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39: A Fragile Thread
Last Updated:
2024-12-08 20:57:59
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EstellaHis left hand slid up, curling around my neck beneath my hair, while his right cupped my chin, holding me in place. I should’ve protested, said something—anything—but my lips parted too late, and the only thing my hesitation accomplished was leaving me wide open for him.His mouth descended, far from gentle. This wasn’t soft or sweet—it was commanding, consuming. His lips crushed mine, searing them with a kiss so fierce I couldn’t tell where I ended and he began. His tongue swept inside, bold and unapologetic, leaving no corner of my mouth unexplored. It wasn’t like Marco’s sloppy kisses. Alejandro’s kiss wasn’t just an action; it was a brand.My head spun, my pulse hammering in my chest, but I didn’t pull away. I couldn’t.One kiss bled into another and another, each one hungrier than the last. His hands slid down, no longer cradling my face but gripping my back, pulling me so close I could feel the steady drum of his heart against mine. I gasped, and before I even realized w
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I woke to the smell of him—the woodsy, slightly smoky scent I’d come to crave. Sunlight spilled through the curtains, casting a golden glow on his sleeping form. He looked softer like this, the usual sharpness of his features dulled by sleep.I traced a finger down the slope of his nose, over the stubble on his jaw. My touch was featherlight, careful not to wake him. He’d hate me if he caught me staring like this.But I couldn’t help it. My fingers moved of their own accord, brushing over his lips. God, those lips, the things they did to me. My cheeks flamed as flashes of last night played in my mind—his mouth on my skin, his tongue dragging sinful paths down my body, his voice a low growl between my thighs.I pressed my face into the pillow, stifling a giggle. If someone had told me this would be my life a month ago, I’d have laughed in their face. And yet, here I was. With him. I felt like a teenager, giddy and lightheaded.A loud growl interrupted my thoughts. My stomach. I hadn’t
Last Updated : 2024-12-09Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 42: Coward
The elevator dinged, and just like that, he was gone. Coward. I stood there for a moment, staring at the empty hallway, my chest heaving. My heart was beating too fast, my anger climbing higher with every passing second. He left. He fucking left. I wasn’t going to sit here and let him play me. Fool—that’s what I was. A fool for thinking Alejandro could ever want me, let alone keep me by his side. A fool for thinking I could give him my heart He thought he could make decisions for me, like I was some fragile little thing he could wrap up and send away when it suited him. I clenched my fists. Not this time. I wasn’t going to let him run the show. I wasn’t going to sit back and let him play me. Alejandro wasn’t the first man to underestimate me—he just might be the last. I spun around and stormed back into the room I’d been staying in. Every step made my resolve harder, sharper. He could keep his ticket and his plans. If he wanted me gone, fine. But it wouldn’t be on his t
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Alejandro The whiskey burned, but not as much as the fucking guilt.The glass was half-empty, the edges smeared where I’d pressed it too hard against my lips.I gripped the glass tighter, staring at the dark amber liquid swirling under the dim lights of the bar. Across the street, the glow of the penthouse windows taunted me. I could’ve been there, should’ve been there—with her.Instead, I was here, drowning in this poison because walking away from her had been the hardest thing I’d ever done. Leaving her felt like tearing myself apart.But it had to be done.I closed my eyes and let the burn trail down my throat as I tipped the glass back again. The bitter truth was louder than the music in the background or the soft hum of conversations around me. She deserved better.Better than me.She deserved better than the mess I’d drag her into. She deserved better than a man who couldn’t promise her safety, let alone a future. I’d made a mistake letting things go so far, letting her under m
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Marco parked the car in front of an old warehouse.He stepped out first, moving with that same irritating arrogance. When he moved toward my side of the car, I quickly shoved the door open before he could reach it. I wasn’t going to let him have the satisfaction of opening the door for me.I didn’t need him playing the gentleman. If he thought I was about to play the obedient ex-wife, he had another thing coming.A man jogged over to him, a cocky grin plastered on his face. He handed Marco a small set of keys and winked.“It’s done,” the man said.Marco smirked, shaking his hand. “Good work.”I folded my arms across my chest, glaring. “What are you playing at, Marco?”“Patience, little dove.” His voice was infuriatingly calm, almost smug. “You’ll see soon enough.”The way he said it made my skin crawl. With that, he turned and headed for the warehouse door, leaving me no choice but to follow. My gut told me to run, to find another way out of this madness, but I wasn’t about to give h
