♡Astrid♡We left the house together by noon. Well, I had to get to work, and he... I don’t know. Whatever Adrian Voss did to keep himself busy.What I didn’t expect was to see a group of paparazzi in front of my office.Adrian slowed down as I stared through the tinted glass windows. Nora and Sloane were outside, trying to curtail the group, who kept shoving microphones and flashing cameras in their faces.I shuddered lightly. How the fuck did they find my office?I swallowed hard and unbuckled my seatbelt. It was me they wanted, right? No need for them to harass my PA and secretary.I made to step out of the car when Adrian’s hand stopped me, firm on my thigh. I turned to stare at him, and he just cocked his head to the side.“What are you doing?” he asked, and I glanced down at where his hand rested on me. He slowly removed it, placing it on the steering wheel.“I’m going out. They’re harassing my employees,” I said, and he looked at me like I’d suddenly lost my mind.“They’re out t
♡Astrid♡A warm hand slid around my waist, pulling me into his chest as we made our way toward a table facing the entrance.There were only a handful of people scattered around, but all eyes were on us as we settled into our seats. Conversations slowly dulled out to whispers.Adrian sat opposite me, his gaze flickered to the door while I had my back to it. A waiter approached, clutching a menu.“Welcome to Glamour. What may I get you?” he asked, and Adrian’s eyes shifted to me. He tilted his head slightly, silently urging me to order first.I cleared my throat, glancing up at the waiter.“Can I take a look at the menu?” I asked, and he gave me a polite smile before handing it over. I skimmed through it, pressing my lips together.Finally, I handed it back to him.“Pan- seared salmon with lemon butter sauce and yeah, asparagus. I'd love to have a glass of bourbon too,” I muttered, and he nodded, turning to Adrian, who gave a small nod.“A bottle of classic martini for me,” Adrian said,
♤ Adrian ♤Her lips were soft and warm—just as I remembered.The moment they met mine, a flood of old memories crashed through me, ones I hadn’t dared revisit in years. I brushed my thumb over her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch. She parted her lips slightly, just enough to make my heart do a ridiculous, foolish skip.My heart did a silly skip, and I pulled away, stopping the kiss before it went… well, over the top. My eyes met hers just as my father stopped at our table.There was lingering heat and confusion swirling in her blue irises. There was something unreadable in her gaze—something that made me wonder if she felt the same pull I did.I ignored the man glaring down at me. How the fuck was he here? And no, this wasn’t a coincidence. Nothing ever happened by chance where Gary Voss was involved.I leaned back in my seat as she glanced at the towering figure beside us, her face flushing a slight shade of red.She was blushing.I sighed and checked my wri
♡Astrid♡ My phone rang the moment we got home. Freya's name flashed on the screen. I glanced at Adrian, who was already heading toward the cellar where he kept his drinks. He grabbed a bottle and took a long swig straight from it. Oh well, that was my cue to disappear. We’d done enough socializing for the day. Swiping at the green button, I brought the phone to my ear as I climbed the stairs. "Hey, Fre," I muttered. Silence. "Hey," she finally said, her voice quiet. I frowned as I reached my bedroom door, unlocked it, and stepped inside. Yeah, I always locked my door before leaving. The last thing I wanted was someone going through my things. "What's wrong?" I asked. Freya was never this quiet. She was always bubbly, always ready to yell into my ear the second I picked up. I tossed my bag onto the bed and sat down, undoing my shoes while waiting for her to answer. A sniff on the other end made me pause. "Freya?" My body tensed. "What's going on?" "It's nothing… Mum isn't
♡Astrid♡We arrived at the compound within minutes. Freya was still curled up at my side, and I stroked her hair absentmindedly, my mind racing with what to do next.Derrick wouldn’t be put on trial without solid evidence. Just Freya and me testifying wouldn’t be enough either. Hell, I even doubted if Mom would believe us.She trusted that man—loved him, even. That scumbag.There was no way I was letting Freya go back to that house while Derrick was still there.Adrian killed the ignition and adjusted the rearview mirror, his eyes meeting mine. He raised a brow but stayed silent.I pressed my lips together and rubbed Freya’s shoulder gently."Hey," I whispered. She lifted her head slightly. "We need to go in now, yeah?"She nodded and sat up. Adrian stepped out of the car, and she glanced at him before turning back to me."You really married him, huh?" she murmured.I gave a small smile before opening the door and stepping out. She followed.Adrian stood outside, waiting. Once we we
♤Adrian♤She still had her arms around me. To say I momentarily froze was an understatement. Hell, I had no idea what the fuck was going on."Astrid," I called quietly, my arms stiff at my sides, unsure of what to do. She sniffled and tightened her grip, holding on like I was the only thing keeping her from falling apart."One second, Voss," she muttered, voice small, almost pleading. I let her.I couldn’t push her away, not when she was like this. I couldn’t even ask why—because, well, it was none of my fucking business.But I knew. It had something to do with why her sister was here. She dodged my question earlier, right before we hit the road, and that told me all I needed to know—she didn’t want to talk about it.I had my own things I didn’t want to talk about either.Her grip loosened, and she took a step back. The loss of her warmth hit immediately, like stepping outside on a cold night.She brushed her hair out of her face, but in the darkness, I couldn’t see her expression. I
