Chapter: Chapter 49CANDLELIT DINNER 2~HARPER'S POV~Three days. That’s how long I’d spent with Gideon after taking a very necessary sick leave from work.And honestly? It had been magical. I never wanted any of it to end. Mornings with breakfast in bed. Afternoons with lunch in expensive restaurants.Nights filled with reckless, mind-numbing sex—wherever we found ourselves until we were too exhausted to move.Who the hell was this man? And more importantly…What was he doing to me?Tonight, Gideon had promised yet another surprise. As if everything else hadn’t been enough. When he first mentioned wine tasting, I’d blinked at him in confusion."What's that?" I had asked, immediately regretting how clueless I sounded.He had only smirked, shaking his head slightly. "You're cute when you're clueless."Not exactly an answer. But then again, Gideon never answered things directly. And now, as we pulled up to the event, my breath hitched at the sight before me.A massive vineyard stretched across the land, bat
Last Updated: 2025-04-04
Chapter: Chapter 48A PAWN & A KING ~ALICE’S POV~I was still standing there, staring at the door Noah had just walked through, trying to piece my sanity back together. But that was the thing about sanity. Once it cracks, it doesn’t take much to shatter. A low groan cut through the silence. I turned slowly, my stomach flipping as I saw Edward stir on the floor. Another groan, and he rolled onto his side, wincing as he dragged himself up onto his elbows. Blood was trickling from his lip where Noah had hit him, and his eye was already starting to swell. For a split second, I thought maybe he’d pass back out. No such luck.“Mother… fucker,” Edward muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. Then his bloodshot eyes snapped to me.And just like that, chaos was back.“You,” he snarled, pushing himself upright with shaky determination. “You bitch.” He stumbled to his feet, swaying for a second, but that didn’t stop him. Didn’t slow him down, either. His gaze was locked on me like I was hi
Last Updated: 2025-04-04
Chapter: Chapter 47SECRETS OUT ~ALICE’S POV~I sat on the cold kitchen floor, one hand still pressed to my throat. Every shallow breath I took scraped against the soreness Edward’s fingers left behind. But that wasn’t what had me shaking. Not really. Noah’s eyes were on me now. And they were clear. Focused. The kind of dangerous I hadn’t seen in him before. He wasn’t drunk anymore. At least not enough to make a difference.“Drink this.” Noah’s voice was low, but there was something in it that made me obey. I took the glass of water he handed me and sipped, though my hands trembled the entire time.He waited. Patient. Too patient.When I finished, he set the glass aside and knelt in front of me again. Elbows on his knees, body relaxed. But his gaze was razor-sharp. He looked like he was watching me through a scope.“Let’s talk,” he repeated. No more playful slurs. No more lazy smirks. Just a cold calculation.I swallowed hard, even though it hurt. “About what?” My voice came out hoarse. Weak.
Last Updated: 2025-04-04
Chapter: Chapter 46CRAZY OR NOT~ALICE’S POV~I dragged myself out of bed, grumbling as I made my way downstairs. The banging on the door wouldn’t stop. Who the hell was that at this hour? It was four in the morning. People were supposed to be sleeping. I stood in the middle of the dark living room, flipping on the light. The pounding on the door only grew louder. “Harper! I know you’re in there! Open the fucking door!” A familiar voice slurred from outside. I rolled my eyes, groaning as I shuffled toward the door. Twisting the lock, I pulled it open— And there he was. Edward. Drunk. And beside him, half-collapsed on the porch, was Noah. “Edward,” I sighed, annoyed. “What the hell are you doing here?” “Where’s Harper?” he barked, pushing past me without waiting for an answer. “I know she’s inside!” “What the hell—” I shouted, stumbling back as he stormed into the house like he owned it. Who the hell did he think he was, barging in here like that? This wasn’t his home. It wasn’t even mine.
Last Updated: 2025-04-04
Chapter: Chapter 45A MAN LIKE GIDEON~EDWARD’S POV~I pulled up in front of Noah’s apartment building, parking in the near-empty lot. Killing the engine, I grabbed my keys and stepped out, slamming the door harder than necessary. I made my way to the elevator, jabbing the call button with more force than required. The doors slid open. I stepped inside and hit the button for the tenth floor—the top. Noah better has a damn good reason for dragging me out of my mother’s house tonight. He had a lot to answer for. A lot to make up for. And Harper... I gritted my teeth, glancing at my phone again. Still no calls. No texts. The nerve of her, ignoring me like I didn’t exist. Like I wasn’t trying. What the hell was her problem? The elevator dinged on the tenth floor, snapping me back to the present. I stepped out, walking down the dimly lit hallway toward apartment 135 at the end. I rang the bell once. No answer. I rang it again. This time, I heard the latch click. The door creaked open. Noa
Last Updated: 2025-04-04
Chapter: Chapter 44CANDLELIT DINNER 1~GIDEON'S POV~The rooftop was perfect. Minimalistic. Private. High above the noise of the city. Just the way I liked it. And tonight, it was all about Harper. I stood at the edge, staring out over the skyline as the sun bled into the horizon. Colors like fire and blood. Fitting. I took a slow breath, rolling my sleeves up to my elbows watching the staff finish setting the table. Nothing extravagant. Two chairs. Crisp white linens. Crystal glassware. And candlelight. Soft. Intimate. Deceptively simple. Because it wasn't about impressing her. It was about control. About giving her something no one else could. I turned when I heard the elevator doors open behind me. Footsteps, slow and hesitant. Good. She was already off balance. I liked that. "Wow..." Harper's voice was soft, almost breathless. I let her take it in. Let her have her moment. Then I turned, letting my gaze sweep over her slowly, deliberately. "You're late," I said, but my tone was smooth.
Last Updated: 2025-03-22