"I can't believe he has children," Giovanna remarked, the disbelief evident in her voice for what must have been the umpteenth time that week. The office had been abuzz with people discussing the news from every angle.Rominic, however, remained unfazed. He had already heard the news, but he simply didn't care. The only reason he had kept silent about them in the first place was because of me.Stacy, too, had not uttered a word on the matter, and many of the workers continued to ask me if the rumors were true, since I was Rominic's PA. But they were getting no information out of me."He's a man, what do you expect?" I replied dismissively.Giovanna shrugged, a crease of concern etching her brow. "I don't know, not having kids? I mean, I heard he was emotionally traumatized by his fiancée's death and the assassination schemes that followed. From what I know, she was assassinated and he blames himself for it. He hasn't been seen with women for years, and now suddenly he has children? He
"Wh-what a-are you doing?" I stammered, caught off guard by his unexpected actions."Thank you," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you for bringing them into this world and keeping them alive. Thank you for raising them so well, thank you for letting me be part of their lives."It dawned on me again that Rominic knew me more than I wanted to accept. Did he know I'd feel like this after seeing the pictures? Did he do this knowing that it was all I needed to sweep the negative emotions under the rug? Or did he just do it because he genuinely felt that way?"Rominic, are you crying?" I asked, my brow furrowed with concern as I tried to catch a glimpse of his face, still half-buried against my shoulder.He pulled back, revealing a face flushed with emotion, his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "I'm a proud father," he laughed, the sound mingling with a hint of something more primal. "And a horny husband."The initial shock of his embrace instantly wore off, replaced by a
I had no expectations of what Rominic was going to do, but as expected, he had emerged victorious. I knew it the moment he had made the offer — it was all part of a recent video that Phineas had uploaded, just three minutes before showing it to me.The footage was from the day prior, when Phineas and I had been engaged in a twerk battle. The stakes were high — the winner would be allowed to vandalize Rominic's favorite car with their own unique idea. My face had been blurred out of the video, but my body was on full display. I had panicked at first, biting my finger nervously as I watched the scene unfold. But then I had forced myself to relax, remembering that I shouldn't care what others thought about my body. I was no longer that same insecure Lavender.The pink, loose satin shorts I had worn made my behind appear even bouncier, but Phineas had proven to be a true twerking king. I was losing the battle miserably. Suddenly, Rominic had walked in, Stacy trailing behind him with his
I yawned loudly, stretching up onto my tiptoes and bending my exhausted body backward in a long, languid motion. The action elicited several satisfying pops from my aching bones, as if releasing the built-up tension. My stiff body felt as rigid as the bones of rocks.Twisting from side to side, I kicked my legs out, feeling the muscles strain. Then, grabbing the hem of my skirt, I pulled it up and allowed myself to sink down into a perfect split. Bending my body back, I curled one leg forward until my knee touched my chest, stretching out the tension."What are you doing?" Ah, right. I had forgotten I still shared this office with him. Rolling my eyes, I shut them, trying to ignore his presence as I had been doing all day. Earlier that morning, the audacity of him kissing me in front of the children, knowing I couldn't push him away — the problem wasn't the kiss itself, but the effect it had on me. I had refused to speak to him since then. How dare he make my heart thump with that si
I did not expect Mama to reveal such personal information, and neither, it seemed, did Rominic. Choosing to ignore the heavy revelation, I smiled at Round 2 instead."It's been a long time since I had one of these," I chirped, picking up one of the extra spicy ram liver skewers. I wasn't entirely sure if the meat was liver, but I knew it came from a ram and was coated in layers of savory sauce and pepper. I dragged one of the morsels off the stick with my teeth, moaning as the intense flavors assaulted my taste buds, causing them to almost literally cry out from the heat."It's delicious," he remarked, causing me to want to glare at him and demand how he would know, since he had never been able to eat it before. I was shocked to see Rominic taking a bite of the food in front of him, given his notoriously sensitive stomach. I hastily gulped down the bite I had in my own mouth, my eyes going wide. "What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed. "You can't eat that, you'll end up in the hos
Zachary watched his mother, her brow furrowed in worry, as she slowly stirred a bowl of cold milk and honey. His father's head rested on her thigh, his face twisted in discomfort as he tossed and turned restlessly. A damp towel was tied around his father's stomach.Zachary could see the turmoil on his mother's face — the concern for his father's well-being warring with the conflicting emotions swirling within her. To Zachary, his mother was an open book, her every thought and feeling written plainly across her features."Mom, are you sure the milk and honey will help? Shouldn't we take him to the hospital?" Serenity asked, her voice tinged with equal worry. She was straddling their father's legs, keeping him from moving too much, while Zayne did the same, though Zachary suspected his brother's motives were more for his own amusement."I've been caring for him long before you were born. I know what I'm doing," their mother replied with quiet resolve. Zachary couldn't help but quirk his
