KIRA’S POVI followed him, my mind reeling. Born in prison? Was that even possible? He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me, his brows furrowed in what seemed like genuine confusion. Seriously? Was he really confused right now?“What do you mean, ‘born in prison’?” I asked in disbelief. Just when I was starting to warm up to him, he casually dropped this bombshell. Did Adrian hire all the inmates he met in jail?“Oh, that,” Ted said with a chuckle as if he’d just mentioned something mundane. “My mother was convicted of arson.”Arson? My jaw almost hit the floor.“Crazy, right?” he continued, completely unbothered by my reaction. “You know, it’s funny—I think you and her share some similarities.”I nearly scoffed but managed to hold it back. I wasn’t about to risk offending him when he was finally being open without me prying. Still, I couldn’t see how I could possibly be similar to an arsonist.“What do you mean?” I asked carefully.He grinn
KIRA’S POV“Oh God,” I gasped, covering my mouth with trembling hands.Dead Ted stood a few inches away from the dartboard, a blank expression on his face, with the knife I had just thrown lodged in his chest. A small, dark stain already forming across his shirt, marking the impact.My body stiffened for a few agonizing seconds as I stared at him. “Oh no. Oh God, what have I done?” I whispered, my voice shaky as I took a hesitant step toward him.Ted raised his hand, holding up the pocketknife I’d thrown earlier. “I was just trying to move this out of the way,” he said, his voice disturbingly calm, his expression unreadable. “Got in the way of your aim, I guess.”Oh God.I blinked in total disbelief. “I …I’m so sorry,” I stammered, as I got within arm’s reach of him. My instinct was to touch the knife or try to steady him, but he raised an eyebrow and shifted back, avoiding my hand.Is he alright, doesn't he see the knife in his chest or feel it? His eyes slowly closed, and I felt my
KIRA’S POVJena was sprawled on the desk, Adrian deep inside her. Her tiny frame arched under him, her tiny breasts moving upwards as he thrust into her. The desk was a chaotic mess, papers scattered everywhere, yet neither of them seemed to care.They both looked up when I entered, but their movements didn’t stop.Adrian’s eyes locked onto mine, his face twisted with anger, and his usually slicked hair was scattered and disheveled—no doubt from Jena’s hands running her hands through it. “What the hell are you doing here? Get out!” he barked.I froze for a moment, taking in the crazy scene before me. Jena turned to me, her lips curled into a smile that sent a sick wave of déjà vu washing over me. It was the same smug expression Kayla gave me every time she talked about Dylan. That look of triumph, of winning something they had no right to take.I swallowed my emotions, masking my hurt with indifference, and met Adrian’s furious eyes.“No,” I stated, cros
KIRA’S POVBang!The sound of a gunshot echoed through the room, and I instinctively closed my eyes. Oh my God, Adrian shot me, he really shot me. My body froze, my mind racing as I braced myself expecting the pain to kick in at any moment.One…Two…Three…Nothing. I didn’t feel anything. Have I actually learned how to redirect pain and this is my body redirecting the pain?No, that's highly unlikely, I am sure I would feel a bullet in my body.Slowly, I cracked one eye open to peek. The room was blurry, so I opened the other, my vision clearing as I looked down at myself. My hands flew to my body, patting frantically, scanning for any sign of a gunshot wound.Nothing.Once I was sure there wasn’t a hole in me, I turned my attention to Adrian. Our eyes met and his lips twitched into a mocking smirk, one eyebrow arched as he stared at me. Using his head, he gestured upward. Following his line of sight, I looked up and spotted a small
KIRA’s POV.I stood frozen, staring at the knife in front of me, unwilling to turn around and face him.“I’ve never missed my target twice in one day. Trust me, there won’t be a third,” he said, his voice calm but the warning underneath was very evident. I heard the sound of his chair scraping followed by footsteps moving closer to me, and soon I could feel his warm breath on my back.Oh God.He grabbed my arm lightly, turning me to face him, I kept my eyes down, unable to meet his gaze as I turned. His bare torso was on full display, each muscle perfectly defined, but I forced myself to focus on the floor not knowing how to face him. I had been brave enough for one day, but I knew better than to provoke him further.Without releasing my arm or saying a word, he pulled more like dragged me toward the study door. I heard the heavy drag of the wooden door as he closed it. The sound of the lock sliding into place sent a cold shiver down my spine.
