Elijah Dawson had everything—a billion-dollar empire, a name that commanded respect, and the kind of life others could only dream of. By 20, he’d conquered the business world, turning his love for cars into an empire. But there’s one thing he can’t own: Eloise Hart, his late brother’s wife, and the woman who’s haunted him for years. Eloise is chaos in human form. Tattooed, reckless, and unapologetic, she lives her life with zero regrets. The world sees her as a disaster waiting to happen, a woman who drags Elijah’s name into scandal every chance she gets. But what they don’t know is that she’s the one woman he’s never been able to let go. Elijah knows he should stay away, that every time he’s near her, he risks losing everything—his reputation, his empire, and the respect he has to his late brother. He swore he’d never cross that line, but how long can he resist when Eloise is the one thing he’s always wanted but could never have? Because for Eloise, she could fuck every man on the planet, but not him. Not her brother-in-law.
View MoreWe arrived at the edge of the abandoned building, the air thick with tension and dust. The place was rotting, every window shattered, every wall covered in graffiti. But it was quiet—too quiet. The men we brought with us started to spread out, silently taking their positions, blending into the shadows. I felt the weight of every second pressing down on me. My jaw clenched. My fists itched. My heart pounded with one thing in mind—Eloise.I glanced at Matthew, who gave me a nod. Even now, even with everything he was carrying, he was calm. Focused. We didn’t exchange words. We didn’t need to. We were here for one thing. And nothing was going to stop us.We didn’t go in right away.The building loomed ahead like a sleeping beast, silent and dangerous. But I knew better. It wasn’t sleeping. It was waiting.Matthew came up beside me, crouched low behind the broken wall we were using for cover. "Two on the left," he murmured. "Three more near the back, guarding the exits."I nodded once.
While waiting for Matthew, I sat on the couch. Eliana climbed beside me, wrapping her arms around mine like she always did. I kissed the top of her head.Eloah stood by the window, stiff and silent.“El…” I called softly.He didn’t look at me.“I know you’re mad. I messed up. I’m sorry.”Still nothing. I stood and walked to him. “I never stopped thinking about you. Or your sister. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I hurt you instead. I’ll make it right.”Eloah finally looked at me. “You leave, Mommy… alone…”His voice cracked, and it felt like someone punched me straight in the chest.“I know,” I said quietly. “And I hate myself for that every day.”He blinked fast, trying to hold back whatever he was feeling. “I cry… every night.”I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay still. “I’m sorry, El. I didn’t mean to hurt your Mommy. Or you.”He looked down, fists clenched at his sides. “Don’t leave again.”“I won’t,” I said instantly. “Not ever again.”There was a beat of silence
In a second, I’m already clutching his collar. We both look each other in the eyes, and I can see… that we do indeed have the same eyes.The same. Even the kind of anger we’re both trying to hold back.Rafael and Venice gasp behind me—they can feel the tension, thick in the air. But I don’t care. My heart’s beating like a war drum in my chest, and it’s not just anger. It’s confusion. Betrayal. Pain.“She’s pregnant,” he finally says, almost like a whisper.Venice lets out a sharp breath behind me. Rafael stays silent.“What did you just say?” I ask, my voice shaking.“She’s pregnant, Elijah,” he repeats, louder this time. “Eloise is carrying your child.”It feels like something exploded inside me. I don’t even know if it’s anger, happiness, or fear. Maybe all of them.“Don’t mess with me,” I say, shoving him back slightly, though I don’t let go. “If she’s pregnant, why didn’t she tell me?! Why the hell are you the one telling me and not her?!”“Because she didn’t plan to,” he answers.
