AXEL’S POV:I rose to my feet, her eyes hazy and wanting, and positioned myself between her thighs. She reached for me, and I guided myself in slowly, letting her feel every inch as I slid into her.She was tight, warm, and so damn perfect.We moved together in a rhythm only we could make. Her hands gripped my shoulders, her legs wrapped around my waist, and every thrust was slow and deep—built for connection, not just release.Her breathing hitched. Her nails bit into my skin.“Axel…” she called, her voice breaking on my name.“Look at me,” I said, and when she did, I swear I saw forever in those eyes.She came again, this time with her body clenching around me, pulling me deeper, dragging me into that same spiral of pleasure. I couldn’t hold back—I didn’t want to. I groaned against her neck as I came, burying myself to the hilt, her body the only home I’d ever known.When it was over, I didn’t move. I just held her.Her chest rose and fell against mine, skin damp, lips parted, eyes
AVERY'S POV:Today was the day. The day everything I’d sacrificed for—three years of isolation, shame, and clinging to hope—would finally be worth it. Today, Chase and I will be together again. I’d imagined it a thousand times, practically willed it into existence. He’d be there waiting, holding roses, his face soft and full of the love I’d convinced myself still lived beneath the hurt and resentment. It had to be there. He would be my reward for enduring it all.The warden’s voice cut through the waiting room. “Mrs. Avery Grayson!” Her voice loudly pulled me back from my daze. “That’s me,” I blurted, jumping to my feet, my heart doing a little twirl dance. Today was the day I left behind everything—the concrete walls, the metal bars, the fluorescent lights, and that dull ache that had taken residence in my bones. I’d already showered, fixed my hair, and even put on a little makeup that one of the guards had snuck me. I wanted to look perfect. He’d appreciate the effort; he’d see tha
AVERY'S POV:I felt an overwhelming urge to storm into the house, to confront Chase and demand answers for this chaos. But my feet barely took a step before I was abruptly halted. The sudden loss of momentum left me reeling, like a door slammed shut in my face. This was my house. I should be treated with reverence and respect as Mrs. Grayson. Not being handled as a nobody – invisible, insignificant, and utterly powerless.The guard shoved me into a room, dark and suffocating, as if it was meant to close around me like a vice. The rough edges of the doorframe scraped against my arms, but I didn’t flinch. I barely felt it. I could only stand there, swallowing down bile, my heart beating out some useless plea that this was all a nightmare.But it wasn’t. Chase had left me rotting in that prison, only to serve me divorce papers on the day of my release. As if that wasn’t enough, the invitation to his wedding—his wedding to my own sister—had been tucked right beside them like a sick joke.
AXEL’S POV:Business was good—no, it was flawless. My name alone struck fear wherever it was spoken, and respect was a currency I never ran short of. In every boardroom, back alley, and underground circuit, I was Axel Blackwood: a god among men, ruthless and unyielding. Just the way I liked it.But there was still an itch I couldn’t scratch. The kind that sank deep, an ache gnawing at my insides every time I closed my eyes. Revenge. I’d returned to finish what had started years ago, blood debts left unpaid. I was patient, though. I’d learned to savor it—blood, sweat, and tears from everyone who’d ever dared to cross me.Yet, today, the taste of satisfaction had dulled. I’d spent most of my day distracted, my focus slipping. Sea, my six-year-old daughter, had seemed out of sorts, her usual bright chatter dimmed. She’d stood in the doorway of my office, pouting in that way only she could.“Daddy, you’re always working,” she said, her voice tiny and cracked. “I need someone who can actua
AVERY'S POV:His voice cut through me, sharp and cold, and I didn’t need a second reminder to obey. As Katie, the maid who introduced herself in a low, calm tone, led me down a quiet, lavish hallway, my mind was fixated on one thing: his left eye. The one I could see.Axel Blackwood’s left eye was a smoldering, molten copper—alive with an inner fire that seemed to light up the very air around him. The iris, polished like burnished penny, radiated an intense warmth and depth that made the gaze hypnotic, magnetic. Flecks of gold glinted within that coppery storm, as if shards of sunlight had taken residence there, restless and burning. The cream-toned skin around his eye only served to make its color more striking, like the contrast of fire against pale ember. And his lash, thick and dark, framed his eye like brushstrokes on a masterpiece, accentuating the dangerous gleam within them.As he’d looked at me, his eys had held a glint of mischief, laced with something far darker—command, au
AXEL’S POV:I leaned back in my office chair, rubbing the part of my chest that still ached like a damn knife wound. No one knew the truth I was harboring along with a dozen other secrets: I was dying. Slowly, and it felt as brutal as anything I’d ever inflicted on my enemies. The doctors broke it to me two months ago—an inexplicable hole in my heart, they said. "Six months left, if you're lucky." Nature, or fate, or karma—whatever it was—finally decided to catch up.It was right after I’d taken care of a bastard and his entire family who’d tried sabotaging one of my shipments. I didn’t feel a damn thing as I strangled him, then ordered my men to take out every breathing thing in his house. There’s no other way to be clear: you cross me, you die. He knew the stakes when he made his choice. Still, something about him and his family felt… strange.But there was no time for questions now, especially with the ticking clock in my chest. It’s what pushed me to find Sea someone to leave her
