She lowered the book, staring down at its bold black cover. “You don’t even know what the hell is in this thing,” she muttered under her breath. Her voice was barely audible, but even that felt too loud in the oppressive silence. She flinched, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. No one seemed to. The workers kept moving, heads down, hands busy. But the eerie quiet still pressed in on her. “Okay, Wren,” she whispered to herself, shifting her weight carefully to ease the ache in her bruised ribs. “Be reasonable. Be smart. You can’t die here. Not now.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she forced herself to keep talking. “Play along. Clean floors. Scrub windows. Whatever they want. Just… stay alive.” The cleaning supplies were crude, old-fashioned brushes and rags tossed into a dented metal bucket. Wren grabbed them quickly, her movements stiff and jerky, and dragged them to the nearest corner. Her knees screamed in protest as she crouched down, running the coarse brush
His hazel eyes darted around me like a predator meeting its prey, his arms folded as he rested on the wall scanning my body with interest and attention. I swallowed hard, my heart beat was faster than normal and I felt weak in the knees. I could feel his gaze all over my body as the hairs on my body rose up pointily. I literally had goosebumps. He was deadass handsome, even a hundred times better than the pictures and tabloids of him. His physique was gallant and exactly as he was described BUT - he'll be your worst nightmare if you ever cross paths. "What is this Asia? I told you I'm not interested in little virgin girls," He didn't stop looking at my body and then his eyes rested on my chest. He bit his lower lips and scanned me down again "they make too much noise in bed." "Be respectful brother. I told you I was gonna hire you an assistant and here she is" Asia stood next to me, her hands around my shoulder as I stood stiffly in shock. I was so glad she was there with me. Th
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface.Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously.“I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.”Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking about. Thi
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface. Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously. “I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.” Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking about.
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface. Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously. “I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.” Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking abou
“You’ll be working with GreyCorps on the Jourdan project, Kat. Your transfer has been processed, and you'll be resuming on Monday,” Rowland, her boss, said, passing her a brown envelope. Kat’s heart skipped a beat. “What do you mean, transferring me to GreyCorps?” Her brow shot up as she opened the envelope. Maybe he was high or didn’t know what he was saying. Kat stared at Rowland, his perfectly styled hair and neat appearance somehow making the whole situation feel even more surreal. Rowland blew loose strands of hair from his face and crossed his fingers. He was always meticulous about his appearance—no surprise, considering he was the team leader of the creative and styling unit at one of the biggest fashion companies in the country. “You’ll be working as a creative manager to Levi Grey. Everything you need will be sent to your email, and Gloria will hand you a package,” he added casually. The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. Levi Grey? Kat’s mind raced. The Levi
“Hello everyone. My name is Kathleen Murphy, you can call me Kat and I look forward to working with you. I hope to learn from you and get to know you all.” she said with a beaming smile at the people standing in front of her. Their happy smiles as they waved and bowed. “Welcome to GreyCorps, Kat. My name is Susie.” A bubbly redheaded lady said with giggles, handing her a small gift tied with pink ribbons. “Nice to meet you Susie and thank you,” Kat responded, receiving the package with a warm smile. The rest of them took turns welcoming her along with a cute bento cake they made for her. They seemed nice, compared to what the rumors said about them — the workers at GreyCorps. According to the rumors about them, everything was all work. It was as if they were bound to a demonic master who hated happy moments. The previous week had taken an unexpected turn. From Rowland announcing the sudden transfer to finding herself in GreyCorps, the lair of the demon master. The lit
Kat rushed outside to meet the other members waiting for her. Susie waved at her and she joined them. “I'm so sorry for keeping you waiting. I didn't know when the time went by so fast.” Kat apologized as Susie held her hands. “It's okay. We just got outside too.” The two men with them were lively. You could tell the women had brainwashed them into being a part of their gossip circle. Lee was six feet tall with fine facial features. He looked just like a model, with his athletic body and ripped arms. From the way it looked, he had a big crush on Daya. He was kind of shy and stood close to her. And Matt, the blondie. He was the jester. Two inches shorter than Lee, Matt was the youngest. He wrapped his hands around the women and all of them rushed to the restaurant with smiles. “I'll have steak!” Matt announced. “Who's gonna pay?” Gwen asked and everyone burst into laughter. “We'll treat Kat to our special. The welcome special platter.” Susie said as she held Kat's hand.
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface. Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously. “I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.” Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking abou
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface. Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously. “I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.” Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking about.