♡Astrid♡When I woke up the next morning, I was alone in bed — in my room. It felt a little too quiet.I sat up slowly and rubbed my forehead. My head was pounding. I looked around the room. Where was Freya?“Fre?” I called out. My voice was raspy. Maybe she was in the bathroom? But there was no answer.I pushed the blanket off and swung my legs over the edge of the bed. Please don’t tell me she left and went to the living room. If she did, she might’ve run into… fuck!I quickly left the room, not bothering to close the door. As I went downstairs, I tried not to move too fast because of my headache.When I reached the bottom and looked into the living room, I saw her. Freya was sitting on the couch with her legs crossed. I let out a breath, feeling relieved — until I saw who was sitting across from her.Adrian.What the hell?Back when Adrian and I were dating, he and Freya were always at each other's neck.Now? Freya was glaring at him, and Adrian just stared at her like he didn’t ca
♤Adrian♤I got into my car and drove out of the compound with Freya's words echoing in my mind."Why are you back in her life? Are you planning to hurt her the second time? Maybe take her life this time?"It was confusing as hell, because I had no fucking idea what she was talking about. I was going to ask, but Astrid chose that moment to come downstairs, and I couldn’t help but wonder what had happened after our breakup that would make Freya say something like that.I was still thinking about her words when I noticed a figure outside the gate. A familiar one. Looked like they recognized me too.I slowed down, my brows furrowed. What the fuck was Nova doing here?She walked toward my car, a small, hesitant smile on her face."Hi," she said, stopping in front of the window. My frown deepened."And what are you doing here?" I asked coldly. She pursed her lips, tucking a strand of her fake hair behind her ear.Astrid was right. She’d dyed her hair blonde—I could clearly see her brown r
♡Astrid♡His fingers slid into my hair, tugging hard at the roots. My lips parted in a silent moan, a rush of pain and pleasure rushing through me.Let's not even talk about the warmth pooling low in my belly.His eyes met mine, and he raised a brow."Sure you want to do this?" he asked, and I narrowed my eyes."Backing out already?" I shot back, watching the way his lips curved into a smile — a little sadistic, a little knowing.He said nothing else before walking out of my room. I didn’t stop him. I knew exactly where we were going.Even though a part of me hesitated, the rest of me didn’t care. Not anymore."You're wet for me, huh?" he asked, voice hoarse as he pushed the door to his bedroom open and kicked it shut behind us."Wanna find out yourself?" I teased, and he tossed me onto the bed. I propped up on my elbows, heart hammering, trying to guess his next move.But Adrian wasn’t the kind of man you could ever figure out.He grabbed my ankles and yanked me to the edge of the be
♡Astrid♡We hadn’t spoken to each other for days. Well, technically, I hadn’t spoken to Adrian and did my best to avoid him.I either stayed in my room all day or left the house more than necessary, even if I had nowhere to go. I’d either take a walk or go to my office.Anything that kept me out of his space. Which explained why I was still locked in my room by past eight in the evening, sleeping.I didn’t get a lot of sleep at night and I couldn’t go to Adrian’s room either, so I just tried fighting the demons myself.And honestly, it hadn’t been very successful.It was a call from Freya that woke me up.Her school had gone on a trip to California — for God knows what — and coincidentally, Mum’s brother stayed over there. Freya had just, well... decided she wasn’t gonna come back.I was fine with it, as long as she was safe and far away from that monster, who we still hadn’t found.“Hey,” I muttered once the call connected, my voice a little groggy as I rubbed my eyes.There was a li
♡Astrid♡I slid my fingers into his hair, and just like that, he kissed me back. His arm tightened around my waist, shaky and desperate, pulling me closer.And, well—it didn’t feel fake. Not even with a pair of eyes on us.His tongue brushed mine, and I pressed a hand to his chest to stop him before things went too far.Because if we didn’t, this wouldn’t end well. We might as well start acting out a porn scene.He must’ve caught the signal because his hand swept along my back before he pulled away. I gave a tight smile and looked off to the side.“I’m surprised you’re back this early,” I muttered, finally meeting his eyes again. They looked like a lighter shade of brown—my favorite kind.That color made him look easygoing, warm, and even funny. But when his eyes went cold, he turned into someone else completely. Detached. Unreachable.“Yeah?” he murmured, running his fingers through my hair. God, that felt so calming. His gaze flicked past me, and I knew—he’d seen her.He raised a br