KIRA’S POVI turned back and noticed that Adrian had now moved to his minibar behind his chair, pouring himself a drink, completely ignoring me. He was so nonchalant, and it unsettled me. I watched him for a moment, unsure of what to say.He turned to face me, raising the glass to his lips. His eyes locked onto mine as he sipped slowly, deliberately.I wanted to get out of the office but his earlier threat of gruesome torture still ran through my head, why was he keeping me here? He moved from the minibar, the glass still in his hand. I opened my mouth to talk, but his next words knocked the words straight out of my mouth. “Get out,” he said, settling back in his seat. I stared at him for a minute, feeling a mixture of shock and confusion.Was he bipolar? Did he have mood swings?Not that it mattered. I didn't want to stay here anyway so I turned to leave."Wait," his voice stoppe
KIRA’S POV“I don’t need to be a whore to know how to seduce a man. Or should we put it to the test? You know what, let's not. I’ve already said what I said, Adrian, I don’t care who you sleep with, as long as they don't live in this house. And if you insist otherwise… well, I guess we’ll both see just how seductive I can be—”Before I could complete that statement, he dropped a folder on the table with a loud bang, I shook slightly but didn’t visibly show any emotion."Enough with the theatrics, Kira," he growled, his voice as cold as steel. "You are in no position to give me orders. This is my house, my rules, and I'll fuck whoever, whenever, and wherever I damn well, please... And trust me when I say this: my men are used to women… not emotionally damaged, lovesick puppies.” he said with a sneer and went back to arranging his table. I stood there, frozen, trying to control my breathing. Adrian’s words landed with the force of a punch, each syllable digging into my skin like a need
ADRIAN’S POVHer words rang in my head as I arranged the folders on my desk. I didn’t need this shit, things were already crazy enough as it was. Another of my shipments was blown to bits yesterday and I was taking out all my frustration on Jena when Kira came in.I was going through the documents, trying to figure out how I was going to compensate and refund my clients but my mind kept drifting to Kira… I couldn't believe she had the guts to threaten me in my own home.If it was someone else, my men would have dragged her corpse outside by now but for some reason, I wasn't pissed. I could see her hands trembling beside her as she spoke, her chest heaving, making her round breasts move up and down, it was hard to not stare at them as they jiggled. But I had to give it to her. I was impressed—annoyed but impressed, not everyone had the balls to me to threaten me like that. The way she drove Jena out while talking about stabbing pectoral muscles and threatening to kill her was superb.
KIRA'S POVWe all waited until barely a minute later Dylan finally appeared with another man, offering a smooth apology for his absence. He claimed he had to take care of some things…and I knew exactly what those ‘things’ were. My stomach twisted as I watched him move over to Kayla, and kiss her forehead as he slid an arm around Kayla’s waist like he hadn’t just been with someone else.After the toast, Dylan stepped into the center of the room, his voice dripping with charm as he professed his undying love for Kayla. He went on about how excited he was to spend forever with her, how she was the love of his life, and blah, blah, blah.I bit my lip hard, forcing myself to stay quiet. Liar.In the middle of his speech, I noticed his eyes scanning across the room… until it landed on mine. A small, mischievous smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, taunting me. Mocking me. And even while doing that, he didn’t miss a beat, as he effortlessly told his perfect little love story to everyone
KIRA’S POVBefore I could fully process what was happening, Dylan’s voice broke through again. “I didn’t have a choice, Gia, but I promise you, she means nothing to me.”Was Dylan cheating on Kayla? And who was this woman? I was too afraid to move, worried they would discover me.“You’re a fucking liar, Dylan!” Gia’s voice cracked with emotion. “You told me you weren’t going to go through with the wedding, and yet here you are, at this huge engagement party, playing the perfect fiancé. I am not going to be your whore or your mistress. I don’t care if she’s pregnant or not… I deserve better than this.”I felt Dylan move closer to the stalls. Instinct kicked in, and I climbed onto the toilet seat, pressing my back against the cold wall, making myself as small as possible. Through the gap beneath the door, I saw his shadow pause. He was checking to see if they were alone.“You’re not my whore, Gia,” he sighed, his voice low. “I told you…my father made a shitty deal with the Vasillios, so
KIRA’S POVThe dress looks absolutely breathtaking on you, Ma’am,” Emma, the stylist and makeup artist, remarked as she tied the ends of the dress.The dress was a floor-length purple gown, strapless, hugging my curves in all the right places. It was backless, except for the delicate straps that formed a zigzag and were tied just above my waist. I stood staring at myself in the mirror.She was right—I did look breathtaking. My dark hair cascaded down my shoulders, and my silver jewelry made me look somewhat like royalty. If only I felt as good as I looked.Today was… well, you probably guessed it…Dylan and Kayla’s engagement dinner. And I was dreading the event.It had been two days since my kiss with Adrian, and one thing was painfully clear: Adrian Vasillios wished it had never happened.Why do I say that? Well, because he had gone out of his way to avoid me. He left before I woke up, and when he was around, he locked himself in his study. No sarcastic remarks. No tension-laced bant
