I didn’t bother to look up. Didn’t need to.Instead, I stood, my movements deliberate as I made my way to the restroom. I turned the faucet on, the water rushing against the porcelain sink in a steady stream. Too steady. Too calm.Cupping my hands, I splashed the icy liquid onto my face.Breathe.W
Iris POV:Pain.It was the only thing I felt when I woke up, dragging me from the void of unconsciousness into a reality that was even worse.The first thing I noticed was the sharp, throbbing ache in my scalp where they had yanked my hair so brutally. My head pounded in rhythm with my heartbeat, t
Every muscle coiled tight, my lungs frozen, my fingers digging into the stone floor as if I could somehow disappear into it.Don’t move. Don’t breathe. Maybe if I stayed small enough, quiet enough, they would pass by.My heart pounded violently, a deafening rhythm against my ribs.Please, God… help
The difference was so stark it almost made me sick.My breath hitched, and Aiden pulled back, watching me carefully."You’re safe.""I—I’m sorry," I whispered, guilt gnawing at me from the inside out.I didn’t even know what I was apologizing for. For existing? For being selfish? For becoming som
The thought didn’t scare me.It comforted me.A strange, quiet relief settled in my chest.Maybe soon, I wouldn’t have to be afraid anymore.I wiped away the last of my tears, as if it even mattered, and pulled on an old oversized shirt and leggings. Just enough to cover my body.When I stepped out
I didn’t know which terrified me more— his rage or his indifference.I closed my eyes tighter.I would rather he hurt me than cast me aside.So I had taken the blame. I had stood there, silent, as everything fell apart around me. I had accepted the accusations, the weight of the consequences, with
I took a hesitant step forward, my limbs trembling as if they weren’t my own."Ace," Alex started, his voice laced with unease.Ace didn’t even look at him. "I heard every single thing you all said. Now shut your fucking mouths before I rip your tongues out."His tone was deathly quiet, yet it held
Did he know the truth?No.He couldn’t. He shouldn’t.Because if he did…If he knew the truth about Isaac—Then Ace wouldn't be holding me like this.He wouldn’t be whispering apologies.He would be killing me.Before I could even process Ace’s words, Alex’s voice cut through the air like a knife, 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