ISLA’S POVMy body ached, and I was sore all over.I managed to lift Dante's hands off my core and sat up, my body craving some form of relief from last night's experience.I was plagued with memories of everything that had happened, from Axel's accusations to Dante's sex.It still wasn't making any sense. Despite Axel having his claw marks in Dante's name, it still didn't add up because Dante could never do anything that would harm me. After all, harming me would be harming himself.But if I didn't know the assailant, who did all of this? I wish there were a way for me to go back in time and make everything right.I looked over at Dante, his sleeping form very peaceful.Suddenly, it occurred to me.There was a solution, and it was sitting right outside of my door.I quickly got off the bed without waking Dante, my steps light, and movements swift.I nearly ran towards my goal, my legs increasing in pace.My hands touched the doorknob that led to my home office. It pained me that it t
ISLA'S POVMy world spun around and collapsed on my head as I raced back inside the house, desperate to understand what the hell had just happened.How did everything fall?I grabbed my phone, looking for someone to call, for anybody to listen to me as my mind played the voice of Dante screaming over and over again how this was my fault and how my mind betrayed me in believing it."Hello?" I said, my voice breaking as more tears streamed down my face."What happened?" Axel's voice came through from the speaker, and sobs raked my body."I'll be there," he said, my body already collapsing before he hung up.Almost simultaneously, my phone rang, and I hurriedly picked it up, my eyes catching a glimpse of the caller ID and seeing that it was unknown."Hello?" I asked, trying to mask the fact that I was crying before."Is this Ms. Isla?" A man's voice pushed through the speaker, and my body tensed."This is she," I replied, running at my eyes to still my tears."You have to come down to th
STEPHANIE’S POVI smiled against the door frame and watched the children sleep after letting them consume more than twenty potion-induced sandwiches.After ensuring they were genuinely asleep, I marched towards my own chambers, my steps carefully placed in front of the other.It was high time I checked in with my master.I carefully closed the door and locked it before standing in front of the mirror. Then, I began to wave my hands, and my voice changed.I started to recite some incantations, and my body began to deform. The once beautiful skin I was wearing seemed to melt away from my skin, the smoothness of it fading rapidly as pain shot through me.Grey hairs stood still as I continued the incantations.When I was done, I placed a now shriveled hand on the table, and my reflection showed my true nature, and a wicked smile crossed my face.I stood back, this time taking a knife and slicing the inner part of my palms and allowing blood to coat my fingertips. Then I went back to the m
ISLA'S POV"But it couldn't be him. I mean, it could be him, but it couldn't be him," I said, trying not to sound hysterical.Axel raised an eyebrow, and I felt his question shake my core."Maybe if you had cameras?" He asked."It was wiped clean here," I said, shaking my head."And the cameras here? " Axel asked, and I gasped.That's right!I had cameras around my house and in my office. It was supposed to be for fun and formalities, but it was there.I rushed to the computer and started to type and click."What's going on?" Axel followed me."I don't keep the records in this computer. All the feeds go to the main office," I replied, and I could feel Axel's harsh look."That's not very bright. Videos of your house get sent to the office?" He raised a brow."Only videos of intrusion. The cameras are designed to be able to detect forceful activity and alert the police immediately, but regular day-to-day activities don't trigger the camera, and the files are kept in their mainframe that
ISLA’S POVWas he serious?Who knew that the man I loved was this insensitive?My body went rigid with anger.“Because Axel fell sick, and we couldn’t perform the operation, and the kids were kidnapped when the operation was finally done!” I shouted, and Dante gasped in shock.“The world doesn’t revolve around you,” I added, wiping tears from my eyes.“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’m sorry for what I did -” Dante started to say, but I raised a hand to his face.“Enough,” I said, wiping the last tear from my eyes.I would not shed another tear for a man who wasn’t worth it.I started to remove the ring from my finger.“No, Isla,” he said, but I didn’t answer him.I took the ring off my finger, my bondage broken as I freed myself from whatever obligations he held close to his heart.“I’m done with this. We’re over,” I declared, and before Dante could think of the next lie to say, I threw the ring at him, hitting him square on the head, and I walked out without turning back.Axel was alrea
ISLA’S POVThe following day was a bit of a twist, considering what happened last night.Axel was gone before I woke up, making me question several things. While the idea that Axel was on to something flicked through my mind, I knew my time here was over, so I dressed and drove to work.I didn’t bother to call Axel as I felt he had shown me his work here was done, and I knew my way back, so it was nothing to be sad about.I arrived at work, and I saw that the parts that were burned down at the office were already going into reconstruction. The insurance company had called me earlier to let me know that all damages fees had been paid and work would resume anytime, and I guess they weren’t far from the truth.“Ma’am!” I heard a familiar voice call out, and I tore my eyes away from the building undergoing work to look at who had called me.A smile crossed my lips as my faithful manager ran towards me at the entrance. He was so fond of doing things like that, and it almost reminded me of
