But I didn't.I shoved him off, snickering.Rolled to the side.Coughed—gasped—sucked in air like it was a drug.And Hudson—Hudson wasn't done."ALL THOSE YEARS YOU LIED!"Hudson's voice cracked, but I barely reacted.I just watched.His rage, his anguish, his grief—it was all pouring out of him li
He exhaled sharply, his chest heaving as he dragged a shaky hand through his sweat-damp hair.His eyes flickered across my face—searching for the friend I used to be.And then he started talking."Of course... the man who didn't even think before killing a little girl and a whole village. Why would
Cold. Distant. Sharp."Why did you kill him?"It wasn't a demand. It wasn't anger.It was something worse.Genuine curiosity.I met her stare with one of my own, my voice hardening. "It's none of your business."I pushed myself to my feet, but the second I moved, pain tore through my stomach, white-
My body tensed as her thumb ghosted over my lips, grazing the cut Hudson had left.A dull sting shot through my skin, but I didn't flinch away.She was softer than she should be.Softer than I deserved.Her eyes traced over my face, taking in every bruise, every wound I barely felt anymore."I wish
Why won't she leave him?Can't she see? Doesn't she understand?Ace isn't someone to love.He is a murderer. A monster.He killed Hudson's father.He burned innocent people alive.He doesn't deserve her trust.He doesn't deserve her loyalty.He deserves to rot alone.And yet—she stayed.I ran both h
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to keep my temper in check.Blowing up wouldn't change anything.Ivan was gone—disappeared into thin air—but I wasn't foolish enough to believe he had fled.No, that bastard was watching, waiting for the right moment to strike again."Keep looking," I ordered, my voi
The weight of the day pressed down on me like a physical force, but I kept moving, kept walking.Inside, the room was silent.The air was thick, suffocating.I sank onto the couch, slumping against the cushions as the exhaustion finally caught up with me.I let my head fall back, closing my eyes, tr
Just silence.The only sounds were the faint ticking of the clock and the slow, steady rhythm of her breathing.The warmth of her skin against mine was oddly grounding, keeping me tethered in a way I hadn't expected.Then, finally, she broke the silence."You know, when I came to your house, it felt
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