[Juliette’s POV] Holding my eyes, the CEO said firmly, “Here at Lux Corp, decisions are made based on calculations—not wild guesses. Am I right, Ms. Juliette?” He was hinting that I had no proof, and he hit the bull’s eye—I really have none. Shit. He got me. I drew in a silent breath but refused to look away. “You said we can’t rule out all possibilities so we have to keep an eye on you too, Mr. Ralph.” The atmosphere was stifling as the rest of the team watched in awkward silence. Ralph sank in relaxation in his chair and flashed a nonchalant expression that made me look like an idiot. “By all means. If it’s for the greater good, I’d be happy to share the details of my schedule and names of the people I met.” Surveying his audience, the Mafia King added, “Until there’s proof that I’m behind these complaints, we have a potential food poisoning case to tackle. So far, I heard that no one was hurt.” All of a sudden, some tension left the faces. It seemed that we were too c
[Juliette’s POV]The Mafia King’s version of ‘deskbound’ is as mafia as anything I’ve seen. Looking up from the iron cuffs around my ankle, I stared in shock at Ben. “You gotta be kidding me!” The man snapped the other end to one leg of the desk and stood with a huff. “The boss doesn’t do kidding. You know him.” “I don’t think I do.” I crossed my arms in vexation. “I thought you said, he can’t make you do anything you don’t want to.” Ben shrugged. “Well, I’m on Ralph’s side for this one. Seriously, Juliette, why would you think of him like that? He loves Lux Corp more than anything.” I jerked my gaze away and asked sourly, “He told you?” “Honestly, it wasn’t hard to guess.” He glanced at the door to the CEO’s office as though Ralph was standing there. “I’ve got you to thank for that—.” He shifted closer and lowered his voice. “Your complete lack of faith in us.”The clown does know when to bite, and he bites like a fucking cobra. But I’m not a fucking sheep either. I snorted a
[Juliette’s POV]In one stride, he grabbed the sides of my face and crashed his lips onto mine. I squeezed my eyes tightly to push away any resistance inside me and welcome him with parted lips and eager tongue. We kissed as though we hadn’t seen each other for decades, our tongues caressing and rubbing urgently as we sucked on each other’s lips. As he lifted my chin to drive deeper into my mouth, his fingers stroked my nape and I let out a soft moan, which sounded much like his name. He tore his lips away and I already missed them. “Why do you hate me so much?” he breathed as he drank the nectar from my neck. I grabbed my wrists behind his neck and hugged him closer, feeling the tickles of his moist lips on the side of my throat and sighing in content. “You hate me as much.” I didn’t realise we were shifting backwards until my ankles bumped against the bed and we fell onto a cloud of sheets. He inhaled at the base of my neck and muttered softly, “What can I do to make you tru
[Ralph’s POV]“Satisfied?” I whispered into the damn woman’s ear, maintaining my smile so Juliette wouldn’t see through the disguise and ruin it. This woman flips her mind like a coin and is highly unpredictable when she gets upset. Jewel widened her grin and slipped out a satisfactory giggle. Then, she turned to me and said, “Not enough.” And gave me the look. With an inside groan of reluctance, I turned to Juliette and said, “The security will be here to escort you out.” From the corner of my eye, that psychotic bitch lifted her lips in a tiny smirk. But the purple eyes in front of me widened in a renewed surprise. Then, they grew feisty. “So this is it, huh? Everything that we’ve had boils down to this.” I swallowed and tucked my hands into my pockets to show that I do not give a damn about the ‘everything’ she pointed out, and replied, “You know I give a fuck more about this company than you.” Seeing her squint in puzzlement, I hastily added, “So we’re done. You don’t even
[Ben’s POV] That son of a bitch Ralph… His plan worked. I watched silently as the heiress found her way back to the main walkway. She was half-right: Jewel is smarter than she looks—that gorgeous, sexy babe, with legs for days. But Ralph's wits are above hers. Two days ago, after telling Andy to send Juliette back to the Lux mansion, he returned to the Virtus mansion, alone. I found him there scrutinising like a madman, through every sheet of paper regarding that dumb tuna can. Then, she came like a storm—the bombshell. She wasted no time in admitting that she was the one behind the whole damn thing, and, on the spot, struck a deal with Ralph, who looked as though he wanted to kill her with his bare hands. The opportunist in him sprung into action—he would go with the flow and see where it’d take him. Well… I stared at the poor heiress pausing just at the side of the walkway to answer her phone. It takes one lovesick idiot to know another: the rich girl is defini
[Juliette’s POV] The car zoomed past the snow capped mountains skirting the valley of green forests veiled by a thin layer of gold from the evening sun. Inside, I was trying to keep my mind off Ralph and the reality of our divorce. Of course, I wanted it. I just… didn’t think that it’d happen this soon. “I don’t think he operated alone, J.” Luke suddenly said. I swung a surprise look at him as he stared ahead at the road. Then, calmly, I returned my gaze to my side of the road. “I agree. Five hundred per cashier for each of the sixty people—someone must’ve sponsored him.” Luke tapped his finger on the steering wheel. “I wonder who that could be.” I frowned at the ribbon of grey concrete stretching as far as my eyes could see. I know who the hell it is. Jewel Virtus. That’s why she knew how to stop this farce. “You’re thinking it’s Jewel Virtus, aren’t you?” Luke glanced at me and then back ahead. “J, you said that I’m your partner. This is the reason why I don’t feel so.
[Juliette’s POV] Fuck… fuck, fuck, fuck. I miss that jerk. Mr. Patterson continued in a light-hearted manner. “I didn’t want to admit my feelings for her cause… you know, I didn’t want my parents to say those magic words—Told ya.” He slapped his lap and laughed. “Yeah, that’s what they’d say.” The old man lowered his gaze to the ground. “So poor Gertha suffered.” I watched the old man, superimposing Ralph in his position. Was Ralph hurt when I refused to tell him how I feel about him? Pfft! He made me say it when we had sex. That slimeball. Mr. Patterson blinked a few times then lifted his face back at me and they were solemn again. “But eventually I told her I love her and we have a beautiful daughter together. A ball of sunshine when I first saw her in my arms.” I smiled warmly. “That does sound like a lovely experience.” I couldn’t imagine holding a tiny person in my arms. The child of mine and Ralph’s. Crazy ol me started chatting with him more about his daughter and
[Juliette’s POV] Sex is truly the way to forgiveness. “You like this, kitten?” He slid in and out of me, slowly and steadily, stretching me wide and good. I swallowed to catch up with my racing heart and mewed, “Yes….” I was in the driver’s seat, naked to bare skin, my back against the expensive leather, arms pinned on the headrest, knees lifted to each side of my breasts, thighs spread to their widest, and ankles dangling to each side of Ralph’s shoulders. This position is highly erotic, keeping me turned on and my breathing heavy and hard. Delighted moans and gasps thickened the space inside the car. The temperature grew warmer as the air grew humid. “Am I forgiven?” he whispered as I felt him sliding in again, this time drilling all the way to that sweet end. “Yes!” I gasped to the glorious feeling. Devil… he knows that I can’t resist him and he does this to me all the time. Fuck, I’m so—shit, this feels fucking good!—I’m so goddamn useless! A vibrating sound pierced
[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.’