** August 2000 ** Hannah Morales stared at her reflection in the mirror. Just a few minutes ago, three women surrounded her. Whilst one worked on her hair, the other applied a variety of products on her face which she had lost count of and the last woman arranged the beautiful white dress she had on. It wasn’t like the typical dress every girl dreamt of wearing on a day like this. This one was special and it meant the world to her. Her grandmother wore it. So did her mom. And now, she was wearing it. And she loved it. It was a beautiful dress after all, not adorned with extravagant pearls and whatnot. It was simple yet classy. And it was what the women in her family had worn on their wedding day, a day Hannah has been dreaming of. The day when she walked down the aisle, wearing the same dress her mother wore whilst she was minutes away from marrying the love of her life. Except, the man she was marrying wasn’t the love of her life. He was her friend and Hannah had a great am
** August 2000 ** Later that evening at the reception party, whilst their family ate, drank and danced, Hannah Morales sat at the far end of the table that was close to the musical set. It was an escape she needed after the ceremony and interacting with the invitees and to stay away from Austin. They might be married now, but she still deserved her free time. Especially as she pictured herself later tonight being intimate with him. And every other night after that.But her escape didn't last long because a voice sounded through the speakers, calling up the bride for the cutting of the cake and to have her first dance as a couple. Hannah acted as though the announcement didn't concern her. She hoped to get another five minutes to herself. But the MC spotted her and soon, she was joining Austin at the buffet table which carried a three-tier wedding cake and some macaroons.Hannah Morales met Austin behind the table with a forced smile on her face. Everyone had gathered round the tabl
** August 2001 **It has been exactly one year since Hannah Morales and Austin Jenkins tied the knot. She'd kept her promise to Austin and given him a chance, and the young man on his part proved his worth to her. He showed her love and treated her like a princess. At some point, Hannah's friends became envious of her because of how well Austin treated her.When Hannah lost her dad, she fell into a deep pit. It was a hard pill to swallow as one minute they were celebrating Easter together, the next minute he was coughing and he dropped to the ground. He was rushed over to the hospital and that was when the doctors informed them that he'd kicked the bucket. Hannah Morales could barely process the news. Her father was more healthy than a nineteen-year-old football athlete, so how on earth was he dead?Hannah had to step in and be there for her mom who was having a hard time coping with the loss of her husband and her personal ATM. If anything, Hannah needed her mom to deal with the pa
Fear and hope had Hannah’s good eye riveted on Austins’s chest. She counted. One, two, three… to fifty. There was not one rise or fall. Not one breath, not one beat. Austin’s eyes were open, but Hannah could no longer see the hard, brown that seemed to always look right through her.The phone felt heavy in her hand. Or perhaps that was the guilt weighing down on her. She should have called for help. She should have done something. Right? The problem was, it wasn’t only guilt she felt. There was something else there.An unmistakable feeling of freedom. A sharp, shooting pain caused Rebecca to gasp. Adrenaline began to wane agony set in. As the prickly fingers of unconsciousness began to pull her under, Rebecca quickly sent a text to the first person she thought could help, right before her eyes closed and she dropped to the ground.****"Welcome back" the voice of a young woman with chestnut hair, probably in her late twenties greeted Hannah Morales as her eyes fluttered open and she w
**Now**"Three! Two! One! Happy New Year" the cheers, and clanking of forks against glasses as well as the fireworks that shot up in the sky made thirty-nine-year-old Hannah Morales believe that the coming year held the best wishes for her.As she joined in, screaming 'happy new year' and hugging those closest to her, she knew in her heart of hearts that this year will be a good one. She looked up to the sky, dreamingly staring at the combustible device producing a striking display of light and loud noises that created a sparkle in her eyes."Happy new year Hannah" she whispered to herself and brought her glass of champagne to her lips. She smiled to herself, looking one last time at the display before following the small group that began walking back into the mansion. As she watched several couples smiling, some kissing as they walked back in, Hannah Morales felt her chest tight. It was such a pity that she could not experience something like this. "No, no, no. We're not doing tha
Hannah Morales couldn't get her eyes off the young blonde. That brief encounter with her felt like a second in paradise and the older woman found herself wanting to relive that.Standing amid her group of friends, the older woman could barely pay attention to what they were saying as her gaze occasionally drifted to the younger woman. Her blonde hair, her sapphire blue eyes, the way her hands gesticulated as she spoke, everything about her was mesmerising to Hannah. Hannah's body response was too intense to be good for her. She tore her gaze from the younger woman, determined to stop thinking about the incredibly hot, tall androgynous woman. She couldn't care less how the black pants make her ass look. Or how the crisp, white button-up shirt was unbuttoned dangerously low, showing just the right amount of cleavage. Or how she envied the rings that were fortunate enough to be wrapped around her fingers. And she certainly wasn't thinking about rummaging her hands in that short, wavy b
