Jayden's povAs she left, my lips curled into a smirk. Her confidence was absurd, almost laughable, but honestly, there was something intriguing about it. "She really doesn't know what she's getting herself into." I smiled. Even though I understood her reason to be desperate to leave this place, I had decided to make her regret this decision once she was out of here to teach her a lesson because of her confidence.Despite being impressed by it, if she had that same confidence and determination, she might have moved on and left the life behind instead of waiting to beg for my help when she was running away. Who knows? She might not have ended up here at all if she had that same confidence."She thinks I'm doing this just because of her," I chuckled.She probably realised I enjoyed our time together and thought she could use that to her advantage. Sure, I did—there was definitely something about her that drew me to her. But did she think she had control over me? I chuckled under my br
Mirabella's pov The day had arrived—the day the club’s products as we were called would be paraded like cattle and sold to the highest bidder. I stood among them, heart pounding as I tried to hold onto the sliver of hope that Jay would come through for me, just as he promised. My entire fate hinged on it. I didn’t even know if I was being put up for auction because of him or if something else was at play. Lucy had told me only girls who had been here for at least six months were sold, but here I was, barely three months in, and about to be auctioned off. The uncertainty gnawed at me, but it was all I had left—a desperate hope that he would be my savior.The hall was dimly lit, but I could see them clearly—the buyers. They were scattered across the seats below, their eyes fixed hungrily on us like predators. I felt their lecherous stares crawl over my skin. "They are not even ashamed of this,” I hissed under my breath, eyes narrowing in disgust by how brazen they were. There wasn’t
Jayden's pov Zayn had called to let me know that Ariana had left the hospital, insisting she could not spend another night there and causing quite a scene.Worried, I jumped in the car and luckily found her at a nearby bus terminal not far from the hospital.At first, she refused to get in the car, but after a few minutes of convincing, she finally agreed."Why don’t you care about your health? Don’t you realise the doctor didn’t want to discharge you for a reason?" I broke the silence as I drove her home.I knew there was no point in trying to convince her to go back to the hospital—her mind was already made up."And here you go, pretending to care again," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "I don’t care what you think about whether I care, Ariana. I just—" "Do you realise nothing you say or do will make me go back?" She raised her eyebrows at me.When I asked why she was in such a hurry to leave, she said it was because she had not been able to reach Fred, whom she was on her way to
Mirabella's povAs soon as we pulled up to Jay's mansion, I couldn't help but take in just how rich he really was. Everything about the place screamed wealth, and it made sense how someone like him could make the kind of orders that got me out of the Aphrodite Club. Zayn, who said he was Jayden’s personal assistant, had driven me to this massive, stunning house."Hello," a woman in an apron who looked like the maid, greeted us as we stepped inside. "You must be the lady of the house," she said with a smile.I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea. "Lady of the house?" I chuckled, but I nodded anyway."You're welcome. Shall we head to your room now?" She asked me, still beaming in smiles after we had introduced ourselves to each other.Excitement had been running through me the moment I stepped outside the club. It hadn’t faded, and I felt even more at ease after Eunice’s warm welcome. Her hospitality felt like a sign that I was finally accepted, free from that nightmare.After she men
Mirabella's povI knew where this was heading. I had been prepared for it. So, slowly, I stood and walked toward him. As I moved my hand to his shoulder to make the first move, he suddenly gripped my wrist, sending a jolt of pain up my arm as he yanked me closer. The force of his pull sent me stumbling forward as my knees hit the edge of the table. I winced, both from the physical pain and the cold detachment in his eyes. "Get on your knees," he commanded, his voice low and menacing. He then grabbed me by the hair, yanking me down to the floor with brutal force. I cried out, but he only tightened his grip, pulling my head back, so I had no choice but to look up at him. "You will learn your place," he growled, his breath hot against my ear. He released my hair, only to immediately grab my chin, forcing my mouth open. I struggled, but his strength was overwhelming. He leaned in closer, his eyes boring into mine as he spoke, each word dripping with venom. "You want to thank
Mirabella's pov"Did it truly happen? Is this what I've signed up for?" The questions clawed at my mind as I lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My body ached in places I never thought possible, a sharp reminder of the pain I'd gone through last night.I buried my head in my knees, hugging them tightly, trying to muffle the devastation that roared inside me. The images of last night played on repeat, haunting me. I had cried until sleep finally took me, and now, the tears threatened to start again."How had this happened?" I wondered. It was Jay—the same Jay who has made my body sing at the club, whose touch had been a perfect blend of heat and need. But last night… last night felt like a mockery of that memory. He was not the same. It was as if a demon took over him.But despite everything, a small flicker of hope crept in. Maybe something was wrong with him. "Maybe a business crisis had triggered that brutal side of him. After all, he had been acting distant and stern ev
