**Valerie** My mind spun as I tried to get him off, but it was useless against this tall, well-muscled man. Okay, one… two… three… I'll push him again with all my strength. And then I pushed. Matt ripped off from me and fell to the ground. Cool… Am I that strong? Seems my workouts finally served for something other than aesthetics. But when I looked up, I realized I was wrong. Lucas was hovering over Matt now, his eyes blazing with anger, and before my lips could part to say anything, he'd already landed a punch on Matt's face, sending Matt crashing to the ground. My lips parted, and I facepalmed mentally. Oh fuck… Mathew immediately sprang to his feet, his face twisted in a snarl, his fists clenching as he charged towards Lucas. I rushed between them, facing Matt, my hands raised to stop the impending fight. "Stop! Both of you, just stop!" Then I glanced at Lucas to see his chest heaving with anger, but he didn't take his eyes off Mathew. "You're a fucking goner," he growled.
**Third person** The VIP club area pulsed with energy, the air thick with the scent of champagne and perfume. Girls in bare tities and thongs paraded the room, their smiles bright as they attended to the men lounging on plush couches. In the midst of this chaos, Lucas sat at the edge of the room. He gripped his short glass tightly, his jaw clenched in anger, as he mentally replayed the events of today. How on earth did he go from having the perfect evening with Valerie to… to this? That damn Matthew! He slammed his fist against the table in front of him, the loud thud drowning in the sound of the music. He stared into the amber liquid, his eyes blazing with a fire that threatened to consume him, and then he emptied his glass at a go. "Two shots," he growled at the bartender, his voice low and menacing. The bartender, a gruff but kind-eyed man, nodded sympathetically. "Rough night, buddy?" Lucas didn't respond; he just watched as the bartender expertly mixed another whis
**Third person**A month ago,Layla walked into the reception area of Stone's Enterprises. "Hi, I'm Layla Beckett from Harriston's Enterprises. I'm here to see Mr. Stone," she said, smiling at the receptionist.The receptionist looked up, slightly taken aback. "Do you have an appointment, Miss...?"“Layla. And no, I don't have an appointment.”“Then I'm afraid you can't see Mr. Stone.”"Please, can you just call and tell him it's very important?" Layla urged. “It's an emergency.”The receptionist hesitated for a moment, seemingly studying Layla and contemplating whether or not to help. With a small sigh, she finally picked up the phone."Hello sir, there's a Layla from Harriston's Enterprises here to see you. She says it's about..."“It's an emergency,” Layla whispered, mentally rolling her eyes at the receptionist's pretense of forgetfulness since she walked in.A pause, then the receptionist nodded and dropped the call. "Very well, Miss Layla. Mr. Stone will see you now."Layla smil
**Third person**“So I've made my findings.”“Good, that was fast. So did you confirm everything that I said?”“Not exactly. You'll have to bring me—"“Wait, not so fast, Mr. Stone,” she cut in, her eyes sparkling with a mischievous glint as she realized that this call meant she had the upper hand.He frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”“You have to pay for my silence.” Her lips stretched into a smirk. “I'm very sure Mrs. Smith would be interested in—”Lucas scoffed. “How much do you want?”She smiled confidently. “Five million.”“I'll send seven. Get a DNA test between the sisters done.”“The sisters?” Layla exclaimed, slightly taken aback. “How do you expect me to do that? Karen and I aren't—"“Your problem,” he cut her off. “Then he lowered his phone, about to hang up when something crossed his mind. “And don't tell Valerie that you told me about her… ‘secret.’”His voice came out as a low growl, a dangerous edge to it.Layla swallowed the lump in her throat. “I understand.” The
**Third person** Mrs. Stone raised a brow, genuinely taken aback by Angela's audacity. “You're not leaving?” Her tone was as sharp as her gaze, daring Angela to repeat her words. Angela swallowed. “That’s not what I meant, mother. Please, I want to be by Lucas's side.” “Lucas doesn't want to be by your side,” Lucas chipped in through gritted teeth. “Angela, you have to leave.” Mrs. Stone's voice was softer now. “What happened between you two was a mistake.” “Nothing happened between us,” Lucas clarified, his frown deepening. For goodness sake, he'd know if there was sex. And why can't he remember anything else after the bar? Mrs. Stone glanced at Lucas briefly, a small sigh leaving her before she returned her focus to Angela. “You two aren't meant to be.” Angela's fingers dug into the sheet wrapped around her. “But—” “Leave," Mrs. Stone cut in, her voice dripping with an air of finality. "Before I'm forced to take drastic measures,” she added when Angela didn't respond. With t
**Valerie** I sat on a bench, surrounded by the soothing sounds of the breeze rustling leaves and birds chirping. The park was quiet, with only a few people strolling by. I drew my knees to my chest, my eyes squeezed shut, savoring the feel of the air on my skin as I allowed my mind to wander. It had already been a couple of days, but my mind kept replaying the scene at Lucas's house that day—the pictures of Ashley in his drawer. I'd done my own investigating, but there was nothing that connected Ashley and Lucas. Hell, we'd never even met, let alone anything more. Should I confront him? Maybe, I don't know. Perhaps I should act neutral and ask him who the woman