Ace POV:A sharp, sterile scent invaded my senses before I even opened my eyes. The faint beeping of a heart monitor droned in the background, an irritating metronome ticking away at my already-frayed nerves. My body felt like it had been set on fire and left to burn—every muscle aching, every bre
"Ace, sit properly," she murmured.The gentleness in her voice made something in me snap.I didn’t want her care. I didn’t want her pity. I didn’t want her here."Get out." The words left my mouth cold, detached, dead.Iris froze, confusion flickering across her face before hurt seeped in, cracking
Her tears fell freely now, but she didn’t wipe them away.She let them fall."Again, I saw you in the alleys, feeding the homeless, bringing light to those who had none." Her voice was softer now, like a distant echo of something long lost. "Giving peace to those who had none."I felt like I couldn’
My eyes snapped open. I turned my head sharply, finding him sitting casually on the marble counter by the sink, arms crossed."What?" I snapped, harsher than I intended.Felix smirked. "I said Hudson found you a date. You know, dinner, conversation—maybe even a little fucking if you’re lucky."“You
Hudson had always tried to help, in his own way. He was one of the few people who had stuck around after everything. After the truth.After I told him what really happened that night.I had watched the way his face shifted, the flicker of pain in his features, the betrayal that had cracked through
The metal was cold, but her warmth still lingered in it, like she had only just held it before pressing it into my hands. She wasn't coming back. Not now. Not after I had destroyed everything.When I finally returned to the mansion, after being discharged from the hospital, something was waiting fo
She hadn’t spoken much since we left the restaurant, but I could feel her eyes on me, watching, waiting.I exhaled slowly, fingers drumming against the steering wheel. "You were quiet tonight," she finally said, her voice smooth, measured."I don’t talk when I have nothing to say."She let out a so
It rotted inside you. It devoured you.I felt it— felt the way it gnawed at my insides, this sickness I couldn’t shake, this craving I couldn’t satisfy.Even now, even with miles between us, she was inside me. A part of me. I tossed my phone aside, letting out a frustrated sigh. Bitch.If I could 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