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Chapter 22
Last Updated:
2024-06-22 07:03:31
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A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 23
While I’m sitting there sipping the rest of my soup slowly, A young woman walks in, in shorts and a baggy shirt. She paused when she saw me sitting by the counter.“Oh hi! I’m sorry, I heard the car leave, so I assumed it was both of you.” “Are you Gladice?” I asked cautiously. She gave me a toothy grin.“No, that’s my mum. I help out here a few times, to take the load off her. I’m Cecelia.” She extended a hand towards me, which I shook lightly. “how’s the soup? The boss said you were feeling under the weather last night.”That was an understatement, I could not recall a good chunk of the evening. This brought me to a question I had been avoiding, something I was too shy to ask Ethan.“Did you…help me out of my clothes last night?” “Oh no, we came this morning. I guess your fiancé did.”Of course. Or maybe I changed myself but didn’t remember it.“Miss Ricci.” An older woman announced as she walked into the kitchen, a small duster in her hand. She shared similar feature with Cec
Last Updated : 2024-06-23A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 24
His eyebrows drew together in a scowl as he took in the sight.“Ethan! I would say ‘what a surprise’ but it really isn’t anymore. You seem to materialize whenever Mae’s in the house.”I looked down at my cleavage spilling out of the ill-fitting dress, hoping my red cheeks were properly hidden. He cleared his throat.“Some tsked in disapproval. “Your grandfather needs to take a break. Sometimes I feel likeEvelyn’s enabling his actions.”“I’ll look into that.”He took a final look at me before he made his way up the stairs, unaware of the four pairs of eyes that tracked his exit. I gave the women, Emma and Olivia the stink eye. Fake marriage or not, Ethan was off the market, they did not need to stare at another woman’s husband like that.“He’s absolutely smitten with her,” Grace told the girls with a grin “He’s constantly looking for a reason to be here, whenever she’s around.”They looked disappointed by the information and I tried to overlook the delight their reactions stir
Last Updated : 2024-06-24A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 25
I followed Ethan’s advice but instead of the brooch he suggested, I went with a large veil covered in small cream colored flower details that went perfectly with the dress. By the end of the evening Grace was dabbing at her eyes, pure joy written on her face. I found myself sharing in her excitement too. I was getting married.Several times I would catch myself admiring the full look in the mirror, and picturing whatEthan’s face would be like if he saw me. As soon as I noticed, I would shut the thought down. The lines between reality and out pretend marriage was blurring quickly. “It’s becoming harder to keep my hands off you”. I looked around guiltily like I suspected everyone could see my thoughts written on my faceWith my dress packed up for the reveal for my parents, I left to find Gideon to take me home. I found two men standing outside his car when I got to him.“Goodday, Miss Ricci.” The dark skinned man said, stretching a calloused hand to me. “My name is Hakeem, and thi
Last Updated : 2024-06-24A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 26
It was only when I was in front of Ethan that I admitted to myself that I actually missed him. He came, with another car in tow to convey me, my family and Lisa to his mansion. Naturally, we rode alone, in a quiet so intense that it was almost tangible.My anxiety for the engagement and my move into Ethan’s house forced me to break it. “How was your week?”“Good.”“Did you tear down any small towns?” -He glanced at me with an irritated look.-“I was joking.” “I noticed.” There was silence again.“Are you still searching for the person responsible for the gala incident?”“Yes.”“Do you like my dress?”“What is this? Twenty questions?” I was impressed that he knew the game show.“You said you wanted me to relax around you, how do I do that when your face is set in a permanent scowl and you refuse to have conversations with me?”He sighed. “Yes, I like your dress. It’s stunning, but you would look great in a potato sack, so it’s not so much the dress as it is you.” I basked in hi
Last Updated : 2024-06-25A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 27
When his words sunk into my head, I found the strength to push him away from me. His surprise about my reaction bought me enough to roll away from him and scoot to the edge where I stood.When Ethan recovered from my actions he rolled off the bed stalked me again.“What are you doing Ethan?”“What does it look like I’m doing?”“You said there would be nothing physical between us. You specified that in the contract.”“It can be easily changed, what do you want? More money?”In essence, he wanted me to sell my body to him. I remembered all those nights ago, where he had dropped wads of money to ‘appease’ me after we had slept together. I had refused to take his money then, there would be no difference now. Especially, when he still thought so lowly of me.“I don’t want your money Ethan.”“Could have fooled me.” He snapped, as he trapped me between the door and his body. He grabbed my hips and pressed me into him, where I could feel his hard length. I bit my lip, willing my body
Last Updated : 2024-06-26A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 28
I was waiting. Waiting for Ethan to break the silence during the car ride, but knew it would not be possible with Gideon driving us to his home. I fought the urge to fidget in my nervousness. I didn’t want any part of my body revealing how apprehensive I felt. This was it, i was moving in with Ethan. As if this wasn’t difficult enough, he had the gall to suggest a change in our contract.My hands gripped Wynona’s gift tightly when the car slipped through the automatic gates, gliding to halt in front of his doors. Again I marveled at the beauty of his home. It had the outward appearance of a cyberhouse. With its smooth edges and sharp cuts. In a way they mirrored their owner. I spared a glance in his direction and found his head forward.Soon it would be just the two of us in the house. For all the hope i had that Gladice would be around, i knew she only came during daytime.I rolled my shoulder when i got out of the car and Ethan’s attention slipped to it. I froze, till he walked a
