*Vivienne*“Or else what?” she retorted, her eyes blazing with challenge. “You will kill me off like you killed your past girlfriends? Or worse still, like you killed dad?”Wait… what?Dumbfounded, my slightly wide eyes traveled back to Liam just in time to see his face shift, a shadow crossing his features. It was like a light had flickered out. The vibrant energy that usually surrounded him dimmed, leaving only a fragile silence where warmth had been. He stiffened as his jaw clenched tightly. “The fuck did you just say to me?” he asked, a chilling calm in his voice that sent cold chills racing down my spine. And I know Valerie felt his anger too because her bare shoulders tensed, a nervous energy radiating from her. She swallowed hard and lifted her chin in fake bravado. “You heard me,” she muttered. “And I said what I—”“Valerie, that's enough,” Their mother, Mrs. Pryce finally interfered, her sharp tone brooking no argument. Valerie's head shot towards her mother. “But, mother—
*Liam*Feeling an indescribable anger trickling into my veins, I turned away from her and stalked out. Ryder, who was already positioned at a corner sighted me and immediately glided over to my side. “We are leaving already?” he asked, easily stepping up to me and marching my strides. “Yes,” I answered curtly. Ryder darted a look over his shoulder. “And Ms. Reynolds? Are you just going to leave her here?” I faltered in my steps for a moment, the worry etched in his voice nagging at me. And the feeling was valid. “Have Eric come inside to secretly watch over her until she's done here. Then, have him take her home too,” I ordered him as we exited the main front door. “Of course,” he replied and immediately fished out his phone. I stopped and pointed at him. “Also ask some of the Shadows to guard them until they arrive safely at the estate,” I added and when he nodded in reply, I ducked into my car. As I settled into the plush seat, I yanked at my tie and loosened it from my neck
*Liam*Few hours later I am standing on the threshold leading to my house, hands deep in my pocket as I stare at the door. My breath came in shallow bursts, each exhale a whisper of doubt and uncertainty. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other, glancing at the ground as if it held answers. The evening sky dimmed, shadows creeping up the walls of the house, and I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling the tension coil tighter. A faint light flickered through the window, illuminating the silhouette of a figure inside, but it felt like a world away. I reached for the doorknob, fingers trembling slightly, then hesitated, my heart thudding like a distant drum.Fuck! Why the hell am I hesitating?It's my house for crying out loud. I knew it had something to do with our fight earlier today but if I was being honest with myself, I would then say I was ashamed of having to face her again after going off on her like that. Suddenly, the door was yanked open and Mr. Gibbons just stood th
*Vivienne*Shortly after Liam and I had our first fight ever, it took me approximately 10 minutes to extremely ponder over everything. And that was when I realized I was the villain in this situation. Looking back on our encounters ever since we met, I noticed I never actually had any atom of trust towards Liam despite him trying so hard to win my trust. I doubted him right from the onset even when it was crystal clear that he was just trying to help. I even tried to gaslight him into trusting me when I can't even reciprocate the gesture. I looked up at him, my eyes clouded with tears. “I couldn't even bring myself to trust you but I expected you to be open to me,” I scoffed. “Now tell me if that isn't the sign of a hypocritical bitch.”Liam stepped forward with his hands stretched forward in a pacifying gesture. He was still dressed in the suit from today. “Look, angel eyes. It's not your fault, okay,” he started. “I get it. You can't trust me just yet and I get it. Trust me, I
*Vivienne*As I slowly woke , the first thing I noticed was the softness beneath me and the warmth surrounding my body. For a moment, I’m enveloped in a haze, unsure of where I am. My eyelids fluttered open, and I found out I'm resting my head against something solid yet gentle— a masculine arm. Confusion danced at the edges of my mind as I took a moment to orient myself. The room is bathed in soft morning light, and the faint scent of something familiar—his cologne—filled the air. My heart began to race as realization dawned: I’m in his bed, in his arms.I glanced up, taking a moment to appreciate his handsome features. His strong jawline is relaxed in sleep, and his tousled hair falls perfectly over his forehead giving him an air of boyish charm. There’s an innocence and peacefulness in his expression that makes my heart flutter—a stark contrast to the confidence he carries when he’s awake.My fingers twitched with the need to trace the sensual curve of his mouth but I curled them
*Liam*“What the hell are you smiling at?” Ryder's voice jolted me back to reality which made me tear my gaze away from the window. “What do you mean?” Ryder lifted his eyes away from his phone on which he has been endlessly typing on since we left the foundation. “You have been smiling nonstop since we got into this car,” he said in a perpetually dry tone. I blinked. “Oh, have I?” I rhetorically asked even as another smile parted my lips. Ryder just sighed, shook his head and then turned back to his phone. “Why?” I inquired, suddenly feeling curious. “Am I not allowed to smile again?”“It's just weird…and creepy when you smile like that,” he responded with a shrug, his attention still latched on his phone. “Hey, that's offensive!” I yelled. Ryder just pushed his glasses higher on his nose, paying no attention to my outburst. “And just yesterday, you were all gloomy and cranky because you fought with your girlfriend.”I rolled my eyes. “She is not my girlfriend.” “That's what
