Ace POV:"WHAT!" Hudson's booming voice reverberated through the room.My brows furrowed as his word rang inside my ear."Another fucking son""Antonio, are you out of your mind?" Alex questioned, his tone filled with controlled anger."I realize the gravity of my actions and the impact they have had. That's why I need to come clean," he admitted, his voice tinged with regret."Why the sudden change of heart?" Liam, usually composed, couldn't hide the chill in his words as he probed further. "There are personal reasons that have held me back, but the time for secrets is over." His admission of guilt lingered in the room as he continued, "I understand that this revelation may come as a shock to all of you."As the tension mounted, Antonio finally disclosed his decision, "From this point forward, he will take on the responsibility of managing our deals and projects.""You can't just drop this bombshell without proper consideration. This involves our business." I couldn't help but voice
Iris POV:The class groaned happily when the teacher finally left. For the past two hours, the teacher had not stopped teaching.I glanced at the clock and saw it was 4 in the evening. I am addicted to Ace. Especially the things he does. I didn't know I can be this dirty too."Is something going on between you and Edrick?" Ali asked as she stood in front of my desk."What! No!" I blurted out in surprise."Then why is he talking to you more and not to me?" she said bluntly.I shrugged awkwardly, hoping to brush off her question. "I don't know."Because he's Elijah, not Edrick. I hurriedly exited the classroom, feeling flustered after my awkward exchange with Ali. The excuse I used—“I want to poop”—was embarrassingly lame.My eyes wandered around the classroom, sneakily. Student's were chattering and laughing. God, where is he?When I finally spotted him, his intense gaze was already on me, causing my heart to skip a beat. I waved casually and mustered a nonchalant smile, gestur
Iris POV:"How about a suit?" I suggested while sipping my orange juice."No, he has tons of suits in his closet, but that idiot insists on wearing jeans and shirts every single day," Hudson grumbled.I laughed. "What about a wallet?" I asked.Hudson shook his head, and I slumped back in my seat. Liam's birthday was coming up, and we couldn't decide what to buy for him. He has everything.Ace gave me a card and told me to use it, but I prefer to use my own money. His exact words were, "Buy whatever you want, don't worry about spending too much, love."Should I be happy about it or sad? I just feel guilty.Hudson and I are out shopping for Liam's birthday gifts. Everyone else gave Hudson a list of what they wanted to buy, but I wanted to choose a gift for Liam myself. Their exact words were, "If he shows up on his birthday, that would be a bigger surprise than a stupid gift."They're all buying gifts out of formality. Since they had other important things to do, they handed their
Iris POV:I leaned my hand on the table and yawned loudly.Alex and I were at Hudson's company because Alex had some work and needed to hand over some files to Hud.It had become second nature for one of the boys to pick me up, leading me to the waiting room where I'd spend hours and only to be dropped home once their tasks were done around 6 p.m. I wasn't complaining. In fact, I was happy that they did it willingly, not like it was a job. As I leaned back in my seat, my hand palmed my face as the memories from the previous night flood in my mind, causing a blush to creep up on my cheeks. Ace and I talked about our physical relationship. I was always on edge, feeling uneasy and occasionally nauseous, while he appeared more composed and serious, never mocking my hesitance or shyness. He gave me time and encouraged me to talk about it. Communication is very important in a relationship. Thank God, I got a shameless man who likes to talk about it instead of someone who doesn't. M
*Mature*Ace POV:I lowered myself down to gently place a soft kiss on her delicate belly button.I could hear her surprised gasps mingled with the sound of her rough breaths and the rhythmic thumping of her heart.Continuing the tender caress, I ran the tip of my finger slowly from the curve of her belly up to the valley between her breasts."Let me take care of you, Mini. Si?" I whispered.Her response, a meek "S-Si."I can do anything now.She couldn't see me, just hear and feel me."Beautiful than any flowers" I murmured, siding her shirt with my fingers.Her body quivered, her belly rising and falling with each deep, calming breath she took."Relax, bambi" I assured her, shifting to kneel in front of her and gently grasping her legs.Lifting her left leg, I tenderly pressed her feet against my chest.The soft glow of the gold anklet adorning her ankle caught the dim light, casting a mesmerizing sparkle."I love it, what you did that day. So fierce," I said as a playful grin sprea
Iris POV:I grumbled in annoyance and laid back on the hard bench. Sleep. I want to sleep. The teacher abruptly departed the classroom due to an emergency.It was English class, so most of the students were outside or bunking. The clock showed that it was 11 in the morning, the time passing painfully slowly. Ali was I don't know where she is? Maybe with Edrick Or with her so-called friends. It became apparent that Ali was avoiding me. I don't know why and for what. It's not like I am sad but she helped me through my studies.Well we were just a hi-bye friends.She is avoiding me but in a polite way. If I tried to talk to her she would make an excuse or any reason. "Iris"A startled yelp escaped from my mouth and I found myself abruptly sprawled on the tiled floor beneath me. Startled and disoriented, I lifted my gaze, shooting a sharp glare at whoever called me. My eyes widened in recognition as I realized it was not who I had initially expected— it was Erick...no, it was
