Elene sat in her suite, fingers tapping against her wine glass as she watched an encrypted feed on her tablet…Noel on the dance floor, laughing with his friends, Vincenzo’s shadow never too far.She zoomed in. Noel’s lips against Vincenzo’s. Their hands on each other. Intimacy. Trust.Disgusting.Her best friend Cassie twirled her blonde hair beside her, equally absorbed. “You really think that freak Julian can get him back?”Elene smiled slowly. “I don’t need him to get Noel back. I just need him to break them.”Cassie glanced at her. “And if that doesn’t work?”Elene looked down at her phone. A message sat unsent: Plan B is in motion. Be ready.She locked the screen.“Then we go to war.”Meanwhile, across the city, Julian sat in a dark hotel room, lit only by the glow of his phone. He stared at the video…Noel laughing on the beach, twirling around in the sun, happy, unbothered.His thumb hovered over the message Elene had sent. Coordinates. Names. Information.He didn’t need it.He
The knock on the door echoed like a warning.Heavy. Deliberate. Unmistakable.Noel's father, Carlton Laurent, looked up from his glass of brandy. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Not today. And certainly not anyone bold enough to disturb him this early in the evening.“Who the hell…”Before he could finish the sentence, his butler entered, pale and visibly shaken.“Sir… there’s a man here to see you. He says… he says his name is Don Ramon De Luca.”Carlton froze, his glass still halfway to his lips.“…De Luca?”The butler gave a small nod. “He insisted.”Carlton stood slowly, his fingers tightening around the glass. “Show him in.”When Don Ramon De Luca entered, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees. He was tall, composed, dressed in a sharp black suit with a long overcoat, his aura cold, commanding.Carlton had never met the man before, but he didn’t need an introduction.This was the lion of New York’s underworld.“Mr. Laurent,” Don Ramon said, his voice low and polis
The sun glinted off the waves, casting golden ripples over the ocean. Noel stood with his feet in the water, letting it rush past his ankles while Aria and Nico splashed each other behind him. Their laughter echoed around, but Noel was lost in thought, his fingers clenched around his phone. He’d been quiet all morning, withdrawn, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. “You good, babe?” Aria called from behind, brushing her wet curls back as she walked toward him. Before Noel could answer, his phone rang. His breath hitched when he saw the name on the screen. Dad. He hesitated before answering. “What do you want?” he asked, voice low. “You little bastard! You’re just like your mother!” his father’s voice thundered through the phone. Noel flinched. His knuckles went white around the phone. “You think you can just disappear and shame me like this? You better get your ass back home!” “I’m not in the country, Dad,” Noel snapped, louder than he intended. Aria stopped in her tracks. Nico w
The rhythmic crash of waves against the shore played in the background as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was thick with the scent of salt and the distant aroma of grilled seafood from nearby tavernas. Noel stood at the edge of the beach, toes sinking into the cool sand, eyes fixed on the horizon.“We have to go back,” Noel murmured, breaking the tranquil silence.Vincenzo, lounging on a beach chair beside him, turned his gaze toward Noel, studying the tension in his posture. “Back?”Noel nodded, swallowing hard. “Tomorrow evening. I need to face my father.”A heavy pause settled between them. The distant laughter of Aria and Nico, engaged in their playful antics, seemed to fade into the background.Vincenzo rose, closing the distance between them. “Are you sure about this?”Noel’s eyes met his, a storm of emotions swirling within. “I don’t have a choice.”Vincenzo’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Then we leave tomorrow.”A sudden
Noel sat curled in the corner of the jet’s plush couch, knees pulled to his chest, a thick blanket wrapped around him even though the cabin wasn’t cold. His face was pale, eyes red-rimmed and unfocused as they stared blankly out the window at the dark stretch of ocean below.Vincenzo sat across from him, elbows on his knees, hands clenched into fists. His shirt was stained with blood…Ezra’s. His jaw twitched as he watched Noel, silent, helpless, seething.Nico sat beside Noel, rubbing his back gently, whispering things only he could hear.Aria sat on the floor near the couch, her legs crossed, staring straight ahead. Her fists were clenched. Her earrings swung with every tiny tremble of her body. “I should’ve followed him. He was gone too long. I should’ve…fuck.”Lucas stood near the cockpit, arms folded, head low. Guilt clouded his expression. “This was on all of us.”“No,” Vincenzo growled finally. “It was on me.”Noel blinked slowly, like he hadn’t even realized they were speaking.
