ROBERT Renee's mouth gaped open as she stood, silently staring at me, astonished. Her dark eyes were filled with shock and dismay. It tore my heart apart. I resisted the urge to curse. Silence descended on the room like a frigid fog. It was dense with tension—the kind that’d be difficult to break from. This was not how I’d envisioned our evening. Not even close. Work had been stressful, but I still wanted to spend quality time with her when she returned from her day out. I was excited to make dinner plans, walk around the cabin while she told me about her day, and then have a calm, relaxed night watching vintage movies in the chalet's lounge. Not this!The uncomfortable silence dragged on for far too long as I waited for her to say something—anything. I chastised myself for even telling her about the blackmail. I shouldn’t have said a word. I should’ve lied or changed the subject. When she spoke, she broke me. “No more secrets, Robert. You promised, and you keep your promise. So d
RENEEIt had been four days since I arrived in Aspen—four blissful days since Robert had whisked me away on a private plane to the luxurious cabin he owned. A beautiful recap? So, the day after we arrived, he was mostly involved in work-related activities while I was out and about in the city. On the second, however, we spent meaningful time together. The next day, he took me to a car racing event, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Then, we had lunch at a prominent Italian restaurant. When we returned to the cabin, Robert took me on a long romantic walk over the cabin grounds before taking me to the bedroom, where he passionately made love to me for hours. And I loved every minute of it. I could still feel his body against mine, his firm, warm hands grabbing my hips as he pushed into my feminine warmth. The sensation of him between my thighs and being entirely consumed by him would always be etched into my brain. Being with Robert constantly altered my brain chemistry. It was nothing new.
ROBERT"The lady is with me." I firmly repeated, wrapping my arms around Renee's waist and drawing her close. I sized up the man before me, noting his thin frame, dark eyes, and brown hair trimmed short and spiked at one end. He was impeccably dressed, as was everyone else in the room, but something about him stood out. I suddenly became wary of him for no apparent reason. Perhaps it was the determined expression on his face and his straight stance. Or maybe it was how he held his head high, a cheeky grin on his face as he scrutinized me with undisguised attention. "And you are?" He asked, his attention drawn back to Renee as if anticipating an answer from her. He made no mistake concealing his feelings for her.I hated it. Hated the way he fucking looked at her, like a predator assessing its prey. It enraged me and made me want to strike him in the face and wipe that arrogant look off. But I restrained myself. I forced myself to remain calm, maintaining a neutral expression even as
Envy is the cowardly side of Hate, and all her ways are bleak and desolate. ~ Henry Abbey.~•~AMANDA I was listening to a crime podcast about a woman who committed suicide in her toilet with an acid bath. The only thing that kept her from dying on impact was a tiny piece of metal that had embedded itself into her skin, preventing the chemical from spreading — it sounded absurd that something as insignificant as a metallic piece could delay her death for a few seconds. But this was a crime story. That tidbit was probably fabricated to make the story more twisted and dramatic. The show was a popular one called Serial. I'd become accustomed to hearing the voices of detectives and crime fans debating unsolved murders. It was the type of show where one might listen to everything from common facts to conspiracy theories and deep evil secrets, ranging from drug overdoses to random acts of violence, such as serial killer cases and accidents. Each one appealed to my dark side and entertaine
RENEE The silk fabric covering my eyes was tight and uncomfortable, but the anticipation of where Robert was taking me made the discomfort bearable. The sensation kept me going, and my heart pounded as I followed him with a barely restrained thrill. He kept my body pressed against his, his arms possessively clutching my waist. Now and then, my lips would touch the back of his neck in a fleeting kiss — one that would have been more intimate if not for our current circumstances. Nevertheless, the aroma of piney forests and lush grasses confirmed my guess - we were on the cabin grounds.We'd left the art exhibit moments before, and in the limo, Robert pulled out a blindfold from his pocket and urged me to close my eyes. My brows furrowed in astonishment, and I'd wanted to object, but he didn't give me the chance. Instead, smiling, he’d kissed me sweetly on the forehead and said, “This is part of something special I've prepared for you tonight, baby girl. So obey me.” He finished. Bef
ROBERT "I'm glad you had a good time, Renee. It has been a joy to host you.""Thank you so much for everything. This was incredible." Renee responded in kind I watched her eyes flit over my shoulder when she finished her last sentence.Her shoulders stooped slightly, indicating she wasn't only talking about Mrs. Herbert's hospitality. She meant more with her comments, which were directed at me. I knew it, and as my gaze remained fixed on her and the frail older woman sweetly holding her, I c ouldn't stop the smile from dancing about my lips. Of course, she'd had a fantastic time here thanks to me, and my grin deepened just thinking about it. It hadn't been difficult persuading the staff to make this cabin extra special for our first romantic holiday, and Mrs. Herbert had been the ideal company for Renee whenever I was away. The previous several days had been nothing short of a frenzy of activity and absolute heaven with the love of my life. If I could turn back time, I would. I wi
