POV: LAUREN
“No one is coming to help you!” She laughed, a sharp, cruel sound. “You’re trash! You should never have been at this event! You should never have been born!”
The pressure increased, my chest heaving, my head pounding from the lack of air. Desperation turned into a burning fire inside me. My arms flailed wildly, nails scratching against the slick surface of the sink, desperately searching for something—anything—to save myself from this lunatic.
Then, in a desperate impulse, I grabbed her arm with all the strength I had, my fingers digging into her skin like claws. I twisted her wrist as hard as I could. A scream of pain tore from her lips, and for a brief moment, her grip loosened. Seizing the opportunity, I shoved her with all my strength, using the weight of my own body.
She stumbled in her high heels, staggering backward awkwardly. Her back slammed violently
POV: LAUREN“Do you understand me?” Ethan’s voice was low but laced with threat. His hand tightened even more around my throat, and I nodded with difficulty, feeling hot, shaky tears stream down my face.He smiled, satisfied, and with a calculated movement, he slid his hand away, leaving my body weakened from the shock. But he didn’t give me room to breathe. He pressed his arm against the wall beside my head, blocking any attempt to escape, his body pressing against mine. The darkness of the room wrapped around us as he leaned in, his warm, repulsive breath brushing against my skin.“Now tell me, sweetheart,” he hissed, his fingers sliding over my face until they reached my lips. His nails dug in slightly, pressing and bruising. His touch was an insult. A warning. “Why did your damn husband come to my company demanding that I hand over control of what’s mine back to you?”&n
POV: HENRYLauren was taking too long to return from the restroom, and a growing sense of unease settled over me. Was she feeling sick? Had I spun her around too much during our dance? But something told me it wasn’t just that. A gnawing sensation crept into my chest as my eyes caught Ethan moving through the ballroom, greeting guests with that same smug, superior air.He was alone.A chill ran down my spine.Something was wrong.I stood abruptly, determined to find her. Striding toward the restrooms with purpose, I was suddenly blocked.James.“Carter, what a pleasant surprise seeing you here, supporting my family’s charity event,” he said with a forced smile, studying my expression.My patience was already razor-thin. I exhaled sharply, stepping to the side, but James moved just as quickly, blocking my pat
POV: HENRYJames carried on, oblivious, focused on his next move in the game.“Must be jammed,” he murmured, finally bothering to look at me with a slight frown.My heart picked up speed. Something wasn’t right.“What?” I asked, furrowing my brow. I forced the door again, trying to turn the knob once more. Nothing. “The door won’t open. It’s locked!” I rubbed my temples, taking a deep breath before grabbing James by the collar of his shirt. “Open the door, James!”“Hey, relax. I had nothing to do with this.” He raised his hands in a defensive gesture, but the amused glint in his eyes only irritated me more.“What the hell are you up to?” I tightened my grip on the fabric, my patience wearing thin fast. “You never apologize—not even when you're a complete asshole. You lured
POV: HENRYShe collapsed, sobbing against my chest, her fingers clutching onto me as if she were afraid to let go. Every tremor that wracked her body filled me with rage and helplessness. The fear, the terror, the pain—it was all there, tangled in every broken sob and shaky breath.I swore to myself: Ethan Walker would not walk away unpunished. This was far from over.“Come on, let’s go home.” My voice was low but firm. I lifted Lauren into my arms, her body light and fragile against mine. She buried her face in my shoulder, completely ignoring the shocked stares from the guests.The laughter and conversation in the ballroom had vanished, replaced by hushed whispers and horrified murmurs as they took in our state.“Oh my God, what happened?” Margareth, James’s mother, gasped in horror. She covered her mouth with both hands the moment she saw us. &ldquo
POV: LAURENDisgust.It was the only word that could truly capture what I felt. Disgust, revulsion, contempt, rage, hatred… A flood of bitter emotions churned inside me, poisoning me from within. My stomach twisted at the memory of his touch, his breath, and the nauseating stench of that strong, invasive cologne Ethan always wore. I wanted to tear off my own skin and scrub every inch of my body until there wasn’t a single trace of him left.How could I? How had I ever given myself to someone so filthy, so despicable? How could I have allowed him to become part of my story?I looked down at my hands—trembling, cold, fragile.My child didn’t deserve a father like that.My child.My small, innocent baby.The mere thought of Ethan’s blood running through their veins made my heart ache with fury and helplessness. It was a cruel injustice—something so pure had come from someone so rotten.My breath caught in my throat when I looked up and saw Henry. His fingers gently ran through my hair, a
