THIRD PERSON POV:Tristan sweeps Kiara off her feet, lifting her into his arms, then takes her out of the room. He uses the back stairs, carrying her downstairs, and makes his way out the door, leading to the backyard.“This is fun,” Kiara chuckles, wrapping her arms around his neck as the chilly night air slaps her body while he runs with her.Gia, on the other hand, thinks her plan is still working, so she heads off to find Zane, who is still talking with a group of people. When he finishes, she walks up to him.“What do you want, Gia?” Zane asks, crumpling his face with his hands in his pocket.Gia sips her drink, sizing him up with a smile on her face.“Nothing. It’s strange that you’re alone, because I assumed you came with Kiara and you were inseparable. But I saw her crying a moment ago.” Zane looks at her, his brows drawn down. “She had a lot to drink, and I’m just looking out for you because you wouldn’t want anything to ruin your speech, would you?” she asks, walking off bef
Third-person POV:This man serves as a temporary distraction because, as he says this, Zane looks away, enabling Tristan to step on the gas.“Stop that, man!” Zane yells, yanking his hand free from the man holding him.He makes to go after them, but he hears Boris’ voice.“You are needed, Zane.” When he hears this, he glances between his ailing father, who is in a wheelchair, and Kiara, who is being taken away by Tristan.“He has Kiara, and I cannot—”“We have a hall full of important dignitaries, and we cannot let them know of any internal chaos,” Boris says with a straight face. “I will send my men after Tristan, and I assure you, she will be brought back to this house,” he says, and Zane walks back into the house without speaking to Boris.“Good,” Boris says, then taps the man with him. “Get a car ready and send out three boys to go after them. Get him roughed up, but not too much,” Boris says, and the man nods as he wheels Boris back into the house.Zane is furious, and although h
Zane:I waste no time the moment I see Boris leaving the hall. As I get off the stage, I make my way outside the house to see the godfather with a group of four men. One has Kiara in his arms, and the other three are standing in front of the trunk.I make my way to them as they pull Tristan out of it, holding him side by side. As I move towards him, one man makes to stop me, but Boris grabs his hand.“Let him be,” he says, but I do not turn back to look at him.Without giving it a second thought, I send a sharp jab to Tristan’s face, causing him to slip out of their grip, landing on the cold tarred ground on his back. My hands reach for his collar, crumpling it into my fist as I send more punches to his stupid face.“What did you do to her?” I yell with every muscle in my body, aching to spill his blood, but he keeps mute.“I said, what did you do to her?” I punch him in the jaw, rearranging his face to the side.He coughs out blood, but I feel no remorse for him. I send in another pu
Zane:“Kiara, I... I didn’t do that,” I say, and she scoffs, shaking her head as she backs away from me while I try to go after her. “But you had sex with Gia.” I stop when she says this, and then she looks me in the eye, causing my heart to break even more.I hate the way she sees me, and I regret not telling her in the first place, but back then we weren’t close, and I hadn’t let go of the hate in my mind for her.“Then why won’t you let me go? You leave me in the house, then you go out there, have sex with her, and...” her voice begins to crack, and I feel a piercing pain in my chest. “... then you come back to lie to me you had a meeting. Why, Zane? Tell me you aren’t more than the monster they said you are.”“What?” I ask as her words break me, but I try to remember when I got the lipstick. “You can call me anything but a liar, because I would never lie to you, Kiara. I never had sex with Gia after we...”“I became your sex toy? We just have an understanding?” she questions, and
Kiara:I wake up after a couple of hours, and I notice my body is void of Zane’s touch. I do not want to open my eyes, so I run my hands on the left side of the bed to get his attention, but I find it bare.This makes me alarmed, so I open my eyes, turning to the left to see him sitting on the chair close to the bed.“Zane,” I call out softly. He stares at me briefly, forcing a smile that I can barely see through the dimly lit room. “What are you doing?” I ask, and he stays mute for a split second.“You should get some sleep,” he says, but this makes me worry, so I get to my feet and walk to him.I stare into his eyes, which glisten in the dimly lit room, and when he opens his mouth to speak, I place a finger on his lips, sliding down onto his lap. I place one arm around his neck, the other on his chest.“Tell me what is bothering you. You had a pretty rough time last night, and you haven’t rested, so tell me, please,” I say to him, and he takes a deep breath, taking my right hand off
Zane:The first thing I see when I wake up is a message from Boris asking me to meet him at his house. A part of me feels this is not going to be a pleasant meet up, but I try to shrug it off.When I get to his villa, I make my way inside, heading straight to the living room where I find him by his bar in a corner, sipping from a glass of wine with one of his men on standby.“Good morning, father,” I announce from the door, making my way to him.“Good morning, Zane,” he replies in a stiff tone and then turns to the man beside him. “Leave,” he says to him, and the man gives a nod, making his way out of the room while I rest my hand on the counter.Some may think it is a little too early to drink, but drinking knows no bounds in my father’s house.“Pour yourself a glass,” he says, and I do so, then I clink mine with his.He forces a smile on his face.I take my shot, and he does too, both of us squeezing our faces at the burning sensation. I pour another one for myself, and he presents