“As expected, the party was exceptional” Rachel Fisher exclaimed as she rounded the huge mahogany desk that was in Hannah's office.“But unfortunately I didn’t stay long enough. If you catch my drift” she winked, making Hannah Morales cringe. Although Rachel stood three inches shorter than Hannah, she was more outgoing and spontaneous. She acted on impulse with whatever thought crossed her mind. So much so that Hannah had prepared herself to bail her friend out of jail whenever she received a call from an unknown number. Thankfully, that never happened.One would think that after years and given the nature of her job, Rachel Fisher will retire after living life to the fullest. But the years of pleasure made her thirsty for more. Her motto now was life begins at forty. “Yeah Rachel, I catch your drift” Hannah cringe internally, picturing her friend pressed up against the wall with God knows who slamming into her. Hannah Morales felt a little envious of her friend. How carefree she w
Hannah Morale's reply caught her by surprise. She took a moment to regain her senses, and when she did, she realised the gravity of the situation, and it didn't help that Serenity wore a smug expression on her face. But it didn't last, and her expression was back to stoic. Hannah Morales loved dominating, she loved being a mistress, and that was the reason why she spent more time in the club than she did at her apartment. It gave her a sense of purpose. It made her feel in control of her life after everything she'd been through in the past, and to spew out nonsense simply because she was in the presence of a woman - a literal goddess, was utterly insensible.Hannah's clients of the past were nothing compared to Serenity. While she had fun with them, she never felt any attraction for them. Before, during and after their session. She was yet to have a session with Serenity and the blonde was already making her nuts. Serenity Gils on her part knew Hannah was older than her, but she wasn
Turns out they were headed to Phuket. Hannah had barely shaken off the exhaustion from their flight before Serenity had dragged her onto the warm sands of Phuket’s beaches. It was breathtaking; the way the golden light of the setting sun reflected off the waves, how the air smelled of salt and blooming frangipani. It was their first time here so this moment still felt new, untouched, like a dream they had yet to wake from.Hannah and Serenity walked hand-in-hand on the beach, letting the cool water kiss their feet as they strolled along the shoreline. The morning air was crisp, and the beach was almost empty, save for a few early risers. The rhythmic crashing of waves was the only sound between them, but it was enough. This was their peace.Then Hannah saw it.A beautiful setup stood just ahead of them, something that hadn’t been there yesterday. White folding chairs lined either side of a petal-strewn aisle, leading to an archway wrapped in soft fabric and adorned with fresh flowers.
The morning sun streamed through the Inn’s curtains. Hannah stretched lazily, a contented smile tugging at her lips as she turned over, expecting to find Serenity beside her. Instead, the other side of the bed was empty, slightly warm, evidence that Serenity had been there not too long ago.She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and spotted Serenity at the dresser, folding clothes and slipping them into their suitcase. Hannah’s brows knitted together in confusion.“What are you doing?” she asked, her voice thick with sleep.Serenity turned, flashing her a mischievous smile. “Packing.”Hannah frowned. “Why?”Serenity zipped up the suitcase and walked over to her, cupping Hannah’s face in her hands before pressing a soft kiss to her lips. “Because our flight leaves in an hour.”Hannah blinked. “What flight?”Serenity only smirked and kissed her again, deeper this time, her fingers tangling in Hannah’s hair. “You’ll soon find out.”Hannah wanted to protest, wanted to demand answers, but the way S
Hannah had never believed in magic, not the kind in fairytales, anyway. But the moment her lips met Serenity’s after so many weeks, she felt it, an undeniable spark that sent warmth rushing through her veins. The world outside of their embrace faded into insignificance; all that mattered was the way Serenity melted against her, how perfectly their bodies fit together, how the past seemed to dissolve into nothingness.Serenity’s lips were soft, hesitant at first as though worried that Hannah would push her away, but as Hannah deepened the kiss, she responded with equal fervor. Fingers tangled in hair, arms wrapped around each other like they were afraid to let go. A soft sigh escaped from one of them, Hannah wasn’t even sure who it was, but the sound only intensified the moment.When they finally pulled apart, breathless and dazed, they stared at each other. Serenity’s eyes were wide, shimmering with something Hannah couldn’t quite place. Relief? Gratitude? Maybe all of it. Then, as if
