Today's update. :)
"This is quite unprecedented, you know." Brody leaned back in his leather chair, a predatory gleam dancing in his dark eyes. "Zavian never introduces me to his acquaintances. He's rather famous for keeping his personal and professional lives strictly separated. You must be... special."The pause before his last word was deliberate and loaded with insinuation."Even the tiniest secrets matter in court." He drummed his manicured fingers on the polished desk. "I pride myself on crafting flawless arguments, but surprises?" His lip curled. "Those I cannot tolerate. In my experience, Ms. Lawson, hidden truths have a way of surfacing at the most inopportune moments."A sharp ringtone pierced the tension.Zavian glanced at his screen and his expression shifted in a heartbeat. "I need to take this." He offered Emmeline a reassuring smile before slipping out."Ms. Lawson." Brody's voice drew her attention like a puppet master pulling strings.His tone had shifted, becoming more businesslike. "Th
Droplets trickled down her neck, seeping into her clothes but she didn't flinch.Around them, the usual lunch crowd chatter died to shocked whispers."My Richard," Margaret's voice took on a sickeningly sweet tone, "Has never raised his hand without cause. If he did something, you must have pushed him to it." She adjusted her Hermès scarf elegantly.Emmeline dabbed at her face with a pristine white napkin as a bitter laugh escaped her lips. "Is that what helps you sleep at night? Believing your precious son is incapable of cruelty?" She lowered the napkin, meeting her mother-in-law's gaze. "Tell me, did he learn to break spirits before or after you taught him to break bones?""How dare you!" Margaret's face flushed an ugly shade of red."No, how dare YOU!" Emmeline's voice cut through the air like a whip crack. "You raised a monster, Mrs. Maine. A charming, well-dressed monster who knows exactly where to leave bruises that won't show under designer attire’s"Margaret's hands trembled a
Emmeline narrowed her eyes, fighting the warmth creeping into her cheeks and the strange flutter in her chest that had nothing to do with fear. "I locked everything myself. Triple-checked it, actually. Every door, every window."Zavian leaned forward with his elbows finding their place on the polished wood as if they belonged there.The movement brought a whiff of his cologne - something expensive and subtle with notes of cedar and something darker she couldn't quite place. "You were lost in your own little world," he murmured. "Wearing that charming expression of concentration, completely oblivious to everything around you." His finger traced an idle pattern on the bar top, drawing her eyes to his elegant yet strong hands, with a signet ring glinting on his right hand. "I simply couldn't resist the opportunity to... drop in."Emmeline huffed. “Well, congratulations. You’ve officially startled me out of my skin.”“You don’t look very happy to see me,” Zavian remarked, arching an eyebro
Their kiss deepened, growing wilder and more desperate with every passing second.Emmeline’s hands slid from his shoulders to his chest, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt as though she needed something to anchor herself.She tugged at the material, pulling him closer with her body arching into his. Every time he leaned into her, the pressure of his body against hers grew more intense.Her spine curved back as their lower bodies pressed together.She could feel him… the hard, insistent, and unyielding…The sensation sent a wave of heat coursing through her.Zavian groaned low in his throat, the sound vibrating against her lips. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted her effortlessly, his hands gripping her thighs as he placed her on the bar.Emmeline gasped against his mouth as her arms wrapped around his neck for balance.The friction between them was unbearable, igniting a fire that burned hotter with every movement.She could feel the damp heat pooling between her legs,
A week had passed since Emmeline’s meeting with Zavian.The day after their last encounter, he had personally returned her car. She had met him in front of her apartment building to collect the keys and their interaction was brief yet filled with the quiet understanding that had grown between them.Later that same day, she accompanied her lawyer to file the divorce lawsuit, despite her father’s vehement objections. The first court session had yet to be scheduled, leaving her in a limbo of uncertainty.Her days since then had been tense and isolating. She and Zavian stayed in touch, exchanging messages and calls that brought her fleeting moments of comfort.She also hadn’t seen Minnie since moving out of the old neighborhood, though she remained a constant source of support.The tension in the house was unbearable. Her father barely spoke to her, the weight of his disapproval heavy in every glance he cast her way. Her mother, on the other hand, was relentless, creating problems at every
The rest of the drive was silent.Emile parked next to the policemen' vehicle when they got to the police station. He got out first, walking around to open her door. Her legs felt shaky as she stepped outside, terror threatening to take over her.Emile felt her uneasiness and took her hand, holding it firmly. “Don’t let them see you’re scared,” he said firmly. “You did nothing wrong. You were defending yourself. Richard’s the one who should be afraid of the law.”They walked into the station together, following the two officers down a long, dimly lit hallway.Emile’s hand tightened around hers, and she glanced up at him, searching for reassurance. His expression was furious and protective when he met her eyes.“He won’t get away with this,” he muttered under his breath. “I promise you that.”Despite the fear twisting inside her, his words brought a faint smile to her lips. “Thank you for being here.”They came to a room at the end of the hallway that was bustling with activity.The ta
