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*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SEXUAL VIOLENCE.* [Juliette’s POV] I stopped struggling. Raw hatred shone from those golden swirls. He hated the word ‘mafia’. And I would know why. But I still stood by Luke’s advice—I barely knew this man; everything that I came to learn about him might have been curated by the devil himself. So what do I really know? “Do what you want and be done with it,” I forced the words out between my puckered lips. “Gladly.” He unbuckled himself with one hand. Then, his finger slipped through the strap of my thongs and tugged it hard, tearing it before he yanked it off and threw it aside. Nudging my thighs apart, he entered me in one swift blow. And an acid pain shot up my spine. I pressed my lips hard to suck it up, turning my cheek away so he wouldn’t see the tears in my eyes. I don’t want him to think of me as weak. He pulled back slightly, only to ram in deeper and harsher, striking that sweet point, and a marvellous pain consumed me.
[Ralph’s POV] Agatha clasped her hands together in front of her apron, and calmly replied, “With all due respect, Mr. Ralph, I'm a housekeeper, not a spy.” “Then, I’ll find myself another housekeeper who's willing to expand her duties.” I turned from her. “Alright. I’ll do it.” I halted and turned back. And she elaborated in a firm tone, “Not because I’m scared of you, Mr. Ralph. I don’t work well with threats. Only respect.” I could tell that Juliette had spent a significant amount of her childhood with this woman. This was where she got her spunk. It seems that I had just been reprimanded. And, strangely, it calmed me. A tiny chuckle slipped from me, and she looked a little surprised. Turning around fully to face her, I said, “I know: you’re doing it for Juliette." “Damn right I am.” The woman lowered her voice, a motherly figure coming through her following speech. “I refused to believe the rumours, Mr. Ralph… But if they were true, then know this: you’ve taken
[Juliette’s POV] Julie… Agatha? Julie… A figure appeared before me. I tried to move closer. But I couldn't feel anything. I heard my desperate voice calling out to her. Mother! Mother? Is that really her? The figure cleared into the silhouette of a woman with an hourglass figure and a fist-sized hair bun. I squinted to take a better look and backed away in shock. Mother!! I cried out. My voice echoed in my mind. Where've you gone? I ran towards her. The closer I got, the more detailed her features. Are you in love with the Virtus, Julie? Her voice floated towards me. I paused and stared at her displeased look. You're in love with Ralph Virtus, aren't you, Julie? I shook my head. No, mother, it's not what it seems. I can explain... hear me out.... He's a savage, Julie! As were those before him! If you stayed married to him, it would be the end of all of us! The end of the Lux line! He would kill us all! He's the Devil! My heart sank. I… I'm not in love w
[Juliette’s POV] I arrived at the dining area for my breakfast, and, to my surprise, Ralph was at his usual seat reading off his iPad. Don’t say anything, I told myself. But, my mouth was never obedient. “Why are you here?” Without looking up, he replied in a tone that finds my question annoyingly stupid. “Last I heard, this is my mansion. So why do you act surprised to see me?” I took my usual seat, which is beside his, and frowned, equally annoyed. “Agatha said you didn’t come home last night.” I glanced down at the plate of baguette and warm soup laid on the table before me, and then back at the stone, cold face. “Naturally, that means you won’t be home for the next few days.” I sarcastically refer to his habit of taking off whenever he did something awful and shirking his responsibility. To hit him where it hurts the most, I bluntly added with a careless shrug, “That’s what I learned during my time at the Virtus Mansion. And I am proud to say that I learned it well.”