Mirabella's povTo clear my head, realising I could not let myself get drowned in the weight of everything happening—if it were even true—I decided to go on a shopping spree to pick up some things I needed, especially clothes, and distract myself in the process. For some reason, it worked. My mood lifted as I got lost in the moment, maybe because I never really treated myself like this before. I was in the book section, skimming through novels, when I suddenly heard someone call my name.I turned around, and my eyes widened in shock."Lucy!" I shouted, rushing to her. I threw my arms around her, accidentally dropping the book I was holding. We stayed locked in the hug for a few moments, neither of us moving."People are staring at us, Bella," she said, laughing softly.She started to pull away, but I was not ready to let go yet. The hug felt like exactly what I needed—like it was holding my whole world together—even if just for a little while."Let them stare," I whispered, tighte
Mirabella's povThe cab rolled to a stop in front of what used to be my home. I told the driver to hang on for a minute and stepped out, heading toward the door. I wanted a quick visit with my grandfather, hoping my father would not be around.I was not ready to tell Lucy how shitty my family was for now. When the door finally opened after my knock, I was stunned. Standing there was someone I did not recognise—someone about my age, looking at me like I was the one who did not belong."Who...who are you?" My brows were arched in confusion.She chuckled. "I should be the one asking you that. Are you sure you haven't missed your way?""Missed my way? You must be kidding." I muttered."Esther, who is that?" I heard a voice call out from deeper inside the house.The shock hit me even harder. Not just one, but two unfamiliar females were now in the same house I used to share with my father and grandfather."What's going on?" My confusion made me look around to check if indeed I was in the
Mirabella's povIt was late at night, and I was lying on my bed, mindlessly swiping through Tinder, trying to find my next hookup for tomorrow, when a knock came at the door."I'm full, Eunice," I called out lazily, not bothering to look away from my phone. "I’m not having dinner."The knock came again, but the voice that followed was not Eunice’s.“It’s me, Bella. Open the door. We need to talk.”I hissed under my breath, my irritation spiking as soon as I heard Jayden’s voice. "Bella, open this door now!” He barked as the door handle rattled under his impatient grip.I scoffed, my eyes still glued to my phone. “Oh, I get it. You had your dinner, and now you are here for dessert, right?” My voice rose a little. “Well, newsflash, Jayden, that’s not happening anymore. Get over it.”The rattling stopped for a second, but then there was a loud, sudden crash as the door flew open, slamming against the wall. My heart jumped into my throat, panic gripping me for a split second, but I ma
Author's povRelief washed over Caesar after the call with Mirabella as he sat back in his leather chair, watching the city skyline through the floor-to-ceiling windows. A self-satisfied smirk played on his lips as he thought back to the conversation with her. Now, he had achieved what he wanted to with the advice and was just an inch closer to defeating Jayden. “What a fool she is,” he scoffed to himself, his voice dripping with disdain. Unbeknownst to her, he had set everything in motion to test Jayden’s feelings. If Jayden didn’t care for Mirabella, his wrath would have crushed her the moment she confronted him. But instead, the outcome hinted at something else entirely, something Caesar was determined to exploit.“The little pawn thinks I’m helping her,” he muttered, almost amused by the thought. "How pathetic and dumb. She doesn’t even realise she’s bait in all of this.” He let out a chuckle, leaning back in his chair with a sense of fulfillment. Everything was falling into
Mirabella's povThe way my confrontation with Jayden ended still felt unreal.The look of pure shock on his face when I threw those words at him still burnt into my memory, and I could not help but smile every time I thought about it. "Why didn’t I think of this sooner? Why did I put up with his crap for so long?" I muttered under my breath, flopping onto the bed."Freedom finally!" I exhaled in satisfaction.Now, there'll be no need to be sneaking out of the house just to have fun and whatnot.Still in excitement, I put a call to Lucy to tell her everything that had happened and Caesar. She expressed her excitement for me."You finally did it, babe! This is all you've been wishing for. Congratulations," she said, her voice light over the phone."What about Caeaar? Is he still at home?" I asked her, but she replied that he had left to work. "Well, I only wanted to tell him the same thing and to thank him because this wouldn't have happened without him," I said. "What?" She scoffed
