Mona’s POVI turned at the sound of my name, my heart nearly jumping out of my chest. Of course, it was Ian. Who else would it be? I barely had time to compose myself before I felt his hand on my wrist, dragging me toward his car like I was some sort of property. I pulled back, but his grip tightened, and I could already feel the anger rising in my chest.“What the hell are you doing here, Ian?” I hissed, barely managing to keep my voice from shaking.His grip was still firm, his fingers pressing into my skin, sending an uncomfortable jolt through me. I wrenched my wrist out of his hand, but he was already on me again, too quick. “I should be asking you that,” he growled, dragging me across the parking lot with surprising strength. “You think you can just walk away from me without consequences?”“Consequences?” I raised an eyebrow, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “You mean the ones where you make me your prisoner? Those consequences?”“Don’t play games, Mona,” he snarled, his grip tig
Ian's povI looked up from my desk as Mia's voice pierced the silence of my office. “Ian, what’s that witch doing in your penthouse?”I sighed, rubbing my face to ease the tension that rushed in. I knew exactly what she meant.“Who?” I asked, keeping my voice steady.“Mona. The woman in your penthouse. What’s she doing there?” I let out a dry laugh, brushing my hair back. “Mona isn’t your concern.”“Don’t dodge the question, Ian. I know who she is,” she shot back, her eyes narrowing with anger.I stood up, my body tense. “Stop calling her names, Mia.You don’t know what you're talking about.”She scoffed, a laugh escaping her lips, hollow and mocking. “Oh, I get it now. You are with her, aren’t you? This is how it ends? Do you have the guts to cheat on me, Ian? You don’t even care about what we had?”It was like a slap to the face. But instead of recoiling, I stepped closer, my voice barely above a whisper, hard and cold. “Our relationship ended a long time ago, Mai.”She froze, her
Mona's POVI lay on my small bed, staring at the cracked, peeling white ceiling, struggling to breathe through my swirling thoughts. My mother’s voice echoed in my mind, demanding things I didn’t think I could achieve. Even in the silence, her presence felt heavy, filled with expectations that weighed me down.I rolled onto my side, each breath growing heavier. The bed felt constricting, and I swung my legs over the edge, miscalculating the distance to the floor. My heart raced as I teetered, almost losing my balance. A rush of panic hit me, but I steadied myself, trembling from the close call.I muttered a curse, breaking the silence, before trying to gather my scattered thoughts. I reached for my shoes, which were hidden under the bed. I brushed my fingers against the cool wooden floor but found nothing. Frustration built within me—how could finding a simple shoe feel so hard?Leaning down, I carefully searched again, feeling the smoothness of the floor beneath my hands. Overwhelmed
Ian's POVMy heart raced as Mona’s body collapsed against mine. At first, I thought it was just her exhaustion catching up to her, but then I felt the dampness on her skin. Sweat. Her body was burning up, trembling against me in a way that sent a cold shiver through my spine.I moved quickly, my hands gripping her shoulders, steadying her as panic surged within me. Her breaths came in sharp, shallow gasps, and I noticed her skin growing pale, a strange rigidity starting to seize her limbs.“Mona,” I said firmly, my voice tight with urgency. She didn’t respond. Her head lolled back, and her eyes flickered open for a brief moment before shutting again, a glassy look in her eyes making the world around me feel suffocating.I didn't waste another second. I scooped her up, cradling her against my chest, feeling the weight of her fragile form in my arms. My body tensed, every muscle primed to power through the fear pushing me forward."Stay with me, Mona," I insisted, determined that she c
Ian's POVI heard the term and felt as if my life was unraveling. What did she mean by her body being significantly compromised? I called out to the doctor as she was about to leave; the situation didn’t seem to add up at all.“Yes, Mr. Ian,” she replied.I scoffed, my breath coming in heavy gasps as my eyes scanned the room. Just how dire was her condition?“Very serious,” she said urgently, placing a hand on my chest. My heart raced as I locked eyes with her, sensing the sincerity in her expression.“It’s fine,” I nodded, making my way out of the hospital. I was determined to uncover the identity of the cook who had poisoned her.My heart thudded violently as I exited the hospital. The doctor’s words reverberated in my mind, each one more suffocating than the last. Mona had been drugged, and I was resolute in ensuring that the person responsible would face justice.I slammed the door of my car, the sound echoing through the desolate parking lot. My grip on the steering wheel was so
Mia's POVThe atmosphere between us was heavy, stifling, resembling an impenetrable barrier. Each word from my mother tightened the grip around my chest, as if she were sketching a detailed outline of all I had been striving to forget. Her gaze—those eyes that seemed to uncover every hidden truth—bore into me, anticipating a response."This isn't a support group, Mom," I replied, my voice barely audible. "I did what I had to do. Whatever Ian is dealing with now is a result of his own ignorance."The last statement escaped me like a secret, and I immediately wished I could take it back. I didn’t want her to grasp the entire truth—not the complete truth, at least. I couldn’t reveal that it wasn’t solely Ian’s fault—that I had shattered everything between us weeks prior. I had dismantled it with my own actions, my own selfish errors, and now I was desperately trying to piece it back together.My mother, however, was not easily deceived. She had always been perceptive. With her arms cross
