Meanwhile, my mind was in shambles.My brain? An absolute battlefield.One side of me screamed, “Think about something else! Think about anything else! The weather, building, grocery shopping—LITERALLY ANYTHING.”The other side of me?“But his fingers are right there, and—” NO.I am not this person
There were actual photos on the walls—Isaac with a bunch of people I didn’t know, smiling like he belonged.It was nice.Way nicer than Ace’s cold, vast, horror-movie-mansion.Ace’s house was the kind of place where if you screamed, no one would hear you.Also—huge houses?Terrifying.They take fore
And before I could stop myself, my body acted on instinct.I ran.I ran out of the house like I was being chased, like if I stayed a second longer, the weight of his rejection would crush me entirely.I burst through the door, my chest aching, my vision swimming.And then—Ace.He was there, leaning
Two steps.Three—And then I sprinted, slamming into him so hard he let out a grunt.I hugged him firmly, burying my face into his shoulder, inhaling the familiar warmth I had missed for so long.“Don’t do that again," I muttered against his shirt, my voice dead serious, "and I’m not a pig anymore.”
Believable.But something about how he said it felt… Off.Like he was reading from a script.His tone was too even, too controlled, as if he’d rehearsed those words over and over in his head before saying them.But I pushed that thought aside.I wanted to believe him.I needed to believe him.Becaus
I froze.The muscles in my back locked, instincts sharpening in an instant.Iris.Without a thought, I strode toward the tall glass, my pace quick, controlled.My eyes narrowed as I spotted a small, wild-haired figure bolting from the dark stretch of trees.Running.Barefoot. Again.My jaw twitched.
Iris’s lips curved slightly.“Now you’ll live a healthy life,” she whispered, like it was some divine truth.I frowned. What?“What?” I murmured, brows furrowing.She put her hands on her hips, completely serious.“Well, I made a wish,” she said matter-of-factly. “And you blew on the dandelion.”I s
Did she do this for anyone else?Would she run into the dark for someone else?I didn’t like the answer forming in my head.My jaw tightened.“Do you want something?” I asked, suddenly, my arm wrapping around her waist before I could stop myself.Her balance wavered, and she stumbled forward, her wh
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