Sophie slipped into her red lingerie, draping its short robe over her shoulders. She stood before the mirror, taking herself in. The last time she wore this set with Michael, she had expected him to be all over her—but he wasn’t."Hopefully, Ray finds me sexy in this tonight. Otherwise, I’m done wasting my time," she muttered, lifting her gaze to her hair.Tilting her head, she examined her usual hairstyle. A bun or ponytail—messy, sleek, low, or high—was her everyday look. Routine. Predictable.With a quiet sigh, she reached for her hairband, tugging it loose. Her hair tumbled down, cascading over her shoulders. It changed her—softened her. She liked it.‘Let’s switch things up.’She pulled open a drawer, grabbing her Zara Red Temptation cologne, and spritzed it generously over her skin. As she slid the bottle back, a sudden knock at the door froze her in place.Her heart kicked against her ribs.Sophie’s mind screamed, He’s here! He’s here! She anxiously dusted off an invisible spec
Isla blinked repeatedly, her eyes wide with disbelief as she savored her Mac and cheese. "I told you it would shock you," Jaxon declared proudly from across the table, ready to enjoy his own dinner. Isla chuckled and took another bite. "Now I expect you to cook for me every day," she teased, causing Jaxon to shut his eyes tightly and groan. "Why did you have to say that?" he lamented, "now I have to do it just because you asked." Isla laughed. "You don't have to—I was only joking," she replied, chewing slowly. Then she asked, "Who taught you how to cook?" At that, Jaxon clenched his jaw and paused. "No one really—I learned the hard way. Well, Maggie did help out a bit," he admitted, swallowing as if the memory was a struggle. Noticing his troubled expression, Isla apologized, "I'm sorry I asked," shaking her head in regret. "It's fine, I don't mind," he reassured her, lifting his head to smile broadly. "I was very young—my father wasn’t around much, and my mother passed away whe
With a broad grin, Alex grabbed his phone and dialed Michael’s number.Across the city, Michael stood under the warm spray of his shower, preparing for yet another day spent lounging at home. He hummed a tune as he lathered up, but the moment was interrupted by the distant sound of his phone ringing from the bedroom.“Shit,” he muttered, quickly rinsing off. He stepped out of the bathroom in a hurry, but by the time he reached his phone, the ringing had stopped.Letting out a small sigh, he picked it up and saw Alex’s name on the screen. A smile tugged at his lips as he instantly called back.Sitting on the edge of his bed, a towel wrapped around his waist, he used another to dry his damp hair. The call connected, and he greeted, “Hey!”“Hey,” Alex responded, his eyes flickering toward his laptop.“Sorry I missed your call. I was in the shower,” Michael explained, still running the towel through his hair.“That’s cool. I had to call you this early as soon as I got the message,” Alex s
Isla sat in the living room, anxiously waiting for Jaxon’s return. The company had closed for the night, yet he was still nowhere to be seen.“He should be back by now,” she muttered, glancing at her phone once more.A sudden roar of engines outside made her frown.Standing up, she called, “Henry?” as she approached one of the windows.“Miss Isla?” Henry’s voice came from behind as he stepped into the living room.Pulling back the curtain, Isla peered outside, her eyes narrowing at the sight of four sleek black cars pulling up. “Who are they?” she asked.Henry moved closer to the window, taking a look before raising his brows.“Oh. They must be the bodyguards Mr. Jaxon mentioned. They’re here to start their duties.”“Start their duties?” Isla echoed, her brows knitting together.“Yes,” Henry confirmed. “They’re assigned to guard the mansion. Mr. Jaxon will be away more often now, so he wants to ensure maximum security—especially with you here.” He offered a small smile before stepping
