MAE I ran a hand through my hair, staring down at my suitcases like they held some kind of hidden message.What the hell was Owen planning? A surprise, he said. Yeah, well, surprises in my world usually meant trouble. And the last thing I needed was to walk into something I wasn’t prepared for.I sighed, pushing those thoughts aside as I unzipped one of the suitcase.My fingers touched a nice fabric, and I pulled out a black dress, elegant, vintage and dangerous in the way only real power looked. I couldn’t help but smile looking at it. If Owen picked this out, I had to admit, the guy had good taste.I checked the time. I was late, I needed to move fast.I slipped into the dress, added some makeup, and fastened the diamond jewelry that came with the dress. Were these real diamonds? Knowing Owen, they probably were.By the time I was done, I barely recognized myself. The dress hugged every curve, the diamonds caught the light just right, and for a second, I almost forgot about the me
MAE “Oh my God…” I tried to keep my cool, but the surprise was too much. I glanced around, before my eyes went back to Joan Castellanos. “What the hell are you doing here?”“Can’t a man take a little break?” His voice was calm, like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Where better than the city of peace for a vacation?”So, this is where Mr. Joan decided to go on a vacation? Interesting. But why here? And why at the same damn time as Owen Powers? Did he know the guy would be here, or was this just a coincidence?“But what if…?” I hesitated. “What if Owen Powers, or one of his goons, especially Marco, sees us dancing? That is gonna stir up trouble. Marco’s been watching me like a hawk.”He shrugged, his calm demeanor never leaving. “You could barely recognize me behind this mask. Relax, nothing to worry about.”I narrowed my eyes at him, still feeling very uncomfortable and unsure. “So, about this dress…” he gestured to the outfit, glancing down at it. “Owen Powers buy it for you?”
MAEI was sinking. Deeper and deeper. No way out, no one coming to save me.Drowning wasn’t how I planned to die, but here I was, getting dragged to the bottom like dead weight. Stupid move, jumping in when I knew damn well I couldn’t swim. I never even learned.My vision blurred, my body needed oxygen. Just when I thought it was over, when I was about to let the darkness take me, a strong hand grabbed me.Next thing I knew, I was already on the surface of the water, gasping like my life depended on it. Because it did. I was able to breathe again, but it still wasn’t enough. I wanted more. Needed more."You are fine. Breathe," a rough voice ordered.I coughed, water choking me as I tried to calm myself even though that was impossible, I was still in water!. "I don’t swim," I rasped. "Never have.""Yeah?" Joan Castellanos said, his arms around my waist. "Good thing I do."With one arm locked around me, he swam effortlessly, swimming through the water like it was nothing. I let him. Be
MAEI stared at him, surprise spreading across my face. What the hell is going on?My eyes shifted back to Joan Castellanos. A million questions ran through my mind, but I couldn’t even begin to voice them. My face, however, said it all.How the hell did they capture Owen’s powers in just a few days? If it was that easy, all his other enemies would have taken him down long ago.“Mae…” Owen called my name, his face filled with shock. But I didn’t know how to respond. I had no idea what to say.“Bring him closer,” Joan Castellanos ordered. His men dragged Owen to the bridge while Joan signaled for me to follow. We all stood at the edge, water rushing below us. Owen stared at me, still in shock.“They told me you were kidnapped. Said they would only let you go if I came by myself…” He let out a bitter scoff. “But you don’t look kidnapped to me.” His words made me gulp.So that is how Joan Castellanos got him here. He lied about me being kidnapped? He actually did that?“You see, that wa
MAE"Ye deserve to be fucked in the arse by a man who knows how to do it proper!"That was Mr Marcello. He was not only a frequenter at the strip club where I was, but my father's former 'friend'. Their friendship which was built from going to the same gambling house sadly ended when my father decided to add him to the long list of people he owed.I forced a smile and took the old man's tip off his wrinkled hands, slipping the wad of dollar notes in my little bra with my eyes focused on his reddening face which was obviously due to his arousal.He grinned, flashing the best set of pearly whites I had ever seen in my direction. Obviously fake, but still beautiful… must have cost him a lot. "Two thousand for the night." He offered.I shook my head. "I only strip, Sir, nothing else. My colleagues here can take up your offer though, if you want.""Five thousand."His hand reached upward to feel my boobs which was only covered with a small, glittery, almost non-existent bra.I slapped his
MAEFilled with fear, I quietly took a few steps back and hurriedly texted Liam on my phone.He was online, thank God, I thought as I typed out my message.ME: He's here. The Owen Powers is here, in our house. He has my dad. I think dad is owing him some money. You need to come over.How could dad be owing the most powerful businessman in Houston, literally? He owed a lot of people, granted, but how the hell did he even get the guts to add this to the list?My heart thudded in my chest as I waited for Liam to read the text, then start to reply. Dad was groaning in pain as he took every hit, but I knew I had to finish making these plans with Liam before I could even think of heading downstairs.My eyes were transfixed on the screen, so much that I had not noticed how the entire place had grown dead silent.Liam's reply popped up on my screen,LIAM: Stall them. Stay where you are. I'll try to see if I can get backup. Please, Mae, don't fuck this up. I know my colleagues will not be wil
OWENI never hesitated during a kill.This was business. It was meant to be a smooth in and out. Probably cut off some hands, some toes, an ear… some slow torture before I called it a night.Nobody told me Miguel had a daughter—a redhead, to be precise.She sat there on the dirty floor, begging for her father's life, even if we both knew that it would be a lot easier for her to just let me put him down, to make sure she would not have more debts to clear in the future.Her answer to my question was, "He cares about me. He just has a bad drinking habit, we are working on it."I scoffed, thinking hard. Her offer was sensible.After all, what would I gain by killing off her father for nothing, when I could just take his daughter for myself, have her work for me as whatever I want for free.She was making a point. Maybe Miguel could live."Get up." I ordered and she hesitated, probably thinking of telling me that she could not, because of her hurt leg, but thinking against it in the end.
