MAE"You really do not look okay. Are you sure you can still work?" Eli asked me, smacking his lips after applying lipgloss."I have to." I simply replied, going across the room to pick up more stuff. I was really tired—both mentally and emotionally, but I knew I would just be calling more punishment to myself if I simply laid down here."How? Scar is really nice. I mean, everyone here is. I do not feel like anyone here is being forced to do anything. I like the fact that everything is so transparent, even." He went on, and I almost scoffed out loud.He sounded like an excited little kid. He had not the slightest idea of what was actually going on, and though it was dangerous for him, it was a little cute. Better to be oblivious than be traumatized like I was.I got ready quicker, then hurried off to the stage. I did not shut my eyes throughout my performance, because every single time I did, I saw her. I had my eyes wide open as I danced, willing the images to go away.The moment I s
OWENI was not supposed to be in Casa Eleganza tonight, but then Marco called and told me he was looking for her.Mae Rivera.Apparently, Carter had caught her making a sneaky phone call and before he could get evidence, she ended the call and threatened to lie against him if he tried to expose her. She ran off, too. Not that I fully trusted this Carter of a guy, but this awfully sounded like something that woman can do; especially after all she had been through lately.I could have left Marco to find her and teach her a lesson… or even any of my snipers could do that, but I had a surprise for her, so I could not do that.As I drove, I tried to shake off the nasty feelings I had that kept screaming in my ear about the fact that she had gone through so much. She should have thought of that before crossing me. I do worse to others, I thought. Why was it a bloody big deal with her? I did not have an answer to that, of course.Finally, after what seemed like years, I parked my car in fron
MAE"Your father is in the backseat of my car. Tonight, you will either tell me what's going on with you, or he takes a bullet to his head. I'll keep killing everyone you love until you decide if this secret you are keeping from me is really worth losing so much." Owen whispered, just as his big hand released my ass, going up to my hip instead.I pushed his hands off me completely, shock taking over my features. "Wait. What did you just say?""The exact same thing you heard. Get dressed and come with me."I did not have to be told twice. I rushed into the closet and just threw on a shirt like nightgown that stopped just above my knees then some lace panties.I had just stepped out of the closet to meet Owen leaning by the door when he thundered,"Get back inside and wear something else. I did not ask you to come with me so you can strip for your father." I opened my mouth and closed it like a fish, then looked around in search of anything I could just throw on."But it's covered…" I
MAE"The boss traveled. You can request to see him when he returns." One of his guards told me the next day and I was deflated. I did not know what was going on with dad. So I asked if I could speak to him on the phone or something, and that it was very important, but they asked me to pass the message through them.I tried to. I told them Carter was working with a rival mafia group, but they just stared at me like I was crazy and sent me off.I called Liam, and he said he did not know about dad's whereabouts either. Apparently, dad was not dropped off at home last night. Of course, dad’s number was not going through and I did not personally have Owen's number.I had no idea how I got through dancing that night, but I somehow did, and I rushed to the room and continued to ignore Eli.Five nights later, he confirmed my suspicions of being gay by bringing in a man into our room and asking if I would be okay with another person sleeping with us here.I just gave him a nod and slipped on A
OWEN"Speak." I ordered as soon as she was inside. She frowned, as if offended by my tone, but knew to say nothing.Her voice was hoarse with strain as she started, "The Castellenos. Carter is working with the Castellenos, hopefully you know who they are."Oh I knew who they were, alright. Fucking bastards. The election was in two days, and we would finally have our winner, after which would be the party for celebration, but they were planning something up their sleeves as usual.Trevor had the upper hand of winning and for now, he was lodged in my house, protected by the largest amount of guards that had ever surrounded my building.Seemed to me like they were about to come up with another plan, and Carter, my head of security knew what it was. Or her?How did she know about the Castellenos in the first place?I looked back at her, worry lines showing up on my forehead, "And how do you know about the Castellenos?"She swallowed, then took out her phone, typing fast. I took a good loo
MAEI stole a drink and got myself drunk when I got home. I was off tonight and Eli was out working so I turned on some music and danced around in the room, then watched some movies on my phone.They had left Isis's iPad in here, but I could not bring myself to touch any of her stuff yet, and when Eli asked, I told him they were off limits too.My mind went back to my interaction with Owen. At least he was no longer on my neck about disloyalty and shit. Okay, and why did he ask me out? I finally voiced the most important question in my head.He had tons of other women at his beck and call that he could ask out and he chose to ask me. I could not help but think that it was because he felt guilty and pitied me, yet another part of me did not believe that. A man like Owen did not look like he had even the slightest pinch of pity in him. So, why?My body reacted to him, no doubt—which just meant that I was physically attracted to him—even if it had significantly reduced after the whole th