The detective called over a young officer, gesturing toward the computer. "Record every statement. Word for word."The keys clicked softly as the officer positioned his fingers over the keyboard. "Ready, sir." His voice carried the crisp enthusiasm of someone who hadn't yet been worn down by the job.Silence stretched for a moment before the detective's steel eyes locked on Emmeline. The weight of his gaze made her throat tighten."Ms. Lawson, paramedics reported that on January 3rd, your husband was struck on the head with a vase. Did you do it?"Emmeline's fingers twisted in her lap, worrying at the hem of her coat. She glanced at Brody who gave an almost imperceptible nod.She drew in a shaky breath, tasting the stale air of the interview room. "Yes." The word came out stronger than she expected. "I did."The rhythmic tapping of keys punctuated the heavy silence that followed."Walk me through what happened." The detective's hands settled on the desk with his fingers interlaced. A g
Yuna’s face darkened and her teeth ground audibly.“Let’s move on to the best part of the recording.” Brody tapped the screen once more before she could protest."The pain I've put you through is nothing compared to the consequences you'll face once I'm free from this place," Richard's voice slithered through the room, venomous and chilling.All eyes turned to Richard, whose face had gone pale. His lips parted, but no words came out.Brody’s expression was sharp with mockery. “Care to explain to us exactly what kind of torment you put her through?”Richard’s hands trembled. “I meant… well, actually…” His words stumbled over each other, collapsing into an awkward silence.Richard looked at Yuna in desperation when his tongue failed him, silently begging for assistance. Despite the damning evidence Brody had just presented, Yuna’s expression remained composed and as solid as stone.“Torture,” Yuna began smoothly, “can mean many things. My client’s words in the recording are vague at best
“Your Majesty. It’s Cara.” A soft, feminine voice whispered, barely carrying across the lavish bedroom. “I’ve come as summoned.”Zavian didn’t turn. His focus stayed locked on Emmeline, on the fragile rise and fall of her chest and the pale strain in her face.The cords in his neck tightened as fury simmered like a storm restrained by threadbare control.Then he moved.The shift was subtle but it sent a chill rippling through the air.Slowly, he rose to his full height and turned to face the person near the door.Cara froze when Zavian’s eyes landed on her, and whatever words she meant to say died in her throat.His glare burned into her with blistering intensity… with an unspoken warning passed with a single look.“Keep my mate safe. Or you’ll understand what true destruction feels like!”Cara gave a quick, frightened nod. She dared not meet his eyes again.The air shifted once more when the door opened behind her. This time, the presence that filled the room carried a different energ
"Home," Zavian replied, a new warmth entering his voice. His hand moved to stroke her hair gently. "Our home."Seeing the confusion in her eyes, he elaborated. "Not the estate you're thinking of. This is different. We're in another realm entirely."His voice took on a note of reverence. "This is my true homeland, the place I was born. A world parallel to the one you know but governed by different laws and energies."Emmeline's eyes widened in surprise and wonder. Throughout their relationship, Zavian had hinted at his otherworldly origins, but she had never fully understood what that meant.The reality of it… that she had crossed between dimensions was almost too much to process in her weakened state.Instinctively, she tried to sit up, wanting to see more of this new world, but the movement sent sharp pain lancing through her body.Emmeline gasped, falling back against the pillows."Careful now," Zavian was quick to move one hand to support her head while the other rested lightly on h
Emmeline's eyes fluttered open to a bright light that streamed through tall windows.She squinted, allowing her vision to adjust gradually while trying to make sense of her surroundings.Her body felt as though it had endured a tremendous ordeal. Every muscle ached, every joint protested, and a profound weakness permeated her entire being.The pain was particularly intense from her waist down, radiating in waves that made movement seem like an impossible feat.Her limbs felt disconnected from her commands, heavy and unresponsive despite her mental efforts to move them.Emmeline felt an unusual sensation in her left hand after several moments of disorientation and she managed to lift it slightly into her field of vision with considerable effort.An intravenous line had been inserted into her vein, connected to a clear bag of fluid hanging from a sleek medical stand positioned beside her bed.Emmeline blinked slowly, allowing her gaze to wander around her.The room was surprisingly spaci