is? That's probably what I should have done that day. I gritted my teeth. Frustration was eating me alive, a flood of unanswered questions swirling in my mind. I willed myself to push the thoughts aside. I needed to shift my attention to the task at hand—Karen's prank. "Val," a voice called out from behind me. I opened
**Valerie**“I think we should leave,” Matt suggested.Yeah, we should. But just not yet.Lucas crossed his arms, not breaking eye contact with me as he leaned against his car.The staring competition went on for a few more minutes until Matt tapped on my shoulder. "Val?" And I imagine his gaze had been darting between me and Lucas.My eyes shifted briefly to Matt, who was now holding my arm, and before they could return to Lucas, he was already in his car, driving off.I frowned. What the hell? What was that?Then a thought struck me. *It's not stalking since I don't know that you close windows before taking off your bra.*Is that probably how he found me here? Did he continue stalking me?I thought it was cute back then. “Silly me,” I groaned. But now, it's really creepy knowing that he might be watching my every move and he could harm me at any time.“What's that?” Matt asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.My brows furrowed. “What?”“You groaned just now and mumbled some words. I
**Third person**Karen stood in front of the bathroom sink, her toothbrush hanging midair as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She took in the wrinkle lines sitting on her forehead; she had somehow managed to go through three years of ageing in a week.Her phone rang, shrill in the silence. A tremor coursed through her as she watched the device ring with the unknown number displayed.She wouldn't answer it. What if it was Ashley?Karen watched the phone ring two more times before the device beeped, a text message notification displaying on her screen.She wiped on her screen and opened it, her grip on her toothbrush tightening as she read through the message: "My blood is in your hands... literally."Karen spun around, her eyes wildly scanning the bathroom as if checking whether Ashley's form was watching her. She took a deep breath when she didn't see anything.“Calm, be calm, Calm,” she chanted to herself, her trembling hands reaching for the tap and turning it on with a j
**Third person** Valerie dragged her heavy eyes open. She blinked a couple of times to clear her vision. The smell of drugs and antiseptic and hospital filled her nose. Beside her, Lucas sat with his eyes closed. Almost immediately she jumped up on the bed. “Let me go,” she shouted, startling Lucas. He climbed the bed and pulled her into his arms. “It's okay, you're safe now,” he whispered softly, planting kiss after kiss on her hair and forehead. Valerie relaxed into his embrace, her racing heart finally calm. A tear slipped from his eyes and he wiped it. He'd thought he'd lost her. “I'm sorry I couldn't keep you safe. I should have anticipated it, I should—” “It's not your fault,” she cut him off gently. “It's not.” Tears trailed down her own cheeks and she sniffed. “What happened to Matthew?” A muscle ticked in Lucas's jaw, he felt Matt had an easy fate after everything he did. "Dead." Valerie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, her body shaking with relieve
**Third person**“Let's move, slowly,” Matt murmured in Valerie's ears, his hot breath fanning against her skin. His eyes were still locked onto Lucas—who was practically shooting daggers at Matt with his eyes."Matthew, please," Valerie whispered back, her voice trembling. "You don't have to do this. You can still let me go."Matt's jaw tightened, his chest heaving with desperation and anger. "Do you really think I'm stupid?" he hissed. "You want me to let you go? I should just allow you to run into his arms?" He questioned in a mocking tone.“Drop your weapon and surrender,” the police announced again but neither Valerie nor Matt paid any attention. “Best believe that if I do that, then I'll shoot you from behind before you get to him,” Matt added. The chilling sensation in his voice sent a shiver down Valerie's spine.“Man to man,” Lucas began, his voice almost a growl. “What would it take for you to let her go? Anything at all… name it. Even if you don't want to spend a single da
**Third person**It took Matthew half the time it would normally take to get to the bunker. He parked his car at a safe distance before running over to the location. And with each step he took, his mind raced, his heart pounded with anxiety. He couldn't afford to lose her now that he was so close. They'd literally be leaving the country today. Valerie please be there, please be there, Matt murmured, his legs moving faster.A half-relieved sigh left his lips when he reached the entrance and saw that the door was still locked—She was still here. His trembling fingers sifted through his bunch of keys, his breath gaspy and he wiped the sweat on his forehead with the back of his palm.Matt unlocked the door and then pushed it open forcefully. His eyes blazing with anger and anxiety found Valerie immediately. She was curled up at a corner, her cheeks stained with tears and her hands and feet shaking."What have you done??!" he growled, his voice venomous.She frowned in confusion, even th
**Third person**Matt seemed to ponder for a moment before he exhaled deeply. Then he moved over to the table and picked up a small knife. He began cutting the ropes. His jaw clenched at the red mark the ropes left on her skin, a pang of guilt coursing through him. He'd done this to her, he thought. “Do you need me to get you anything from the store?”Finally untied, Valerie examined her free hands and legs, a sense of relief and determination washing over her. “No, thanks.”