MAETrevor had won the elections and so, the party held.Owen sent me a dress, a clutch and a pair of shoes. There was a note which read; 'This shade of green would match your hair and eyes perfectly. Learn some manners before the said time.'Of course, I rolled my eyes at that. I wondered why those women flocked around him when he was such a brute. My subconscious literally laughed out loud at me, because we both knew why they were like that. Man was gorgeous. But still, I felt nothing but rage and pure hatred for him, considering the kind of man he was.Sighing, I stared at the dress Owen sent, a floor-length emerald green piece with a daring slit up the side. The fabric shimmered faintly under the light, making it look far more expensive than anything I’d ever owned. The matching clutch and heels sat beside it, equally as pretty.I hated this man, and being around him was the last thing I wanted, especially right now but staying home wasn’t an option. Not with him. He’d either send
OWEN"… finally, I am glad to be standing here with my mayor—Trevor, and I am sure that he would be the best thing to happen to this city." I promised them, sharing a look with Trevor, a practiced smirk on my face. He laughed, patting my shoulder.Trevor stood tall and powerful beside me, and to the crowd, Trevor was a lot bigger than I was. I was simply a billionaire fan who had several companies and made a lot of money.Trevor was the mayor, therefore, he ruled the city. They were so blind, loud and completely wrong. I did not hate it though…After the whole speech and pleasantries, I went back to my seat on the table and cooled off a bit, watching the ceremony go on.I was struggling to enjoy the party. It was not an unusual thing for me not to enjoy a party; the only unusual thing was the fact that I was bothered about not enjoying the party.Strange.I looked around for Mae a number of times, but it looked like she had left the party. Except… that was so unlike Mae. She did not h
OWENIs she really doing this? Playing this little game with me like I wouldn’t notice? Keeping my anger in check was harder than I expected. It was practically begging to be unleashed. I tipped back my glass, letting the alcohol burn its way down, then poured another. “You good, boss?” Ashtex asked, eyeing me like I was a ticking bomb. I didn’t answer. Just took another slow sip, there was nothing but silence in the room. My mind was too busy dissecting Mae’s little stunt. A bridesmaid? She even agreed to be a bridesmaid at my wedding? That was next-level audacity. So she was really okay with the idea of me marrying Amelia? And she was serious about this stupid space?And the worst part? She actually expected me to go through with this marriage like it was a real thing. Like I was some desperate man clinging to Amelia for her father’s power. Please. I didn’t need Don Paulo’s protection to handle the Castellanos. Hell, I didn’t need anyone.I am only marrying Amelia because
MAE“Hmmm, congratulations… I guess.” The words scraped against my tongue like sandpaper, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. I stood still, my body refusing to move, my lips sealed shut after that forced statement. I felt a small pain in my chest, but I swallowed it down. Why did it hurt? This was what I wanted. What I pushed for. So why did it feel like someone had taken a hammer to my ribs? There was no reason to be upset—no reason at all. Amelia’s lips curled into an evil smile. “You call that a congratulations? You sound like you are choking on it. Come on, try again, put some heart into it.” “She is right,” Owen finally spoke, his voice interrupting my thoughts. I almost forgot he could talk. “If you are going to say it, at least make it believable.” My fingers twitched at my sides. Was he enjoying this? Playing some twisted little game with me? I sucked in a slow breath, my nails digging into my palms. Fine. If they wanted a show, I would give them one. "Co
MAEIs this really how I die? Is this how my life ends, cornered and helpless? Marco? Of all people, why him? What kind of ill luck do I have? And how the hell did he know I was here? He must have been watching me. He never trusts me, not even for a second. I bet he has been keeping tabs on me, waiting for me to slip up. That’s how he found me here. This is bad. Really bad. “I asked you a question.” His voice was quiet, too quiet. The kind that sent a chill down my spine. He slipped a hand into his pocket, his eyes on me. “Who were those people, and why did you come all this way to see them?” I forced a breath, trying to regain control“Just someone who came by the boutique,” I said, keeping my voice light. “He was interested in me. Asked me out. I wasn’t interested, but he’s been… persistent.” It wasn’t the best lie, but it was the only one I had. Marco’s expression didn’t change, his eyes still on me. He didn’t believe me. Not one bit. I gulped and prayed he wouldn’t p