POV: LAURENMy fingers clenched the fabric of his shirt. My chest rose and fell in an erratic rhythm. He didn’t understand. He had no idea what he was saying.“You’ve got to be insane, Carter!” My voice came out heavy with frustration. I shut my eyes tight and pressed my throbbing forehead against his shoulder. The contact with his warm skin sent a shockwave through my entire body. “Why would you want someone as broken as me?”There was a moment of silence, but I could feel his breath against my ear—slow, steady, controlled. Then his hands moved.One of them slid up to the back of my neck, his fingers weaving through my hair and massaging the area with deliberate precision, drawing an involuntary sigh from my lips. My whole body trembled under his touch, hating how easily I gave in to him.“Because I know that this broken woman,” he began, his voice laced with conviction, “is incredible.”My throat tightened.“She’s real.”The pressure on my neck increased slightly, and my eyes flutte
POV: HENRYNothing. No reaction at all.Her breathing was shallow, almost unnoticeable. She wasn’t crying. And that was what hurt the most. Because when the tears don’t even come, it means the damage has already gone too deep.I bit the inside of my cheek. Theodor’s words echoed in my mind.“Our love will heal her.”Such a bold tone. Naive, even. But that’s what I wanted to believe in.“I’m going to take care of you,” I said, my voice low but firm. “You don’t have to say anything right now. Just stay here… with me. Let me handle everything.”She blinked. Slowly. A single tear slid down—quiet, nearly invisible.Yes, I would do this. Love, care, and protect. It wasn’t an empty promise—it was a decision. Instinctive. Final.
POV: LAURENHenry lifted me with ease, like I weighed nothing. His arms were strong, but his touch was anything but rough. He dried me gently, without rushing, respecting every part of my body as if he were handling something precious. Me. For the first time in a long while, someone was treating me like I had worth.He turned on the hairdryer and began to run the warm air through my hair. His fingers moved with care as he slowly combed my hair, untangling the knots without pulling, as if each touch whispered, You're safe now. I'm here.My eyes burned, but not because of the water. It was the gesture. The care. The tenderness. The way he tried—without even knowing exactly what to do—to show me that I mattered.He stretched out my arms gently, slipping one of his shirts over them. It was huge on me. He dressed me with such care, as if covering my body could also shield it from the shame and pain still cl
POV: VIOLETI froze for a second. My stomach twisted. A chill ran down my spine, followed by a hot, acidic wave rising to my face.“What?!” I screamed, my voice cracking, the shock unraveling me from the inside. “That’s a lie! That bitch is trying to fool everyone again!”“It’s not a lie.” Ravi kept chewing slowly, savoring every second of my reaction. “I saw the first ultrasound. I was around at the beginning of the pregnancy. And, by the timing, she and Henry weren’t together yet.” He let out a short, soulless laugh. “When I hinted that I knew the truth, Lauren freaked out. She cried, stuttered, and totally lost it.”My fingers started tingling. Rage blinded me. That filthy whore could destroy all our plans and ruin my comfortable life.“That damn bitch… pretending to be fragile, innocent, sweet&hellip
POV: VIOLET“Talk, Ravi… I heard you wanted to see me.” My voice came out impatient, forced, as I removed the damn cucumber slices from my eyes and kept my hands extended, fingers stiff, waiting for the manicurist to finish applying the polish.He walked in like he owned the place. That smug smile, his eyes scanning every corner of my living room with a kind of contempt so well-disguised it almost looked like charm. Almost.“You really moved up in life, cousin,” he muttered, his voice slow, dripping with sarcasm, like poison seeping through. “When you said you’d manage to rope in a billionaire, I thought it was just one of your delusions. But you pulled it off. What a pathetic show.”I rolled my eyes and scoffed.“Did you come here to be jealous?” I shot back, with a mocking smile I knew would trigger the same fury in him that he stirred in me. I
POV: LAUREN“Forget about it, Lauren,” Henry murmured in a low, husky voice, caressing my bare arms with firm fingers, sending immediate shivers all over my body. “Mia didn’t get what she wanted that night. And she’s going to pay for every damn second of it. I’ve already filed a lawsuit against her and James. The media may have bought that manipulative liar’s story, but I have enough evidence to destroy them both.”I closed my eyes for a second, feeling the weight of reality mix with everything I feared. I opened my mouth, hesitant, trying to find steadiness in my voice.“And you think she won’t fight back?” I asked, sitting up in bed, sliding my fingers across his bare chest. The touch felt natural yet full of tension. My fingers trembled slightly, and still, he shuddered under the contact, as if every gesture of mine still affected him deeply.“That doesn’t matter to me,” he replied firmly, and in one swift move
