EARLIER...Minutes after Zeke had left, Millie was still lying on her back, thinking about how things had changed so suddenly when a knock came at the door.Her heart fluttered. Could it be Zeke back to give her some more kisses? She could almost feel his warm smile through the door. Without thinking, she stood, smoothing her dress and padding over to open it. But when she pulled the door open, she froze.It was Francis.The sight of him made her heart lurch in her chest. Immediately, she tried to shut the door, but his arm shot out, shoving it back with ease. He forced his way inside, closing the door behind him. Millie’s body went cold as she backed away, her voice barely a whisper."What do you want, Francis?" she managed.Francis’s eyes glinted with a twisted pleasure as he looked her up and down, his gaze lingering in a way that made her skin crawl. “You look even more sexy and gorgeous than the last time I saw you,” he drawled. “Been a while, hasn’t it? Did you miss me?”Milli
IN THE PRESENT...Millie blinked back the sting of tears as she looked at Zeke, catching the confused hurt etched in his face. He shifted, stepping closer with a pleading gaze. “Millie…what’s wrong?” he asked softly. “Did I do something to offend you? Why are you saying these things? Why are you being so cold to me?” His eyes scanned her face, searching for a hint of what was happening. “Is this about me saying I regretted that night between us? I thought I explained. I didn't mean what I saw. I only—”Millie cut him off sharply. “Don’t bother, Zeke. I don’t care whether you regret that night or not.” She forced herself to hold his gaze, but every word she spat tore at her. Zeke’s face fell as he studied her with abject confusion.“Millie, I don't understand,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. He stepped even closer, and Millie felt the warmth of his hand as he tentatively reached for hers. “We were excited to go out together, weren’t we? You even said you needed time to ge
“Because I’m a murderer! I killed a man, and Francis has a video recording of it!”For a long moment, Zeke merely stared at Millie blankly, as if he couldn't process what she'd just said. When her words finally settled on him, his eyes widened, and he shook his head. “Millie, what are you talking about? That can’t be true,” he stammered, his voice filled with disbelief.Millie? Murderer? No, he must've heard her wrong.Millie shook her head solemnly, face pale and eyes haunted as the tears continued to stream down her cheeks. “I wish it weren’t,” she whispered. "But it’s true. I killed a man.”Zeke stumbled back. “But...how...you aren't capable of something like that. What happened? Why are you calling yourself a murderer?”Millie took a shaky breath and began to explain. “It was three years ago… just a few months after you and your family moved back to New York.” Her voice trembled, her fingers nervously twisting together. “I moved away from temporary housekeeping. I got a job and
Zeke clenched his fists so tightly that his nails bit into his palm, barely able to contain his fury. “And that’s when he started hurting you?”Millie nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. “At first, it was just words, anger over little things. Then it became physical. Initially, I stayed because… I thought I owed him. I thought…” She shook her head. “But after some time, I couldn't take it anymore. I told him I wanted out. It'd been several months since the incident, and with how he managed to wipe everything and help me, I thought I would be safe. That night was the first time he really beat me up. Afterwards, he showed me the video.”Zeke’s nostrils flared. “Which video?”Millie sniffed. “The man I killed had set up his phone to record… what he was planning to do to me, so it also recorded me killing him. When Francis came into the room, he found it still recording and transferred the video to his phone. After showing me the video, he told me if I left him or tried to report h
Francis leaned back in the elevator, tapping his foot and grinning smugly as he thought about the call from Millie an hour ago.She had sounded desperate, her voice trembling as she begged him not to release the video and told him she was ready to come back to him.He’d expected nothing less. After all, he’d spent years manipulating her, keeping her on a leash with fear of going to prison. And now that she’d come to her senses, he was going to make sure she regretted ever thinking about being with another man. He was going to make her regret letting Zeke Mathews even breathe near her, let alone touch her. The elevator came to a halt, and he strolled down the hallway toward her door, tapping on it. Moments later, the door opened, and there she stood—eyes red and teary, looking vulnerable, just the way he liked her. He smirked, stepping inside without an invitation. "Well, do you have any luggage? Where is it?" he asked, already reaching for her hand, preparing to drag her out of th
Francis's brow furrowed, his cocky expression faltering. "Prepared? What the hell do you mean by that?"Just then, a knock sounded at the door. Without missing a beat, Zeke walked over and opened it, revealing a tall, broad-shouldered man with piercing eyes, carrying a laptop bag slung over his shoulder. The man gave Zeke a nod before stepping inside.“Thanks for coming, and especially on such short notice, Smoke.” Zeke said. “I asked you to come in person because I couldn’t trust this with anyone else. And Kris told me that I could trust you.”Smoke smirked, his eyes narrowing as he took in Francis slumped on the floor. Staring up at him, Francis scoffed before he looked back at Zeke. “Oh, so you need an extra guy just to fight me?” he sneered. Zeke stared at him. “Fight you? No. I don't fight losers. I beat them down.”“Doesn’t matter. You can beat me up all you want—even kill me. That video is still going out. You’re just wasting your time.”Zeke let out a laugh, shaking his head