The oppressive heat was stifling, weighing heavily on my senses. As I blinked my eyes open, I could feel my pulse pounding in my eardrums, keeping time with the erratic beating of my heart. My limbs felt leaden, and there was a growing pressure in my chest and between my legs, radiating warmth.Disoriented and groggy from the heat and drowsiness, I blinked away the tears that had formed in my eyes, straining to adjust to the sounds around me. The first thing I heard was a low, guttural grunt, followed by a groan and a moan that I belatedly realized was coming from me.Confused, I shook off the remnants of sleep and focused on the situation. At first, I thought perhaps Rominic was watching pornography, but that seemed unlikely given his strong aversion to such material. His sisters and friends had tried countless times to get him interested, but he had always refused.As the fog in my mind cleared, I quickly realized that the moans were in fact my own. Someone's hand was caressing my b
I stood at the stove, quietly stirring the stew, my fingers drumming against my thigh as I hummed in an effort to tune out the man behind me. His apologies were relentless, but I refused to respond, determined to maintain my silence.My body ached, a testament to the intensity of the previous night's activity. Weak knees, a sore back, a throbbing face, and a raw throat — the discomfort was palpable. Even my most intimate area felt tender. I couldn't be certain if the sex itself was the sole cause, but one thing was clear: Rominic was utterly remorseful.He apologized profusely for forcing himself on me, for being too rough and inconsiderate. Yet, he did not express regret for the pleasure he had derived from it. The truth was, we had both thoroughly enjoyed it, but Rominic was convinced that I had hated every moment. I dared not reveal the reality, for fear that he would seize upon it as an invitation to continue his advances."I don't think it's a good idea to keep sharing a bed," Ro
The color drains from her face. Her chair scrapes against the wooden floor as she jolts to her feet. "Shit." The curse barely escapes her lips before she reaches for the gun hidden at her waist, but Lavender is faster.A flick of her wrist. A barely visible glint of silver.Pain explodes through Giovanna’s hand as something sharp embeds itself into her wrist. She screams, the gun slipping from her grasp and clattering to the floor.Lavender is on her in an instant. She surges forward, pulling out her own firearm and stepping down hard on Giovanna’s fallen weapon, keeping it out of reach. The weight of her shoe against the cold metal is final, unwavering.Giovanna freezes as something much colder presses against her temple—the barrel of a gun.Her body goes rigid. Her mind races. She had underestimated Lavender, had stayed alone in this room like a fool, thinking she had control. But it was fine. It had to be fine.Her guards were right in the next room.Any second now, they would burs
Lavender pulls up to the farmhouse, her car rolling to a stop in front of the small, unassuming structure. The address had led her here—a lonely farm tucked away in an open plain, the kind of place where screams would be swallowed by the wind and a body could be disposed of without a trace. How convenient. How utterly unsightly.She exhales softly, slipping the key card back into the pocket of her coat. Her eyes sweep over the land, taking in the neglected fields, the weathered fences barely holding together. No doubt, the original owners had been struggling—probably desperate enough to sell it off without questioning who was buying. A fleeting thought crosses her mind: purchasing this place herself, restoring it, turning it into something profitable.She shakes that thought away and strides toward the house, her shoes crunching against dry earth. There is no hesitation in her steps, no pause at the door to knock or ring the bell. Instead, she grips the doorknob, twists it, and steps
The clock ticks in slow, measured beats, each second stretching, elongating, suffocating. The rhythmic beeping of the cardiac monitor fills the room, a relentless reminder of the fragile life tethered to its machines. The air is thick, sterile, laced with the sharp scent of antiseptic that does nothing to mask the underlying bitterness of despair. The fluorescent lights cast a cold, artificial glow over the large hospital ward, highlighting the stark contrast between the warmth of the floral-printed bedding and the icy stillness of the girl lying upon it.Serenity remains motionless, her small body pale, her chest rising and falling only by the will of the ventilator. Tubes snake around her, connecting her to a maze of medical equipment that hums softly, keeping her alive. She should be running, laughing, causing the kind of mischief that only she could—but instead, she is trapped in a prison of unconsciousness, a mere shell of the vibrant child she had been days ago.Lavender stands