Zane:Twelve days is all I have to think of a plan to save Kiara. I can’t kill her, and I will not, because it will mean killing myself. I have never had a reason to live, but with her, I have hope.“Could I have said no?” I question myself with my hands firmly gripping the wheel.I’m so lost in thought that I do not notice the red light in front. I cross it at once, and in that moment, I hear a screeching sound, and a car halts close to mine, causing me to come to an abrupt stop.“Are you blind or something?” the lady in the car yells, and I roll down my window.“I’m sorry,” I apologize, then I move my car forward, cornering to the side of the road where I stop to think.Nothing comes to mind, but I spot a flower store up ahead with a middle-aged lady tending to the flowers displayed in front. All I think of is Kiara, and the thought of her warms my heart.I start my car, then I put a call across to Rufus.“Is Kiara home yet?” I ask as soon as he picks up the call.“Yes, she is havin
Kiara:The way Zane treats me is dreamy but I hate the way he leaves. I want to be a part of him, even if I haven’t made this official, but he ups and leaves me every second.“You’ll get to smell them if I get a kiss,” he says, and I scoff, inching close to his face.As I close the gap between us and he shuts his eyes, I turn away, allowing his lips to crash on my cheek, causing me to let out a chuckle while his face crumples into a frown.“You got your kiss, so let me go,” I say, pushing his hands away, getting to my feet. Then I make my way to the couch, which has the large bouquet of multicolored lilies in a wrap.Leaning forward, I place my nose on a petal, taking in the scent of the flower.“That’s enough to give me an orgasm,” I say, and I feel Zane’s hand around my waist.“I could give that to you right now,” he says, and I slap my hand against his arm, turning around to face him. “What? I know you want it,” he whispers in my ear, pulling me close to him, allowing our bodies to
Kiara:After about thirty minutes to an hour, I’m dressed and ready for dinner. Zane walks into the room with a smile on his face, making his way over to me. He pauses, clasping his hands together as his gaze sweeps over me, warm and lingering.“I’ve never seen anyone or anything more beautiful than you,” he murmurs,causing my face to flush a little before he leans in and kisses my cheek.He glances back at the couch where the bouquet lies. “You don’t like your flowers?” he asks, his eyes searching mine.I hold his gaze. I love the flowers—but I can’t shake the thought that the man who gave them to me is hiding too many secrets. If he isn’t being real with me, then how am I supposed to enjoy even the little things?“I’m famished, and I’ll spend time with the flowers when we get back,” I say, forcing a smile onto my face. “Shall we go?”He nods, taking my hand and leading me outside. Rufus stands by Zane’s car, and from where I stand, I glare at him. He quickly looks away. I don’t enjo
Zane:I turn around to see Mindy standing behind me. She still looks the same as the last time I saw her five years ago, but her hair is short, and she dyed it brown to match her eyes. My mouth falls ajar for a split second, and I quickly clear my throat, adjusting myself on the seat.“Zane!” she exclaims, opening her arms as her brown eyes gleam with the widest grin hanging on her face.Ignoring her invite for a hug, I put out a hand, taking hers in mine, and initiating a handshake, which is short. Her smile remains while my expression hardens.She takes a seat beside me, and I face my glass of martini, waiting for her to speak.“Since I heard you were in town, I have been trying to reach you. I’ve been coming to this restaurant, hoping to run into you, and thank goodness, I did.” When she says this, I sip from my glass.“I am aware, because my phone keeps buzzing.” Her expression tightens, but I do not care. This woman made my life hell, and she fueled my spirit of revenge so much t
Zane:“That is what I am telling the young lad. I enjoy seeing young people in love because it reminds me of the good old days. The adrenaline mixed with fear when you are about to make the move that will change your entire life.”For some reason, they think their words are encouraging, but they are only making me scared, and I am trying hard to push away the thoughts that are questioning why I am trying to buy a ring for Kiara. As they keep taunting me, I look down at the finely polished marble floor beneath. I try to hold down my feelings as I remember Kiara’s voice asking me to be more gentle with people.“Look around, young lad; pick something nice for your lady,” Jerome says, and I force a smile, looking around the store, which has cases lined with plush, dark velvet, showcasing a carefully curated collection of sparkling jewels. Ranging from diamond rings, necklaces, and bracelets that sit perfectly on the ring cushion.I walk around, staring at the rings, but none catches my at
