[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
[Juliette’s POV]Everyone said that I’ve got Papa’s eyes. The Lux purple eyes. A symbol of the gift that runs only in the Lux family line. Only the head of the Lux family inherits this gift, which makes me the head of the Lux family when Papa retires. Ever since I was born, I’ve been training for the day I take over as the new head of the Lux family. And yet…. As my eyes traced down the outline of my gown, I kept feeling a sense of deja vu as memories kept pouring in, flooding my mind, pumping my heart. A year ago, today, I was right here in front of a mirror, admiring my dream gown, about to go to my wedding to my enemy. Today, I’m still admiring my gown, about to go to my first wedding anniversary with my loving husband. Ralph and I found love in each other, despite us wanting to squeeze each other’s throats at first. I wished Papa could see us now. He’d be delighted. Papa always wanted the two families to unite. Didn’t he always say that it’s better to have another friend th
[Juliette’s POV]Something inside me knows what’s happening. As though I had been trained for this day. Trained by Papa. My heels clicked furiously as I hurried towards the two plain clothes policemen who were showing their badges to Ralph.No… No, no, no, no…. Not right now. This can’t be it. Glares. I could feel their fire on my back, burning me alive. The Virtus resentment. I could sense my own kind staring back with contempt. Pin dropped silence as one of the guys removed his badge and flashed the document at Ralph’s face. The warrant for arrest. And the silver cuffs appeared. ‘You’re under arrest, Mr. Ralph Virtus, for extortion and blackmail.’ A silver cuff snapped around Ralph’s wrist as he stared stupefied. ‘You have the right to remain silent—,’ added the other cop. ‘NO!’ I cried, my hand shot out to stop the other cuff from taking another wrist. ‘You can’t do this! You’ve made a terrible mistake!’ I tried to yank the cuff away. ‘Stop this!’ But the officer with the
[Juliette’s POV]‘So Dr. Rose lied too when she told me last week that Papa made no improvement,’ I said quietly, staring out the window at the shophouses that were far away from the hotel. ‘She had to,’ Uncle Jerry replied mechanically. ‘She wanted so much to share the good news with you, but I insisted that we stick to the plan.’ I swallowed my tears and forced a smile. ‘Thank goodness she did.’ ‘I knew you'd catch up fast.’ A warm hand patted my shoulder. ‘So the divorce papers that Ralph and I signed were legitimate,’ I repeated in my usual business tone. ‘The opportunity presented itself. So I took it.’ His hand left my shoulder as he sank back against the expensive leather. ‘I had to give you an exit by the time he wakes.’ ‘And this is also part of my father’s plan.’ ‘Brilliant, isn’t it?’ he chuckled. Uncle Jerry’s laugh used to be like the encouragement of a brand new day, the cheerful warmth of the morning sun. Now, that same laugh felt disgusting. Something rumbled
[Juliette’s POV]Before the door came to a close behind me, Pauline said—-or whispered—beating me to the first word, “I think your father made it very clear over the phone yesterday, Juliette.” Here goes. I grabbed the iPad tightly and lifted my chin, not responding to a word until I sat down, and I took the seat next to Papa. The more Pauline spoke, the softer and more scratchy her voice got, which pains me to listen to it. I had to fight the urge to wince in sympathy. “So, here’s the deal, Juliette. Hand over the evidence you have, and we’ll back you up as CEO of Lux Corp.” I was stunned speechless. This was totally unexpected. Instead of giving me a laundry list of excuses, or berating me for scaring away all the investors, Papa is asking for the evidence I have at hand. He only wants the evidence? But—. “I don’t get it,” I blurted, completely taken aback. “I’ve shown it to you before. But you still chased me out.” My anger had swarmed in. “YOU THREW ME UNDER THE BUS.” Paul
[Juliette’s POV]The thought of dancing under the moonlight, amidst the warm sea breeze, has never crossed my mind until Ralph suggested it. “You’re such a bore.” He smiled with a teasing gaze as I did two twirls. He caught my waist at the perfect moment and pulled me close, snuggling my curves against his frame. That proud toothy grin of his made my heart lose its rhythm, and I lowered my chin to hide the heat in my cheeks. Hooking his elbow around my waist, he leaned in and whispered into my ear, “Why are you blushing?” “Because you’re handsome,” I whispered back and felt a shudder up my spine. Damn, that’s cringey. Thank God, he laughed at the right moment, or I’d have blushed harder. I grabbed more of his back to snuggle deeper and let my left cheek rest on his chest of muscles. Then, very naturally, a sigh of peace and relief left my lips.And very naturally too, he chuckled softly before planting a kiss on the top of my head. “Phase 1 over, kitten.” I closed my eyes to savo
[Juliette’s POV]Things turned out according to Ralph’s prediction. Papa’s gold mine got the news of my findings about Lux Corp and raced against time to meet me. Since there were over a thousand of them, from every corner of the world, Ralph suggested that I meet them all at once. With the help of an ally, we managed to rent a private island that was off the grid and had everyone gathered there for my presentation. It would be a massive one as I would be talking to thirty at a time. Am I nervous? Of course, I am. Even with Papa’s training, the nerves were still there. “You’ll be fine, kitten.” Ralph kissed my fingers, then brushed a loose strand behind my ear. “Numbers are your game.” “I know.” I checked the cue cards for the forty-first time. “But that doesn’t take the nerves away. It’s all your fault. You’ve turned it into some fucking TED talk.” Ralph chuckled. “Even if you cursed out there, it’ll be fine.” An hour later, I was done explaining to the audience of fifty ultra
