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Chapter Five
Huling Na-update:
2025-04-18 07:30:03My fingers instinctively tightened around hers for a second before I forced myself to let go. I stared into her eyes—eyes that sparkled with charm but simmered with something darker.
The way she smiled made my skin crawl. It wasn’t just smugness. It was possession.
“This is Alyssa,” Joseph said, voice light but firm as he gestured toward the woman now standing beside me. “A long-time friend of the family.”
Long-time friend. Right.
I nodded politely. “Nice to meet you.”
She leaned in just slightly, her perfume heavy and sweet—like expensive poison. “Oh, sweetheart. You’ll get used to it. Or you’ll break. We’ll see.”
I couldn’t even form a response. She turned on her heels, her red dress swaying with every step as she walked back to the table. She didn’t sit in a chair. She sat—no, sprawled—right across Jillian’s lap like she belonged there.
And he let her.
He didn’t touch her. Didn’t look at her. But he didn’t push her off either.
Joseph cleared his throat, pretending none of this was awkward. “Come, Christy. Sit.”
I took the chair farthest from them and lowered myself quietly, keeping my head down as a maid served my plate.
The air was tense, the kind of tense that settles deep in your bones. No one spoke for a long moment. The only sound was the clink of silverware against plates.
“You’re not eating,” Alyssa said suddenly, eyes on me.
I looked up slowly. “Not very hungry.”
She tilted her head. “Is it the food or the company?”
“Both,” I said before I could stop myself.
Her brows lifted. She laughed—not fake, not forced. Genuinely amused. “You’ve got fire. I respect that. Not sure it’ll save you, though.”
Jillian finally looked up. Just one sharp glance. “Enough, Alyssa.”
The room stilled. Even Joseph seemed surprised.
Alyssa’s smirk faltered, but only for a second. “Of course, darling. Anything for you.”
She ran a hand down his chest slowly before finally—finally—sliding off his lap and taking a proper seat.
Dinner moved on in silence again, but my heart was pounding like a drum against my ribs. My hands trembled slightly under the table, and I pressed them into my lap to still them.
I was out of my depth. Way out.
Once the plates were cleared and dessert was served—something I barely looked at—Joseph turned toward me.
“Christy, I know this isn’t what you wanted. But this is your home now. You’ll learn how things work here.”
I gave him a short nod, keeping my face neutral.
“And you’ll get used to Alyssa,” he added with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “She means well. Most of the time.”
Alyssa gave a little wave. “I’m very lovable once you stop threatening my position.”
“I didn’t know I was threatening anything,” I said coolly.
“You are. Just by existing.”
The words sank into me like knives.
I stood before my temper got the best of me. “May I be excused?”
Joseph nodded. “Of course.”
Jillian didn’t even glance my way.
My room was dim and silent when I got back. I didn’t turn on the lights. I sat on the edge of the bed, staring into the shadows.
I didn’t cry. I wasn’t going to give them that.
But I hated how fast my heart beat. I hated the heat in my chest—the pain, the jealousy, the confusion. Jillian kissing me, touching me like he needed me… and then letting her sit on his lap like I didn’t exist?
I didn’t understand him. And I didn’t know if I ever would.
A knock sounded on my door.
I didn’t move. “Who is it?”
“It’s me.” His voice was unmistakable.
My chest clenched.
The door opened before I answered, and he stepped inside like he belonged there. His presence filled the room. Controlled it.
“What do you want?” I asked, standing.
He didn’t answer right away. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it. His eyes were dark, unreadable in the low light.
“You looked upset at dinner.”
“I wonder why.”
“You weren’t supposed to see her like that.”
“Then why did you let her sit on you like a trophy?”
Silence.
He walked toward me slowly. I held my ground even as his shadow passed over mine. “I didn’t ask her to do that.”
“But you didn’t stop her either.”
He was right in front of me now, close enough that I had to tilt my head to meet his eyes.
“You’re not used to this world yet,” he said. “But you will be.”
“And what happens until then?” I whispered. “You keep humiliating me in front of people who want me gone?”
Something flickered in his gaze. “I don’t want you gone.”
My breath hitched.
He reached out and brushed a strand of hair from my cheek. His fingers lingered, trailing down my jaw.
