The toy . “Ariel, save me!” I screamed, my eyes opened,casting its gaze on the ceiling. As I rose, I caught a whiff of pancakes. That’s right, Damon was here. I ran to the kitchen. I had to force Damon to sleep on the chair; I couldn’t bear the thought of him lying on a bed where I had sex with another man. Since I was mad at him about the charity event, he complied without suspecting anything. “Good morning, Binky.” Damon greeted me, standing shirtless with an apron on and exposing his perfectly sculpted muscles. “What are you doing in my kitchen?” I settled into the dining area situated at the center of the kitchen. “Our kitchen,” he retorted, "is making you breakfast.” Damon handed me a plate of pancakes, scrambled eggs, and hotdogs. “What happened to my alcohol?” He asked. My stomach twisted as I remembered myself and Logan drinking it yesterday. “I poured them down the sink,” I replied, turning my face away from him. “You what? That wine was motherfucking expensive.” He
The toy . Although it had been a week since Damon said he would handle the media, headlines still painted me as the crazy bitch. Meanwhile, pictures of him and Lucy have also been all over the media—romantic dates, holding hands at events. Seeing those photos made me relive the heartbreak all over again. Jessie and I had decided to go on vacation to get our minds off things. I glanced at the apartment, wondering how Damon would feel when he came back, and I realized I was gone. He’d definitely pull the life support on my mother by himself. “Our flight is at 11 a.m. We’ve got less than two hours to get to the airport.” Jessie reminded me. “You’re taking forever. Are you scared the Demon will pull your mother's life support with his bare hands?” Jessie chuckled. “You always know what I’m thinking.” I smiled, closing the door behind me. "That is why we are friends. Just tell him you are going on vacation. You need some time for yourself,” Jessie said, tossing the luggage
The CEO . It was like I was set on fire, my blood boiling at 100 degrees Celsius, as I saw those bloody, horny men flooding her comment. I posted it for myself—I scoffed at the message. If it’s for herself, then it should remain in her gallery, not on her social page. After writing a long paragraph about why she should arrange her bags and return to New York, I deleted it. I didn’t want to sound controlling, and she does need a break from all this drama. “Are you with another man?” I asked as I adjusted my red tie against my white dress shirt, seated alone in my office. I was reading through some contracts when my phone chimed. Glancing at my notifications bar, I saw—Ari. S had posted a picture. As I clicked on it, a picture of her in a red bikini, accentuating her cleavage and hips, popped up. I was pleased with it until I saw those bloody men staring at my woman. My phone chimed, and I picked it up. Aria: Are you with your missing piece? She had been haunting me with thi
The toy . “I can walk—put me down!” I yelled, banging my clenched fist against his back. As we arrived at the reception, my screams drew attention. Instantly, I covered my face with my palms to avoid any further embarrassment. I didn’t need pictures of me being carried like a sack of rice flooding the internet. After all, no face, no case. Damon slipped me into his black sports Ferrari before entering the driver’s seat. Starting his car, he advised, “You should always fasten your seatbelt,” as he leaned over and did it for me. There he goes, acting like he actually cares. “Where is Jessie?” I asked, scanning the outside through the car’s tinted glass. “Behind us, with Zach.” Staring back, I saw Zach’s red sports Ferrari behind. “We are leaving Jessie alone with that womanizer friend of yours.” “What, are you scared he would steal her heart?” That was the least of my worries. I just didn’t want to be left alone in the same space with Damon. Although Zach is a very charming
The toy . Damon noticed my discomfort. "Why are you nervous?" he asked. “I’m not.” I struggled not to scratch my forehead to not affirm his deductions. Just then, my phone rang—Logan's name lit up the screen. “Who is Logan?” Damon’s tone was intense, causing a thunderous silence. I swallowed hard as my body trembled. “My friend.” Jessie snatched my phone away, feigning nonchalance. "Probably just trying to reach me since my phone was off," she added, disappearing into the other room. Although Jessie had intervened, my hands didn’t stop trembling as Damon still stared at me, his eyes hinting at his disbelief. Jessie walked back in and handed over my phone. “I was right; he tried calling me. Guess my phone was switched off.” Damon's suspicions seemed to intensify. "Your phone's not off," Zach noted as Jessie's phone chimed, drawing her attention. I closed my eyes, hoping to disappear. Without uttering a word, Damon shifted his focus back to the game. An unsettling feeli
The CEO . My eyes widened as I saw her, and my phone slipped from my grasp, clattering to the floor. “Binky,” I whispered, my heart aching as tears streamed down her face. “I was stupid to believe you,” she sobbed, her voice trembling as she broke down completely. She turned and ran into the next room, slamming the door so hard that it echoed through the house. “There’s been a lot of door-slamming lately,” Zach observed. “What did you do to her?” Jessie demanded, her brows furrowed. “Ari, please open the door!” Jessie pounded on it. A claustrophobic sensation began to crawl up my throat, and I clenched my fists as conflicting thoughts warred in my mind—one screaming for me to drown my sorrows in alcohol. I marched over to the indoor bar and downed five glasses in quick succession. Zach, understanding me all too well, stood silently, offering no reproach. Grabbing my car keys, I headed for the door, only to be intercepted by Zach. “You’ve had too much to drink,” he cautioned
The toy .I woke up to sunlight piercing through my puffy, red eyes. I turned and noticed Jessie wasn't in bed. With a slow gait, I strode out of the room, drawn by the sound of her laughter coming from the kitchen."Morning, sunshine," Zach greeted me as I entered."How are you feeling?" Jessie asked."Like I've been stung by a thousand bees," I replied, gulping down a glass of water."You'll get better," Jessie said.My eyes darted around the room, scanning for someone I wasn’t ready to face. Just one smile from him, and my heart would foolishly skip a beat."So, what are your plans for today?" I asked Jessie."Well, Zach is taking me shopping with the money I won yesterday.""When did you two become friends?" I inquired."We were never enemies," Zach said, taking a swig of his drink.It reminded me of Damon, who liked to start drinking early in the morning—birds of a feather."And you don’t have to worry about the demon," Jessie added. "He’s gone back to New York."I should have
The toy . Suddenly, I regretted why I hid in the closet. I should have jumped out— should have risked breaking my leg. I closed my eyes, and the taste of fear—metallic and bitter—lingered on my tongue as I awaited my end. “Ariel,” his surprisingly soft voice called out. I opened one eye before the other, sizing the huge man before me. “It’s me, Tony your neighbor.” He scoffed jokingly. “I mean your former neighbor.” He stared at the knife before tossing it to the floor. “Sorry, I must have scared you. I saw a car packed outside, and I thought it was one of those junkies that come around.” I was still too stunned to speak; fear was still coursing through my veins. “Aria” He asked. Noticing I flinched at the mention of the name, he apologized. "Sorry, I thought it was Ariel. Cause of the hair.” I stepped out of the closet and dusted off the cobwebs draping my outfit. Turning to him, “the hair?” “Ariel loved her hair long, and you, you know, you loved yours short.” He explaine