ARIES
A lingering shadow!
It had been a stretch of time, exactly three fucking year, since Rochelle’s death, but the ache still lingered in my chest like an open wound, pulsing each time I saw her name or a place we used to frequent. Adrien and I had thrown ourselves into our work, trying to fill the void she left behind, but nothing ever filled that emptiness. We were like ghosts in our own lives, floating through the days, avoiding the shadows of our past and the surface of our feelings.
Whenever we stepped out, women would approach—some bold, others coy—but all met with the same fate. Delight was relentless, using her beauty and charm in attemp
ARIESStill can't get over her!“I don't feel comfortable with this plan of yours,” Adrien said to me as he watched Leo leave.“You don't have to… and you don't have to come with me,” I said to him.“I never said I'm not in,” he said, sounding like one whose resolve had been broken.The next evening, I found myself seated at a candlelit table in the restaurant, adhering to the predetermined plan I had agreed to—a dinner with two girls I knew nothing about. My stomach churned as I fidgeted with the edge of the tab
ROCHELLE Nowhere to hide!I woke to the sound of muffled voices cutting through the darkness like a knife. My heart thudded in my chest as I lay still, straining to identify the voices. Panic gripped me as I recognized both Elena and a man. “Where is she!?” The man’s voice was deep and angry, reverberating in the small living room of Maria’s apartment. “She’s not here, I swear, Eduardo,” Elena replied, her voice shaking. A chill ran down my spine as fear pooled in my stomach. Eduardo? One of the gang members that had attacked me. I had barely escaped their clutches last night thanks to Elena, but now the danger seemed to loom over me again. I held my breath, listening intently.“Do not lie to me, woman! I know she’s around! If she’s in this house, you’ll wish you had told me where she is!” Eduardo scoffed, the threat clear. His tone suggested he was losing patience… and that came with terrifying implications. My mind raced. They were getting closer. If they found m
ROCHELLE Back to the prince!I watched as Eduardo stepped aside, signaling for his men to take action. I felt my heart drop. The world around me slowed down as I heard Maria and Elena’s cries for mercy. I couldn’t bear to watch, but at that moment, helplessness consumed me. I was stuck between what felt like an impossible choice.“Please, just let them go!” I shouted desperately. But it was too late—the gun went off, and everything faded into chaos. My world cracked and flared with gunfire, screams filled the air. I stumbled backward, wanting to close my eyes and block out the horror.I had no idea if either woman was still alive. It was all because of me.“Now, you’re coming with us,” Eduardo said, seizing my arm and pulling me closer to him. I knew I had to fight back, to scream for help, but all that came out was a shuddering breath. It felt as if I was losing everything in that moment, caught in the thick of my nightmare.They dragged me down side streets, through
ROCHELLE He's hiding something!The thick curtains blocked the late evening light, but even in the dimness of my room, I could hear the muffled sounds of voices drifting through the walls. I stirred in bed, the remnants of sleep still hazy in my mind. My heart raced as I sat up, instinctively straining to listen.The voices grew louder, a rising tide of tension. Then I recognized that one of them belonged to Prince Herold. He was arguing, and from the tone, it sounded fierce. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, curiosity heightening as I approached the door. I stopped just short of opening it, straining to catch what I could of the heated discussion. I couldn't make out everything they were saying, but snippets of Spanish flew around, punctuated by Herold's unmistakable tone, which held both frustration and anger. I creaked the door open slightly, just enough to peek outside without being seen. My instincts were right; there they were, standing in the hallway: a cou
ROCHELLE I found out he's…. gay!The next morning felt strange as I woke up. I could hear the bustling sounds of maids moving in and out of the hallways, their footsteps echoing against the grand marble floors. It reminded me so much of the home I had lost. I sat up, rubbing sleep from my eyes, and took a moment to collect my thoughts. I was still trying to adjust to everything that had happened to me in such a short time. Nothing seemed certain anymore.Curiosity pulled me out of bed, and I decided to venture out of my room. As I walked through the expansive hallway, I noticed the maids were busy arranging a large dining table that could easily seat twenty people. Floral arrangements were being placed, chairs adjusted, and linens smoothed down.“Excuse me,” I called softly to one of the maids. She turned to me, momentarily surprised.“Yes, Miss?” she replied, her expression polite, even though her eyes betrayed a flicker of curiosity.“What’s going on today? There seem
