The intensity in his eyes when he glanced at me stirred something in my soul. My other hand dug into the thick neckline of my soft pink oversized hoodie to produce the gleaming and expensive ruby necklace around my neck. “You already gave me a wedding gift, Neil.” My voice was soft as I realized that the little but expensive gift I had given to him earlier made him so happy.
He shook his head. “That necklace is really special, Leila. But I have something else for you, that I’m sure you’ll love. Besides, who said you can only get one wedding gift?” His hand squeezed mine again as he looked forward. “You deserve the world, babe. And I’m going to give you everything I can, including giving you myself.”No. No, I don’t deserve you.Guilt reared its ugly head and my conscience pricked at me, so I looked back at the car window. “You’re starting to make me feel like my gift is too small. You are here givLeilaniA goddamn mansion!My lips dropped open, eyes widening in disbelief. What in the world— “N-Neil? What is going on?” I glanced over in his direction to see him walking around the car to come stand beside me, a small smile on his face in the dark of the night. When he got close enough, he took my hand in his bigger one, with his eyes locked in mine, and raised it up to his chest.He brought my hand to rest against his broad, firm chest right over his beating heart and I could feel the warmth of the body under my palm through the wool of his hoodie. “Leila, this is going to be our new home. I have been secretly trying to get the most beautiful house I could get my hands on for a while now, with the help of your sister, of course. And when I saw this house, I knew immediately that it was the perfect wedding surprise.”I was speechless. I just stared at him, my eyes searching his with disbelief, shock and utter awe. So this was th
I promise to love this man. Give him my all. Take care of him the way he takes care of me. Make him the only man in my life, and then pray for forgiveness, for everything I have done to hurt this beautiful soul. And hope my secret pain and unfaithfulness remained dead and forgotten.With my voice shaking with emotion, I whispered, “I am not perfect, Neil. But I am willing to be the woman you deserve. I can’t wait to be your wife, baby. I love you.” As I said the last part, my eyes closed briefly, like I was willing it to be so. Willing it to be true. Although it hurt to say it because it held so many painful memories, but I was going to say those words a million times to Neil everyday till that suffocating pain fades.Say it till my soul forgets about that other man and replaces him firmly with Neil and his baby blue eyes and handsome smile. With my eyes still closed, Neil leaned down to cover my mouth with his in a desperate, hungry and passionate kiss,
LeilaniWith all the wedding preparations back in full swing now that it was confirmed that I was as back to my usual self, the days flew by so fast, filled with stolen moments with Neil before I got dragged away by wedding specialists and Ashley. The excitement was so palpable I could almost taste it, and the wedding bells were ringing louder than ever.This is it.I am really getting married.And the wedding was just five days away.Travel arrangements had already been set and made for my destination wedding which was happening in Dubai, with a whole five hundred guests flying out for the wedding too. After that came my honey moon with Neil in Bora Bora, on the one of the most luxurious, romantic and exotic beaches of the island. It was all planned out. It was all so exciting. And it was all perfect.The wedding team, our families, friends and of course, Ashley did an amazing job at making this wedding so huge and phenomenal, that I could not wait to
AdonisThere was no fucking way in hell I could avoid getting involved with the wedding, because it would throw off all kinds of red flags and attract more attention to me, which was definitely something I did not need. And the topic of how Neil’s own brother refused to attend his wedding would never fucking let me have peace. Besides, a couple of smarter people might come up with theories that could link my behavior back to Leilani.Besides, Lily was right, I had to admit. I had to show some fucking support to Neil somehow, and Cora was not fucking having it when she heard that I had refused to be Neil’s best man. To cut the long story the fuck short, I had to be one of the groomsmen, because I blatantly refused to take up the spot of Neil’s best man. Not even Cora could make me change my mind, so one of Neil’s close friends took up the spot.The boys were still roaring, yelling and hyping Neil up to do more shit. He was soaking drunk, just li
Jesus. I would be lying if I said all of this was not so fucking unpleasant for me. He was happy, happier than I have ever seen him from all the years growing up together and shit. He believed he was the luckiest man in the world… but he was not. Hell no. His bride did not even love him, she cheated on him multiple times with his own brother and groomsman -me- and she was ready to call off the wedding just a week ago when she claimed to be in love with me.Which was a claim that I strongly believe was just triggered by confusion, unbalanced emotions and lust. I have seen it in a lot of women who thought they loved me. They really didn’t. And Leilani is one of them.Although, this time, it was really difficult to keep her out of my fucking mind when all I could think of was that day in that fucking gym when she told me she was in love with me through tears in those pretty honey eyes and in a small, tempting yellow dress. God. Fuck. But I was not going to fuckin
