Mavis stood there, her body stiff with shock, as the weight of Lucian’s words hit her like a punch to the gut. Her breath caught in her throat, her mind spinning. Why? Why does everyone want to see me broken? The anger and confusion clawed at her from the inside, and her eyes, wide with disbelief, burned with resentment. She couldn’t understand how everything had gone so horribly wrong.Lucian’s eyes, cold and unfeeling, watched her with a detached amusement, as though her pain was little more than an inconvenience. His expression, impervious to the emotional turmoil brewing inside Mavis, betrayed no surprise. Of course, she’s acting like this. She always is selfish, ignorant, and blind to the consequences of her actions.Does she really think she can fool everyone with her lies? Lucian thought angrily. She has the nerve to claim Eloise is pretending to be hurt. She thinks I would fall for that? His gaze darkened as he thought of Eloise, her quiet dignity, her strength hidden beneath
"Lucian," she whispered, her voice cracking, breaking under the strain of her emotions, "Please, just... tell me what I did wrong. I... I can fix it. I’ll change. I’ll be whatever you want." Her words came out in a desperate, pleading rush, but there was no softening in his gaze, no flicker of the man she had once known.Instead, Lucian’s lips curved into a cruel, humorless smile, and he stood up, the movement cold and precise, like a predator closing in on its prey.“You’ve already done enough, Mavis. What you don’t understand is that your mistakes were made long before today. You thought you could manipulate me, control me... but you never had that power. And now, it’s too late.” His voice was ice, the finality of his words sinking in.Mavis’s knees gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, her mind reeling, her body shaking uncontrollably as tears threatened to spill. She had no idea how to respond to that. The weight of Lucian’s rejection was suffocating, and her heart felt as if
Eloise returned to Club Scarlet Heart, her body healed, but her mind was in turmoil. She had recovered completely, and at first, it felt like life was slipping back into its usual rhythm. Yet, everything seemed different, hollow.She wandered through the halls, her footsteps echoing against the walls. The same faces, the same glitz and glamour, but there was an undeniable void in her life. It was as though she had become invisible. No work assignments, no calls from clients. She was left to wander aimlessly, a ghost among the living.Flora had not even bothered to assign her anything, and Rachael would never, ever go against Ainsley’s orders.Eloise found herself alone in the lounge of the Public Relations Department. She sat on the couch, staring at the flickering lights above her, as the hours dragged on. The surrounding chatter grew louder, but it only amplified her isolation. It felt like she was watching life unfold from the other side of a glass wall, unable to touch it, let alo
Jack watched Eloise, sensing the internal conflict swirling behind her composed exterior. She was struggling, torn between something, perhaps pride or hesitation, and the reality of her situation. A small, amused smile tugged at his lips. You really are a greedy woman, he thought. There was no judgment in the thought, only the recognition of her desires.He sighed inwardly, feeling a strange mix of amusement and something deeper. But that greed will serve me well. I have more than enough to satisfy them.Jack had seen many women, like Eloise, gritty, calculating, and focused only on the reward. He knew their patterns, their routines. Most of the women in clubs were motivated by the same thing: money, and lots of it, without giving much in return. But Eloise... she was different. Or at least, that's what he thought.Finally, Eloise opened her mouth, her voice soft and cautious, “What can I do for you in exchange for your tip?”Jack blinked in surprise. The expectation in his mind was f
Eloise watched him disappear into the night, her breathing shaky, the words replaying in her head. Why does he care? The door was still open, a draft brushing her face as she took a long breath. She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly as if trying to push the anger, the confusion, and the overwhelming sense of betrayal out of her body.But before she could shut the door fully, a force slammed against it with a violent thud. It bounced back, almost throwing her off balance.“Mavis?” Eloise muttered, recognizing the voice that followed.Mavis stood there, her face twisted in fury, like a storm ready to break. She stormed in without hesitation, her eyes wild with accusations. She looked like a terrifying evil spirit.“Eloise! You hypocrite! You said you would intercede for me! Did you do anything? Did you? No, you didn’t!” Mavis raged, her voice shrill and cutting. “You’ve been playing the saint, haven’t you? Trying to act all kind and benevolent, but I see right through you.
