*Elias POV* I pushed the door open and was immediately startled by the faces of the elder Miss Sinclair and Yolanda staring at me with horrified expressions. If I had a bad memory,I would Have believed I had committed a crime and they were gaping at the blood on my hands. “Is everything alright?”I questioned. Yolanda scoffed. “Is everything alright? You barge into an office without even knocking and instead of having the decency to apologise?” I clench my jaw and stare into her enraged face.I never liked her and it's like she keeps adding reasons to keep things that way. I summon tolerance from all parts of my body and slowly walk forward with the file Ares asked me to give to his mother. “It's about the gold trade,Ares wants you to review the products.”Yolanda reaches for it but I sway it out of her grasp and gives it to Silvia. I catch Silvia glaring at Yolanda from the corner of her eye but I ignore it and give her the details about the purchase.“Is he usually like this?”Yo
*Selene's POV* “How was your day?”Cassie asked as I stepped into her office.Her head was still attentively bowed to the papers, and the fairly chewed butt of the pen was swirling in her hand. “Great,you?”I took off my leather coat and hung on the chair. “Stressful.”Cassie said honestly. “These papers are killing me,it's like these girls intentionally misplace the documents to drive me mad.” I laughed genuinely for the first time since today and leaned over to pour myself a cup of water. So much fake laughing during the rehearsals today has taken its toll on me.Im parched. Cassie hummed merrily as she worked on her so called stressful papers,I wonder how she can look happy even in so much chaos,she wasn't always calm but at the core of it all but she was happy. “What are you thinking about?”Cassie asked when she noticed my silence.Years later, and she still reads me like a book. “I find It admirable how happy you are through all this stress.The girls,the bills,I even hear
*Greta's POV* I smirked satisfactorily as I saw Selene's car pull up in the driveway.It was only eight pm,she was home early. I had overheard her making plans with that Cassie girl again,the owner of a brothel with her bright, tacky coloured hair. My very skin got irritated just thinking about her.So I asked Selene to ditch the plans and eat my food–I don't even like cooking that much. But it's good how important I was in Selene's life and how firm my grip on her life was. Let's just say that I sometimes get too absorbed into caring for Selene, and Cassie wasn't the type of person I wanted around her. She was way too loud,brazen, and uncultured.And every time we met, she gave me a weird look as if I was an intruder. Selene said she was part of the wealthy class once, but that just further proves the point that money doesn't buy class. I watched the car come to a full stop through the kitchen window. The tires of black jeep have gotten a little dusty from frequent use.I will
*Dominic's POV* “This is stupid.”I cursed, turning the steering wheel into an intersection. I had Caleb on my tail begging me to forget about Selene,I still haven't found where Ares is keeping the journalists –they could be ratting me out to him right now and to top it all up.Selene was avoiding me. I caught sight of Greta’s lean frame standing on the sidewalk,the streetlight casting a lazy glow on her knitted hat.She always looked so honest and likeable,like a kind aunt,that was until you got scammed that you realised that she was one of satan’s minions. I quickly dialled her number and watched her pick up the phone from her coat. “I'm here.” She looks my way. “Black cadillac?” “Yeah,that's me.”I say,cutting the call If This was one of her scams again,I will choke some senses into her tonight. I pulled up in front of the park Greta directed me to and waited for her to approach the window. She stands at the door and peers in . “You are late.” “You are bad at directions,I
*Yolanda's POV* Elais brought Noelle home today,as he has been doing for a while now but something about him irritated me today.The way he and Noelle's laugh merges together so perfectly brought deja vus of what I had to do to ensure her place. Contrary to popular belief,I didn't hate Selene.How could I? She was not my daughter but sometimes I wish she was,well at least at first. She knew the world was a big game and understood it too.She was very much like me and the embodiment of all I wanted in the child. But of course,nothing went perfect for me,she was too much like me. And the second her father died,she set out to get revenge and destroy me and deep down I knew that her wrath was coming to haunt me. I like to think I wasnt all bad. I had a secure plan to make both of them successful but her obvious hatred cancelled it all. I refocused on Noelle And aspired to make her great. And I did,but it came with many regrets. Like getting witches involved to cut Noelle's mate bon
*Selene's POV* “Aren't you worried?”Cassie asked,leaning on the door frame,swirling the wine in her glass. I ignored her and continued stacking my new jewellery. “It's been almost twenty-four hours since you heard from Greta.Don't you even miss her” I threw Cassire a lazy-eye dirty look, but she kept her eyes firm on mine,unphased by my disapproval. “I told you not to bring her up.”I said in a hard tone and returned to stacking my new boxes. “Another word, and I will actually lose it.” “I just feel sort of guilty, you know,I put so much suspicion in your head, and you acted so hastily that you didn't hear her reason…you even kicked her out. What if she had a good reason?” “There is no good reason for stealing.”I reply,hoping to put an end to the matter. “But you stole Noelle's identity once,and you had a very good reason.” The memory hit me like a bitter taste,there were alot of things I wasnt proud of and stashed away in my memory so the guilt doesnt eat me alive,tha