Francis felt his heart pounding wildly as Zeke’s words sank in. He knew about the mental hospital Zeke was describing enough to know that the horrors went even further than that.A wave of panic washed over him, but he forced a sneer, trying to keep his voice steady. “You can’t do that,” he spat, the bravado slipping through his panic. “That lunatic place is in another country. Besides, it’s illegal to confine me against my will.”Zeke gave a dark snort. “All I need are a few documents saying you’re a danger to yourself and others. It won’t be hard.” Zeke’s smiled, but it was a hard one that didn't reach his eyes. “And yes, what I plan to do to you is illegal. So is what I've planned to have done to you once you're inside there. But I don't care. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to protect the people I care about from monsters like you.”A sickly sweat broke over Francis as Zeke straightened to his feet and pulled out his phone, dialing a number. “You can come in now,” he said co
As Millie clung to Zeke, allowing herself to finally let go of the pain she'd bottled up for so long, Smoke took in the scene. The quiet closeness between them was so raw, so vulnerable, that he felt like he was intruding on an intimate moment. Sensing it was time to leave, he began gathering his laptop and cords into his bag. He shot Zeke a small nod, catching his eye briefly, and slipped out of the room with a respectful silence, closing the door softly behind him.Zeke continued rubbing gentle circles on her back, comforting her until her sobs subsided. Millie finally eased back, sniffling and glancing down at his shirt with an embarrassed expression.“Sorry,” she muttered. “I ruined your shirt.”Zeke smiled slightly, glancing down at the damp fabric. “Just some salty tears. Nothing damaging."Millie managed a tiny smile, though a shadow of sadness lingered in her eyes. Without thinking, Zeke leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, lingering just a moment longer. “Re
Stiffening , Gendry let out a sigh. The last thing he wanted to do was to deal with this control freak.He turned his head to glance at Alex for a second before looking away again, keeping his gaze fixed on the sky. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he muttered, shoving his hands into his pockets.Alex stepped closer, standing beside him, his posture rigid. “Whatever game you’re playing this time, it won’t work,” he said, his voice low but firm. “Stay away from my sister.”A mirthless chuckle escaped Gendry. He turned his head slightly, just enough to glance at Alex. “Isn’t Tessa old enough to decide the people she wants around her?”“Yes, she’s old enough,” Alex admitted. “But that doesn’t mean I’ll stop protecting her.”Gendry clenched his jaw, his temper flaring. Protect her? From who exactly?“From what, Alex?” he bit out, finally turning to face him fully. “From me? Because you still think I’m not good enough for her?”Alex met his glare without hesitation. “Yes,” he sai
The next day, Gendry adjusted the cuffs of his shirt as he stood at the edge of the altar behind Jace, watching the wedding rehearsal unfold. Maya and Jace were standing in front of the altar, holding hands while the priest explained how things would go tomorrow. Jace wore a simple button-down and slacks, while Maya was in a flowy sundress.Since this was just the rehearsal only family and those who had important roles to play in the ceremony were present. That included him and Tessa, Tessa's family, Jace's parents and aunt, and one of Maya's cousins.Gendry wasn't looking at any of them. His eyes were drawn to the maid of honor. Standing on Maya's side, Tessa was quite a sight. Her hair fell in soft waves, the light fabric of her dress clinging to her just enough to taunt him with the memory of last night. God, last night.He clenched his jaw, shifting his weight as flashes of her moans, the way her body had writhed against his, consumed him for the hundredth time that day. And y
Tessa was lying flat on her back, staring at the ceiling, her fingers clenched in the sheets. It had been two hours since she told Kevin she wanted to go to bed early, and yet here she was; wide awake, tossing and turning, unable to shut off her mind.She hated that her thoughts kept circling back to the conversation with Gendry in the car. His accusations about her thinking other people just weren’t good enough. His claim that he had firsthand experience of it years ago.What the hell had he meant by that?She should be angry. His words were baseless and unfair. And yet, instead of dwelling on that, all she could think about was everything he’d done to her body this time yesterday. And again this afternoon.A frustrated groan left her lips as a familiar ache coiled between her thighs. Damn him. Damn him and his expert tongue, his manipulative fingers, his very potent d–God, she couldn’t even finish the thought without feeling heat creep up her neck. How had she turned into this pers
