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
Millie meant for the kiss to be slow, soft, and warm. But of course Zeke had other ideas. Zeke's arms wrapped around her as his tongue brushed her lips, asking for entry.Millie gave it to him in a heartbeat. His tongue came delving into her mouth, exploring it with an intensity that grew more with each passing second. He wanted her, and the evidence was poking her abdomen. And God knew she wanted him too. But before she could slide her hands between them to cup him, the sound of the doorbell sliced through their moment. Zeke groaned, pulling back reluctantly, his face filled with frustration. Millie tensed immediately, her eyes darting to the door. Zeke instantly knew what she was thinking and placed a reassuring hand on her cheek."Hey," he murmured gently, "relax. It's either Luisa or Thalassa. They're the only ones who are allowed to get to the door without the guards informing me.”Placing a quick kiss on her lips, he went to the door. It was just as he expected. Luisa and Tha
Luisa’s shock finally wore off, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Millie. "Bother me? Why on earth would it bother me?" She laughed, practically vibrating with joy. "My brother is in love with one of the best people I know, and she happens to be my best friend? This is amazing!" Before Millie could respond, Luisa enveloped her in a big hug, squeezing her tightly. "I’m so happy for both of you!" She squealed, her voice full of genuine warmth and excitement. Thalassa joined in, wrapping her arms around Millie too. "Honestly, I couldn’t agree more," she added softly. "You deserve this happiness." When she pulled back from the hug, Zeke was looking at her. "Thank you, Thalassa," he said. Thalassa tilted her head. “Why the thanks?" A warm, nostalgic look crossed Zeke’s face. "Because if you’d accepted me when I insisted, I would’ve kept convincing myself you were the one I wanted, even if something didn’t feel right," he admitted. "But now I know who I truly love. I’m grateful for th
In her dimly lit cell, Linda paced, frustration seething beneath her composed exterior as her lawyer delivered the grim news from just beyond the cold steel bars. Her voice was a venomous hiss. “So, you’re saying you can’t stop this? That you’re completely useless?” The lawyer swallowed, his gaze flickering nervously. “I… I’m sorry, Mrs. Miller. The evidence against you was overwhelming. I tried everything, but the judges—” “Don’t insult me with excuses,” Linda snapped, her voice low but fierce. “I pay you a fortune to defend me and get me out of here, not apologize for being useless.” The lawyer cleared his throat. “We… still have options. If you claim coercion and say that you were forced into this, there’s a chance we can sway the court during the trial.” “During the trial?" Linda glared at him in disbelief. “That could be several weeks or months away.” The lawyer nodded hesitantly. “Yes, but we need to be a little patient.” Linda snorted, her eyes flashing. “Patience
Linda merely scoffed and shook her head, her lips curling. "After all that stupid girl's lies and keeping your son from you, how did she manage to convince you so easily?" She spat the words, her voice dripping with disdain. "When did you become so gullible, Kris? That woman has you wrapped around her finger." Kris let out a short, humorless laugh. "Would you rather I was wrapped around yourz?" His gaze turned colder as he spoke, anger mixed with pain simmering just beneath the surface. "I prefer a thousand times for Thalassa to have me wrapped around her finger, because all she makes me feel is happiness. But when you had me wrapped around your finger, you used it to control me, manipulate me... You used it to destroy my life and take my happiness from me all in the name of what you thought was best for me." Linda's eyes flashed. "I only did what was right, Kris. Everything I did was to protect you." "Protect me?" His voice grew louder, each word laced with bitter disbelief.
“Lassa?”“Lassa?”“Hey, Thalassa!”The sound of fingers snapping in front of her face jolted Thalassa out of her thoughts, snapping her back to reality. She blinked to find Luisa watching her, brows furrowed with concern.“Thalassa, I’ve been calling your name over and over! You didn’t even notice when I walked in,” Luisa said, her voice edged with worry. “Oh… sorry,” Thalassa murmured, running a hand over her hair with a sigh. Luisa tilted her head. “You’re still thinking about Kris?”Thalassa nodded slowly. “He still hasn’t called. It feels like he’s upset with me,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.Last night, after Kris had announced the news that his mother was going to be transferred to prison, he'd tried hard to act like everything was alright, which had made her realize that nothing was alright.Every time he'd glanced at her, she could swear that she could see some resentment in his eyes. She knew she was imagining it, but she also couldn't help but feel that
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