[Ralph’s POV]“So you’re saying, we’ll no longer be called ‘Second Tiers’,” repeated Gerardo Virtus, the eldest son of the newly retired Second Tier Liandro Virtus, descendant of the First Sergeant of the fighting force of the old government of U.R.T. “Instead,” his cigarette eroded voice added, “We’ll be known as ‘Directors’.” I stared firmly at him, seated on my left, on the white leather couch in front of my desk, and said, “Director Gerardo, yes. That’s what I said.” I tapped my finger on the glass surface in a slow, steady beat and elaborated, “I’d like to offer you our media business.”To his squinted gaze of caution, I inhaled sharply and explained, “You have a degree in communications.” “Yes, I do.” “And you’re active in the grapevine.” The twenty-five year old grinned with a twinkle in his eyes. “So you’re the best in the family for the job,” I concluded. “What’s in it for me?” Smart boy. I drew in another silent breath and stared at my tapping finger and replied, “Yo
[Juliette’s POV]“Yes….” I sighed and gasped. He was sucking the pulsating skin below my earlobe as his finger slipped in. I closed my eyes and leaned back, propping on my elbows to stretch my neck wide open for his better access, and he gladly took it, kissing and nibbling the curve joining my neck to my shoulder. “The whole time I was there…,” Ralph breathed, his warm breath tickled my skin and a shudder coursed through me. “I thought of you….” Another gasp slipped from my lips—another finger had just slipped in to caress my insides. “I thought only of you, kitten…,” he whispered against the base of my throat before kissing the skin there, then shoved my keyboard and files aside and gently pushed me down on the table.I admired him through hooded eyes as he watched me. His finger continuously stroked the slick velvety folds beyond the swelling lips between my thighs, eliciting streaks of pleasure up my spine and forcing whimpers of pleas through my lips. His free hand cradle
[Ralph’s POV]As I’d guessed, her head popped in like a curious child, staring at me. “Ralph? What are you doing here? And why’s everyone here?” She came out from behind the door frame, frowning with jealousy at being left out. “Are you discussing the wedding ceremony?”“No,” I replied curtly, trying my best to sound casual. She was walking towards the couch when she heard my reply and halted. Then, a pout surfaced. “I’ve interrupted something, haven’t I?” “Nonsense, Julie!” Agatha chirped cheerfully like a songbird. “We were just having a fortnightly meeting with Mr. Ralph.”“What for?” And there it is… her questioning. I was smiling inside. Outside, I was frowning as hard as I could. So I wouldn’t give myself away. She glanced at me and then dropped her gaze like a wounded kitten. “I shall stop with the questions. Ralph’s upset. I’ll… I’ll head back to my room.” It was then I realised that she was still in her nightgown. And I knew that she would change out of it. Immediat
[Ralph’s POV]The curtain opened and she stood before me in her white gown and I couldn’t stop staring. My legs acted on their own and I slowly came to a stand as she sauntered towards me, those purple sapphires beaming shyly at me. When she arrived in front of me, she whispered softly, “I look weird, don’t I…?” I found my fingers stroking her cheek lightly as a hoarse voice slipped into the air. “You look beautiful, Juliette.” That feathery skin tinted slightly and she looked down as her hands reached out to touch the collar of my tux. “I like you in midnight blue,” she breathed. A smile touched my lips. “Are you talking about the tux I wore at the church?” “Yes,” she sighed, her eyes on my mouth. “It made my insides tingle. Back then.” Fuck… when did she become this sexy…. Everything that comes out of that sweet mouth just turns me into a sucker for her. She finally looked up at me. “What about me? Do you prefer this dress or the one I wore at the church?” I gazed into the
[Juliette’s POV] Routines were thrown out the window—that was the first major change in the Virtus household. Which felt strange. As soon as I passed through the iron gates that guard the Virtus grounds from outsiders, I felt like a soldier reporting for duty. Immediately (even though I was away for months), I remembered the exact timing for each meal and the chores I was supposed to do at each particular time of the day. However, this time, I was told that I had no schedule at all, just as my life had been all these years at the Lux mansion. Ralph took me to the ends of the plain field—which Margaret had already showed me. But I didn’t mind seeing it again; with Ralph, it was more fun—the way his thick brows knit whenever he saw the stretches of barren land beyond his property, it exuded the alluring charm of a man with great ambitions. That fierce gaze seemed to say: one day, every inch of this flat terrain will belong to the Virtus—just as every inch of the terrains surroun
