TRACEY'S P.O.V I was still gripping the book, still caught in the ink-stained trap of its words, when the sound of wheels rolling against the wooden floor made my breath seize . I turned sharply, my heart slamming against my ribs, just in time to see Damien roll into the library. His cold unforgiving eyes were locked onto me like a F.B.I who had caught a dire criminal. I stumbled back, frantically picking back the book I had let slide on the floor. “I—I didn’t mean to—” I blurted out, gripping the hardcover tighter as if that would somehow make this situation less awful. Damien’s expression was unreadable, but there was something dangerous in the way his gaze flicked from the book in my hands to my startled face. His voice came out low and unimpressed. “Who gave you permission to touch my collection?” I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly itching from all the dryness I was feeling. “And who the hell gave you permission to roam around my house like some lost little mouse?” I op
DAMIEN’S P.O.VAnother fucking dead end.The bastard had been stubborn, foolish and a waste of my fucking time. When Marcus had reported about finding traces of my parent's killer, I was glad.Finally, I'd get to the truth and end it all at once.Not until I met with the bastard.I’d even given him a chance to make things easy for himself. But no—he wanted to play tough. So, I made him beg instead. Made him scream until his throat was raw, his body trembling, and his skin turned into a bloody mess under my hands.But even after all that, he didn’t give me a fucking name, which only proved one thing—he was protectiing the real killer of my parents.And a man who stays loyal under torture is either scared or too deeply tied to betray his master. Either way, I couldn't let him live. Keeping him alive would have been a risk, a loose end that could tip off the killer that I was still hunting him.So, I put a bullet into his fucking skull.I felt nothing. No satisfaction, no frustration. Ju
TRACEY'S P.O.VI flopped onto my bed, staring at the book still clutched in my hands.Damien Black was an enigma. One second, he was ice-cold and impossible to talk to and the next, he was throwing out sly remarks, daring me to keep up. Was he bipolar or just enjoying playing with my head?I groaned, tossing the book onto the bed beside me. Maybe I was overthinking it, and this was just him.Why was I even stressing myself over it? I have stayed long enough with him to know this was his personality. He was just so Impossible to figure out.And yet, somehow earlier, I managed to sit in front of him, sharing my opinion over a damn book without fearing for my life.That should have been a victory, right?I glanced at the book again. When I asked if I could take it with me, he didn’t care to answer. He didn't even bother to spare a look before rolling himself out of the book-room.Well, I didn't give a damn either, since he didn’t outrightly say no, I had taken his silence for a yes. I
TRACEY'S P.O.VNobody in the car made a sound. Just the booming sound of the RnB across the radio which did nothing to ease the tensed atmosphere between us all.I sat in the passenger seat while Damien was beside me, his entire focus glued to his phone. Ryan, who was driving, seemed unbothered by the awkward atmosphere, occasionally nodding to the low music playing from the speakers.I had no idea where we were headed.And, apparently, neither of these men thought it was important to tell me a thing.I was barely sitted comfortably in my seat, checking Damien's movement through the corner of my eye. I still wasn't over the new look he had on.And being up close with him, made me see the tattoo covering his entire hands properly.He had a snake coiled around to the end of his sleeves and a date attached on it.I wonder what each of the tattoos signified.Never knew he had such tattoos on his.Well, never seen his hands before—he was a full dressed man.I studied him for a second l
DAMIEN'S P.O.VTracey had pissed me off again and in the worst way possible.I didn’t expect that kind of reaction from her, not after everything I had done. Going out of my way to take her out and give her a fucking break from being confined in her room. And what did she do as a thank you? She stormed off like I was the villain in her story.Maybe I was, but who cares.I should’ve been angry, even instructed my man to dragged her ass right back and reminded her who she belonged to. But instead, I stood there, watching her walk away like she had the fucking right to do such.Ryan let out a small chuckle beside me, and my head snapped at him shaking his head like he knew something I didn’t. That irritated me even more.“What?” I gritted, my fist tightened from anger.Ryan who was leaning against the block, his hand crossed, straightened up seeing I was in no mood. “She’s just a girl, Uncle. A teenage girl. You’re throwing guns in her face and expecting her to be happy about it?” He
Tracey’s P.O.V Tears formed in my eyes as I stormed into my room, slamming the door shut behind me. My chest rose and fell quick and fast paced, my breaths coming out in sharp bursts of anger. Damien had yelled at me. Again. Ryan had said he was remorseful that was why he actually took me to the mall as an apology. But, he was dead wrong. Damien wasn't remorseful even for a bit. When I walked up to him, I wasn't even trying to start a fight this time. I had actually wanted to apologize just like Ryan had instructed. Ryan had advised I apologize for my bad manners and thank him for the gift, and for once, I considered listening. But the moment I tried, Damien snapped at me like I was nothing. Like I was a damn problem he had to deal with. I wiped my cheeks roughly, but more tears kept streaming down. Why did I even care? When I knew he was an asshole. An asshole with no emotions. He was just a cold, ruthless man who probably had no idea what the word ‘sorry’ eve
