[Juliette’s POV]‘Where’s Ben?’ I asked. The woman in the boss chair across the fancy antique desk, with every limb crossed, smirked and said, ‘He’s busy making sure that the models are focused on their training.’ My insides fell deadpan. Isn’t that her job? Or is she trying to get Ben out of the way? Outside, I maintained a cordial smile. ‘I see. So he’s been really helpful then.’ And her nose crunched with disgust. ‘As a gardener should.’ Jesus… There's really nothing likeable about this woman. Wonder what Ben sees in her. Maybe it’s all sensual for him—she does have all the curves, the perfect flesh-to-muscle proportion. She is afterall a runway model. ‘So what can I do for you?’ The fake smile on my face was starting to take toil on my cheeks. She leaned forward and whispered, ‘Leave Ralph.’ My heart nearly stopped. D-Did I hear wrongly? ‘Excuse me?’ I blinked. ‘You heard me.’ Her voice was low and threatening. ‘Leave Ralph. Divorce, separation, whatever. Get rid of you
[Juliette’s POV] Shit. I glanced down and checked the driver again. Swallowing a nervous lump, I slowly pulled my knees apart, my dress hiking up my thighs—. ‘There’s a good girl….’ The deep voice in my ear feathered. ‘Look how beautiful your skin is… I can almost feel it under my fingers….’ I shifted my phone to my left hand, holding it to my left ear, then slipped my right hand under my dress, moving it up my thigh, mimicking his hands whenever he caressed me… they way they ran to and fro… like a light breeze…. My knees spread wider, wanting more. I took another nervous glance at the driver before prodding further. ‘Put a finger in,’ he ordered. ‘Mmph.’ I bit my lower lip to stop a moaning protest as I sneaked another glance at the driver. ‘You know you want it, kitten….’ And I slipped it in—a bright sensation jolted through me, pushing my back against the seat, biting my lower lip harder. ‘Push it in deep….’ And my finger obeyed— reaching in and curling to cares
[Juliette's POV]Cafe hopping, huh? He shot dagger eyes at me. Behind them, I saw the pain of betrayal. 'I didn't want you to worry.' Was all I could say. But the ex-Mafia King cast me a look of disappointment before he stood and stalked out of the dining room. 'Ralph!' I hissed, running after him, wanting to explain about my meeting with Jewel, to redeem myself. But it was too late. As soon as I entered the main hall, Randy caught sight of me and charged forward like a bull to a red flag. Hand raised, he looked like he wanted to kill me with a slap, and I halted in fright, wincing in preparation for a piercing sting.But… nothing happened. 'Are you interfering now, Don Ralph?' Randy snarled. 'That's my wife you're about to hit, Randy,' replied a deep, guttural voice. Randy tried to shake off Ralph's grip. 'AND THAT'S MY DAUGHTER SHE HIT!' What?! My eyes nearly fell from their sockets. 'I never touched her!' That bitch framed me! 'And there you have it—so quietly leave, Ran
[Juliette's POV]The elevator door opened and Fillipo was standing there with crossed arms and a tight lip. Without a word, he moved aside. I gave a look of uncertainty to Ben who then swivelled an awkward gaze back to the young director and opened his mouth, ready to explain. But the younger guy beat him to it. 'Are you coming in or not?' His face upturned, his foot tapping nervously—or maybe it was simply embarrassment. Ben sank in relief while I sniffed a smile before dragging my suitcase out. ******'Will you be telling Ralph that I'll be here?' I wiped a Kleenex to my right eye and then blew into it. 'You know the drill, babe,' said Ben as he checked outside the window. After making sure of something, he left the window open and turned to me. 'But if you want me not to tell him—.'I shook my head, sobering up. 'I don't give a shit about that now.'Ben's right brow raised in surprise. 'What?' 'OK. I've waited long enough,' intercepted another voice. We turned to it and
[Ralph's POV] 'What do you have in mind then?' I swallowed the cold water, freezed my dumb brain as punishment, then did a post-exercise heavy sigh. 'Send everything to the cops.' Ben jolted straight. Then, he leaned close, his eyes darting around to make what he was about to say wouldn't be heard. 'Please tell me your head is clear as glass: you send that over, and the entire U.R.T police force will be on Virtus' tail!' I looked up. But the gardener's son was unfazed by my warning glare. His brows looked pissed but his eyes were still respectful. In a lower voice, he muttered, 'The atomic bomb not only ended the war, bro—it ended innocent lives too.' 'I'm aware of it.' I groaned in exasperation. 'And you still want to go ahead with it?' I scoffed in defeat and looked away as Ben added firmly, 'Every shady deal Randy's made in the past, he makes it with someone in the family. It's obvious why: he doesn't want to go down alone.' He doesn't want prison, that's more li
[Ralph’s POV] '.... So pack up your things and leave when you're told. Do you understand me, Juliette?' repeated the sweet voice. Calm down, big guy. My right hand has been gripping the steering wheel so hard, the tremors of my angry knuckles were clenching my heart. Click! The door unlocked and a satisfying chuckle came through the mic in Juliette's phone when someone shuffled anxiously in. 'You leave me no choice, Juliette. I'll have to accept your apology,' she added, loud enough for the new entry into the room. Likely the housekeeper. Which meant bad news. Goddamn it, Juliette. Why didn’t you wait that couple of days? Why the hell did you change your mind? What protege of the business king would go to a business meeting with a cluttered mind? That’s like asking the quicksand to eat her alive. Christ…. I should be mad at her for lying about having my baby. But I'm actually more angry at myself for not seeing through her lies. Way to go, asshole. You can't keep yo
[Jewel’s POV] The swell in that broad throat of her sexy devil bobbed furiously. The same fury that shot out from those handsome eyes—the same eyes whose constant rage would excite her, make her want to feel the pain of his strength under his whip. Yes, Ralph, she thought, that’s the anger I missed. The You who was gone right after your stupid scheme of legalising our family. That power inside you craves for me—not that little Lux bitch. ‘Get out,’ he breathed, his hands in tight fists, wringing an imaginary stress ball. The cue for her performance, and Jewel gladly took it. Curving down her lips and hiking her eyes to a sympathetic form, squeezing every ounce of her to get some tears, she muttered in a strained voice, ‘Ralph, please. How many years have we known each other? You think I’d leave you just because you made a huge mistake like this? You didn’t let a thief into our home; she tricked you.’ Her giant stood with greater anger, his chair punched back in the same disappo
[Juliette’s POV] It twirled, feeling around, licking. Tremors rushed up my spine from my toes dangling next to his ears. Strong lips closed upon that sweet spot and pressed against the bud, then his tongue licked and rubbed and prodded possesively…. Warm tingles swept up under my skin like ice, jolting the pink tips of my breasts forward, wanting—no—needing the same attention he was giving my wet lips. Slurp. Suck. Slurp! ‘Keep them wide open, kitten….,’ whispered that deep attractive voice. ‘Wide…. Open. And concentrate. No coming till I say so.’ He blew gently across the tiny time bomb and I could feel its petals quivering with sheer anticipation. ‘Mmph!’ Slipped through my quivering lips. Eyes shut tight to muster that last ounce of strength to suppress that momentous mind-blowing explosion of gorgeous light. ‘Ralph! I squealed. ‘A little more, kitten.’ His tongue drove in. My head threw back, bumped against the headboard. But the pain was nothing compared to the
[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