[Juliette’s POV] “I think it’s a good idea to send our new merchandise to these influencers and content producers,” I said to the Chief Designer of CHERI and her Marketing Director. “Our target consumers look up to them like trend masters. They can help develop the identity of the new line.” I looked through the list of selected influencers and content producers and their bio, as well as the concept of their channels, and said, thinking aloud, “I like that they are not socialites.” The Chief Designer smiled at her Marketing Director and then at Ralph. “We also love Lux Corp’s new direction of affordable quality. So we started this new line.” “Will the consumers find the brand questionable?” Ralph finally asked. Everyone in the conference room turned to him and he calmly explained, “CHERI is an ultra high-end brand To suddenly come up with an affordable line. The average consumer may lose hope with the brand.” “Not if we focus on the quality,” defended the Chief Designer, a for
[Ralph’s POV]Something happened at the meeting with Monsieur Kugerfield. I can see it on her face. I sighed as I continued chewing the roast chicken in my mouth. If I asked her about it, she would either give me an honest answer, or a sarcastic reply—the former means she wants to talk about it; the latter, she wants to whine about it and have me take her side. “How did it go?” I asked, trying to sound concerned for the business sake, but not too concerned because it’s about another woman.A brief pause, and then her face lifted with the brightest smile. “It went well!” Fuck. It didn’t. She caught the look on my face and the smile lessened as she added, “At least that’s what I think.” I swallowed the meat and asked, “What happened?” She stared at her plate of untouched roast chicken and muttered, “He rejected all of them.” Jesus Christ… I need to find something to help her take the steam off. “I see.” Her face jerked up again, this time with the worry and guilt of my men when
[Ralph’s POV]Women are bad drivers—this I don’t believe. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve seen Jewel take the wheel, and she’s one hell of a driver. But women are bad with guns—this… I’m starting to believe. BANG! “Ah!” BANG!“AH!!!” BANG!“OH MY FUCKING GOD!” I removed my earmuffs and yanked Juliette’s behind her head. “Jesus Christ, Juliette!” I barked at her. I took a quick scan around the area, relieved that we are the only ones around, and then glared at the heiress. “You’re fucking noisy!” I hissed. And fucking erotic! GODDAMN IT. I listened to a few more, I might actually get hard. She was equally pissed. “I’m noisy?” She jerked up her hand that was holding the gun. “THIS IS NOISY!” I shook the headphones around her neck. “You have these! They’re supposed to reduce the noise.” “Well, they aren’t doing a good job, aren’t they?!” she snapped. I took the gun from her and drew in a deep breath to calm my nerves. “I know you’re scared—.” “DAMN WELL I AM.” She sulked
[Juliette’s POV]”Jesus Christ….” Ralph stared in wide shock at the truth revealed in Elizabeth Lux’s handwriting. His shock was as good as mine. I realised my mouth was agape and closed it, my shock finally ingested in a gulp and an inhale. I found my voice and muttered, “She had his baby.” I turned to Ralph and swallowed again to maintain my voice. “Milo’s not the first.” I grabbed Ralph’s sleeves and shook him out of his daze. “Milo’s not the first to have the Lux and Virtus blood! Do you know what this means?” The swell in his throat finally came alive, bobbing nervously between the collar of his freshly put on shirt, and he murmured with heightened worry. “This means Milo is in grave danger.” I felt my face fall deadpan. That wasn’t what I had in mind. “No, silly! Milo isn’t the first. That means he’s safe! Daddy wouldn’t mind having him.” I pointed at the journal. “Daddy knows this all along—.” “And he hates it.” Ralph’s fierce gaze bore into mine, trying to make me see what