Serenity's breath hitched as she stared at Hannah, her mind struggling to catch up with reality. After weeks of searching, hoping, and nearly giving up, she was here. Right in front of her. For a fleeting moment, she thought she was dreaming. The world around her blurred, and it was only when her father spoke that the spell broke.Patrick leaned in, voice barely above a whisper. "I'll be waiting outside."Serenity barely registered his words, too focused on the woman before her. Hannah looked different. She looked tired, but still breathtaking. Her curly dark hair was pulled into a loose bun, her eyes shadowed with something. Serenity wasn’t sure if it was pain or hatred.Hannah, on the other hand, was overwhelmed. She hadn’t planned for this. Not today. She had just come back from her retreat, seeking a quiet moment in her childhood home before heading off to Dartmouth. Yet, here she was, standing face-to-face with the person who broke her heart. Someone she wasn’t sure she was ready
Serenity barely heard the knock at the door before it creaked open. She had been lying on her couch for what felt like hours—days, maybe. Time had blurred together into an endless loop of sleepless nights, swollen eyes, and the dull ache in her chest that refused to fade. She didn’t need to turn her head to know who it was. The worried voices, the heavy footsteps, the scent of home that clung to them—it was her parents.Her mother gasped, a sharp intake of breath that spoke volumes. “Oh, Serenity…”She rolled her eyes. “Don’t start, Mom.”Her father sat on the edge of the couch, his brows furrowed in concern. He reached for her hand, but she pulled away. She wasn’t ready for comfort. Not when the pain still sat so fresh in her chest.“You look terrible,” her mother continued, ever blunt. “When was the last time you ate? Drank some water?”Serenity exhaled sharply, forcing herself upright. The room tilted slightly, and she realized, belatedly, that she probably was dehydrated. “I’m fin
Serenity stumbled out of the red room, her bare feet hitting the cold floor of the club. The music pounded in her ears, but it was nothing compared to the hammering in her chest. Her dress hung off one shoulder, her hair was a mess, and the sting of last night’s emotions still burned through her veins. “Hannah!” Her voice cracked as she called out, scanning the dimly lit club. Faces turned, whispers started, and she could feel the judgment radiating off the crowd. But she didn’t care. “Hannah, where are you? Please, just talk to me!” The air smelled of sweat, alcohol, and regret. Serenity’s vision blurred, not just from the harsh lights, but from the panic setting in. She knew she looked desperate - hell, she was desperate. But Hannah wouldn’t just leave her, right? Not after everything they shared last night. A hand grabbed her wrist gently. “Serenity, stop.” Serenity turned, eyes wild, and met Rachel’s sympathetic gaze. “She’s gone,” Rachel said softly, her grip firm but not forc
HannahWhy? Why?Why weren't her feet moving? Why couldn't she bloody move? Do her feet have a mind of their own that chose to adhere to Serenity's instructions? Hannah didn't know.Serenity cold, shaky hands grabbed Hannah's shoulders and spun her around."You don't get to hurt me and walk out on me?" Serenity spits."Our session is over. You said your safe word. We have no business together." Hannah replies nonchalantly and turns to leave when Serenity grabbed her shoulder, pushed her against the wall and cornered her."You are not leaving this room and we sort things out," Serenity says.Hannah's breath caught in her throat. Having Serenity this close to her and breathing the same air as her was overwhelming and knees weakening and dammit and had to keep her shit together. Was she able to easily forgive someone who broke her heart? "Step away from Mistress, right -"Serenity shut Hannah up with a fiery and bubbling kiss that made her feel like she was swimming in a pool of clouds.
HannahNo. No. No.There was no way Hannah was considering Serenity's words. No, she shouldn't even be considering having Hannah strapped to her bed after the betrayal and heartache. Hell, she shouldn't even be looking at Serenity lustfully, but dammit if she didn't look so good on her knees, just begging to be punished and dominated.In the instant, where her heart and logic fought to be heard, Hannah settled for what she thought would benefit her. "Get up, Serenity," Hannah says in a voice she'd never used with her submissive before, talk less of the blonde woman before her. Serenity hesitated."Strike one. You refused to abide to your Dom's instructions. Thirty whips. I will say it one more time. Get up!"Serenity gasps at Hannah's stern tone. She slowly got to her feet, ignoring the ache in the knees. "Stand next to the bed restraint," Serenity quickly obeyed this time. When she didn't feel Hannah's presence behind her, she began to panic.A piece of clothing was suddenly place
Hannah Hannah sighed in frustration at the incessant buzzing of her phone. She didn't need to pick it up to know who was calling. Matter of fact, it was the caller that made me flip her phone. She returned to sorting out her files just as her phone stopped buzzing. Hannah had barely reeled in the quiet of her office when her phone began buzzing again. This time, undiluted frustration spiraled through her body. With a curse, she decided she would pick up the phone and send Serenity to hell. But right before Hannah could put her thoughts into effect, Rachel burst into her office. "How's the parking going?" Rachel ignored the frown on her best friend's face. It was a signature look whenever she walked into her office. Rachel had over the years learned not to take it to heart. "I can't believe you're leaving for good. It's one thing to close the door to your room, step down as Mistress and an entirely different thing to resign from the club. You do realise the only reason why I investe