[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
[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
[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
[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’
[Juliette’s POV] “They’re ready for you, Miss Lux,” a polite voice pierced through. I blinked. And just like that, with the click of the closed door, the bubble burst. Everything vanished into thin air—my past, my dreams, my future. Nothing remained, except the silhouette in the mirror. It surfaced, growing vividly and sharper until a woman stood before me, her purple sapphire eyes observing me with an empty look. I heaved a silent, despondent sigh at her, and the woman’s breasts rose and fell with the same despair. I traced the slender curves of her exquisite white gown, going through every stitch and sparkle, every contour of the sheer tulle overlay. By the time I reached that massive Mikado silk cascading off her waist, a huge ball of hotness had burned the back of my eyes and nose. Hastily, I sucked in my deepest to push back the heat of grief and lock up the tears. No matter what happens, a deep voice of wisdom echoed in my ears, don't show it, Juliette; don't ever let th
[Juliette’s POV] For someone who reads lots of romance novels, I’d take the slightest detail and exaggerate it romantically. Worse, I’d catch the tiniest spark of response and interpret it as an attraction. I noticed the wavy top of his short dark hair in a nice, clean sweep to the back—which was different from the sexy mess it was yesterday—and was immediately flattered by the extra effort. Then I started admiring him—just as I did yesterday. Whether it was a boring business suit or a midnight blue tuxedo, he could easily pass for an exotic prince or an elegant British spy. Even with that fierce gaze, he looked nothing like a mafia or a devil. Pfft! I mentally rolled my eyes as my feet kept gliding along the plush carpet of the aisle. Now I know why Papa forbade me to peruse that form of literature—it makes your female hormones go wild unnecessarily; it would only be a matter of time before I was trapped in The Devil’s spell, thinking that I was in love
[Juliette's POV] Yesterday… “Miss Lux, we’ve landed safely at the U.R.T. International Airport. The time is nine in the evening….” I unbuckled the belt, looked out of the window and sighed in nostalgia. Ah…, I miss Bora Bora already. The turquoise waters and the clear blue sky flashed across my mind, and I could still feel the warm salty breeze on my cheeks. Four days is not enough for a graduation trip, not for the daughter of the richest man in the Republic. But for the new CEO of Lux Corp, it's just nice, I thought with a tired yawn and a lazy smile of satisfaction. I'm ready to start work at the office, Papa. Hmm? I leaned forward, squinting to make sense of the dark forms through the misty glass pane. It took a second, but I saw what they were: men—two of them—in black suits and shades, standing erect in a soldier’s stance. As the plane swerved to a complete stop, I saw three more. Bodyguards, I concluded silently. Papa must have sent them; he always said that it's be
[Juliette’s POV]Doctor Rose slotted the chart under her right arm and casually tucked both hands into her robe pockets. “The bills aren’t cleared, and there’s another patient waiting for this bed. So, we’re out of choice, Miss Lux.”My eyes couldn’t grow any larger. “Are you telling me that you’re gonna take him off the machines and expect me to wheel him out of the hospital right now?”“Like I said, Miss Lux–.”“Don’t you ‘Miss Lux’ me! You've been my doctor since I was born! What’s gotten into you? Don’t act like you don’t know me!” I cried in anguish. These people, the ones Papa called friends, are now turning their backs on him. First, Uncle Jerry, now, Doctor Rose. Money seems to be the only thing that’s been keeping their friendships alive.Doctor Rose sighed and said, “Bills are bills, Miss Lux. The hospital needs funds to cure more people. Your father is not the only one here who needs medical attention.”“But he’s in a coma!” I protested strongly, my lips quivering in disbel