I moaned out, my hips lifting off the mattress. He kissed along my chest as he moved lower. The heat of his mouth scorched my sensitive skin, heightening the sensations I was already feeling. His head lifted, eyes meeting mine as he captured my nipple gently between his teeth. He held my gaze as he
CHARLOTTE“You knew how seriously I took my sales!” Madeline said, walking into the kitchen. “If you made us wait one more second, I probably wasn’t going to get my hands on anything good that day.”I looked up briefly with my mouth still full of food and held up my hand to stop her from rambling ev
We started driving, and Madeline turned on the radio and sang along off-key to the music. I did too and laughed at Madeline’s singing. After a few minutes, the car slowed to a stop, and with a scowl, Madeline realized that we had run out of gas.“Weird,” she muttered as she turned off the ignition.
CHARLOTTEMadeline and I stayed huddled together and watched the smoke rise and darken."Madeline!" Taide yelled, loudly and clearly panicked.He rounded the chaos of the wreckage and came into view a few seconds later, with a frantic look on his face that quickly shifted into relief when he saw us.
CHARLOTTE“Take ‘em off. Shoes aren’t allowed.”As I climbed down the stairs, I heard Taide’s voice, most likely talking to one of the numerous guards stationed at the house.They really weren’t joking.It felt like every time I looked out a window, I saw a man dressed in a pressed suit, a pair of d
I felt like there was more that could have been said, but I didn’t push him. Instead, I leaned back into the couch and ruminated on his words. That was when something else struck me. “Isn’t Sean your dad’s enforcer’s son?”Taide’s smile widened even more as he replied, “He is. Eventually, we all bec
CHARLOTTE“I hate bowling.”I grumbled as I sat down next to Taide.He laughed a little, but his eyes didn’t drift from where Reigh and Madeline were still engaged in a seemingly tense game. Taide and I both seemed to be terrible at bowling given our string of losses, so after being knocked out of
CHARLOTTEThe moment King Auric stepped out, the tension in the room dissipated into nothing.Reigh moved from his spot near Taide and I, and crossed the room to where Caeson stood with Madeline. With furrowed brows, he paused, scanning Caeson from head to toe. Then he lifted a hand, like he was abo
Here’s the chapter written from Char’s POV in past tense, with simple and clear language: I trailed behind Taide and Reigh, keeping my distance as they moved through the halls. Their steps were steady and purposeful, and I made sure to stay just far enough behind so they wouldn’t notice me. I didn’
CHARLOTTE I sat on the bed, trying to calm my breathing. My chest felt tight, and my hands trembled in my lap. I couldn’t stop replaying what had just happened. King Aurichad been here, in this room, and now he was gone. But the memory of his cold, cutting gaze lingered, wrapping around me like
CHARLOTTE Caeson shot to his feet as soon as the words left my mouth, startling me. He turned toward the entryway, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the empty space. After a moment, he turned back to me, a deep furrow forming between his brows. Without saying a word, he spun on his heel and strod
CHARLOTTE I watched as Taide stepped away from Sean, smoothly sidestepping him without another glance. Sean looked after him for a moment, but Taide didn’t seem to care. I caught Madeline’s eyes, and she grinned before doing a subtle little happy dance. Her excitement was almost contagious. Taid
CHARLOTTE The seamstress stepped back, letting out a satisfied hum. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing my hands over the soft fabric of the dress I was wearing. It fit perfectly, hugging my body in all the right places. The sweetheart neckline and shoulder-less design gave it an elegance
The hell?I blinked, trying to understand. Then it hit.He was talking about yesterday, when I’d abruptly questioned him and then walked away without waiting for an answer.“You wouldn’t have participated anyway,” I said, using his analogy as I crossed my arms.“You don’t know that,” he replied.I
CHARLOTTEThe morning light streamed through the tall windows of the dining room, illuminating the grand breakfast spread that covered the long table.I could hardly believe how much food there was—it seemed like enough to feed ten people, if not more. The table was piled high with plates of fresh f
CHARLOTTEThe palace was something out of a dream.No, more than that—something out of a world I didn’t belong to.The long driveway was lined with perfectly manicured gardens, each bush and flowerbed so precise it looked as though someone had sculpted them by hand. Towering trees stood around, thei
CHARLOTTE We had our things packed and ready for the trip. Madeline’s birthday ball was this Sunday and now it was Friday already, the day of our departure. By the time we returned home it would be about a week before our junior year finals. And then, graduation. Which meant that we would be