Last Updated : 2024-06-27A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 29
I plastered a smile on my face and walked towards them. The tension that was in him when he left my room last night was gone, and replaced with a warm but calculating expression. I wasn't sure if I liked this side of him either.I smiled and said good morning to Gladice, brushing my hand across Ethan's shoulder in my unwillingness to get any closer him. Gladice watched my awkward movements impassively. A split second after I thought I was in the clear and just before I was to take my perch on the stool beside him, he grabbed my hand and yanked me towards him. His eyes burned with a hint of desire and mischief as he lowered his mouth to mine.With a simple kiss, he claimed me. It was a statement that I was his to take, to gladice it may have looked like a normal kiss but i knew a threat when i saw one.I hated him for his cockiness, but my hate did not stop my body from molding into his andsubmitting under his ministrations.When he pulled away, he brushed his lips against mine,
Last Updated : 2024-06-28A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 30
I shrugged. “I donno, for starters, why you’re such an asshole.”He smirked lifting his hands to my mouth. His hand swiped against my bottom lip and it darted out to get whatever he was trying to wipe off.“You have quite a mouth on you. I bet I could put it to use in other ways.”“Ethan…”“I have agreed to your terms Mae, We’ll play by your rules for a little while.”“How about dinner tomorrow night?”“Why not now?”“I wasn’t lying when I said I have work to get to. I’ll be holed up in the office all day.” I felt a twinge of disappointment.“Fine. Tomorrow.” Was I really agreeing to this? A date with Ethan Crowe. We might as well, He wanted to get get in my pants, I wanted him in it too, and I know sooner or later it would happen. It was best that we had some semblance of control over the situation. I was starting to see why he liked having power so much.Ethan left me downstairs to work in his room and i had the whole downstairs to myself. Gladice had not come back in so it
Last Updated : 2024-06-29
Latest chapter
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 102
MAEI walked out of the bathroom without a towel. I mean, why would I need one? I was alone, or so I thought. The music playing from my speaker filled the room, "Get You" by Daniel Caesar and Kali Uchis. I swayed my hips, humming along to the song, enjoying how peaceful life felt for once. Being naked really made me feel happy and comforting. It felt nice, just being in my own space with no one bothering me.Then I turned around, mid-dance, and froze.There he was.Ethan. Freaking Ethan. Standing there like this was his room, his eyes as wide as mine. My brain short-circuited for a second before it all hit me. I was standing there, completely naked, in front of him. My scream was practically louder than the music playing in the room.“WHAT THE HELL?!” I yelled, scrambling for something, anything, to cover myself. My eyes darted around the room in a panic, looking for a towel, but of course, there wasn’t one. Because why would I have thought to grab one? I did the only thing I could
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 101
ETHAN I watched Mae storm out of the kitchen, angrily. You could definitely tell by her angry foot steps and the huffing sounds she kept making.She didn’t even glance at me, not once. The coldness in her attitude was enough to make me feel like the worst person alive. It was weird, she also looked cute when she was either angry, sad, frustrated…. She was just cute. But then, I’d messed up big time, yeah, I knew that. But I had my reasons. I needed to talk to Ava alone, and I didn’t want Mae there. It was already hard enough trying to sort out whatever… marriage of ours was. I wasn't sure how I felt anymore. Everything was confusing.And having both of them in the same place? It was like a disaster waiting to happen. Still, Mae’s reaction? It stung more than I wanted to admit. I didn't think she'd be this mad, I thought she'd at least understand that I had a reason.I always had a reason for everything, for getting married to her, for talking to Ava. For everything.Last night was
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 100
MAEThe car ride was already awkward enough without Ava opening her mouth, but of course, she couldn’t keep her little mouth shut. She leaned forward slightly, her voice had a hint of fake concern, more like mock concern.“So, Ethan,” she began, “how have you been holding up after, you know, the photo?” I tensed in my seat, my hands gripping my bag a little too hard. She didn’t even bother looking at me when she said it, like I wasn’t even there. I mean I was cool with her ignoring me but bringing that up was crossing the line. Probably because I suspected she was responsible for releasing the photo.Ethan’s hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel, but his voice was calm when he answered. “I’m fine, Ava. You should probably be asking Mae how she's holding up. She is the one being bombarded by stupid people online.” Her eyes flicked to me in the rearview mirror, and I caught the way she rolled them before quickly looking away. She didn’t say anything after that, though, whi
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 99
