For the remainder of the business trip, I was by Zeus's side. H. was renovating a fixer-upper right on the beach, not too far from my home. It turned out beautiful, and he made the design without hesitation when I wanted it. Zeus was making it more and more difficult for me to execute my plan. When we returned to his mansion, I saw that he already had his housekeeper set up for our soon-to-be wedding. I will still wear my wedding dress from before; I just had to take it in a little. Everything was dark and gothic, just how I wanted it. "Well, well," Eve waltzed into my room without invitation. "Get out!" I barked while aiding Tanya with her hairpiece. "Now, now," she hissed, "Wouldn't want to have something bad happen like last time." I seized a silver hair stick, clenching it tightly if I needed to use it. "This isn't going to be like last time," I growled, "What makes you think I won't get rid of you once the ring is on my finger?" Eve's expression turned sadistic
The wedding party flew by in a blur. Seeing the looks on Dimitri, Reign, and Eric's faces jabbed like a knife in my heart. I never felt such an emotion before. As the fantastic made of honor, Tanya ensured my champagne glass was consistently full throughout the night. Having to dance with Zeus made me feel like a little girl, stumbling over his feet and unsure of what to do, but Zeus never let me go. He held me up and ensured I didn't fall or make a fool of myself. I managed to sneak off to the stairwell with Tanya and two big bottles of champagne. "Where are we going?" Tanya giggled. "Zeus told me that since we're married, I have to stay in his room on the seventh floor," I answered while stumbling up the stairs. "I thought no one was allowed on his floor," she enticed. "I'm hisss wife; I can dooo whatever the fuck I want," I slurred. Tanya helped to remove both of our heels halfway up the sixth floor. My ankles couldn't take the stumbling anymore. Once we got to the se
Tanya's eyes widened in shock, "What?!" "Something's not right," I commented. We both stood in confusion and silence. What the Hell did we witness? "Who could be so desperate to fuck their Uncle to get what they want?" Tanya said. "Not just that, who are they talking about killing?" I added. "He mentioned a little bitch," Tanya hinted, "Could they be talking about you?" I felt my heart quicken within my chest as an anxious feeling arose. I opened one of the bottles of champagne and began to chug it down. "Wow, his room is magnificent," Tanya hushed. I opened my eyes to a beautiful sight. It was grand; the ceilings stretched so high you'd need a crane lift to reach the top of the curtains to clean. It was larger than any two-story house; you could quickly put up walls and turn his bedroom into three massive separate ones. The furniture was dark brown and made of real wood. I graced my fingers along the smooth finish of the four-poster bed frame in awe of its cra
The following day, I awoke, and Reign was gone. I returned to Zeus's room to find no one there was well. He gave Tanya a flight back home because her son got into trouble at football camp. He's in his senior year, and she doesn't want him to blow his scholarship. I honestly couldn't care less. While he was gone, I tried to snoop around to see if I could find anything interesting, but everything was always locked. Zeus was a strong, powerful man. He knew better than to keep important information lying around. All rich men have something to hide. I found that out with Dimitri. Days passed by before Zeus returned home, but he returned this afternoon. It meant Reign couldn't be in my bed; it had to be him now. "Have you seen Zeus?" I asked Dimitri. "No, I haven't seen him in days," he clarified. "Hmm, okay," I shrugged while giving him a peck on the cheek. "Hey, everything okay?" he asked, caressing my cheek. "I don't know," I confessed. The tender look in his
TANYA'S STORY "Thanks. Have a good night," I scoffed. While cleaning up the bar, I couldn't help but be annoyed. That's the third time Ivy's left me here. Why does she? The bitch doesn't need to work. She does it for fun. I have to work. My son needs me to work. "Cheap bastards," I mumbled under my breath. "Sorry, I haven't ordered yet," a deep voice spoke. I turned around, my eyes widened in shock, "Sorry, not you." I blinked a few times before realizing what a handsome man stood before me. He was tall, his skin sunkissed to perfection, and that silver fox hair was to die for. "Too late for a drink?" he asked. I seductively smile while shaking my blond curls, "It's past two, but I can make an exception." "Thank you," he smirked while sitting down. "What can I get you?" I asked. "The best Scotch you have," he ordered. I grabbed the 30-Year Single Malt Glenfiddich Whiskey and walked to the back room. When I returned, his eyes lit up in satisfaction. Now, if on