ROCHELLE He doesn't even feel sorry!My legs moved on their own, propelled by intrigue, and I approached the door from which the sound emerged. The sound became clearer. It was obvious someone was in trouble. Slowly, I peeked through the gap. Shock coursed through my veins as my eyes widened in disbelief. There he was—Prince Herold—naked and entwined with another man, their bodies tangled on the lavish bed. They were fondling each other, just the way Aries, Adrien and I used to. Prince Herold was moaning in ecstacy, calling his partner's name.“Harder, Alvarez!,” he said, holding onto him like his life depended on it.My breath caught in my throat, and a wave of horror washed over me. I couldn't breathe.The shock on their faces mirrored my own as they caught sight of me. Dead silence fell upon the room, the air thick with an awkward tension. “What the hell, Rochelle?!” Herold's voice thundered, disbelief and anger pooling together, creating a tempest.“You told me to st
ROCHELLE To do or not to!Dinner that night felt awkward. Prince Herold and I sat at an elegantly set table, the soft glow of candles flickering between us, but silence enveloped the room like a thick fog. No one said a word to each other, even though it was obvious none of us seemed to enjoy it.The air was filled with the rich aroma of roasted duck and garlic mashed potatoes, yet my appetite had vanished. I pushed the food around my plate absently, stealing glances at the prince. His brow was furrowed, deep in thought, while I wrestled with the reminder of what I had seen earlier—him with another man. The tension hung between us, heavy and unyielding. I couldn't shake the images from my mind, how intimate they had seemed, how he seemed to enjoy being drilled by another man. Having spent so much time together in recent days, I had begun to think I knew him. But now I was left with more questions than answers.“Are you not going to eat anything?” he suddenly asked,
ROCHELLE I played his cards!“Rochelle!” The voice startled me as I stepped into the breakfast nook. It was Herold, visibly anxious, fidgeting with a crisp white napkin. “I didn’t know if you’d made up your mind.”“I have,” I said, surprising myself with how steady my voice was. “I’ll help you.”His eyes widened, and for a moment, I saw relief wash over his face. “You really mean it?”“Yes, but I need you to understand something,” I replied, trying to keep my tone even. “I’m doing this only to help you through the situation. Don’t expect anything more, okay?”“Of course! Thank you, Rochelle!” He stepped closer, an almost boyish excitement lighting up his features. “Let’s not get carried away,” I warned, feeling a flare of annoyance. “This doesn’t change anything between us.”“I understand,” he replied, his eyes serious. “But if you need anything, I promise to take care of you. You’ll be compensated handsomely. Name your price.”I shook my head, a small chuckle escaping
ROCHELLENo better way than this!Being back in Aries' and Adrien’s arms felt surreal. I had dreamed of this moment for so long, yet now that it was real, I didn’t know how to process it. My heart felt full, but my body was still weak from everything I had endured. The constant care and attention they gave me were overwhelming in the best way possible. It was as though they were trying to make up for every second of the time we had lost, every ounce of pain they had caused me in the past.Adrien sat beside me on the massive couch in their living room, fluffing pillows and tucking blankets
ARIES We fucking did it!The cold night air bit at my skin as Adrien and I crouched behind the black SUVs parked in the shadows outside the warehouse. The place was surrounded by her guards, all heavily armed, their faces masked with the determination of people who had pledged loyalty to someone as dangerous as Delight. My fingers tightened around the grip of my pistol as I looked at Adrien. His jaw was set, his eyes darker than I had ever seen them. He nodded at me, his silent signal. We were ready.The police had insisted on being part of this raid, but I didn’t trust anyone else to bring Rochelle home. Not after everything that had happened. Delight had taken too much from us already—her betrayal, her lies, her madness. This was personal.“Move in!” one of the officers barked out instructions to his colleagues, and the police stormed the front.“I'm coming with you,” Prince Herold said.“No way!,” I said.“Why?,” he asked.“We can't risk you going in there with
ADRIEN A tip off!The chaos that surrounded Prince Herold’s palace was suffocating. Broken furniture, shattered glass, and bloodstains painted a gruesome picture of the attack from the night before. The air reeked of smoke and sweat, and the sound of paramedics treating the wounded guards mingled with the murmurs of the police officers conducting their investigation.Everything was messed up, really!Aries stood to my left, his arms crossed, his expression a mask of fury barely contained. Herold paced back and forth, his usually regal demeanor now replaced with restless energy. He was mumbling under his breath, blaming himself for what had happened.“I should have saved her! I have let her down,” he kept on saying.I couldn’t argue with him. If we were being honest, we all felt responsible…guilty… almost like we had committed the crime.“Damn it, Adrien,” Aries muttered, his voice low but tight with anger. “How the hell did we let this happen? We had her, bu
