Hailey's POV "We should let each other know of some important parts of our past... Like if there are any crazy exes to be worried about." Levi laughs. "I don't think I have more crazy exes... just the one." Then he teases, "How about you? Any crazy exes I should know about?" My body grows rigid as I think about Jake and Charlotte, and the way he harassed me in Levi's home. "Hailey?" Levi asks, his voice full of concern. "Are you okay?" I inhale shakily. "Yeah, I am," I lie. "Just remembering someone." Without a word, he draws me onto his chest, his hand rubbing my back soothingly "My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend," I confess. "The night we met was... it was just hours after it happened. I went to the club to drown myself in alcohol—didn't go as expected." The memory makes me wince. He’s silent for a beat. Then, voice low, he says, "I’m sorry." I laugh dryly. "It hurt worse that she betrayed me. We grew up together. She threw it all away without a second
Levi's POV"You're kidding, right?" she asks, propping herself up on her elbow.I lift my brows. "Do I sound like I'm kidding?" She studies me, then shakes her head. "No… but you must be.""I’m not." My voice is steady. "I’m dead serious. We could make him regret hurting you. Nothing too crazy—just enough to teach him a lesson. So he knows not to lay hands on women."She looks at me like I've lost it, then hums and lays back on my chest. My fingers drift lightly along her neck. I love the way she shivers at my touch."Just a little scare, Hailey," I murmur.For some reason, getting back at him feels more important to me than it should. Just the thought of letting him get away with it, and him thinking he won't face the consequences of his actions, annoys me. In a way, Hailey's not the only reason why I want this so much—though she's the main one. It's him. The sonofabitch walks around the office with his nose up like he owns the place. He's lazy, a slacker, and even worse? He's a
Hailey's POV "What the fuck?!" Jake's eyes snap open, and a mixture of fear and surprise flashes across his blue orbs. The girl slowly turns to face me. At the sight of her face, I feel myself begin to lose balance, my consciousness slowly slipping away from me. The room tilts and falls backward. The last thing I feel is my body falling heavily to the ground, before darkness consumes me. "Is she dead?" "I'm not sure, let's find out." I hear faint voices whisper over me. Then, water splashes on my face. I gasp for air, unintentionally swallowing, when I feel the water land on my face with force. "She's finally awake," I hear my boyfriend say. "Oh, thank fuck. I thought we would have to deal with a dead body," Charlotte responds. Jake laughs. "She has always been such a pain." Hold on, Charlotte? And why is she talking to Jake? Who are they even talking-? The memories come rushing back to me at that instant. The image of Charlotte on Jake's cock, the look
Hailey's POV Her words leave me stunned, and I stare at Jake, questions burning in my eyes. Charlotte smirks. "You just had to always get in the way. You were so desperate for his attention, so we let you think that you had finally gotten it." I face Jake. "Is this true?" He rolls his eyes. "What do you think? It was all pity. You should be glad I was able to pretend for so long. Do you realize how unbearable you are?" My whole relationship had been a perfectly orchestrated lie by my best friend. How much could she possibly hate me, if she was willing to go so far and so long, just to hurt me? "I hate you so much, Hailey," she sneers. "I would go any length, just to see you suffer. You always thought you had it all. Always trying to rub your perfect life in my face. You have no idea how satisfying seeing you heartbroken is." For a moment, I see the broken girl I met in my junior year of high school. Instead of anger, pity for her overwhelms me. She had an abusive child
Hailey's POV The man looms in front of me, and I'm able to trace out his huge form in the darkness. He towers above me by at least a feet, his presence intimidating and radiating menace. The alcohol is completely gone now, leaving me sobered up, and I realize just how vulnerable I am. Trying to act smart would do nothing to help right now, as he can easily overpower me with his size, so I settle for the next best thing. Begging. "Please, just let me go. What do you want?" He chuckles, a low sound that makes my skin crawl. He steps closer, backing me against the cold brick wall. "Don't come any closer," I warn him, trying to portray the boldness I don't feel, but my voice betrays me. He blocks me from the street, so if anyone were to pass by, they wouldn't be able to see what's happening. "Now, why would I do that, baby girl? When I have you right where I want you?" His calloused palm grazes my cheek, sending a jolt of revulsion through me. His other hand begins to ro
Hailey's POV The stranger had driven me back to the hotel in comfortable silence. Coincidentally, he happened to be staying here too, and in the room opposite mine. When he first dropped me off and followed me to the elevator, I thought it was for my safety. But it turned out he was just trying to get to his own room. I still don't know his name though. I couldn't find the courage to ask, and he seemed like wasn't going to share it either - the excuse I gave myself for not asking. When I get to my room, the first thing I do is strip off my ruined shirt, then I take a long, hot bath to get rid of the stench and stress from the day. The bath eases the physical tension, but the memory of the assault is still firmly imprinted in my mind. Although the biker had called the cops, it still feels like the man would suddenly appear in my room to finish what he started. Speaking of cops, I can't believe I thought he was one. A smile tugs on my lips. I should have known from his
