Swipe up for the next chapter!
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ No one spoke, but I could feel their anger, their doubt, their fear, all of it swirling together. They weren’t just suspicious of me anymore. They were starting to understand. I didn’t have time to waste. I pulled out my phone, unlocking it with a few swipes, and slid it across the table toward Nikolai. “Here. See for yourself.” He hesitated, his piercing blue eyes narrowing as if the device was something that would ruin him of he touched it. Slowly, he picked it up, scrolling through the photos and documents I’d taken from the FBI records room. Screenshots of classified files, pictures of handwritten notes, meeting logs, operational blueprints, it was all there. The others shifted uncomfortably, their eyes flickering between him and the screen, trying to gauge his reaction. Scott finally snapped, pushing back his chair and striding over to Nikolai. He leaned in, his jaw tight as he scanned the evidence, his eyes flicking between the screen and Nikolai like he w
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩ Nikolai was calm today, like a man who already knew the end of the story and was just here to watch it play out. My attention snapped to the front of the courtroom the second she walked in and approached the stand. She raised her hand to take the oath, and I felt everything catch in my chest. The words were routine, the same for every witness, but hearing them from her, seeing her there... it hit differently. Nikolai glanced at me, like he knew something I didn't but I ignored him, my focus locked on her as the questioning began. Viviane Kane was on the stand, and I was in hell. She sat there, like none of this was a big deal, like she wasn’t sitting at the center of the storm she created. That fiery red hair of hers was slicked back into one of those tight buns. That grey pantsuit was just another lie. It made her look like she had her shit together, like she wasn’t the same woman who’d been crying in my bed a few nights ago, clutching me like I was her
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ “What the fuck is she doing here?” Alessandro barked, his finger stabbing the air in my direction, though his eyes stayed locked on Nikolai. Nikolai shot me a brief look before turning back to him. “This is what I wanted to talk to you about.” I stayed by the door, forcing myself to stay calm as every memory of him came rushing back, hot and biting, like a wound torn open too soon. Ghost. “Talk about what?” Alessandro’s voice dropped an octave. Nikolai hesitated, and that was a first. He glanced between us before sighing. “She works for me now.” Alessandro laughed incredulously. “You’ve got to be kidding me. What the fuck does that mean, Niko?” I’d had enough. My patience had already been stretched thin, and I wasn’t about to let him bulldoze me again. Stepping forward, I slapped a file onto the table in front of Nikolai, the sound echoing through the room. “It means exactly what he said,” I cut in, turning to face Alessandro, “I work for Nikolai Costell
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩ I ignored Viviane like my goddamn life depended on it, like she didn’t exist, and she returned the favor like a pro. Every other day, she showed up with something new to hand over, evidence, a strategy, or another clever way to make the FBI and the Cartel bleed. And every single time, Nikolai gave her just one name of a cartel member, leading her back to the bastards responsible for her sister’s death. It was a deal between them, a trade of trust. She didn’t hang around my family like someone looking for forgiveness. No, Viviane Kane walked in like she’d already claimed it. She was making herself indispensable, carving her space back into our world. Sometimes, I’d catch her on the couch with the girls, sharing a drink, laughing at one of their jokes, her guard down just enough to make her seem human again. Other times, she’d be in the corner with Nikolai and the other men, throwing back sarcastic words like they’d been friends for years. It fucked with
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ I’ve always had an ego. And I’m not exactly shy about it either. Call it arrogance if you want. Call it self-awareness. Doesn’t matter to me. I know who I am, and I own every part of it. The problem was when someone like me goes head-to-head with someone just as stubborn, just as egotistical, it’s not just a spark...it’s a fucking wildfire, and nothing survives that. Not pride. Not patience. Not us. We hadn’t spoken directly in over a month. Every word, every message, every order was funneled through his brothers like some sort of twisted game of telephone. I knew he hated it as much as I did, but neither of us would break first. It wasn’t just about stubbornness. It was about principle. I refused to be the one to crawl back, and Alessandro, well, he’d rather set himself on fire than give me the satisfaction of seeing him bend. Whatever. Let him stew in his own ego. Let him send his brothers to speak for him, like the coward he is. “Ms. Kane, the bo
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ The table felt lopsided, or maybe that was just me. I leaned forward, elbows planted on the table like some heathen with no manners. Across from me, Alessandro was laughing—a deep, rumbling laugh that I found fucking annoying and it grated on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Because his arm was draped around her. He was playing a new game, "I'm-going-to-make-Viviane-homicidal" game. Miss Bubblegum-Lip-Gloss-And-Too-Much-Perfume laughed at something he said, her perfect teeth gleamed under the lights. She was laughing like he was the funniest man alive. “Here,” he said, as he lifted a forkful of whatever overpriced dish was on his plate. “Try this.” She tilted her head, batting her eyelashes as she parted her lips and leaned in to take the bite he was offering. She ate the damn thing like it was a scene from a rom-com, her eyelashes fluttering like she had a severe medical condition. I nearly choked on my wine. I slammed my wine glass down harder than
