ADONIS’S POV
How had the bitch gotten in? One minute I was in the garden and the next minute, I was walking in to see her repulsive face. Rage coursed through me the moment I saw her and it took every willpower and patience to not drag her out myself. It wasn’t news that I hated Bertha. She repeatedly maltreated my mother when she had been alive, all because she had been her husband’s mistress. Getting involved with their family had been the beginning of my mother's demise. And when she was dead, Bertha had mocked her at the funeral; one I didn’t invite her to, and then proceeded to seduce me. Each second she came into my line of vision, I thought of the cruel ways I could ruin her, but that would be a waste of my time. She was ruins itself. It was clear she came here for one reason alone, to threaten Estelle. Whatever her reasons were for this marriage, it didn’t matter. She was still my wife, and I wasn't going to let anyone hurt her… no one but me. Marie was on the ground, sweeping the chunks of broken glass while Genna blankly stared at me, her brows knitted in concern. “I should probably go check on her. Seeing you angry must’ve scared her.” I grabbed her arm, halting her, “Leave her.” She thought of disobeying but thought second on it. Silence lingered in the air and just as I was about to leave the dining room, Genna stopped me. “Look, I’m glad you’re married and finally found love, but you have to be gentle with her,” she bit her bottom lip, “I know how you get, so please don’t scare her away.” Love? “Is that what you think this is? She came to me asking for a contract marriage after divorcing my brother.” Her eyes widened slightly, then relaxed soon after, “Tell yourself whatever you want. You’re drawn to her as much as she is drawn to you,” she added stubbornly. “This isn't one of your teenage fantasies, Genna.” “You literally broke a glass because she was threatened,” her lips curved into a mischievous smile, “I see it in your eyes when you look at her. You’re not fooling anyone.” My jaw twitched. I was growing tired of the meaningless ramblings, “Why are we having this conversation?” “Because I like her. Hurt her and I’ll be the one kicking your groins.” The gut of this child. At that moment, my phone rang and Damon’s name appeared on the screen. Whatever he had to say had to be in a private space. Leaving Genna without a word, I headed to my study and called him right back. “What info do you have for me?” I cut right to the chase. “Not on the phone. I’m coming over to you.” “Alright. I’ll be in my study,” I disconnected the call. Turning on my laptop, I tried to distract myself with work, but Estelle lurked in every corner of my mind, taunting me. The image of her naked sinful body dwelled in my senses as heat travelled down to my groin. I envisioned grabbing that narrow waist as I bend her over this desk, those sensuous lips coated in her signature deep red lipstick as she cries out my name, while I fuck her senseless. I wanted her, but not yet. Not until she begs for it. A knock echoed, putting those provocative thoughts on hold. Damon wouldn’t ever knock, so I figured it had to be Genna. I adjusted my pants, “Come in.” Those green eyes easily knocked my breath away, not to talk of her face. How had she found my study? Then I remembered Genna was still in this house. Having her here while I was having carnal thoughts about her wasn’t a good idea. “May I come in?” her sultry voice rubbed my insides like sandpaper. I was sensitive and everything about her was a fucking turn-on. “Yes.” My eyes roamed her body as she sat. Her being here meant she wanted something, so I let her speak first. “I don’t get to go anywhere unless you allow it, that's part of your rules,” she paused, then looked at me with those siren eyes, her thick lashes battering each time she blinked. “So I'm here to ask for your permission. I need to visit a family member in a health facility.” “What family member?” “That’s all you need to know,” she retorted sharply. It wasn’t enough. I wasn’t convinced. “I can’t let you.” Her eyes flew open, as if surprised I refused, “Why? This is very important to me.” “I need more details.” But that wasn’t the main reason. There was a jabbing feeling that constantly tugged at my chest. I felt that if I ever let Estelle out of my sight, there was a notion that I wasn’t going to see her again. Call it worry or whatever. “Do this for me, and I’ll forgive you.” My brow shot up. There was an assured look in her eyes like her forgiveness meant shit to me. It didn't. I leaned in close and held her chin. She didn't flinch. I scanned every feature of her face, my fingers getting carried away as I caressed her chin. Such intricate features, but a powerful facade behind them. “I don't care about your forgiveness.” A daring seductive glint appeared in her eyes, “But you care about me.” I scoffed, “What convinced you that I do?” My fingers moved to trail her lips and she brought out the tip of her tongue, flicking my finger with it. That took me by surprise