My fingers wrapped around the cool metal of my revolver, lifting it with practiced ease.Anyone knocking at this hour was either stupid or had a death wish.I moved toward the door, my grip firm on the handle as I yanked it open—prepared for an intruder, an enemy, or something worse.But it was her.
She didn't wait for a response.She just stared at me for a lingering moment—searching for something I didn't know how to give her.Then, finally, she turned.And walked away.I stood there, frozen, as her words echoed in my mind, unraveling the carefully constructed defenses I had spent years forti
Ace POV:I bit my tongue, cursing myself silently.For the past week, she's been avoiding me.But not completely.She talks to me, but it’s different—distant. Like I’m a stranger she’s obligated to acknowledge but would rather not.She’s ignoring me, but at the same time, she’s not.It’s like she’s
But then—she stopped.My heart did, too."Ace," she murmured.Her voice. Soft. Uncertain.I lifted my gaze to her. She still wasn’t looking at me.Her fingers twitched slightly against her dress, her body tense like she was bracing for something."Are you free tomorrow?" she asked.Her words felt he
"You pushed her away," he continued. "Said all kinds of cruel shit. Hell, you live to break her. And yet… she’s still here. Still making your tea. Still eating with you. Still taking care of you like she actually cares."I leaned back, swallowing down the irritation bubbling in my chest. "So?""So,"
It didn’t make sense.Ivan had never been deeply involved in the underworld, not in the way Laurie was.Ivan had always been a wildcard—present, but never fully part of the game.And yet, he knew too much.Isaac might have had the power to dig up old ghosts. He was an underboss. He had access to th
"I’m going tomorrow," she said.And then—She kissed my cheek.A soft, fleeting thing.But it burned.Not with passion. Not with longing.With goodbye."Your friends will come back to you soon," she murmured, giving me a small, knowing smile.Why would she say that?Why would she—Realization struck
The security cameras? Hacked.The patrol guards? Silenced.The emergency exits? Blocked.Ace wasn’t getting out. Not tonight.If his so-called friends were here, things would be a bit more complicated. I wasn't an idiot—I knew what each of them was capable of.Liam, the tech expert, could counter a
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