Hailey's POV I wake up to the shrill cry of my alarm from my bedside table. "Just a few more minutes," I mumble, my eyes still sealed. I fumble around for the annoying device, but I send it crashing to the ground, forcing me to finally open my eyes. I instantly regret doing so, as the sunlight filtering into the room is blinding. I forgot to draw the blinds before I went to sleep last night. Shading my eyes with the back of my hand, I sit up in bed. I feel groggy, my head feels like there's a whole parade going on in it. The alarm still blares, only adding to my headache. I bend to pick it up, but I instantly regret it, as a wave of nausea washes over me. I bolt for the bathroom, the remaining contents of my dinner heaving into the toilet. Since the week began, I've been battling new issues in my body every day. Headaches, dizzy spells, tiredness, and most recently, nausea and vomiting. Bloated and sluggish, I stare at my reflection. Each glance at myself in the mirror
Levi's POV"I know, Dad." I pinch my nose bridge, trying to stifle a sigh that threatens to escape. I wish my father would just get off my back. He's been pressuring me for over a year to get married, or to produce an heir. It only got worse in this past month. If only he could understand that marriage isn't a business transaction, even if it's for the sake of his empire. I'm still young, still strong. I have enough time on my hands to decide if and when I want to procreate. "The least you could do is get a girlfriend, Levi," my father speaks up again. "I've been lenient enough. If you don't get a wife, or a grandchild by this time next year, you can forget about taking over the legacy.""Dad-" I cut myself short as the line goes dead. I hung up. Of course. A string of profanities escapes my lips, and I almost fling my phone across the room. Just then, the door clicks open, and my secretary, Sarah, walks in. The file in her trembling hands shakes slightly. "Don't you know how to f
Levi's POV"You're kidding, right?" she asks, propping herself up on her elbow.I lift my brows. "Do I sound like I'm kidding?" She studies me, then shakes her head. "No… but you must be.""I’m not." My voice is steady. "I’m dead serious. We could make him regret hurting you. Nothing too crazy—just enough to teach him a lesson. So he knows not to lay hands on women."She looks at me like I've lost it, then hums and lays back on my chest. My fingers drift lightly along her neck. I love the way she shivers at my touch."Just a little scare, Hailey," I murmur.For some reason, getting back at him feels more important to me than it should. Just the thought of letting him get away with it, and him thinking he won't face the consequences of his actions, annoys me. In a way, Hailey's not the only reason why I want this so much—though she's the main one. It's him. The sonofabitch walks around the office with his nose up like he owns the place. He's lazy, a slacker, and even worse? He's a
Hailey's POV "We should let each other know of some important parts of our past... Like if there are any crazy exes to be worried about." Levi laughs. "I don't think I have more crazy exes... just the one." Then he teases, "How about you? Any crazy exes I should know about?" My body grows rigid as I think about Jake and Charlotte, and the way he harassed me in Levi's home. "Hailey?" Levi asks, his voice full of concern. "Are you okay?" I inhale shakily. "Yeah, I am," I lie. "Just remembering someone." Without a word, he draws me onto his chest, his hand rubbing my back soothingly "My ex-boyfriend cheated on me with my best friend," I confess. "The night we met was... it was just hours after it happened. I went to the club to drown myself in alcohol—didn't go as expected." The memory makes me wince. He’s silent for a beat. Then, voice low, he says, "I’m sorry." I laugh dryly. "It hurt worse that she betrayed me. We grew up together. She threw it all away without a second
Hailey's POV After another hour of explanations, trying to make Levi’s parents understand why we’d kept the pregnancy a secret—and a round of Alicia profusely apologizing for her friend's behavior—we finally head back to our room in tense silence. It’s a crazy shift from the sensual, almost romantic, atmosphere of this morning. I pace the room while Levi freshens the bathroom, trying to figure out where to even start—everything from what went on between us last night, to some of the things his father said, to why the fuck a crazy lady attacked me over him. The door clicks open. I prepare myself to speak, but the words die in my throat when Levi steps out—wearing nothing but black sweatpants, water dripping off his beautifully sculpted body. He stalks toward me slowly. I stand rooted to the spot, my eyes glued to his bare chest. Then he gets to me and stretches his hand over my head. I instinctively shift back, and when he leans in, I shut my eyes, waiting for a kiss. But
