Astrid
I returned to the party, my muscles coiled with tension. It’s not every day you meet an ex who was once your entire world. “What did he say?” my assistant asked. I shrugged, gripping the hem of my dress a little too tightly. “We’re sending the guests away. I’ll make a quick announcement, and then you’ll handle the rest,” I muttered, already moving toward the front of the room. “What? What about the bride?” she asked, her voice laced with confusion. I glanced at her over my shoulder, my expression dry and enough to pass a message. “Just do as you’re told, Nora.” My voice was clipped, and she stopped in her tracks, watching as I climbed onto the podium—the very spot where the groom should have introduced his bride. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” I began, gripping the microphone as every head turned toward me. Murmurs and whispers rippled through the crowd, I could taste their curiosities in my mouth. Bitter and sour. “Thank you all for gracing this occasion. I trust you’re having a wonderful time?” I asked, forcing a polite smile. A few half-hearted “yeses” came from the audience. “Well, there’s been a slight change of plans—” “Where’s the bride and groom?” someone called out, cutting me off. My throat tightened, but I swallowed and pressed on. Oh, it was just a matter of time before they knew the bride was missing and the groom? He was a dickhead. “The groom is here somewhere, and the bride is…” “Her.” The voice stopped me cold. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it belonged to. But I did anyway, blinking in shock as my eyes met Adrian’s. He walked toward me, each step deliberate, his gaze locking onto mine as if we were the only two people in the room. “Ms. Astrid Blythe is my fiancée,” he declared as he reached the podium, his voice calm but commanding. Gasps echoed around the hall like the sharp intake of a collective breath. Adrian smiled at me, the same smile that used to make my heart stutter. For a brief moment, I felt it again—a ghost of something I didn’t want to name. I quickly looked away, forcing a tight smile as I turned off the microphone with a slight tremble in my fingers. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I hissed under my breath, glaring at him. Adrian didn’t miss a beat. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he pulled me closer, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke in a low, husky voice that sent an involuntary shudder through me. “Just play along, Sunshine. I’ll explain everything later.” Before I could snap back, he pressed a kiss to my cheek, lingering just long enough to make it seem genuine. Fury flared in my chest, but I couldn’t risk a scene. “My fiancée, Ms. Astrid Blythe, planned this entire evening,” he announced turning the microphone on, his voice smooth as silk. “She prefers to take matters into her own hands.” His words hung in the air, and for a split second, I caught a glimpse of something in his eyes—softness, maybe, or Sadness. It was gone before I could decide. Across the room, I saw Nora. She was staring at me, her brows raised in confusion, mirroring the crowd’s bewilderment. “We’ll be tying the knot before the end of the week,” Adrian added, his tone so casual it might as well have been a comment about the weather. My jaw clenched as I forced myself to smile. I couldn’t believe it. I was covering for him—saving him—after everything he’d done to me. This better be worth it, I thought bitterly. “Thank you all for coming,” I said quickly, plastering on the brightest smile I could muster before stepping off the stage, dragging Adrian along with me. Or maybe he followed willingly—it didn’t matter. “What the hell are you playing at?” I snapped the moment we were out of earshot, yanking my arm free from his grip. Adrian arched a brow, unbothered by my outburst. “Salvaging my career, Sunshine,” he replied, his tone maddeningly calm. “Don’t. Call. Me. That.” My voice shook with anger. “There were over a hundred people in that room, and you just told them I’m your fiancée. What were you thinking?” “I need a wife, Astrid,” he said flatly, as if the matter were already settled. “The woman I was supposed to marry walked out on me. I needed a replacement, and fast.” I folded my arms across my chest, trying to create even the smallest barrier between us. Was he being serious, right now? “No. Absolutely not. I’m not doing this with you.” He took a step closer, his presence looming until I could feel his breath on my face. “What would it take to change your mind?” he asked, his voice low and deliberate. “Nothing,” I spat, holding his gaze. “A million dollars,” he offered, like he was negotiating over a car instead of asking for a wife. I opened my mouth to refuse, but he cut me off before I could speak. “Fine. Two million.” His expression remained steady, unflinching. My stomach twisted, but I held firm. “No amount of money will—” “Five million. Final offer.” His voice was like steel, and for a moment, I could only stare at him, stunned. My thoughts spiraled. Five million dollars. I could finally open the office I’d been dreaming of in Seattle. I could secure