His touch was featherlight, reverent almost. He slid the fabric down further, searching for more damage— but there weren’t as many marks as he expected.Relief coursed through him, but it was brief. Fleeting. The ghosts of her pain were still there, invisible but suffocating.When he lifted his ga
Hudson's father had ensured it. The training, the beatings, the expectation that he would become more than just a survivor— he would become a weapon.By the time he was seventeen, he had fulfilled that expectation. He had become the most feared underground leader, his name spoken in whispers, his
"It's already six," Liam murmured. "You're going to be late for work if you don't get moving, big man."I stared at him for a second, then watched as he turned and walked away.Work. Routine. As if my mind wasn’t still drowning in the chaos of last night.Rubbing my face roughly, I exhaled, trying t
She nodded again, more certain this time. “Yes.”Good girl.A flicker of satisfaction curled inside me.“Why don’t you serve me today?”A small hesitation. Then, “Um… okay.”She turned away, heading toward the dining hall, and I let my gaze trail after her.Athena’s voice broke through the silence.
I rolled my eyes, but the corner of my mouth twitched.Soft? Me. Tsk. After breakfast, I prepared to leave for the east coast branch, but a strange mix of emotions clawed at me. As I descended the stairs to the basement, the dim light from flickering bulbs cast grotesque shadows on the damp, con
The dim overhead bulb flickered, casting erratic shadows across the instruments laid out on the steel tray beside me. Each one gleamed under the intermittent light— a scalpel, forceps, sutures, a bone saw— each tool chosen with meticulous intent.I reached for the scalpel, its cold, precise weight
In one swift motion, I gripped his waistband and yanked his pants down, exposing him to the frigid air. He let out a strangled yelp, hands scrambling to cover himself as though dignity still existed for him."Sit," I ordered, dragging him forward by his collar. He stumbled, his hands clawing at mi
Steam rose, thick and suffocating, the acrid stench of burnt flesh filling the space.The next step in my favorite ritual was to rub rock salt into the open wounds and cuts. Yay~~The coarse grains of salt embedded themselves into the raw, exposed flesh, each crystal sinking into the torn tissue lik
Why did I only notice it now?Ace chuckled—low, knowing."Do your work like a good whore," he murmured, his tone silky but laced with steel. "And show me your devotion, brat."He leaned back, and the pressure of his hands, which had been a constricting comfort around my body, vanished. Like a snake
I blinked, my breath hitching, frustration curling inside my chest."Please…" The whisper left me before I could stop it, before I could hold onto my pride. My head dipped down, shame curling my shoulders inward as I bit down on my lower lip. "Just one kiss. Even a peck."Ace clicked his tongue, th
“Don’t expect me to treat you like a good girl till I believe you’re sorry, Iris,” he murmured, his tone dark and taunting.Before I could process it, his thumb shoved past my lips, forcing them apart. My eyes flew wide, a muffled “Hmph” escaping as my hands shot up, fingers digging into his knees
“Sit on your knees.”…What?I froze.My smile slipped, and a soft “Huh?” escaped me before I could stop it.The warmth I’d felt a second ago twisted into something heavier, sharper, and I blinked at him, caught off guard.“You heard me, my sweet whore,” he said, leaning back with a smirk that stretc
I clenched my fists, inhaling sharply before narrowing my eyes at him.This man.This man would kill me.My fingers tugged at my top, pulling it back down as I tried to piece together what just happened.Why did he stop?I gulped, my throat dry, my body still traitorously warm. Ace smirked, draping
I sputtered, fisting my hands.“Boss,” Joy’s voice cut through my humiliation.“Wouldn’t Hudson sir be angry about what you just did to his sister? Should we, uh, step outside?”Ace didn’t even spare her a glance.“No. Stay here and do your work. I’ll do mine,” he said smoothly, like he hadn’t just
And he had the audacity to ignore me?He didn’t even say thank you!I glared at his back.“Boss,” I said, layering my voice with a little too much sweetness. “It’s past your lunch time. You should eat.”Nothing.Not even a glance.Ace continued flipping through his damn papers like I was invisible.
But it was probably not the sparkly, glittering fairy kind. More like the I-make-people-disappear kind.Joy. That’s her name.Wooow.A woman named Joy working at a place where she literally brings pain. “Oh yeah!! I remember now,” Joy exclaimed, her face lighting up like I was her long-lost best f
Damn it, Iris. Play it cool!His gaze didn’t waver. “May I know what you are doing here?”I cleared my throat. “Uh… just… passing by?”He arched a brow.I let out a nervous laugh and gestured to the air. “You know, just… admiring the architecture?”Then, he tilted his head toward the slightly open d