Maya's POV
"Maya, what did you do?" Daniel's voice cut through the room, sharp and accusatory.
"Daniel, please, let me explain—" The words tumbled from my mouth, desperate and clumsy.
But Daniel's eyes were fixed on Fiona, his hands roaming over her arms, her back, checking for injuries. "Are you hurt? Did she harm you?"
Fiona pressed herself against him a little too much, her breasts heaving and bouncing with exaggerated sobs. The torn dress gaped open, leaving view of a soft tantalizing mound of flesh. I watched as Daniel's gaze flickered downward for a moment before he pulled her closer, enveloping her in his arms.
"It's okay, you're safe now," he murmured into her hair, his tone sickeningly gentle.
I stood there, frozen, as Daniel comforted Fiona. The familiar ache of betrayal settled in my chest, heavy and cold.
Finally, Daniel turned to me, his eyes hard. "Well? Are you going to explain yourself?"
I swallowed hard. "I didn't do anything. Fiona, tell him—"
"Oh, Daniel," Fiona interrupted, her voice quivering. "It's not entirely Maya's fault. I... I might have provoked her. I just wanted to wear the dress, and..."
Daniel's face softened as he looked at Fiona. "Shh, it's alright. You don't have to defend her."
He turned back to me, his expression hardening again. "Maya, I can't believe you'd stoop this low. What were you thinking?"
"I wasn't—" I started, but Daniel cut me off.
"Save it. I've heard enough of your excuses." He paused, his gaze raking over me with disgust. "You know, sometimes I wonder why I even bothered marrying you."
The words hit me like a physical blow. I felt my breath catch in my throat, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.
Fiona gasped softly. "Daniel, don't be so harsh. I'm sure Maya didn't mean—"
"No, Fiona. It's time someone told her the truth," Daniel said, his voice cold. "Maya, you need to understand your place in this family. In this marriage."
I stood there, my heart pounding in my ears. Was this really happening? How had everything spiraled so out of control?
My throat tightened. I wanted to scream, to cry, to disappear. Instead, I stood there, powerless.
"Maya," Daniel's voice was icy, enough to make the room feel disturbingly cold. "Apologize. Now."
Before I could respond, the door burst open. My parents rushed in, their faces masks of concern but obviously it was not for me, we were way past that already.
"Mom, Dad," I started, my voice small and tired. It had been weeks since I'd seen them, but I knew better than to expect anything. The familiar ache of disappointment settled in my chest, a better companion these days.
They brushed past me like I was nothing more than a piece of furniture, making a beeline for Fiona.
"What's going on?" my father demanded, his eyes immediately going to Fiona. "We heard shouting."
"Oh, sweetheart," my mother cooed, her hands fluttering around Fiona's face. "What happened? Are you alright?"
My father's eyes locked onto the angry red marks marring Fiona's neck. I frowned, a sickening realization dawning. Those weren't from the dress. They were fresh, raw—self-inflicted. How far would this bitch go?
"What have you done?" My father's voice was low, dangerous. His eyes, so similar to my own, bore into me with a fury I'd never seen before. "Do you have any idea how important tonight is? The investor who's coming could change everything for the company. And Fiona—" he gestured to her dramatically cowering form, "—is crucial. How could you jeopardize this?"
"But I didn't—" I tried to explain, to defend myself.
The crack of skin on skin echoed through the room. My cheek burned, my father's handprint blooming red across my face. I staggered back, shock coursing through me. In all my life, he had never struck me.
"Don't you dare lie," he hissed.
Daniel pulled Fiona closer, if that was even possible. His eyes, once filled with love for me, now held nothing but tenderness and concern for her. "It's okay, baby," he murmured. "I've got you."
My heart shattered into a million pieces.
"Please," Fiona's voice was small, fragile. A perfect performance. "Don't be too hard on Maya. She's... she's still adjusting."
Her false kindness was the final straw. My parents rounded on me, their faces twisted with disappointment and anger.
"Apologize," my mother demanded. "Now."
I looked at them—my husband, my parents, the sister who had stolen everything from me. A lifetime of pain and resentment bubbled up inside me, threatening to spill over.
"Why?" The word came out as a broken whisper. "Why did you bring me back?" They stared at me, confusion replacing anger for a moment.
"Was it because you wanted your daughter?" My voice grew stronger with each word. "Or did you just need a puppet? Someone to control, to use?"
The silence that followed was deafening. I plowed on, years of suppressed emotions finally breaking free.
"What did I do wrong? Why do you treat me like this? I'm your daughter, your own flesh and blood. But ever since I came back, I've been nothing but a disappointment to you. Why?"