*Vivienne*“Help me, Vivi,” I heard her sob. “Please help me.”And my heart plummeted, panic gripping me tight. I straightened in my seat, my fingers tightening around my phone. “Where are you?” I managed to sputter, my voice barely above a whisper. Each breath felt heavy, as if I were drawing in lead instead of air.“I... I don’t know... please...” Her cries echoed, raw and desperate, twisting my gut into knots. I clenched the phone tighter, feeling her fear seep through the receiver, a palpable thing that gripped me like a vice.I felt my surroundings tilting, the air thickening as dread washed over me. My mind raced, conjuring images of accidents, dark alleys, and shattered glass.I quickly squeezed my eyes shut as images of her lying in a pool of her own blood tried to push its way to the center of my mind. No, she is fine. She will be. “Rosa, I need you to calm down a bit for me,” I forced out even as I felt my chest constricting making it hard for me to breath. “Please.”Slow
*Vivienne*Holding my breath and hoping it wasn't Liam. I opened the message but blood slowly drained away from my face as I stared about it.A photo of me coming out of the alley with Rosa was staring back at me with the small caption:‘You can run all you want but you can't hide. I'm always two steps ahead, Xabrina.’In the past few days, I had totally forgotten about my stalker as I had been preoccupied with thoughts of Liam. I really don't know if that's a good sign or not. Another beep from my phone had me jumping slightly in my seat, my heart taking on an irregular beat. I looked down at the next text message:“You forgot about me, didn't you? Even went into hiding cause your apartment has been empty all this while.”My hand flew to my chest as I pressed down it with my palm, my breathing quickened slightly in line with my pulse picking up pace as well.“Are you not getting down?” Eric's voice jolted me back to the present as my wide gaze shifted to where he stood, holding the
*Vivienne*“It’s been a long time, hasn’t it, Ina?” he said, his tone unsettlingly calm and steady. That was the second thing that the man responsible for upsetting my entire life said to me, about eight years later. Almost immediately resentment, anger, sorrow and a whole lot more emotions rolled through me systemically, each one trying to override the other. He moved to my back and I could feel him sniffing my hair. His own smell invaded my nostrils which instantly made the contents in my belly revolt. It was him alright. Lemon, leather and the smell of cigarettes clinging to his clothes. “I have missed you so much, Ina,” he continued with a husky voice, his strong alcoholic breath fanning my neck. I clenched my jaw, my fists clenching behind me, nails biting into palms. Fuck! I still can't see a damn thing. And my ankles were also starting to hurt like a bitch. Whoever tied me up did a great fucking job.“Your smell.” he lifted the side of my hair and took another sniff of
*Vivienne*As I settled into the plush leather seat of the car, I glanced sideways at Eric. He looked a bit pale, the remnants of his recent hospital stay evident in the way he held himself. I suddenly felt guilty about not visiting him throughout his stay at the hospital. I only recalled hearing that the stab had gone deep and that he would be needing critical surgery and aftercare. The car hummed softly as we glided through the late morning streets, the sun casting long shadows across the asphalt. The city buzzed around us, a symphony of honking horns and distant chatter.“Feeling better?” I asked, trying to lighten the mood. Eric offered a faint smile, his eyes focused on the road ahead. “Yeah, just a bit sore. But I’ll be back to normal soon.”I swallowed hard, feeling nerves overtaking my body. “I'm so sorry I didn't drop by to visit the entire time you were at the hospital,” I finally whispered, hoping that my sincerity was passed across to him. “You don't have to apologize
*Liam*“Why didn't you tell Ms. Reynolds about the paparazzi camping out in front of the hotel,” Ryder threw out as soon as the car pulled out from the parking lot. I sighed and reclined even more on the car seat. “Well, I didn't want to bother her with such irrelevant things,” I answered. “Irrelevant things?” Ryder scoffed. “Because of the scene you caused yesterday, the whole internet has been buzzing off with the firm speculations that you two are dating. Again.”I closed my eyes. “You make it sound like it would be a bad thing if we were actually dating.”“Aren't you?”My eyes popped open and I slowly turned my head to gaze at Ryder. “No, we are not,” I told him. “At least not yet.”“Well, guess who's not going to believe you?” I watched with a quizzical expression on my face as he pulled up an article on his tab and practically shoved it at my face. “What the fuck is that?” I muttered. “A super viral article of you rushing up to help Ms. Reynolds and finally leading her away
