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TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 15
AVA POV:Of all the ways I’d pictured my Friday night going, getting trapped in a pool room by a blonde who eyed me like I’d stolen her favorite Prada purse wasn’t one of them.“I’m sorry, do I know you?” I strove for politeness even as I took a step back. The woman looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen her before.“I don’t believe we’ve met.” Her smile could’ve cut glass. Objectively, she was one of the most beautiful women I’d ever met. With her spun-gold hair, cerulean eyes, and statuesque body, she was what I imagined Aphrodite would look like had she been a real person. But there was something hard about her expression that made her not attractive at all. “Madeline Hauss of the petrochemical Hausses. This is my house.”“Oh. I’m Ava. Chen,” I added when she continued staring at me. “Of the, uh, Maryland Chens. Can I…help you?” I hoped that didn’t come off rude, considering this was her house, but I hadn’t wanted to attend this party in the first place. Stella, who wa
Last Updated : 2024-04-30TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 16
ALEX POV:“Where is she?”I grasped Madeline by the throat, resisting the urge to squeeze until I wiped the smug look off her face.I’d never raised a hand to a woman outside the bedroom—and then only if they consented—but I was this close to losing my shit.After I saw the video of Madeline pushing Ava into the pool, which I recognized from my previous visits to the Hauss mansion, I broke every speed limit to get here. By the time I arrived, the party had ended and only a few stragglers remained. I found Madeline laughing with her cronies in the kitchen, but it had only taken a glare from me for her to excuse herself and follow me into the hall.“Why don’t you tighten your hold a little?” she purred. “You know you want to.”“I’m not here to play games.” I was holding onto my patience by a thread. “Answer my question, or Hauss Industries is over.”“You don’t have that kind of power.”“Don’t underestimate me, sweetheart.” It wasn’t an endearment. “Ju
Last Updated : 2024-04-30TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 17
AVA POV:If I had to describe Alex Volkov, a litany of words came to mind. Cold. Beautiful. Ruthless. Genius.“Patient” wasn’t one of them. It wasn’t even in the top thousand.But over the past few weeks, I had to admit I might have to bump it up on the list, because he’d been nothing but patient as he guided me through a series of visualization and meditation exercises to prepare me for my first real swimming session.If you’d told me two months ago that I would be “visualizing” and “meditating” with Alex freakin’ Volkov, I would’ve laughed my ass off, but sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. And you know what? The exercises helped. I’d visualize myself standing near a body of water, then use deep breathing and relaxation techniques to calm myself. I started small, with pools and ponds, and worked my way up to lakes. Alex also started taking me to bodies of water so I could get more comfortable near them. I even dipped my toe into a pool.I wasn’t cured of my fear of water, b
Last Updated : 2024-05-01TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 18
ALEX POV:I was on a warpath,and everyone gave me wide berth as I stalked down the hall toward the elevators. My new assistant, who I’d hired after firing the congressman’s insipid daughter for leaking my cell number to the Gruppmann CEO, pretended to be on the phone when I passed, and the rest of the staff kept their eyes glued to their computer screens like their lives depended on it.I didn’t blame them. I’d been biting people’s heads off left and right for the past weekIncompetent, every single one of them.I refused to entertain any other reason I’d been so cranky since my birthday, especially if that “other reason” happened to be five-five with black hair and lips that tasted sweeter than sin.I ignored the two people who scrambled off the elevator when they saw me enter, and jabbed the button for the lobby.That fucking kiss. It’d tattooed itself onto my mind, and I found myself thinking about it—about the way Ava tasted and felt in my arms—far more than I should. Thanks to t
Last Updated : 2024-05-01TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 19
AVA POV:The day had finally come.I stood five feet away from the pool, my skin etched with goosebumps even though the temperature hovered at a toasty eighty-four degrees thanks to the hotel’s state-of-the-art heating system.I wore a one-piece Eres swimsuit, courtesy of Alex, who’d handed me the shopping bag without a word when he picked me up for our lesson today.After weeks of learning relaxation techniques and acclimating myself to the thought of being in water, it was time for me to get in the water.I wanted to throw up. Panic gripped me, its icy claws digging into my sweat-slicked skin and drawing invisible blood. My stomach pumped in rhythm with my wild heart, causing my breakfast to slosh around like rubber ducks in a bath.“Breathe.” Alex’s calm voice steadied me somewhat. “Remember our lessons.”“Okay.” I dragged in a lungful of air and almost gagged at the smell of chlorine. “I can do this, I can do this,” I chanted.“I’ll go in firs
Last Updated : 2024-05-02TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 20