“I meant what I said earlier,” he murmured. “You taste like sin.”
Before I could respond, his mouth was on mine again. This kiss was different. Less anger, more desperation. A spark that turned quickly into a flame.
I kissed him back because I wanted to. Because I needed to feel like I mattered, even if it was only for a moment.
His hands gripped my waist, pulling me against him. I could feel his heartbeat thudding against mine. I gasped softly into his mouth, and he deepened the kiss, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other sliding down to my thigh.
But then he stopped.
Pulled away.
We were both breathing hard, lips swollen, eyes locked.
“I’m not yours,” I said quietly.
“No,” he agreed. “But you will be.”
And just like that, he turned and walked out, leaving me shaking in the dark, half-kissed and completely destroyed.
Kaugnay na kabanata
Falling for Danger Chapter Six
The room still smelled like him.A mix of something expensive and dangerous, something I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to wash off.I sat in the dark, unmoving, lips tingling from his kiss. My heart was still racing—half in anticipation, half in confusion.Jillian Colbert didn’t say things he didn’t mean. That much, I was starting to learn.But he also didn’t say things to make you feel better. Which made his last words all the more terrifying.“You will be.”What did that even mean?I lay down that night, fully clothed, too wired to sleep and too drained to stay awake. I drifted in and out of dreams where his voice echoed like a warning, like a promise.I didn’t see him the next morning.Nor the afternoon.The mansion was cold and far too quiet, despite the house staff moving about like ghosts. I stayed in my room most of the day, occasionally stepping out just to feel less like a prisoner.I kept thinking about Alyssa. About how sure she was that she still belonged to him. How comfor
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I wasn’t used to this version of myself.Standing in front of the mirror, clad in a body-hugging black dress that Jillian’s assistant had sent up—without asking—I barely recognized the woman staring back.She looked powerful. Elegant. Dangerous.But inside, I was still the girl who had been sold like property and handed over to a man she didn’t know, expected to become a Mafia bride with no instruction manual.A soft knock on the door pulled me from my spiraling thoughts.It was Maria, the same woman who always delivered messages on behalf of the Colberts. I was beginning to wonder if she could read minds.“Mr. Colbert is ready for you,” she said politely.I nodded and followed her out of the room.The mansion was different at night—alive with movement. Men in suits, discreetly armed, lined the hallways. The staff moved with quiet precision. Everything was coordinated, almost like a ballet… one choreographed with bullets and blood.And then there was Jillian.He stood at the bottom of
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-18Falling for Danger Chapter Eight
When I woke up, I was in his arms.It wasn’t a dream. I hadn’t imagined it.Jillian Colbert—the man who terrified me, confused me, and made my heart stutter in ways I wasn’t proud of—was holding me like I was something precious.I didn’t dare move. Not at first.His arm was draped over my waist, one leg tangled between mine, and his face was nestled in my neck. His breath, slow and even, warmed my skin.For a moment, I let myself pretend.Pretend he cared. That I wasn’t just a pawn. That last night hadn’t been some twisted form of mafia comfort or damage control after Alyssa’s visit.But fantasies are fragile things.And Jillian was always the one to break them.He stirred, then shifted away from me without a word. No kiss. No glance. Just silence as he got up, pulled on a white shirt, and adjusted his watch.Back to business.I sat up slowly, the coldness in the room now echoing the one I felt inside.“You’re leaving?” I asked softly.“Work.” He didn’t look at me as he answered. “Sta
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“Jillian!” I yelled, rushing from the balcony and down the stairs.He met me halfway in the hall, already tensing at my tone. “What is it?”“There was someone outside. Watching.”His eyes sharpened instantly. “Where?”“By the gate. Dressed in black. He saw me—he pointed at me, Jillian.”“Pointed?” he repeated, then turned to the guard at the door. “Get eyes on the north gate. Now.”“Yes, sir.”I reached for his hand without thinking. “Jillian… who would do that?”He looked at our intertwined fingers, then at me. “People who want to send messages.”“Was it Alyssa?” I asked.“No. She doesn’t use subtlety.”“Then who—?”“We’ll find out.”His voice was low, controlled. But I could tell by the way his jaw clenched that his mind was already spinning.He turned to one of the passing guards. “Double the patrols tonight. And send someone to sweep her room for bugs.”My stomach sank. “You think someone’s been listening?”“I think we’re being watched,” he muttered, then looked me dead in the eye