The tension broke when Kevin suddenly appeared beside Tessa, a broad smile on his face as he looked at her parents. Gendry and Alex finally released their handshake, and Gendry stepped back, returning to his previous spot.After a few seconds, Kevin glanced at Tessa and arched a brow, silently prompting her for a formal introduction.Tessa cleared her throat. "Uh, Mum, Dad, this is Kevin Balthazar. Kevin is..."She trailed off, and Gendry unknowingly held his breath, waiting for what she was going to say."...a very good friend," she finally completed.Kevin beamed. "I'm very honored to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. Tessa has told me a lot about you." He stretched out his hand eagerly.Both Kris and Thalassa shook his hand, looking slightly amused by his enthusiasm. Then Kevin turned his attention to Alexander."I'm a huge fan of yours, Alex." His eyes widened. "I can call you that, right?"Alex smiled and nodded. "Of course. My sister's friends are my friends."Gendry snorted. Why d
Tessa’s happiness at seeing her family was unmistakable. After hugging and rocking her little sister for a bit, she moved toward her parents, who both engulfed her in a warm embrace.Gendry’s breath hitched. He’d seen Tessa wear a lot of expressions; angry, frustrated, annoyed, flushed, and pleasured, but he’d never seen her look so at peace before.It was obvious she loved and adored her parents, and she felt safe with them. Gendry wondered if there was a story there he didn’t know.“Hey, I’m feeling incredibly left out right now,” Alex said in a mock-grouchy voice.Tessa’s parents released her from their hug. She shrugged, looking at her brother.“I’m only hugging those I missed the most. I didn’t miss you much, so—”“Stop being silly and come here.”Tessa shrieked with laughter as Alex pulled her into a hug. Their bond as siblings was undeniable, their closeness evident in the easy way they teased and held each other.
Tessa’s heart caught. What he'd just told her could mean two things: that he wanted her so much that he’d set his rule aside because of her, or that she was worthless to him, which was why he was willing to sleep with her with no intention of having a relationship with her. The possibility of it being the latter stung more than she could ever admit. But why? It wasn’t like she wanted a relationship with him either. With her mood suddenly soured for reasons she couldn’t understand, she looked out the window at the buildings whirling by. “What about you?” Gendry’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts. Tessa pulled away from the window and looked at him. “What about me?” she asked, confusion in her voice. “You already know I’d never been with any man... until yesterday” “Yes. I know.” Gendry nodded. “The question is why. You’re beautiful, and you know it. It couldn’t possibly be because no man has approached you before. I know you probably have a thousand flocking around you, so wh
On the way back to the villa, the car was filled with a comfortable silence, but Tessa's mind was stuck on something she couldn't stop thinking about. It had been on her mind since morning, and she needed an answer. Before she could change her mind, she spoke. “This morning… what Jace said… what did he mean?” She saw Gendry’s hands tense around the steering wheel. “Jace said a lot of things,” he pointed out. “Yes,” Tessa agreed. “But I meant… what he said about thinking you’d lost interest in women.” Gendry briefly took his eyes off the road. “I can stop the car and show you right now that he was talking nonsense—just like I showed you a few hours ago.” Tessa’s cheeks flushed, wild images flaring through her mind at his words. “You’re evading my question.” “And you seem to have forgotten your own rules,” Gendry mused wryly. “No talking about each other’s personal lives, remember?” His voice had an edge to it, and Tessa wondered if she should drop it, but the curiosity was eati
"Where have you been, Missy?" That was the first thing Maya asked as soon as Tessa walked into the villa's living area. Tessa had prepared for the question. "In my room," she answered casually. Since she'd gone straight to Gendry's room, her door had still been locked, so Maya wouldn't have been able to enter. Maya tilted her head. "And you didn't hear me when I came knocking?" Tessa shrugged. "I was taking a nap." "Must have been a very deep nap because I called your phone as well," Maya revealed, eyeing her suspiciously. "You didn't hear it either?" Bringing her phone up, Tessa turned on the screen and noticed two missed calls from Maya in her notifications. She thought she had vaguely heard a phone ringing, but it had seemed like a dream compared to the very real reality of Gendry doing things to her insides with his cock. "No, I didn't hear it." "Hmm." Maya hummed, studying her. "Why does your face look so red? And your lips look a bit swollen. Are you okay?" Tessa shif
When Tessa entered the house, only a few guests were lingering about. Gendry was nowhere in sight, so he had probably gone to his room-which was perfect. Making her way down the corridor that led to her and Gendry's room, she knocked on his door immediately, looking back to ensure that no one was watching her. The door opened after a few seconds. Gendry stared at her with an unreadable expression before stepping back to allow her entry. Entering, Tessa closed the door behind her and jammed her hand on her hip. "What was that outside, Gendry? Why did you react that way toward Kevin?" Gendry gave her a bored look. "I told you. I thought he was harassing you." "You had no reason to think that," Tessa pointed out. "He and I were just having a conversation." "Yes, a very intimate conversation, it seems," Gendry said, his tone edged with sarcasm. Tessa stared at him. "You do realize that there were people watching us, right? Everyone is probably suspecting it now. You acted like you