“Noel,” Vincenzo’s voice was low, dark, and dangerous as he kicked the penthouse door open, carrying Noel in his arms like he weighed nothing. The door slammed shut behind them with a finality that sent a chill down Noel’s spine.“You’re safe now,” Vincenzo growled, striding through the shadows of the luxurious space, lit only by the flickering city lights bleeding in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. “No more running. No more hiding. You’re mine.”He laid Noel on the bed with an unexpected gentleness, brushing hair from his flushed face. Noel was trembling, still hazy, drugged, but his eyes found Vincenzo’s, glassy and wanting.“Don’t leave,” he whispered. “Please… stay.”Vincenzo turned to go…but Noel’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, tight. “Stay,” Noel said again, voice cracking. “I need you.”Vincenzo stilled. His jaw clenched.“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he said, voice guttural.“I do.”Vincenzo’s control shattered.He climbed on top of Noel in one smooth,
“You’re a big disappointment.”The words struck like a whip the moment Noel stepped into the room. Carlton didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t have to. The cold finality in his tone froze Noel where he stood.The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Laurent estate, but there was no warmth in the room.Noel shut the door quietly behind him. “Dad, I…”“Save it,” Carlton snapped, holding up a sleek black tablet. “Sit.”Noel didn’t move fast enough. Carlton’s voice dropped colder. “I said sit.”He sat.Carlton walked over and set the tablet down on the coffee table with a slow, deliberate motion. Then, without a word, he tapped the screen.The video started playing.Noel blinked once.And then everything inside him shattered.It was him. On the bed in Julian’s room. Crying. Naked. Writhing.Julian’s voice, sick and low.Noel’s own voice, panicked and pleading…“Julian, stop…stop..please…”The sound of the mattress creaking.The slap of skin.Noel’s choked sobs.He jerked bac
“Please… just one day of peace.”Noel muttered it to himself as he flipped to the next page in his exam prep book, highlighter dangling from his fingers. His eyes burned. His brain ached. But he’d refused to take any calls. No texts. No visits. Not even from Aria or Nico.Graduation was around the corner.One last final exam and he was done.One tiny step toward a normal life…his own life.Then came the knock.Sharp. Measured. Intentional.Noel stiffened, eyes flicking to the clock. 10:12 AM. He wasn’t expecting anyone.He rose slowly, setting his book aside. His heartbeat quickened. Maybe it was Nico. Or Aria. Or even…He opened the door.And nearly choked.“Hello, sunshine.” Matteo Rossi stood there with the smile of a prince and the soul of a devil. Black suit, black shirt, bouquet of crisp white peonies in his hand. His cologne was expensive and suffocating.Noel’s face dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”Matteo raised an eyebrow. “That’s not how you greet your fiancé.”“
“You did it!” Aria squealed, throwing her arms around Noel’s neck as they spilled out of the auditorium. “Officially a graduate, Mr. Laurent!”Noel managed a faint smile. “Yeah… guess I did.”Nico clapped him on the back. “Top of the class, too. Don’t act like that doesn’t feel good.”“It feels…” Noel exhaled. “Surreal.”And heavy.They knew.That smile didn’t touch his eyes.But Aria wasn’t letting him slip. “No sulking. Tonight, we’re drinking. Bar. Loud music. Zero regrets.”Noel hesitated. “I don’t...”“You’re coming,” Nico said, hooking an arm around his shoulders. “One drink. You owe us.”The bar pulsed with bass. Classmates filled every booth and corner, celebrating freedom like it was a religion. Aria dragged Noel toward the center.“C’mon, dance floor!”Noel shook his head, already settling at the counter. “Not tonight.”“Live a little!” she yelled over the music.“I’ll be here.”Nico raised a brow. “You good?”Noel nodded. “Just… need a drink.”Aria pouted but didn’t push. S