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-18Falling for Danger Chapter Ten
The training room was colder than I expected.Sleek floors, black mats, steel shelves lined with weapons I wasn’t sure I wanted to learn how to use. Jillian stood near the center, sleeves rolled up, looking like sin with a holster clipped to his belt.“You’re early,” he said as I stepped in.“I couldn’t sleep.”He nodded toward the wall. “Pick your weapon.”My eyes widened. “You’re letting me choose?”“No,” he smirked. “But I wanted to see what you’d reach for first.”I walked slowly along the shelf, fingers ghosting over blades, brass knuckles, and a row of glinting pistols.I stopped in front of one with a black matte finish.“This one,” I said.“Beretta,” Jillian said behind me. “You’ve got good instincts.”“You sound surprised.”“I’m always surprised when people show me they’re more than they seem.”I turned to face him. “And what do you think I am?”He stepped closer. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”His nearness made my heart pound, but I covered it with a shrug. “Teach m
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-18Falling for Danger Chapter Eleven
I had never seen Jillian that angry before.His jaw was locked so tightly I could hear the faint grind of his teeth. One hand gripped the steering wheel as the other rested on the console, fingers drumming with an intensity that made me nervous.The silence in the car was almost unbearable.“Say something,” I whispered.His eyes didn’t leave the road. “What do you want me to say?”“Anything.”He scoffed. “Someone planted a bug under your bed. That’s not ‘anything.’ That’s a declaration of war.”“Do you think…?” I paused, unsure if I should even say her name.“Alyssa?” His voice was sharp, bitter. “It has her style. But it’s too clean. Too quiet.”I swallowed hard. “So, it could be someone else?”“It could be anyone.”That didn’t make me feel better.“Is it because of me?” I asked, my voice small.He glanced at me, briefly. “Don’t flatter yourself.”Ouch.But then he added, quieter, “It’s because of us.”Us.That word hit me like a slow explosion. We hadn’t used it before. Not official
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“Are you sure it’s him?”I stared at the still image on the screen—the grainy, colorless shot of my father bound to a chair, looking beaten and hollow. I’d seen him tired before. Angry. Broken even. But never like that.Jillian didn’t answer immediately. He studied the video frame by frame, jaw clenched, blue eyes cold.“I’m sure,” he finally said.My breath caught in my throat. “He looked… scared.”Jillian shifted his gaze to me. “They wanted us to see that.”“Who sent it?”He tapped the side of the screen. “Encrypted. But sloppy. We’re close to tracking the source. It’s not Alyssa, not directly. Someone’s acting for her—or trying to make it look that way.”I paced the floor, arms wrapped around my body. “What do they want from us?”“You,” he said without hesitation. “They want you rattled. Scared. Distracted.”“Well, they’ve succeeded,” I muttered bitterly.Jillian rose from his seat and came to stand in front of me. “Don’t let fear control you. You’re stronger than that.”I wanted
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-18Falling for Danger Chapter Thirteen
I didn’t lock the door.Not immediately, at least.Because I couldn’t stop shaking. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe.The sounds downstairs were violent—furniture shattering, men shouting, a gunshot.Then another.And that was all it took. I snapped out of it and ran to the door, locking it with trembling hands.My heart pounded against my ribs as I backed away, one slow step at a time, until my legs gave out and I sank to the floor.Jillian had told me to stay put. To wait.But I couldn’t sit here and do nothing while the people I lived with—the people I maybe started to care about—were under attack.I crawled to the nightstand and yanked the drawer open.The knife from training was still there.Shiny. Heavy.A piece of Jillian’s world that had somehow become mine, too.I gripped the handle and stood, swallowing hard.“Don’t be stupid,” I whispered to myself. “Don’t be reckless.”But I was already unlocking the door.The hallway was quiet. Too quiet.I moved carefully, the knife clutc