Isla sat behind her desk, her eyes skimming through Jaxon’s schedule. She kept reviewing his meetings from the previous day, searching for anything that might explain last night’s unexpected business dealings. But there was nothing.‘It was the same the other day. Why is he attending meetings that aren’t on his schedule?’ she wondered, glancing toward his office.Inside, a man—dressed in an air of mystery—sat across from Jaxon, engaged in a hushed conversation. Isla recognized him. A known client of the company. A familiar face.‘This is the right time.’Pushing back from her desk, she rose to her feet and strode toward the elevator. She pressed the button, stepped inside, and just as the doors were about to shut, a foot wedged between them, halting their closure.It was Austin.A wide grin stretched across his face as he stepped in, his gaze locking onto hers. Isla returned the smile, polite but restrained."You again," he murmured, settling beside her as the doors slid shut."I know
Jaxon remained seated in the car after the company had closed for the day. Ray occupied the driver’s seat, and the two of them waited in silence for Alex to arrive.Clenching his jaw, Jaxon fixed his gaze on Ray for a moment before speaking. “Did you mention Teresa to Isla?” he asked suddenly. Ray furrowed his brows.“Excuse me?” Ray turned to face him, but before he could say more, the door opened, and Alex slid into the car.Jaxon exhaled sharply. “Isla confronted me about having a first love before she left for her mother’s. I never told her about that. So how did she find out?”Ray and Alex exchanged glances before shaking their heads.“We have no idea,” they said in unison.“Are you sure she didn’t figure it out on her own?” Alex asked.Jaxon sighed, running a hand down his face. “That doesn’t make sense. I stopped searching for Teresa and even locked her photo away before Isla and I got together. She wasn’t supposed to know—there was no reason for her to. I’d even forgotten all
Isla stood in her mother’s kitchen, preparing dinner. She had arrived that afternoon to find her mother lying in bed, barely responsive.Despite Isla’s concern, her mother refused to go to the hospital, insisting instead that a doctor could attend to her at home. Reluctantly, Isla agreed and called Doctor Charles, their longtime family physician.As she set the soup on the stove, she poured a glass of water and made her way back to the bedroom. Doctor Charles was already there, standing beside her mother’s bed.“Why didn’t you come to see me when I asked you to?” he asked.Pausing in the doorway, Isla overheard his words and frowned. “You asked her to see you?” she repeated, turning to her mother.Dr. Charles swallowed hard but remained silent. Isla’s gaze shifted between them, suspicion growing. “Mom, why didn’t you go? And since when did you start having appointments at the hospital?”Mrs. Bennett gave a small, dismissive smile. “It was just a routine checkup—nothing serious.”But I
Michael stepped into the room cautiously, his gaze fixated on the walls covered in pictures and posters. Everywhere he looked, he saw Jaxon’s face.‘Why does he have Jaxon’s face plastered all over the walls?’ he wondered, his brows knitting together. As he examined the images more closely, he realized they weren’t just ordinary pictures. There were candid shots of Jaxon—sleeping in his car, working in his office, swimming. Some were older, showing a younger version of him.‘This is creepy… Is he in love with him?’Near the window, a table displayed several small picture frames—some of Jaxon alone, others of the two of them together. Michael’s jaw remained slack as he took in the sheer volume of images scattered around the room.Then, something else caught his eye—gift bags. Some were Cartier, others were small, elegant packages meant for presents.Without thinking, he grabbed one and peeked inside. A glasses case sat neatly inside. He flipped it open—a Cartier pair. At the bottom of
Bianchi began to pace restlessly in front of Isla as he expected his men. Isla, who was still extreme weak, seemed to have hope seeing her capturer disoriented. She let out a smirk and flicked her brows. “I told you Jaxon would find you and kill you.” She muttered admist laughter, loud enough for him to hear. “Shut the fuck up!” Bianchi growled as he stormed closer to the chair where she was tied, his shivering finger pointing to her face. Isla kept her smirk, refusing to look away in fear. “You know…” he whispered, a smirk curling up the side of his lips. “I thought I would just have to kill one girl to get what I want, but…” he pulled out his gun from his back and traced it on Isla’s face, causing her breath to etch. “...why not add her bestfriend to make things more fun?” He grinned, and Isla’s heart skipped a beat. The smirk on her face instantly disappeared. “What are you talking about?” She asked with gritted teeth, and Bianchi let out an annoying laugh as he moved away fro