My mother's face hardened. "How dare you—"
But I wasn't finished. "You searched for me for years. You cried for me, mourned for me. And now that I'm here, alive and well, you can't even look at me. What changed? What did I do to deserve this?"
The room fell silent, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air. For a moment, I saw something flicker in my father's eyes But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by the cold indifference I'd grown accustomed to.
As I stood there, I realized something. The daughter they had searched for, the one they had loved and missed, died the day they brought me home. And in her place, they had created something else entirely— a puppet on strings.
***
Maya's POV The silence that followed my outburst was deafening. I could almost hear the gears turning in their heads, processing what I'd just said. Then, all at once, the room exploded."Have you lost your mind?" My mother's shrill voice cut through the air like a knife. Her face, usually carefully composed, was contorted with rage. "After everything we've done for you?" My father's response was quieter, but no less cutting. "Ungrateful," he spat, his eyes cold and hard. "We gave you everything. A home, a family, a future. And this is how you repay us?" Their words hit me physically, each one chipping away at the resolve I'd built up. I opened my mouth to respond, but my mother wasn't finished. "You know what? Maybe we made a mistake bringing you back," she hissed. "Our real daughter wouldn't be this stupid, this selfish." I flinched, her words cutting deeper than I wanted to admit. Real daughter. As if I was some cheap imitation, a knockoff they'd accidentally brought home. "If
Maya's POV The room buzzed with murmurs as Fiona stumbled through her explanation. From the corner of my eye, I saw my parents exchanging worried glances. My mother's perfectly manicured nails dug into my father's arm as she whispered urgently in his ear. A moment later, they were at my side. "Maya," my father hissed, his breath hot against my ear. "Get up there and help her. Now." I shook my head, a small act of defiance that sent a thrill through me. "No. This is her moment, isn't it? Let her handle it." My mother's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Don't be stupid, girl. Do you want your precious adoptive mother to suffer?"My blood ran cold. "What are you talking about?""It would be such a shame if we couldn't afford her medical bills anymore," my father said, his voice dripping with false concern. "After all, quality care is so expensive these days."The threat hung in the air between us, as tangible as the pearls around my mother's neck. I swallowed hard, memories of my adoptive m
Maya's POV "Yes, my wife. Is there a problem with that, Mr. Thorne?" Alex's smile turned casual, almost playful, but his eyes remained sharp. "No problem at all. I just... might have thought differently." Daniel's jaw clenched, and I could feel the anger radiating off him. "If you'll excuse us," he said, his voice tight. "We're needed inside." As he began to steer me away, Alex spoke up again. "Before you go, I must say, Mr. Russo, you're a lucky man." His voice was warm, but his eyes never left mine. "Your wife is not only beautiful but incredibly knowledgeable. A rare combination." Daniel's laugh was just a touch too loud, too forced. "Oh, I know how fortunate I am," he said, pulling me closer. "Maya is... one of a kind." I could feel Daniel's fingers digging into my side, a silent warning. Play along, they seemed to say. "We're very much in love," I heard myself say, the words tasting like ash in my mouth. "Aren't we, darling?" Daniel's smile was all teeth. "Absolutely besot
The darkness pressed in around me, broken only by slivers of moonlight sneaking through the curtains. I sat on the plush carpet of my prison, my back against the cold, unyielding door as I curled in on myself, my hands bracing my knees to my chest. The digital clock on the nightstand blinked neon against the darkness, 7:42 PM. Daniel's mocking laughter still echoed in my ears. "You should thank Fiona, you know," he'd sneered earlier. "If it weren't for her, you'd be in a much worse situation." I'd begged the damn bastard, I'd pleaded. Hell, I'd even tried reasoning with him. Fat lot of good that did me. "Daniel, please," I'd said, my voice embarrassingly small. "You can't keep me locked up forever." He'd just smirked, those eyes I once thought were kind now cold as ice. "Watch me." The click of the lock had been final, absolute. I'd pounded on the door desperately until my fists ached, screaming myself hoarse. "You bastard! Let me out!" Silence was my only answer. Now, ho