KIRA’S POV“I might not be able to protect you if shit goes south.”Adrian’s words from the car ran through my head like a bad omen.Was shit about to go south?Oh God.The air in the room thickened and my eyes darted between Adrian and Anatoli.Adrian didn’t blink, he slowly glanced up at the man pressing a gun to his head, with a humorous expression….in contrast to my racing heart, like he knew something I didn’t. He sat up, his gaze shifting back to Anatoli whose eyes were blazing with anger.“Anat…”“No, no, Hadrian. It’s only Antoli to my friends, my whores, and Gorgia,” he gestured toward Gorgia who was licking her spoon in slow, deliberate strokes, her eyes locked on Adrian like everything was perfectly normal and her psychotic perverted husband wasn't trying to kill us. I gagged internally. “And since you’ve made it clear you don’t want to be my friend, it’s Lebazanov to you.”Adrian’s lips twitched slightly, but his eyes stayed cold. “Pardon my Italian manners, Mr. Lebazanov,
KIRA’S POV“Black, then. You have ten minutes,” he said, glancing at his black watch before walking back into the closet. I followed behind him.“Why do I have to wear a blue dress?” I asked, not asking the bigger question—why I had to follow him on this death lunch, why he was willingly sitting down with a man who wanted to kill him, and how he could be so sure that said man wasn't going to try and finish the job and kill me too for the fun of it. My mind reeled with unanswered questions, I already knew he wouldn’t answer.“It’s his favorite color.”I scoffed. “And why exactly do I have to wear his favorite color? Are you trying to pimp me out to him?”“I doubt you're his type, now as much as I would love to get into back-and-forth questions with you, I just took a a medically insane bottle of Painkillers I need to get through this lunch before the effects fucking wears off so you have five minutes,” he said massaging slowly massaging his hand as he walked out of the room, I knew it
KIRA’S POV"Thank you."Adrian Vaillios had actually thanked me. Twice. In one day.His words played in my head on an endless loop as I drifted off to sleep. The next morning, I stirred as warm sunlight seeped through the curtains, I lifted my head slightly, my eyes landing on Adrian, he was still in the same position as last night. A strange cloud of sadness traveled over me.Really, Kira? Were you actually expecting him to cuddle you? This isn’t a damn romance novel.“Oh, shut up,” I mumbled under my breath.“I assume there’s no one else in this room with us, Kira?” Adrian’s deep, groggy morning voice rumbled through the space. I froze.His arm was draped over his forehead, his chest rising and falling in slow, shaky breaths. He was still in pain.Wait… had he been awake this whole time?Panic set in, and I quickly turned over, squeezing my eyes shut as if I’d been asleep the whole time.Smooth. Real smooth.Of course, he wasn’t buying it."Is that your secret?" he mused. "That,
KIRA’S POV"Kira, you need to sew him up, or the wound’s gonna get infected again. You have to do it."“I can’t do it, Antonio. I can’t stitch him up. What if I bleed a vein or worse—what if I do something wrong and hurt him? Or worse case scenario, kill him?” My voice trembled as I ran my hands through my hair. The room was cold, but I felt unbearably hot, my exhaustion pressing down on me like a heavyweight.“I’ll walk you through the process,” Antonio said, his tone steady. “Don’t worry, I’ll be with you every step of the way. But you need to stitch him up and bandage him. And it's just like you said. The bullet wound is taken care of, so you don’t have to worry about hurting him.” He let out a dry chuckle. “The guy pulled two bloody bullets out of himself and stitched it up without any help. If the knife wound wasn’t infected, he probably would’ve done the same. No biggie.”No biggie? My stomach twisted. God, these men were brutal. The men in my father’s house back in America were
KIRA'S POV.My stomach dropped.I grabbed Adrian by the shoulders, "Adrian!Wake up!"Nothing.I shook him again, harder this time, until he suddenly sucked in a sharp, ragged breath. His entire body trembled, and for a second, I thought he might faint again.I fumbled for the phone, gripping it with shaky fingers. "Antonio, his lips-he's turning pale.Maybe the alcohol killed him! I-I'm not a doctor, Antonio, he needs a hospital-"I backed away, pacing frantically, my nails digging into my lips as my nerves spiraled out of control.Silence. Then, a sharp curse."I told you, no bloody hospitals, Kira. Is the wound still bleeding?"I rolled my eyes at no one in particular then forced myself to look at Adrian again. His head was still slumped back, eyes shut, chest barely rising and falling.The area around the knife wound had darkened. My brows furrowed as I walked to him, the veins surrounding the wound on his hand had turned into a dark shade and it looked like it was pulsating."So
KIRA’S POVAdrian was slumped back in a chair, his chest red with blood.A table sat in front of him, completely stained red, with bandages soaked through and scattered across the surface. Books, papers, pens, and files lay in a mess on the floor, like he had shoved everything away in anger. An iron first-aid box sat open on the table, but all the instruments inside were soiled.My feet felt frozen to the ground as I stared at his bare chest. His lower abdomen was bruised, an ugly shade of pink like he had been punched or hit—but his chest… His chest was still bleeding, blood covering almost every inch of his tattooed body.The room was a vast, sophisticated study, much like the one he had in the mansion. Floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined the walls, filled with leather-bound volumes and neatly arranged files. A sleek mahogany desk stood in the center—now ruined with blood and medical supplies. One side of the room was all glass, offering a panoramic view of the city skyline. The blind