ALEX POV:It didn’t take long for me to secure the penthouse and all but drag Ava into the luxurious suite. I was so fucking hard my cock almost punched a hole through my pants, and the images I had running through my mind…Fuck. I was going to destroy her, but any remaining shred of conscience I possessed had disappeared the moment she’d uttered those words.Maybe I like those things too.My blood roared at the memory.Baby, you have no idea what you got yourself into, I thought, shutting the door behind me.Ava stood in the middle of the bedroom, wearing a dress over her swimsuit and a half-nervous expression. With her doe eyes and innocent features, she resembled a sacrificial virgin awaiting defilement.My cock throbbed harder.“Take off your clothes,” I said, my soft voice a whip crack in the silence.Part of me wanted to bury myself deep inside her as soon as possible; the other part wanted to savor every moment.Despite a slight shake in her
Last Updated : 2024-05-02TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 21
AVA POV:By the time Alex and I finished, I was exhausted and wrung out, and I would wake up sore as hell tomorrow, but I didn’t care. Alex hadn’t held back, and that was what I’d wanted. Needed.Somehow, in choosing to let go, I’d never felt more powerful. Strength in weakness, control in submission.“Aren’t you tired?” I yawned, watching Alex through half-droopy eyes. We’d gone at it for what must’ve been hours, but whereas I was ready to pass out, he looked alert and awake as ever.“If by ‘tired’ you mean you wore me out, perhaps,” he said in an uncharacteristically teasing tone. “But if you’re asking whether I’m sleepy, no.”“How is that possible?” I mumbled into my pillow.“Insomnia, Sunshine. I sleep a few hours a night—if I’m lucky.”I frowned. “But that’s…” Another huge yawn. “Not good.”Humans need sleep. How had Alex survived all this time on only a few hours a night? “We should fix that. Chamomile tea. Meditation. Melatonin…” My voice drift
Last Updated : 2024-05-02TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 22
AVA POV:Alex and I spent the rest of the weekend locked in our suite, subsisting on room service and orgasms and christening every surface—though I’m not sure “christening” was the right word to use, considering how filthy our activities were.Sex with Alex was sex like I’d never known it. Raw. Animalistic. Soul-destroying in the best possible way. It shattered every preconceived notion of who I was and molded me into something darker, more depraved. He called me Sunshine one moment and his whore the next.And I loved it.Even at his coldest, Alex had always treated me with respect outside the bedroom, but inside the bedroom, I was his toy. His to fuck and use—in the shower, pressed against the window, bent over the desk—and I craved it as much as he did.I screamed, my core clenching around his cock for what must’ve been the thousandth time as another orgasm ripped through and broke me into a million pieces of ecstatic agony.When the fog of pleasure finally faded, I found Alex sta
Last Updated : 2024-05-02
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TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 36
ALEX POV:Josh’s fist slammed into my face, and I heard an ominous crack before I stumbled back. Blood dripped from my nose and lip, and judging by the pain radiating from the right side of my face, I was going to wake up with one hell of a shiner tomorrow.Still, I made no move to defend myself while Josh pummeled me. “You fucking bastard,” he hissed, his eyes wild as he kneed my stomach. I doubled over, the breath stolen from my lungs in a wet, crimson-stained gasp. “You. Motherfucking. Bastard. I trusted you!” Another punch, this time to the side of my rib. “You were my. Best. Friend!”The hits continued until I dropped to my knees, my body a mess of cuts and bruises.But I welcomed the pain. Reveled in it.It was what I deserved.“I always knew you had bad taste,” I rasped. Note to self: work from home until the injuries heal. I didn’t need the office running wild with rumors. Everyone was still whispering about my uncle’s death, which was o
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 35
ALEX POV:I watched Ava leave,my chest hollow, my eyes burning with a foreign, pent-up emotion.I wanted to run after her and snatch her out of Bridget’s arms. To fall to my knees and beg her forgiveness for the unforgivable. To keep her by my side for the rest of our days so nothing and no one could hurt her again.Except I couldn’t, because I was the one who’d hurt her. I was the one who’d lied and manipulated. I was the one who’d endangered her with my thirst for vengeance and twisted plans against my uncle.The only way to protect Ava was to let her go, even if that meant destroying myself.The car taking Ava back to Maryland and away from me disappeared from sight, and I released a shuddering breath, trying to make sense of the pain clawing at my insides. It felt like someone was ripping out pieces of my heart and soul and grinding them beneath their feet. I had never felt so acutely, so much.I hated it. I longed for the icy indifference of
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 34
AVA POV:The next hourpassed in a blur. The police and paramedics arrived, peppering me with questions and medical checkups and lots of somber-looking faces. I endured them all, my answers flat and robotic.By the time they finished, I wanted to crawl into my bed and never get out—if I could bring myself to move.“Ava?” Bridget placed a tentative hand on my arm. “The police said we can go. Rhys will drive us back.”The massive bodyguard hovered so close he was practically on top of us, his usual stoic mask replaced with pure fury.I didn’t blame him. We’d gotten ourselves into this mess.Bridget and I had wanted to see one of our favorite bands perform in D.C. last night. Cool indie bands didn’t visit the city often, and when they did, we took advantage. Except…Rhys had flat-out forbidden Bridget from going because it wasn’t safe, and instead of arguing with him—which we all knew by now was useless—Bridget snuck out in the middle of the night. Everyth
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 33
