[Juliette’s POV] Dear Julie, I’m sorry. I haven’t been able to get in touch. I’m being watched. So I need to be careful. I’m well. Don’t worry. A tear fell on the letter like a drop of ink and it smudged mother’s name. I couldn’t stop smiling—mother’s alright! She’s fine. Thank goodness! I sniffed and read on: Julie, be careful of Ralph Virtus. I froze in my smile. Swallowing hard, I pushed through the dread to read on: Don’t trust him. He tried to kill your father. I saw him in the truck so he tried to kill me too. But I managed to escape. Be careful, my sweet. If you ever need help, go to Luke. He’s our only hope. My hand was trembling when I finished. What to make of this? How should I interpret this? I knew that a Virtus can’t be trusted, for centuries. But Ralph is different. By and by he had proven my intuitions wrong. By and by, I found myself believing in him. But mother won’t lie to me too! I held the paper to my chest, crushing it in the process, as
[Juliette’s POV] Our moans grew rapid and loud with the slapping of our bare skins as I bounced up and down on his lap, repeatedly ramming myself onto him, grinding strongly each time I landed. Rings and rings of pure bliss course through me, over and over again, until a surge overtook me, arching my back and giving him the chance to pull a tight bud into his mouth. His tongue felt glorious. “Oh god, fuck!” I gasped delightfully and slammed harder onto him. He released my nipple and went for the other one. “You love this, babe?” “Yes!” I blurted as I swayed my hips with him inside me, filling me completely. “I love you making love to me, Ralph!” He grabbed a fistful of my hair to hold my head, so he could seize my swollen lips for a passionate kiss. Clutching me close, he shoved into me hard and wild until another wave of exhilaration shook us both. I fell limp against him, but he was holding me tightly. “Aren’t you feisty today?.” He chuckled against my ear. “I’m in a g
[Juliette’s POV] His gaze darkened. “Nothing more to do with me?” The Mafia King moved towards me, his voice lowered to a dangerous tone. “So all I am is just a good fuck? All that ‘run away with me’, ‘let’s have two football teams together’. What was that all about? TO HUMOUR ME?” He was fuming mad. Flashes of those glorious and fun moments crossed my mind as I stared at him. He arrived before me and breathed, “You think you can erase every fucking thing we did and have a clean start?” I swallowed hard to suppress my tears. “Once the child is born, I want a divorce.” He stared at me. “So all those things you’ve said, everything we did, they all mean nothing to you.” I couldn’t bring myself to reply. Inside, I was shaking in pain. No. They mean everything to me. They are my heart. But I really can’t keep this up. Every time I get evidence pointing to Ralph as the culprit, I feel torn. I can’t do this anymore! He drew in a deep inhale and then exhaled to say, “Fine. You
[Juliette's POV]I grabbed Ralph's phone and realised that he had removed the passcode. I unlocked the phone with ease. I have nothing more to hide, Ralph's voice echoed at the back of my mind, and misery set in. So this was what he meant. Sadly, I stared at the photo of Luke in the midst of ravishing my mother and fury stamped into my chest. I swiped left at a furious speed, and four more photos later I arrived at the next set of photos: all of them showing Luke entering a club and leaving with different women, and then him entering a hotel with those women and leaving alone. One of these women was clearly Melissa. Now, disgust filled my gut, mixing violently with rage. I eagerly swiped more and came to snapshots of receipts—all spendings at clubs, cafes and restaurants, shopping malls, and hotels. And they were all received in a week. The total damage? 1.7 million dollars. Luke had spent 1.7 million dollars over a week. But doesn't he make only 6k a month? How can he afford
