RavenI stood in front of the mirror, my reflection staring back at me. Today was the day I would return to Black Stone Group, not as the dutiful wife Emerson expected, but as a woman with a plan. My hair was neatly styled, and my makeup was flawless, every detail carefully crafted to present myself as the perfect, composed wife of the Alpha. But beneath this polished exterior, a storm brewed. This wasn’t just about showing up for work. It was about plotting my revenge, learning Emerson’s secrets, and slowly tearing down the world he thought he controlled.I fastened the delicate gold necklace around my neck, its cool weight a reminder of the role I was playing. I needed to play this smart—act the part of the high-profile wife while moving silently, unnoticed, as I dismantled the foundation Emerson had built.There was a knock at the door, and I turned to see Emerson standing in the doorway, coffee in hand. He gave me a soft smile, the kind of smile that once would have melted me, but
RavenThe buzz of conversation and the clatter of footsteps slowly faded into the background. My mind raced with thoughts of what I had just learned, the threads of my plan slowly knitting together. But before I could fully settle into my thoughts, Marcus cleared his throat beside me. There was a certain seriousness in his expression that immediately caught my attention.“Raven,” he said, his voice lowering slightly as we walked down the long hallway. “There’s something I need to discuss with you. Something important.”I raised an eyebrow, glancing at him from the corner of my eye. Marcus had always been the voice of reason, the mentor who guided me through the toughest moments. If he was bringing something up now, it meant he thought it was critical. I nodded, indicating for him to go on.“Emerson spoke to me,” Marcus began, his voice careful and deliberate. “He mentioned that he’s noticed a change in you, something that’s been bothering him for a while. He’s concerned, Raven, and as
RavenThe tension was suffocating from the moment the car pulled into the driveway. Clark had driven me home in silence, his face betraying nothing, while I was lost in my own storm of thoughts. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw Emerson and Lila arriving at the same time. Great. I barely had time to prepare myself for another exhausting interaction with Emerson.I barely made it two steps toward the door when Emerson rushed to me, grabbing my arm more forcefully than I would’ve liked. His eyes were pleading, yet there was a desperation beneath them that I couldn’t quite place.“Raven,” he said, his voice low and strained, “we need to talk. Privately. We barely had time to speak at the office, and—”I yanked my arm from his grasp, glaring at him. “I don’t want to talk, Emerson.”Before I could walk away, Clark stepped in between us. His broad frame blocked Emerson from reaching me again, and his voice was calm yet firm. “If she doesn’t want to talk to you, Emerson, then you sh
Raven The cold night air still clung to my skin as I made my way back toward the house, each step heavier than the last. My thoughts were tangled, my emotions raw from everything that had happened. The moonlight illuminated the path before me, but it didn’t soothe the storm brewing inside my chest.As I approached the house, I saw a figure standing just outside the door. Clark. He was waiting for me, a heavy blanket draped over his arm, and a bottle of water in his other hand. I stopped in my tracks, my heart pounding with a mixture of irritation and confusion. Why was he here?“You’re freezing,” Clark said softly, stepping closer and offering the blanket. “Take this.”Without a word, I accepted it, wrapping the thick fabric around my shoulders. The warmth was immediate, but it didn’t thaw the coldness lingering in my heart. I took the bottle of water from him, my throat parched after the run. As I drank, my eyes unconsciously drifted upward, landing on Emerson’s window.There he sto
RavenThe next morning felt like a dull blur. The early rays of sunlight barely managed to seep through the thick curtains in my room, casting a soft glow across the floor. It was supposed to be a new day, a fresh start. But everything felt bland, muted, like the vibrant colors of life had drained away, leaving only shades of grey.Clark had left for work without a word. No lingering gazes, no witty remarks, no attempts to provoke me like he usually did. He had simply walked out of the house, leaving an unsettling emptiness in his wake. Strangely, it hurt. The silence, his absence… it shouldn’t have, but it did. At the same time, it made me feel better—relieved, even. Perhaps this was what I needed—a little distance from him, from the tangled mess of emotions he stirred within me.As I got ready, I tried to shake off the unease clinging to me. I couldn’t afford to dwell on Clark, not when my mind needed to stay sharp, focused on the real goal. Emerson. Lila. My revenge.Downstairs, I
Clark What was I thinking?The question kept circling in my mind, gnawing at me, replaying in an endless loop since the moment I’d made that stupid attempt to kiss Raven yesterday. I rubbed my jaw, the faint sting from her slap still echoing like a bitter reminder. What the hell was I even doing? I was supposed to be focused on my plan—on why I had come back in the first place. But one look at Raven’s sharp beauty, her captivating presence, and I’d lost my head, completely thrown off course.Her words still echoed in my mind, a stern warning to stay away from her, to respect her space. It wasn’t just her voice—it was the look in her eyes, that cold, hardened gaze that sent a chill through me. She meant every word.And what did I do? I made it worse. I made advances at her like an idiot, knowing full well she wasn’t in the right headspace for it. Hell, I wasn’t in the right headspace for it. The more I thought about it, the more I realized how reckless and impulsive I’d become around