TANYA'S STORY It had been weeks since I'd seen Zeus, but he had kept his promise. He'd been depositing ten thousand dollars in my band account for two weeks and told me he'd see me soon. Why wasn't he falling to his knees like the rest of them? Was he looking to have me chase him? If he was, was that the last thing that would happen? Or was it? It's not every day you come by good sex like that. If I was his, how come he wasn't showing it? "We're closed," I huffed by hearing the jangle of the doorknob. "I'm here to give the bartender a ride home," a husky, familiar voice came from behind me. I glanced over my shoulder to see Zeus standing there. Damn, was he sexy? I looked back, trying to regain my composure and trying my best not to show how excited I was that he was there. "Hey Tanya-" "Ivy! Why don't you head home? I got this," I diverted. The last thing I wanted was for her to recognize him or vice versa. "Really?" Ivy smiled. "Of course, don't worry about it; C
TANYA'S STORY "Why should I entertain that old man?!" I exclaimed, "Roy is disgusting." "You'll do it because I tell you to!" Zeus commanded, "Don't you like your new house? The guarantee to Yale for your son? I can take them all away in an instant!" "How dare you?!" I screeched before lunging at Zeus. I dug my nails into his chest as he threw me against the wall. The impact caused my breath to escape me. The back of Zeus's hand smacked my cheek as I fell. "Why did you have to go and do that?" he growled, "You know better!" I was hoisted over his shoulder and carried to my room within seconds. He violently threw me down on the bed and tore my clothes from my body. "Fuck you!" I kicked. Zeus seized my ankle before my foot could land its mark. He flipped me onto my stomach. "No! You don't deserve it!" I winced. "Shut up!" Zeus hollered while shoving my head into the pillows. He greedily shoved his cock inside of me, only it was my ass. "Ahh!" Please!" I cried
"I'm leaving!" I screamed, "You're going to marry her?! Marry Ivy?! How could you?! After everything you said, everything!" "Stop, Tanya-" "No! Go to Hell!" I cried. Tears streamed down my makeup-stained cheeks as I angrily threw my clothes into suitcases. Zeus snatched the current one I was filling. "You act as if I'm just going to let you leave," Zeus chuckled. "Why wouldn't you?! You love her enough to marry her, so marry her! I don't have to be here to put up with this!" I wept. "You don't understand, she's pregnant," he clarified. I felt as though someone stabbed me in the gut. I heaved over in pain and fell to my knees in a manic cry. "How could you?!" "I didn't!" he hissed while marching over to me. He tossed my luggage to the side and grabbed my arms. "What the Hell?! I snapped, "You just said-" "I said she's pregnant. I never said by me," he growled. I could see the anger in his eyes. Why was he so angry if he claimed he loved me more? "Then who
How could such a man be so naive? I never gave him an answer. Instead, I left the room and went back to my own. I knew it bothered him, me not answering. From the looks of it the following morning, it drove him crazy. Zeus made me a luxurious breakfast, eagerly awaiting an answer, which I still refuse to give. "Why not, Ivy?" Zeus pressed. I bit into the juicy strawberry. The hint of sweetness followed by the rush of jaw-clenching sour made everything much more enjoyable. "I like you son more than I like you," I admitted, "And Dimitri." "What if I told you they aren't who you thought they were," Zeus reasoned. Narrow-eyed, I annoyedly glared at him, "What do you mean?" "What if I told you they knew I was alive all along, and we made a bet," Zeus added. "What type of bet?" I pressed. "Now that takes the fun out of the bet," he taunted. "Fuck you," I scoffed while hastily rushing back to my room. Zeus always knew how to lift me and get under my skin. "Asshole,"
Everything was such a blur. I don't remember what happened. Zeus was pinning me down, then nothing. I blinked; it was dark, and only the roaring fire lit up the dark far corners of the room. This was Zeus's room. My throat was dry. I could barely breathe. I tried rolling over when something caught on my wrist. "What the fuck?" I yanked again, this time hearing metal clanking. Both my wrists and ankles were shackled to the four-poster bed frame. "You're awake," Zeus commented. Looking at him furiously, I could prop myself on my elbows and say, "Let me go, now!" "No," he denied. "Now-" "No one is here, so there's no point to scream," he interrupted. "Why the Hell did you shackle me to your bed frame!" I shouted, "I would have fucked you if that's what you wanted, but instead, you knock me out. I began coughing uncontrollably, and Zeus rushed to my aid, raising the water glass to my mouth to quench my thirst. "You knew you would be punished," he reminded. "How do y
"Do you like frustrating me? Making me angry? Toying with my emotions?" Zeus growled upon approaching me. "Yes," I teased, "You look like a hurt little puppy." "What about these past five years? Does that not matter? Have the nights we spent together meant nothing?" Zeus questioned. "I do love that the boys have father figures in their lives, but I already spoke to them about it, and they want to move back as well," I sighed, "As for the nights, a woman needs sex too." "Their children!" Zeus's anger grew, his eyes turning dark. "If you're doing this to get back at me, I'm sorry. I've been apologizing to you for the past five years. Can you not see that?" While sauntering over to Zeus, my eyes locked onto his. The fury beckoning behind them made me want to do conniving things. I took his glass of whiskey and downed its contents. "I do see it, and I don't care if it hurts you," I lied. Zeus gripped my wrist; this time, it was painful, not in a fun way. "Ah!" I winced.