AXEL’S POVI walked away from the kids and Isla and followed Ray towards my secret study, and it was only when the door was firmly shut that I realized Ray hadn’t come empty-handed.I didn’t need anybody to tell me that Ray had done some work. After he had used those specific words in front of my family, I knew it had to be something serious or even worse.“What is it?” I asked, settling into the armchair.Ray had a sinister look on his face, and I was tempted to ask him if he was ok, but I knew Ray intricately, and I knew that his words were his own.“Sire, do you recall having me look into Stephanie because you didn’t trust her?” he asked, and the frown that had been sitting on my lips evaporated.“Yes, I do, but Isla trusts her, and I think I can, too,” I replied without much thought.“Sire,” he said slowly, and I looked at him quizzically.“Is there a problem? What did you find?” I asked him again.Ray took a chair and sat opposite me, his hands pulling the paper he had been conce
ISLA’S POV“Tessa!” I exclaimed, but like before, she didn’t respond to me.She had been eating sandwiches for two days straight, and now, it was beyond surprise. It was worry.For the first time in my life, I decided to use force on Tessa and went to where the tray was. It baffled me that the tray never got empty, no matter how many times she consumed the food on it.And it wasn’t just her. It was Tristan, too. But Tristan sometimes gave me a look before going back to munch on the food.I grabbed the tray and started to walk away when Tessa began to grumble, making me realize she had not said a single word to me.Before I knew it, she grabbed my leg and started to drag on my fabric while I struggled to hold the tray steady.“Tessa!” I shouted again and tried to get her away from me, but she was relentless as she began to cry.“Tessa! What’s the matter with you?” I asked her harshly, but she didn’t stop what she was doing until she climbed my leg and used my fabric to latch herself, a
ISLA'S POVDante was back once again.It was like he wasn’t going to take no for an answer.“I’m back, my love,” he slurred, moving close to Axel and me. “Did you miss me?”I inhaled a stench coming out of his mouth. He was drunk.“Guards!” Axel called out. “Take this man out of my palace.”“Axel, he’s in a poor state. I don’t think -"“- He needs to go!” Axel interrupted in a firm voice and then turned to face his guards. “Seize him.”They bowed their head before turning to apprehend Dante forcefully, and then they dragged him out of the palace.“I’m going to be back, and I’m not going to stop until I prove to you that I’m worthy of your forgiveness.”“This is madness!” Axel said once Dante had left our sight, “Pure madness.”“If you say so!” I said calmly.“It seems his little act is beginning to soften you!” He arched a brow.“It’s not. I want him to be as far away from me as possible. But it’s dark, and he’s in a vulnerable state. We can’t just leave him out there like that.”“Whe
ISLA'S POVI was glad that Dante obeyed my words and left, and my only concern was if he would truly stick to his words.“I will see that he lets you be.”Axel's voice drew me out of my thoughts, and I faced him with a smile.“Thanks.”I closed the door behind me, and I was finally able to take the nap I desperately needed.The next time I woke up, the sun had gone down, and I was confused about how long I had fallen asleep.I was still trying to figure it out when I heard a knock on the door, so I drew my dress tightly around my body and proceeded to the door. When I opened it, my anger resurfaced.“Dante! I made it very clear that you should leave.”“I know you did, but then I realized that you haven’t rested after everything that happened. That’s why you acted that way,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. “We are adults, Isla, and matters like this can be handled with any fuss, and I got you this.”I didn’t realize that his hand had tucked behind his back until I saw him str
ISLA'S POVThe scene in front of me was devastating.I might have hated Stephanie for betraying me and pretending to be who she wasn’t, but I couldn't shake off the thought that she was once a friend as I turned to look at her.She had changed and didn’t look like the person I had known. Her features were different.“Throw her into the woods,” Axel instructed his guards, “And make sure you don’t leave until she’s eaten by some animal.”The guards nodded, carrying Stephanie away, and then Axel turned to face me. He moved closer, wrapping me into an embrace.“I’m so glad that you’re safe,” He murmured before placing a kiss on my head.It was the sweetest thing I had seen Axel do. Maybe the fact that he had almost lost me made him realize a lot of things.“How did you even find me?”“I used the mate haunt. I discovered you were missing after I sent Ray to inform you about the kids.”“The kids? What happened to the kids?”“Stephanie had tried to drown them,” he deadpanned.My face fell. “W