AdonisAs I stepped up to the counter, right beside where she was perched and blatantly held her gaze as if daring her to look away. Though her dark, feline eyes went a little wide, she still did not break the eye contact. Her voice was smooth, soft with a seductive drawl to it. “The ladies don’t seem to be too happy you left.”A small smirk curved my lips. “My interests appear to be somewhere else.”Her lips parted like she was about to say something, but her eyes briefly broke away from mine to rake down my body in a way that fucking made my skin heat up. I was fucking horny and for the first time in what seemed like years, I was finally receiving sexual attention from a woman that I actually wanted it from. When her eyes met mine again, the dark irises were smoky with desire.“Want a quick shot?” She purred, shifting in a way that made her cleavage bounce in her blood red bra top with that transparent red drape framing
AdonisBreathless, she dragged her nails across my bare shoulders as her entire body quivered as she came, moans filling the large bedroom. My lips were parted as I hovered over her, half naked and ravenous. I was fucking going to have my wicked way with this beautiful dark-haired vixen all night.As soon as we got out of the club and to her hotel suite, we could not fucking keep our hands and mouths off each other. I had stripped her off the red flowy fabric hanging around her body as quickly as she had pushed my shirt off. But that was as far as we could go before impatient hunger took over and I ended up pinning her down on her bed, and fucked the living daylights out of her with pieces of her tiny outfit still on and with my pants unzipped and riding low.“Fuck, I want that again.” She breathed against my skin, her fingers tugging against the band of my pants hungrily as I ducked my head down to suck in the nipple that popped free when I yanked her bra
My eyebrows furrowed, wondering why the hell she would even think that she was incomplete. Or maybe Ashley was right about it being just the result of too much alcohol in her system?Ashley spoke up before I could. “What kind of questions are those, honey? No woman should ever say things like that about herself, not to mention confident, smart Brooke. You know what? I still believe this is just alcohol speaking.”“Alcohol makes people say the truth, most times, you know.” My other bridesmaid mused. “It loosens people up and makes them more vulnerable to things they would normally keep concealed.”I sighed. “There is nothing wrong with you, Brooke. You are beautiful, smart, successful. Why do you think something could be wrong with you?”“I’m tired of being ignored by men that I want like I’m just a piece of trash. No matter how hard I try to go out and get out th
Leilani‘Iris, I’m in love with you.’Those words rang loud and clear in my mind as I hurried as far away from there as I could manage with tears pouring down my reddened face. I had heard their whole conversation. And he had said those words. Those words that I was dying to hear him say, those words that meant so much, so much to me… he had finally said them.But to another woman.My heart was physically searing up with pain at this point, and I just could not see the point of life anymore. After all of this, everyone left me all alone and abandoned. He is leaving. With Iris. I would never see him again. The memories were all I had, and they were like scalding hot coals burning everywhere they landed on my mind. It did not matter now that Freya was dead and Brooke was in jail. I had lost everything.They won.I stumbled out a set of glass doors, and out into the open, only to
One week later.Leilani“I am so glad that you are well enough to leave the hospital, now.” Belle smiled at me eagerly, as mom and Ashley packed my stuff into bags so they could take me home, since I just got discharged. My face was permanently set in a flat expression, and I just stared at the wall like I have done for days now, not bothering to say a word in response.Ashley muttered to Belle. “She has not said a word to anyone ever since she saw Adonis in the ICU. I am worried about her mental health.”I could not bear listening to them talk about me like I was not even there, so I got up from the bed and moved out of the ward, randomly walking around hallways and down stairs like a fucking lunatic. I lifted my hand to wipe the tears which now poured out randomly, anytime they liked. The first time I thought I was experiencing heartbreak, it’s nothing compared to what I was feeling now.
LeilaniI shot up from the bed with a gasp, eyes flinging wide open while the heart monitor began to beep drastically. I recognized that I was on a hospital bed, but my soul, my mind and heart were going insane to know what had happened to Adonis. I had collapsed like a pathetic weakling instead of helping Iris get him out of the wreck.“Leila?”I tore off the tubes connected to my hands and flung my legs off the bed, feeling the hospital gown drag down against my skin. I was hurriedly disconnecting all the shit that had been attached to me, while someone kept calling my name. “Leila?! Nurse! She’s awake- Leila!” I got up from the bed, but I was hit with a wave of dizziness so hard that I fell back on the bed, unable to even see clearly. Arms held me, and I tried to resist, muttering hoarsely. “A-Adonis… I need to see…”“She’s still disoriented. Pass me the
AdonisThe hostess was standing in the middle of the race track, a harsh white spotlight bathing down on her as she placed one hand on her hip, her skimpy leather clothes shining under the light. She let out a wicked grin, “READY!”The crowd had simmered down, eagerly watching, hundreds of eager eyes straining to catch every tiny bit if the action. Engines revved. Breaths slowed. Gloved hands gripped harder. Boots inched down on the accelerator. Adrenaline spiked. Heartbeats pounded. She raised her other hand, holding a red flag, slowly bracing her legs in stripper heels apart for more balance. My eyes followed her movements like a hawk, ready to fly the moment she brought that flag down.The race track was some kind of very dangerous road with sharp bends and ugly surprises, and like any illegal race, there was no fucking way to monitor whatever the racers do once they speed out of here.