RENEE As I repeatedly vomited into the toilet, I battled to keep my breathing under control.This morning, I woke with a pounding headache and a parched tongue. My throat was like sandpaper, and my skin was clammy. I'd taken a long hot shower, eaten breakfast, and was about to start getting dressed when I realized I was feeling worse than ever. I felt lightheaded, and a wave of nausea came over me like an unexpected storm. From then on, everything went downhill. I'd run to the bathroom in nothing but a towel, throwing up everything I'd eaten. I retched uncontrollably till my stomach ached. My nostrils were filled with the icy stink of my vomit, my eyes burned with unshed tears, and my vision swirled erratically.The cold tiles of the bathroom floor dug into my bare knees, leaving behind icy, pinprick sensations that did nothing to relieve my suffering. This was horrible, and I was on the verge of passing out. But my sheer willpower kept me upright—that and Nicole's presence beside m
RENEE THERE WAS NOTHING BUT DARKNESS. A thick black veil engulfed me, and I couldn't see a thing. I couldn't move, and my limbs stiffened. Then SILENCE. It was smothering and left me feeling empty and hollow. Like a dead person. Like nothing. And all I wanted to do was scream for rescue. I wanted to scream, wail, and tear my throat out. But I couldn't. I could only stay motionless and silent. DARKNESS AGAIN. It threatened to suck me in. To suffocate and consume me. I wished it would all end. The terror. The agony.Then, all of a sudden, it did stop—and in its place, a weird sound echoed in my ears, making itself heard.It sounded like a gentle hum at first, but then I realized it was the steady tick of a nearby clock. But I was mistaken. It wasn't a clock that was ticking. The sound was a muted buzzing—constant beeping machines accompanied by various whirring noises and people conversing. It sounded far away. As I sought to figure out what they were saying, I burst through the dar
I don’t even know how to start this without getting emotional.Daddy’s Little Pet started in September 2022 as a random story—one I never thought would leave my drafts, let alone receive so much love. And what a journey it’s been.To say I struggled is an understatement.I battled burnout. I doubted my writing when critics got to me. I got lost trying to make everything perfect. Somewhere along the line, I forgot what mattered most—Renee & Robert, and the simple love story I wanted to tell. I forgot what brought me to these characters in the first place.And because of that… I know I hurt a lot of readers.I know I frustrated you with my excuses. I know I left you hanging too many times. I know many of you dropped this book—and honestly? I can’t even blame you.If I were in your shoes, I’d feel the same. I’d probably curse the author too.For everyone who stayed—thank you. From the deepest part of my heart, thank you for your patience. For your love. For waiting for me, even when I did
RENEERobert said I did it.But honestly? We did it.I didn't push our babies out alone.He was right there. With me. From the moment we finished fucking, and my water broke ... to this messy, exhausting, but beautiful moment, we somehow survived together.I could barely keep my eyes open. Couldn’t feel my legs as the midwife worked quietly between them. I couldn't feel much of anything, really, except the overwhelming body ache and sting of happy tears streaming down my cheeks.I was still crying when the nurses brought our babies to us. I didn't want to get tears all over their tender skin, so I wiped my eyes quickly before taking one of the twins in my arms. I wondered if she'd latch on if I tried to feed her. Well, that could wait because I just wanted to look at her.“Congratulations again, Mrs. Clarke,” the nurse said, and I smiled, thanking her.Beside me, Robert held our second baby, staring into her eyes as if she was the only thing in the world and completely ignoring the nu
ROBERT“I don't care what your policy is!” I argued, feeling the veins in my neck pop. “My wife isn’t having our babies without me!”“Mr. Clarke, you must understand. This is a delicate situation, and we are monitoring your wife for potential complications. We need to do that with no distractions,” a nurse said.“I'm her husband. I'm not a distraction.” I fought the urge to feel offended.I could hear Renee's soft whimpering from the other side of the door, and each sound tore at my heartstrings. Yet, I couldn't go in and comfort her. “We understand, sir. But there's protocol …”“Fuck protocol. I'm not standing by during the birth of my children,” I snapped. Why was I repeating myself? I'd been saying it ever since they told me about their baseless policy. Two hours. It’d been two hours since we got here. Two hours since everything flipped upside down and I’ve been out of character ever since.No ... if I was being honest, I started losing my shit since way before. You’d think this