Sophie wandered the streets, tears brimming in her eyes, clutching posters of Isla. Bold red letters screamed “MISSING” above Isla’s picture, and beneath it, a ten-thousand-euro reward.She moved from one wall to the next, plastering the posters wherever she could, stopping passersby to ask if they had seen her.She had called and texted Isla multiple times, but got no response. She even tried Jaxon’s number, but for some reason, he wasn’t answering either.When she finally got through to Ray, he confirmed the worst—Isla was missing. The words hit Sophie like a brick. Panic surged through her. She wanted to report it to the police immediately, but Ray stopped her, assuring her that they were already handling it.Still, Sophie couldn’t stand feeling helpless. Sitting back and doing nothing while her best friend was out there—possibly in danger—wasn’t an option. So, she took to the streets, hoping that someone, anyone, might recognize Isla from the posters.Just as she was showing anoth
“Please… let me go,” Jeremy murmured as one of Jaxon’s men stepped into the room, the door creaking open. He carried a tray of food in one hand, a gun steady in the other.“I just need to speak to Jaxon Waverly. Please, I’m begging you,” Jeremy pleaded, his voice cracking. “I’ve got a wife and a kid waiting for me. I’ve been gone for days, they’ll be losing their minds by now. Please.”But the man said nothing. He crouched and set the tray on the floor, his gun never straying from Jeremy’s face.“Just let me talk to him. One phone call,” Jeremy said, his voice trembling now. “I swear, he’s probably forgotten I’m even still here. I’ve learnt my lesson. I just, look, my wounds are getting worse. If they don’t get treated properly, I’m gonna die from infection. Please, man.”Still, no response. The guard turned on his heel and walked out, unfazed, as if Jeremy hadn’t spoken at all.“Please!” Jeremy shouted, stumbling up from the narrow bed squeezed into the cramped room. He rushed to the
While Jaxon’s men spread out to search for Isla, he sat in one of the parked vehicles, Ray behind the wheel, and Alex in the passenger seat beside him.“This is mad,” Ray muttered, shaking his head as he drove. “Who in their right mind would kidnap Isla?”Alex frowned, equally confused. “Seriously. It makes no sense. Why Isla?” he asked, twisting in his seat to glance at Jaxon, who sat silently in the back, in the owner’s spot.Jaxon’s gaze was hard, distant. He shook his head slowly. “This is deeper than it looks. Whoever did this… they know me. Isla doesn’t have enemies like that. This isn’t about her. it’s about me. This is on me,” he said quietly, brows furrowed with guilt.Ray glanced at him through the rearview mirror, skeptical. “Isn’t that a bit of a stretch?” he asked. “Who would even dare come after you? This kind of thing doesn’t happen to you, because no one’s ever had the guts.”Before Jaxon could respond, his phone chimed with a notification.“That’s facts,” Alex added,
Austin lay in the hospital bed, his mangled hand swaddled in thick bandages. Beside him, Dustin sat silently, his eyes filled with pity and disbelief.“I still don’t get it, man,” Dustin said, shaking his head. “You lost your hand… because of Isla? That don’t make sense. She wasn’t even in town when this all went down.”“You don’t have to get it,” Austin murmured, his voice hoarse and weak as he stared at the remains of his hand. “I did this for her. When she sees what I gave up… she’ll know I love her. She’ll know I’d never put her in harm’s way like Jaxon did.”Dustin exhaled sharply, frustration bubbling up. “Are you hearing yourself right now? You nearly died, Austin! If I hadn’t come when you called, you would’ve bled out on that damn floor. And now you’re feeding me this half-ass explanation? Don’t I deserve the truth?”Austin turned his head slowly, his gaze heavy with regret. After a long pause, he spoke again, voice low. “I got mixed up with a loan shark. He’s the one who did
