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2025-03-22 23:21:38
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Bouquet Of Deception 53
53RileyI should’ve known Ethan wouldn’t just let it go.The second I saw his message—You up?—I hesitated. I wanted to respond, tell him I was fine, make up some excuse about being busy. But my fingers hovered over the keyboard too long, my thoughts too tangled to form a lie that would hold up.Three dots. Then nothing.Damn it.I should’ve answered. Should’ve said something to keep him from worrying. Because knowing Ethan, this wasn’t over.I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling slowly. My body was still on high alert, every muscle tense from last night. Zane had pushed me, tested me, made it clear that my time was up. He wanted me to come back.And if I didn’t—My gaze flicked toward the window, toward the faint claw mark on the frame. A reminder. A warning.Zane had never been patient. He wasn’t going to wait much longer.A knock at the door made me flinch.I went still, my pulse jumping.Too early for anyone else. Too deliberate to be a neighbor.Ethan.I closed my eyes, took a s
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22Bouquet Of Deception 54
54EthanThe moment I stepped into my building, I kept my head down, moving quickly. I passed Riley’s apartment without so much as a glance at his door, even though I knew he was there—I had seen his car in the parking lot.I didn’t stop. Didn’t hesitate.I just unlocked my door, stepped inside, and slammed it shut behind me. The lock clicked into place, but it didn’t make me feel any safer.My chest was tight, my hands still trembling from the encounter with Liam. The words he had thrown at me kept looping in my head, taunting me, tearing into the wounds that hadn’t even fully healed yet.Lame in bed. Useless. Pathetic.I sucked in a shaky breath, willing myself to shake it off, but it wasn’t just Liam. It was Riley too.First, he had been acting like my mere presence annoyed him. And now, Liam pulling this bullshit?Fuck. All. Of. This.I threw my keys onto the counter and went straight to my room, kicking my shoes off before collapsing onto my bed. My face hit the pillow, and befor
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22Bouquet Of Deception 55
55Ethan Riley’s eyes locked onto mine, sharp and demanding. “Who was it?”I tightened my grip on my phone, shaking my head. “It’s nothing.”His jaw clenched. “Ethan, don’t start with that bullshit. Show me.”“No.”“Ethan—”“I said no,” I snapped, stepping back, but he followed. The tension in the air grew thick, suffocating.Then his expression shifted—his pupils dilated, his irises darkening into something unnatural, almost inhuman. The look in his eyes sent a chill down my spine.“I swear,” he muttered, his voice deepening into something almost unearthly, “I’m going to teach that bastard a lesson he’ll never forget.”My stomach twisted. This wasn’t just anger. It was something more. Something primal.“Riley…” My voice came out weak, uncertain. “What the hell—?”He stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, his body radiating heat like a furnace. “Give me the phone, Ethan.”I shook my head again, heart hammering against my ribs. “No. I don’t want to drag you into my mess. I already
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-22Bouquet Of Deception 56
56 Ethan A cold chill ran down my spine at the thought, making my body tense involuntarily. Riley caught on immediately, his warm hand brushing against my arm as he studied me with concern. “Are you okay? We don’t have to do this if you’re not sure. Just tell me what you need, Ethan.” I met his gaze, my heart pounding from more than just nerves. The concern in his eyes made something deep inside me swell, drowning out the lingering fear. Riley wasn’t like Liam. He wasn’t forceful. He was patient, understanding… a good man. “I want this. I want you,” I said, my voice steadier than I expected. His lips curved into a small smile, his fingers tracing gentle patterns on my skin. “Then you can have me,” he murmured. His words sent a shiver through me—not from fear, but anticipation. His hands roamed over me, slow and reverent, mapping out every inch like he was committing me to memory. Heat pooled under my skin, and I sucked in a breath as his touch ignited something raw and
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23Bouquet Of Deception 57
57RileyI should leave.That thought pounded through my skull, loud and insistent, but my body refused to move. Instead, I stayed where I was, my arms wrapped around Ethan like I could shield him from everything—his past, his pain, his self-doubt. As if holding him tight enough could erase the way Liam had made him feel.But I wasn’t stupid. I knew it didn’t work like that.My fingers traced slow circles against his back, feeling the way his breathing evened out, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he drifted toward sleep. He was still clinging to me, his body relaxed but his grip firm, like he was afraid I’d disappear if he let go.That was what got me. That quiet desperation, buried under all his stubbornness and sharp words. He didn’t trust easily, but when he did, it was complete. He had given me that trust tonight, let me see him vulnerable, let me touch him in ways no one else had. And fuck—he’d said it out loud.“I trust you, Riley.”Those words had damn near undone me.A
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23Bouquet Of Deception 58
58EthanI woke up to an empty bed.The warmth that had been wrapped around me all night was gone, replaced by cool sheets and a faint scent of him lingering in the air.My stomach clenched. Had he left?I sat up, rubbing the sleep from my eyes, and glanced at the clock on my nightstand. 6 a.m.Shit.I threw off the covers, pushing past the dull ache in my body. Riley hadn’t exactly gone easy on me last night, and I was feeling it. But there was no time to dwell on that—not when I needed to get ready for work.Still, my chest felt weirdly tight. I hadn’t expected him to stay, but waking up alone stung more than I wanted to admit.With a sigh, I swung my legs over the bed and got up. First things first—I needed water. My throat was dry as hell, and if I was gonna survive the day, I needed something to wake me up.I padded barefoot into the kitchen, running a hand through my messy hair. My brain was still catching up to the fact that it was morning when I rounded the corner—And froze.