The car door clicked shut with a definitive sound that resonated in the stillness of the night. Inside the dimly lit vehicle, she reclined against the seat, the gentle purr of the engine the only interruption to the quiet. Outside, the streetlights cast a faint glow, flickering as figures approached, their footsteps deliberate and measured against the chill of the pavement.They halted just before the car, pausing for a moment before one of them broke the silence, his voice steady yet tinged with an underlying tension.“Is it finished?” the man inquired, his words barely audible in the night, as if he feared eavesdroppers.“Finished,” she answered, her voice calm and almost indifferent, though her thoughts raced through the implications of every decision she had made leading up to this moment.The woman, who had remained silent until now, stepped closer to the vehicle, her gaze darting nervously between the windows, as if wary of being observed. "You’ve fulfilled your end of the barga
Ian pov The cold, still body of the cook lay there in front of me, and everything felt wrong. The silence that filled the room was suffocating, the kind that pressed against your chest and made it impossible to breathe. My hands shook as I stared at the knife, the blood, her vacant eyes.I didn’t know what to think. Who did this? Why?I could hear the faint sound of footsteps, then a voice, sharp and piercing. "Ian, what happened? What did you do to her?" Mai’s voice cut through my thoughts, and I snapped my gaze up to her.My body tensed immediately. I didn’t have time for this. Not now."Shut up, Mai," I growled, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. I felt a fury rising within me, boiling over with every word that left her lips. "Don’t say that. Don’t you dare accuse me of something like that.""But... Ian, she’s dead," Mai stammered, eyes wide as she looked between me and the cook’s lifeless form. "Did you—did you kill her by mistake?"The accusation hung in the air like a
Author's POVShe ran like hell was licking at her heels. Her breath tore from her throat in jagged gasps, eyes wide and glassy, barely seeing where she was going. The night was cool but her skin burned, slick with sweat, heart pounding loud in her ears like war drums. She didn’t dare look back. Not once. She didn’t need to. Brown’s rage was enough to propel her forward, each step screaming with a desperation that only comes when you know—know—you’ve just danced with death and somehow slipped away with your soul.Her boots pounded against cracked pavement, weaving through alleys until she burst into the open light of the main road. Neon signs blinked like watching eyes. Cars hummed by, indifferent to the storm in her bones.And then—tires screeched.A black car jerked to a stop right in front of her. She stumbled back with a startled gasp, ready to bolt again, until the driver’s window rolled down.“Well, damn. That you?”The voice was like velvet and trouble wrapped in sarcasm. Her ey
Brown's POV"What the hell are you saying? You can't bring the documents containing Ian's business deal with the Europeans?" I growled, my voice rough as gravel, slicing through the air like a blade. My fist slammed into the oak table with a thunderous crack, shaking the glass and papers that sat on its surface. She flinched, her body recoiling instinctively. Her wide, glossy eyes stared at me—frightened, wounded. She looked like a cornered animal, ready to bolt, but too broken to run."I—I'm trying my best, Brown. It's not easy to work as a help in a toxic home just to get valuable documents," she stammered, voice trembling, hands wringing together. Her lip quivered as she took a shaky step back, brushing her knuckles over her cheek.“I killed their cook… in the name of getting this…” Her voice cracked, and she swallowed hard, trying to compose herself, but the fear in her gaze betrayed her strength.The words hit me like a slap. Killed? That was unexpected, even for her.She backed
Flynn’s POVBut Mona wasn’t having it. She stepped into the doorway, blocking my exit. Her presence filled the space, making the already small hallway feel even more suffocating."No, no, no, Flynn," she said, shaking her head in mock sympathy. "You’re not going anywhere until you tell me what’s going on." She crossed her arms tighter across her chest, making sure I knew she wasn’t backing down. "You don’t just sneak out of here without telling me where you’re going. You work for me, remember?"I bit my lip to keep from snapping. Mona had this habit of reminding me of my position every chance she got, and it never failed to get under my skin. I didn’t want to fight her, but I knew I had no choice. If she got curious enough, she’d find out more than she needed to, and that would put me in even more danger."I’m just... taking care of some things. Personal stuff." I repeated, my voice a little more forceful this time, hoping she'd buy it.But Mona was no fool. Her sharp eyes bored into