[Luke’s POV]Luke sat on the couch of their second love nest, located further beyond the city outskirts—a cottage nestled in an inconspicuous spot that is a few miles from a thin strip of deserted coast, which is known only amongst the few homeless people in the U.R.T. He would often meet his Queen here when the old man was back in the country. The apartment was where they would rendezvous during the old man’s business trips. For thirteen years, they met in secret, and not once did anyone suspect anything. Or so they thought. Luke stared at the door to the other room, where Juliette was locked up, and the storm inside him started raging once more. He slammed a fist on the couch’s arm, just as the door opened and Kate, his beautiful queen, slipped out from behind it. She closed the door and slithered gracefully towards him. “How’s she?” He was referring to Juliette. Kate sat beside Luke and snuggled up against him as his arms went around her shoulders. “Sedated,” she exhaled as t
[Ralph’s POV] “Mr. Virtus?” I turned to the Thai CEO with a friendly smile. “What’s it gonna be, Mr. Sangthong?” “We shall postpone the meeting. We thank you very much for your kind gesture.” “I really appreciate your understanding, Mr. Sangthong.” The doors to the conference room opened again and two staff from the PR team—upon Ben’s request—entered, and I introduced them to the Thai guests. “My colleagues, Rachel and James, will be assisting you and your team. We’ll help you get settled in our hotel real smoothly. They’ll also bring you around our beautiful city, if you don’t mind.” And the guests left with huge smiles. Alone again, I blurted, “Goddamn it!” “What is it?” Ben asked as I fished out my phone—the one that I had been using all along. “Agatha sent me a text and I blatantly ignored it,” I said, feeling stupid. Quickly, I blew up the text and froze. JULIE TOOK A CAB OUT. SAID SHE WANTS TO GET SOME FRESH AIR. BUT SHE SEEMS TO BE IN A RUSH. IS EVERYTHING A
[Juliette's POV] Fifteen minutes ago… “Come along, Julie,” ordered a familiar voice, and I was hauled up. Despite the blindfolds, I could tell who the person was. “Mother, please,” I begged, as I did since they removed me from that apartment. “There’s no way out of this—Mmph!” A huge ball of cloth was stuffed into my mouth, silencing me. “I’ve always hated the sound of your voice, Julie,” she whispered coldly. I stared at the darkness before me. My mother… hates me? “The first cry you made… argh,” she grunted with exasperation and then continued in a whisper so calm that it felt psychotic. “I felt as though someone was stabbing my ears with needles. Why oh why did I ever agree to have a child? How stupid of me.” As I listened, the tears from my heartache swarmed to the back of my eyes. The revelation was like a stake through my heart. All those kind smiles, the words of love and concern, the encouraging advice, had been nothing but lies. “I lost everything dear to me the
[Stalker’s POV]He knows the U.R.T. like the back of his gun. He keeps track of every hole and crevice—the perfect cloak of invisibility for those involved in some sort of shady business. His job requires it. He’s a soldier of his own now. He finds his own missions, which includes finding lost ‘items’, shadowing someone, or something, for protection, and saving victims of kidnap and human trafficking. He makes his own plans and moves alone. It has served him well so far. Less baggage to carry. But a greater reliance on his own knowledge, experience and intuitions, so he has to keep moving forward, keep up with the latest trends and intel. As soon as he finished reading the text from Ben Smith, he had identified the five likely areas where the target would be residing and, immediately, made his way there. His only obstruction —the size of U.R.T. Each area is about two to three hours drive apart. He has the skills but not that of God. He hoped that he could get to the hostage in ti
[Chatri’s POV]The EMERGENCY sign was still lit up. Chatri couldn’t tear his gaze away from it, making sure the light doesn’t go out Across him, seated on the row of plastic chairs, nestled safely between his wife and his mother, his precious fourteen-year-old daughter was praying hard for her saviour too. It was near his heart. Guilt burned the back of her eyes. Ralph-kun… I blamed you for destroying the peace that we’ve paid with our blood and sweat to get. Yet, you did not leave me alone. You fought by my side. You kept your word. With your life. Is this the root of your men’s loyalty? Three hours ago, when they got to the van, her daughter was a crying mess, her almost naked body would have been in full display if it weren’t for that bloodied jacket. Ralph Virtus was sprawled at the van’s entrance, hanging on by a thread. Chatri had to get in the chopper. Footsteps snapped him back to the silent hallway. The ex-mob leader turned to them and Ralph-kun’s right-hand man was mo