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23Bouquet Of Deception 59
59EthanI left the kitchen before Riley could see just how much his words affected me.I shouldn’t care that he was still here.I shouldn’t want him to stay.But I did.I stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind me with a deep breath. Focus, Ethan. I needed to get my head straight before work, not stand around analyzing every little thing Riley said or did.I turned on the shower, stepping under the hot spray with a sigh. The warmth eased some of the soreness in my muscles, but it did nothing to clear my mind.I kept thinking about him. About last night.About the way he touched me—like he wasn’t just claiming my body but something more.I shook my head, pushing the thought away. Riley wasn’t like that. This was nothing.Just a one-time thing.Even if he had stayed.Even if he was making pancakes in my kitchen.Even if—I groaned, tilting my head back under the water. I was losing it.After washing up, I turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around my waist before headi
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-23Bouquet Of Deception 60
60 Riley I watched Ethan disappear into the building, my fingers still gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. I shouldn’t have said anything. But the thought of him walking into work like it was just another normal day—like he didn’t have a goddamn clue what was coming—made my stomach churn. I exhaled sharply, drumming my fingers against the wheel. I should leave. Drive off, go to work, pretend none of this was my problem. But it was my problem. Because Ethan—stubborn, oblivious Ethan—had no idea what he was walking into. And that was dangerous. I glanced at my phone, the screen lighting up with a notification. Unknown Number: You were warned, Riley. I clenched my jaw. Of course, I had been. But warnings never stopped me before. With a sigh, I put the car in gear, pulling away from the curb. But instead of heading to work, I took a different route. I needed to check something first. And I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what I found
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-24
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Bouquet Of Deception 98
EthanI didn’t mean for tonight to go this way. In fact, I’d hoped it would be a quiet, straightforward evening. Just me, Riley, and some practice. But things with Ava never go the way I plan.“Riley’s looking at you again,” Ava remarked, tossing a chip into her mouth as she lounged across the couch, staring at the TV with an intensity that couldn’t possibly be genuine.I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking to Riley, who was sitting across from me in my living room, half watching me and half trying to focus on the game we’d been supposed to practice. His eyes were on me, sure, but it didn’t feel like the casual look of someone who had no other interest. My heart thudded in my chest, and I hated myself for reacting this way. It was just practice. Just a favor.“You know, you should probably stop looking at him like that,” I muttered, hoping Ava wouldn’t catch the undertone in my voice. The last thing I needed was her drawing attention to the tension I was feeling.“What’s wrong?” s
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Ron coughed, blood spattering the wooden floor as Dylan Grenville pressed him hard against the tavern wall. His suit was torn, face swollen from the hits, and the cold steel of Dylan’s gaze was more suffocating than the grip around his collar.“You’re making a mistake,” Ron rasped, spitting blood to the side. “You think I’m the end of the line? You’ve just made an enemy you can’t handle. My boss—he’s Goliath. You hear me? Goliath. The man who eats corpses for breakfast.”That name echoed like a thunderclap.Chairs scraped.A drunk at the bar nearly dropped his mug. “Did… did he say Goliath?”A bald man near the hearth froze mid-laugh. “No damn way. You mean that Goliath?”From the shadows, someone muttered, “The one who blew up an entire casino over a poker insult?”The barmaid behind the counter dropped a glass, shards scattering. “I heard he skinned a man just for calling him ‘big guy.’”A grizzled patron in a tattered coat leaned over his shot. “Burned down three blocks just ‘cause
Bouquet Of Deception 95
EthanI didn’t mean for tonight to go this way. In fact, I’d hoped it would be a quiet, straightforward evening. Just me, Riley, and some practice. But things with Ava never go the way I plan.“Riley’s looking at you again,” Ava remarked, tossing a chip into her mouth as she lounged across the couch, staring at the TV with an intensity that couldn’t possibly be genuine.I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking to Riley, who was sitting across from me in my living room, half watching me and half trying to focus on the game we’d been supposed to practice. His eyes were on me, sure, but it didn’t feel like the casual look of someone who had no other interest. My heart thudded in my chest, and I hated myself for reacting this way. It was just practice. Just a favor.“You know, you should probably stop looking at him like that,” I muttered, hoping Ava wouldn’t catch the undertone in my voice. The last thing I needed was her drawing attention to the tension I was feeling.“What’s wrong?” s
Bouquet Of Deception 94
