I was tilting my head to the side to grant him ess to my neck. The sigh-cries that left my mouth were nothing I could submerge.


    ¡°Arden,¡± I rasped, and he chuckled against my neck.Original from N?velDrama.Org.


    My legs tightened around him when he pushed the strap of my dress downward, causing my boob to slip out. His mouth hungrily descended on my nipple and I had to p my palm over my mouth to suppress the loud moan that threatened to exit my mouth.


    My moans were muffled while he devoured my boobs hungrily. Not until he slipped a finger into my dripping core.


    ¡°Fuck!¡± A moan slipped out of my mouth.


    I tossed my head backwards in pleasure, palming the back of his head as he swirled his tongue around my nipple.


    ¡°Oh, fuck-¡± He pumped his fingers in and out of me, marking me everywhere on my upper body with his lips.


    ¡°Daddy!¡±


    Oh, shit.


    ¡°Damnit!¡± Arden cursed, his voice void of breath and he was retracting his finger from my whole, causing me to whimper. I pulled up the strap of my dress, sighing restlessly.


    ¡°Ugh!¡± I huffed, hopping off the counter and he smacked my ass, earning a giggle from me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll pick this upter.¡± His sensual voice filtered into my ears and he kissed my cheek, walking away from me.


    The small adorable humans chose that specific moment to sprint into the kitchen, hugging their father¡¯s leg while I watched them with a smile.


    He swept them off the floor, gathering them in his arms. They smothered his face with kisses, their adorable giggles filling the room.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± They chirped, tugging at his ear and cheeks.


    The twins, Vernon and Violet, shared a striking resemnce with Arden. Vernon was his splitting image, while Violet had my eyes but still looked like him.


    ¡°Did you two have fun today?¡± He asked with a Cheshire grin, smacking kisses on their cheeks. Arden might put up a facade while he is around others, but when he is with the twins, he lets his guard downpletely.


    He is an amazing father and the perfect husband a girl could ask for.


    I didn¡¯t know tears were gathering in my eyes until I felt a burning sensation in them. I chuckled and moved away from the Ind, sauntering over to them.


    I wrapped my arms around them, sighing in content. Their faces lit up with bright smiles that tugged at my heartstrings.


    ¡°Hey, Mommy,¡± They grinned at me and I could feel myself melting with so much love for them. The duo reached for my hair, fisting it and giggling to themselves.


    Arden and I shared a nce at that moment and I was stunned to bits and pieces at the heavy tears that gathered in his eyes. He was still smiling through it.


    ¡°They are perfect,¡± I mouthed to him.


    He leaned in, without saying a word, capturing my lips in a soft kiss.


    ¡°I love you, Peach.¡±


    ¡°I love you, Arden.¡±


    I loved this man. To bits and pieces.


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