RavenAva led me to the outskirts of town, to a place I never even knew existed. The roads twisted and turned, surrounded by thick forests that swallowed the sunlight. We were deep in the wilderness by the time she finally stopped the car. The building in front of us was nothing more than a run-down cabin, hidden from plain sight. Ava stepped out, gesturing for me to follow.“This is it,” she said, her voice steady. “No one knows about this place except for a select few. It’s our secret hideout from now on. Somewhere we can meet, strategize, and stay off anyone’s radar.”I hesitated for a moment, taking in the eerie isolation of the cabin. It seemed like the perfect spot for our clandestine meetings—remote, untraceable, the kind of place where plans could be made in the shadows. I followed Ava inside, the old wooden floors creaking beneath my feet.The interior was simple, almost bare. A small kitchen, a couple of chairs, and a table scattered with papers. It wasn’t much, but it had a
RavenI returned home exhausted, my limbs heavy from the long hours spent with Ava. My mind was buzzing with everything we had discussed, the plans we had set into motion, and the secrets she hinted at but didn’t fully reveal. A deep exhaustion sat in my bones, but it wasn’t just physical. The weight of it was more than that—it was emotional, a weariness from the constant double lives I had to live, playing the role of the dutiful wife while secretly plotting the downfall of my husband.As I stepped into the house, I noticed the unusual stillness. It was quiet, too quiet. No sounds of conversation, no clatter of dishes from the kitchen. I figured dinner had already ended, and I’d missed it. Not that I minded. The last thing I wanted was to sit at the table with Emerson, pretending that everything was fine, while Lila hovered nearby, playing the part of the innocent best friend. Just the thought of it twisted my stomach.I slipped out of my shoes and made my way to the kitchen, hoping
LilaI couldn’t stop pacing. My feet moved across the room, over and over again, as my mind spun in circles. What had gotten into Raven? Every time I tried to talk to her, she looked at me like she didn’t even know me. And the worst part? I didn’t know if she knew.If she knew about Emerson and me.The thought sent a chill down my spine, my nerves fraying at the edges. She had to know something, didn’t she? The way she looked at me now, with that cold, distant gaze, so unlike the warm friendship we once had. Every time I saw her, I felt like I was walking on thin ice, as if one wrong move would crack the surface, and everything I had been trying to build with Emerson would collapse.I gritted my teeth, my fists clenching at my sides. No, I couldn’t think like that. I’d worked too hard, too carefully to let my plans fall apart now. Emerson and I… we were meant to be together. He just didn’t realize it yet.At first, it had seemed so simple. I would stay close to Emerson, comfort him wh
LilaThe rest of the day was nothing short of miserable. I couldn’t stop thinking about Raven’s cold dismissal during lunch, the way she barely looked at me before walking out. Something about her attitude had shifted drastically, and it left me feeling uneasy. But I wasn’t going to let her keep throwing me off balance.I needed a way to calm myself, to take control again. And I knew exactly how to do that.Emerson.He was my anchor, my source of pleasure and comfort. Whenever things felt like they were spiraling, he was there to ground me. And tonight, I needed him more than ever. If I could just feel his arms around me, remind him of what we had, I’d be able to shove this growing anxiety out of my mind. With Raven acting like she didn’t care about him, I had to be the one to soothe his frustrations.I spent a few minutes freshening up in the bathroom, smoothing my hair and reapplying some lipstick. By the time I was finished, I felt a new surge of determination. Emerson was mine, an
Lila The morning sun filtered through the curtains as I slipped out of bed, my stomach tight with nerves and anticipation. Today had to go well. I couldn’t afford any more setbacks. Emerson had been avoiding me like the plague lately, and Raven… she was more distant than ever, even though she was in our faces every day. I could feel something shifting, something dangerous in the air, but I had to stay focused. One wrong move, and everything I had been working toward could collapse.As I stepped into the kitchen, I put on my best smile. The smell of freshly brewed coffee filled the room, and Raven sat at the table, scrolling through her phone, while Emerson sat across from her, staring into his mug like it held all the answers to his problems. The tension in the air was palpable, but I wasn’t going to let it get to me. Not today.“Good morning!” I chirped, forcing a cheerful tone as I pulled out a chair.Neither of them looked up. Raven continued to tap away on her phone, and Emerson,
LilaThe plane engines hummed steadily as we took off, lifting into the sky, and I glanced over at Emerson. He sat beside me, eyes closed, fingers drumming lightly on the armrest, exuding his usual calm but distant demeanor. I’d spent the past few days meticulously preparing for this trip, knowing this was my chance to execute my plan, and here I was, sitting next to him, the moment finally arriving.“Excited for the trip?” I asked, keeping my tone light and conversational.He opened one eye and looked at me for a moment before responding. “It’s work, Lila. I wouldn’t exactly call that exciting.”I smiled, leaning back in my seat. “Well, it’s an important deal for the company. I’m sure we’ll make a good team.”He gave a noncommittal grunt and turned his attention to the file in front of him, signaling the end of the conversation. Typical Emerson—cold, detached, always focused on business. I’d expected this, of course. It was why I had to play this trip so carefully. If I pushed too ha
RavenPeace. That’s all I felt as I sat by the window, watching the sunset fade into the horizon. With Emerson and Lila gone on their business trip, the house was finally quiet, devoid of the tension that always seemed to fill the air when they were around. It was almost like a burden had lifted from my shoulders, one I hadn’t even fully realized I was carrying.I knew they were together, probably continuing their affair without any concern for discretion, and surprisingly, I didn’t care. In fact, I welcomed the distance. Let them do whatever they wanted—I had my own plans. This break from their constant presence gave me time to think, to strategize. My goal was clear: expose them. And not just in some quiet, behind-the-scenes way. I wanted everyone to know exactly who they were, and I was going to do it publicly.But that would come in time. For now, I had the house to myself. I had dinner, a quiet affair for once, and slipped into bed early, my mind still running through different s
Raven**WARNING—STEAMY SCENES AHEAD**The moment Clark kissed me again, deeper and more passionate than before, I felt my heart race in my chest. This time, there was no hesitation, no lingering doubt. Just raw emotion and need, swirling between us, pushing us toward something inevitable.Before I knew it, his strong arms were around me, lifting me effortlessly off the ground. My breath caught in my throat as he carried me toward his room, the hallway blurring in my peripheral vision. My heart pounded with anticipation, excitement, and maybe a little fear. But none of it was enough to stop me.As soon as we were inside, Clark set me down gently on the edge of the bed, his eyes dark with desire as he looked at me. My chest rose and fell with each shallow breath, my pulse racing beneath my skin. Neither of us spoke; words weren’t necessary. Instead, he began to undress me, his fingers brushing against my skin, sending shivers down my spine.I was trembling, not from fear, but from the i
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