Flynn’s POVI was still rolling from one end of my bed to the other, wrapped in my comforter like a burrito, when my phone rang. Loud. Way too loud. Like, offensive-to-my-eardrums loud.I groaned, blindly flinging a hand over the bed, searching for the buzzing traitor that had the audacity to disrupt my sleep. My fingers finally landed on the screen, and I yanked it up toward my face, my eyes squinting like the sun itself had just slapped me.“Who the hell—” I mumbled, my voice scratchy, crust still in the corner of my eyes. I blinked. The caller ID was just a string of numbers, no name. Suspicious. Rude.I debated tossing it back under my pillow. Whoever it was could wait. Or not exist. Preferably both. But just as I was about to end the call with a swipe of my pinky, a loud voice boomed through the phone speaker:“FLYNN!”I flinched so hard I nearly dropped the phone on my face.Oh. No. That voice.“Shit,” I whispered, sitting upright with the speed of someone who just realized they
Ian’s POVI was hearing voices downstairs—raised, sharp, female voices—and my stomach dropped like a stone in a pond.At first, I thought I was imagining it. I’d barely made it down the driveway, needed a damn breather after that phone call, but the moment I got out of the car, the shrieking tone of Mai’s laugh sliced through the quiet like a chainsaw in a library.What the actual hell?I took the porch steps two at a time and threw open the front door.And that’s when chaos hit me square in the face.Mona came flying at me like a human missile, barefoot, hair wild, wearing nothing but my shirt and righteous fury. She launched into my arms like a hurricane had possessed her.“She came here!” she shouted, voice muffled against my chest. “She came here like the devil on a bender, Ian! She was in the kitchen, giggling and scheming and trying to possess your soul or some crap like that!”I blinked. “Uh… who?”She pulled back, eyes blazing. “MAI!”Behind her, Flynn raised a hand like a wea
Mona’s POVI watched him leave, the front door closing behind him with a finality that settled in my bones like a slow, creeping frost. Ian didn’t even look back.I should’ve been angry. Furious, maybe. But all I felt was hollow. My chest ached, the silence stretching out in the room like a punishment. And all because he answered a damn call. From her. Mai.That good-for-nothing, manipulative, arrogant... illiterate.I hated how it made me feel. Jealous. Insecure. Like I was twelve again and being picked last for the team, only this time the prize was Ian, and I was the one losing.I ran a hand through my tangled curls, eyes burning as I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. The house felt colder without him in it. Colder and quieter.I pulled his shirt tighter around me—the one I slept in last night. The hem brushed mid-thigh, soft cotton and his scent wrapping around me like a second skin. I padded toward the stairs barefoot, each step a whisper against the polished wood.
Mona’s POVIan?Wait—what the hell are you doing here?I blinked once. Twice. But no, I wasn’t hallucinating. It was him. Ian Devereux, standing like a ghost from a past I had just buried — in broad daylight, in front of my favorite corner café, where I was supposed to be minding my business and my cappuccino.I narrowed my eyes, instantly on edge. “I thought we got things over. You chose Me over me, remember? So what’s with the long face? She not reading bedtime stories anymore?”He looked like he hadn’t slept in days. His hair was messier than usual, like he’d been running his hands through it out of habit. He wore the same black coat I once stole to sleep in, and the way it clung to his frame made him look colder, heavier… like guilt had a physical weight.“Mona,” he said my name like it was an apology in itself. I didn’t flinch.“No, seriously,” I continued, folding my arms across my chest. “What do you want, Ian? Closure? A sequel? Or are you just here to remind me that I was stu
Mona’s POVMy fingers trembled around the handle of my bag, but I wasn’t sure if it was from rage or betrayal. I had tracked Ian here like a madwoman, using a location-sharing app I clowned onto his phone when I felt something in my gut — that sharp, stinging woman’s instinct. And there he was, sitting across from her. Mia. The girl who couldn't read a chapter, let alone close the book.“Yes, it’s me,” I said, my voice shaking, barely above a whisper. “Is she the reason you've been skipping breakfast and ignoring my calls?”I took a step forward. My heels clicking against the marble tiles were the only sound between us. I saw Ian’s lips part like he wanted to say something — a thousand excuses forming behind his guilty eyes — but before he could, she stood up like she owned the air we breathed.“Ian has no explanation to give for his attitude towards you, Madam Mona,” Mia said, her voice laced with smug venom. She tossed her sleek hair behind her shoulder, like she was about to walk a
Mia’s POVHe exhaled. “Mia, this doesn’t have anything to do with—”“Oh, it doesn’t?” I said, laughing with disbelief. “That’s interesting. Because the last time I checked, you were parading around with that silicone Barbie like she was your forever after.”He sighed, the kind of sigh that wasn’t tired—it was guilty. I knew that sound. I’d heard it too many times when I caught him lying by omission.“You’re deflecting,” I said sharply. “Why?”“Because she’s not in the picture anymore,” he said, suddenly serious. “She doesn’t live with me. She hasn’t for over a month.”I blinked, stunned for a second.“What?” I said slowly. “You broke up?”He didn’t say anything.“Oh my god,” I whispered, the pieces clicking in my head. “You two broke up. And now suddenly you’re interested in working with me?”“I’ve been interested in working with you since the deal was proposed,” he replied firmly. “Don’t twist it.”“Oh honey, I’m not twisting a damn thing. I’m just connecting dots. The timeline’s too