*Yolanda's POV* The stench of rust and dampness hit me the second I stepped inside the warehouse. I hated this place already. The creaking metal above me, the dripping water echoing in the distance—it all felt like the setup to a bad movie. Except I wasn’t the clueless girl walking into a trap. I knew exactly what I was doing. I was here because he had information, and for better or worse, I needed it. My heels clicked sharply on the cracked concrete floor as I moved farther inside, eyes darting around the dim space. It was quiet—too quiet—but I knew he was here. I wasn’t scared, but I was cautious. I’d dealt with men like him before—arrogant, thinking they could control me, thinking they held all the cards. But I wasn’t someone who could be easily rattled. I never was,I wont start now.“Play your games right fool.”I muttered under my breath. “Because the second I find out who you are under that mask,you will know where real evil originates From.”I scanned the shadows, my he
*Dominic's POV* I repositioned the location of the small wooden fountain on the demo scale and analysed it carefully. I couldn't quite decide if I wanted the fountain at the front of the hotel or at the back along with the pond. Perhaps a fountain at the front would be too much if I decide to go along with the statue of Selene. I am more than proud to say I am actually going somewhere in the construction. This might just be a charade to keep suspicious eyes off my back, but I genuinely enjoy it–building,creating a whole new world from the ground up. It does a strange thing to your ego when it's completed,experts will say the pride inflates it, but I like to use better terms. “You are absolutely ridiculous. What if she finds out that you lied,”Caleb complained, pacing around the office. I almost forgot he was still here. At this point, I just used him as background noise to focus better. “I already did a favour for you once.I refuse to partake in this lie, too.” Caleb has gott
*Ares POV*A burgundy 1955 Lincoln Capri pulled into the yard, and I let out a soft sigh. I hadn’t actually expected her to come—I’d hoped she would. But when dealing with a woman like Selene, the best you could do for yourself was to temper your expectations.I watched as she stepped out, her silhouette cutting through the moonlight with the same quiet grace she always carried. She wore a silk, form-fitting dress, her loose hair bouncing as she walked.She took a long look at the house before frowning and walking toward my car."What do you think you’re doing?" she asked, standing before me. "Why did you bring me here?"I grabbed the gift box from the passenger seat and stepped out."You look beautiful." I smiled, shutting the door behind me.She rolled her eyes and stared back at the abandoned palace."You’ve got a lot of nerve bringing me here," she spat. "I applaud that."I glanced at the palace dismissively, as though it wasn’t the same place I once rejected her. But that wasn’t
Selene's POVI stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, the last rays of daylight casting long shadows across the villa. The men lined up in front of me seemed relaxed, as if life had become a series of easy luxuries.“You guys are really enjoying yourselves here,Is that what you do in your free time?” I mused with a small laugh. “I’m almost envious.”They exchanged grins, looking pleased with themselves.“We make the most of what we can with the boss’s money,” one of them quipped.I smirked in quiet satisfaction. Their loyalty to the boss still held, despite working for me now. I had never asked how much they were paid, nor did I want to. Some things were better left unanswered—like why the boss had assigned his best men to a woman he’d only met once. It didn’t add up. But that wasn't my problem to ponder over,if my charms got me an army,then so be it.The single encounter I had with him played back in my mind. He sat across the room,watching me from the tiny holes on his mask. Hi
*Yolanda's POV* “Yes,my birthday is in a week.”I said with a smile as I busied myself running my fingers on the new silverwares I got for the occasion. “I don't think now is the right time to return to IronClaw.”the voice at the end of the line replied. “I heard your step daughter has returned.” “Oh please.”I scoffed. “Do you really think I'm going to stop my own birthday party just because she exists?.” “Yolanda…I still don't think coming there is a good idea.” My fingers found a tiny rust on one of the tea spoons and picked it up to examine it further.I had asked for the best of the best in everything. And here I was seeing rustic cutlery sitting on the table. If it were Silvia who asked,the servants would have made everything glistening for her. What importance does she even have? We are both mothers of the leaders of the pack and she gets treated far better than I ever did. I inhaled a sharp breath and returned my attention to my phone call. Important matters first. “Do