ALEX POV:My world crasheddown two weeks after my uncle’s visit.I was driving to work when I received a call from Ivan “requesting” I visit him ASAP. He’d been suspiciously quiet since he was dethroned as CEO, but I knew why. I also knew why he’d asked for a visit—I’d been expecting it.I called my assistant and told her to cancel the rest of my meetings for the day and made it to Philadelphia in two hours flat.I slowed my steps as I walked up the stairs to my uncle’s office, sure he had cameras monitoring my every move since I pulled up to the estate’s gates.I found him sitting behind his desk, watching his beloved Russian drama on the TV.“Hello, uncle.” I leaned against the wall and stuffed my hands in my pockets, the picture of casual indifference.Ivan’s eye twitched. “So you finally made it, you little shit.”I suppressed a smile. My uncle rarely cursed; he must have been out of his mind with anger. I could see why; he looked horrible. I spott
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 32
ALEX POV:I made pancakes.I rarely cooked—why waste my time doing something I didn’t enjoy and which I could pay other people to do? But I made an exception today. I was waiting for a visitor, and I didn’t want to miss them by eating out.The doorbell rang.9:07 a.m., according to the clock on my microwave. Earlier than I’d expected, which meant he was eager.I shut off the stove and sipped my tea as I answered the door. When I did, I had to mask my surprise.Not who I was expecting.“What are you doing here, Sunshine?”Not the warmest greeting, but she needed to leave before he arrived.Mild panic shot through me at the thought of them meeting.Ava frowned. She looked exhausted, and I wondered if she was having nightmares again. They’d eased since she recovered her memories, but they still popped up from time to time.Worry and guilt washed over me. We hadn’t spoken in days. She was still angry with me, and I’d been caught up in my plans. It wa
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 31
ALEX POV:I paid and left the restaurant immediately after Ava. She hadn’t gotten far, and I followed discreetly to make sure she got home safe before I drove back to D.C.I hated seeing her upset, especially on a night when we should’ve been celebrating instead of fighting. I wanted to run after her and apologize for being an ass, but the clock was ticking, and I needed to finish what I’d started.Only then could I put the past behind me, once and for all.I stared at my computer screen, watching the minutes tick by. 11:55 p.m. I’d given the man a midnight deadline.11:56 p.m.I hadn’t told Ava the truth…about many things. I didn’t have urgent business to take care of before dinner, at least none relevant to Archer Group. Instead, I’d been talking to my family’s killers’ killer.The police had ruled my parents’ and sister’s murders as a home invasion gone wrong, but I knew better. The men had said it was a job and mentioned a “he,” someone who knew
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 30
AVA POV:He was late.I tapped my fingers on the table, trying not to check the time on my phone. Again.Alex and I had agreed to meet at the Italian restaurant near campus at seven. It was now seven-thirty, and all my texts and calls had gone unanswered.Half an hour wasn’t that long, especially when you took rush hour traffic into account, but Alex was never late. And he always, always answered my messages.I’d called his office, but his assistant told me he’d left an hour ago, so he should be here by now.Worry unspooled in my stomach and gnawed at my insides.Had something happened to him? What if he’d gotten into an accident?It was easy to think of Alex as invincible, but he bled and hurt like anyone else.Ten more minutes. I’ll give him ten more minutes, and then I’ll…hell, I don’t know. Send out the freakin’ National Guard. If he was hurt, I wouldn’t sit here and do nothing.“Can I get you anything, dear?” The waitress swooped by again. “O
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 29
ALEX POV:The iron gates slid open,revealing a long driveway lined with northern red oak trees, their branches bare and brown in the harsh cold of winter, and the large brick mansion looming in the distance.My uncle’s house—my house as well, before I’d moved to D.C.—stood behind a virtual fortress on the outskirts of Philadelphia, and that was the way he liked it.I hadn’t wanted to leave Ava so soon after the shitshow with Michael, but I’d put off this meeting with my uncle long enough.I found him in his office, smoking and watching a Russian drama on the flat-screen TV hanging in the corner. I never understood why he insisted on watching TV in here when he had a perfectly good den.“Alex.” He blew a smoke ring in the air. A half-empty cup of green tea sat before him. He’d been obsessed with the drink ever since he read an article that said it helped with weight loss. “To what do I owe this surprise?”“You know why I’m here.” I sank into the
TWISTED STUBBORN LOVE 28
Several hours later,Josh and I sat in the back booth of a restaurant near The Archer Group. Alex had booked the entire place and dismissed most of the staff. Other than a waiter who hovered by the entrance, out of earshot, we were the only ones here. Alex, too, had retreated to his office to give us more privacy.“I’m so sorry, Ave.” Josh looked terrible. Lackluster complexion, huge bags beneath his eyes. Stress and worry carved deep grooves in his face, and his usual cocky, charming grin was nowhere to be seen. “I should’ve known. I should’ve—”It’s not your fault. Dad—Michael—fooled all of us.” I shuddered, thinking about how well Michael had played his role. “Besides, he loved you. He treated you perfectly. You wouldn’t have noticed anything.”Josh’s lips thinned. “He didn’t love me. People like him can’t love. He saw me as a…vessel to continue his legacy. Nothing else.”Alex and I had contacted Josh and told him what I remembered a few days ago. He’d been shocked, but he’d believe