TRACEY'S POV I still found it hard to believe that I had cried in front of Damien like a baby last night. My heart was heavy and filled with emotions that threatened to burst forth and I just couldn't hold them back in anymore. My face heated up when I remembered how he sat by my side and didn't leave me alone even when I bawled my eyes out like a maniac. He surprised me a lot these days by doing things he'd never done before. Damien wasn't someone that sat by a crying girl's side just so she doesn't feel alone, yet he did so and even tried to console me. He was the reason I cried, yes, but I was expecting him to leave me alone while I cried, not try to make me stop crying. It was extremely cold last night, yet he wrapped me up in his coat and made sure I was warm under the shining stars of the night. Now that I thought about it, it was a romantic moment. A soft giggle escaped my lips as I kicked my feet in bed and I buried my face in my pillow. How could he be so cold yet so swe
DAMIEN'S POV It was painful to watch her cry. I was angry at her for not listening to me as always but seeing her burst into tears because of something I did made my heart hurt in ways that it has never done. Was it because I took her to the gun arena? Was it because I yelled at her? Or was it because I've been too harsh on her lately? My hands clenched into fists as I watched her cry and I wanted to do nothing but hit myself for making her cry. I hated it when people cried, it was irritating and disgusting but seeing her cry awakened a different feeling in me… one that I couldn't place my hands on. Was it sympathy? Pity? Remorse? I wheeled myself over to her side and I watched as she crouched to the ground, her sobs becoming louder at every passing second. “You know, the stars wouldn't be so happy knowing that you're crying right now.” I said softly and she raised her head to look at me, tears staining her pretty face as she sniffed. She looked like she was about to say som
TRACEY'S POVI couldn't believe Damien stand there like a fool, but my body refused to move."You heard me," Damien said, his voice calm, controlled.That was the scariest part. He wasn’t yelling or showing he was angry. He was just seated calmly like a predator amused by his prey's hesitation."I—I can't," I finally managed to whisper, my legs tightly clutched like this was the first time he was seeing me naked."You can. And you will." His voice coldluy commanded and I shook my head, my breath shaky. "Damien, please, don't do this."His fingers twitched against the armrest of his wheelchair. “What did you just call me??“I bite my lips hard enough till I could feel the tingling sensation of blood in it."What did I say about calling me by my name?" He asked again I find myself muttering low apology."Say it," he demanded.I swallowed hard. "I'm sorry master…" The word burned on my tongue."Good girl," he murmured, leaning back slightly. "Now, I believe I gave you an order."He remin
TRACEY’S POV I was so fucked and still standing there, lost and unable to take my gaze off him… “What the hell were you doing snooping around my door?” His sharp voice devoid of any warmth rang out as he slammed his hand against the wooden desk, making me jerk. “I—I wasn’t—” I stammered, my throat suddenly dry and unable to form the right words. “Speak the fuck up before I put a bullet in your fucking skull,” he threatened.I swallowed, my mind racing. Lying was pointless. He already knew.“I-I only heard something about some document… Rafael… and...and…” I hesitated, knowing this was the part that would really piss him off.“and?" “…My father.” I admitted.The second I mentioned my father, I noticed Damien's entire body went stiff. His fingers twitched, gripping the edge of the desk in anger as he tried to control his breath.He was hella mad. My mention of my dad made him mad and I didn’t know why.what the hell has dad done this time to make Damien this pissed?I sighed, brax
Tracey’s P.O.VThe night air was cold against my skin as I leaned against the open window of my room, staring out at the world beyond these walls. A world that felt so close, yet completely out of reach.I let out a slow breath, my fingers tightening around the cold metal as I tried to find some form of peace in the quiet. But peace was a luxury I didn’t have. Not here. Not in this life.Skylo’s words still lingered in my mind.He talked about going back to college earlier—an idea that felt like a fantasy, something too good to be real. But God, I wanted it. I wanted to be normal again. I wanted to walk into a classroom, sit in a lecture hall, worry about exams and assignments instead of being a captive in this damn place.I badly wanted my freedom backBut Damien would never let that happen. His face earlier when he stopped me on track was enough to let me know I’d stay trapped in this world forever.But then, a bit of me wanted to badly believe Skylo.I knew how much I hated him a