DELIGHT I'm always steps ahead!The glass of wine in my hand trembled as rage coursed through me. They had done it again—Aries and Adrien. The brothers thought they were untouchable, didn’t they? Thought they could storm into my world, take Robert, and walk away like they owned the place. The audacity!I slammed the glass onto the table, the crimson liquid sloshing over the rim. My men flinched but said nothing. They knew better than to speak when I was like this. I paced the room, my heels clicking against the marble floor, my mind racing with possibilities.“They think they’ve won,” I said, my voice low and venomous. “But they underestimated me the last time.”One of my men, Marcus, stepped forward cautiously. “What’s the plan, boss?”I smirked, my anger shifting into something darker. “We’re going to hit them where it hurts. Rochelle must pay with her life.”The name tasted bitter on my tongue. Aries and Adrien might be brilliant strategists, but their Achilles’ heel was
ARIES A step ahead…The room was dark except for the faint glow of Adrien’s laptop screen. He was hunched over it, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he brought up satellite images of the city. The tension in the air was thick, heavier than I had ever felt before. We had dealt with a lot of dangerous situations over the years, but this one was personal. Delight had crossed the line by kidnapping Robert.I leaned against the wall, arms crossed, trying to keep my thoughts in order. “You sure you’ve got the right location?” I asked, breaking the silence.Adrien glanced up at me, his eyes cold and calculating. “Positive. The signal from his watch showed up at this abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. She’s using it as her base.”I nodded, pacing the room. “She’s getting bolder. She must know we’d come for him.”“That’s what she’s counting on,” Adrien said. “But we’re not walking into this blind. I’ve already mapped out the weak points in their security. We’
ROCHELLE She threatened to kill him!I stood frozen, my phone trembling in my hand. The moment Delight’s voice cut through the silence, everything around me blurred.“I have your father,” she had said, her tone dripping with malice. “If you ever want to see him alive, you’ll do exactly as I say.”Her words echoed in my mind long after the call ended. My heart pounded in my chest, and my breath came in short, panicked gasps. How had it come to this? My father, an innocent man with no connection to my tangled past, was now a pawn in Delight’s twisted game.I turned to Herold, my mind racing. “She has my father,” I said, my voice cracking. “We need to do something.”Herold’s calm exterior faltered for a moment, his brows knitting together. “What does she want?” he asked, his voice steady but laced with concern.“She didn’t say,” I replied, pacing the room. “She just… she just wanted me to know that she has him. Oh God, Herold, what if she hurts him?”“Calm down,” he said firmly
DELIGHT Playing the death game my way!The party had become a nightmare I barely escaped.I had seen her. Rochelle. The corner of her lips curled in a triumphant smirk as she leaned toward one of the guards obviously attached to her. My heart raced as I watched her whisper something into his ear.The guard’s expression darkened, and I saw him gesture subtly to a group of men stationed near the exit. My breath hitched. They were coming for me, I knew it.I knew I needed to do something, else I'd be the one begging to have her life spared.I couldn’t afford to panic. Not here, not now. Years of being on edge had taught me to think fast. As the guards started moving in my direction, I casually slipped behind a group of chatting guests. I smiled politely, pretending to laugh at a joke I didn’t hear, before slipping through a side door that led to the kitchen.Inside, I found the catering staff busy with trays of different delicacies.“You need something, ma'am?,” one of them asked
ARIES The devil was our housemate!The air in the study felt suffocating, even though the windows were cracked open to let in the cool evening breeze. Adrien paced the room, his polished shoes clicking against the hardwood floor. I sat on the edge of my desk, my arms crossed, trying to keep my temper in check.The party was over. Everyone had left, but Rochelle’s face, her voice, her very presence, was still vivid in my mind. She wasn’t just a memory anymore. She was here, alive, but hunted.We couldn’t let whoever tried to kill her succeed a second time.She had refused to tell us who it was… Or maybe she didn't have a clue who. That made our task even more complicated than it already was.Adrien stopped pacing and looked at me. “We need to start somewhere, Aries. But this isn’t just about finding the truth—it’s about protecting Rochelle. She’s already been through enough.”I nodded, my jaw tight. “Agreed. But finding the truth is the only way we can protect her. Whoever did th
ROCHELLE Finally, the truth!The more I looked at her, the more convinced I was that she was the one. It wasn’t just a resemblance. It was her. Rochelle. The woman we’d loved and lost, the woman we had mourned, the woman we’d failed to save. Yet here she was, standing next to Prince Herold as if the last three years had been nothing but a cruel dream.Beside me, Aries went rigid. His glass of whiskey trembled in his hand before he set it down on the bar with a sharp clink. “Adrien,” he whispered, his voice taut with disbelief, “tell me I’m not seeing things.”“You’re not,” I muttered, my eyes glued to her. Rochelle. Alive. Breathing. Laughing softly at something Herold said. The sight of her felt like a punch to the gut and a balm to my soul, all at once.Delight’s honeyed voice interrupted my thoughts. “Gentlemen,” she purred, sidling up to us. “You’re staring. Quite rude, don’t you think?” Her tone was light, but her eyes glinted with suspicion.Aries barely spared h