“What now, Margarette? Are you just going to stare at the utensils like that? Those stuff won’t move on its own, dimwit!” Mother sternly told me as I seemed to be pacing out for a while thinking what to prepare.Her statement, however, perked my eyes. I wanted to call her out for calling me a dimwit but with the limited time I have to prepare for meal before Justin arrive made me instantly move instead.“Sorry, mother.” I uttered, pulling my feet to finally move around and do something. As mother was still looking at me, I simply couldn’t just stand still and do nothing.Truth be told, even as I move around, all that I was doing was just to keep moving the utensils in my hand. Sooner or later, my mother-in-law would eventually notice that I was only playing around the utensils and if that happened, I don’t even know how I would begin to explain it.“Margarette, are you seriously just going to keep doing the same thing over and over? Tell me, do you actually know what you’re doing?” an
CHAPTER 43 When I opened my eyes, there was Justin once more.I couldn't believe my eyes as I found myself caught a glimpse of him, my heart racing in my chest. It was in that moment, when everything seemed uncertain, that I finally realized the truth: Justin's presence had actually saved me. “Are you not feeling well?” Justin asked.As he yanked me towards the dimly lit corner, his hand clamping tightly over my mouth, my heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity. Through the haze of panic, I caught sight of mother’s glare and ignore it.“Please, justin, take me upstairs. I’m too exhausted.” I begged for the last time I could still muster enough energy.Eventually Justin carried me upstairs back to our room.If it weren't for Justin's quick action, I would have been still stuck with Mother’s errands. My whole body trembled with an overwhelming sense of tiredness. The sound of Justin’s breathing reverberated through the air, a symphony I wanted to continue hearing. I cou
I had a hard time accepting the fact that Justin was actually capable of treating her in such a manner. A short while ago, it appeared as I saw him with Regina and that they shared a romantic dinner with one another. And of course, I can't help but recall that I've seen that woman clinging on Justin no matter where he goes.At first, I didn't pay any attention to her at all. My first thought was that perhaps she is just some random woman who is connected with Justin in regard to their business but not in any other way. Having said that, my opinion of her has completely shifted in light of what I have seen after entering this room. Perhaps she could be Justin’s woman. Until I saw it was Regina.I won’t even be able to move in that state if I were in that woman’s shoes. However, it seems like the case between me and that woman is entirely different knowing how Justin is treating me right now.He was giving off that gentle look once again. I was not still convinced with it. This was not
It didn't dawn on me until just now that I'm actually getting more aroused than I was before. It was Justin who started the fire, and it's burning me like hell right now. As much as I hate to admit it, it appears that only he can put out the fire, and it won't stop giving me discomfort until he enters me.Justin places his face squarely on top of mine and gives me a light nibble on the back of my neck. In comparison to how rough I've seen him be in the past, this is surprisingly kind and gentle. His brusque approach to getting me has already registered so deeply within me that it is already impossible for me to just put it out of my mind. The fact that my body is already yearning for that roughness to return despite the fact that he has been making an effort to treat me gently is an even more surprising development at this point. Suddenly, I find myself wondering what could possibly be preventing him from being the typical version of himself, especially considering the fact
“Isn’t it agonizing not to be able to cum, Margarette?” Justin abruptly stops just as I'm about to reach the climax of my orgasm. As the vibrations on my clit continue to torment me, it has left me with an insatiable desire for more.Justin yanked my face closer to his torso at that point. My nose even brushed up against the very tip of his hot rod, and the heady, manly aroma that it exudes is making me even more hungry for it. I just couldn't give any indication as to how I will even attempt to get past this sensation.“I–I have no idea what you mean, Justin.” I honestly answered.Although that seems to be the case, I never even see any disapproving reactions from Justin. As a matter of fact, it seems as though he is even more pleased that I find everything he is saying to be a completely new detail I haven’t encountered before.Since I had never been sexually active before, I can honestly say that something like this had never occurred to me before. I have never even had a sexual e
As I opened my eyes, I noticed that the rays of the orange-hued afternoon sunlight that were streaming in through the windows had taken on a yellowish cast. I am puzzled seeing how I am inside a room that appears to be meant for a child, while here I am sitting on a rocking couch holding a child in my arms.It's a child, a young boy, and I'm holding him in my arms as he smiles and openly glimmers his green eyes, which are very similar to the green eyes that I have. The color of his eyes, jade, seemed to complement his jet-black hair well. It's almost as if when I look at him, I see a version of both myself and Justin fused together into a single person.When I think about it, my cheeks become flushed with a shade of red, and a spark of excitement goes off in my mind. Is it possible that I am holding our child right now? Wait! Do Justin and I really have a child together?The sensation of actually holding the child in my arms is so comforting that it's as if I'm melting deep within my