Skylo’s P.O.V This whole damn search for Damien had been insane, and I was fucking close to losing my goddamn mind at this point. I and the rest of men had scoured every inch of the city, from the shadiest hideouts to the underground stations. We’d checked every possible location the boss could be—Raphael’s house, the warehouse, the safehouses, even his personal penthouse, but there was still no clue not trace of him. Nothing. And the worst part? His phone was still ringing, which should’ve been a relief, if he wasn't ignoring my damn calls. Boss would never ignore my call. Not unless he was dead or pulling some reckless, stupid shit. And knowing him, it was always the latter. I ground my teeth, my fingers twitching at my sides as I stood in the middle of the bustling streets, totally confused. Something wasn't right, something was really fucking wrong. I ran a hand through my hair, inhaling sharply, about to bark out orders to the men still stationed across the city when—
TRACEY'S P.O.VThe whole house felt so suffocating and my thoughts clouded I needed to have a break from thinking too hard so, I stepped out to get a breathe of air.But, I was caught in place, unable to tear my eyes away from the man standing in the doorway.Damien.Looking exactly the same as he did before he left.Same dark clothes, same sharp, unreadable expression. He had the same aura of dominance. He hadn’t changed at all, and yet, something about him felt… different. Like a storm brewing just beneath the surface, waiting to be unleashed.I didn’t know how long we stood there, staring at each other. It could have been seconds, maybe even minutes, but time didn’t feel real in that moment. It was just me and him, locked in a silent battle, neither of us willing to look away first. My chest tightened, my mind screaming at me to move, to speak, to do anything other than just stand there like an idiot, drowning in the weight of his gaze.Then, finally, he looked away.And just l
TRACEY'S P.O.V"Ann, you're back." I watched as Camillé voice rang out, her tone filled with delight as she walked towards Ann with a smile I couldn't help but stand, stunned by the sight of warm pleasantary between both of them.It didn’t make sense seeing Ann and Camillé act like they were friends yet, here they were, embracing like long-lost sisters.Something about it felt… off.Ann laughed softly as Camillé reached her, her voice as smooth as ever. “Missed me, Madame?” She greeted.Ann could actually accord respect too???“You have no idea,” she said, eyes flicking toward me with coldness for a second before returning back to Ann. “Things just aren’t the same without you. There's alot of bad luck around” Camillé grinned, enveloping her into a warm hug, her arm around her shoulder.I didn’t like the way she said it. I knew damn well she was referring to me.Ann locked eyes with me. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips. “Oh, I can imagine the hell you must have been through,
TRACEY’S P.O.V“Boss… Boss?” The frantic voice coming from the hallway, pulled me out of my thoughts. My brows furrowed as I stepped out of my room at the same time Camille did.The commotion downstairs was impossible to ignore.“What the hell is going on?” Camille muttered, tightening the robe around her slim frame.Before I could answer, a loud bang rang through the house. The sharp sound of a door slamming shut—then open again. And again.We both turned towards the staircase, watching as Skylo stormed through the hallway like a madman, slamming doors open and shut, his face twisted with frustration.“What’s his problem now?” Camillé huffed as she hurried down the stairs, and I followed at a slower pace, keeping my distance.There was something different about his movements—something wild, desperate.“Skylo,” Camille called, placing a hand on his arm. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing,” he bit out, shrugging her off.Camille rolled her eyes. “Oh, please. You can't say nothing when you're ac
DAMIEN'S P.O.VI clenched my fists. “What the fuck is this?” My voice was cold, flat.Rafael shrugged. “A gift. Thought you’d appreciate it.”A gift? i scoffed. My fucking trigger finger twitched. This wasn’t a goddamn gift—it was a fucking statement. A way into getting me play his fucking game .“Where’s my documents, you bastard?” I demanded, my patience short as I turned to the Williams who had his head down.Williams head snapped up, eyes wide with terror. “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!” I could hear his voice cracking from fear.Just as he should. He should be damn afraid because one thing was certain— he was going to meet his fucking creator tonight.But, not until I got him talking.I exhaled slowly, standing up from my wheel in anger.“Finally decided to get on your feet.“ I hear Rafael scoff, but I simply ignore. I had no time for his silly antics.I took a step closer, towering over Williams who was held in place by one of Rafael's men. “Where’s my damn f
DAMIEN’S P.O.VThe fucking car was speeding through the city, but I was in no mood to appreciate his great driving skills.My patience was wearing thin, and my suspicion was growing worse.With every damn second that passed, I find myself turning to look at the man calmly beside me, with a hand on his damn wheels.I couldn't tell if it was the way he was relaxed or the way he acted oblivious to my presence that got on my nerves.But, one thing I knew was men like him? The relaxed ones? The ones who smirked like they were in control of everything and could predict every damn move before you even thought of making it? Yeah. Those were the ones to fucking watch out for. They were dangerous in a way that most people didn’t realize until it was too damn late.I wasn’t about to let that happen.I kept my breathing even, my body still, but my mind was running through every potential fucking setup that could be waiting for me at the end of this damn ride.My fingers twitched against my thi