AVERY'S POV:I was done with crying. It felt like a curse had latched onto my life, shadowing every breath I took. Why did everything have to go wrong? Not a moment to breathe, to laugh, or feel free—just an endless stream of pain, betrayal, and torment. Let me take you back to where it all started, to the reason I can’t seem to stop the tears.Growing up, the only warmth I felt came from my father and grandfather. My mother, Lyra Russell, used to be loving—at least, that’s what I was told. But then something changed when I turned two. My father said her love began to fade. I didn't understand it then, but as I grew older, I saw the truth for myself. The moment Astrid, my younger sister, entered the picture, it was as if all the love my mother once had for me shifted to her.That alone was hard, but at least I had my father and grandfather. They were my sanctuary, wrapping me in a love that softened the sharp edges of my mother’s indifference. But even that comfort was ripped away all
AVERY'S POV:Sea's small voice, full of vulnerability, tugged at memories I hadn’t let myself touch in years. Hearing her admit she was afraid of the dark was like looking in a mirror back to my own childhood. I remembered lying in bed, hiding under covers, watching shadows stretch across the walls, and waiting for the sound of my father’s footsteps. He’d read me a story every night, staying until I drifted off. If he left even a second too soon, I’d call out for him, sure that the monsters would sneak in the moment he was gone.I glanced down at Sea, curled up tightly, hugging her teddy bear. Her eyes peeked over its fuzzy head, watching me warily, not trusting but not sending me away either. Slowly, I stepped closer to her bed and lowered myself down, one hand gently resting on her back. Her shoulders were stiff, defensive, but she didn’t pull away.My eyes locked onto the phone nestled next to her pillow, and I knew I had to act. I paused for a moment, collecting my thoughts.“Woul
AXEL’S POV:I rose to my feet, her eyes hazy and wanting, and positioned myself between her thighs. She reached for me, and I guided myself in slowly, letting her feel every inch as I slid into her.She was tight, warm, and so damn perfect.We moved together in a rhythm only we could make. Her hands gripped my shoulders, her legs wrapped around my waist, and every thrust was slow and deep—built for connection, not just release.Her breathing hitched. Her nails bit into my skin.“Axel…” she called, her voice breaking on my name.“Look at me,” I said, and when she did, I swear I saw forever in those eyes.She came again, this time with her body clenching around me, pulling me deeper, dragging me into that same spiral of pleasure. I couldn’t hold back—I didn’t want to. I groaned against her neck as I came, burying myself to the hilt, her body the only home I’d ever known.When it was over, I didn’t move. I just held her.Her chest rose and fell against mine, skin damp, lips parted, eyes
AXEL’S POV:Believe me, I missed my wife.Yes, my body was practically screaming for hers, but it wasn’t just about that. It was about reclaiming something we lost—our rhythm, our connection, the way we used to know each other's needs without saying a word.Avery, the obedient tease, dropped to her knees without breaking eye contact. Her hands were already on my belt, and within seconds, she freed me from my trousers and briefs. My cock sprang up like it had been waiting all its life for this moment.“Damn,” she whispered, eyes widening.“What?” I asked, watching her reaction more than I cared to admit.“Did you get a new cock or something? I don’t remember it being this big. It got bigger,” she said, sounding part amazed, part suspicious.I let out a low chuckle. “Woman, I’ve always been this big. Don’t act brand new. You remember how I used to stretch you—how you used to scream into the pillow, begging me to slow down.”Her eyes darkened with something dangerous—desire, maybe mischi
AVERY’S POV:"His base would be in Miami. That’s our territory," Axel muttered, scrolling furiously through search results. "He has to be somewhere we already have dominance and power. So why the hell am I finding it difficult to trace him?""Maybe try your own homes," I said, biting into the cracker the hostess handed me. “The biggest and most discreet ones. You know, the kind no one ever talks about but everyone knows not to touch.”He stilled, glanced at me, then nodded slowly. “You’re right. He’s smart enough to hide in plain sight.”As he resumed his search, I finally allowed myself to chew. The snacks weren’t much, but they beat the dry, tasteless scraps I’d been surviving on at Orion. This was the first thing resembling real food I'd had in days."Serena," Axel called suddenly, not even lifting his eyes from the screen."Yes, Mr. Blackwood?" the flight attendant responded immediately, turning like she’d been waiting."Contact the tech team. Tell them I want the real-time locati