The room seemed to grow darker and heavier.It suddenly went dead quiet. Not peaceful quiet… the kind of silence that crushes your lungs and makes your skin crawl.The fire that had danced so merrily before had withered to pathetic embers, their feeble orange glow mocking the darkness closing in.Frost slithered up the walls like hungry fingers turning their sanctuary into a tomb.Emmeline trembled violently beneath Zavian, her heart hammering against her ribs. Not from the biting cold, but from the terrifying wrongness radiating from the man she loved.His touch—God, his touch had transformed completely. Those hands that once traced her skin with reverence now moved with mechanical precision like a puppeteer yanking invisible strings.His eyes kept fracturing before her, flashing between the current molten gold, blood-red, obsidian like the very abyss and a silver so bright it hurt to look at.Each transformation felt like a knife twisting in her gut, screaming the truth she couldn't
Emmeline’s chest rose and fell in uneven waves, still trembling from the aftershocks of everything he had unleashed within her.Her skin glistened with sweat and every inch of her painted in the memory of his touch.The raw and soul-rending pain had receded at last, melting into something distant, hazy… almost dreamlike.Whatever Zavian had done to her... It was like a balm to her broken edges, a breath of cool air after drowning in a sea of fire.She blinked slowly, eyes dazed and glassy as the sensations gradually settled into her bones.Her lungs dragged in air hungrily, as though she had finally surfaced after being submerged in a flame licking at every nerve and every thought.A sweet, dizzying relief coursed through her veins, loosening the tight coil of agony that had gripped her since the moment he claimed her.Her fingers curled weakly against his chest. “That’s it? Have I truly lost my virginity?” she whispered, dazed, as though she hadn’t just been wrecked beyond repair.A d
Emmeline felt as though her entire being was being shattered, only to be reforged in the same breath again and again in an endless, excruciating cycle.Her body was no longer her own. It was his canvas, his battlefield, and his altar all at once.Pain seared through her hot and unrelenting, blurring the lines between agony and ecstasy until she couldn’t tell them apart. Her brain felt liquified, scrambled, as if it were melting beneath the weight of every thrust, every stretch… every unrelenting claim.Black spots flickered at the corners of her vision like cinders floating in smoke, and her breath came in shallow, desperate gasps.She could no longer see Zavian clearly save for the gleam of his eyes and the heat of his penis pounding into her in a savage branding.Every brutal snap of his hips sent her body lurching forward, sent her spine arching in protest and raw need, only to be wrenched back again before she could even catch her breath.There was no mercy in his rhythm only relen
A guttural growl rumbled through Zavian’s chest as her slick walls clamped around him, struggling to accommodate his size.The stretch was unbearable for Emmeline. Her body trembled beneath his weight and her breath came in shallow gasps as she adjusted to the brutal invasion.“You’re so tight.” Zavian’s gaze lingered, devouring every expression that flickered across her face.“I’m fine so far,” Emmeline struggled to articulate her thoughts, squeezing her eyes tightly shut as she struggled to contain the tears that threatened to spill. Yet, the way her nails dug into his skin revealed the truth behind her facade.Zavian clenched his teeth so tightly that the sound reverberated through the room, evidence of his struggle for control. He thrust deeper, inch by inch, splitting her open but paused when a sharp cry tore from her throat and her back arching in protest.“It hurts… fuck, it hurts so bad,” Emmeline choked out in a voice cracked and broken, trembling with the rawness of it.Her b
Zavian’s grip tightened on Emmeline’s shoulder as he captured her lips in a fierce, possessive kiss.His tongue slipped into her mouth, demanding, tasting, claiming her as his own.Emmeline was too numb with pleasure to resist—not that she wanted to.Their mouths moved in a synchronized dance.Emmeline breath caught in the moment as his taste lingered on her lips, mingling with the remnants of her own essence that he had just devoured.She traced her fingertips over his chest, teasing the taut peaks of his nipples.Zavian let out a deep, guttural groan that sent her already oversensitized body quivering. His saliva trickled down her throat, laced with her arousal and setting her senses ablaze. Zavian finally released her, just as she was on the brink of breathlessness and fainting.“What do you think of your food?” he murmured.Emmeline licked the taste of her from his lips. She hesitated before scoffing lightly. “Either you’re exaggerating, or I’ve lost my sense of taste because I do
A tremor ran through Emmeline at his words and his tongue swirling around her aching bud. She gripped the sheets tighter, desperate to ground herself against the pleasure consuming her."Zavian," she whispered breathlessly. "You always know how to push me to the edge."Another strangled moan ripped from her throat when his tongue flicked over her clit.Zavian groaned in response, the vibrations sending another surge of pleasure through her."You're driving me mad," he rasped before sucking her into his mouth, drawing her deep, consuming her essence like a man starved.“Oh, Zavian!” A sharp cry escaped Emmeline. She writhed beneath him, every nerve in her body igniting like wildfire as her thighs quivering around his head."If only you could see what I see," Zavian mused. "How your folds swell for me, how they burn with need. Your lips don’t need rouge, love… their blush is natural, painted just for me."His gaze remained locked on hers, dark and filled with something primal. "You're be