my future. And beyond all of that, there was the truth—the darker, more vengeful part of me that whispered this could be my chance. Revenge. For that night. For everything he’d taken from me. I took a deep breath, meeting his gaze head-on. “Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “I’ll be your wife.” For better, for worse—and to make him pay.AstridI stared at myself in the floor-length mirror, admiring the white dress I’d bought at the last minute.The dress was beautiful, ending at my knees with a silver lining at the neckline and delicate pearls hanging from it.It felt ironic how a dress so pretty could be for an occasion so… fake. I wasn’t just the event planner anymore. Now, I was the bride.I had pinned my hair into a bun and done my makeup myself. This wasn’t a grand affair. Adrian had decided we’d go to a small chapel to get married, and I couldn’t have been happier.If I was lucky, I’d walk away from this sham of a marriage with a clean slate and someday marry someone who deserved me.I turned away, grabbed the bouquet, and slipped my shoes on. Adrian would arrive any second.Two days ago, at the engagement party, we had exchanged contact information.I opened the door just in time to see an SUV pull up. The chauffeur, who I assumed worked for Adrian, rolled the window down and nodded at me. I quickly crossed th
Astrid“Get her things from her home,” Adrian said to the chauffeur once we'd arrived at his house. It was obvious Adrian was doing quite well, a huge contrast to the man I’d known five years ago.His house was massive, the kind that felt too big for one person. Knowing Adrian, though, he probably lived alone.“Should I be surprised you know where I live?” I asked, crossing my arms. My tone was dry, but I was genuinely curious. His brown eyes narrowed on me.“No, you shouldn't,” he replied curtly, turning away and heading up the wide front steps. The driver pulled out of the garage, leaving me alone to follow.I took in the sight of the house as I trailed after him. Well, if I’d be staying here for a couple of months, I might as well start familiarizing myself with the place.Adrian walked ahead, his strides confident and unhurried. My gaze drifted to his frame. His shoulders were broader than I remembered, his legs stronger. And his biceps? Hard to say, considering he was always in a
~Astrid~“Okay. I saw the news, and it’s ridiculous,” Freya chuckled awkwardly as I dried my hair. I already knew what she was about to say but kept quiet, letting her speak.“Your doppelganger got announced as Adrian’s fiancée. It’s sickening that he’s actually getting married to someone who looks like you. Screw that, I think they’re already married,” she continued as I dressed quickly, my thoughts racing.“Are you listening to me, Ash?” she asked, her voice curious. I nodded, knowing fully well she couldn’t see me.“I can hear you,” I said, glancing around my room. I’d spent most of the night arranging everything while waiting for my things to arrive, so everything was already in place.“I knew he never got over you. I always knew it,” Freya giggled, oblivious to the tension building inside me. I let out a steady breath. It was now or never.“I’m his wife, Fre. I got married to Adrian,” I said, my voice calm but firm. She chuckled at first, thinking it was some kind of joke. Then s
~Adrian~ Aaron watched as his fiancè led Astrid away before turning his attention to me.“You're married, funny,” he said dryly, shoving his hands into his pockets.“Doesn't seem funny to me,” I took a step closer to him. “Don't speak to her like that again...ever,”Aaron didn't look even bothered, he just stared at me like I was some kind of annoying pest.“Considering the fact that you never spoke about a woman in the years since I've known you and then, you get yourself a random lady as your wife because you're about losing your job,” he said and I felt slightly irritated, because he knew nothing about me absolutely nothing.“You know nothing, okay? So don't judge,” he remained silent, just watching me. I stared back just as both women returned.Astrid returned to my side, holding my arm. I tensed almost immediately but forced myself to relax knowing fully well Aaron could pick on it. Aaron’s gaze flickered to Astrid, like he was trying to piece something together. Joan smiled w
~Astrid~It was warm everywhere. I wondered why their pillows felt this good, I could literally stay in bed all day.Except this pillow was breathing. I peeled my eyes open, staring at nothing for the first few seconds.And then it dawned on me. I'd shared a bed with Adrian and that explained why I could feel warmth everywhere.Because he was right behind me with his erection nestled in the crack of my ass. I shut my eyes tightly.If it was back then, I'd have been happy to cuddle with him and when we woke up to situations like this, we just well.. you know.But now? It was goddamn mortifying making me wonder why the hell he wasn't out of bed yet. Adrian wasn't a deep sleeper neither was he a rough sleeper.Making me wonder how he crossed the pillow I'd sacrificed and left in the middle to keep our distance.“God, you crossed the boundaries we set, fucker.” I hissed, shoving him lightly. He groaned and then tensed for a second, pulling back a bit.That was what I thought.“Can you eve
