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
Ace POV:By the time I arrived back at the mansion, the clock had already ticked past nine. The air was cool, the scent of damp earth lingering after what must’ve been a recent drizzle.My body ached from the long day, but the sight that greeted me at the entrance made me pause.Iris.Hopping.Like
Wide, doe-like eyes. Wet strands of hair clinging to her flushed cheeks."Yes, sir?" Her voice trembled slightly.I took a slow, deliberate step forward. "Iris," I repeated, my tone brokering no argument.She exhaled a small sigh—resigned—and finally stepped out of the bathroom.And for a moment, ju
"Yeah… we should," I mumbled, but my voice barely carried, barely sounded convincing.His nose brushed against mine, featherlight.Our breaths mingled.His hands remained firm on my wrists, his grip like iron shackles, his presence swallowing me whole.I could feel his hesitation, the war raging ins
He winked.I want to die.Felix then turned his head and yelled, "AIDEN!" so loudly that I nearly jumped out of my skin.A few seconds later, Aiden appeared, looking as emotionless as ever."Hey," he greeted flatly.I swallowed. "Ahem… I need your help, please."His gaze flicked to the bundle in my
The weight of Ace’s fury was thick in the air, but no one moved to stop him. They had seen him like this before— this raw, unfiltered rage that consumed him from within— but tonight was different. There was something else beneath the fury, something far more dangerous: regret.Aiden sat apart from
But he wasn’t about to let her sit here alone, drowning in thoughts that would only hurt her more. "Come on, Iris," he coaxed, his voice still gentle, but firmer now. "It’s your little rescue. You should come."She blinked up at him then, her eyes glassy with unspoken emotions. He half-expected he
Aiden let out a low whistle. "Damn."Leo was the first to recover. "Wait—you’re betting on her? Like, what? That she won’t do anything?"Ace set his glass down with a muted clink, exuding an air of dangerous calm. "After you all lose, you’ll be leaving from here."Hudson, who had been watching the s
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