Iris POV:I anxiously scanned the room, feeling the weight of everyone's attention shifting towards us. "Ali, let's go and talk somewhere else" I pleaded, my voice tinged with urgency. "NO! NO! " She screamed as it dripped with a mix of frustration and fury. "Let everyone see what type of girl you are and your INNOCENT FACADE! " She gripped my arm tightly. My ears felt hot as everyone looked at me. "Ali, you're drunk, please..let's talk privately" I interjected, perplexed by Ali's sudden outburst and aggressive stance. Startled by the sudden appearance of someone blocking my way, a surge of shock coursed through me. What the hell! What is Ares doing here? "Stay away from her, girl," Ares' voice, low and authoritative, cut through the charged atmosphere like a blade. Of course, Why would the guys leave me without a bodyguard? How sweet."Fuck off!" her anger surged forth, her futile attempts to push Ares met with unyielding resistance.He was made of steel. He didn't even mov
Iris POV:"NO!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening in disbelief at his shameless statement.He grumbled in response, his face burying itself into the soft curve of my breasts. The sensation was both intimate and overwhelming, and I could feel the heat of his breath against my skin.A sharp hiss escaped my lips as he bit down gently on my areola, sending a jolt of sensation through me."Ace!" I whined, trying to push his face away, feeling a blend of discomfort and pleasure.He chuckled softly, his laughter vibrating against my chest as he tightened his embrace around me."Ok. Ok. I will not do anything," he murmured, his voice muffled as he greedily rubbed his cheeks against my soft breast. Shameless.We had intercourse like so hard and rough...sex.The evidence of our passion was all around us—my chest was covered in love bites and marks, while his neck bore the marks of my bites.The blanket was a tangled mess around us and we were just..Talking.It was 10 in the morning, and being a Sun
Ace POV:The air was crackling.Not just with tension—no, something more visceral. The scent of blood clung to the walls, thick and metallic, mixing with the sharp tang of gunpowder and the distant stench of rusted metal. It soaked into the concrete, into the very marrow of the room.I wiped my bloodied hand against my handkerchief, watching as crimson spread across the pristine white fabric. Red on white. Death on purity.I barely felt the sting in my knuckles. The pain was irrelevant. Fleeting. Around me, the weapon shipment area buzzed with nervous movement—men scrambling like rats to correct a mistake. A simple, yet unforgivable mistake.Internal incompetence.A woman had messed up the logistics. Sent an entire shipment to the wrong buyer.Not just a misstep.A disaster.I exhaled slowly through my nose, feeling the irritation simmer beneath my skin, restrained, measured. My fingers twitched at my side, a fleeting impulse. A temptation. But I had already handled the situati
Iris POV:He squatted down in front of me, tilting his head slightly, a soft smile playing on his lips. It wasn’t an arrogant smile, nor was it pitying.My chest tightened as I struggled to decipher what I saw in his gaze: nostalgia, amusement, concern… a quiet understanding that I both longed for and feared.His hand moved with familiarity, yet with a caution that hadn’t been there before.The back of his knuckles brushed against my cheek, slow and deliberate, like he was reacquainting himself with something fragile. A shiver ran down my spine at the contact—light as it was, it felt intrusive, peeling away the flimsy layers of composure I had managed to construct.“You’ve gotten more beautiful now,” he murmured, his voice a rich blend of admiration and something deeper— something I couldn't quite place.Heat surged through me, pooling in my cheeks, my skin prickling under his gaze. The air around us felt too heavy, too charged. My throat tightened, my body betraying me in ways I
Ace POV:A soft sigh left my lips as the squirrel closed its eyes and laid its tiny head on my palm. The warmth of its body was oddly comforting, its delicate breaths tickling my skin. So small. So trusting.Animals are far better than humans. Less complicated and easy to please.I leaned back in the rocking chair, the old wood creaking softly beneath my weight. The air was crisp tonight, carrying a distant melody from inside the mansion— some soft piano tune drifting through the air. The kind of sound that belongs in a dream, too delicate for reality.A small breeze stirred through the garden, sweeping my hair forward. A few strands fell in front of my closed eyes.My hair has grown a lot now.Long enough that I could use Iris’ scrunchies.I smirked at the ridiculous thought. Aiden had mentioned that girls liked when their boyfriends used their scrunchies, that it was "cute" or some shit.Boyfriend.The word sat strangely in my mind. Like a foreign language. Something that wasn’t