Jayden's pov8:50 a.m., and Mirabella still had not shown her face in this house. I had asked Eunice to call her down to have breakfast with me, only for her to come back and tell me Mirabella was not in her room. "A hotel?” I muttered, my brows knitting in confusion as I checked the tracker and saw her location flashed on the screen. Then, I pulled up the CCTV footage and could not help but smirk at how she snuck out in the dead of night. “She's got some nerve,” I snickered to myself.However, one thing was certain—she would regret this defiance. I would make her pay for breaking my rules until she begged for mercy, and I would enjoy every second of it. Seconds stretched into minutes, and nearly an hour passed before I finally heard the door creak open.I didn’t need to look to know it was her. “Where the hell are you coming from, Mirabella?” I growled.She scoffed much to my surprise. "I went to have fun yesterday night."What?! My eyes widened in shock immediately. Did she ju
Mirabella's povFreedom tastes intoxicating—like the first breath of air after being buried alive or the burn of liquor sliding down your throat when you’ve been denied it for too long. The problem? It’s easy to overindulge, to forget boundaries and consequences in the haze of liberation. That’s how I've ended up reeling in my newfound freedom, enjoying it recklessly, as though it could be snatched away at any moment.Last night was no different. Somewhere between the bottom of my glass and the dimly lit dance floor, I found myself entangled with a stranger. A hot, handsome stranger who now lay beside me, his toned chest rising and falling in the soft morning light. Yes, I slept with another man! Could that count as me cheating? I doubt it, since there was nothing serious between Jayden and me.The buzz of my phone shattered my sleep."Where are you?" Eunice’s hushed voice slipped through the line as I reluctantly pressed the phone to my ear. Her tone was urgent, slicing through my
Mirabella's povAt last, I had gotten a taste of freedom, and it was intoxicating. Even though it was just a glimpse, it felt like stolen chocolate melting on my tongue—a thrill I owed entirely to Caesar. Thanks to him, I could now sneak out at night, hit up hidden clubs, hang out with Lucy, and take back the pieces of my youth that Jayden had almost stolen from me. But it was not total freedom—not yet. I still had to be careful, always making sure I was back before Jayden noticed anything. Eunice had been a lifesaver, helping me cover my tracks and keep things under control.However, I could not let my guard down just yet.Also, Caesar’s help was my lifeline; his ability to manipulate the CCTV cameras in our house made my secret escapades possible. The CCTV cameras that were secretly planted in the mansion were all I needed to confirm that Jayden was obsessed over me because why would he need to track my every movement?I sat at the dining table in Caesar and Lucy's home, digging
Mirabella's povI was just a few feet from the entrance when the door burst open, and a woman stormed out, her face twisted with anger. I froze, taken aback—Eunice had told me Jayden never brought women here, so seeing her was a shock. Her tight dress clung to her figure, leaving little doubt that she had had sex with Jayden.So, not only had he broken his rule of keeping hookups away from home, but he had done it without a second thought about me—even if there was technically nothing serious between us.The woman scoffed when she noticed me, slowing her pace as she closed the distance between us, her gaze sharp and condescending."And who the hell are you?" She chortled.I furrowed my brows. "I should be the one asking you that. Who are you?"She chuckled. "So you are one of those he sleeps around with. Wonderful!"With that, she took her leave. Still curious, I called after her before she got too far. "Who are you?"She did not even look back, just tossed over her shoulder. "Why
Jayden's povI was in the library, working on a painting, waiting for updates from my guys who were tailing Bella. Suddenly, Eunice knocked on the door.“There’s a woman here to see you, sir,” she announced.“A woman?” I raised an eyebrow, surprised. No one had ever showed up here uninvited, and others who had showed up by my invitation did came here for business, which happened only on rare occasions, which I could count.“Yes, her name is Ariana,” she said.“Ariana?” I chuckled in disbelief—this visit was unexpected. For the past seven years I had been living here, she had turned down every invitation I had sent her way.“If you want me to visit, you know what you have to do,” she had told me countless times until I eventually stopped asking.I had built my reputation as a powerful and successful man over the last ten years, starting from nothing but a private investigator by using whatever leverage I had over the city’s most influential people to climb the ranks.Since then, tho
Mirabella's povCaesar was the last person I would have considered to have met here, even though he and Lucy now lived like a couple. "Yeah, I didn’t want Lucy to come. When you told her Jay was home, I realised it might be risky to meet with her, and it turns out I was right," he explained."I believe you saw them when you ignored my instruction and turned."My eyes widened in surprise. "So, you knew? How did you—"He cut me off. "We don't have much time, Mirabella. Another reason I came here is to warn you. You are in more danger than you realise."I frowned, confused. "What do you mean? Lucy told me you found a way to manipulate the tracker, so—""Yeah, I did," he interrupted, his voice urgent, "but there’s more you need to know."He then showed me a video on his phone of Jayden entering a gadget store and leaving with a man who looked like an employee, carrying some equipment."Why are you showing me this?" I looked at him, puzzled."Did you know there are CCTV cameras in some pa