[Juliette’s POV]I swivelled around my waist to face that handsome face of darkness and danger, and all I saw was gentleness… and guilt. And everything that I wanted to say vanished instantly. He gave my cheek a light push and I was facing the bathtub tap again. ‘Stop distracting me.’ His voice was hoarse again, as though he was resisting the pain inside. I stared at the plastic wrapping around the sling—the added protection to my injured arm–and the tears swarmed up to my eyes again. ‘Fuck,’ he growled—his fingers paused. ‘Are you hurting again?’ The same fingers were about to lift from my scalp when I sniffed again and chuckled. ‘I’ve never felt better.’ I flipped around again to show him—a bright smile on my face. But it didn’t make the knit in his brows go away. He pushed the same cheek, turning my face away, and resumed massaging my foamy scalp. ‘You’re good at this,’ I whispered, trying hard to send a reassuring smile through my voice. And he replied in the same serious
[Juliette’s POV] ‘I used to think I’m good. I’ve got the Virtus’ gift afterall. The born strategist who’ll lead the family.’ A dry chuckle strangled the cool air around us, particularly him. ‘But I’ve done enough to be undeserving of…of an heir.’ Silence constricted the air. I turned to snuggle my cheek against his shoulder, wanting to refute him, but he wouldn’t let me. ‘So it’s not your fault, Juliette. It’s….’ The swell in his throat bobbed furiously against the back of my head. The muscles in his body tightened. ‘It’s all me.’ I finally got around to face him, my freed hand cradling his strong, righteous jaw. ‘We’ll keep trying then.’ His hand covered mine and pressed my palm deeper into the warm skin of his face, as though wanting me to feel the rush of blood beneath it, to tell me that he’s a person, not the devil he was made to be. ‘I don’t care what you are, Ralph Virtus,’ I whispered fiercely. ‘I love you too. I love you. Got it?’ I tilted my face a little to ma
[Ralph’s POV]She was trying hard to please me. Was it out of fear that I’d leave her?The revelation jolted upright and held her face to take a good look and a tear rolled down her steamed cheek. ‘Did you not hear what I said? I’d kill myself if you got hurt—.’ Two round purple eyes glistening like diamonds glared at me. ‘Did you not hear what I said? I said we’ll keep trying!’ More tears rushed down. ‘I want to have your baby. Do you not understand that? You fucking idiot!’ My throat thickened. Does she not understand that some things can’t be rushed? I want a child too. But even more, I want her by my side eternally. How the hell can that happen if she twisted her other arm?!Calm down. I brushed the hair from her face and held it more firmly. Then, I kissed her pouting lips. Her lashes battered in forgiveness. So I kissed her again and, immediately and eagerly, she kissed me back. When the kiss ended, I scrutinised her face, every curve and shape, as my thumb felt the plumpnes
[Juliette’s POV]A thick file slapped on the desk and the bird shit of chubby clasped hands dropped on it. The school principal sighed with the smirk of a landlord. “Miss Lux. This is the sixth time Dante took one of his school peers as his personal punching bag.”I gave a nod. “Yes. And this is the sixth time you allowed a bully roam the innocent corridors of this sacred institution. Seriously, I am deeply troubled by your incompetence, Principal Wayne.’ Those slimy eyes widened in shock. Fumes of accusation blew from the crocodile’s nose. “How dare you—.” I stood, pressed my palm on the desk and leaned over to shove my deadpan face in that surprised round face of sagging cheeks.“HOW DARE YOU,” I snarled. “What if it was Christopher? And they called him the ‘sons of town killer’?” I was boring a hole through his oily forehead. “Would you let it run up to six fucking times?”Yes, you piece of shit: I’m the ghost of your Christmas past. Think I won’t dig up on you before coming her
[Juliette’s POV]Skirt up, thighs widened, feet on the wooden top, I opened up nicely for him. The memory of his magical skills nearly busted my heart out of my ribcage. “Ralph… hurry….” Why isn’t he doing anything but… watching? God, it’s so erotic, I could just come with it. My knees felt weak so he grabbed them to keep them apart. Wide apart to continue the full view. And the longer he waited, the more nervous I got, the more soaked I was down there. “Are you going to train the kids too?” He asked out of nowhere. “To carry themselves better in the name of the Virtus. Yes—.” I swallowed a breath. “I’ll train them the same way we do—oh shit!” He kissed my aching desire—right in the middle. Then his fingers spread the lips and he started French kissing. “Oh mmph!” The pleasure was too much. Zapped the energy out of my limbs. He paused and muttered, “Keep talking, kitten. Your proposal.” Jesus…. I swallowed another breath, but another wave of euphoria swarmed up my throat, clog
[Dr. Rose's POV]‘You see that, Doctor Rose?!’ The nurse pointed at the wrinkled pale hand. Doctor Rose stared hard, dumbfounded. It was a twitch. Only a twitch. And then it was gone. But it was a good sign. Hope clogged her throat. She didn’t expect this to happen—at least not for the next five years. The truck did squashed him like a fly. If it weren’t for the tough shell of his supercar absorbing all the force, every bit of his bone would’ve been crushed. Lucky Harold. The doctor swallowed hard and cleared her throat. ‘Keep me posted,’ she whispered to the nodding nurse, who was put to care for the business king’s care twenty-four seven. Regardless of what he said, a Lux is a Lux afterall. Luck is in their genes. Undeniably. *****[Ralph’s POV]‘Oh my God!’ She screamed. ‘Harder, Ralph!’ Don’t mind if I do. Pressing her knees to her shoulders, her toes at the headboard, her quivering thighs hugging my ears, I plunged into her like a fighting bull, and her sweet folds tighte
[Juliette’s POV]The columns of the excel sheet stared back innocently. Another one. I clicked on the box and the screen prompted for a password. In a deep inhale, I typed in the numbers and letters and pressed ENTER. Instantly, the greyed boxes cleared to reveal the costs of each item. These are exclusive to Lux Corp. Decades of business development and PR work by the head of the Lux Clan. Papa said it’s important that only the CEO of Lux Corp—and the future heir—have access to them. The family treasure. But Papa had given everything to Ralph, didn’t he? That means Ralph is the CEO now. Surely he would be given the passcode to access these values. So why do I have to keep unlocking all these codes for him?Something deep inside me, a tiny voice, sprang on me like a Jack-in-the-box. Am I… Am I not supposed to?Confusion slumped my back against my chair. My phone buzzed against my desk and I wearily picked it up. It was Ralph. ‘I’m reaching in ten minutes.’ That sultry deep vo
[Juliette's POV]And he lifted his hips slightly to ram in harder. Another grunt of his pleasure filled my ears. The ecstasy rippling through me pushed me higher. ‘I’m close!’ I squealed tinily. ‘Stay with me, babe—,’ he growled and wriggled—. ‘Oh fuck!’ His desire grew even bigger, pushing and stretching me even more, keeping the ripples ringing under my hot, damp skin. ‘Ralph… don’t… I can’t—.’ And his face was above me, his forehead wet, his bangs sticky, his eyes glowing with the fire of his passion, and his moist breath as pulling me towards his parted lips. I took them and kissed him hard, as he moved fast and vigorously, slamming into me again and again. Pleasure was filling me up dangerously to the edge, threatening to spill—. And I screamed his name into his mouth, as his tongue swept around mine carelessly, over and over, mimicking the rhythm of his growing strength. I climaxed hard—but he seemed to love it even more and continued plunging, striking the same spot over
[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