ClarkI packed my files into my briefcase, my mind still replaying the earlier events of the day. The lingering feeling of Raven’s slap, the tension between us, and the way I couldn’t shake her from my thoughts weighed heavily on me. I needed to focus, needed to remember why I had come back in the first place. But it was hard, especially when every time I closed my eyes, her image flickered back into my mind.The door creaked open behind me, pulling me from my thoughts. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was. Marcus Greer. The man’s presence was like a shadow that never left, always hovering in the background, always watching.“Clark,” he greeted in that calm, measured voice of his. The kind of voice that made people listen, made them respect him. But not me. I didn’t respect Marcus Greer, not one bit.I turned to face him, forcing a neutral expression. “Marcus. Something on your mind?”Marcus closed the door behind him, his gaze sharp as he walked further into the room. He w
ClarkBy the time I got home, exhaustion had taken its toll. The day had been long and filled with tension, and I could feel the weight of it bearing down on me. I headed straight for the dining room, the faint clatter of dishes and silverware guiding me.As I approached, the scene before me felt like something out of a bad drama. Emerson sat at the head of the table, staring blankly at his plate, while Raven, across from him, toyed with her food in silence. Lila, of course, was seated nearby, her presence a constant thorn in my side. The quiet was heavy, and I could feel the tension the moment I stepped into the room.“Clark,” Emerson acknowledged without looking up, his voice tired. Raven didn’t even glance in my direction.I took a seat, feeling the need to break the ice. “I owe you an apology,” I said, looking directly at Emerson.That got his attention. He set his fork down and raised an eyebrow, clearly waiting for me to continue. Raven’s eyes flickered to me, though she remaine
RavenMy heart felt like it was cracking apart, piece by jagged piece, as I stormed out of the room, my breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts. I couldn’t see straight, couldn’t think straight. Clark. Of all people, Clark—the one person I had let my guard down around, the one person I thought might be different from the rest. He was the reason my sister was dead. The reason my life had turned into this hollow, vengeful existence. And I had trusted him. Loved him.The memory of his confession replayed in my mind, over and over like a nightmare I couldn’t wake up from. His voice had been tight with guilt, his eyes filled with the kind of regret that made me want to scream. But it didn’t matter. No amount of remorse could fix what had been done. No amount of love could change the fact that he had killed her. I wanted to hate him. I wanted to bury the feelings I had for him so deep that they would never surface again. But the truth was, I was torn apart inside.I stumbled into the nearest
RavenStanding at the edge of the stage, I could feel every nerve in my body humming with anticipation. Tonight was the night. The night I would finally expose Emerson and Lila for the corrupt, scheming monsters they were. Every second had been building to this moment, every sleepless night, every carefully calculated move. And now, it was all about to come crashing down.The crowd in the room shifted restlessly, the low murmur of voices blending with the soft clinking of champagne glasses. I scanned the faces before me, knowing that among them were my enemies, my allies, and those who would fall once this was over. My stomach twisted, but I forced the feeling down, locking it in the pit where I stored all the rage, all the betrayal. I couldn’t afford to feel anything else right now.I glanced over to the side of the stage and caught sight of Emerson, standing tall and smug, his arm casually slung around Lila’s waist. They looked like the perfect power couple—the corporate king and qu
ClarkThe phone rang once, twice, and I could feel my pulse pounding in my throat. I wasn’t sure what I’d say once Raven picked up. I had no plan for this, no clever way to make her understand that everything I’d done—even the worst of it—had been a mistake I was tricked into. How could I even explain that?But then the ringing stopped, and for a second, I thought she’d hung up without answering. I almost dropped the phone in my surprise when I heard her voice.“What do you want, Clark?” Her voice was cold, detached, like I wasn’t even worth her time.I swallowed hard, trying to push past the knot of guilt in my throat. “Raven, I need to talk to you.”She scoffed, and the sound hit me like a punch to the gut. “We don’t have anything left to talk about.”She was right. I had lied to her. Kept the truth from her about the hit-and-run, about the night her world shattered. But I couldn’t let her walk into Marcus’s trap without at least trying to warn her.“I know you hate me right now, an