and I felt my erection grow. “I can see it in your eyes,” she spoke softly, a slight smile playing on her lips. The effect this woman had on me. She knew exactly what she was doing. I released her chin and leaned back, “Laurent, my chauffeur will take you where you need to go and bring you back.” Her smile broadened, “Thank you, Adonis.” She got up, “I better be going.” She got what she came for, and now she had no use for me anymore. I didn't feel bad about it... my only regret was not fucking that manipulative attitude out of her. Just before she left, I stopped her. “Estelle.” Our eyes met for a fraction, “Don’t take too long,” I added. She nodded then left. I smiled to myself. She made things so much more interesting. Time passed and Damon walked right through the door and sat, placing photos on the desk. “Graphic warning,” he added as I scanned through the photos. One photo was the interior of a regal well-decorated living room. At the bottom was a date. February 9th, 2009. What made me feel uneasy was the blood spattered all over the ground, and the gun lying in the puddle of blood. My brows creased, “What is this? “I did some digging into Estelle’s past. Turns out she had a tough time growing up.” I looked back at the blood and my heartbeat raced. What did this have to do with her? “Her mother was mentally deranged, and unfortunately took it out on the young Estelle.” My grip tightened on the photograph as I waited for Damon to drop the bombshell. He tapped the photo, “On this night, she tried to kill Estelle. Shot her through the heart and then tried to kill herself, but both of them survived.” As he spoke, his voice trailed off and time seemed to slow down. “I’m going to visit a family member at a health facility,” her voice echoed in my mind. Realization dawned on me, and horror gripped me. I sprang up to my feet with a confused Damon following behind me. I ignored everything around me till I was in my car, speeding through the road with the address Laurent sent me. She went to visit her mother, who had tried to kill her. How stupid could she be? Anything could happen, but I wasn’t going to let her get hurt again.ESTELLE’S POVWe arrived at the mental facility in short time. As I stepped out, the cool wind grazed my skin. Shivers ran down my spine, but it wasn't because of the cold.Whenever I came here to visit my mother, I felt this constant bone-chilling sensation coursing through me. Series of images would glide through my mind.The blood, the gun, the fear, the pain; it was all I could from that night but it taunted me.My father didn't tell me what happened until three months after the incident. His words from the night after I woke up from a bloody nightmare echoed audibly like he was right here with me.“Your mother won’t be coming back. She’s not okay. You and Amelia will be safer that way with her far away. That way, she won't hurt you again.”That was all he told me, but I was smart enough to piece one and one together; he knew that. “But she’s still my mother,” I told him.After that night, I swore to always visit her… to try to help her get better. Now here I was standing in fro
Chapter 1“You’re pathetic. You can’t even give my son an heir.”My mother-in-law’s harsh words echoed through my mind as I held the pregnancy test strip in my shaky hands.For the first time in two years, it showed two lines.A series of emotions flooded through me, but my happiness was over the skyscraper’s roof. After two years of marriage, after all the emotional abuse from my mother-in-law, I finally conceived.I was finally having a child for Eric.Leaving the office for home to rest and wait for Eric to return, I was dying to tell him the thrilling news in person.Seated in my car, as my chauffeur; Trevor drove, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to Eric.[I have good news. I can’t wait to tell you.]After waiting for minutes in silence, I glanced at my phone and my heart sank when I saw he hadn’t replied to my text yet.He never took this long to reply unless it was business, which wasn't because he went to meet his friend at the bar, leaving me at the office to finish his
Helpless on the ground, my body shook violently as I cried.“She's so pathetic. Just look at her,” Barbara’s voice echoed.I managed to get back to my feet and gazed at the man I called husband.“I thought you loved me. How long has this been going on?” the words came out of my mouth and I winced at how miserable I sounded.“I never did Estelle. I've been using you all these while.”Each word was a blow to my heart and it felt like a thousand needles had been pierced into me. It hurt so bad that I couldn't breathe properly.Of course, he never did. How stupid I had been. All the bad treatment, his bad attitude. His red flags had been waving around from the beginning, but love blinded me so much that I missed it.My tears were starting to cloud my vision, and I blinked them away, letting them stream down my cheeks.I remembered the reason I got into this marriage in the first place. We did it so we could strengthen both our companies by merging. I was the market genius, and Eric had th