Dominic's POV The hospital air was thick with the smell of disinfectant. I hated it—the sterile, cold atmosphere, the constant beeping of machines. It reminded me of–unpleasant times. I was gradually getting sick of pretending to be more injured than I was, tired of being here, stuck, slacking when I had work to do. It felt like a prison more than a place of healing. Tonight will be my last night. I had decided to announce That I could magically walk tomorrow and that would be it…I have already accomplished what I wanted here. I stared long and hard at myself,wondering if all I was doing was worth it,I had revealed my background,implied that my adopted family was to blame for the attack–which angered my brother greatly and got myself shot in the leg. All in a gamble of winning Selene and getting rid of Ares at the same time. This might be the first mission I'm invested in and the bitch didn't even care to come see me…I chuckled at myself. I had every woman at my beck and call
Ares' POV I spotted her immediately—Selene. She stood by the curb, arms crossed, her face set in that familiar look of irritation that I had grown almost fond of. Almost. I smirked as I killed the engine and stepped out of the car, my shoes crunching against the gravel. She didn't even bother with pleasantries. "Finally,I was beginning to think you intentionally wanted me to go to work lat." she snapped, her voice sharp as a knife. No hello. No patience. Classic Selene. I offered my hand for a mere unshakeable but was denied that too. I reached into my jacket and pulled out the file, holding it up just long enough for her to see before lowering it again. “It took a few extra minutes to make sure that the house and the very land it stands on is not only state property but yours too. It was a difficult document to process.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “Look at that,you are actually useful.” "You're in a hurry, aren't you?" I said casually, watching her eyes narrow i
"Why is your face scrunched?" Yolanda asked mockingly. "This could be your chance to right your wrongs."I scoffed and threw my hair behind my shoulder. "What are you two blabbing about this time?"“To be honest, I didn’t want to go this far. I know how much you adore this place,” Noelle began, circling me slowly like a predator. I'm almost impressed by this new found confidence she was exhibiting.Maybe it came from dressing up as me. “But you’re just so cocky and disrespectful, I had to teach you a lesson. See how funny life can be?” Noelle smiled, coming to a full stop in front of me. “Maybe if you had treated me nicer, we wouldn’t be here right now,would we?”“Aw,” I smirked. “Is this what this is about? Does my baby sister want an apology?”Noelle's smile vanished, and her gaze darkened.“Don’t call me that, you and I don’t share a drop of blood.”“Oh please, what do you know about your roots?” I asked, raising a brow. “Have you asked Yolanda who your real mother is yet? Or are yo
*Dominic's POV* “Good morning. "I exclaimed in excitement as the nurse pushed my chair forward. “Dominic?”Caleb asks,coming to a full stop,as if he doesn't really believe it's me he is seeing. “Caleb?”I return in the same tone. Caleb shakes his head and asks the nurse for privacy. The nurse looks down at me for approval, and I nod slowly,still keeping my eye on Caleb. “You don't know how glad I am to see you here.”I began when the nurse was out of ear shot. “I was beginning to think no one cares about my well-being.” “Were you really shot?”Caleb asks instantly. I stare down at my legs to make sure,he seemed so in disbelief that I had to make sure the last nine hours were reality and sure enough I could still see the bandage wrapped around my leg. “Do you not see this?”I asked,pointing at my injured leg. “What more proof do you need?” “Tell me the truth,were you shot last night?”Caleb pressed. “Just be honest for once.” As if that noble virtue has ever gotten me anyw
*Selene's POV* *Next Day* “Where did you get that?”I asked, snatching the paper from her hand. The flyer showed an announcement of the complete demolition and renovation of Olive Grown District. My father's house was at the heart of the district, and what was worse was that it was going to be turned into a landfill. “I found it plastered on a street sign on my way here,”Greta stated. “They are all over the city.” I folded the paper and threw it out the window in a fit of anger.What on earth was it going on? Who was doing this? Not only did the price of the house go up by twice its worth but now it was not going to be demolished. Now, not only do I have to pay a ridiculous amount for what was originally mine.. I also have to fight to keep the place from being broken and run down. I fell to the chair and pressed on my temples,trying to evoke calm,serenity or anything remotely different from the panic I was feeling. Was it Ares–no? Why would he? “I know how much you wanted
Selene’s POVWho does he think he is, bossing and carrying me around like I’m some fragile doll? I didn't need his protection before, and I certainly don't need it now. My heart drummed in my chest,I'm not sure if it was the sound of the guns or his touch. I stood by the door for a second longer, my pride demanding I delay entering the room. I wasn't following his orders—no, I was just making sure that I was safe. Still, the memory of his fingers pressing into my shoulders lingered, warm and possessive. I forced a deep breath, squared my shoulders, and pushed the door open, stepping into the cold, mechanical room.The door clicked shut behind me, the darkness swallowing me whole. A gust of icy air swept across my skin, a stark contrast to the heat I'd just escaped. My instincts were screaming—someone else was here.Suddenly, a voice pierced the silence."You must be the infamous Selene Foxx."The sound nearly jolted me out of my skin. I whirled around, only to see a single, dim ligh