♤Unknown♤Turning the knob, I walked into the study where Nox was waiting for me.The thick scent of cigarette smoke hit me, and I wrinkled my nose."How many times do I have to tell you not to fucking smoke in my house?" I snapped, shutting the door behind me. He just bared his teeth, plucked the cigarette from his lips, and crushed it into the ashtray.I walked over and sat down across from him. He crossed his legs and leaned back in his seat, moving with an ease that didn’t match his bulk.He was a massive man—dangerous because of it—and that's exactly why I kept him close."It's been a long time, Gary. So why am I here? You don’t just call for nothing," he muttered. I pressed my lips together and leaned forward, grabbing a photo from under one of the files.I pushed it across the table. His eyes stayed on mine for a second before he looked down.His brows pulled together as he stared at the image."She's still alive," I said. He looked up, his gaze meeting mine."It’s been five ye
♤Adrian♤I called Axel the moment I drove out of the compound."Where is he?" I asked as soon as he picked up. There was a pause."My sources say he left the house last night and hasn’t been back. No sign of travel or anything," he said. My jaw tightened."And?""He didn’t look like he was running. Nothing suspicious," Axel added. My brain scrambled trying to piece one and two together. “There’s a good chance he either played us… or he was taken,” Axel muttered. I pressed my lips together.Derrick was smart—but not smart enough to know I had men watching him, close enough to track his every move.So maybe he was abducted. But by who? And why?"How’s the search?" I asked."We’re doing what we can. Nothing solid yet. Tracking his last movements. I’ll update you if anything turns up," he said, sounding frustrated."Even if it’s just a guess, tell me right away," I said and ended the call.I turned the wheel, changing course. I wasn’t heading to the office anymore.I drove to Maya’s.It
♡Astrid♡Hands. Fingers. They were everywhere all over my body, grabbing me roughly.I tried to fight it, but it was stronger than me. Screaming didn't help either, and it felt like I was drowning.And then it felt like the life was being snuffed out of me. I woke up with a gasp, drenched in sweat. I leaned forward and switched on the bed light.Light flooded the room, but it did nothing to help me relax. I was in my room, all alone, and God, it was a little frightening.Moments like this made me wish Freya was still here and hadn't gone on that school trip. But who was I to stop her? She needed to clear her head too, and that trip was a great distraction while I sorted things out.Sliding out of bed, I grabbed my phone and walked barefoot towards the door. I needed a glass of water—it’d calm me down.Once I was outside my room, I knew I didn't need water. I glanced at Adrian's door.Should I go there? Wouldn't it be weird? Yeah, he'd told me two days ago to come in whenever I wante
♡Astrid♡I mumbled something gibberish and snuggled further into the pillow, burying my face in it and taking a long sniff.Smells like Adrian. And it smells so fucking good.Wait... why does my bed smell like Adrian?That’s when I realized—I wasn’t in my bed at all.I opened one eye and was greeted by the sight of dark walls.I opened the other to be sure of what I was seeing. Yup, the walls were dark, radiating masculine energy, and definitely not mine.I sat up, brushing my hair out of my face before looking around the room. Adrian was nowhere to be found.He didn’t return last night? Well, it didn’t matter. I swung my legs off the bed and stood up, quickly smoothing out my wrinkled clothes.It was better to leave now before he popped out of nowhere.Scurrying toward the door, I turned the knob and opened it—only to run headfirst into someone.Judging from how sweaty the person was—I knew it was Adrian.I stumbled back, heart in my mouth, and looked up.He just stood there, straigh
♤Adrian♤Once Astrid and Joan finished whatever it was they were all about — the wedding — Astrid and I got home and went our separate ways.I walked into my bedroom, shut the door, and undressed quickly. Grabbing my laptop from the nightstand, I sat on the bed and opened it.I still had some digging to do on Derrick before meeting with him.I’d had one of my men fix a fake meeting with him to discuss “goods.”Obviously, after he disappeared from Astrid's life nine or ten years ago, he went into drug trafficking. Now, suddenly, he reappears — needing a new place to stay after being on the wanted list in California. He moves back to Brooklyn, and well… Maya lets him in.Unknown to her, she’s harboring a hard-core criminal. And not just that. He tried abusing his own daughter. There are records of him sexually abusing girls in California. Turns out he's not only a drug trafficker — he's a pedophile and a rapist.And that brings me to why I'm invested in this case.He touched Astrid.
♤Adrian♤Astrid stepped in front of me as we walked into the restaurant. I watched her dominate the space.She probably didn't know it, but whenever she walked into a room, she owned it. The air shifted—and then it was all about her. I liked it then. I still do now.Her hips swayed in the black dress she wore, drawing my attention to it. Her dress ended mid-thigh. And, well, it turns out she was the hottest woman I’d seen in a while. And it did something to my insides that she had my ring on her finger—whether real or fake.Tucking both hands into my pockets, I followed at a steady pace as she sashayed to the table where Aaron and his fiancée sat.The smile on Aaron’s face dropped the second he saw her. Then his expression hardened when he saw me.I just raised a brow."Hey. Sorry, we’re late," Astrid said, and I pulled her chair out. She glanced at me, her eyes softening."Thank you," she muttered, brushing her fingers over my arm. I nodded and sat down next to her."No, no, we ju