“Margarette?” It’s already morning. I didn’t realize that I have been here that quite long. Hearing Justin calls out my name, just instantly brought me back out of my dream. That is why it is just now that I realize that I am just having a dream. Justin is here and alive. And seeing him this close to me in one piece abruptly made me want to hug him out of reflex.For some reason, Justin didn’t say a single word again after I clasped my arms around him. Perhaps, he, too, is surprised by my sudden reaction. I can feel that he seems a little shocked, knowing that I don’t normally do such a thing.And yet, here I am, hugging him tightly as if I never want him to go. This is all just because I had that dream—no, it’s actually more like a nightmare to me. Who wouldn’t call it a nightmare when I had to go through such an ordeal facing that horrible sight of the lifeless Justin before me as I held in my hand our dead son.And then that suddenly rings me, why did I suddenly dream of that sce
Despite how many times I already told Justin that I didn’t want to come with him. He still insisted that I go with him. His persistence over the matter is so dominating that I can’t even make any attempt to insist on what I truly want. In the end, I just settled in letting him drag me along with him.I even remember from earlier that he immediately pulled me off the bed just to push me inside the bathroom to change. Although I knew that he only did that to make sure that I can finally get on the clothes he provided, I still find it rude of him to actually force me. Can he at least wait for me to adjust to the fact that I am actually wearing his clothes. I am not that much of a picky person, however, wearing his clothes would only confirm that I have become his woman.We make our way out of the mansion of the Montefalcos in a very nonchalant manner; however, despite the fact that it appears to be quite simple for Justin, it is actually quite difficult for me. There is a small part of
Elise Grant was a woman born into privilege, but privilege came with its own kind of chains. She had spent her life learning how to play the game, but now she was realizing that the rules had changed—and I was the one rewriting them.I watched her disappear into the fog, but I knew she wouldn't be able to walk away from this. Not entirely. People like Elise didn’t just sit back and watch their world collapse—they fought, even when they didn’t know who the real enemy was yet.Leon let out a quiet sigh, his fingers flexing against his side. "She’s going to struggle with this."Dorian smirked. "Good. People make the best decisions when they think they don’t have any other choice."I pulled my coat tighter around me. The air was damp, the salty ocean breeze mixing with the lingering scent of gasoline from the fishing boats docked nearby. "She’s going to reach out again soon."Leon’s gaze flicked to me. "How can you be so sure?""Because she’s smart," I said simply. "And because she’s terr
The wind whipped through my hair as I watched Elise disappear into the night. A thrill ran through me, a mix of victory and anticipation. She had taken the bait, but we weren’t in the clear yet. Not by a long shot.Leon and Dorian flanked me, their expressions unreadable. The three of us stood in silence for a beat, the ocean waves crashing against the wooden pier below us.“She’s scared,” Dorian finally muttered, lighting a cigarette. The flame illuminated his sharp features for a moment before fading into the night. “Which is good. Fear makes people predictable.”Leon’s gaze remained fixed on the path Elise had taken. His jaw clenched, his thoughts miles ahead of us. “Fear also makes people desperate.”I turned to him. “You think she’ll run to her father?”He didn’t answer right away. Instead, he shifted his stance, slipping his hands into the pockets of his coat. “Not immediately. She’s smart enough to know that if she tips him off too soon, she’s collateral damage.”I nodded. “The
The moment Elise Grant’s fingers touched mine, I knew I had her attention. She was a woman who played in circles of power, who measured every interaction with precision. A single misstep could cost her everything.I held onto her hand for just a fraction longer than necessary, letting the weight of my words settle between us. Then, with a small, knowing smile, I withdrew, lifting my champagne flute to my lips.“Margarette,” Elise repeated, as if testing how my name felt on her tongue. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of you before.”I chuckled softly. “That’s the point, isn’t it?”Elise tilted her head, intrigued but guarded. “And what exactly do you do, Margarette?”I swirled the champagne in my glass, watching the golden bubbles rise to the surface. “I help people see things they’ve overlooked.” I lifted my eyes to hers. “Or things they’ve been kept from seeing.”Her smile didn’t waver, but something in her gaze sharpened. “That sounds dangerously close to a threat.”“Not a threat.” I to