Huling Na-update : 2025-04-18
Pinakabagong kabanata
Falling for Danger Chapter Twenty-Two
“Christy, we need to talk,” Jillian’s voice cut through the thick silence of my room. It wasn’t a command, but a plea, laced with something deeper. He wasn’t standing in the doorway, but I could hear him just outside, as if giving me space to process. His presence was overwhelming, though, and I could feel the tension in the air, thick and suffocating.I didn’t move at first. Instead, I just sat there, my hands wrapped tightly around the fabric of my robe, the weight of everything—Alyssa, the baby, the lies—pressing down on me like a thousand tons. I wanted to ignore him, bury my face in my hands and forget the world existed. But I knew that wasn’t possible. Not anymore. Not with the way everything had changed between us.I took a deep breath, pushing myself up from the bed, my feet hitting the cold floor with a sharp thud. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I opened the door, the cold morning air rushing in to greet me.Jillian was standing there, his back to me, hands in
Falling for Danger Chapter Twenty-One
The sun barely peeked through the heavy curtains when I woke up the next morning, my mind still swirling with everything that had happened in the past few days. The wedding. The confrontation. The heartbreak.I rolled over to the other side of the bed, expecting to find Jillian next to me, but the space was empty. For the first time in weeks, I felt a cold, aching emptiness settle deep in my chest. I couldn’t quite figure out if it was anger, regret, or something else entirely. Maybe it was the exhaustion from the emotional rollercoaster I had been dragged through, but one thing was clear: I needed space. I needed time to think.My thoughts raced back to the truth Jillian had hidden from me—Alyssa’s pregnancy. I still couldn’t shake the bitter taste in my mouth. All this time, he had known. He had known and hadn’t told me, and it felt like a betrayal.My fingers curled into the sheets, gripping them tightly as if holding on would keep me grounded. I had believed in him. I had trusted
Falling for Danger Chapter Twenty
I could barely breathe.The church was warm, filled with candles and people and chatter, but I felt frozen. My heart thudded painfully beneath the lace bodice of my gown. Everyone was here. Joseph sat in the front row like a king overseeing his legacy. Mafia affiliates from all over Texas whispered behind masks of politeness. Jillian stood just a few steps ahead, his tailored black tux a sharp contrast to the white roses surrounding him.And me?I was moments away from marrying the coldest, most complicated man I had ever met.“Christy,” a soft voice said beside me. It was Mia, my assigned bridesmaid—though at this point she felt more like a handler than a friend. “It’s time.”My knees wobbled beneath me as the chapel doors creaked open. The music swelled—some classical arrangement that felt too grand, too surreal. I clutched the bouquet in my trembling hands and started walking down the aisle, eyes fixed on Jillian.His face was unreadable. Stone cold.I should have been used to it b
Falling for Danger Chapter Nineteen
I didn’t slam the door when I walked out. I wanted to. I really wanted to. But I didn’t. Because I knew if I did, he’d only hear the echo of my pain. And he didn’t deserve that. Not after what I just saw.Jillian and Alyssa.His lips on hers.My heart hadn’t stopped racing. Every beat echoed in my ears like gunfire, sharp and painful. My hands were trembling, and no matter how many times I wiped my palms down my dress, I couldn’t get them to stop.I walked aimlessly down the hallway, unsure of where I was going. The mansion felt like a maze tonight, and all I wanted was to escape. Not the house. Him. The way he looked at her. The way he didn’t even hesitate.How dare he?“Christy!”I flinched, his voice cutting through the silence like a whip. I didn’t turn around.“Christy, wait!”“No,” I said without facing him. “Don’t. Just… don’t.”He caught up with me anyway, grabbing my arm and spinning me around. His grip wasn’t tight, but it was firm enough to make sure I couldn’t walk away ag
Falling for Danger Chapter Eighteen