[Juliette’s POV]“My father has brought us to the next level—there’s no doubt about it. But as you can see, the charts do not lie. Lux Corp will not survive the casino’s first quarter if we sit back and do nothing.”I gazed firmly around the room. These so-called shareholders of Lux Corp. I need to break their resistance and knock some sense back into them. The oldest one of the group cleared his throat and muttered in a haughty slow pace, “So what you’re saying is: remove Harold Lux as Chairman and put you in charge.” Another guy quickly added, “We don’t do this sort of thing.” Then, the third man snorted in derision. “I’m actually surprised that you gathered all of us here today without the Chairman. If he gets wind of this—.” “He won’t if none of us talk about it,” I snapped, frustration in my throat. What’s with the surprised looks and frowns of disapproval? Aren’t they as much of a businessman as Papa? Can’t they see the signs? The fucking obvious signs! Suddenly, Papa’s de
[Sarah’s POV]She can’t believe it. The unbeatable, ever invincible Don Ralph—the monster in the devil skin; a heartless murderer with the killer sense of an Olympic shooter; king of the world’s most ferocious mafia groups—is completely useless against an infant that’s less than an hour’s old. If it weren’t for Sarah’s fierce insistence and fearsome glare, he wouldn’t even hold his own child. ‘What if I break his neck?’ whispered the poor man, his eyes unable to stray from the tiny creature in his frozen arms. ‘Stop it,’ snapped the caretaker. ‘Sway gently, and you’ll be fine.’ She glanced at the bed and Juliette, who was sleeping soundly, and then back at the man, who would probably feel as though he’s on top of the world right now. Is he going to cry? ‘So what’s his name?’ asked Sarah, swiftly diverting those tears from crystalising. Without looking up, he muttered, ‘Milo.’ Then, he glanced at his sleeping wife and a proud smile appeared. ‘Milo Virtus. The first of the many.’
[Juliette’s POV]‘I am not selling anything.’ Papa’s eyes were filled with so much distaste, I felt ashamed for calling myself his heir. ‘I’m surprised that I have to remind you of the rules now. You wanted a vacation, and I gave you one. Now, you can’t even remember the simplest thing.’ My mouth opened, my explanation ready like a debate team, but I clamped my lips tight. He doesn’t want to hear anything right now. Right now, he only wants to vent. We’re losing money fast since twenty of our suppliers had suddenly asked for a price review.‘I do remember them, Papa,’ I murmured sourly. ‘Then why are you even suggesting that we sell off our least money-making businesses?’ he demanded angrily. Because that could stop more money from going out! My mind was screaming like a child being blamed for something that she didn’t do. Isn’t it common sense? When things get rough, tighten your pockets! Or is this yet another test? But I’m so done with all the tests! With the baby about to co
[Harold’s POV]SLAM!The sixty-ish fist slammed on the antique desk with the strength of a forty-year-old boxer. Even in his experience, there’s a limit to how much he can take. How did this happen? How did it slip by him unnoticed? The casino. He’d lost track. Damn his old man’s genes. They’re so useless, they made him useless as well. ‘You had no problems with the price for decades. Now, out of the blue you want—not one percent, not two—but a three percent hike?’ His knuckles were paling, bearing all the rage which only kept spiking. The calm voice at the other end of the phone irked Harold further. ‘My apologies, Mr. Lux. But you know how this works—we can’t hold down the price for any longer,’ replied the thirteenth supplier. ‘It’s been three decades since our last review. We hope you understand.’ Everyone wants his understanding. What about theirs? He’s cash strapped! Whose fault is it? If he didn’t build the casino for these bloodsuckers, he wouldn’t be stuck! If they weren’t