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“I’m not barren, Marco. For your information.” He froze, his smugness dissolving into stunned confusion. “What?” His eyes dropped to my stomach, his expression twisting with something between repulsion and fury. “Don’t tell me…” His voice rose, cracking. “Don’t tell me you’re pregnant with that bastard’s child.” “Shut up,” I cut him off with an eye roll that barely hid my disgust. “You’ll never change.” His nostrils flared, his face twisting in fury. “How could you? How could you open your legs to him? You—” “It wasn’t for him!” I snapped, cutting him off as my voice broke, loud and raw. “It was for you!” That shut him up His mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for air. He stared at me, his face pale and drawn. “I was pregnant the day you kicked me out,” I continued, my voice trembling with a fury I’d buried for too long. “I was pregnant until you and your mother killed my child.” The words hit him like a physical blow. He staggered back, his eyes wide with sh
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My fist connected with Marco’s face again, the crunch of cartilage followed by the wet splatter of blood. He let out a low grunt, but he didn’t fight back. Instead, he looked up at me, his lips twisted into a bloody grin, a laugh bubbling out of him like this was some kind of sick joke. “You think this is funny?” He spat blood onto the floor, grinning wider. “You’ll never find her, little dove,” he said, his voice hoarse. I saw red. My fists rained down on him, my voice breaking as I screamed, “Where is my mother? Where is she, you bastard?” Marco didn’t answer. He just kept laughing, even as blood ran from his nose, smeared across his chin. His body convulsed with every hit I landed, but still, he didn’t raise a hand to defend himself. “Hit harder,” he taunted, his words slurred. “Put some muscle into it. Maybe if you hit me hard enough, I’ll tell you. Or maybe… I won’t.” “You sick bastard!” I yelled, slamming my fists into his chest. My knuckles stung, but I didn’t c
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Alejandro straightened, towering over Marco. His eyes were cold, dark, and dangerous “Where is she?” Alejandro asked, each word laced with the promise of pain.Marco coughed, blood splattering the floor as he looked up with that disgusting grin of his. “Still barking orders like you are in charge, huh? He sneered, his lips twisting into a cruel grin. “Newsflash, De Luca: you’re not. And neither is she.” His eyes darted to me, glinting with maliceAlejandro’s jaw ticked, but he didn’t lash out. “Where is her mother?” Alejandro repeated, his voice tighter now, his patience thinning.Marco chuckled again, a dark, hollow sound. “Why don’t you ask little dove here?” he drawled. “I gave her a choice and a chance. She used to be mine, you know. Always mine. You’ll never change that, no matter how much you try. She’s just my leftover.”I froze, anger boiling in my veins, but Alejandro moved before I could react.Alejandro grabbed one of the lit candles from a nearby table. The flame flicker
Last Updated : 2024-12-12
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Estella’s POVMy body was weak, but I forced myself to keep standing. My knees were wobbling but I refused to let it show.Alejandro stood across from me, tense, his jaw locked so tight it could break. He looked like a man barely containing his rage.His chest rose and fell with heavy, uneven breaths, and I knew—knew—that he was still caught somewhere between anger and relief.But I was angry tooI lifted my chin, glaring at him.“I needed space,” I said. “I needed to fucking breathe, Alejandro. Because you don’t own me.”His jaw ticked, hands clenched into fists at his sides. Wrong thing to say“No,” he said, voice dangerously low. “But I protect you.”I laughed. A bitter, hollow sound.“Like how you protected me from Camila?” My voice dripped with venom. “From the world thinking our marriage is a joke?”He stilled.Something passed over his face, but it was gone too quickly to read.Good. Let it hurtI pushed forward, reckless with my anger.“You want to know why I was there?” I sa
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Till Betrayal Do Us Part: Ex-Husband, Ex-Heartbreak 109: Dead in the Cold
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Estella POVThe snap of another branch startled me, and I spun around, heart hammering against my ribs. My breath hitched in the back of my throat, the sound bouncing off the trees around me.I squinted into the growing darkness, my eyes straining to find the source of the noise. The dark shadow darted past, and I let out a startled scream before realizing it was just a squirrel. A squirrel.My knees buckled, and I pressed a hand to my chest, willing my heartbeat to slow. “Get a grip,” I muttered shakily. My voice sounded hollow, barely audible against the howling wind.I pulled my jacket tighter, but it didn’t help. I was still very cold.Okay, think. What do I do now?“What do I do now?” I whispered again, my voice breaking.I looked around, trying to make sense of my surroundings. It was useless. Every direction looked the same—dense trees and snow-covered ground.Maybe the mine workers would be leaving soon. Maybe I’d hear their trucks. Or maybe Elliot would realize I hadn’t made
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Estella POVI stumbled back a step, my boots sliding slightly against the uneven rock beneath me. My heart was pounding in my chest, though not from the altitude. I froze, unable to comprehend the sheer audacity of it. Then it hit me like a lightning strike.Elliot’s green eyes were still locked on mine, wide with shock as though he couldn’t believe what he’d just done.It wasn’t Alejandro’s stormy gray eyes staring back at me.I shoved him hard, my palms slamming into his chest with all the strength I could muster. “What the hell do you think you are doing?” I yelled, my voice raw with anger and disbelief.“Estella, I’m sorry.” he said quickly, hands raised defensively. “I lost control. I—”“You lost control?” I cut him off, stepping back, needing the space to breathe. “What the fuck, Elliot? You just kissed me! What part of that seemed like a good idea to you? You took advantage of me while I was vulnerable! How dare you?”He tried to speak, but I wasn’t finished.“I trusted you!”
