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2025-01-11 23:39:51
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Bouquet Of Deception 21
21RileyThe lively buzz of the ballroom had dulled into background noise as I swayed with Ethan just moments ago. Now, leaning casually against the bar, I scanned the crowd, my senses still attuned to the game we were playing tonight. I knew our little performance had its risks, especially with people like Jonathan lurking around. Jonathan—Ethan’s insufferable coworker. The man practically reeked of opportunism, and I’d bet my best leather jacket that he’d sniffed out this chance to cause trouble the moment Ethan left for the restroom. Sure enough, I caught his beady little eyes scanning the room before landing on me. Here we go. He approached, a smug smirk plastered on his face. “Riley, right?” I turned to face him fully, flashing my most polite smile—the kind that didn’t reach my eyes. “That’s me. And you’re Jonathan, correct? Ethan’s coworker?” Jonathan’s smirk deepened as he extended a hand. I shook it briefly, resisting the urge to wipe my palm on my pants afterward. Hi
Last Updated : 2025-01-11Bouquet Of Deception 22
22RileyEthan stiffened at first, his hands hovering awkwardly before settling on my waist. His touch was tentative, as if he were unsure of himself. “You’re surprisingly good at this fake boyfriend thing,” he murmured, his tone light but carrying an undertone of something deeper, heavier. I smirked, trying to keep my emotions in check despite the growing tension between us. “What can I say? I’m a natural. Besides, someone had to save you from Jonathan’s smarmy little mind games.” Ethan chuckled, the sound low and warm, but I could sense the tension still coiled in his body. His grip tightened just slightly, his protectiveness slipping through. “What happened with him? Did he try to approach you?” “Oh, he tried,” I said with a roll of my eyes, my voice laced with irritation. “But don’t worry, I handled him. He spent more time tripping over his own words than actually getting under my skin.” Ethan’s jaw tensed, his expression darkening. “That guy,” he muttered, his frustration
Last Updated : 2025-01-12Bouquet Of Deception 23
23EthanI watched Riley's every move with a mix of curiosity and unease. His sudden departure from my arms left me standing alone on the dance floor, his absence like an echo I couldn’t ignore. He moved toward the MC with deliberate strides, his posture confident and his intentions completely veiled as a magician’s trick.“What the hell is he up to now?” I muttered under my breath, my eyes glued to him as he leaned in to whisper something to the MC. The man’s brow furrowed at first, clearly taken aback by whatever Riley had said. But then Riley smiled—a mischievous, almost devilish grin that had me gripping the edge of my glass tighter. He said something else, his tone light but insistent, and, to my utter confusion, the MC’s cheeks flushed. He actually *blushed* before nodding and breaking into a grin himself. What on earth did Riley say to make the MC blush?“What is he saying to him?” a voice murmured beside me. I turned slightly to see a woman in a sequined dress, her eyes al
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Bouquet Of Deception 24
24EthanThe moment Riley stepped away, leaving me clutching the bouquet, I felt the weight of countless eyes on me. My skin prickled under the scrutiny, and the crowd buzzed with whispers, their gazes bouncing between Riley and me as if we were the stars of some twisted rom-com. I should have been furious. *I was* furious—at Riley, at this ridiculous situation, and most of all, at myself for letting it spiral so far. Then I caught sight of Liam once again.He was standing near the bar, his jaw clenched so tightly it seemed his teeth might shatter. His face was a mask of barely contained rage, and beside him stood Owen, clearly trying to calm him down. But Liam didn’t notice; his entire focus was locked on me. Good. For a split second, satisfaction rippled through me. Liam deserved this—to feel helpless, to be on the outside looking in. Still, the way he stormed toward Owen, dragging him roughly by the arm, sent a jolt of unease through me. “What’s he up to now?” I muttered und
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Bouquet Of Deception 25
25EthanLiam’s eyes darted between me and Riley, his face turning an alarming shade of red. He was practically shaking with fury, his jaw clenched so tightly I feared his teeth might crack.“Shut up, Riley!” Liam spat, his voice dripping with venom. “You don’t know anything. You’re just his *puppet*—his little mouthpiece for whatever sick, twisted plan he’s concocting.” He turned his glare back to me. “This is all your doing, Ethan. You can’t handle the fact that I moved on. That I found someone better than you. So you’re trying to destroy everything!”I stepped forward, my hand gripping Riley’s tighter. “No, Liam,” I said, forcing a calmness I didn’t feel. “It’s you who’s destroying everything. Not me. Not Riley. You. You’re lying, and everyone here knows it. You begged me for a second chance in the restroom. I didn’t have to tell anyone that, but I did. Because Owen deserves the truth.”Liam scoffed, his expression twisting into something ugly. “You’re *bitter*. You can’t stand seei
Last Updated : 2025-01-13Bouquet Of Deception 26
26EthanLiam’s eyes widened in shock as he looked between Owen and the guards, confusion spreading across his face. “What’s going on, Owen? Why are you—”But Owen didn’t give him the chance to finish. “They’re liars. They’re undesired. They’re frauds. Get them out of here.” His voice cracked with finality.The guards didn’t hesitate. They moved swiftly toward us, their hands ready to escort us out. Liam, looking as though he’d just won some twisted victory, stood up, his fake tears now gone, replaced with a smug grin.Riley stepped in front of me, his face hard as stone, but I could tell he was as caught off guard as I was. “Owen, don’t—” he began, but the guards weren’t listening.One of the guards grabbed Riley’s arm. “Let’s go,” he barked, pulling him toward the door.I was too stunned to speak as I was escorted out alongside Riley. My mind raced, trying to make sense of what had just happened. This wasn’t how I had expected it to go. Everything was falling apart in front of my eye
Last Updated : 2025-01-14Bouquet Of Deception 27