The mansion was chaos.People in suits and dresses buzzed through the hallways like bees in a hive, barking orders and throwing swatches of fabric in the air. The scent of fresh roses—hundreds of them—mixed with the tang of heated arguments, making the air thick and exhausting. I hadn’t even had breakfast yet.“No, no, no! The centerpieces go on the mirrored stands, not the crystal ones!” I heard someone scream from the grand ballroom.I was already regretting every single choice we’d made.“I didn’t pick the crystal stands,” I mumbled under my breath, arms folded as I stood in the middle of the grand hallway, surrounded by fabric samples and clipboard-wielding coordinators.“You didn’t not pick them either,” Jillian muttered beside me, his voice low and a little amused. He looked down at his phone again, scrolling, not even pretending to be helpful.“You’re not even paying attention,” I said sharply.His head tilted slightly. “To chaos? No thanks.”“This is our wedding, Jillian.”“An
Falling for Danger Chapter Seventeen
“Jillian,” I whispered, grabbing his wrist, “don’t go out there alone.”His hand closed gently over mine, gun in the other. “I’m not. You’re with me.”“That’s not what I—”He turned, eyes locking on mine, serious. “Christy, if anything happens, I need you to run. You know the side hallway by the library?”I nodded.“There’s a hidden passage behind the tall bookshelf. Pull the black book with the red spine. It opens a door. Go through, stay quiet, don’t stop.”“You’ve had that here this whole time?”“I have escape plans for everything.”“And when were you going to tell me?”“When I was sure I could trust you to come back to me.”I stared at him, the weight of his words sinking in, warming me even through the rising cold of fear.A creak echoed again, closer now.Jillian turned toward the hallway. “Stay behind me. Keep your eyes open.”We moved through the dark corridor like shadows, silent but alert. I could hear my own heartbeat in my ears, pounding wildly. The hall stretched long and
Falling for Danger Chapter Sixteen
“You’re staring,” I murmured, stretching across the bed.Jillian leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed, eyes hot and fixed on me like I was his personal obsession. “Can you blame me?”I smiled, letting the silk sheet slide lower down my chest. “I’m surprised you’re still here. Thought you’d be out chasing shadows by now.”“I should be.”“But?”His voice dropped. “I’d rather be here.”I tilted my head. “That’s unlike you.”“I’m becoming unlike me.” He walked forward slowly, each step deliberate. “You did that.”I sat up. “And what are you going to do about it?”He knelt on the bed, brushing hair from my face. “Make the most of the time I have before everything explodes.”I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Then stop wasting it.”He kissed me, slow and deep, with a desperation that tasted like regret before it even happened. Like he knew something I didn’t. His fingers brushed my spine, and I arched into him instinctively, feeling the heat between us spike like fire on dry wood.“D
Falling for Danger Chapter Fifteen
“I’m not staying locked up like some fragile doll, Jillian.”“You promised.”“I promised I’d stay safe. Not that I’d stay silent.”He was pacing again, fingers clenched into fists at his sides. His tie hung loose around his neck, and he hadn’t slept. Neither had I.“The last safe house she blew up was a message,” he said. “A direct hit. She’s not playing games anymore.”“Then why are we?”He stopped walking, turning to face me with fire in his eyes. “You think this is a game to me?”“No,” I said quietly. “I think it’s personal.”“It is.”He walked toward me, stopping just short of touching me.“She killed people I trained. Men I trusted. She’s twisting everything.”I looked up at him, eyes searching. “Then let me help you untwist it.”“You don’t understand how deep this goes.”“Then explain it.”He exhaled like he was deflating. “There are things you don’t want to know, Christy. Things I’ve done. Things Alyssa’s still doing.”“I’m already in it, Jillian. Stop trying to keep me on the
Falling for Danger Chapter Fourteen
The blood was gone.The carpets scrubbed, the walls wiped clean, the shattered vases replaced—like nothing ever happened.But I remembered.The way the gunshots had echoed off the marble floors. The way Reuben’s body dropped. The way Jillian looked at me—really looked at me—like I wasn’t just the girl sold into his world.Like I was something more.Even now, days later, I could still feel the weight of the gun in my hand.I hadn’t fired. I hadn’t needed to.But I had changed.And I could see that he saw it too.Jillian hadn’t left my side since that night. Wherever he went, he made sure someone was stationed outside my room. He didn’t say much—he never did—but the way he hovered near me said everything.Something between us had shifted.We weren’t strangers anymore.Not really.He knocked once before opening my door. He always did that now, even though it was his house.“You’re up early,” he said.I was sitting by the window in my robe, a cup of untouched tea in my hand.“I couldn’t s
