Isla pov I wanted to die. No pun intended. I stared into space—my eyes empty, my body weak and sore, and let's not forget the nasty headache threatening to split my skull open. "I hate Esther and Suhyeon," I muttered under my breath, closing my eyes for a brief moment before forcing myself to sit up straighter. With a tired sigh, I reached for my bag, pulled out a pill, and swallowed it down with a gulp of water, hoping it would do something to dull the pain. What did I do last night? Who on earth gets drunk when they have work the next day? No, I couldn’t blame myself—this wasn’t my fault. Yesterday, after Esther and Suhyeon told me they were staying in the country for a month, I had desperately tried to convince them to leave. I reminded them how busy they were back in their own countries, hoping they’d take the hint. But instead, they turned the tables on me, insisting we go to a club and "let loose" for the night. They had said: "Isla, if you really let loose tonight,
Isla pov “Just go inside, delete the video from his phone, and run back out. You can do this, Isla. You can do this,” I whispered under my breath, my grip tightening around the tray as my hands trembled. My eyes were fixed onto the imposing black door of Alaric’s office, and I swallowed hard. After a solid two-minute breakdown which mostly consisted of me tugging at my hair and cursing at my own stupidity, I had desperately tried to delete the video from my end. But apparently, once a video is sent, it stays sent. Seriously, who came up with that ridiculous rule? Now, my only option was to get into Alaric’s office, somehow get my hands on his phone, and delete the video before he had the chance to see it. If he hadn’t already. It was a nearly impossible plan, but I had no choice especially after humiliating myself in that video, admitting that Alaric was the hottest man alive and that I had slept with him. And knowing Alaric, with that infuriating smirk of his, he would never l
Isla pov I must have misheard him because Alaric didn’t just tell me to call him daddy. Was he insane? Call him daddy? I know the contract had explicitly stated that I had to address him that way whenever we were alone, but to be honest, I thought he was joking and I never took it seriously. Then again, I should have known better. This was Alaric Voss— unpredictable and insane. I blinked at Alaric, my palms turning sweaty as we both stared at each other for what felt like an eternity. Neither of us spoke, and in the tense silence, I could hear the pounding of my own heartbeat. My heat throbbed almost painfully as I felt his bulge pressed against me, the urge to lean closer and rub against it was nearly unbearable. “W-what are you saying? You should stop playing around,” I whispered breathlessly, pushing my glasses higher in a feeble attempt to maintain composure despite the undeniable fact that I was perched on my boss’s desk with barely any space between us. “Playin
Alaric pov I wanted to kill someone, and that fool standing in front of me was the perfect target. My eyes narrowed into a glare as I locked onto Alaric, my jaw clenching. Without a second thought, I pulled out of Isla and grabbed my jacket from the seat, using it to cover her body, shielding her from his gaze. To be honest, I wasn’t sure what pissed me off more, the fact that he had walked in just as Isla was about to cum or the fact that he had seen her in such a vulnerable position. Either way, I was livid. And one thing was certain, I was going to kill him. “God, I want to die. What have I done?” Isla muttered under her breath, leaning in and pressing her head against my chest to hide her face. Her body trembled, and I instinctively reacted to the warmth of her pressed against me. I was already hard from the very beginning, and now, with her this close, my dick throbbed, demanding attention. There was something about Isla— something that made my body betray me every damn