MAEThe sound of her voice made my stomach twist. I turned my head, and there she was. Ava, walking toward us in a short red dress so tight I wondered how she was even breathing. It was a hot dress but I wasn't going to ever compliment her.Her dress matched her red heels and her fake smile was plastered across her face like she’d faked her smile countless times. My face twisted into a scowl as I watched her walk towards us, weirdly in slow motion, or maybe it was my eyes.Of all the people we could run into tonight, it had to be her.Ethan noticed her too. He straightened a little in his chair, his expression unreadable. She stopped at our table, her smile somehow widening as she greeted him first, completely ignoring me at first, like I was invisible. “Ethan,” she started, her voice sugary sweet, annoying the fuck out of me. “It’s been so long. How have you been?”I swallowed the urge to roll my eyes. She was acting like I wasn’t even here, which was honestly fine because I didn’t
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 98
MAEI woke up the next morning to the soft light spilling through the curtains. For a moment, I blinked at the ceiling, trying to remember what had happened the night before.My thoughts were still fuzzy when I shuffled into the kitchen, hair tousled, wearing an oversized sweater and socks that didn't stop the cold. I was greeted by the sight of a half naked Ethan already there, leaning casually against the counter with a coffee mug in hand. His dark hair was still damp, and he looked far too put together for this early hour. “Morning,” he said, his voice smooth and weirdly comforting. How can someone look and sound so hot without even trying?“Morning,” I mumbled back, heading straight for the coffee pot. After everything that had happened yesterday, I needed coffee.“Don’t forget, we’ve got our date today.”I froze mid-sip, the coffee suddenly too hot on my tongue. I didn't expect that he'd actually follow his grandfather's advice. He’d said it so casually, as though it was the m
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 97
MAE I hesitated for a second, standing awkwardly by the door, still being stared at by Ethan and his grandfather. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to be here or not. What if Ethan didn't take me with him because he didn't want me to be here?Oh fuck. What if this was like a private thing?Ethan's grandpa, lying back against the pillows, suddenly smiled at me. He looked okay. He didn't look like someone who had collapsed a few minutes ago."Come on in, Mae," he said warmly. He gestured to the chair by his bed. "Come sit. You're not just gonna stand there all day, are you?"I stood frozen for just a moment longer than I'd planned. I glanced over at Ethan, who was sitting by his grandfather.I swallowed hard, trying not to seem as nervous as I felt, then walked over to the chair. Ethan's Grandpa scared me, mostly because of what I'd seen about him online. I mean he was chill but also scary."Thank you," I murmured as I sat down, clasping my hands tightly in my lap. My heart was thudding
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 96
MAEMy fingers trembled as I stared at the email again, the words blurring through the tears falling down my cheeks. This could not be happening.My chest felt tight, like I couldn’t breathe, and my head pounded. Who would do this? How did they even get the contract? My vision blurred, and my knees felt weak and it felt like I'd fall. Oh God.Before I could fully process what I was seeing, Ethan’s hand shot out and snatched my phone from me. “Hey!” I yelled, but my voice came out shaky. I reached for it, but he stepped back, holding it out of my reach. His eyes scanned the screen quickly, his face hardening as he read the email.“Mae…” His voice was soft and then, before I could say anything, he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. I froze for a second, caught off guard, but then the situation hit me again. I sobbed into his shirt, my hands clutching it tightly.“Hey, it’s okay,” he murmured, his voice low. “It’s okay. I’ve got you.”“Ethan…” I choked out, my voice muffled
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 95
MAE My eyes flew open. I blinked hard, staring up at the ceiling. The entire room was dark and very quiet.The room was too quiet. And... wait. How did I even get here? The last thing I remembered was sitting on the couch with Ethan while he answered calls, trying to stop the news from spreading.I must have dozed off. But how did I end up in bed? Ethan wouldn’t have carried me. Would he? Maybe he woke me to get to the bedroom but I can't remember because of how sleepy I was.I sat up slowly, the pounding in my head making me wince. The glow of the moon outside the window made me realize it was late, really late.I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, my toes touching the floor lightly. Ugh. My body felt heavy, and my head pounded seriously.Fuck. This is what days without proper sleep and feeding causes. I dragged myself to the bathroom, pausing by the huge mirror above the sink. I turned on the faucet and splashed cold water on my face, hoping it would stop my pounding headache
A Bargain With The Devil Chapter 94
MAEEthan’s eyes locked in mine as I entered the living room. He hung up on the other person on the line as I approached. His face was masked with the same unreadable expression, the “business mode” expression. I usually find it hot but at the moment, it made my stomach turn. This wasn't business, but us or what is left of us hanging by a tiny thread.“Mae,” he started. His voice was steady and cautious as though I was a fragile object he didn't know how to handle. I didn't answer immediately. I stood there halfway in the room, between the couch opposite me where he was standing by the side. His hair strands were slightly out of place, a few falling down his forehead almost touching his orbs, his shirt which seemed he had just picked out from the wardrobe without any thoughts, was wrinkled, and his trousers were wrinkled in a way that seemed he had clutched at it out of frustration. Good, at least he wasn't entirely unbothered by all this.I'd be frustrated too. This was supposed to