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ Then he spoke again, and his voice hit me like a bucket of cold water. Oh, he was real. Too real. “You're the biggest headache of my life... and the only thing I can't stop wanting,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. His hand raked through his hair, and he looked down, like he was trying to find the words buried somewhere in the concrete beneath us. “You’re so goddamn...pretty. It’s infuriating.” I blinked at him, caught off guard, “What?” His head snapped up, and he looked at me like I was the problem, like I was the one ruining his life. “You heard me,” he said, “You’re pretty, okay? Too fucking pretty. And I hate it. I hate you. You make everything impossible.” My breath hitched, and I hated myself for it. “You hate me?” my voice trembling with anger or maybe it was something, “Good. Because I hate you too.” He stepped closer, and suddenly there was no space left between us. I could feel the heat rolling off him, his breath warm and tinged with whis
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ His lips dragged a lazy path down my stomach, he kissed the sides of my waist, his stubble scratched against my skin, and when he reached the edge of my lace blue panties, he paused. His bloodshot eyes locked onto mine, half-lidded, intense, and filled with so much lust that made my stomach flip. His lips parted, his teeth brushing over the delicate lace as he caught the fabric. It wasn't smooth, it was messy, slow, and really sloppy. He tugged the panties down with his teeth, the fabric catching briefly against my thighs before sliding lower, until they pooled at my ankles. Every nerve in my body seemed to be on edge, my head spinning from the booze, the heat, the way he looked at me like I was something he was about to ruin in the best possible way. His mouth hovered just close enough to make me squirm. My head tipped back against the pillows, the room spinning like I was on a carousel I couldn’t get off of. When his tongue finally swept between my folds, I c
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩ “I want you to tell me what you want, Alessandro,” Niko said, standing over me. I exhaled sharply, dragging off my headphones and pushing away from the monitors. The screens glowed behind me. Niko stood beside me, arms crossed, but I knew that look. It was the same one he gave before making decisions that would change lives—end them, if necessary. But this wasn’t about business, wasn’t about enemies or strategy. This was about me. “I don’t want a fucking thing,” I muttered, leaning back in my chair, my fingers drumming against the desk. “Bullshit.” I scoffed, shaking my head. “You came all the way down here for this? What, to have some heart-to-heart?” I let out a humorless laugh. “Save it, Niko. I’m fine.” “You’re not fine,” he snapped, “And I know why.” My jaw ticked, “Whatever you think you know is wrong.” His eyes darkened, “I know more than you think. And I regret not seeing it sooner. I regret not paying attention to why you are the way you ar
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩Then—“What the fuck are you doing here?” a deep voice cut through the moment, filled with rage. I didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.Brandon Kane. He stood in the doorway, eyes burning with pure rage, his broad shoulders tense, fists curled tight like he was holding himself back from throwing the first punch. I held his gaze for half a second before turning back to her. She was still out, too pale. The sight of her like that made something in my chest twist, but I swallowed it down. This wasn’t the time. I flicked my fingers at Brandon, a silent signal to keep his voice down, and without another word, I walked past him, stepping into the hallway. Predictably, he followed. The moment the door clicked shut behind us, he was on me. “I asked what the hell are you doing here?” he snapped. I exhaled slowly, shoving my hands into my pockets, “Came to see her.” Brandon took a step forward, crowding me, “Why?” his voice was a growl, his hands
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩Love’s fucking cruel. People talk about falling in love like it’s some fairytale, like it’s soft, like it catches you but no one ever says what really happens. No one warns you that when you fall, you don’t land—you crash. You hit the ground so fucking hard it shatters you from the inside out. And you don’t even realize it at first, because there she is, looking at you like you’re everything, whispering shit that makes your head spin, pressing her lips to your skin like she owns you. And she does. For a while, that’s all there is. Her. Her laugh, her scent, the way she says your name like it belongs to her. You don’t notice the fractures, the breaks, the way you’re caving under the weight of what she makes you feel—because none of it matters. She’s there, and she makes the pain feel like it’s worth something. But then she leaves. And suddenly, you feel it. Every break, every wound, every goddamn piece of you she touched—it all starts to hurt. And you re