[Juliette’s POV]And then it crashed onto me. Like a boulder. I observed those golden swirls in his eyes burning with hurt and that hurt clenched my chest. Utensils down and my mouth wiped, I reached across the table and covered his hand with mine. ‘Growing up, I imagine the Virtuses as cold-blooded monsters,’ I began. Those brown irises dilated with fury, and I slipped my fingers through that large hand and rubbed my skin against his to calm the fire. ‘Because of all the stories I’ve been fed—we’ve all been fed.’ To his tensed jaw, I muttered softly, ‘I must speak for everyone, Ralph.’ ‘You’re not telling me that your father was fed the same story. He came to me with the aim of stealing my family’s land, Juliette.’ ‘I’m not saying—.’ ‘Stop defending him!’ Ralph jerked his hand out of my grasp, fuming. But his eyes never left me, which was a good sign. So immediately, I leaned forward and pleaded, ‘I’m not defending him.’ ‘Then what the fuck are you doing?’ ‘I’m trying to te
[Juliette’s POV]I smiled at the man gently resting his hand on my belly, so careful, so timidly, I almost couldn’t recognise him. Is this Ralph Virtus, the Mafia King? The one whom everyone calls The Devil? The handsome beast with the wits of a chess master. Those cold, fierce eyes were filled with so much fear that I wanted to hug him and squeeze those bad thoughts out of him. Those same golden brown eyes now widened in amazement as they swung up to me. ‘It moved.’ I chuckled and covered his hand with mine. ‘Of course it does, silly.’ He gazed at my stomach, his pupils dilating some more. ‘It’s kicking.’ He looked up, worried. ‘Does it hurt?’ I shook my head. ‘My chest just feels tight when it happens.’ Then, his ears were on my belly, listening intently. As amusing as it was watching his face change colour every second, I can’t help but worry that the next second something will happen to destroy this peaceful moment. As though he read my thoughts, his attention was back on
[Ralph’s POV]‘D…Did you just—I knew it.’ Her eyes were shaking with such low confidence, I almost couldn’t recognise them. ‘You find me annoying now….’ Her hands slid off my chest in defeat. Is this what a baby does to a woman? ‘I did not say that.’ As soon as I heard my voice, I froze again. Shit—that was cold. Quick—correct it. ‘I mean—I don’t mean what I said.’ I tried to grab her hand but missed it. ‘Juliette….’ Her shoulders were shaking too. ‘Jesus… you’re not crying now, are you?’ What? No. That came out wrong again. What the fuck is wrong with me? She spun around in full rage. With tears gushing down her steamed face, she jabbed a finger at my shoulder. ‘YES! I’m crying like a clingy pathetic woman! And whose fault is it? Who put this thing inside me?!’ She pointed at her round belly protruding proudly through her skirt. “WHO?!”I laughed. It was unplanned. Before I knew it, I was already holding my waist to steady myself. My shoulders were shaking, my chest was rumbli
[Ralph’s POV]I blinked at the Hong Kong mob leader and his voice returned. ‘... do you think?’ What were we discussing? Something that reminded me of Juliette and the baby. Of my fears. Of the baby dying inside Juliette’s stomach… or Juliette dying with the baby—yes. We were talking about that old fox and his shady business. My finger stopped tapping. ‘I’m closing all of it down.’ ‘No offence, nong Ralph.’ The Thai leader burst through. ‘My elders love khun Lux. It won’t be easy to shut them down.’ Chinh was frowning too. ‘You close down one, another will pop up. Who’ll say no to money?’‘Money and power,’ mumbled Andrei. ‘I’ve told you before. Harold Lux is well-connected. I can’t have the boys going against me. There are many who’ll have my head and you said that you’ll handle it. So all I have to do is focus on protecting my family from the ollies.’ ‘And this doesn’t change that,’ I repeated firmly. ‘I failed to see how,’ muttered the cool and collected Isamu. ‘Harold-san gi