[Juliette’s POV} “I hate you too,” he growled and tugged my hair, pulling my head back to plunge deeper into my mouth, stroking the full length of my tongue, rubbing it urgently. He ripped my gown apart, and his hands started fondling my breasts, teasing their weight as his fingers played with their sensitive buds until they cried with need. I gasped in pleasure and my hands found his abs and started kneading his fine muscles. He broke away and muttered, “Fuck, I miss these.” His mouth closed over a rosy peak, releasing another gasp from me. My fingers dug into his mane, caressing and tugging at his soft curls, and he sucked harder to reward my response. “Mmm, shit!” I hissed fiercely as another electrifying streak streamed up from my curled toes. I arched my back to have more of his lips. All of a sudden, I was hoisted up. Fearing he would slip off me, I locked my ankles around him to secure his lips on me, and hugged his head tight as he continued kissing downwards to my
[Ralph’s POV} I watched my fingers caress her cheek, the silkiness of her skin sliding past the grooves of my finger pads. I pushed the fallen curls behind her ear, noting its shade. Do all women look this peaceful and angelic when they sleep? Or just her? I felt a smile on my lips and chuckled. I kissed the side of her forehead and observed her, my thumb admiring the soft skin where my lips were. I need to get you away, Juliette, to a place where the son of a bitch couldn’t reach you, so I can make you trust me again. This time, I won’t fail. I will get your trust. And once I get it, this time, I will hold it tightly in my hands. I will not let it slip through my fingers. A strategist never makes the same mistake twice. I will use any means to keep you, so the Lux business empire will be mine, and I can get out of this mafia hellhole. The plane would land soon. I better get some sleep before that. ***** [Juliette’s POV] A salty breeze filled my nose. The gentle swis
*WARNING: THIS CHAPTER HAS HINTS OF VIOLENCE* [Juliette’s POV] He kissed me passionately. When we broke apart, he pulled me into his arms and we laid down once more. This time, we did nothing more than cuddle, enjoying the simple pleasure of each other’s presence and the tranquillity of the moment. As I listened to his peaceful heartbeat, I drifted back to sleep. ***** Morning light opened my eyes to the glorious sight of a handsome giant sleeping like a child beside me. I scrutinised his features until those exhausted eyelids opened and shut again. A genuine smile touched his lips and he whispered huskily, “Good morning, kitten.” I shifted forward and pressed my lips against his, and they broadened into a grin as his hand slid up my right thigh—. GROWL….. He snickered and commented something about my empty stomach roaring like a battle tank, then jumped off bed to avoid a flying pillow aimed for his head, and made a call to room service. Forty minutes later, a fe
[Juliette’s POV]Ralph said, “I did. I told my brothers that I’m out. I don’t want any of that shit title and position. And that’s why they ganged up against me. That’s why they tried to poison me that night.” I now pictured Ralph as a little boy about to eat a chip laced with poison. Cold shiver ran up my arms, spreading goosebumps. “Why would they do that?” I jumped to a bewildered stand. “You forfeited! They should leave you alone, shouldn’t they?!” Heat was burning my eyes. Ralph stared at me, speechless, as though I was a shooting star in the dark night, and he had accidentally caught sight of me.He reached across the table, took my hand and gently pulled me over. I moved across the wooden platform and into his embrace and hugged him back. Tears streamed down my face. “Why are you crying, kitten?" He rubbed my back in a comforting way. "It’s in the past, isn’t it?” "But the pain is in the present." I sobbed.I pulled from him and grabbed each end of his jaw to force his at
[Ralph's POV] Ben's voice came through as urgent as one of those Wall Street slickers. "Those son of bitches screwed us over!" "Shit," I growled. “They pulled the plug," I stated as though it was the most plausible conclusion about the WhizTech buyers. Those bunch of wolves, the business suit was just a sheep skin. "They say we’re shitting them, the price is too high!" Ben complained. I jerked the phone away and knocked the back of my hand on my forehead. Fucking bloodsuckers!! Argh! “Ralph, are you selling WhizTech?” A sweet voice asked. Shit. My eyes flew open. I stared at my fist, unable to move. I’d forgotten all about Juliette. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I should’ve taken the call when she wasn’t around. “Ralph?” she pressed on. “You’re selling WhizTech, aren’t you?” I’ll see where this goes. With my mind made up, I lifted my gaze at her and said, “Why do you think it’s WhizTech?” “Cause it’s been one of Papa’s plans for the near future,” she replied innocently.
[Juliette’s POV] I folded my arms, pretending to appear vexed. “What makes you think so?” Ralph blinked in confusion. “You’re so into clothes and grooming. And you seemed very enthusiastic discussing fashion with Monsieur Kugefield, so I thought—.” I grabbed my hips like a runway model showing off my white dress, its skirt dancing in the sea breeze. “Clothes maketh a man, don’t you think?” His laughter rang over the crashing waves. “Why do you laugh?” I wriggled my nose and snorted. “If business suits did the same as an A shirt, would you still wear them?" He scoffed. "You mean 'brand maketh a man'. Don't look at me like that, Juliette. That Miracle Dress is ten times the cost of one McLaren!" The remark appalled me. "So what? I can afford it." He rolled his eyes. "You mean 'me'–I paid for that." "With MY money," I retorted with a hard glare. With both hands tucked into his pockets, he chuckled and nodded in a knowing defeat. "You made your point." Then, he strolled ca
[Juliette’s POV]Ralph’s face jerked up and he stared deep into my eyes, as though searching for something. Was it something I said? What did I say, I couldn’t remember. Ah well, it’s not important. I reached up my fingers to stroke his jaw, ticking my fingertips with his stubble, and giggled. “Do you love it when I touch you, Ralph?” He lowered his lips on me and kissed me, slow and tenderly, as though he had all the time in the world—as though he was making love to me with his mouth. I yanked his shirt off his shoulders and kneaded his warm, hard flesh of his barreled chest, the way he liked it. Then, I slid my hands around his waist to his back and clutched him closer, so he nestled between my thighs. He tore his lips away and stared at me. “I want to show you what I see when I’m inside you.” My eyes widened in shock and then flared in embarrassment. “Wait, Ralph—!” He pulled me off the table and turned me around to bend me over the wooden edge, so my breasts were crushed a
*WARNING: This Chapter Contains Sexual Violence.* [Luke’s POV] “Get it, baby! Yes! Yes! Fuck me harder!! YES!” A female screams filled the hotel room as Luke repeatedly rammed into her from behind, grunting along to his own build up of ecstasy. He sank his nails into the plump flesh and spread her butt cheeks to go deeper as he continued thrusting brutally. Every hit of the roof made her tremble, clinching him as though her life depended on it, giving him the satisfaction that he needed for his own release. “Argh!!” Luke thundered in fury. After all that he had done for her, all that he had told her, why didn’t Juliette do anything?! Well, she did—she kissed that son of a bitch before the entire fucking world and made that glorious introduction of her new status as the wife of Ralph Virtus. DAMN YOU, RALPH VIRTUS!!! Luke’s mine screamed, and slapped the crimsoned skin twice. “Work harder, Melissa!” he roared. “Yes, Luke!” squealed the girl in delighted pain and squee
[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
[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