MAEAfter what he had said to me, I pretended to remain calm. But the moment dad was deposited beside me, I got an idea.I could escape.There was another man in the front, seated beside the driver's seat. I heard dad mutter from beside me, "Mae, don't do anything stupid, please.."Knew me so well, and well enough to know that I would still do whatever I wanted no matter what he said. How could I still trust that this man would spare our lives after watching him kill Liam like that? Kill those men without batting an eyelash?As soon as the car slowed slightly to navigate a sharp turn, I lunged. My hands shot forward, grabbing the driver's arm and yanking it hard to the side.The car swerved violently, tires screeching as the driver yelled, "What the fuck?!" The guy beside him twisted around at once, struggling to get a hold of me."Stop the car!" I screamed, clawing at the driver's arm. He cursed, his elbow slamming into my ribs while he struggled to maintain control over the car.D
MAEI stared at him, surprise spreading across my face. What the hell is going on?My eyes shifted back to Joan Castellanos. A million questions ran through my mind, but I couldn’t even begin to voice them. My face, however, said it all.How the hell did they capture Owen’s powers in just a few days? If it was that easy, all his other enemies would have taken him down long ago.“Mae…” Owen called my name, his face filled with shock. But I didn’t know how to respond. I had no idea what to say.“Bring him closer,” Joan Castellanos ordered. His men dragged Owen to the bridge while Joan signaled for me to follow. We all stood at the edge, water rushing below us. Owen stared at me, still in shock.“They told me you were kidnapped. Said they would only let you go if I came by myself…” He let out a bitter scoff. “But you don’t look kidnapped to me.” His words made me gulp.So that is how Joan Castellanos got him here. He lied about me being kidnapped? He actually did that?“You see, that wa
MAEI was sinking. Deeper and deeper. No way out, no one coming to save me.Drowning wasn’t how I planned to die, but here I was, getting dragged to the bottom like dead weight. Stupid move, jumping in when I knew damn well I couldn’t swim. I never even learned.My vision blurred, my body needed oxygen. Just when I thought it was over, when I was about to let the darkness take me, a strong hand grabbed me.Next thing I knew, I was already on the surface of the water, gasping like my life depended on it. Because it did. I was able to breathe again, but it still wasn’t enough. I wanted more. Needed more."You are fine. Breathe," a rough voice ordered.I coughed, water choking me as I tried to calm myself even though that was impossible, I was still in water!. "I don’t swim," I rasped. "Never have.""Yeah?" Joan Castellanos said, his arms around my waist. "Good thing I do."With one arm locked around me, he swam effortlessly, swimming through the water like it was nothing. I let him. Be
MAE “Oh my God…” I tried to keep my cool, but the surprise was too much. I glanced around, before my eyes went back to Joan Castellanos. “What the hell are you doing here?”“Can’t a man take a little break?” His voice was calm, like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Where better than the city of peace for a vacation?”So, this is where Mr. Joan decided to go on a vacation? Interesting. But why here? And why at the same damn time as Owen Powers? Did he know the guy would be here, or was this just a coincidence?“But what if…?” I hesitated. “What if Owen Powers, or one of his goons, especially Marco, sees us dancing? That is gonna stir up trouble. Marco’s been watching me like a hawk.”He shrugged, his calm demeanor never leaving. “You could barely recognize me behind this mask. Relax, nothing to worry about.”I narrowed my eyes at him, still feeling very uncomfortable and unsure. “So, about this dress…” he gestured to the outfit, glancing down at it. “Owen Powers buy it for you?”