Iris POV:“Who are they?” I whispered to Liam as my eyes flickered toward the older couples across the room.“They’re Aiden and Susan’s parents,” Liam murmured back, lifting his glass to his lips and taking a long swig.I could feel their silent judgment pressing down on Ares, even from this distance.“Do they hate Ares?” I asked.Liam nodded once, a sharp and certain motion.“Do they hate everyone who belongs to that—” I started to whisper, but before I could finish, Liam’s grip on my forearm tightened. Just enough to shut me up.I swallowed, taking the hint. Ares sat beside Liam, rigid as ever. His sharp gaze was fixed on something in the distance, though I doubted he was actually looking at anything. His hands rested on his thighs, tense, unmoving. Every muscle in his body seemed to be coiled tight, like he was forcing himself to remain still despite the sheer disdain radiating from the people across the room.“Ares, why don’t you go down and enjoy yourself instead of sitting h
Author POV:A pair of drowsy hazel bedroom eyes flickered open, glancing lazily at the clock on the wall. The hands read 7:39 in the evening. The distant sound of running water echoed softly in the background, blending seamlessly with the quiet ambiance of the room. The soft glow of the setting sun filtered through the curtains, casting a warm, golden hue across the space.Ace let out a deep, rumbling growl of annoyance as Snacks snuggled deeper into his dark locks. The tiny creature had been toying with his ears, collarbone, neck, and even his pendant for the better part of an hour. Somehow, Snacks had wormed his way into a comfortable position on Ace’s broad shoulder, entirely at ease.Ace had come home early today, prompted by Iris' relentless nagging. Though he hadn’t bought the gift she suggested, she had taken it upon herself to prepare whiskey-infused truffles and artisan brownies. Which made him scowl, like a disgruntled 8 year old toddler, but deep down, Iris knew Ace h
Iris POV:To All the Gods in Heaven (and maybe my very exhausted guardian angel),Hi. It’s me. Again.So, um… about last night. Yeah, that night. I know you saw it. You’re gods. You see everything. And for that, I’m very, very sorry.You see, I was just minding my own business (kind of), being a totally respectable, innocent human, and then— BOOM— Ace happened. Like, really happened. And, um, I think I broke several unspoken commandments? I mean, I didn’t exactly look them up beforehand, but I know there’s gotta be one against making sounds that loud or behaving that… desperately.In my defense, though— you’re gods! You made us humans this way! So maybe you should’ve seen this coming when you gave me emotions, tingles, and a very dangerously good-looking man who knows exactly how to ruin a girl’s ability to behave well. Just sayin’.To summarize my sins:The noises— Loud. Embarrassingly loud. I may have reached “unholy choir” levels.The positions— Um… we discovered I had grown a
*MATURE* Without another thought, I slid down from the counter, the movement quick and precise, my eyes never leaving hers. She took a step back, startled by the sudden intensity in my movements.“I have to cook,” she stammered, her wide eyes locking with mine. She could see it— darkness, lust, raw and unfiltered, burning in my gaze. She knew exactly what she had done to me, temptation and hunger, a need so deep it felt like it might consume me.“Oh~ you should have thought about that before you started that little show of yours,” I growled, my voice thick with desire as I advanced on her, my steps quick and purposeful.She tried to run away, but there was nowhere to go. In a matter of seconds, her back hit the counter, and she stumbled slightly, regaining her balance by gripping the counter’s edge. Before she could react further, I was there, looming over her, trapping her between the solid counter and my body, so close that our chests brushed together with every breath. I lea
Ace POV:Even with the tension building in the room, my focus stayed on the phone in my hand.The screen lit up, displaying the contact details of the one person who made me rethink everything.Iris. Her name seemed to burn into my mind.For the past half hour, my finger hovered over the dial button, hesitating, refusing to move forward.Yesterday morning, I'd been a fucking dick to her.The way I treated her, the words I spat out—they still gnawed at me, but nothing haunted me more than the look in her eyes. The hurt. The disbelief.She'd always been the one person I never lashed out at, the one I protected from the ugliness of my world.And in one moment of misplaced anger at Agostino, I'd turned that ugliness on her.She had always looked at me like I was more than the monster everyone else saw.I hated how her pain lingered in the back of my mind.I deserved it, every bit of it, but now... I was afraid to call her.What if she taunted me?What if she threw those same words back in
Ace POV:"I mean, really?" I muttered, driving the knife into the table with a heavy thud, the sound echoing through the dimly lit basement.My chest heaved as I caught my breath, the adrenaline slowly ebbing away.The man lying on the floor, once so full of defiance, now barely had the strength to whimper."That eyepop literally looked me in the eyes and then turned around, snuggled into her cheeks like it was nothing!" I exclaimed, the disbelief in my voice masking the seething anger that still simmered beneath the surface.I turned to the lifeless form on the floor, eyes narrowing in frustration.His screams had subsided into faint, muffled groans, his life slipping away with every shallow breath."Shh... Can you like keep your fucking voice down? I'm talking," I snapped, as if he could still hear or care.His head lolled to the side, the last traces of life fading from his bloodshot eyes."Snacks knows he makes me jealous," I muttered to myself, pacing back and forth as I recounte