Tucson growled, his face twisted in rage as he tried to push himself up. But Zayne didn't give him the chance. His hands moved with trembling speed as he slammed another pin into one of Tucson's pressure points, his breathing ragged and shallow.The man's limbs went limp almost instantly. Tucson groaned, his eyes blazing with fury as he lay immobilized, his muscles betraying him. And not less than a few seconds, he collapsed.Zayne stood over them both, his chest heaving, his legs feeling like jelly. Sweat dripped from his temples, stinging his eyes, but he didn't wipe it away. His hands were trembling, his fingers still tingling from the adrenaline surging through him."Idiots," he muttered, his voice steady but laced with quiet anger.He dropped to his knees and began rifling through their pockets, his fingers fumbling in his haste. The cold press of metal against his skin told him he'd found a set of keys, and the smooth glass of a phone soon followed. His heart was still hammering
I sat on the edge of Zayne's bed, my fingers curled lightly around his small hand. The warmth of his skin was reassuring, a reminder that he was here, safe, and alive. My eyes drifted to his face—soft, peaceful, a stark contrast to the pale, exhausted look he'd worn when we found him. Now, his chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, the color slowly returning to his cheeks.Five days. Five long, agonizing days since he collapsed in my arms at the police station. Five days he had spent unconscious, his body fighting to recover from starvation and the sheer strain of his ordeal.My thumb brushed against the back of his hand, and I swallowed the lump rising in my throat. He hadn't eaten for nearly five days during the abduction, yet he found the strength to free himself, to outsmart those monsters, and to drive to safety. It was extraordinary, a feat beyond anything I could have imagined for a boy his age.And yet, my chest tightened painfully. He was nine. A child. My child.I closed my e
Rominic's POVThe air in the room grew heavy with Lavender's mortification as her face turned a deep shade of crimson, the flush creeping down her neck. She stared at me, wide-eyed, before shifting her gaze to Zayne.Our son sat propped against the headboard, pale and fragile but very much awake, his winter gray eyes fixed on us with a mixture of disbelief and disgust. I could see the faint tremble in his body, likely from exhaustion, but his expression was laser-focused on his grievance: he had been forced to witness his parents kissing.The look on his face was enough to break the tension. I let out a soft chuckle, amused by the sheer absurdity of the moment. He wasn't disgusted by the kiss itself—it wasn't like we hadn't been affectionate in front of the children before—but he clearly hated that he had to be the one to see it now.Zayne's gaze shifted from Lavender to me, and this time it was sharper, more pointed. He wasn't just annoyed anymore—he was glaring. My smirk widened as
Lavender's POVI sat at the corner table of the smoothie bar, one leg crossed over the other, sipping leisurely from my Chocolate-Covered Cherry Smoothie. The thick, rich flavor of chocolate swirled with tangy cherry lingered on my tongue as I half-listened to Gael's voice, which had been droning on for the past ten minutes about his latest date."…And then she has the audacity to talk down to the waiter like he's beneath her!" Gael exclaimed, his steel-blue eyes widening with exaggerated disbelief. He leaned forward, his alabaster skin catching the soft afternoon light filtering through the windows. His blonde hair, styled effortlessly, only added to his charm, and his voice carried a lilt that could make even the dullest topics sound vaguely enticing.But Gael wasn't my type.Sitting across from him, I allowed myself a subtle smirk. Sure, he was a man blessed with a near-flawless appearance, abs included, but his constant skirt-chasing rendered any allure completely null. Not to men
I smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "He's back in school," I said, "but honestly, I'm worried. There's something he's not telling me. Rominic knows what it is, but…" I trailed off, my smile slipping.Mentally, I couldn't help but dwell on the search for the mastermind behind the abduction. Days of effort had yielded nothing—no clues, no leads. The frustration was like a weight pressing against my chest. What kind of person could target a child like that? And more importantly, what wrong did Rominic commit to them?Elias offered me a reassuring smile. "Everything will work out, Lavender," he said, his voice steady and calming.Ferris snorted softly, pulling a blue handkerchief from his pocket to wipe Jewels's mouth, which was smeared with muffin crumbs. "She's just jealous," he said, smirking at me. "Her kids are keeping secrets from her and telling Rominic instead."I narrowed my eyes at him, heat rushing to my cheeks. "How does that have anything to do with som
Lavender's POVI sat curled on the plush armchair in the living room, the soft hum of background music barely registering in my ears. My phone was in my hand, the screen glowing with an all-too-familiar face staring back at me. The article on Apollo was everywhere, plastered across every major news outlet.I scrolled through it begrudgingly, my thumb moving slower than I wanted it to. Why am I even reading this? I thought bitterly, glaring at his perfectly curated image.Apollo Dean Stine. Even his name sounded ridiculous. The man wore charm like armor, his bright silver eyes twinkling with a cheerfulness I could only describe as infuriating. They had a strange quality to them, shifting colors subtly with different lighting. People always gushed about how unique and mesmerizing they were, but to me, they were nothing short of absurd."Who in the world has stupid eyes like that?" I muttered under my breath, shaking my head.I scrolled further, my eyes catching on his recent look. He'd
Rominic's POVThe music hit me the moment I walked into the club, a pulsing bass that vibrated through my chest and resonated with the faint buzz of the conversations around us. Strobe lights flickered in neon greens and purples, casting fragmented shadows across the packed dance floor. The air smelled of a heady mix of alcohol, sweat, and the faint sweetness of spilled cocktails.Phineas was walking ahead of me, running his fingers through his recently dyed reddish-blonde hair. He looked back with a playful grin, his sky-blue eyes gleaming under the ever-changing lights."You could have warned me you were dragging me into this circus," I muttered, adjusting my cufflinks and glancing down at my wristwatch—a Patek Philippe with a sleek platinum finish and a blue enamel dial. A gift from Lavender."It's called spontaneity, Nic," Phineas replied, his voice cheerful over the thumping beat. "And we both know Apollo couldn't shut up about it. He wouldn't have let us off the hook."My gaze d
As she scurried away, still visibly dazed, Apollo watched her go with a satisfied grin. "Too easy," he murmured under his breath as he took a seat beside Phineas."You ever get tired?" I asked with irritation.Apollo shrugged, brushing his long hair over his shoulder. "Of what? Being this irresistible? Never."Phineas snorted, picking his phone back up.Apollo leaned back in his chair, the dim light catching the faint shimmer in his silver eyes. His smirk returned, sharper now, almost taunting. "You know," he said, his tone taking on a biting edge, "you're wasting your godly features on Lavender."My grip tightened around the glass in my hand, the faint creak of the strain barely audible over the music. "Careful," I said, my voice low and firm, each word deliberate. "Lavender is my wife, and you'll show her respect."His smirk faltered for just a moment, his eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place—was it irritation? Jealousy? But just as quickly, he scoffed, looking away
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