[Juliette’s POV] “Take it back,” Agatha said sharply. “Tell Joseph to cook again.” Immediately, the servants removed the plates of food from the table. “What’s wrong with the food, Agatha?” I asked, squinting in puzzlement. Agatha maintained a professional smile. “My apologies, Julie. I’ll get Joseph to make something else.” I glanced at the servants disappearing into the doorway that led to the kitchen, picturing Joseph thrashing at them for returning his food. I turned back to Agatha and asked, “But, won’t Joseph be upset? We’ve never sent something back like that.” Agatha turned to Ralph, who was staring at the table as though there was a dirty spot on it, and bowed apologetically. “Fret not, Mr. Ralph. The food will be ready in ten minutes.” Ralph gave a quick nod, and Agatha left for the kitchen. Alone with the Mafia King, I decided to confront him about Luke. Agatha had sent him dozens of texts and made numerous calls, but he hadn't responded to any of them, an
[Agatha's POV] Five days later… A dreaded feeling settled in Agatha’s chest. The party would be starting in an hour, at seven, and she had been standing at the top of the steps before the main entrance, taking stock of the guests as they streamed in. No one was snorting at her with derision. Agatha had purposely left out Julie's little plan from her daily hourly report to the new master, so why was everyone arriving in big smiles? ***** [Juliette’s POV] Today’s the day Ralph’s plan would be ruined once and for all. The Lux Mansion had been hosting numerous parties, which got bigger and grander since the very first one. I know parties; I know how they run, what makes people tick, and where the ripples would flow after a tiny stone was dropped in the pond of vulnerable prides and sensitive hearts. Once the guests saw their names misspelt on the invitation cards, they would only show up with one intention: to give their piece of mind to the head of the family—Ralph Virtus.
[Juliette’s POV] I spotted Agatha near the closed doors of the main entrance. She had been staring at me until I met her gaze, and then those kind eyes fell into an apologetic look. Shit. It has happened. That son of a bitch managed to turn the tables around to his favour. But, how did he find out? Only Agatha knew about the invitation cards, and I told no one about my entire move! Agatha couldn’t have betrayed me. I moved to a vacant spot to search the entire area for Ralph—he was chatting with a group of giggling middle-aged widows. Great! The stage! I need to get up there and make the speech now. Fuck the programme! I need to salvage whatever is left of my plan. Picking up the front of my dress, I hurried over to the front of the massive ocean of crowd. Ben stopped me at the steps. “Juliette, what are you doing?” “My speech! It’s seven ten, isn’t it?” “There’s been a change of programme,” a deep voice sounded above me. Damn it! I refused to move, my mind working ha
[Juliette's POV] The limousine shot past under the overhead sign that pointed towards 'the United Republic of Theria (U.R.T) International Airport'. I jolted upright and stared at the broad, strong back. "Damn it, Ralph! You're into human trafficking too?" "I'm not in the mood for questions." Was his curt reply. "Miss Jules, please don't be mad at Mr. Ralph!" Thomas blared through the intercom. "He planned all this with us for your honeymoon." What! Apprehension stretched my gaze. Honeymoon, my ass! He's selling me overseas! And I'm not in the mood for a honeymoon! I need to stay calm and find a way to escape. A dry chuckle left my lips. Then, I murmured, "You're not in the mood for questions, but you're in the mood for holiday." He swung around with a smug grin. "Victory must be celebrated with bang, shouldn't it?" Asshole. He's rubbing my defeat in my face. I shouldn't provoke him—that would keep him alert. But I couldn't help it. Narrowing my gaze into a seething gla
[Juliette’s POV]”Jesus Christ….” Ralph stared in wide shock at the truth revealed in Elizabeth Lux’s handwriting. His shock was as good as mine. I realised my mouth was agape and closed it, my shock finally ingested in a gulp and an inhale. I found my voice and muttered, “She had his baby.” I turned to Ralph and swallowed again to maintain my voice. “Milo’s not the first.” I grabbed Ralph’s sleeves and shook him out of his daze. “Milo’s not the first to have the Lux and Virtus blood! Do you know what this means?” The swell in his throat finally came alive, bobbing nervously between the collar of his freshly put on shirt, and he murmured with heightened worry. “This means Milo is in grave danger.” I felt my face fall deadpan. That wasn’t what I had in mind. “No, silly! Milo isn’t the first. That means he’s safe! Daddy wouldn’t mind having him.” I pointed at the journal. “Daddy knows this all along—.” “And he hates it.” Ralph’s fierce gaze bore into mine, trying to make me see what