I spread my arms and shifted to shield Cora away completely. “You’ll have to hurt me first, Freya.”She sighed. “Neil. I thought we already made some progress in our relationship as mother and son? Why are you taking her side after all that we discussed? Remember, you came to me, broken and destroyed and I welcomed you with open arms and helped you deal with all these problems-”“Problems that you planned?!” I yelled, the tendons on my neck straining against my skin. “You just fucking murdered someone right in front of me! So, it was you all along. How could you be so disgusting to make a sex tape of anyone, no matter who they are! How could you give Tina, a fucking psychopath, the power to destroy my honeymoon and shoot some shit up my neck? I thought Tina was crazy, but you are a fucking lunatic who should be locked up in that hospital forever!” I snarled. Cora whispered behind me, &ldqu
NeilI had experienced the three stages of severe emotional devastation these past few weeks. Pain. Sadness. Rage. But tonight, I just realized that I had slipped into a stage that was more destructive than the other three combined. And that was Numbness. I had gone cold. My heart had finally stopped feeling.From Leilani. To Adonis. To my fucking mother. They were all monsters, and I knew what to do now. I had gone back to Freya after I saw the sex tape, and she had gladly welcomed me… only to find out now that she orchestrated all of this in the first place. She was a fucking monster. I had struggled with accepting that fact all my life, and now it had forcefully sunk into my brain like lead.The night was bleak. Leilani was still missing. And I have been walking for fuck knows how long, with my hands buried in the pocket of my sweats, face thrown back to stare at the darkness above, my shirt drenched with cold sweat. Cor
He moved back from the camera to reveal a room, and in the middle of that damn room, was Leilani… tied to a fucking chair. My heart thudded in anger and rage as I saw Kygo, my old rival from when I was still an illegal underground racer, hunched over Leilani’s body, pressing a gun into her cleavage with a sick smile on his damn fucking face. Kygo yelled, “Come get her from me if you’re man enough, Ace. Try anything fucking funny and I will rape this bitch and send you the video. The way we almost did back then with Lily. Remember?”He laughed.“You fucked my woman, right? Iris, if you are there, know that your pussy is going to be mine whether you want it or not, bitch. When I get you, I will chain you down in a cage like my fucking dog and fuck you like the slut you are!” My eyes darkened as I whipped my face to look at Iris in shock. How the fuck does Kygo know Iris? And why does she not look confused?
LeilaniWhen I opened my eyes, I was well aware of my pathetic situation even before the dark and miserable appearance of my surroundings reminded me. I had been abducted by Adonis’ biological father. The man that reeked of pure evil. I slowly straightened up in the corner of the room that I have been thrown in, shaking my head to clear the headache that was starting to grow.I did not even have the strength to panic.“Oh, the princess is awake!” A male voice said and I jolted with a startle, gasping lightly. My widened eyes looked around the room again to discover that it was not empty. Adonis’ father -or Saint, fuck, I could not even call his name- was sitting on a dark king-sized chair at the other end of the room, smoking a big wrap of weed. The room had dim lighting, but I could see the outlines of his terrifyingly familiar face, and the white smoke curling out of his mouth.“Is t
The detective opened another file. “Let us take a look at Ms. Freya Declan's case study. Now, we shall agree that this woman has a history of being violent towards both Adonis and Cora. There are records of her hiring thugs to harm these people and their properties. Again, this woman has a lot of influence. Enough influence that she escaped punishments for her actions for a very long time, until she ended up in a hospital. And with this influence, she was able to make a mysterious visit to Dubai… and then left immediately, as if she was trying to distance herself from all the troubles that would start popping up after she left.“Again, she then mysteriously communicated with skilled armed men, to break her out of the hospital even when she could have easily manipulated her way out. Then she went into hiding. Disappearing the same way Tina disappeared when she was wanted. We have gone into very in-depth analysis of her activities and transactions, a