Wren's tiny studio apartment felt more claustrophobic than ever, suffocating her with the weight of impending doom. Clothes were scattered across the bed, half-packed into a battered backpack. She moved with frantic energy, hands shaking as she double-checked her flashlight. Her lips were pressed into a grim line, betraying the dread bubbling beneath her surface.Raya, her best friend, leaned against the doorframe, arms folded, worry etched deep into her features. “Are you sure that’s the best idea, Wren?” she asked cautiously.“I don’t know.” Wren’s voice cracked as she zipped her bag halfway. “But either way, he’s gonna have my head on a plate. I’ve tried everything, Raya. He’s not going to listen to any more excuses.” She shoved a pair of sneakers into the bag with trembling hands. “I can’t just sit here waiting for them to come. Running might be the only shot I have.”Raya sighed, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. “Wren, this isn’t just some random guy we’re talking about. Thi
His hazel eyes darted around me like a predator meeting its prey, his arms folded as he rested on the wall scanning my body with interest and attention. I swallowed hard, my heart beat was faster than normal and I felt weak in the knees. I could feel his gaze all over my body as the hairs on my body rose up pointily. I literally had goosebumps. He was deadass handsome, even a hundred times better than the pictures and tabloids of him. His physique was gallant and exactly as he was described BUT - he'll be your worst nightmare if you ever cross paths. "What is this Asia? I told you I'm not interested in little virgin girls," He didn't stop looking at my body and then his eyes rested on my chest. He bit his lower lips and scanned me down again "they make too much noise in bed." "Be respectful brother. I told you I was gonna hire you an assistant and here she is" Asia stood next to me, her hands around my shoulder as I stood stiffly in shock. I was so glad she was there with me. Th
She lowered the book, staring down at its bold black cover. “You don’t even know what the hell is in this thing,” she muttered under her breath. Her voice was barely audible, but even that felt too loud in the oppressive silence. She flinched, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. No one seemed to. The workers kept moving, heads down, hands busy. But the eerie quiet still pressed in on her. “Okay, Wren,” she whispered to herself, shifting her weight carefully to ease the ache in her bruised ribs. “Be reasonable. Be smart. You can’t die here. Not now.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she forced herself to keep talking. “Play along. Clean floors. Scrub windows. Whatever they want. Just… stay alive.” The cleaning supplies were crude, old-fashioned brushes and rags tossed into a dented metal bucket. Wren grabbed them quickly, her movements stiff and jerky, and dragged them to the nearest corner. Her knees screamed in protest as she crouched down, running the coarse brush
Wren sank onto the bed, wincing as pain flared through her ribs. Her muscles felt like they’d been torn apart and stitched back together with barbed wire. But even through the haze of exhaustion and pain, her mind raced. She wouldn’t survive this place by chance. She had to be smarter, faster, better. And she had to escape before Riven decided her usefulness had run out. A sharp knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts. She opened it to find a tall, scarred man with a permanent scowl. “Work starts now,” he barked, thrusting a thick book into her hands. She barely caught it, its weight nearly knocking her off balance. The words Rule Book were stamped in bold letters on the cover. “You’ve got one job,” the man growled, his voice low and dangerous. “Follow the rules. And don’t make me regret letting you live.” Wren’s grip tightened on the book as the door slammed shut. She swallowed the bile rising in her throat. This wasn’t survival. This was a game. And if she wa
Hey thought the biggest threat was losing the project…But the real danger was standing right beside them. Kat's return to GreyCorps was supposed to be simple—work alongside Levi, keep Iris at arm’s length, and secure the Jourdan Project. But everything changes the day Mr. Gallagher arrives. One bump in the hallway, one careless "accident," and suddenly Kat finds herself in the middle of something far bigger than she could have imagined. Encrypted files. Stolen passwords. Framed for fraud. Someone is setting Levi up to take the fall, and Kat is the only one who sees the warning signs. But as she begins to dig, the cracks in GreyCorps grow wider. Every corner she turns, Gallagher is there. Watching. Waiting. Smiling. And Iris? She’s not just part of the problem—she is the problem. But proving it won’t be easy. Because when Kat finally unearths the truth, it comes with a price. And it might just cost her the person she’s beginning to fall for. In this tangled web of decepti
His hazel eyes darted around me like a predator meeting its prey, his arms folded as he rested on the wall scanning my body with interest and attention.I swallowed hard, my heart beat was faster than normal and I felt weak in the knees. I could feel his gaze all over my body as the hairs on my body rose up pointily. I literally had goosebumps.He was deadass handsome, even a hundred times better than the pictures and tabloids of him. His physique was gallant and exactly as he was described BUT - he'll be your worst nightmare if you ever cross paths. "What is this Asia? I told you I'm not interested in little virgin girls," He didn't stop looking at my body and then his eyes rested on my chest. He bit his lower lips and scanned me down again "they make too much noise in bed." "Be respectful brother. I told you I was gonna hire you an assistant and here she is" Asia stood next to me, her hands around my shoulder as I stood stiffly in shock. I was so glad she was there with me. There
She lowered the book, staring down at its bold black cover. “You don’t even know what the hell is in this thing,” she muttered under her breath. Her voice was barely audible, but even that felt too loud in the oppressive silence. She flinched, looking around to make sure no one had noticed. No one seemed to. The workers kept moving, heads down, hands busy. But the eerie quiet still pressed in on her. “Okay, Wren,” she whispered to herself, shifting her weight carefully to ease the ache in her bruised ribs. “Be reasonable. Be smart. You can’t die here. Not now.” Her voice cracked slightly, but she forced herself to keep talking. “Play along. Clean floors. Scrub windows. Whatever they want. Just… stay alive.” The cleaning supplies were crude, old-fashioned brushes and rags tossed into a dented metal bucket. Wren grabbed them quickly, her movements stiff and jerky, and dragged them to the nearest corner. Her knees screamed in protest as she crouched down, running the coarse brush