[Ralph’s POV]And I slid my fingers through hers. I pinned her hands above her wonderful expression of bliss to sink deeper into her. She wrapped around me unconditionally while I stroked her the way she wanted, stretching her desires beyond that cliff so she’d want—no—burn for that tip. I pushed in further, driving her body to the brink of madness as our lips almost touched, my nipples pressing hard against hers, grinding, yearning for her the same ways her blood boils for me. “How badly do you want me, kitten?” I licked her quivering, intoxicated upper lip. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t help but tease her. My damn, damn pride. Her insides were hot like lava, twitching fiercely with a need for me to move. But her slender thighs were wedged securely between our warm bodies so she was completely immobilised, afraid that the slightest touch would take away everything, and she didn’t want that. So she resorted to hiking that sweet voice of hers. “Ralph, please!” I seized her
[Juliette’s POV]“Don’t worry, Miss Julie!” Thomas’ voice rang as the car bolted forward. “No one will know a thing!” Outside the window was pitch darkness. Even the headlights were off so that they wouldn’t be spotted. “You’ll be killed if Papa finds out,” I murmured, my heart racing as fast as the car. Thomas chuckled. “I’ll be fine, Miss Julie. There’s one thing I know for sure about Master Lux: he doesn’t care about small fries like us.”I felt my lips curled up in a smile. That’s true. Papa wouldn’t even know of Thomas’ existence. “But he’ll know when a car’s missing.” I sighed. “We’re so fucked. We’ll be discovered. And we’ll both have to pay for it—.” God, I’m whiny. “This is a gift, Miss Julie. From Mr. Ralph!” Thomas proudly patted the steering wheel. “The old Master hasn't visited the garage since his return. I bet you a hundred dollars, he doesn't know about this baby. Besides, it’s mine. I don’t put it with the other cars he used. So he’ll never know.” So this is wh
[Juliette’s {POV]He raised a brow. “Was?” And I nodded. “Before my vacation.” I looked down at my feet, the way I always do when I regret my actions. “I was struggling… I’m sure you can tell–I mean, you know… I couldn’t tell what’s real. I was living a lie for so long that I had started to believe it.” “That’s why you asked for a vacation.” A statement that sounded like a question, Papa’s condescending way of telling someone that he knows better. And I ran along with it. “Yes.” “And your head is clear now.” “Never been clearer.’ I glanced at Agatha who’d been standing behind Papa, her knowing gaze told me she'd laid the groundwork. So I casually explained, “That’s why I got curious, Papa. Ralph had access to everything you owned, including this room. And I remember how much you treasure this place.” The scepticism was still locked in his gaze but my confidence didn’t falter like before. “That’s why you never let anyone in. Only Agatha cleans this place, and she’s always supervi
[Ralph’s POV]“A break in?” Robert gasped, and anxiety was banging against my skull, threatening to burst through. “Goddamn it, Ben!” I roared. “What the fuck is wrong with you? We use it, we throw it away. It’s just a fucking burn phone—you didn’t use one, did you? You kept a second phone.”“It was for Jewel.” There was regret in his voice. But I couldn’t let it go. “And you left it in the office? Can you be any dumber? Now two lives are in danger because of you!” “ME?!” He finally flew off the handle. “You let the love of my life take care of your stupid child! Do you know how dangerous that is? That child’s a fucking shooting target!” My eyes turned murderous. “What the fuck did you just say?” Suddenly, Ben was as calm as he’s ever been. “I was wrong. I apologise.” At my silence, he continued, “I know you can’t chill” “The fuck I can.” My voice was running on its own. “So I won’t ask. But listen, will you? A shadow’s already on his way.” My fingers raged through my hair, sh
[Harold’s POV] “So he was there.” The owner of Lux empire, known to all as the Business King, Harold Lux, was tapping his finger on the antique desk back in his office at Lux Corp, listening to the P.I. reporting on the voice speaker of his phone, when rage took over. “And my daughter was there.” His voice was unusually calm. But his best friend and veteran lawyer, Jerry, could detect the livid undertone, and a sigh of exasperation let out into the air. His old brows slowly gathered. “Did they meet?” What a question. Of course, they did. Of course, they would! Harold’s fingers gathered into a clutch—within it, is Ralph Virtus’ neck. After the flipping of pages, the P.I.’s voice was back on. “No.” Everything slid off those tensed shoulders. Harold leaned forward, interested for the first time. “Are you sure?” More pages flipped to highlight the professionalism and then the voice returned. “Positive. She stayed in her villa. He stayed in his.” “And you surveille
[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.’