AXEL'S POVI didn’t want Isla to find out that I was going in search of the children. I told her I had important things to do, and she seemed to have bought it because she didn’t question me.I was glad I didn’t tell her they were missing, as I could only imagine how she would have felt seeing her daughter in that state.As I pulled myself out of my thoughts, my eyes landed on my daughter’s body, which appeared so lifeless, and my heart ached so badly.I wrapped her in my hands, heading to the nearest hospital with my men and Tristian by my side.“Drive faster!” I shouted at the driver, and my hands, which were wrapped around my daughter, were quivering.He didn’t respond, but he increased the car's speed, and I kept staring at my daughter, pushing her hair backward.“You’re going to be fine!” I said as I continued to caress her hair. “Hang in there for me.”“Is she going to be okay, Daddy?” Tristan’s voice met my ears. He sounded afraid.“She’s going to be alright. You don’t have to
TRISTIAN'S POVTristian watched as Stephanie grabbed his sister’s hair. He was frightened, but he knew his sister would get hurt if he didn’t intervene.“Let my sister go!” Tristan stood up from where he was and moved in Stephanie’s direction.As he got closer, his eyes reflected sternness, but the next thing that happened took him by surprise. He didn’t expect it and knew he couldn’t stop it.Stephanie grabbed him by the hair, and her fingers, or rather claws in Tristian’s description, dug into his skull. He felt pain radiate through his body at that point and yelled above his lungs.He wasn’t the only one yelling. His sister was also shouting and fussing, trying her best to free herself from Stephanie’s clutches.Tristian didn’t have it in him to kick, so he just kept yelling, increasing his tone every second, and he hoped someone would come to save them - probably his dad, mom, or some guard.In his six-year-old mind, he was hoping for a miracle. Actually, he was wishing for someth
STEPHANIE’S POVMy plans were working.The euphoric feeling pumping through my blood couldn’t go unnoticed, as every step I took away from Isla was rhythmic. The sad look on Isla’s face caught my eyes, and I felt very satisfied. I couldn’t wait for the final plan. The pain Isla was feeling couldn’t be compared to the pain she would feel once she discovered that her kids had been drowned.As for Axel, little did he know that his life had crumbled. The kids are gone, and Isla is about to have the shock of her life and die from a heart attack when she finds out about the death of her kids. Gosh! How much I loved how everything was playing out. I was having a good day, and it was only going to get better. I was going to see Axel, and I planned to visit him looking like Isla.Before heading out, I went to see Isla again. Her head was hung low when I entered, but she seemed to have heard my footsteps because she looked up, gnawing at me. “Hey! Hey!” I said, moving closer to her. “You do
STEPHANIE’S POVI heard a knock on the door and stood up quickly, hoping it wasn’t Isla. My cheeks hurt from fake smiling all day and pretending I cared about her.I couldn’t wait for the hour when the sun would set so I could execute my plans, and I smirked just thinking about it, but the smirk left my lips the second I heard the knocking sound.I walked to the door and opened it gently, and the pissed look on my face faded after my eyes landed on Isla.As I questioned her, my cheeks were hurting from smiling, but I had to keep up the act.“Yes, how do I look?”I gave her a reply, and I watched her giggle like a happy little kid as she walked away. I couldn’t wait to wipe that smile off her face and watch her beg for mercy and the kids. How could I forget how I would make those little angels suffer?Isla and Axel would never know what hit them. It would be like a storm crashed into their life and wrecked it all.I laughed and shut the door behind me as I moved close to my bed and dro
ISLA’S POVI headed to my room with joy spiraling in my heart. The fact that Axel had apologized made me so happy. I didn’t expect him to make that move, but I was glad he did, and the minute my eyes landed on my room door, a smile caressed my lips.I pulled it open quickly, walking in the direction of my wardrobe right away. I didn’t have any idea of what I was going to wear, and as I pulled open the wardrobe, I realized deciding what to wear would be a very difficult task.I took a deep breath before digging into the pile of clothes in my wardrobe, and I started with a black dress with a cute slit, but it didn’t look appealing when I tried it on, so I decided to try on another cloth with a similar design but a different color.When I stood in front of the mirror, I wasn’t very pleased with my appearance, so I removed the gown and sat on the bed.I hated this.I wondered why I was dressing up for Axel. I wanted to just try on something simple, but this was the first time Axel and I w
AXEL’S POV“I feel like a bad mother,” Isla said, and the sadness in her eyes caused my heart to churn. The stern demeanor I had on dropped that instant.“The kids hate me. That’s why they are mad at me and why they’re not talking to me and rejecting my food. And things feel so weird.”“I think you’re overthinking it.” My voice sounded a bit edgy.“I’m not, Axel. I could feel that distance between us, and Stephanie also communicated their feelings to me.”“I understand,” I said, feeling her pain. “But you don’t need to let that bother you. I’m sure they would come around.”“How can I not? My own children hate me,” she continued speaking. “A mother is meant to be a role model to her kids, but I’m nothing of that much.”“You’re Isla. You have always been a role model to your kids.”“Well, I don’t think they feel so, and you’re only saying these words to make me feel better.” She sighed sadly, a sign I wasn’t doing an excellent job of helping her feel better.I wasn’t really good at coax