Isla pov He saw it. This day couldn't get any worse. “I-If you saw it, why didn’t you say anything?” I managed to ask, my voice shaky as I retracted my hand from the doorknob, staring at him in disbelief. My other hand clutched Alaric’s hidden phone, the one I had snatched from the desk when he was distracted by his call. Oh my God. He knew all along, and he didn’t say anything? “Because it was cute watching you try to steal from me,” he shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips. There was an amused glint in his eyes, his posture relaxed as if he had been toying with me the entire time. I frowned, unable to shake off the feeling of stupidity. Ugh! I really wanted to punch that infuriatingly handsome face. “So, do you really think I’m the most handsome man alive?” Alaric asked, tilting his head slightly as he watched me with amusement. I swallowed nervously, my body betraying me under his intense gaze. For some reason, the way he stood there, watching me, made it feel like he
Isla pov My first thought was Isolde. Isolde was the one who got the video. She was the one who showed it to my father. Why? Because this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened. And I was right because when I shifted my gaze to her, she gave me a slow, taunting smile. Her head rested on her hand, eyes narrowed as she crossed her legs with deliberate ease. My heart pounded loudly against my chest, and I bit my bottom lip as tears prickled at my eyes but I refused to cry. Not from the pain on my cheek, but from the ache in my chest. “Answer me! When I’m speaking, you answer me. How dare you do such a thing?!” I flinched, my body tensing as I turned to meet my father’s furious gaze. His whole body trembled with rage, and my stepmother barely managed to hold him back as he pointed a shaking finger at me. “This stupid girl! I said answer me!!” he roared, his voice echoing through the room. Before I could react, he grabbed the vase from the table and hu
Alaric pov Ding! My eyes slowly fluttered open as I reached for my phone, staring at the bright screen. A new message from Adam. Adam: Hey Alaric, it’s your favorite therapist here ( actually, your only LIVING therapist, but let’s not dwell on that). Anyway, remember that session where we talked about controlling your anger and, more specifically, not hitting people with the first object you see? Yeah… we might need to revisit that. Look, I know you’re probably furious about me walking in on your… uh, “session” with Isla. But I swear, I didn’t see anything! And even if I did, I would take that secret to my grave. Literally. Which, judging by your temper, might be sooner than I’d like. So, please, let’s not make today the day you kill me. Okay? I stared at the message, and a dry scoff escaped my lips. "Idiot." "Boss, you're awake. Did you sleep well? We're almost there," Liam said from the driver’s seat. My gaze shifted to him before I exhaled, tapping my foot against th
“The Voss family has done it again, securing their place as the wealthiest family in the country. Power, connections, money— what don’t they have?” "Breaking News: The Voss Enterprise Acquires a $30 Billion AI Defense Contract, Cementing Its Place as a Global Tech Giant" “The CEO of Voss Enterprise, Magnus Voss, has donated over 100 million to the Clearbrookes Orphanage. In his interview, he stated, ‘Children should never go hungry; they deserve to be fed and happy. Whenever I see them, I’m reminded of my own children when they were young. Now that my grandchildren are all grown up too, this old man just enjoys being around kids.’” Interviewer: "Which family would you love to marry into?" Show Guest: "Oh, definitely the Voss family! Have you seen their two grandsons? They’re not just rich, they’re insanely hot too, especially Alaric Voss. That man could step on me, and I’d still thank him. Since we’re on the topic... Mr. Alaric Voss, if you’re watching this, please call me! I
Isla pov The ringing. It was all I could hear. It drowned everything else out, made my vision blur— made me nauseous. I’ll deal with that bastard for touching you earlier. That was what had been written on the back of the picture I found yesterday after coming back from the club. And the man who had died... was the same man from that night, the owner of the car who had demanded compensation. The video- was from the club that night, the one Isolde had used to threaten me, he had it. No, something told me he was the one who had taken it. But what truly sent a shiver down my spine was the word ‘little rose’. It was what Alaric always called me, but never in public. So, seeing someone else use that name… it made me wonder just how long this person had been watching me. What was going on? Was this a stalker? It couldn't be my family, something deep inside me told me it wasn’t. A shaky breath escaped my lips as I shut my eyes, unable to look at the photo on the TV any longer.