*Vivienne*Never in my life did I imagine that I would be telling my story to another person… more less, a man.It wasn't even about the heartache and guilt that I normally feel whenever I thought about the series of events that lead up to the tragedy but bringing myself to talk openly about it. But here I was, naked with my boobs squished up against Liam's hot body as I told him exactly what happened. I was yet to understand the reason why I told him something that I had sworn never to tell anyone, but I later came to the conclusion that I tend to be irrational whenever I was with him. But deep down inside me, I knew that I wanted to tell him… I wanted to be the first person that he hears the story from. Releasing another deep agonizing breath, I raised my head from his chest and stared at him. “So, you see the reason why I can't bring myself to trust anyone? I can't even trust myself… and that's just the real me.”Liam just gazed at me without a word, his green eyes flickering a
*Vivienne*“No,” he said, cutting me off. “You are actually the first woman I'm doing this for.”I felt a squeeze in my heart at his words and I slowly threw my head to the side, unable to look him in the eye. The cleaning movement at my lower body subsided and then stopped altogether. I felt him reaching for my face even before his cold hands grasped my chin and turned my head back to him. “Why? You don't believe me?” he asked softly as stared into my eyes. Fuck! Those eyes look like they are piercing into my soul. I quickly ran my tongue over my dry lips. “No, I—” I paused and counted to five in my head. “No, I do believe you,” I added. Liam's gaze remained rooted on my face and then he chuckled. “You are really a bad liar, Angel eyes,” he said, his voice light with humor. He brushed his thumb across my left eyebrow. “Your left eye twitches like crazy whenever you're lying. I've told you before, right?”How did he even manage to pick up on that?Embarrassed at being caught at m
*Vivienne*Remember when I said we were far from being done tonight? Yup… turns out I couldn't have been more right. Cause tell me why almost an hour later, we are still going at it like some dog in heat. And hey, it's not that I'm complaining or anything but if this man doesn't stop pounding my pussy any minute from now, I might actually pass out from excessive stimulation and pleasure. It was as if he was determined to make sure that I indeed pass out. “F—fuck, Liam,” I moaned as I felt his cock leaving my pussy. The bedsheets were clenched tightly in my hands, my teeth digging into my lower lip and almost drawing blood. I could feel him everywhere— my breasts, stomach, between my thighs and deep in my pussy. His taste was in my mouth. His scent was in my nostrils. His breathing, as rough and ragged as mine, resonated in my ears. I was so intimately aware of him. He thrusts back into my pussy at his languid pace and I could feel myself combusting at his fingertips. The smell
*Vivienne*Everything had happened at the speed of light that it almost gave me whiplash. From trying to push Liam away, to bickering away like some lovers and then it somehow wants to end with me naked and writhing underneath him. Everything had been going so well, Liam sure does know his way around a woman's body. He knows exactly what to do or touch to make you come undone. At least that was until he brushed his fingers across my scar and I had tensed. It's actually kind of crazy how I had almost forgotten that it was there in the first place. “Just pretend it's not there,” I blurted out, feeling desperate to take his attention away from there. I knew that Liam had seen me undressed before and he had also seen the ugly looking scar but it still doesn't erase the fact that I was afraid that he might find it upsetting or off-putting.The scar wasn't exactly what you would call a neat work. Back then, I was too busy trying to cut down on money that the hospital meant nothing to m
*Liam*Wanting to take my time and savor her this time, I molded my mouth to hers, exploring the soft, sensual curves of her lips. She trembled beneath me in response. Scooping an arm around her waist, I drew her even more closer and relished the melting warmth that rushed between us. I groaned deeply in my throat, my hand sliding up the side of her face before it latched onto her throat while my other other hand found its way to her lush butt. I grabbed a cheek, my fingertips digging into the lush softness. God, this ass was going to be my weakness. It was shapely and was just enough for me to dig my fingers into… just the way I like 'em.She let out a low moan of pleasure as I parted her lips with my tongue and delved inside, ravishing her mouth and staking my claim. Passion and need fused as one and created a sharp, splintering ache in his loins, making my cock harden. I traced my tongue over her lips and licked the inner seam, she shivered, mindlessly rocking her hips against
*Liam*“Do you want me to? Do you really want me to leave you alone, Angel eyes?” I asked her, my eyes darting across her face in search of the answer. Vivienne stared at me, a certain look of sadness creeping into her eyes before it disappeared. She averted her eyes and quickly stood up making me take a step back. “Yes,” she muttered. My fists clenched by my sides. “Look at me in the eyes and say it, Angel eyes,” I demanded as I breached the gap between us, getting into her personal space. I was done having her push me away for no reason. As I stared down at her, I could see her pulse beating wildly in the small hollow of her neck but yet she refused looking at me. In desperation, I grabbed her arm and drew her even closer to my body. “Answer me, Angel eyes.”She twisted her arm in my hold. “Get your hands off me, Liam,” she muttered. I tightened them instead. “Answer me, Angel eyes,” I said. Huffing out one deep breath, she finally yanked out her arm and fell a step back. She