Lucius' P.O.V.I reached over quietly to take Marianne's phone. It was lying right next to her. I unlocked it using the passcode she had given me. Maybe Marianne was playing me—maybe she was keeping me this happy because there was another man.That was what I used to do. When I was juggling more tha
Lucius' P.O.V.I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus on Julia's face instead of her spread legs as I settled into the armchair across from her. She didn't take her eyes off me, her lips curling into a sensual smirk."Join you in what? Another one of your provocations, like that self-invita
"They tortured you for just a week, and you're already complaining? Or were the beatings and electric shocks not enough for you? You were lucky we found you in that raid—another hour, and you'd have lost all the fingers on your left hand, you idiot.""Such an exaggeration, Julia, really. They only g
Lucius' P.O.V.I had lived a life way ahead of my years. One where I had learned both physical and emotional pain far too young. The physical had come courtesy of Liam—a miserable drunk who now pretended to have turned over a new leaf. But I'll never forget the early days of pain, the kind my father
I had ignored all the warnings. I had gone to the final lengths with Angie, who had blackmailed me into escaping with her. If we didn't run away together, she wouldn't give me the key database for the operation—the one she'd stolen out of "love" for me. So, I ran. The rest was history. We were caugh
I kept thinking about that temptation, the one that tested my resolve—Julia's presence here at this back-alley bar. We'd already hammered out the details of our deal. Everything was falling into place according to my plan, though Julia didn't need to know that.With all the essentials settled, it wa
I always knew Lucius was a masterpiece, and marrying him was a gamble, but ever since he had slipped out of bed that night, doubt had taken root in my heart. It was not just that he had disappeared for two hours that night, according to my best estimate—it was that he had lied about going to the bat
Lucius's playful smile slowly faded, and it was replaced by a more serious expression."I tend to be like this when I'm comfortable in a relationship. I'm a man who pays attention to details.""Is that so? How long does it usually take for you to reach that level of comfort?" I asked, my words laced