Daniel's eyes locked onto the designs spread across the bed. "What are you doing?" I stiffened, caught off guard by his sudden appearance. "Just... working on some new designs." "New designs?" Daniel scoffed, sauntering into the room. "As if the ones you've been churning out aren't enough." His dismissive tone made something twist inside me. "Those designs are making you money, aren't they?" I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them. Daniel's head snapped towards me, surprise flickering across his face before it hardened into a scowl. "Careful, Maya. Don't forget who you're talking to." "How could I?" I muttered, turning back to my sketches. "What was that?" Daniel's voice dropped dangerously low as he crossed the room in two quick strides. I should have backed down. Should have apologized. But something in me refused to yield this time. I met his gaze. "I said, how could I forget? You never let me." Daniel's eyes narrowed. "You're in quite a mood tonight,
The tension in the room evaporated the moment Daniel answered his phone. His face, moments ago contorted with rage, smoothed into a mask of politeness. "Grandfather," he said, his voice suddenly warm. "How are you?" I lay there, heart still racing, as I listened to Daniel's side of the conversation. His brow furrowed, lips pressing into a thin line. "Tonight? But-" Daniel paused, clearly cut off. "Yes, of course. We'll be there." He hung up, turning to me with a scowl. "Get up. We're going to dinner at the old mansion." I blinked, struggling to process the sudden shift. "What?" "Grandfather wants to see you," Daniel spat, as if the words tasted foul. "He misses you, apparently." --- The leather seats of Daniel's luxury sedan creaked as he shifted gears, his cologne almost suffocating in the enclosed space. We'd been driving in tense silence for nearly twenty minutes, the city lights giving way to the manicured lawns of the suburbs. "Remember," Daniel said, his voice l
The dining room was a study in opulence. A massive mahogany table dominated the space, its polished surface reflecting the warm glow of the chandelier overhead. Fine china and gleaming silverware awaited us at each place setting. As we took our seats, I couldn't help but feel like a fraud in this world of old money and more uncomfortable secrets. Grandfather sat at the head of the table, his presence commanding even in the act of unfolding his napkin. "Alex, my boy," he said, his voice warm. "It's been too long. Tell me, how was your time abroad?" Alex smiled, and I was struck again by how at ease he seemed in this setting. "Enlightening, Mr. Russo. The techniques I learned in Italy have been invaluable to my work." "Italy?" I blurted out before I could stop myself. All eyes turned to me, and I felt my cheeks warm. Grandfather chuckled. "Ah, I forget my manners. Maya, dear, Alex was a student of mine before he went abroad to study jewelry design. One of my most promising pupils
I stood there, caught between Alex's piercing gaze and the echo of Daniel's words still ringing in my ears. The hallway suddenly felt too small, too confining. I needed air, space, anything to clear my head. "I didn't realize you were so concerned about other people's personal lives," I said, aiming for nonchalance but hearing the brittleness in my voice. Alex blinked, taken aback by my sudden sharpness. He recovered quickly, his expression softening. "I just came out for some air," he said lightly. "The atmosphere in there is... rather intense." I let out a humorless laugh. "You don't know the half of it." I glanced back towards the dining room. "I should go. Grandfather will be waiting." "Maya," Alex's voice stopped me. "A woman like you... you shouldn't be trapped in a broken marriage." The words hit me like a physical blow. Broken marriage. Such a simple phrase to describe the wreckage of my life. I felt a tidal wave of emotions crashing over me – anger, hurt, fear, and s
I woke to the smell of coffee and unfamiliar sounds in my kitchen. For a disorienting second, panic flared—someone was in my house—until the memory returned. Alex. Beach. Car. Couch. Bed. Floor at some point. Then bed again.My body ached in ways both foreign and familiar. My pussy was raw and swollen from fucking all night. It felt good. We had fucked again even after Alex came in me. I stopped at that thought. Alex had cummed in me multiple times last night. The thought of it somehow made my pussy ache again, I could feel it getting moist again. I snapped. Shit. I would need to sort that out later —getting backup.I stretched, taking inventory of what Alex had done to me. Purple marks dotted my inner thighs. Finger-shaped bruises colored my hips w
He pushed inside, one long, slow thrust that made me gasp. The sensation was different without the condom—It was warm. The feeling of his warm cock against the wall of my pussy made me squirm. I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him deeper, urging him on."Fuck, Maya," he groaned, holding still for a moment. "You feel—""I know," I cut him off. "Move."“Fuck me!”He did, setting a pace that had me digging my nails into his shoulders. He wasn’t holding back this time like he had done initially on the beach. Each thrust hit somehow hit that sweet spot inside me that made the pleasure build up.“Go harder Alex!” I moaned, “Please don’t stop. Fuck me!”