Mavis was having a really bad day. And by "bad," I mean so bad that if bad days were an Olympic sport, she would’ve won gold, silver, and bronze. She had just lost her job at Club Scarlet Heart. Not a small gig-oh no! This was a job that not only paid her rent, paid her tuition fees but also funded her little weekly shopping trips for things she didn’t really need but bought anyway because of shopping therapy. You know, essentials. The kind of stuff that made her feel like she was living in a glossy magazine, even though her reality was more like a "how-to-survive-your-twenties" blog post.But here’s the kicker: it wasn’t just the job loss. Opps! Mavis’s voice, once rich and sultry, had become... well, let’s just say she now sounded like someone who had been chain-smoking since the age of 13 and had been hit in the throat with a brick. Every time she opened her mouth, it was like a wounded animal was trying to escape.But hey, she wasn’t going to let that stop her. Nope. Mavis was res
The sharp morning light filtered through the windows of Club Scarlet Heart, casting long shadows on the floor as Eloise entered. She moved quickly, a sense of urgency in her every step, though the weight of her thoughts seemed to slow her down. She dropped her bag in her locker and headed straight for Rachael’s office. Her heart was pounding, but she tried to ignore the flutter of anxiety building in her chest. Just get this over with, Eloise. You’ve got this.She knocked gently on the door, her hand a little unsteady.“Rachael, I need you to hold my money again,” Eloise said, placing a thick stack of bills on the desk in front of her.Rachael looked at the money for a long moment, her eyes widening. "Who gave this to you?"Oh, here it comes, Eloise thought, feeling the familiar twinge of nervousness. She had no intention of explaining the full details, but she knew she would have to. “I’ll tell you in a second. It’s... from last night.”Rachael frowned deeply as Eloise quickly recoun
Eloise stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection like it was a crime scene. She could almost hear her conscience whispering, "You are truly a walking disaster, Eloise." The shame gnawed at her insides, and honestly, she couldn’t blame it. She had considered asking Lucian for help, begging him to buy her way out of the Scarlet Heart Club and free her from this nightmare. But the words? Yeah, they just refused to leave her mouth. Her throat felt like a desert."Do you want to say something?" Lucian’s voice sliced through the awkward tension. Just as he turned to leave her at the door of the club, he caught her attention. She could feel him sizing her up, probably trying to figure out if she had something dramatic to say."No. Nothing," Eloise managed, her voice dry enough to make a sandpaper commercial. He felt like she was lying, and not just lying to him, but lying to herself, too.Lucian paused, looking at her for a second longer, but then he just shrugged and walked of
Ainsley returned to work after resting for a few more days. When Jacob called him……………Ainsley didn’t hesitate. He glanced at Ellison, who looked back at him curiously.“You don’t mind, do you?” Ainsley asked, already picking up the phone before Ellison could even respond. But Ainsley knew this call wasn’t from Jacob.His chest tightened. His voice remained calm, but every nerve in his body stood on edge, waiting and wanting.Then……..“Let the Anthony Group go,” her voice came, stiff, emotion coiled tightly beneath the surface.Ainsley leaned back in his chair. His grip on the phone tightened. It was her. That damn voice, he hadn’t heard it in days, and yet the second she spoke, his entire world tilted.He smiled slowly and coldly, and said in a voice that burned with longing masked as mockery, “Are you begging me now, Eloise? Or is that just your way of dressing up pride in pretty words?”Ellison's blood ran cold.Eloise! The name slammed into his chest like a fist. He stared at Ains
The conference room turned thick with tension as people were afraid Ainsley would make a comeback. If so, they would suffer.Ainsley sat still, the usual fire in his gaze dulled. No color touched his cheeks; he looked neither angry nor defeated.“Ainsley,” one of the shareholders snapped, almost too quickly. “It’s done. Step down from your position. You’re no longer CEO of the Williams Group.”Another chimed in, his voice tremulous but thrilled, “Yes. You heard the board, get the hell out of the building.”Chairs scraped, papers rustled. Tension rolled like a wave about to crash.But then, a voice rang out, cutting clean through the noise. It was steady, almost too steady.“Who said the final vote had been cast, or have I suddenly been removed from the shareholders? Because the last time I checked I happened to be one of the shareholders.”The room fell into a shocked hush, people’s heads snapped toward the source. Gasps rippled across the boardroom. Faces turned pale.Ellison’s brows
Eloise’s brow twitched slightly. Her calm gaze faltered for a second.Jacob caught it. That tiny flicker of emotion sent a surge of rage through him. He threw the apple aside.“Aren’t you worried? "Don’t you care what could’ve happened to him?” he snapped, his eyes burning into her face.Eloise turned her head away. “I didn’t ask him to.”Jacob stood. His voice was firm, serious. “No, you didn’t. But maybe you should’ve. You could hate him, you could curse his name. But don’t act like you don’t care. Because when you collapse, your body answers what your mouth refuses to say. The only treatment you responded to was his touch.”She clenched her jaw. “He locked me in that place. I don’t care how long he sat by my bed.”Jacob stared at her. “Then tell him that. Not to me. "You keep telling everyone you don’t care, but your hands were shaking when he touched you.”She didn’t answer.“During the years you were gone, Ainsley searched for you like a possessed man,” he added, his voice sharp