As Isla lay silently in the cage, exhaustion and thirst weighing her down, the sudden sound of keys jingling against metal snapped her out of her haze. The cell gate creaked open.Her heart pounded violently in her chest, dreading what was coming next. Before she could react, rough hands clamped around her ankles and yanked her forward.“Aghhh!” she cried out as her skin scraped against the cold, hard floor, sharp stinging cuts forming along her arms and legs.“Shut the fuck up, woman!” Bianchi snapped, irritation lacing his voice. A trail of smoke curled from the cigarette hanging at the corner of his lips. “Tie her to the chair,” he ordered.His men wasted no time. They grabbed her, forcing her onto a chair as she thrashed against their grip. A thick, coarse rope was wound tightly around her, pinning her arms to her sides. Blood trickled from the fresh cuts on her skin, staining her already filthy blue shirt.“Let me go!” she screamed, but Bianchi only chuckled, shaking his head.“N
Mrs. Bennett sat in Jaxon’s living room, her gaze sweeping across the grand interior while he settled into the couch opposite her.The room was silent, save for their presence, as his men waited outside for further instructions.“Mrs. Bennett, I appreciate you coming here with me. I have so many questions, and I’d really appreciate it if you could answer them,” Jaxon said, his tone steady.She exhaled, a weary sigh escaping her lips. “I’m already here, aren’t I? Not like I had much of a choice,” she murmured, leaning back against the couch.“I know you need rest, so I’ll keep this brief.” He met her gaze, and she gave a small nod before he continued, “How did Teresa Blackwood become Isla Bennett?”A soft sigh left her lips. “I changed our names and identities after your father killed my husband. Don Westerly wasn’t a man of mercy—he was ruthless, powerful. My husband made the mistake of getting entangled with him, and it cost him his life. I knew that settling the score wouldn’t be en
Austin waited in his usual secluded spot, anxious for the meetup. At last, he had the money, one final payment before cutting ties with the loan sharks for good.Right on cue, a car screeched around the corner, nearly clipping him. Austin quickly stepped back, cursing under his breath.The vehicle jerked to a stop, engine cutting off. As the driver slid out, Austin exhaled sharply. “You really need to stop pulling that stunt,” he muttered, irritation lacing his voice.The man grinned, flashing a set of crooked teeth. “Austin! You’ve got my money. Finally.”Without a word, Austin reached into the inner pocket of his suit and pulled out a thick brown envelope. He extended it with a firm expression. “This is the last time we do business.”The man took the envelope, nodding as he peeled it open. He sifted through the cash, eyes narrowing. “I trust you wouldn’t be stupid enough to short me.”Austin shrugged. “Count it if you want.”The man scoffed, gave a brief nod, then tossed the envelop
Alex stepped aside and reached for his phone to call Jaxon, but just as he was about to dial, he spotted Jaxon’s car pulling into Mrs. Bennett’s compound.Lowering his phone, he strode toward the vehicle, barely waiting for Jaxon to cut the engine before speaking."I was just about to call you," Alex said as Jaxon unfastened his seatbelt and swung the door open.Alex continued, "No sign of her at the hospital yet. We just got here, so we’re not sure if she’s here either. We knocked, but no one has—""Someone just answered," Jaxon cut in, his eyes fixed on the house. He barely acknowledged Alex as he advanced toward the entrance. His men stood still, awaiting orders, while Alex trailed behind him.The door swung open, revealing Ivy. The moment she stepped outside, her gaze locked onto Jaxon, her expression hardening. ‘Of course, it’s him,’ she thought in disgust, shutting the door behind her."Don’t you think this is a bit dramatic?" Ivy scoffed, folding her arms. "We get it—you run a