[Juliette’s POV] The hint of disagreement across Luke’s features acknowledged my suspicions. Something was wrong. I looked up at Ralph and asked, “Why’s the CEO’s personal assistance proofreading proposals? Don’t we have managers for that?” Ralph threw an arm around my shoulder and squeezed it gently as he gazed down at me. “Juliette love—.” My right brow raised in renewed surprise. Love? “—-are you questioning my leadership now?” I caught the warning undertone of his voice and shook my head to humour him, then returned to Luke’s disoriented look with a reassuring smile. “No, I don’t, Ralph dear.” My left arm went around the back of Ralph’s waist to pull myself closer to him and sarcastically added, “I trust your judgement.” I grinned excessively up at him. Ralph returned an even grin then switched his gaze from me to Luke. “Mr. Paufertee is gifted at what he’s doing now, am I right?” I shot a curious gaze at Luke, and he smiled obligingly, nodding his head. Now, I
[Juliette’s POV] My shoulders sank in surrender. “You have my word. I won’t talk to him.” His brows finally relaxed. But they immediately knitted again, this time in concern. “Can I trust you, Juliette?” Those words and the pleading tone hit me hard. Guilt consumed me. My body remembered all that had happened between us in the past month, and my loyalty towards this man returned like an old habit. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around him. “Yes, Ralph. You can trust me.” I buried my face into his warm chest, feeling his human heart beating gently against my forehead, and drew in a deep breath, taking his powerful scent with me before resting my cheek on the steady thudding. His arms came around me and he hugged me back, as though it was a confession of love. And my heart melted once more. ***** After dinner, Ralph wanted to start the ball rolling for the preparations for the party . So we were in one of the lounge rooms, Ralph and I next to each other on the long c
[Juliette’s POV] For almost a minute, we gave each other the hug of a long lost friend. As soon as we pulled apart, as always, Luke ruffled the top of my head like the older sibling. He is six years older than me, so I understand the attitude. And, as far as I could recall, ruffling my head has been his favourite move. Since little, I’ve noticed that with others, Luke is more reserved with his gestures of affection. So the ruffling made me feel special—until I started having a crush on him. From then on, every time his hand reaches over to the top of my head, I’d cast a look of irritation, or move my head out of his hand’s way to avoid it altogether. Despite my persistent protests, he never grows out of it, as though I’ll always be the sister that he wanted. Now, having not seen him for a month, which has never happened before, I let him ruffle to his heart’s content. Giggling until he stopped, I looked up at him, beaming like a little girl, as he gently smoothened the strands
[Juliette’s POV]After I made Luke promise not to confront Ralph about his suspicions, he left and I returned to the party discussions with Agatha. Sensing the deadly severity of my secret mission, I wasn’t sure if I could tell Agatha, so I left out that bit in my update to her. Also feeling unsure about Ralph being in the know about my meeting with Luke, I asked Agatha to keep it a secret from Ralph, should he ask. When I emerged from the woods, I felt even more stressed out and twice as depressed. Throughout dinner, I was unusually quiet—-which, of course, Ralph took notice. So I wasn’t surprised when he took my hand after we were done eating, and suggested with a large grin that we take a stroll in the NorthWest Garden. As we walked through the hallway connecting the dining room to the garden, I snuggled closer to that familiar warmth, praying inside that what Luke said wasn’t true. I wanted Ralph to have nothing to do with Papa’s accident. But what if he really lied to me?
[Juliette’s POV] Who the fuck is ‘him’? Oh God…, here’s another one! It radiated from the spot where he struck, rippling through my skin to my fingertips. A delighted moan slipped into the sweaty air around us. "Ooh… yes!" I tried to pull him closer. I need him to be closer. To feel all of me. I want to feel all of him. There must be more… more of him that I can take…. "More… Deeper…." I squeezed out a tiny whisper. He seemed to know what I wanted and pushed the back of my knees towards my chest to drive further into my velvety heat of delight. I clenched him harder. “Fuck, kitten.” He grunted with pleasure. Pressing his forehead on mine, he rammed into me as he growled, “My sexy kitten…," then pulled back slightly and rammed in again. More thrill arched my back, ripping a high pitched gasp from my throat, and I heard Ralph snarled, "Look at you… making that face again." He rammed into me once more. "Do you make this face for him too, Juliette?" Who the hell is he
[Juliette's POV] The wheels of my head churned furiously. What should I do? I wanted to make another promise to this man. But I also wanted to keep my promise to Luke. Oh God… what do I do? Desperate for a way out, I asked, “Why can’t I talk to Luke?” Ralph groaned in exasperation and pushed me off him. “Forget that I ask, Juliette." He stood and stepped away to gather his clothes, adding bitterly, "You only keep promises when they are in your favour. Once they no longer benefit you, you bail.” I shot up to a stand with an incredulous look. “That's not fair! Those promises weren’t even fair to me in the first place!” Ralph chuckled dryly. “So now they have to be fair to you?” He buckled up his pants and turned to me with his usual fierce look. I drew in a sharp breath of awe. Can he get any more handsome? He came closer and I held my breath in sheer anticipation. “You want ‘fair’, I’ll give you ‘fair’, Juliette.” He snatched my dress off the grass and threw it at me.
[Juliette’s POV]The sex was darn good. The area between my thighs were still aching from squeezing too much; my insides, still numb from the pressure of his sheer size as he slammed mercilessly into me last night, in various different positions—that brute strength was still ringing in my skin; my limbs were still sore from the numerous contortions to assist him in reaching the deepest depths of me. I swallowed hard as images of our wild sex from last night congested my mind, and his deep, husky groans of immense pleasure echoed in my ears. My cheeks started to heat up.Yes, sex was really good—in fact, too good. And when something is too good, you know it isn’t true. My marriage with Ralph. It had started with a deal, a deal that had forced two strangers—mortal enemies—to start a family together. Pfft! What family?My insides chuckled sadly. With the deal, the Lux fortune and our family feud between us, the notion of love sounds like a daydream. I don’t care what Papa thinks, I d
[Juliette’s POV] “So we’ve hit the jackpot,” I whispered, my lips quivering in fear and anguish, my eyes glowering at the carpet floor. That jerk of an asshole Virtus… How dare he lie to me. “We’ll have to think of something else now. In the meantime, you may want to get your phone checked. I have a feeling it’s tapped.” “But Ralph wouldn’t—.” And I paused. The lump in my throat forbade me from jumping to Ralph’s defense, not when he had lied to me about helping me with the investigation and trusting me. How naive could I get! “After what just happened, I think he would, and I had proven my point, J. Shit, I gotta go. His PA is calling me, and I have to return this phone to Christine before he catches me using it.” It was then I heard his voice reverberating in the background; he was in the stairwell. I was astonished. “You’re using her phone to call Agatha?” Smart move. “I've got no choice, do I? I’m under scrutiny, J. That Ben Smith’s been hovering around me like a vul
[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