Zane:I know Kiara is sad about me leaving tomorrow, but there is almost nothing I can do. All I owe her at this point is sorting out things with my father and finding a way to expand the business to other parts of the world, especially Efla. It is not surprising Kiara likes the town; it is serene, except that it has Mindy, but I do not care about that. If I knew she would come back to this town, then I might not have considered it, but I am here already, and Kiara loves the town. When I properly expand, Mindy cannot get into any of my properties, and she will not bother Kiara or me.I pull up to the spot where I am to meet with Theo, a real estate agent. Then I take out my phone to call him.“I am here, and...”“Up ahead, Mr. Malibu,” he says, then I raise my head, looking forward to see someone on a bike pedaling toward me. I shut off the call, then I wait for him to get to me.He gets down from his bike and parks it, then he walks up to me. I roll my window down, and he puts out hi
Kiara:In a moment, Zane and I both reach the peak of our pleasure. He pulls me up from his body, and I watch his release, his face clad in ecstasy. I take off his shirt, then I help him wipe off the mess from his body. He pulls up his pants, and I sit back on him—this time with my legs to the side. He leans in and takes my lips in his, and we remain with our lips on each other’s for a while.His phone rings, breaking the kiss. I help him take it out of his pocket, hoping it will be whoever has been disturbing him, but then I see it’s Rufus.“Rufus must have arrived,” I say to him, showing him the screen of his phone.By now, the rain has reduced, so we get to our feet, making it out of the pavilion. We walk down the clear path that one can only access on foot. Shortly, we make it out to the car park, where we see Rufus waiting in the car.Zane grabs my hand, speeding up our movement. When we get to the car, he opens the door for me. He gets in after me and shuts the door, then Rufus
Kiara:Zane grabs my hand and tries to pull me to him, but I yank my hands away, then I stand there, opening my palm and letting the rain hit my skin.“Kiara,” he calls out, and I glance at him with a smile on my face.“It is beautiful, and I want to stay,” I say, then I take his hands. “Come on.” I attempt to pull him to me, and he reluctantly comes closer.Zane stands there, watching me with an amused smile as I open my palm to the sky, allowing the raindrops to pour onto my skin. Each drop feels like a tiny kiss from nature, and I spread my hands out wide, giggling and twirling.The rain falls heavier, soaking my hair and dress, but I do not care.“Kiara,” he calls out, but I do not look at him. “We should find cover before we get drenched!” His tone is loud, but I do not want to leave just yet.With a smile, I shake my head, letting more raindrops collect in my hand.“Just a little longer,” I say.I haven’t been in the rain in a while, and this is the perfect relief for all my pro
Kiara’s POV:A few hours later, Zane is dressed, sitting on the bed in the room. I, on the other hand, find it difficult to pick out an outfit.“How is this?” I ask, holding up a mini floral gown.He gazes at me.“You know you are perfect in whatever you wear,” he says, and I sigh.“Not helping,” I say to him, then I find another black gown. “You are in black, so maybe I should put this on.” I say, and he gets to his feet, walking up to me.He grabs the purple floral gown from the couch, then closes in on me from behind, placing it against my chest as he peers into the mirror.“It complements your skin, and I love the flowers,” he says, and I peer at him through the mirror. “Put it on.” His tone comes off more like an order, in a way that I like.I turn around, facing him with my arms around his neck.“Is that an order, sir?” I tease, and his lips curve into a smile. “Who says ruthless men don’t blush?” I ask, and he hardens his expression, taking my hands off his neck.“I was only sm
Kiara:“We’ve spent the past few hours fighting, and it is making me hungry,” Zane says, and I tilt my head a bit on his chest, enough to look into his eyes. “We should go out to get something to eat,” he suggests, and I do not say a word.How can he bother about eating at this moment when our lives are in danger? If Boris wants me dead, and he disobeys him, then it is a two-way problem.“I do not think I want to see the city,” I say to him, then he stops playing with my hair. “I would prefer eating in if you do not mind. Rufus can get us some takeout, and we can eat in.”He is silent for a split second before he mutters an “okay.”Then he reaches out to the nightstand to get his phone. He grabs it.“What do you want to eat?” he asks, and I shrug, closing my eyes.“I will eat whatever you have; I just want to be with you,” I mutter.Then he places the call.“Get me some takeout. I want the spicy chicken pad Thai and spring rolls,” he says before ending the call.He places his phone ba
Zane:I know I have wronged her, and it will be difficult to get her to fully trust me, but it hurts every single time, knowing this love is one-sided.“Zane, wait.” I pause as she grabs my hand, then I turn around.She runs her hands into the hem of my shirt, feeling the scar from the bullets.“When did you get this?” she questions, and I watch her with my mouth struggling to voice a word. “Zane!” Her voice rises, and I watch her breathing increase.As I stare into her eyes, I see the fear buried within her, and she is right; I am bad for her because all I do is make her cry.“It’s nothing serious, and you do not have to bother…”“You do not tell me what to bother about and what not to bother about, Zane!” She grits her teeth, and then I grab her hand, but she yanks it away. “I am not some inanimate object that you…”Before she can finish her sentence, I press my lips against hers, taking the words off her mouth. She stops talking, and I feel her tears run down my face, causing me to