"Ace, Iris didn't let us touch the food until you both arrived because..." he continued, his voice rising in mock complaint as he scanned the room, his eyes glinting with mischief."Family doesn’t eat alone!" Felix chimed in, his voice loud and slurred, already too deep into his drinks. His laughte
Happiness. Sadness. Nervousness. Terror. A flood of emotions, crashing over me, pulling me under.Then—a touch.Soft. Warm. Steady.I looked down, startled.Iris’s delicate fingers rested on mine, small, fragile, but strong. A quiet kind of strength, the kind that didn’t come from power or dominan
There was something undeniably cute about the way she tried to cover her mouth, her hand shooting up in a feeble attempt to stifle the sound, her cheeks warming with embarrassment.It was innocent. Simple.She was, after all, in her usual spot—my lap, her own personal chair, as if she belonged there
My little Mini was probably sulking already, upset that I wasn’t right there with her.I could picture it—the way she’d climb into bed, curling up in the sheets, maybe huffing out a little sigh as she pulled the blankets over her head. The thought curled my lips into a smirk.But it didn’t last.A
"When I looked into her eyes… from that moment, she belonged to me."The words came out smooth, absolute, final."My pretty doll."Felix sucked in a breath, his drunken haze clearing just enough to let understanding settle in.Good.I let my foot drop away from his throat and straightened.Without a
Ace POV:The atmosphere in the room was thick with unease.The meeting had dragged on for hours, yet we were no closer to finding the snake slithering through my house.Liam's voice carried through the room, measured, calculated. "Everyone's details are clear, not a single sketchy piece of informati
"Laurie."Iris's voice cut through my thoughts, and my gaze flickered to her.She was staring at the images spread across the table, her expression unreadable.The name sliced through the silence like a blade.A ripple of tension followed, small but undeniable.The sound of pens scratching against p
It didn't even hurt as much as it should have.I had seen this too many times. Felt it too many times.Loyalty? Temporary.Trust? A liability.People were predictable. Even the ones you bled with.Still—There was an ache, buried beneath the numbness.Why him?Why now?My hands trembled slightly, an
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