[Bianca]I woke up with a groan, feeling like drums were being hammered inside my head. Despite being laid on something soft, my body felt heavy and desperately weak. Everything was sluggish—my limbs, my mind, even my ability to breathe without putting extra effort into doing so."Fuck..." I muttered, pressing my fingers against my temple as I sat up on the couch. Slowly lifting my eyes to take note of my unfamiliar surroundings, I whispered, "Where... am I?" It was just then that I recalled the memories from earlier. The meeting at the Burge, the elevator ride, Dante Wentworth and the words I had spoken to Grayson."No!" I panicked, quickly rising.My legs felt like jelly, both knees giving way until I collapsed on the cold ground. I winced, tears forming in my eyes as I tried to make sense of it all. My mind was suddenly clear. I recalled everything so vividly—even the pain emanating from the bruise on my knee. It was real.I had ruined a lifelong friendship with Grayson just bec
[Bianca]I sat on the floor, my back rested against the wall and both knees folded up to my chest. I stared blankly at the bag of cash some distance away, its contents spilt across the floor.My eyelids drooped, my head bobbing forward in exhaustion while I forced myself awake. Sleep wasn't an option. Not when I was trapped in this place, counting the hours until sunrise like a prisoner awaiting parole.No matter how much control Dante thought he had, he couldn't stop me from finding a way out. The only reason I was still here was because I wanted to settle everything once and for all without having to look behind me while living.Last night had been a disaster.After my failed escape attempt—where I ended up back at the gates—I'd been livid. The security had played dumb, pretending not to know a damn thing, and when I stood by the road hoping for another ride, the first car that slowed down made my senses go off.The driver's stare, the way his lips curled into a slow smirk—it was en
[Dante]There's a feminine saying about men being scum. I don't disagree, but from where I stand, there are different breeds of male scum.There are the weak ones—the spineless cowards who cling to their fathers' names like life rafts, drowning in privilege they never earned.The poor ones—fools who think their fists can change their fate, swinging at the world like cornered animals.Then there are the ambitious ones—schemers who smile in your face while sharpening the knife they'll sink into your spine.And then there's me—a combination of all of the above, or maybe something entirely different. Something worse.But I don't pretend to be what I’m not. I don't hide behind morals or false promises and I live my life as freely as I need to. Because at the end of the day, the only thing bigger than my ego is my dick.And both have ruined lives—just in different ways.***The file in front of me was a mess of numbers, percentages, names—meaningless distractions. I shut it and leaned back
[Bianca]One week. That's how long it had been since my life went from bad to worse.I always thought everyone had forgotten my existence after the years out of the spotlight, but somehow, I keep getting nothing but bad publicity.When I tried to move into a new place on the day I got into an argument with Dante, I'd gotten accepted by the landlord only for him to change his mind the next. If it was just him, I wouldn't have been bothered, but no one seemed to want to have me as a tenant—not even a handful of hotels.At first, I thought it was all just a coincidence. Maybe bad luck. Maybe something about my recent surgery made me seem like a risk. But then the rejections started coming with strange, rehearsed excuses like:'We're at full capacity'. 'Something came up with the lease'. 'There was a mistake—we can't rent to you after all.'It didn't make sense.And that was just the start.My phone buzzed with a new notification, and I winced before even looking.Ex-beauty queen Bianca C
[Bianca] I woke up in a comfy bed and yet, my joints felt somewhat stiff—that alone was a bad sign. Instinctively, I reached for my phone before freezing mid-motion. Right. That could ruin my morning before it even started. I sat up slowly, scanning the unfamiliar guest room. It was small and neat, but not the problem. The problem was that I had followed a near-stranger home, stayed the night, and somehow slept with both eyes closed—despite knowing better. I dragged a hand down my face. Bianca Campbell, you must be out of your damn mind. Keith wasn't exactly a stranger. I'd seen him around and exchanged a handful of words. An acquaintance, maybe. But that didn't make what I did any less reckless. I threw off the blanket and stretched, arching my back until I heard a satisfying crack. "Ughh..." I groaned, scratching at my scalp as I shuffled toward the bathroom. One glance in the mirror, and I nearly snorted. What a disaster. My hair was tangled, my skin dull, my eyes
[Dante]I cursed under my breath, hanging up, just when a woman's arms wrapped around me from behind."Mmhm, what's the matter, Dante?" Bella whispered in a low, sultry tone, the warmth of her body pressing onto my back. "You scared me when you suddenly got up. Did something happen?"My eyes narrowed disgustingly, suddenly hyper-aware that she was touching me. Why was she touching me?"Get your filthy hands off me," I snapped, shaking her off like she was something unpleasant that had latched onto my skin.Bella let out an exaggerated whine, but instead of backing off, she latched onto me tighter, pressing her bare chest against my back. "Oh, come on," she murmured, squeezing her arms around me. "You're always so cold, but I'm already used to your harsh words, Dante."Her tone was that of an understanding doctor, but I wasn't in the mood to continue what we were just doing. I wouldn't have bothered calling her if my sex drive hadn't gone over the top this morning—so much so that I kne