The sky was a perfect shade of blue, a vast canvas unmarred by even a single cloud. The sun shone brightly, its warmth brushing against my skin, and the faint scent of chlorine and freshly cut grass wafted through the air. Despite the lively scene around me, I found myself staring up at the sky, smiling faintly. It wasn't because I felt at peace—I wasn't. Inside, I was a tangled mess of emotions, but I smiled anyway, if only to keep myself together.I sighed heavily, the weight in my chest pressing harder as my mind drifted to the scandalous headlines that had erupted online just days ago. The rumors of an affair between Apollo and me had spread like wildfire, and the storm they caused had been brutal. Thankfully, Apollo going public about his love for Rominic had turned the tide in our favor. Watching Rominic and Phineas look as if they'd turned to stone when they found out had been oddly satisfying. That, combined with the widely known fact that Apollo and I used to hate each other's
Lavender stood in the dimly lit living room, her nerves fraying with every passing second. The soft glow of the overhead light bathed the space in warm hues, but it did little to soothe the tension crackling in the air. Rominic was pacing, his creamy blonde hair disheveled, winter-gray eyes stormy as they pinned her in place. He wasn't speaking yet, but his silence was worse than yelling. It was the kind of silence that suffocated, pressing down on her chest like an unseen weight.She laughed nervously, the sound brittle as it broke the stillness. "It's not what you're thinking," she said, her voice softer than she intended. "I swear, Rominic, it's not.”His eyes flickered, sharp and unyielding, and she could feel his temper bubbling just beneath the surface. The faint ticking of his wall clock was the only other sound in the room, an infuriating reminder of how slowly time seemed to move in moments like these.Lavender inhaled deeply, trying to steady herself. Her cinnamon-brown hair
Apollo's voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, sharp and unrelenting. "You alone could've prevented everything, but you chose not to. That's exactly why I despised you. None of you deserve him.""True," I whispered, my voice trembling but steady enough to hold the weight of my resolve. "I don't deserve him." I lifted my gaze to meet his, my expression calm despite the storm raging inside me. A soft, bitter smile curved my lips. "But neither does he deserve me."For a moment, Apollo's sneer faltered, his sharp retort caught in his throat. I turned away before he could recover, the silence between us broken only by the muffled sounds from outside and the deafening beat of my own heart.The room was still thick with the lingering stench of sweat and mildew, but somehow, the suffocating weight of the earlier confrontation had begun to lift. The muffled groans and rhythmic thumping from the other side of the door persisted, but I could almost tune them out now. Apollo leaned back agains
"Useless," I muttered, shaking my head and leaning further into the armrest of the sofa. The fabric felt damp, and I shifted again, trying to touch as little of it as possible.Apollo leaned back against the wall, his legs stretched out and his arms crossed over his chest. He looked as though he were perfectly comfortable, but I knew better. He thrived on tension, and this situation was no different. A heavy silence settled between us, but it was far from peaceful. The noises from outside—the cries, the moans, the unmistakable sound of a furniture slamming against a wall—filled the void like an unwelcome guest."You've changed," Apollo finally said, his voice cutting through the cacophony. I turned to him, my expression flat and unimpressed. "What?" "What you did out there…" he trailed off, his tone strangely contemplative, though the familiar edge of derision lingered."I don't see anything wrong with seducing my husband," I replied sharply, emphasizing the word ‘husband' with veno
You know how sometimes things don't go as planned? Well, my situation was one of those.At first, everything seemed to be going perfectly. I had managed to get under Apollo's skin so effectively that he stormed off, his face tight with fury. Victory tasted sweet—at least for a fleeting moment. With him out of the picture, Rominic was mine, entirely mine. We flirted, trading sharp smiles and lingering glances that set my skin ablaze. We kissed, his hands firm yet teasing, and for a brief while, the club's chaotic energy seemed to fade into the background. Then, as if the universe couldn't let me revel for too long, Lilith and a group of men I'd pointed out started brawling. Rominic and Phineas stepped in, practically dragging them apart before things got bloody. They saved lives; I mostly tried not to get crushed.And somehow—still baffling to me—I ended up here. In the mixed-gender restroom. With Apollo.Let me clarify: calling it a “restroom” was a cruel joke. There wasn't a toilet i
The bass-heavy music from the club reverberated through the walls as I stepped inside, the heavy scent of alcohol, sweat, and expensive cologne hitting me instantly. The lights pulsed in rhythmic patterns, casting shadows that danced across the crowded floor. Bodies moved in sync with the music, a chaotic symphony of energy and decadence.Beside me, Lilith was in her element. Her barely-there silver dress sparkled under the strobe lights, the hem so short it was a miracle it managed to cover her at all. She sauntered forward, her electric-blue eyes scanning the room with the eagerness of a predator sizing up its prey."Isn't this fun?" she chirped, her voice loud enough to cut through the music.I smirked at her. "You're certainly having the time of your life, Mrs. Zǐmò." I say, intentionally reminding her about who's she married to and the possibility of him destroying this club if any man should lay their hands on her.Lilith shot me a wink—ignoring me—before sashaying ahead, her dy