Ace POV:198…199…200.I sat up, my breath ragged, sweat slicking my skin. The burn in my muscles did nothing to quell the chaos in my head.Her voice was still there."For me, please, Ace….."I clenched my jaw. I had walked away. I had to.But I could still feel her fingers gripping my leg, the desp
"Pittsford," I muttered, the word dry in my throat.Susan sighed, the sound dragging with irritation. She stepped forward, her eyes locked onto mine."Ace," she drawled, slow and deliberate, her voice dropping into something lethal. "Leave her. If next time anything happens to my family because of h
Liam exhaled sharply, already piecing things together. “I’ll gather more information. You all keep an eye on everyone from now on.”He strode out of the room with brisk determination, urgency lacing his every step.Aiden, ever perceptive, landed a firm hand on my shoulder. “Talk to her.”I barely re
Then, the shift came.The handwriting changed—became neater, more careful.And the words?They made my jaw clench."Dear god, he saved me. I want to see him again and maybe thank him."Who the fuck is ‘he’?My grip on the fragile pages tightened as I skimmed further."Dear god, he was looking handso
“You don’t look okay.”She still didn’t meet my eyes.Didn’t even try.Instead, she swallowed hard, her throat bobbing as she struggled against something unseen.“D-Do you hate me a-also?”Her voice cracked.The sound of it unraveled something vicious inside me.My entire body went still.Also?Some
Her eyes were red, the whites swollen with unshed tears.But some had already escaped, gliding down her cheeks in thin, silent trails.Her lips were quivering, bitten raw, a deep bruise forming where she had chewed the skin too hard.Her hands—They weren’t just trembling now.They were shaking viol
Her voice cracked, strained and raw."Isaac... h-he don’t... h-he..."She couldn't even finish the sentence.Her sobs tore through her, body convulsing.And then—She coughed.Violently.A dry, hacking sound that clawed at her throat, making her entire body jolt with the impact.Her fingers clenched
Her eyes—red, swollen, brimming with a sadness so deep it made my chest tighten.She was searching.For something. For answers. For salvation.For something I wasn’t sure I could give her.Her lips parted, her voice trembling as she spoke words that cut straight into me."Do you also think... I’m de
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