Viviane☩═✦═☩The gunshot exploded through the air, like the slamming of a coffin lid.A hot spray of blood hit my face. Warm. Metallic. The sickening scent filled my nose. Fitz’s grip on me loosened, fingers twitching, then slipping away completely. The weight of him vanished, and a dull, heavy thud followed—his body hitting the ground. I just stood there, swaying. My head throbbed, my ears rang, and the world swam around me. My hands were shaking and so were my legs. I forced myself to focus, blinking away the blood and sweat stinging my eyes. Then I saw him. Logan stood a few feet away, gun raised, his face carved from stone. His eyes were locked onto mine, scanning me, assessing. He’d just saved my life but I was too dazed, too wrecked to say anything. A sharp, shuddering breath rattled through me. My body swayed, strength draining like water slipping through cracks. And then—finally—I collapsed. The cold ground slammed against me, jarring every bruised bone, every raw ne
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ Director Whittaker stepped up to the podium. The grand hall fell silent, she lowered her glasses and adjusted the mic. A faint smile curled her lips—not too warm, not too cold. There was a time I wanted to be her—wanted to own a room like that, to make people stop and listen before I even spoke. But now I wasn’t so sure. Because standing there, watching her, I saw it—saw what it cost. And I wasn’t sure I was willing to pay the price. “Good evening,” she began, “I want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. To celebrate another year of uncompromising service to this nation. To honor the tireless work, the sacrifices, and the dedication that define the Federal Bureau of Investigation.” As she spoke, the screen behind her flickered to life. The first image appeared—a classic, feel-good shot of new agents graduating from Quantico. The kind of picture that made people believe in heroes. I used to be one of them. Bright-eyed. Convinced I knew the wor
Viviane ☩═✦═☩ A flurry of dings snapped my attention away from the curling iron. I barely managed to wrap the last strand of hair before reaching for my phone. No one sane texts this much, this fast. The second I unlocked my screen, my notifications were stacked like a digital avalanche. Allegra added you to "Girls." Allegra added Evangeline to "Girls." Allegra added Delilah to "Girls." Allegra added Lilianna to "Girls." Allegra added Bianca to "Girls." Jesus. I barely had time to register the generic name before another notification popped up. Delilah changed the group name from "Girls" to "Dickmatized." I choked on absolutely nothing. Another notification immediately followed. Allegra changed the group name from "Dickmatized" to "Sisterhood." Okay, slightly better. Delilah changed the group name from "Sisterhood" to "Milk Him Dry." I almost dropped my phone. This had to be a mistake. There was no way this was real. Milk him dry? What did she mean by that?
Nikolai paced the length of the room, his footsteps echoing against the cold marble floor. His jaw clenched so tight it looked like it might snap. He raked a hand through his hair, agitation rippling off him in waves. “This doesn’t make sense,” he muttered like he was talking more to himself than the room, “I still don’t believe it. It’s not real. She’s older than his mother, for Christ’s sake. She raised him, Evangeline!” he talked like if he said it enough times, it would rewrite reality. Evangeline sat rigid, her fingers laced together so tightly her knuckles were white, “That’s why we brought you proof. In her own words. You heard the recording, Nikolai. You heard her admit it. What more do you need? A confession carved into his skin?” Nikolai’s face twisted, like she’d slapped him. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. “What was happening in our family,” she continued, “wasn’t some mistake. It wasn’t confusion. It wasn’t a ‘relationship.’ It was abuse. She’s a pre
Viviane☩═✦═☩I stood in front of the mirror, staring at the stranger looking back at me. Dark circles clung under my eyes. My lips were cracked. There was dried blood at my temple, a bruise blooming beneath it. I barely recognized myself. I didn’t know how long I walked or how many miles passed beneath my feet before I ended up here—some tiny bed-and-breakfast in the middle of nowhere. The owner didn’t ask questions, didn’t pry, just handed me a key and a warm plate of food like she knew I needed both more than air. She even gave me clothes. They were too big, hanging loose on my frame, but I didn’t care. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered. I dropped onto the bed, my limbs aching, my body screaming for rest. But the second I closed my eyes, they were there. Their faces. Their eyes. Their blood. I sucked in a breath and forced them away. I did what I had to do. I avenged my sister. My brother-in-law. I ended the men who took everything from me. From Felicity. And yet, I
Alessandro ☩══♛══☩Scott leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. “So, they never left?” Nikolai shook his head once. “No. They just ‘forgot’ to check their phones.” Lorenzo exhaled sharply, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “They did it on purpose. Because of what was said at the table.” I stayed quiet, fingers drumming against my knee. That wasn’t surprising. If anything, it was expected. The women weren’t the type to sit still when something unsettled them. Nikolai turned his gaze to me. “Speaking of dinner conversation... how’s she doing?” My spine straightened. I already knew who he meant. I pushed up from my chair. “I’ll check.” The office door shut behind me as I stepped into the hallway. There was a weight pressing against my ribs, a feeling I didn’t like acknowledging. The metallic stench of blood hit me first. I stepped into the room, and stepped onto the blood spread across the ground. The carnage was absolutely beautiful. Eight men, all of them dead. Their thro