A FEW MONTHS LATERROBERT“Are you ready for your surprise, my love?” Renee's sweet voice filled the bedroom. I started to reply, but the short charged-up intro to one of our favorite songs cut me off. You don't have to be beautiful, to turn me on, Prince’s smooth, breathy voice drifted from the speakers. Then a sharp crack sliced through the air, and I quirked a brow from beneath my blindfold from where I sat on the bed. Was that … a whip? My lips twitched. What was my girl up to? It was the weekend, which usually meant giving in to whatever unpredictable whim Renee’s pregnancy brain dreamed up. But I never expected today's whim would start with me getting tied up and blindfolded.Though it upended my rule of always being in control in the bedroom—as I was the one who set the tone, who gave the orders, who dictated when and where to use the toys if I so desired—whatever my girl wanted, she got.“Baby girl—”“Shhh,” she said as she approached me. “Don't speak. Yet.”The bed dipp
ROBERT “Oh, my God!”Renee's eyes widened first, then her jaw dropped. She stared at my kneeling form, a hand covering her mouth, and the tears that'd gathered in her eyes from before trickled down her cheeks. “Oh, my God!” she exclaimed again, and her expression changed from shock, to happiness, to disbelief. “Y-you’re proposing,” she whispered, her eyes darting from me to the ring and back to me again. “Yes, baby girl.” I half chuckled. “I’m proposing.”“I ... I thought we were ... I didn't even guess this. I …”“I know.”“Robert …”“Yes, my love,” I replied and when she didn't speak, I continued, “Marry me, Renee. I want—no, I need—you to marry me. I need you in my life forever.”Her breath hitched. “There’s no life without you. No me without you. There’s a lot I want to say, but I feel like words aren't enough to show how much I love you. To show how much you changed my life from the moment I saw you that night at the beach. But maybe if I give you everything—my heart, my so
RENEEI had no idea where Robert was taking me tonight, and I didn't ask.He'd told me it was a surprise, and though I was used to him spoiling me, tonight felt different.Was it because this was our first date in months or because we had so much to celebrate? I couldn’t say.And so, when our vehicle stopped in front of a large, automated gate I instantly recognized from the first—and only—time he brought me here, I didn't try to hide my confusion."The hangar?!" I asked after we bypassed security, and the car crept forward to the main building.Robert got out, walking around to open my door. He held his arm out to help me down, but I ignored him and stepped out on my own."Are we flying out for this date?" I asked again as we approached the building, its massive entrance doors sliding open."Yes, we are, baby," he replied immediately, wrapping an arm around me from behind and guiding me through the doors.As we entered the hangar, which looked exactly as I remembered it, with its bri
ROBERT On the way home, my phone buzzed with a text. ‘All is set, sir,’ it read, followed by a wink emoji. ‘Congratulations in advance!’ The text was from Mark, who was to coordinate the surprise I’d planned for Renee tonight—the surprise marking the start of our new chapter. Smirking as I read the message, I quickly typed thanks, before sliding the phone into my breast pocket and taking a glance out the window. The car pulled into the driveway, and before the driver could get out to open my door, I was stepping out. The house staff warmly greeted me as I entered, and one informed me that Renee was in the backyard garden. Nodding gratefully, I made my way there. Sure enough, I spotted her. She stood near the daisies—her miracle flowers she called them. She once told me about a dream where she saw a whole field of daisies. And now she was determined to grow them everywhere in our garden. I smiled softly as I stood there, admiring and taking in every detail of her gorge
ROBERT I watched as the officers led Amanda out of the courtroom, her shackled hands clasped behind her back and her head hanging low. She looked broken. Defeated. And whereas she'd walked in confidently earlier, flashing a smug grin at me, now her feet dragged, and she didn't dare to look up. She couldn't, though, not after all that’d happened. Seeing her like this, knowing she finally got her karma, a bitter satisfaction curled in my chest. Finally, she got what she deserved. After the chaos, the wreck—the way she'd torn through my life, Renee's, and so many others—she would finally pay. This was her end. Her retribution. And it was brutal, yes, but it was also entirely fitting. "Yes," I breathed out, an invisible weight, one I'd carried for far too long, lifting from my chest. "Damn, I feel good," I murmured under my breath, and a smile formed on my lips. God! I couldn't wait to get home to Renee. I couldn't wait to tell her it was all over. That we’d won, and Aman
Your worst sin is that you have destroyed and betrayed yourself for nothing. ~ Fyodor Dostoevsky. ~•~AMANDA TWO MONTHS LATER Typically, a day begins when the clock strikes midnight, and the seconds tick.For some, it begins at seven a.m. or earlier. But today, my day began when the courthouse doors swung open and the bailiff ushered me and my lawyer into the courtroom. As we walked in, a hushed murmur rippled through the room, and for a moment, my stomach clenched—not in nervousness, but in anticipation. Which was strange given my crimes.Any prisoner convicted of murder would probably feel fear. Fear of their impending punishment, fear of the unknown consequences of their actions, fear of being executed. They'd also feel guilty, combine that with a sense of helplessness, and voila!But see, I wasn't just any prisoner. I was Amanda Clarke, and I feared no one. I feared nothing. As a convict who'd hired the best defense attorney in the country—my lawyer's record was pristine wi