AVERY’S POV:We never noticed how much Orion had changed the nights we snuck out. The darkness cloaked everything, and in our desperation, we didn’t pay attention or question anything.But daylight doesn’t lie.It wasn’t until we came back down the slope—mud caking our boots, sunlight breaking through the trees—that we saw the truth. Burnt farmlands. Caved-in homes. Charred wooden posts where old lanterns used to hang. The trail had looked enchanted once. Now, it looked like a forgotten battlefield.The two men who guided us stopped near a cluster of boulders, gave a respectful nod, and wordlessly turned back. They didn’t look back once. Axel and I kept walking. And walking. It was torturous, but eventually, we came to a little town that looked almost deserted.Axel hurriedly found a payphone and made a phone call which my brain couldn't register due to how hungry and tired I was. My legs throbbed and my stomach kept reminding me how long it had been since that quick meal back in Or
AXEL’S POVIf I was still sane, it was only because my mind had already survived worse. That was the only explanation I had for not snapping the second we stepped foot back in the village.They saw us before we saw them.A shrill scream pierced the air, followed by the unmistakable hiss of metal drawn from sheaths. Blades flashed in the fading light. Men ran toward us with their swords raised, eyes wide with terror—not rage."Stay back!" someone yelled. "Don’t come any closer!""You shouldn't be here!" another man cried, backing away with trembling hands. "We buried you! You’re not real! You’re ghosts—vengeful spirits!"I tensed, stepping in front of Avery instinctively.Akira raised both hands, her voice strong but calm. "Peace! Peace, it's us!" she called out. "It's truly us. We've returned."The group hesitated, their weapons still raised, eyes darting between us like they were waiting for us to vanish in smoke. A woman dropped her bowl of water. It shattered on the ground."How is
AVERY’S POV:“What?” Axel blinked. “That has to be a joke.”Akira gave him a look. “When have you ever known me to joke?”“But—seven years?”She nodded. “It started counting differently once our spirits left the House of Judgment. One day in this temple equals one year in the human world.”I stared at her, trying to process. “So... when I was yelling at you two to wake up, that was normal time. But once we began the process—”“Time shifted,” she said. “You experienced four normal days and seven spiritual days. In the human world, it’s been over seven years.”Axel let out a breath. “So technically, I’m fifty-two now? Avery’s thirty-one? And Sea—” He paused. “She’d be thirteen.”“Not quite,” Akira replied calmly. “You didn’t age. None of us did. We still look, feel, and are the same age as when we first entered. But the world we’re going back to… it moved on.”I looked at my hands, then at Axel’s face. He hadn’t changed. Neither had I.“But everyone we left behind…” I whispered. “They c
AVERY’S POV:Apparently, I might not get everything back.But I have Axel. I have Akira. And for now, that was enough.Nothing’s been the same since I woke up seven days ago. Not even the way the air feels in my lungs. It’s lighter—but heavier, somehow. Akira had waited until the second morning to tell me.“There’s no heartbeat,” she said.Just like that.Axel looked just as stunned as I felt. His grip on my hand didn’t loosen, though. If anything, he held tighter.Later that night, while I stared up at the cracked ceiling, unable to stop the tears from creeping into my ears, he pulled me against him and said, “I’d rather let a child I’ve never met go than lose you. We’ll make another one, Avery. Don’t be too sad.”He’s been like that ever since.Solid. Ridiculous. Unshakable.When my sadness slips in, he trains with me. When I get too quiet, he cracks a joke—sometimes awful enough to make me roll my eyes, but it works.What surprised us both was how different we were. I took time to
AXEL’S POV:"You can’t mention any of this to anyone," Akira stated. "The last time we tried to be inclusive, half of us were wiped out, and the rest were exploited. Once this is over, we’d prefer to be left in peace. Our existence must remain a secret. We have so much to rebuild. Our land… it was ripped in two."That was my doing. I meaning the ripping the land into two part.And I swore, right then, to rebuild it for them. Every stone, every torn root, every inch of earth that had felt the weight of destruction—I would give it back.I understood her fear. People destroy what they don’t understand. And this place—this divine, terrifying place—was a miracle the outside world would dissect like a corpse. They wouldn’t see wonder; they’d see something to own. Something to use."I’ll respect your wish," I said quietly."Thank you."But my curiosity wasn’t done with me yet. "Tell me about this place. How was it founded? Who rules here—do you have a president? Prime minister? Or is this mo
AXEL’S POV:An invisible force surged through me like a pressure wave, ripping the air out of my lungs. Before I could blink, I was flung backward—lifted off my feet like a ragdoll and hurled through the air. The floor caught me with a punishing thud, pain ricocheting up my spine as the breath whooshed from my chest.I groaned, sprawled across the cold earth, my limbs momentarily useless.“Axel, quit it!” the woman snapped. “You’ve done enough already to piss off everyone. Just sit and wait.”I sat up slowly, dust clinging to my skin and frustration burning in my gut.“Do you think you care more about her than I do?”I didn’t reply. I didn’t have to.Because she didn’t love Avery as much as I did to care. So I thought. I didn’t need to hear it from her mouth to know I’d been screwing up left and right. Every time I acted on impulse, people paid the price. The burden of my mistakes stared back at me, and I reflected on the catastrophic consequences of my errors. If only I had been mo