MAE“It is not exactly easy doing what you want, but at least I am working on it,” I muttered into my phone, tucked away in a quiet corner I was sure had no CCTV. My eyes flicked back every few seconds, making sure no one was coming. “All you have to do is plant the devices we gave you in his bedroom and office. That shouldn’t be too difficult, should it?” Mike—Joan Castellanos’ assistant replied, his voice as cool and emotionless as ever. I ran a hand through my hair, exhaling . “If I don’t do this carefully, I could get caught. And if I get caught, I am as good as dead.” I paused, letting that sink in before adding, “Right now, I am the only weapon you guys have against Owen. I don’t think you want to lose that.” There was silence on the other end before Mike finally spoke. “Mr. Castellanos wants to see you tonight. We will send you the address.” Then the line went dead. No chance to argue. No room for negotiation. I let out a slow breath, gripping my phone tighter. Bug
MAEThe silence between us was heavy. Owen leaned back against the couch, his sharp gaze locked onto me as I paced the room, my thoughts tangled into knots. I could still feel the weight of their stares—the shock, the unspoken judgment. Ashtex’s words replayed in my head like a haunting echo. ‘When you’re done with her, you should pass her over to me.’I swallowed hard, wrapping my arms around myself. “They don’t like me,” I said finally, breaking the quiet. Owen’s jaw tightened. “They don’t know you.” “They don’t want know me.” I turned to face him, meeting his gaze head-on. “Owen, I saw it in their eyes. They think I make you weak.” His brows drew together, his expression darkening. “I don’t give a damn what they think.” “But you should.” I took a step closer, hesitating before reaching out and touching his hand. His fingers twitched but didn’t pull away. “You’ve fought too hard for your place. You just came back, and they’re already questioning things. If they see you
OWENAre you sure you’re searching right? Because there’s no way he just disappeared into thin air.” I said to Marco, raising an eyebrow as I watched him puff on his cigarette. He didn’t answer, his eyes showing he was in deep thought as the smoke curled around his face.“Funny, isn’t it?” Marco finally spoke, his voice low, almost thoughtful. “Somehow beat five of our men and escaped. I gotta admit, the little fucker’s actually strong, considering we had him beat to a pulp before his escape.”I rubbed my chin, trying to piece together what had just happened. It didn’t add up. But then Marco’s eyes narrowed, and he started staring at me like I was the one hiding something.“What?” I asked, confusion in my voice as I raised an eyebrow, noticing the way he was studying me.He didn’t answer immediately. Another drag of his cigarette. Then, he tossed out the question with a casual shrug. “You pretty sure you didn’t let him go to please your little girlfriend?”I froze. Surprised by his a
OWENMy men were back. They filed into Casa Eleganza like the victors they were, and I could see the easy smiles on their faces, an evidence that they had recovered from those killer drugs, even if not completely, but at least they had done a good enough job.Dave was the first to step in, his sharp blue eyes scanning the room like he was assessing a battlefield. He didn’t look much different, but there was something in the way he held himself—much like he wasn’t carrying as many ghosts as before. Grey entered next, his cigar lodged between his lips, and he was actually smiling, his eyes assessing the ladies in particular.Then there was Ashtex, my best sniper, the man who had held my empire together while I was gone. He smirked when he saw me, like he knew exactly what kind of chaos was about to unfold now that we were back. “The clan is back,” Ashtex said, his voice edged with something between excitement and nostalgia. “The top made men—the deadly three. Even your best sniper is
OWENI don’t know where Mae suddenly found this confidence, but I wasn’t about to complain. Without breaking our kiss, I guided her backward toward the bed, flipping her over with ease so she lay beneath me.She trembled beneath my touch, her breath hitching, her body pliant but still radiating the tiniest hint of resistance. I almost smirked. I hadn’t even started yet.Her wide eyes searched mine, hesitation flickering in their depths, but it was layered with something else. Need. Desire.“You’re shaking, kitten,” I murmured, dragging my fingers down her arm, leaving goosebumps in my wake. “Scared?”Mae swallowed hard. “No.”Liar.I reached for the clasp of her bra, undoing it with deliberate slowness. The second the fabric fell away, exposing her to my hungry gaze, she let out the softest gasp. My lips found her nipple, circling it with my tongue before sucking gently. Her back arched, a whimper escaping her lips as my fingers rolled and teased her other peak. She was already unrave
MAEI gripped the table, my fingers digging into the wood as Owen picked up the pace. His good hand held me firmly, pulling me closer with every deep, punishing thrust. My breath hitched—caught between pleasure and something else, something darker, something dangerous.“Owen…” I gasped, barely able to get the words out. He filled me so completely, so overwhelmingly, I couldn’t think beyond the sensation of him stretching me open, claiming me in ways that made my heart race.The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed through the room, the raw, primal rhythm making everything feel chaotic, out of control.Owen groaned, his grip tightening on my hips. “You feel so fucking good, Mae,” he muttered, voice rough, desperate.God, I felt the same.I tried to steady myself, but there was no slowing down. He drove into me with relentless force, each thrust sending shivers down my spine. My body burned with need, but beneath the heat, beneath the pleasure, there was something else—something I