POV: LAURENI closed my eyes, biting my lips, trying to catch my breath, but the words slipped out in a trembling whisper, full of emotion:“I accept...” I managed to say in a breathy, needy murmur.I rested my head on his shoulder, searching for his face. Our eyes met for a brief second before his lips crashed into mine with raw hunger. The kiss was wet, deep, desperate. We moaned at the same time, and in that moment, he thrust into me all at once, filling me completely. I let out a long, drawn-out moan, pushing my hips back, wanting more, wanting everything.“I love you, Henry Carter,” I confessed without fear, between heavy breaths, feeling my body open entirely for him.He turned me to face him with ease, lifted me off the floor like I weighed nothing, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. Our bodies were pressed together—skin to skin, sweat to sweat. When h
POV: LAURENI took a step back, but he moved forward too, until he pinned me against the cold wall of the room. The contrast between his warm touch and the hard plaster behind me sent a shiver through my entire body.His eyes were dark, intense, almost wild. Lust, desire, passion, anger, pain—all mixed in a stare that pierced right through me.“Do you love me?” the question came out dry, direct.“Henry, that doesn’t matter right now. This is crazy.” I tried to argue, but my voice came out weak, hesitant.“Do you love me?” he repeated, even more firmly. The tone was commanding, impossible to ignore. I felt a tremor run through my body. The wall behind me seemed to vanish under the weight of his presence.I closed my eyes for a second. The knot in my throat tightened even more. I couldn’t lie anymore. Not to myself. Not t
POV: LAUREN“What I should have done on the night of our date… when everything went wrong,” Henry replied, his voice heavy with intensity.I frowned, confused, watching as he opened a small box. Inside, there was a ring with a brilliant blue stone that reflected the light in the room. It was mesmerizing. Beside it, a folded note with my handwriting.“What is this?” I exclaimed, a lump forming in my throat. My hands visibly trembled as I brought them to my lips, in shock.“Our marriage was forged through a contract,” he began, his voice now lower but steady. “But I want it to be real, Lauren. I had this ring made especially for you. These stones are rare and unique, just like you.”My tears started falling uncontrollably, burning my eyes. There was so much about him that confused me: the provocative touch, the almost cruel desire, the domin
POV: LAURENHis hands slowly slid up my bare thigh, firm and commanding. The shirt I was wearing—his shirt—lifted gradually, revealing my skin as his fingers pressed with intention, claiming territory. The loose fabric, which looked more like a dress on me, rose along with the tension spreading through my body. And he didn’t stop kissing me. Henry’s mouth was locked on mine—hot, demanding, hungry. His tongue explored mine with such urgency, like he wanted to erase every boundary between us and take everything I was.A shiver ran up my spine when I felt his fingers slide into the crease between my thighs, teasing with soft, circular strokes over my most sensitive spot. My body arched, trembling beneath him, and my lip caught between my teeth to hold back a moan. My lungs gasped for air between one sigh and the next.“Henry…” I whispered, my voice weak, shaking, fighting against the storm
POV: LAUREN“Henry, please… you’re exhausted. Today was a hard day.” I tried to stay calm, but my voice cracked. I just wanted to stop him. Furthermore, I wanted to silence him before his words shattered me completely.“It’s been hard since we broke up!” he burst out, his voice firm and full of pain, throwing the truth at me without any filter. My body frozen. My eyes widened, and I felt the blood drain from my face. “Theodor ran away because he couldn’t handle the pain of not seeing us together anymore. And I know exactly how much that hurts. Every single day, Lauren. I hate coming home and not finding you here. I hate the silence. Furthermore, I hate not hearing Theo’s laughter echoing through the rooms while you two played. Furthermore, I hate this empty, cold bed—where you used to throw yourselves into my arms, barely leaving me space but filling me with so much more love. I hate prete
POV: LAURENI watched him grab two towels and one of his oversized shirts—the kind that always wrapped around my whole body.“Go dry off and warm up, please. I don’t want you getting sick, especially now… it wouldn’t be good for you or the baby,” Henry said, his voice softer and more careful than usual.I felt my stomach tighten when I heard him mention the baby. Furthermore, I was speechless for a few seconds.“You don’t have to, Carter,” I murmured with a weak smile. “I… I’ll go back home.”Even as I said that, my body was lightly trembling, my feet still damp, clothes clinging to my skin. I was tired, emotionally drained—but what hurt the most was the way he made me feel, just by the way he looked at me. As if he was saying everything he couldn’t put into words.“It’s