The drive back to my apartment was torture. Good torture, but torture nonetheless. Every red light felt like it lasted an hour. Alex's hand rested high on my thigh, his thumb tracing small circles that made it nearly impossible to focus on the road."You're going to make me crash," I muttered as his fingers inched higher, slipping beneath the edge of my underwear."Then drive faster," he replied, voice rough in a way I'd never heard from him before.He didn't stop. His fingers slid lower, finding me still wet from the beach. I gasped, my foot instinctively pressing harder on the accelerator as he stroked me."Alex," I warned, gripping the steering wheel so tight my knuckles went white. "This isn't—""Keep your eyes on the road," he instructed, his other hand moving to my breast, thumb circling my nipple through my shirt.The speedometer crept higher as his fingers moved faster between my legs. My vision blurred at the edges, body torn between focusing on driving and surrendering to th
He kissed me with an urgency that matched my own, hands moving beneath my t-shirt to find skin. His palms were callused and warm against my ribs as they moved upward, thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts. I arched into the touch, impatient for more.We were still awkwardly positioned against the post, and my shoulder blade dug painfully into the weathered wood. "Not here," I said against his mouth.He immediately stepped back, misunderstanding. "We can go—""No, I mean, not against this post. It's digging into my back." I took his hand, led him away from the post to where a dune created some shelter from the wind. I pulled him down with me onto the sand.The cold immediately seeped through my jeans, but the discomfort seemed irrelevant compared to the heat
I drove until the highway signs thinned out and the lights from the city faded in my rearview mirror. Alex didn't ask where we were going. He just sat silently, occasionally glancing at my profile, his fingers tapping a pattern on his knee that I couldn't decode.The turnoff appeared sooner than I'd expected—a narrow road that curved toward the coast. I'd passed it hundreds of times over the years, always thinking vaguely about stopping someday. Tonight, I finally did."We're trespassing," Alex said as I pulled into the darkened parking lot and cut the engine. A faded sign near the entrance clearly stated "Beach Closed After Sunset.""Are you going to report me?" I grabbed my jacket from the back seat."Just making an observation." There was something in his voice
The conversation drifted to other aspects of the launch—the press coverage, the surprising industry connections, the unexpected support from Giuseppe."I still can't believe he showed up in person," Olivia said. "His assistant told me last week he wasn't leaving the mansion.""The Kingstons' arrival seemed to energize him." I remembered Giuseppe's face when my mother approached him, the cold smile he'd given her. "I think he enjoyed watching them squirm.""Speaking of watching people squirm," Troy said, a mischievous glint in his eye, "let's talk about that moment at the glass station.""Let's not," I replied immediately."What moment?" Olivia asked."Oh you certainly haven't been paying attention. Design Weekly captured Maya giving Alex a very... hands-on demonstration." Troy pulled out his phone, scrolling through photos. "Look at this."He held up his screen, showing a photo of me standing behind Alex at the workbench, my arms wrapped around him. The picture looked like soft-core p
MayaI kicked my heels off the second my apartment door closed behind me. My aching feet sank into the carpet, and I let out an involuntary groan of relief. After twelve hours at the foundation launch, even breathing without a smile plastered on my face felt like luxury.The apartment was dark and quiet. I didn't bother with the lights, just dropped my bag on the counter and stood for a moment in the stillness. My place still had boxes stacked in corners and bare walls I hadn't gotten around to decorating. After Daniel had trashed my place, I had barely done anything with it. And now with everything going, I barely had the time.I peeled off my earrings and headed for the shower when my phone buzzed. Sarah's face appeared on the screen, and I flopped onto the couch to answer."I look like hell, just warning you," I said.Sarah's face appeared, hair piled messily on top of her head, glasses sliding down her nose. "You're alive! How was it?""Exhausting. Just got home.""Shit, sorry. I
My phone buzzed in my clutch, the vibration traveling up my arm. I pulled it out automatically—three missed calls from Mother, two from Father, and a text: Update?I flinched, shoving the phone back into my bag. The movement was too fast, too telling."They really have you on a short leash, don't they?" Maya observed, her voice softening with something dangerous close to pity."It's not like that." The lie sounded hollow even to my own ears."What happens if you fail?" she asked, and something in her tone made me think she already knew the answer.The rustle of clothing and scent of expensive cologne announced a new presence before I could respond. I turned to find Maya's
The mountain cabin felt empty as the last guests left, their voices fading away. I stood in the back corner, holding a warm champagne I hadn't touched, watching Maya from behind a display case. The lights were dimmer now, making shadows stretch across the floor. The air smelled of perfume, wine, and that metallic smell from the glass-working station.Maya stood near the central display, amber lights catching in her hair as she gathered a small portfolio of papers. Her shoulders rolled once, the only sign she was tired after hours of smiling at people. For the first time all day, she was momentarily alone—Alex had stepped outside with a group of investors, their voices floating through the open doorway. Her stylish friend who'd confronted me in the bathroom was across the room, telling staff where to put things. The lawyer friend who seemed glued to Maya's side was talking with the venue manager, both looking at a tablet.The sweat on my forehead felt cold. My last pill high had long f