Chapter 76RileySpeedy had never been quiet before.My wolf had always been restless—always pushing, always growling, always demanding to be heard. But ever since Ethan’s accident, he’d been worse. A constant storm in my chest, pacing, snarling, berating me for what I’d done.You hurt him, Speedy spat, every second of every day. You pushed him away. You let him get hurt. This is your fault.It was never-ending. No matter how much I tried to bury myself in work, no matter how hard I trained or how many distractions I shoved in my face, he was always there.Pounding against my skull.Reminding me.And the worst part? He wasn’t wrong.Ethan was in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and I hadn’t even gone to see him. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn’t face the reality of what I’d done. Because I knew the second I saw him lying there—pale, motionless, barely breathing—I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together.But ignoring it didn’t change the truth. It only made it worse.I’
Bouquet Of Deception 93
Chapter One: The InvitationEthan's POVI didn’t expect much when I opened the mail that morning. Bills, maybe a flyer for a local pizza joint, or yet another notice from my landlord about “building improvements” that never actually happened. But when I saw HIS name on the envelope, my breath caught. Liam Carter. My ex-boyfriend. With shaky hands, I ripped it open, and there it was—a wedding invitation, embossed in gold foil and scented with some absurdly expensive cologne he used to wear. My eyes skimmed the elegant calligraphy, but the words blurred as my mind raced. Liam Carter and Owen Taylor request the pleasure of your company at their wedding.Three months. Three measly months since we broke up after a three-year relationship, and he was already tying the knot? My stomach churned, bile rising at the thought. My first reaction was disbelief. Then rage. How long had he been planning this? How long had Owen been in the picture? Was it even possible to fall in love and plan
Bouquet Of Deception 92
Chapter 7: Memories in FocusRiley’s POVI parked my beaten-down car in the lot outside the studio, killing the engine with a sigh of relief. The sun had risen fully now, the sky painted in soft shades of gold and blue. It was one of those perfect mornings—too perfect for the dark thoughts still lingering at the edge of my mind.“Focus, Riley,” I muttered as I grabbed my camera bag and stepped out, the early city hum filling the air. Work was my escape, the only thing that made sense when nothing else did.The studio was quiet when I walked in, the faint smell of coffee and printer ink lingering in the air. I waved to Marcy, the front desk assistant, who gave me her usual bright smile.“Morning, Riley! Big day ahead?”“Just another day in paradise,” I replied, forcing a smirk.“Don’t forget there’s coffee in the break room,” she added with a wink. “You look like you need it.”I nodded in thanks and headed to my small workspace in the back. The room was cozy, cluttered with camera lens
Bouquet Of Deception 91
Chapter 76 Riley Speedy had never been quiet before. My wolf had always been restless—always pushing, always growling, always demanding to be heard. But ever since Ethan’s accident, he’d been worse. A constant storm in my chest, pacing, snarling, berating me for what I’d done. You hurt him, Speedy spat, every second of every day. You pushed him away. You let him get hurt. This is your fault. It was never-ending. No matter how much I tried to bury myself in work, no matter how hard I trained or how many distractions I shoved in my face, he was always there. Pounding against my skull. Reminding me. And the worst part? He wasn’t wrong. Ethan was in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and I hadn’t even gone to see him. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn’t face the reality of what I’d done. Because I knew the second I saw him lying there—pale, motionless, barely breathing—I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together. But ignoring it didn’t change the truth. It on
Bouquet Of Deception 90
61 Ethan I watched Ethan disappear into the building, my fingers still gripping the steering wheel tighter than necessary. I shouldn’t have said anything. But the thought of him walking into work like it was just another normal day—like he didn’t have a goddamn clue what was coming—made my stomach churn. I exhaled sharply, drumming my fingers against the wheel. I should leave. Drive off, go to work, pretend none of this was my problem. But it was my problem. Because Ethan—stubborn, oblivious Ethan—had no idea what he was walking into. And that was dangerous. I glanced at my phone, the screen lighting up with a notification. Unknown Number: You were warned, Riley. I clenched my jaw. Of course, I had been. But warnings never stopped me before. With a sigh, I put the car in gear, pulling away from the curb. But instead of heading to work, I took a different route. I needed to check something first. And I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like what I fou
Bouquet Of Deception 89
Chapter 76 Riley Speedy had never been quiet before. My wolf had always been restless—always pushing, always growling, always demanding to be heard. But ever since Ethan’s accident, he’d been worse. A constant storm in my chest, pacing, snarling, berating me for what I’d done. You hurt him, Speedy spat, every second of every day. You pushed him away. You let him get hurt. This is your fault. It was never-ending. No matter how much I tried to bury myself in work, no matter how hard I trained or how many distractions I shoved in my face, he was always there. Pounding against my skull. Reminding me. And the worst part? He wasn’t wrong. Ethan was in a hospital bed, fighting for his life, and I hadn’t even gone to see him. Because I was a coward. Because I couldn’t face the reality of what I’d done. Because I knew the second I saw him lying there—pale, motionless, barely breathing—I wouldn’t be able to hold myself together. But ignoring it didn’t change the truth. It only made it