[Dante]I took the stairs two at a time, my pulse as calm as it often was. In fact, when was the last time something had made my heart race? 'I'm not sure I recall.' Keith's apartment was in a part of town that reeked of bad decisions. Most tenants had either turned a blind eye to crime or were involved in it themselves. The fact that Keith had gotten himself tangled in drug peddling—stealing and reselling from my company, no less—only confirmed what I already knew. He was a pathetic excuse for a man. No, Keith was still just a boy in my eyes, but his father was someone worth respecting. That was the only reason I hadn't discarded the brat yet.Stealing from my company was one thing but making one mistake after the other was beginning to get on my nerves.As I rounded the final flight, a thought crossed my mind.'Did he fuck her?'The question stopped me in my tracks for half a second. No. Bianca wasn't that desperate. The only way Keith could have touched her was if he'd drugged h
[Mr. Wentworth]The elevator hummed like a dying thing, terribly dull, filling the space between us with its pathetic little song.Dante had slipped.How precious. How laughable. The bastard had spent his whole life perfecting his little illusion, pretending he was untouchable, that he didn't feel anything. But I saw it. Felt it. That moment of weakness.And over this woman, of all things?My fingers twitched. I rolled my wrist, cracking the joint once—Pop.Then again—Pop. Pop.'Hehe...' The great and prideful Dante... undone by something as feeble as this bag of flesh and bones.I turned my head slightly, watching Bianca from the corner of my eye. She hadn't spoken since I took over. Hadn't even looked at me. She was simply trembling in my arms.Hehe.I hoped she was thinking about what could have happened if Dante had abandoned her completely. If I had been in control sooner.The possibilities were endless. I would have let them defile her while I let Dante watch. 'But that fool
[Bianca]The more time I spent with this twisted man, the more I realized how normal Dante actually was.And that thought alone was terrifying.It was something in the way this one smiled—really smiled. Not the polite, performative grin Dante forced in pictures or social settings. This one truly enjoyed himself. From humming to a song that wasn't playing, whistling and smirking to himself as if life was one big private joke and I was the punchline. Worse of all, he was quite chatty. And in a vulgar way.At least Dante had the decency to be emotionally unavailable. Predictably cold. But this one…this one is just too hard to read.I sat stiffly in the passenger seat, trapped between his mood swings and the steadily growing dread in my gut.He asked me about society—trends, current affairs, celebrity gossip. All things I'd probably care about if I hadn't been hospitalised for a long time."I used to keep up," I muttered, arms folded tightly over his suit jacket that covered my undergarme
[Mr. Wentworth]The elevator hummed like a dying thing, terribly dull, filling the space between us with its pathetic little song.Dante had slipped.How precious. How laughable. The bastard had spent his whole life perfecting his little illusion, pretending he was untouchable, that he didn't feel anything. But I saw it. Felt it. That moment of weakness.And over this woman, of all things?My fingers twitched. I rolled my wrist, cracking the joint once—Pop.Then again—Pop. Pop.'Hehe...' The great and prideful Dante... undone by something as feeble as this bag of flesh and bones.I turned my head slightly, watching Bianca from the corner of my eye. She hadn't spoken since I took over. Hadn't even looked at me. She was simply trembling in my arms.Hehe.I hoped she was thinking about what could have happened if Dante had abandoned her completely. If I had been in control sooner.The possibilities were endless. I would have let them defile her while I let Dante watch. 'But that fool
[Dante]I took the stairs two at a time, my pulse as calm as it often was. In fact, when was the last time something had made my heart race? 'I'm not sure I recall.' Keith's apartment was in a part of town that reeked of bad decisions. Most tenants had either turned a blind eye to crime or were involved in it themselves. The fact that Keith had gotten himself tangled in drug peddling—stealing and reselling from my company, no less—only confirmed what I already knew. He was a pathetic excuse for a man. No, Keith was still just a boy in my eyes, but his father was someone worth respecting. That was the only reason I hadn't discarded the brat yet.Stealing from my company was one thing but making one mistake after the other was beginning to get on my nerves.As I rounded the final flight, a thought crossed my mind.'Did he fuck her?'The question stopped me in my tracks for half a second. No. Bianca wasn't that desperate. The only way Keith could have touched her was if he'd drugged h