MAE I ran a hand through my hair, staring down at my suitcases like they held some kind of hidden message.What the hell was Owen planning? A surprise, he said. Yeah, well, surprises in my world usually meant trouble. And the last thing I needed was to walk into something I wasn’t prepared for.I sighed, pushing those thoughts aside as I unzipped one of the suitcase.My fingers touched a nice fabric, and I pulled out a black dress, elegant, vintage and dangerous in the way only real power looked. I couldn’t help but smile looking at it. If Owen picked this out, I had to admit, the guy had good taste.I checked the time. I was late, I needed to move fast.I slipped into the dress, added some makeup, and fastened the diamond jewelry that came with the dress. Were these real diamonds? Knowing Owen, they probably were.By the time I was done, I barely recognized myself. The dress hugged every curve, the diamonds caught the light just right, and for a second, I almost forgot about the me
MAEI sat into the seat at the far back, keeping my head low. Out of sight, out of mind, that was the plan.Leaning against the headrest, I ready to shut out the noise and the unwanted company on this damn trip.But, of course, peace was too much to ask for.I felt movement in the seat beside me. I didn’t have to look to know who it was. I could already feel him, the constant annoyance coming off him like a damn furnace."You..." My voice was filled with slight surprise as my eyes focused on Marco. Of all people to sit next to me.He leaned back, completely at ease, like he hadn’t just ruined my attempt of being alone. "Relax. I am not thrilled about sitting next to you either, but the boss wants me here." He shot me a glance, then smirked. "So let us do each other a favor, pretend I don’t exist."Like that was possible. Marco didn’t just exist, he loomed.His hatred for me was too powerful , the kind I couldn’t ignore, no matter how badly I wanted to. And the way he looked at me?
MAEI was pissed. The kind of pissed that made my blood run hot and my patience run thin.Why the fuck couldn’t he just stay out of my way? Owen had a habit of showing up when I least needed him, always pushing, always getting under my skin. And the worst part? He fucking loved it.It didn’t matter if I was on edge, if I was barely holding it together. As long as he got what he wanted, nothing else existed. And to top it all off, the jerk didn’t even see me as anything more than his favorite little plaything.Fucking prick.I reached into my bag, searching for my room key, but it wasn’t there. I knocked on the door, but my roommate wasn’t around. Maybe I should call Eli, I just have left the key inside.That’s when it hit me.My phone.Where the fuck was my phone? My stomach dropped as soon as I realised. Owen’s car. I left it in his damn car.This was bad. Real bad.If he got his hands on it, if he saw something he shouldn’t—I didn’t waste another second. I dropped my bag and took o
OWEN“Owen! I am talking to you. Stop walking away this instant!”Amelia’s voice grated on my nerves, but I didn’t slow down. If she thought barking orders at me would make me listen, she didn’t know who the hell she was dealing with.“Owen, stop right there!” she yelled again, this time managing to catch up.The second her hand wrapped around my arm, I stopped. Not because she told me to, because I was already one second away from snapping. I turned to face her, and there she was, furious, her arms crossed, her eyes burning with accusation.“What do you think you are doing?” she demanded, like she had any control over me.I smirked, but I didn’t answer. I let her feel the weight of my silence, let it get under her skin.“My father gave us an exclusive invite to one of the most private islands for some alone time, and you thought it was a good idea to bring your little bitch along?”She was trying to provoke me, but I wasn’t that easy to shake. Instead, I just watched her. Let her ta
MAEI should shove him off. Tell him he is out of his damn mind. Remind him he is about to get married and i am not some side piece he can play with when it suits him.But I don’t.Because the second his lips crash into mine, every ounce of logic burns to ash.The kiss is rough, desperate, like he has been starving for this, for me. His hold on my waist tightens, pulling me flush against him, no space, no air, just heat. His body is solid, hard muscle pressing into mine, and I can already feel just how much he wants this. Wants me.His tongue slides into my mouth, taking control, demanding submission. I give as good as I get, but he is relentless, dominating every inch of me, making it clear, he is not here to play. His hands roam, sliding down my back, gripping my thigh as he pins me against the wall. A sharp inhale escapes me, and he smirks against my lips like he just won a battle I didn’t even know we were fighting.This is dangerous. This is reckless.And still, I don’t stop
MAE“Liam, where the fuck are you?"I sent the message again. Probably the thousandth one in the past few days. No response. Nothing. At this point, I had to ask myself, was he dead? Or was something bigger at play here, something I wasn’t seeing?I made it back to Casa Eleganza after wrapping up my conversation with Don Joan Castellanos. My mind was already running through the next steps, but right now, all I wanted was to get to my room. No distractions, no unwanted interactions.But luck was never really on my side.As I turned a corner, moving fast, I slammed straight into someone.Not just anyone.Someone whose presence alone made my blood run cold. Someone I would rather put six feet under than breathe the same air as.Amelia.I was too focused on my phone to notice her standing in my way."You." She snapped. When I looked up, her eyes were filled with barely contained anger. "Would it kill you to watch where you're going?"I exhaled slowly, keeping my cool. "Sorry." I stepped a