“You sure about this?” Nico asked as they stepped out of the car.“I need to see him,” Noel said, clutching the sleeves of his hoodie. “If I don’t… I’ll go insane.”The neon-red glow of the sign above them pulsed against the black sky: UNDERWORLD.Nico led the way through the doors like he owned the place. Music throbbed, bass heavy, the scent of sweat, smoke, and sex saturating the air.They walked down the staircase, past the velvet ropes, straight toward the private wing…until Lucas appeared.He froze the moment he saw Noel.“Noel?” Lucas blinked, visibly startled. “What the hell are you doing here?”Noel narrowed his eyes. “Why do you look surprised?”Lucas opened his mouth, then shut it again. “I…Vincenzo’s not available.”Nico stepped in, smirking. “Come on, Lucas. Don’t be so stiff.” He placed a hand lightly on Lucas’s arm. “You always play the good soldier, don’t you?”Lucas stiffened. “Nico…”Nico leaned in close. “Just… take a little break. Five minutes.”Lucas hesitated..ey
“Please… just one day of peace.”Noel muttered it to himself as he flipped to the next page in his exam prep book, highlighter dangling from his fingers. His eyes burned. His brain ached. But he’d refused to take any calls. No texts. No visits. Not even from Aria or Nico.Graduation was around the corner.One last final exam and he was done.One tiny step toward a normal life…his own life.Then came the knock.Sharp. Measured. Intentional.Noel stiffened, eyes flicking to the clock. 10:12 AM. He wasn’t expecting anyone.He rose slowly, setting his book aside. His heartbeat quickened. Maybe it was Nico. Or Aria. Or even…He opened the door.And nearly choked.“Hello, sunshine.” Matteo Rossi stood there with the smile of a prince and the soul of a devil. Black suit, black shirt, bouquet of crisp white peonies in his hand. His cologne was expensive and suffocating.Noel’s face dropped. “What the hell are you doing here?”Matteo raised an eyebrow. “That’s not how you greet your fiancé.”“
“You’re a big disappointment.”The words struck like a whip the moment Noel stepped into the room. Carlton didn’t raise his voice. He didn’t have to. The cold finality in his tone froze Noel where he stood.The morning sun filtered through the tall windows of the Laurent estate, but there was no warmth in the room.Noel shut the door quietly behind him. “Dad, I…”“Save it,” Carlton snapped, holding up a sleek black tablet. “Sit.”Noel didn’t move fast enough. Carlton’s voice dropped colder. “I said sit.”He sat.Carlton walked over and set the tablet down on the coffee table with a slow, deliberate motion. Then, without a word, he tapped the screen.The video started playing.Noel blinked once.And then everything inside him shattered.It was him. On the bed in Julian’s room. Crying. Naked. Writhing.Julian’s voice, sick and low.Noel’s own voice, panicked and pleading…“Julian, stop…stop..please…”The sound of the mattress creaking.The slap of skin.Noel’s choked sobs.He jerked bac
“Noel,” Vincenzo’s voice was low, dark, and dangerous as he kicked the penthouse door open, carrying Noel in his arms like he weighed nothing. The door slammed shut behind them with a finality that sent a chill down Noel’s spine.“You’re safe now,” Vincenzo growled, striding through the shadows of the luxurious space, lit only by the flickering city lights bleeding in through the floor-to-ceiling windows. “No more running. No more hiding. You’re mine.”He laid Noel on the bed with an unexpected gentleness, brushing hair from his flushed face. Noel was trembling, still hazy, drugged, but his eyes found Vincenzo’s, glassy and wanting.“Don’t leave,” he whispered. “Please… stay.”Vincenzo turned to go…but Noel’s hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, tight. “Stay,” Noel said again, voice cracking. “I need you.”Vincenzo stilled. His jaw clenched.“You don’t know what you’re asking for,” he said, voice guttural.“I do.”Vincenzo’s control shattered.He climbed on top of Noel in one smooth,