[Dante]I cursed under my breath, hanging up, just when a woman's arms wrapped around me from behind."Mmhm, what's the matter, Dante?" Bella whispered in a low, sultry tone, the warmth of her body pressing onto my back. "You scared me when you suddenly got up. Did something happen?"My eyes narrowed disgustingly, suddenly hyper-aware that she was touching me. Why was she touching me?"Get your filthy hands off me," I snapped, shaking her off like she was something unpleasant that had latched onto my skin.Bella let out an exaggerated whine, but instead of backing off, she latched onto me tighter, pressing her bare chest against my back. "Oh, come on," she murmured, squeezing her arms around me. "You're always so cold, but I'm already used to your harsh words, Dante."Her tone was that of an understanding doctor, but I wasn't in the mood to continue what we were just doing. I wouldn't have bothered calling her if my sex drive hadn't gone over the top this morning—so much so that I kne
[Bianca] I woke up in a comfy bed and yet, my joints felt somewhat stiff—that alone was a bad sign. Instinctively, I reached for my phone before freezing mid-motion. Right. That could ruin my morning before it even started. I sat up slowly, scanning the unfamiliar guest room. It was small and neat, but not the problem. The problem was that I had followed a near-stranger home, stayed the night, and somehow slept with both eyes closed—despite knowing better. I dragged a hand down my face. Bianca Campbell, you must be out of your damn mind. Keith wasn't exactly a stranger. I'd seen him around and exchanged a handful of words. An acquaintance, maybe. But that didn't make what I did any less reckless. I threw off the blanket and stretched, arching my back until I heard a satisfying crack. "Ughh..." I groaned, scratching at my scalp as I shuffled toward the bathroom. One glance in the mirror, and I nearly snorted. What a disaster. My hair was tangled, my skin dull, my eyes
[Bianca]One week. That's how long it had been since my life went from bad to worse.I always thought everyone had forgotten my existence after the years out of the spotlight, but somehow, I keep getting nothing but bad publicity.When I tried to move into a new place on the day I got into an argument with Dante, I'd gotten accepted by the landlord only for him to change his mind the next. If it was just him, I wouldn't have been bothered, but no one seemed to want to have me as a tenant—not even a handful of hotels.At first, I thought it was all just a coincidence. Maybe bad luck. Maybe something about my recent surgery made me seem like a risk. But then the rejections started coming with strange, rehearsed excuses like:'We're at full capacity'. 'Something came up with the lease'. 'There was a mistake—we can't rent to you after all.'It didn't make sense.And that was just the start.My phone buzzed with a new notification, and I winced before even looking.Ex-beauty queen Bianca C
[Dante]There's a feminine saying about men being scum. I don't disagree, but from where I stand, there are different breeds of male scum.There are the weak ones—the spineless cowards who cling to their fathers' names like life rafts, drowning in privilege they never earned.The poor ones—fools who think their fists can change their fate, swinging at the world like cornered animals.Then there are the ambitious ones—schemers who smile in your face while sharpening the knife they'll sink into your spine.And then there's me—a combination of all of the above, or maybe something entirely different. Something worse.But I don't pretend to be what I’m not. I don't hide behind morals or false promises and I live my life as freely as I need to. Because at the end of the day, the only thing bigger than my ego is my dick.And both have ruined lives—just in different ways.***The file in front of me was a mess of numbers, percentages, names—meaningless distractions. I shut it and leaned back
[Bianca]I sat on the floor, my back rested against the wall and both knees folded up to my chest. I stared blankly at the bag of cash some distance away, its contents spilt across the floor.My eyelids drooped, my head bobbing forward in exhaustion while I forced myself awake. Sleep wasn't an option. Not when I was trapped in this place, counting the hours until sunrise like a prisoner awaiting parole.No matter how much control Dante thought he had, he couldn't stop me from finding a way out. The only reason I was still here was because I wanted to settle everything once and for all without having to look behind me while living.Last night had been a disaster.After my failed escape attempt—where I ended up back at the gates—I'd been livid. The security had played dumb, pretending not to know a damn thing, and when I stood by the road hoping for another ride, the first car that slowed down made my senses go off.The driver's stare, the way his lips curled into a slow smirk—it was en
[Bianca]I woke up with a groan, feeling like drums were being hammered inside my head. Despite being laid on something soft, my body felt heavy and desperately weak. Everything was sluggish—my limbs, my mind, even my ability to breathe without putting extra effort into doing so."Fuck..." I muttered, pressing my fingers against my temple as I sat up on the couch. Slowly lifting my eyes to take note of my unfamiliar surroundings, I whispered, "Where... am I?" It was just then that I recalled the memories from earlier. The meeting at the Burge, the elevator ride, Dante Wentworth and the words I had spoken to Grayson."No!" I panicked, quickly rising.My legs felt like jelly, both knees giving way until I collapsed on the cold ground. I winced, tears forming in my eyes as I tried to make sense of it all. My mind was suddenly clear. I recalled everything so vividly—even the pain emanating from the bruise on my knee. It was real.I had ruined a lifelong friendship with Grayson just bec