“I'll be back soon.” He gave her a warning look. “Don't try anything stupid.”She nodded vigorously. “I wouldn't dare.”Satisfied, Matthew turned around and headed out. Valerie had her timid and innocent mask on, until the moment Matthew was out of view.She squeezed her eyes shut and then began counting from one to fifty in her head, giving Matthew enough time to leave the premises. Even with her eyes closed, she could hear the locks click behind him.When she was done, she sprang to her feet, her eyes desperat
**Third person**Eighteen hours had passed since Valerie's disappearance.Lucas stood in the center of his living room, surrounded by computers and anxious faces. His team of experts, handpicked from the best in the business, worked tirelessly to track down any lead on his woman.But so far, neither his team nor the police have been able to come up with anything tangible. There was also no signal from the tracker in Valerie's necklace. Either her kidnapper knew that the necklace was bugged and got rid of it, or they were under water, in a bunker, or somewhere that'll block the signal.One thing for sure; he'd find Valerie and he'd find her soon. Even if it meant turning the planet upside down. She'd be found.News about her and disappearance was all over the media and there was a huge cash prize for whoever brought relevant information on her whereabouts. Lucas ran a palm across his exhausted face. Deep lines creased his forehead, and his jaw was set in a rigid clench. "Broaden the
**Third person** It was almost as if Valerie disappeared just when Elliot blinked. After dismissing the woman who'd come to talk to him, he looked up but he didn't find his boss. Damnit! He'd clenched his jaw and quickened his pace, his hand instinctively resting on the gun holstered at his hip as he rushed outside. Eyes scanned everywhere around but there was no trace of her. "Miss Thorne?" he called out, his mind racing. “Ashley?” He called louder. “Valerie?” There was no response. Immediately, he dialed her number… once, twice, thrice… until it was unreachable. He'd rushed over to some passersby to ask if they'd seen her… There was nothing. Shit! Just then, his phone started ringing. Elliot pulled the device out and stared at the screen, his throat suddenly feeling dry as he registered the caller ID—Mr. Stone. He took a deep breath and then pressed the answer button. ***************************** Valerie's eyes fluttered open, her gaze was blurry and unfocused. She tri
**Third person**Valerie's blood ran cold as she stared at the picture attached to the message. It was a picture of a small boy, no more than two years old. The fact that he was a spitting image of Lucas Stone had goosebumps erupting all over her skin—same blue eyes, jet-black hair, nose, lips, jawline…Val's heart rate increased. Her son was truly alive?“We’re heading to the hospital; Mr. Stone said we're meeting him there?” Elliot asked, his hands already on the ignition.Valerie nodded absent mindedly and he started the car.She felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her veins as she stuck her head outside the window. Breeze hit her face but it did nothing to calm her. She knew that she had to lose Elliot, and fast. As the car moved through the city, she spotted a convenience store up ahead and made a split-second decision. "I need to stop and get some water," she said suddenly.Elliot frowned and glanced at the bottle of water sitting in the middle of the car compartment.
**Third person**Valerie's smile broadened into a full-blown grin. "Oh, don't think it's unfair if justice isn't served for your lover's sister."Karen frowned, her eyes narrowing. "My lover? What do you mean?" What did this have to do with Victor, she hasn't even heard from him, Karen wondered.Valerie locked her eyes onto Karen's. "Victor, your bodyguard... the one you've been fucking.” She paused to study Karen's face—she didn't look so confident anymore. “But you killed his sister."Karen's face drained of blood, her eyes wide and her lips parting with shock. Valerie continued, "The young lady who took care of Nathaniel Scott."Dread coursed through Karen, her mind shifting back to the night Nathaniel was killed. He'd been with a woman, and when Adam killed Mr. Scott, the woman witnessed it. Karen had to silence her.A small smile found its way to Valerie's lips as she studied the horrified look on Karen's face. "So now, does it finally ring a bell?"Karen's eyes stung with tears
**Third person**Valerie woke up to a wet sensation on her clit. A shiver coursed through her spine, her nipples hardening.The sensation continued, and she was forced to open her eyes. She wiped her heavy eyes with the back of her palm and then looked down between her legs, where the source of the heat she was feeling came from. Lucas, with his head between her thighs, looked up, his tongue still whipping her sensitive clit. “Morning, babe,” he murmured. Valerie blinked a couple of times to clear her eyes. She arched her back and she cried out in pleasure when he slipped a finger inside her. “W-what are you doing?” She managed to ask between moans.He smiled and looked up at her again, with those dark, desire-filled eyes. Her cheeks flushed as she noticed her pussy juice rubbed all over his mouth and its surroundings. “I've always dreamed of waking you up like this,” she murmured, his voice rough.Lucas slipped another finger in her and began pumping, his tongue returning to her c