27Ethan“I can’t slow down! This is GOLD!” she interrupted, her laughter bubbling through the phone. “Hold on, I’m sending you a link. No, actually, put me on speaker. Riley has to hear this!”I glanced at Riley, who was already looking at me with raised eyebrows. With a sigh, I hit the speaker button. “You’re on,” I said.“RILEY!” Ava shouted, her excitement palpable. “Check your phone right now! It’s all over Twitter, TikTok, everything! Liam’s wedding is the *scandal* of the year!”Riley’s eyes widened, and he immediately pulled out his phone, his fingers flying over the screen. “Wait, no way,” he muttered, his expression shifting as he scrolled. Then, suddenly, he let out a bark of laughter. “Oh my God. She’s right. Ethan, you have to see this.”“What are you looking at?” I asked, still trying to process everything.“The hashtags are insane,” Riley said, turning his phone to show me the screen. “‘#LiamLiar,’ ‘#OwenDeservesBetter,’ ‘#WeddingGoneWrong’—dude, you’re *everywhere*.”A
Last Updated : 2025-01-14Bouquet Of Deception 28
28 RileyEthan was heavier than I expected, or maybe I was just exhausted. Either way, carrying his unconscious, drunken body up the stairs to my apartment wasn’t exactly how I thought the night would end. He had made a complete fool of himself in the bar, singing like a dying cat, twirling around like he was the lead in some Broadway disaster. And now, here he was—completely out cold in my arms.I shifted his weight, fumbling with my keys as I finally reached my door. “Damn it, Ethan,” I muttered under my breath. “You really know how to make my life difficult.”Kicking the door open, I stepped inside——and froze.The air was wrong. The scent in my apartment was wrong.My breath hitched as my instincts flared, every muscle in my body tightening. My place was a mess. The couch was overturned, my bookshelves emptied, and the papers from my desk were scattered across the floor like a hurricane had ripped through them. My lamp lay shattered near the doorway, tiny shards of glass glinting
Last Updated : 2025-01-15
Latest chapter
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
Bouquet Of Deception 88
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 87
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 86
Chapter 84 – Fangs and Fire Riley Speedy was unusually quiet on the ride. Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent. You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful. “I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.” But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered. I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.” The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret. Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late. I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan. The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets. I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us.
Bouquet Of Deception 85
Chapter 84 – Fangs and FireRileySpeedy was unusually quiet on the ride.Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent.You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful.“I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.”But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered.I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.”The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret.Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late.I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan.The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets.I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us. What he too
Bouquet Of Deception 84
Chapter 84 – Fangs and FireRileySpeedy was unusually quiet on the ride.Not his usual growling, pacing self. Not even a sarcastic grumble. Just… silent.You’re really not going back to him? he finally whispered, his voice low and mournful.“I can’t, Speedy,” I murmured, eyes fixed on the road. “You know I can’t.”But he loved us, Speedy said, almost like a whimper. He smelled like home. He held us like we mattered.I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. “I’ll miss him,” I confessed, voice barely above a breath. “So damn much.”The silence that followed wasn’t empty—it was heavy. Grief. Loss. Regret.Then my phone buzzed. Zane’s text. A pin drop and two words: Don’t be late.I parked near the abandoned warehouse, the one he’d chosen like the coward he was—far from the city, far from Ethan.The metal door loomed in front of me, rusted and crooked, like it had seen too many secrets.I hate this guy, Speedy growled suddenly, voice hard now. I hate what he did to us. What he too
Bouquet Of Deception 83
Chapter 83 – A Door Without a KeyI went home. Or what used to be home.The apartment was cold, quiet. The kind of quiet that settles in after something dies. I moved through the rooms like a ghost, brushing my fingers over memories tucked into the corners—frayed books, forgotten mugs, a photograph half-tucked under the fridge magnet.Packing didn’t take long. I didn’t have much left to hold onto. Just a few clothes, the old paperback I couldn’t bring myself to leave with Ethan, and the jacket that still smelled like him—faintly, barely, like smoke after a fire.I zipped the duffel shut. That was it.It was really happening.The hallway outside was just as dim as I remembered. Paint peeling at the corners, lights flickering overhead like the universe couldn’t decide if it wanted me to see clearly or not. I descended the stairs slowly, each step heavier than the last, until I reached the landlord’s door.Old Mr. Harvey opened it after a couple knocks, his face as grizzled and skeptical
Bouquet Of Deception 82
82 EthanDarkness enveloped me, a heavy, impenetrable shroud that seemed to stretch on endlessly. Gradually, the blackness began to thin, peeling away in delicate layers. Sensations seeped in, subtle at first. A weight pressed down on me, as if invisible bricks had been stacked upon my chest, arms, and legs. An ache throbbed deep within my skull, a relentless pulsing against bone. I attempted to move, to lift my limbs, but they remained unresponsive, leaden and foreign. My mouth was parched, and each swallow felt like dragging sandpaper down my throat.Then came the sounds. A rhythmic beeping echoed nearby, accompanied by the soft whir of machines. Beyond these mechanical murmurs, faint voices ebbed and flowed, their words indistinct, as though carried from a great distance.Light followed. Blinding and harsh. I squinted against its intensity, a groan escaping my lips as a sharp sting ignited behind my eyes. Slowly, the sterile white ceiling above me came into focus, lined with recta
Bouquet Of Deception 81
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