Hailey's POV The day had been going so much better—until now. I’d been enjoying the little bubble of self-deception Levi and I had created for ourselves. But of course, his dad had to burst it.From his explanations, I couldn't quite tell if his intentions were as noble as he claimed. What I could tell was why Levi resented him so much. The man doesn't know where to draw the line between business and family. He thinks business logic works for family matters. I hope Levi doesn't turn out like him. Still, in those brief moments, I caught a glimpse of their similarities—their knack for claiming good intentions while their actions suggested otherwise.As I step back into the main hall, a hand slips into mine."Come on, they're waiting," Levi says, tugging me toward the tables.He doesn’t ask what I talked about with his dad, or how the conversation went. Part of me feels relieved. Another part feels... a little hurt by his lack of concern.I stop, holding onto his hand. "What's the rus
Levi's POV I leave Hailey for a moment to grab her a cup of apple juice from the buffet, but a hand claps down on my shoulder, halting me. I follow the hand up to find Elliot grinning at me. "Lev," he says, pulling back. "We haven’t talked since you got here. What's up with you?" A stab of guilt hits me. He’s the groom—he should be basking in attention, not chasing me down. I should’ve swallowed my pride and congratulated him first. I sigh, resisting the urge to rub the back of my neck. "Not much," I reply. "Congratulations, man. I should’ve said it earlier." He waves it off. "It's fine." Typical Elliot. Never holds a grudge, never takes things too personally. I’ve always admired that about him. If the roles were reversed, I'd still be keeping score. Hell, I am still keeping score—and he doesn’t even seem to notice. And even if he notices my reservations toward him, he still plays it easy—even sent a congratulatory email for my wedding, despite the way everyone found out. He’
Hailey's POV I feel like I'm on cloud-fucking-nine, and as much as I hate to admit, it's all because of Levi. He's been all over me today, and I love it so much. I guess Chloe was right... but that's not the point. The kiss at the lake? It felt magical, like a scene straight out of a romance novel. I loved it. And I hate that I loved it, and am still loving it. Ugh... This trip has my feelings mixed up. We’re at the after-party now, in the hotel’s event room. Levi’s been glued to my side most of the night—except for now. He went to grab me a drink. Can you believe that? The hall is decorated beautifully. Midnight blue streamers drape the walls and ceiling, glinting under the soft party lights and flashing cameras. Yes, cameras. Feels like this party was thrown more for the paparazzi than for the couple. Honestly, I had more fun in the other events that took place during the day. "I still can't believe Levi's actually in love," Christina says with a chuckle. For some
Hailey's POVThey couldn't have chosen a better day, time or venue for the wedding. Everything's just so beautiful. The weather's cool, the sun mild, and there are no signs of coming rainfall either. The time for the reception is perfect. Three o'clock in the afternoon, giving everyone time to celebrate with them, probably go home and change up for the after party at the hotel later. And they couldn't have chosen a better spot for an outdoor reception. In front of a private lake house, owned by one of Elliot's associates. If the couple wants, they can listen to an impulsive urge to go swimming. The church wedding was also perfect. Alicia's only nephew was the little groom. He arrived with his mum last night, a few hours after the picnic. And little Daisy, Levi's niece, was the little bride. The couple's vows were sweet and genuine, I even shed a few tears.Everyone had happy smiles on their faces, and the happiness is still very much present. It's been a good day so far, and I alm
Hailey's POV After I put on my dress, the make-up artist adds finishing touches to my makeup and then leaves the room to go to someone else. We'd decided on using just three rooms for the preparations, so no one had to go around to different rooms just to get what they needed. About five of us are in a room - mine and Levi's room, precisely - and I haven't had time to calculate how many are in the other. But since Alicia's the bride, she gets to do her own makeup and dress separately. "Oh my," Chloe gushes, coming over to me. "You look breathtaking." I smile at her reflection in the mirror. "So do you," I say. And I mean it. The women in Levi's family are really beautiful. They all have their own unique, striking features that make them stand out. Chloe's hair is immaculately styled in a high ponytail, the blonde highlights peeking out. Her makeup is done to perfection and the green eyeshadow brings out the color of her green eyes. She looks perfect. The door clicks ope
Levi's POV Hailey lets her robe fall, sending it pooling around her legs. She's completely naked. Her hair tousled, her skin glowing with sweat, her eyes wild. My heart skips a beat. So many surprises in one day... my heart can't take it. She's gone from giving me the silent treatment to flirting, to stripping for me - all in one day. I take my time to admire her body. Her perky breasts and hard nipples, calling for my attention. Then my eyes trail down to her stomach. I've always been with models and actresses, and their flat stomachs seemed like the deal for me. But seeing the beautiful woman in front of me, the curve of her belly—soft, real, perfect. I immediately rethink any kink I thought I had. A low groan escapes me. I wish I could take a picture, just to make the moment last longer. She starts to shrink back, her confidence dissolving. She's misread my silence. Before she can do anything crazy - like put her robe back on - I get up quickly and catch her han