The black SUV moved through the city under the cover of darkness, the tension inside as thick as the fog rolling in from the harbor. I sat in the passenger seat, my fingers drumming against my thigh, my gaze fixed on the glittering skyline ahead. Leon drove in silence, his grip tight on the wheel, while Dorian lounged in the backseat, casually checking his watch as if we weren’t about to walk into one of the most dangerous plays of our lives.“Elise Grant won’t be easy to approach,” Dorian mused, breaking the silence. “She’s got bodyguards, a strict schedule, and enough privilege to think she’s untouchable.”“That’s what makes her blind to threats,” Leon countered. “She’s never had a reason to look over her shoulder.”I exhaled slowly, my mind racing through the details of the plan. Elise would be attending a charity gala tonight, hosted at a high-end hotel owned by one of her father’s associates. It was the perfect opportunity to get close, to plant the seeds of doubt in her mind. Th
The cabin felt smaller now. Maybe it was the presence of this new stranger, or maybe it was the way my nerves coiled tighter with every passing second. Either way, the moment Dorian stepped inside, I felt it—the shift in the air.I gripped the revolver tighter, even as I pushed the door shut.Leon emerged from the hallway, still holding his phone, his dark eyes sharp as they flickered between me and Dorian. He didn’t look surprised. If anything, he looked… resigned."Dorian." Leon’s voice was clipped. "You took your time."The stranger—Dorian—chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair. "Traffic," he said, as if that explained everything. His green eyes met mine again, studying me with a mix of curiosity and something I couldn’t quite name.I didn’t trust him."You’re staring," I said flatly, not bothering to hide the irritation in my voice.Dorian grinned, unbothered. "Just making sure you’re as sharp as Leon said.""Flattery isn’t going to make me lower the gun."Leon exhaled, pi
The car ride was silent except for the occasional hum of the tires against the pavement. Lillian sat in the driver’s seat, her hands steady on the wheel, eyes flicking between the road ahead and the rearview mirror. Every so often, I followed her gaze, expecting to catch sight of a shadow trailing behind us.Nothing.Yet the unease in my chest refused to settle.Leon had sent one of his private drivers to pick us up outside of town, just past the tree-lined outskirts where the city lights faded into darkness. The safe house was in an undisclosed location—secluded, heavily secured, and supposedly impenetrable. But after everything that had happened, I wasn’t sure I could believe in impenetrable anymore.Aunt Lou had been hesitant to let me go, but she knew staying behind was too dangerous. Uncle George had slipped a small revolver into my bag before I left, whispering instructions in a firm voice I had never heard from him before."Use it if you have to. Don’t hesitate."Now, as the he
i sat in the dimly lit room, my fingers trembling slightly as I clutched the warm cup of tea Aunt Lou had prepared for me. The fragrant steam curled upward, but even the soothing aroma couldn’t quiet the storm raging in my mind.No matter how tightly I wrapped myself in the comfort of my aunt’s presence, my thoughts remained restless, tangled with fear and uncertainty. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same thing—Leon, his jaw tight with determination, refusing to back down no matter the danger. His need to uncover the truth had set us on a treacherous path, and with Alexa hidden away for her safety, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was about to go terribly wrong.Sleep had been a distant dream for the past few nights. Every creak of the house, every gust of wind against the window, sent my heart racing. I knew I was being watched. Maybe not now, in this moment, but somewhere out there, someone’s eyes were on me.A soft knock at the door shattered my thoughts.Aunt Lou
The room remained silent for a moment, heavy with the weight of what Lillian had just revealed. My mind raced, processing the implications of the forged document. Justin wasn’t just trying to intimidate me—he was trying to erase my claim entirely, to make it look like I had given up willingly.I clenched my fists, my pulse pounding in my ears. “How did you get this?” I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.Lillian exhaled sharply, pulling out a USB drive from her pocket and placing it on the table. “An informant within Justin’s circle leaked these to me. They overheard him discussing his next steps—he’s preparing to launder the stolen assets and shift everything offshore. If we don’t act now, your parents’ properties will be out of reach forever.”Uncle George muttered another curse under his breath. Aunt Lou, pale and shaken, placed a protective hand over mine. “What do we do now?” she asked, looking at me as if I had the answers.I swallowed hard, then turned to Lillian. “Do we have
I sat in the dimly lit room, my fingers trembling slightly as I held the warm cup of tea Aunt Lou had prepared for me. Despite the comfort of her presence, my thoughts were a storm I couldn't calm.Leon’s determination to clear his name had put us on a dangerous path. With Alexa hidden away for her safety and Justin growing more desperate, the stakes had never been higher. The last few nights had been sleepless ones, filled with anxiety, and a nagging sense that something was about to go terribly wrong.A soft knock at the door snapped me out of my spiraling thoughts. Aunt Lou exchanged a quick glance with Uncle George before rising to answer it. My heart pounded as I watched the door creak open, revealing a familiar figure—Claire Donovan.Claire stepped inside with her usual warm smile, but something about her felt different tonight. Her eyes held a sharpness that sent a shiver down my spine. She wasn’t here out of the goodness of her heart. There was an edge to her, and it set me on