Noel sat curled in the corner of the jet’s plush couch, knees pulled to his chest, a thick blanket wrapped around him even though the cabin wasn’t cold. His face was pale, eyes red-rimmed and unfocused as they stared blankly out the window at the dark stretch of ocean below.Vincenzo sat across from him, elbows on his knees, hands clenched into fists. His shirt was stained with blood…Ezra’s. His jaw twitched as he watched Noel, silent, helpless, seething.Nico sat beside Noel, rubbing his back gently, whispering things only he could hear.Aria sat on the floor near the couch, her legs crossed, staring straight ahead. Her fists were clenched. Her earrings swung with every tiny tremble of her body. “I should’ve followed him. He was gone too long. I should’ve…fuck.”Lucas stood near the cockpit, arms folded, head low. Guilt clouded his expression. “This was on all of us.”“No,” Vincenzo growled finally. “It was on me.”Noel blinked slowly, like he hadn’t even realized they were speaking.
The rhythmic crash of waves against the shore played in the background as the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. The air was thick with the scent of salt and the distant aroma of grilled seafood from nearby tavernas. Noel stood at the edge of the beach, toes sinking into the cool sand, eyes fixed on the horizon.“We have to go back,” Noel murmured, breaking the tranquil silence.Vincenzo, lounging on a beach chair beside him, turned his gaze toward Noel, studying the tension in his posture. “Back?”Noel nodded, swallowing hard. “Tomorrow evening. I need to face my father.”A heavy pause settled between them. The distant laughter of Aria and Nico, engaged in their playful antics, seemed to fade into the background.Vincenzo rose, closing the distance between them. “Are you sure about this?”Noel’s eyes met his, a storm of emotions swirling within. “I don’t have a choice.”Vincenzo’s jaw tightened, but he nodded. “Then we leave tomorrow.”A sudden
The sun glinted off the waves, casting golden ripples over the ocean. Noel stood with his feet in the water, letting it rush past his ankles while Aria and Nico splashed each other behind him. Their laughter echoed around, but Noel was lost in thought, his fingers clenched around his phone. He’d been quiet all morning, withdrawn, and it hadn’t gone unnoticed. “You good, babe?” Aria called from behind, brushing her wet curls back as she walked toward him. Before Noel could answer, his phone rang. His breath hitched when he saw the name on the screen. Dad. He hesitated before answering. “What do you want?” he asked, voice low. “You little bastard! You’re just like your mother!” his father’s voice thundered through the phone. Noel flinched. His knuckles went white around the phone. “You think you can just disappear and shame me like this? You better get your ass back home!” “I’m not in the country, Dad,” Noel snapped, louder than he intended. Aria stopped in her tracks. Nico w
The knock on the door echoed like a warning.Heavy. Deliberate. Unmistakable.Noel's father, Carlton Laurent, looked up from his glass of brandy. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Not today. And certainly not anyone bold enough to disturb him this early in the evening.“Who the hell…”Before he could finish the sentence, his butler entered, pale and visibly shaken.“Sir… there’s a man here to see you. He says… he says his name is Don Ramon De Luca.”Carlton froze, his glass still halfway to his lips.“…De Luca?”The butler gave a small nod. “He insisted.”Carlton stood slowly, his fingers tightening around the glass. “Show him in.”When Don Ramon De Luca entered, the temperature in the room seemed to drop by ten degrees. He was tall, composed, dressed in a sharp black suit with a long overcoat, his aura cold, commanding.Carlton had never met the man before, but he didn’t need an introduction.This was the lion of New York’s underworld.“Mr. Laurent,” Don Ramon said, his voice low and polis