ClarkThe weight of my plan settled in my chest as I walked out of my apartment, my footsteps feeling heavier with every step. Setting a trap for Marcus wasn’t just about taking him down. It was about protecting Raven. It was about fixing the mistakes I had made—about making sure she didn’t fall into the trap he had laid out for her.I couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was creeping closer. Marcus had been too quiet these last few days, which was never a good sign. Someone like him didn’t stay quiet unless they were plotting something bigger, and my gut told me that he was planning to make his move at the upcoming business event. The same event where Raven had planned her grand reveal against Emerson and Lila.The problem was, I didn’t know how deep Marcus’s play went. All I knew was that it was dangerous, and that if I didn’t stop him, Raven would end up taking the fall. Marcus had always been a master manipulator, and he knew how to twist every situation to his advantage. If I d
ClarkAfter confronting Marcus, my mind was spinning. The weight of everything I had learned sat heavy in my chest, and the truth felt like a ticking time bomb. I couldn’t do this alone. Marcus had too much power, too much influence, and I was just one person—one deeply flawed, guilt-ridden person. If I was going to expose him, I needed help.The first thing I did was reach out to some of the people I thought I could trust in the company, starting with those I had worked closely with over the years. Some of them had been loyal to Emerson and the pack, or at least that’s what I had assumed. I called a few of them in for quiet meetings, avoiding too much attention. But each time, the result was the same.“He’s too powerful, Clark.”“I’ve got a family to think about.”“Marcus has connections everywhere. If you go after him, it’ll be career suicide for all of us.”The excuses kept piling up, and I could see the fear in their eyes. Marcus had wrapped his hands around every throat in this o
ClarkThe next morning, I felt a weight in my chest that I couldn’t shake, like I was dragging a boulder behind me as I made my way to Marcus’s office. My thoughts were a chaotic mess, but one thing was clear—I had to confront him. I needed answers. Not just for Raven, but for myself.As I pushed open the door to Marcus’s private office, he looked up from his desk with that smug smile that I now realized had been there all along. He leaned back in his chair, his hands casually clasped together. The man was too calm, too collected. He already knew why I was here.“Clark,” he said, his voice cool, “I wasn’t expecting you this early. What brings you in?”I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to keep my voice steady. “I know what you’ve been doing, Marcus. I know everything.”His smile didn’t falter, but there was a flicker in his eyes. “Do you now? And what exactly do you think you know?”“You manipulated me that night,” I said, my voice rising despite myself. “The night of the hit-and
ClarkThe moment I told Raven the truth, I felt the ground beneath me shatter. The words had barely left my lips, and already I could see the fire in her eyes turning into something far worse—betrayal. Pain. Fury.She didn’t scream, but her silence cut deeper than anything. She stood there, her body rigid, fists clenched so tightly at her sides that I thought she’d draw blood. And then, without a single word, she turned and walked away.“Raven, please—just listen to me!” My voice sounded desperate, even to my own ears, but I couldn’t let her go, not like this. I reached out, but she was already gone, slipping out of reach like a fading shadow.The guilt weighed heavy on my chest, suffocating, crushing. I wanted to chase after her, make her understand that I never meant for any of this to happen. But how could I? How could I explain away the fact that I had been behind the wheel of the car that had taken away everything she held dear?She knew the truth now, and it was too late to take
RavenAs the day of the business event approached, my plans were nearly complete. I had worked tirelessly to ensure everything would fall perfectly into place. Emerson and Lila’s world was about to crumble, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Every piece of evidence I had meticulously collected would be revealed tonight, publicly and without mercy. This wasn’t just about exposing their affair—it was about ruining them professionally, tearing down the empire they had tried to control.I stood by the window of my office, looking out over the city, the calm before the storm. There was a certain thrill in knowing how close I was to victory, how soon their lives would be shattered. Ava had been instrumental in gathering the last few pieces of information, ensuring we had witnesses and verifiable proof. Her sharp instincts made her a formidable ally, and she had been just as determined as I was to see Emerson fall.A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Ava entered, her
RavenAs the day of the business event approached, my plans were nearly complete. I had worked tirelessly to ensure everything would fall perfectly into place. Emerson and Lila’s world was about to crumble, and there was nothing they could do to stop it. Every piece of evidence I had meticulously collected would be revealed tonight, publicly and without mercy. This wasn’t just about exposing their affair—it was about ruining them professionally, tearing down the empire they had tried to control.I stood by the window of my office, looking out over the city, the calm before the storm. There was a certain thrill in knowing how close I was to victory, how soon their lives would be shattered. Ava had been instrumental in gathering the last few pieces of information, ensuring we had witnesses and verifiable proof. Her sharp instincts made her a formidable ally, and she had been just as determined as I was to see Emerson fall.A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Ava entered, her