“What do you mean Uncle Sandro died?!” I snapped, my voice louder than I intended.I was gripping my phone so tight my knuckles turned white.Rafael's voice on the other end was shaky. “Elijah… Noel found him. He got in the way while trying to protect Farah. He didn’t make it.”I froze. The words didn’t register at first. My chest rose and fell as the air seemed to thicken around me.“No,” I muttered. “No, that can’t be.”“I’m sorry,” Rafael said, his voice barely above a whisper. “He died a hero.”I ran a hand down my face, feeling the sting in my eyes. I turned away, making sure Eloah and Eliana couldn’t see me fall apart."What about Farah?" I asked, my voice low and tight. "Where is she now? Is she safe?"Rafael sighed on the other line. "She’s safe, Elijah. She's in Spain… with Matthew and Eloise. Matthew picked her up the moment he found out Uncle Sandro was gone."My jaw clenched. Spain. With them.Of course he’d go to her. Of course she’d be there too.I closed my eyes and lea
“Elijah, what is this?!” Uncle Sandro’s voice boomed behind me, his cane tapping loudly against the pavement as he approached the car. “You’re seriously taking the kids? At this hour?”I didn’t stop packing Eliana’s small pink backpack into the backseat. Then came Eloah’s toy dinosaur. I refused to look at him. If I did, I’d lose it.“Elijah!” he shouted again, this time grabbing my arm tightly. “Listen to me, son. Don’t do this—don’t take them away like this.”I clenched my jaw. “I’m not taking them away. I’m protecting them.”“From what? Eloise?! From their own mother?” His eyes were wide with disbelief. “You’re angry—I understand that. But don’t use the kids. Don’t pretend they’re not hurting too!”Finally, I met his eyes—mine glassy, but cold. “She made her choice, Uncle. She chose Matthew. Again. Do you know how many times I’ve endured that? How many times I caught her when she let go? I waited. I stayed. I kept hoping.” I let out a bitter laugh. “And still, it wasn’t enough.”Un
My vision was blurry, my head pounding with every step they dragged me through the hallway. The coldness of the cement wall, the smell of metal and rot—it all screamed prison. But the only thing that mattered to me right now… was the tiny life inside me.I curled into myself the moment they threw me into a small, dimly lit room and slammed the metal door shut behind them. The silence was deafening. My arms shook as I held my stomach, whispering through gritted teeth."You’re okay… please be okay."Tears slid down my cheeks as I leaned my head against the cold wall, swallowing the pain. The baby… my baby. I couldn’t let anything happen. Not again. Not like with everything else I failed to protect.Noel thinks I’m weak. He thinks bruises and fear will make me bend. But he doesn’t know me. He doesn’t know what a mother becomes when you threaten her child.He will know soon.I jolted awake at the sudden sound of the door creaking. My body tensed, thinking it was one of Noel’s men again. B
I can endure anything. Anything in this world. But the thought of my child suffering and getting hurt will be the end of me. The end of my sanity.Let them take my name. Let them strip me of my pride, of the company, of everything I’ve built, of everything she built. Let them break my body, tie my hands, chain my freedom—but not my children. Not Eliana’s soft laugh. Not Eloah’s gentle eyes. They are the last pure thing I have. The last reminder that something good still exists inside of me.If Noel touches even a strand of their hair, I swear—he won't just face a grieving mother. He'll face a monster he created with his own hands. One he's not ready for.Because if I have to burn this whole world just to keep them safe… I will.Noel’s smirk only grew wider, clearly enjoying the control he had over me.“Ah, there it is,” he said, his voice mockingly soft. “I hit a nerve, didn’t I? You see, Eloise, this is the kind of leverage I have over you. Your love for your children, your weakness
I was seated on a cold chair, my hands tightly bound behind my back. I didn’t feel fear—or maybe I’d just gotten used to it. In front of me, Noel was pacing back and forth like he was putting a plan together in his head. He was holding a folder, and with every step closer, I could hear the slight crack of his clenched knuckles.“You know,” he began, staring at me, “I’ve waited years for this.”I didn’t respond. I just looked straight at him, right into his eyes. I didn’t blink. I didn’t flinch.He opened the folder. Photos. Documents. Papers I couldn’t quite make out. “All of this, Eloise,” he said as he spread them out on the table between us, “is proof of how weak you are as the heiress of your mother’s company.”I smiled bitterly. “That’s funny. Because while you were collecting those, I was figuring out how to bring you down without even having to touch a single gun.”He paused. Then grinned. “So you’re brave now?”“I’m not brave, Noel,” I answered, my voice hoarse but firm. “I’m
The next morning, I waited until Matthew left—he said something about a meeting, but I didn’t even register the details. I just nodded, watching him walk out the door like nothing was wrong, like I didn’t hear the truth bleeding from his lips last night.As soon as the door closed, I made my way to the kitchen where Maren was pretending to fix the sink. Her back was to me, but I knew she felt my presence.“I heard everything,” I said coldly.She froze, her hand tightening around the towel she was holding. “Heard what?”I stepped closer, my heart pounding. “Last night. You. Him. His sickness. One year. Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about.”Maren slowly turned to face me, her expression unreadable. “I don’t know what you think you heard, Eloise, but—”“Stop it,” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. “Don’t lie to me.”She opened her mouth like she was going to deny it again, but something in my eyes must’ve stopped her. Instead, she just looked away, lips pressed
As much as I loathe calculus, I hate family dinner.Isn't it hypocritical to call it family dinner if you all don't see each other as one? If you don't treat each other as one? As I sat there, staring at the neatly arranged plates and utensils, the air around me felt so fake. Every movement felt scripted, as if everyone was pretending we were this perfect family. But the truth? We were far from it. Why do we even need to keep up this weekly charade? We all just sit here, eating in silence, pretending we're closer than we actually are.And honestly, the silence was better than the fake conversations.Uncle Sandro broke the silence, flashing his usual polite smile. "So, Farah, how's school going?"Farah, who had been quietly picking at her food, perked up a little. “I’m actually running for valedictorian in 10th grade,” she said, a hint of pride in her voice.A small smirk tugged at the corners of my lips. At least someone in this family was achieving something. But before anyone else ...
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