Adrian"Mr. Chase contacted me. He asked that we send a bodyguard—one to keep his daughter safe. I need you to send one of the guys from Seattle. My men are all occupied," Aaron said as we stepped into his study, his tone leaving no room for argument."I don’t think I have any men free. The one left is the scariest of them all. He’s the guy for VIP jobs, and Chase isn’t a VIP member, is he?" I asked, glancing at Aaron, who gave me a pointed look."He owns one of the biggest shares in the company. He’s the famous telecom billionaire. Send whoever you have, as long as they can do their job."I hummed, settling into the chair opposite his desk while he turned around. "Xander is available. But since we’re talking about protecting a woman, he won’t be up for the job," I shrugged.Xander was one of the best bodyguards in ZenithCrypt Securities, and he knew it. Arrogant prick. Most clients had complained that he was cold—too cold. Didn’t talk, didn’t interact, just did the job and left. I di
~Astrid~After spending a few days in New York, we finally returned to Seattle, and boy, were things awkward.Adrian had completely shut down after I spent a ridiculous amount on shopping. Strangely, the thought of him being pissed off brought me a twisted sense of satisfaction.When the car finally stopped in the garage, Adrian stepped out, adjusting his collar with that stiff, controlled air he always had. I stared at my phone for a second before climbing out too."I'm going out," I announced casually. He froze mid-step, slowly turning around to look at me.His gaze flicked down my body, lingering, and I cocked my head slightly to the side, arching a brow."And where exactly are you going?" he asked, his tone cool but with an edge that wasn’t hard to miss.I sighed, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "Informing you that I'm going out should be enough, Voss. You really don’t want to know where."The chauffeur hurriedly got out, unloading our bags, his movements quick and tense l
~Astrid~He gave me a lopsided smile and my stomach twisted. I just stared at him, before footsteps approached from behind."Astrid, you're here," Mum said and I dragged my eyes away from Derrick and turned around just in time to see my mum behind me. She pulled me into a hug while my brain scrambled for answers. He was gone, why did he come back?My mum patted my back before pulling away, glancing behind me before her light blue eyes returned to mine. It was safe to say I'd taken most of my facial features from my mum. From hair, to eyes, to lips. I couldn't really see any resemblance from my father even when I stare at his pictures but mum said I'd gotten his characters. Stubborn.Now, Maya was 51 and she looked younger and more beautiful than most women her age."I see you've both met," Mum said and I knew she was talking about Derrick, I gave a tight nod before pulling her farther into the house away from Derrick."Why did no one tell me he was here?" I asked and mum raised a perf
♡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
♡Astrid♡After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I sauntered out to go find Adrian. If I was lucky, he would still be at home, but if not, I'd have to call him.I walked up to his door and knocked. Once. Twice. There was no response.I turned away and walked toward the gym. He’d left. A little earlier than usual.Pushing the door open, I walked into the cold space. I should burn a few calories and get off some tension before seeing Joan and Aaron.And there I paused. He was there.His body glistened with sweat as he hit the punching bag like it didn’t hurt. Every punch echoed in the room. The muscles in his back flexed with every move, and those pants?He really needed to stop wearing them. It should’ve been illegal to look that good in sweatpants.“Enjoying the view?” His voice came out raspy and in quick breaths. I quickly cleared my throat and walked farther into the room.“What are you talking about?” I asked, glancing at the treadmill. I walked toward it.He stopped hitting
♡Astrid♡"What? Why?" he asked and I sucked in a breath and leaned slightly into the couch."He tried to abuse Freya," I whispered and his brows furrowed. "What?""I know it's hard to believe, but... that's why she's here. Lucky for her, she got away before it got worse."He shook his head slowly. "That's... horrible."I nodded. At least one person agreed."Do you have proof? Anything? Freya’s word probably won't be enough."He didn’t know I was once a victim too. Nobody knew and neither did Adrian.I never told him when we were dating. I thought I was healed. But seeing it happen to my sister—by that same man—showed me I’d only buried it."There are two witnesses. And a text."He raised a brow. "A witness aside from Freya?"I nodded and met his eyes. He looked at me for a long second, before they narrowed slightly."Who's the other witness?"I gave a small casual shrug. "Some girl..."But it seemed like he'd picked up on my body language. "Did he touch you too?" His voice was cold,