[Juliette’s POV]“Those VIPs of his casino?” I asked, still in disbelief. He flashed a nodding grin, and I jolted upright, a surge of admiration and awe to my face, and I beamed, grabbing his hands in excitement. “That’s what you’ve been up to?” Then, logic jetted in. “But how? Papa and I are the only ones with that list. And those ultra rich don’t listen to anyone but Papa.” “They listen to the one who leads the people doing their dirty jobs.” I stared speechless at the man who once saved me from a drug lord, and tried to sever all ties with the mafia, get his clan members cleaned up, and reform his family business. This man had done his best to go against the impossible, push the flow and ride the currents. Never once did he bow to failure, except to learn from it. Now, he’s back in the shadows, unable to shake off the darkness and his past, yet he shines far brighter than anyone. Papa may be standing in the light, but he’s as shady as a shady businessman can get. He was study
[Juliette’s POV]I woke up to the most handsome face and the scariest pair of eyes staring at me in the fiercest silence. “Ralph?” I grabbed my throat. “Damn, what’s wrong with my voice? I sound eighty years older.” A glass of water appeared before my eyes and a low, sexy voice gruffed. “Drink.” The cool rim wedged between my lips and the sweetest water carefully slipped in. I sipped hungrily, emptying the glass with a sigh of satisfaction, and a Kleenex pressed the corners of my mouth. “Why did you put sugar in water?” He laid my head cautiously on the pillow. “I put nothing in the water.” “But it’s sweet.” My eyelids felt heavy. “Sleep.” My eyes flew open. It was my turn to stare at the beast till he asked what’s wrong, and I told him. “You’re upset.” “Because you were sick.” “Was I?” I checked myself for scars, and memories of the past forty-eight hours swiftly slotted back into my calendar. Ralph worry-stricken face calling my name repeatedly, stroking my face to get a
[Ralph’s POV]Robert’s gaze shot a warning that was the same as mine: it’s a trap. I held a finger to my lips—an instruction for him to not be heard—and he solemnly nodded. Then, I said, “Why?” “It’s Juliette.” The voice sounded secretive and rushed. “I can’t explain anything. But I’ll get her out. You have to take her away.”It was then I smelled danger and shot forward in my seat to the desk where the phone rested. Still, something feels off. “Why should I trust you?”There was a pause and then a sigh. And then the same voice lowered and exhaled. “Her child needs her, doesn’t he?” Fuck. Fuck that dumb Ben. Fuck that smartass lawyer. The fact that he knew about Milo set off all the red alarms. I sprang into action, like the pathetic Ben who had lost that darn phone and leaked all the secrets. The desperate rush to fix everything right. Oh, her crying had weakened. I rubbed her back in a comforting way, the way her housekeeper always does whenever she’s upset. She pulled back and
[Juliette’s POV]Way to go, Juliette. You fell for your father’s old tricks, and then you fell for some stranger’s weird tricks. Just because he knows your name and says it out loud, you got into his car. Great. I’m going to be trafficked as a sex slave. Milo. I’m never going to see him again. And Ralph. A clean tissue entered my view. My view was misty, so I blinked to clear it, and then realised that I was crying. Quickly, and embarrassingly, I grabbed the offer and dabbed my eyes. The man cleared his throat and repeated my name, and I gave a cold chuckle. “Yes, my father sent you, didn’t he? To get rid of me.” Both open palms waved frantically. “No, Miss! I mean, Madam. I mean, Dona.” “Who the fuck are you?” I wailed. “Just tell me. I can take it!” God, I sound pathetic. But I can’t seem to stop. “W-wait—.” His phone was out, slapped to his ear, and it rang once, then a voice came on, loud and clear. “Yes.” That deep gruff. I spun around like a deer caught in headlights.
[Juliette's POV]Paul caught a glimpse of his bleak future and plonked onto his seat in a pale face. The shareholders around Paul shared his misery while others stared puzzled at Harold Lux as he moved towards the throne at the front of the conference table. He moved past me as though I had never existed, and cold guilt stabbed my chest. “Young people.” Papa sighed. “Give them one tiny piece of candy, and they think they own the entire formula.” Everyone ignored Papa’s invitation to return to their seats. Then, Uncle Jerry stepped forward to deliver the King’s instructions. “The contract is in your email.”“What contract?” I jolted a curious look at Pauline who was reading off her mobile screen, her brows growing closer with surprise and anger. . I felt a crack in my hope and made a lunge like Paul’s.“Don’t sign it!” I yelped, desperation clawing the air. “If you invest more money, Lux Corp would pop like a bubble! The debt’s too huge—we’d be bankrupt before the casino’s ready!”W
[Jewel’s POV]This idiot. She glared down as the baby drank quietly. How dare he ignore my calls! Is he an idiot? We can’t even tell how long those two idiots are going to take, and he wants a baby now? Her finger tips caressed those tiny plump cheeks, and her mouth curled up in a loving smile. It’s not that I don’t want a baby. Heat of worry and anxiety swarmed to the back of her eyes and knocked her eardrums. The Virtus princess perked up with vigilance. Hugging Milo closer to cocoon him from danger, her gaze bounced between the main door and the bedroom door, her Virtus mind calculating and reciting the drill. Bedroom, lock door 1, bathroom, lock door 2. Two knocks. Three knocks. One knock. The Virtus code. Jewel crept closer to the tiny slit between the main door and its frame, and a familiar voice hissed through. “Peach.” Instantly, she unlocked, and the door flung back—only to shut tight. She was in the arms of the man who’d never stopped loving her since they first met. D