My bar was engulfed in roaring flames. Tears streamed down my cheek as Veronica tried to deviate when the fire department arrived and finally extinguished the fire. I stood there, listening to people speak about property insurance and the time it would take to rebuild everything that had burned. "Ivy!" Zeus hollered, running up to me. "What are you doing here?!" I panicked, "Aodhan-" "Ariel called your phone, and she told me what happened. She's watching him," he reassured. His eyes widened in shock, and he looked at the catastrophe the fire left behind in its wake. Zeus was about to speak when he pulled aside the man trying to talk to me about the building. My blank expression spoke volumes. Hours passed in a blur, and Zeus returned home with me. "So it seems, perhaps three years, the bar can be rebuilt. They have to tear everything down and start from scratch," Zeus explained. "So, I lost everything?" I whispered. "No, Ivy," Zeus looked at me, trying his
"What?!" Zeus snapped. "You heard me. If I let you be a part of my boys' lives, then there would be no need for a DNA test, right?" I repeated. The rage building behind his eyes gave me the satisfaction I needed in this situation. "Why is it such a big deal about knowing who their father is?" he diverted. "Why do you care if I allow you to be in their lives without issue?" I debated. "She's not wrong," Ariel giggled while pecking me on the cheek. "Hey, now, she's not all yours, you know," Zeus reminded, I began to kiss Ariel passionately. "All right, fine, I concede," Zeus surrendered. Ariel and I began to laugh hysterically like candy from a baby. "I suppose me offering you to stay in Ireland with me is out of the question?" he asked. "Not necessarily; we could always use it to escape the city," I smirked, "Keep it." Ariel scurried off to work, and success reared its corner when I could see the jealousy in Zeus's eyes. "It doesn't bother you that I fuck Di
I could not sit at the dinner table and keep my thoughts to myself. I hadn't drunk since giving birth, but today, I was having a liquid dinner, whiskey. "You sure you don't want any lasagna?" Zeus offered. "It's delicious, Mom," Aodhan agreed while placing his dish near the sink. However, he was still too short to reach past the countertop. "Yes, baby, why don't you go with Ariel and get ready for bed?" I ordered. "but mom-" "No, but baby," I groaned. "Come on, I know a great movie we can watch before bed tonight," Ariel beamed while tickling Aodhan to the bathroom. "Come on, Ivy," Zeus grumbled while filling the dishwasher, "Do you need to be so dismissive? He was having a good time, and you shut him down." "Who the Hell do you think you are?!" I spat while grabbing the crystal pitcher full of whiskey. I stumbled up the stairs to a separate bedroom that wasn't my own. I knew what would happen tonight; I knew what Zeus wanted. I might enjoy it myself. I giggle whil
Knowing what Zeus could do made trusting any doctor with my blood work nearly impossible. He could manipulate anything to his will, which was infuriating. Rowan didn't look like him; I don't know what he looked like when he was younger. Reign and Dimitri were doing everything they could to help me cope with the current situation, but all it did was make me sick. It made me wish I could shoot Zeus again. "Ivy? Ivy?!" Ariel's voice broke my concentration. I blinked back to reality, her soft hand tenderly caressing mine. "Are you alright?" "I don't know," I confessed, nibbling on my lower lip. "I don't trust Zeus, but I don't know if he's not Aodhan's father. I don't want to know." "How come?" she questioned. I glared at her, not rudely, but as if to wonder why she would ask such a stupid question. How come I didn't care to know? Was it such a big deal to know who the father of my children was? Part of me thinks they're mine; it's no one else's concern. I'm the one who carried
Only a few doctors in Ireland could get me a DNA test. Zeus did this on purpose, and he knew it. There was no way he couldn't find out who Aodhan's father was, and he had to change his money within the blink of an eye to ensure he was his father. "You knew what you were doing. Admit it, Zeus. You've always been a conniving, selfish man," Dimitri commented. Ivy wants to go back home and have a doctor of her choosing. Not to ensure that there were very few near here, so few that you could manipulate it into ending the way you want." "Which is what, exactly?" Zeus sighed, "Is this because I punished you? Are you still not over that?" "You're lucky I didn't kill you," Dimitri growled. "Did you like what I did to you? Is that it? Do you care about me-" Dimitri swung, his fist landing its target, Zeus's chin. Zeus staggered, a small trickle of crimson blood seeping from the corner of his lips. The sadistic smile that came across his face said it all. The blood coming across
"There's no way Rowan is your son," I stated, "I'm going to do this DNA test with a doctor I choose. One you have never met and will never meet. Doctor Rick can go fuck himself if he thinks I'll believe anything he says to me." I threw the DNA papers on the floor. Their results had to be faked. There's no way he's Aodhan's father. Then again, how would I know? If he is Aodhan's father, there's no way I'd let him know. The type of man he is scares me. "What makes you think I've ever agreed to something like that?" Zeus scoffed. I dropped my head, taking a step closer to Zeus, making sure that he knew I was serious, "If you mess with me or my son, if you even think it, I'll shoot you again." Zeus cleared his throat before walking to the window, "How am I supposed to believe that?" "You don't have a choice," I glared. "What makes you-" "Try me, Zeus!" I hollered. My voice echoing the walls of his new mansion. From all the information I gathered, Doctor Rick and his team