The car reeked of blood. It was the only smell Ainsley could register; thick, metallic, and heavy in his nose and mouth. He stirred with a low groan, his body aching as if it had been crushed from the inside out. Pain throbbed behind his bandaged head, spreading like wildfire through his skull and down his spine.He tried to move.“Don’t move,” Jacob snapped from the front seat, spinning around. His voice cut through the air like a blade. “You scared the hell out of me, Ainsley. What the fuck were you thinking?”Ainsley winced. His hand reached for the door handle, but it slipped off weakly. His head dropped back, the world spinning.“I passed out again, didn’t I?” he muttered.Jacob’s hands clenched the steering wheel, so tightly his knuckles turned white. “You did more than that. You nearly fucking died. You collapsed in front of a hundred people like your damn soul left your body.”He turned fully to face him, his eyes blazing like fire. “Do you understand what that looked like? Yo
Suddenly, Ellison stood up and pushed Ainsley hard. He said, “Let her go. You’re so selfish! Didn’t you hear her? Eloise has no intention of going with you!”Ainsley, caught off guard, stumbled backward. His usually fierce and commanding presence, like a true Alpha, was broken at an unexpected moment. He collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.Gasps echoed through the crowd, the people’s eyes widened in shock. Even the air seemed to stand still.Jacob’s face darkened. Without hesitation, he rushed forward and knelt beside Ainsley. “Ainsley, are you okay?” His voice cracked with concern as he reached to cradle his head. But his palm came out wet. Jacob looked down and froze. His fingers were stained red.“What is this?” he whispered, stunned.Blood!A sharp silence followed. Ellison, noticing the shift, stepped forward instinctively, but Hank had already rushed past him, panic flashing in his eyes. “Alpha Ainsley?”Eloise’s eyes widened. Her body stiffened, and for a moment, she see
Ellison stood frozen on the stairs, halfway down, his hands clenched tightly on the railing. He’d come down to stop Ainsley, to intervene, but when he saw the fire in Eloise’s eyes, the way she held herself back from launching another object, he couldn't move. Not yet.Ainsley’s cold voice echoed through the tension-filled room. “What else do you want to throw at me? I’ll get it for you.”Ellison stepped forward, breaking the thick silence. “No need to bother you, Ainsley. I’m free right now, and I’ll help her.”Hank took a step, ready to intervene, but Kelly subtly blocked him with a glance.As Ellison reached the floor, he picked up a broom lying nearby. The scrape of the handle against the tiled floor felt too loud in the quiet. He offered it to her with a calm face, but sarcasm glinted in his eyes.“Ma’am, here you go.”Eloise looked at the broom, then at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “A broom?”He nodded once, the corner of his lips lifting in a crooked smile.“Ma'am, flu
Lucian, unfazed, threw his jacket to the ground in front of Ainsley. “Fine. Let’s see what happens,” he said before he turned and left.Ainsley stayed where he was, watching Lucian’s departure with steely eyes. The tension still hung in the air, thick and unresolved.“We’re going to Waikiki Beach this afternoon,” Ainsley said after a long pause. “I’m sure she’s there. I need to find her.”Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Eloise paced restlessly in her room, her nerves fraying with each passing moment. Her thoughts spiraled. She had been hiding, but it was all falling apart now. Ainsley was coming for her.No, she told herself. I can’t let him find me. Not again.Then, just as the wind picked up, a familiar warmth brushed against her.Her body stiffened, her breath caught in her throat. She didn’t have to turn to know he was there. The scent of him, so unmistakable, overwhelmed her senses.Ainsley stood behind her, his presence enveloping her. His arms wrapped around her alm
In the car, Ainsley gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white as he sped toward the airport. His mind was spinning. Without thinking, he reached out to Jacob through their mind link. His voice was sharp, his words clipped with urgency.“Do you know Remmy?” Ainsley asked, his tone barely contained as anxiety surged through him.Jacob’s voice crackled through the link, his confusion evident. “Why are you looking for her?” He didn’t fully understand the gravity of the situation.Ainsley’s voice hardened, desperation creeping into his words. “She knows where Eloise is.”Jacob didn’t hesitate. “Understood,” he said, his voice steady despite the tense situation. “I’ll handle it. Do you need me to book you a flight?”“No need,” Ainsley replied immediately, his tone resolute. “I’m heading to the airport now.”As Ainsley disconnected the link, he pushed the accelerator harder, the engine roaring as he raced back home to grab his ID. Every second felt like an eternity, the pressure mountin
“Ellison! "I don’t want to bet anymore!” Eloise shouted at the stage, her voice rough and hoarse, like a desperate cry.“It’s too late,” Ellison’s lips moved, his words like ice. He’d made a decision. Instead of leaving, he wanted to win the bet. More than that, he wanted her.Memories flooded Eloise’s mind, sharp and vivid. In her eyes, Ellison at that moment seemed just like her in the past, lost, defiant, and broken.But Ellison didn’t deserve it! Not after everything.She walked toward the center of the stage, her steps deliberate, her heart pounding with emotion. She bent down and picked up the white shirt from the floor. Her fingers brushed against the fabric, and then she reached for Ellison’s hand, which rested on the zipper of his suit pants. Her voice was low but commanding, “Come with me.”Ellison stood frozen, stunned by the sudden seriousness of her expression. His heart skipped a beat.The audience below the stage began to murmur, their annoyance growing louder. “Who are