6 months later.“What’s taking him so long?” I muttered to myself as I glanced at the large clock hanging on the wall. For an hour, I'd been waiting in the lobby. Clutching my Hermes bag tightly, I approached the receptionist again, noticing her growing annoyance. I couldn't blame her; it was my third time coming up to her."He'll be here soon. Please be patient, Miss Corsetti," she said before I could speak. With a sigh, I retreated to my seat.My phone beeped, diverting my attention. It was a text from both Amelia and my best friend, Jade. Funny how they both messaged at the same time.[How's the interview going?]Even funnier that they both asked the same question.Deciding to reply after the interview, I tucked my phone back into my bag when a shadow fell over me, signaling someone's approach.“Miss Corsetti,” I looked up at the receptionist, “Mr Sandoval is waiting for you in his office.”My heart momentarily skipped a bit, and I wasn't sure if it was because of the interview or
“Are you sure you’re making the right choice?” Amelia asked me for the 100th time.Sighing, I applied the brightest red lipstick I had, packed my luscious raven hair in a bun, and then let it down, indecisive.“In a bun, or laid down?” I asked her, completely ignoring her question. I watched her reaction from the mirror, noticing how her shoulders dropped and her facial features creased in worry.“Laid down makes you look like a sexy boss,” she said, smiling softly and I couldn't agree more. I let my wavy hair down and applied a dark eyeshadow that complimented my emerald green eyes.When I was done with the makeup, I walked up to the bed where she sat and pulled her into a tight hug.“I have to do this, Amelia, or I’ll never live in peace with myself.”“Maybe you’ll get peace if you move on from this.”But that was the thing; I couldn’t move on even if I wanted to. Eric didn’t just break my heart, ruin my life, and take almost everything from me. He left me with a burden… one that w
A few hours after signing the contract and heading back home, the movers showed up at my doorstep. I directed them to my room before telling them what to move and what to leave behind, and as I watched them move my things into the van, my mind raced with negative thoughts. A part of me wanted to run away from all of this, but the other part stood her ground. There was no going back now. I already signed the contract, and Adonis didn’t seem like the kind of person to change his mind. As I leaned against the door frame, a glistering light flashed in my eye, and when I looked down, I realized it came from the diamond ring sitting nicely on my finger. Running my fingers across its magnificent structure, I found my heart beating fast as I recalled the way he wore the ring on me. I could almost feel his fingers caressing mine again. “I’m coming with you.” Amelia’s voice jolted me from my not-so-pure thoughts, and I followed her gaze as it landed on my ring. “He already got you
ADONIS’S POV As soon as I stepped into the mansion, I knew she was already here. She had an aura about her that was impossible to miss, commanding attention wherever she went. When she entered a room, everyone noticed, and when she left, her absence was always felt. “Good evening,” Marie greeted me as I handed her my blazer, “Mrs Sandoval has already arrived.” I loved the fact that she bore my name, “Where is she?” “In her room. Dinner is prepared and the table is set for both of you.” “We’ll be there shortly,” I dismissed her before ascending the stairs. Normally, I would head straight to my room but this time, I turned towards hers. Her room wasn’t far from mine, making sure it was close to mine, just across the hall. On reaching the door, I knocked lightly, and when I got no response, I pushed it open and walked in uninvited. The moment I sighted her, something stirred within me. She lay on the bed in a fetal position, resembling a curled-up cat. She didn’t seem to notice I w
ESTELLE’S POVI sat in front of the dresser, staring into the mirror as I applied my makeup. I was going for a confident, powerful look tonight, perfect for tonight’s event. Attending an event my ex-husband who tried to murder you, would be present wasn’t a wise decision, and could be traumatic. Yet here I was, eager to attend.Once, I loved Eric but not anymore. All I felt for him was a searing hatred that could lit a forest. My primary reason for going to this event was to flaunt to Eric that I was alive, thriving, sexier than ever, and married to his half-brother.A sadistic smile tugged on my lips as I imagined what the look on his face would be when he saw me. It’d be priceless.Just as I was going for a dark shade of pink lipstick, I recalled Adonis’s rule. Dropping the lipstick, I went for the deepest red shade and smudged it on my lips. It was ridiculous; the rules and the whole punishment thing, but deep down, I found myself wanting to impress him.Why was that? I had no ide