[Ralph’s POV]And I slid my fingers through hers. I pinned her hands above her wonderful expression of bliss to sink deeper into her. She wrapped around me unconditionally while I stroked her the way she wanted, stretching her desires beyond that cliff so she’d want—no—burn for that tip. I pushed in further, driving her body to the brink of madness as our lips almost touched, my nipples pressing hard against hers, grinding, yearning for her the same ways her blood boils for me. “How badly do you want me, kitten?” I licked her quivering, intoxicated upper lip. I knew the answer, but I couldn’t help but tease her. My damn, damn pride. Her insides were hot like lava, twitching fiercely with a need for me to move. But her slender thighs were wedged securely between our warm bodies so she was completely immobilised, afraid that the slightest touch would take away everything, and she didn’t want that. So she resorted to hiking that sweet voice of hers. “Ralph, please!” I seized her
[Juliette’s POV]“Don’t worry, Miss Julie!” Thomas’ voice rang as the car bolted forward. “No one will know a thing!” Outside the window was pitch darkness. Even the headlights were off so that they wouldn’t be spotted. “You’ll be killed if Papa finds out,” I murmured, my heart racing as fast as the car. Thomas chuckled. “I’ll be fine, Miss Julie. There’s one thing I know for sure about Master Lux: he doesn’t care about small fries like us.”I felt my lips curled up in a smile. That’s true. Papa wouldn’t even know of Thomas’ existence. “But he’ll know when a car’s missing.” I sighed. “We’re so fucked. We’ll be discovered. And we’ll both have to pay for it—.” God, I’m whiny. “This is a gift, Miss Julie. From Mr. Ralph!” Thomas proudly patted the steering wheel. “The old Master hasn't visited the garage since his return. I bet you a hundred dollars, he doesn't know about this baby. Besides, it’s mine. I don’t put it with the other cars he used. So he’ll never know.” So this is wh
[Juliette’s {POV]He raised a brow. “Was?” And I nodded. “Before my vacation.” I looked down at my feet, the way I always do when I regret my actions. “I was struggling… I’m sure you can tell–I mean, you know… I couldn’t tell what’s real. I was living a lie for so long that I had started to believe it.” “That’s why you asked for a vacation.” A statement that sounded like a question, Papa’s condescending way of telling someone that he knows better. And I ran along with it. “Yes.” “And your head is clear now.” “Never been clearer.’ I glanced at Agatha who’d been standing behind Papa, her knowing gaze told me she'd laid the groundwork. So I casually explained, “That’s why I got curious, Papa. Ralph had access to everything you owned, including this room. And I remember how much you treasure this place.” The scepticism was still locked in his gaze but my confidence didn’t falter like before. “That’s why you never let anyone in. Only Agatha cleans this place, and she’s always supervi
[Ralph’s POV]“A break in?” Robert gasped, and anxiety was banging against my skull, threatening to burst through. “Goddamn it, Ben!” I roared. “What the fuck is wrong with you? We use it, we throw it away. It’s just a fucking burn phone—you didn’t use one, did you? You kept a second phone.”“It was for Jewel.” There was regret in his voice. But I couldn’t let it go. “And you left it in the office? Can you be any dumber? Now two lives are in danger because of you!” “ME?!” He finally flew off the handle. “You let the love of my life take care of your stupid child! Do you know how dangerous that is? That child’s a fucking shooting target!” My eyes turned murderous. “What the fuck did you just say?” Suddenly, Ben was as calm as he’s ever been. “I was wrong. I apologise.” At my silence, he continued, “I know you can’t chill” “The fuck I can.” My voice was running on its own. “So I won’t ask. But listen, will you? A shadow’s already on his way.” My fingers raged through my hair, sh
[Harold’s POV] “So he was there.” The owner of Lux empire, known to all as the Business King, Harold Lux, was tapping his finger on the antique desk back in his office at Lux Corp, listening to the P.I. reporting on the voice speaker of his phone, when rage took over. “And my daughter was there.” His voice was unusually calm. But his best friend and veteran lawyer, Jerry, could detect the livid undertone, and a sigh of exasperation let out into the air. His old brows slowly gathered. “Did they meet?” What a question. Of course, they did. Of course, they would! Harold’s fingers gathered into a clutch—within it, is Ralph Virtus’ neck. After the flipping of pages, the P.I.’s voice was back on. “No.” Everything slid off those tensed shoulders. Harold leaned forward, interested for the first time. “Are you sure?” More pages flipped to highlight the professionalism and then the voice returned. “Positive. She stayed in her villa. He stayed in his.” “And you surveille
[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.’