Isla pov “You make me want to rip your eyes out.” That was what Alaric had said and just like that, the entire room turned tense within seconds. I could feel it in the air, see it on everyone’s faces, the shock, the disbelief. All eyes were on Alaric, who stared coldly at Isolde with that same emotionless gaze, and Isolde… she looked like she couldn’t breathe. Fear flickered in her eyes as she stared back at him in both shock and confusion. D–Did he really just say that? Did I hear him right? No one moved or said a word in that moment, and I blinked, glancing around to make sure I hadn’t misheard but the expressions on everyone’s faces confirmed I hadn’t imagined it. James and my father had deep frowns etched into their faces as they stared at Alaric. Kieran looked equally stunned, his mouth hanging open, while Liam— well, Liam was just Liam. His face remained unreadable, blank as ever. Either he was used to hearing such things from Alaric, or he was simply someone who n
Isla pov I couldn’t move. My eyes were glued to the three people in front of me, and instinctively, my hands clenched into fists as I took in their expressions. As usual, my father looked at me with that same empty gaze— cold and unreadable. But I still caught the slight disapproving frown that formed the second he saw me and a second later, he looked away, as if I were nothing more than a stranger. Kieran, on the other hand, stood there with a bright smile plastered on his face, waving enthusiastically at me. His other hand rested casually in his pocket, his posture relaxed, like this was just another normal day. And then there was Isolde. She stood beside him, dressed in a short pink skirt and a white blouse with the top few buttons undone. Her brown hair cascaded down her waist, and her makeup— flawless, perfectly highlighted her already striking features. She looked beautiful. The corner of her lips curled into a smirk as our eyes met. I caught the glint in her eyes just b
Isla pov “It will be fun.” That was what Alaric had said back in his office, and now, as I walked behind him, I couldn’t help but stare at his back, my brows slightly furrowed in confusion. Why exactly did he want me to come with him to this meeting? I mean, it wasn’t like it was unheard of for me to attend— after all, I was his secretary. But still, Liam had told me when I started last week that he usually accompanied Alaric to all his meetings, and that since I was new, I should focus on paperwork instead. I shook my head and drew in a sharp breath, trying not to think about the wicked glint in his eyes when he’d said it. As soon as I looked up, I noticed the staff instantly bowing their heads the moment they saw Alaric. They quickly scurried away like the devil himself was hot on their heels. Another thing I couldn’t ignore, none of them, especially the women, dared to look Alaric in the face, and if they did, they never held his gaze for long. It was as though doing so
Alaric pov Lust— use it to mask your pain. Laughter— use it to hide your emotions. Always smile to conceal your nightmares. Let no one see the scars on your wrists, the demons you carry inside. Let them never know how weak you really are. Because weakness is a disease. “But how do you feel about wrapping those pretty lips around my dick instead?” I murmured, a slow smirk curving my lips as I felt her stiffen, my breath grazing her ear. Her skin flushed a deep shade of red in an instant. She gasped softly when my hand moved to her neck, gently brushing her hair back, while the other hand trailed down to her shirt, swiftly undoing the first button, then the second. Without hesitation, I tugged the shirt back slightly, revealing just her shoulder to me. The moment I saw it, I ran my tongue over my teeth, the urge to sink them into her flesh and leave my mark there nearly overwhelming but instead, I leaned in and whispered under my breath. “Hm? Do you want to, little rose?” I mu
Isla pov What just happened? One second I was about to fall, and the next, I was perched on Alaric's lap, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist as he held me close— so close that for a moment, I froze, inhaling sharply. My entire body went rigid as Alaric leaned in, resting his head against my shoulder, keeping me there like he had no intention of letting go. I could hear my heartbeat, its echoes pounding in my ears like drums as Alaric's hands tightened around my waist. And for some reason, despite him not even doing anything— just his touch, just this position, was enough to make heat pool between my legs. I bit down on my bottom lip, my face turning a deep shade of red as I tried to think straight. “A-Alaric, what are you doing—” I began, but my words caught in my throat as he leaned in, his nose brushing the crook of my neck and then... He sniffed me. Yes. He sniffed my neck, taking in a deep breath before his body visibly relaxed. His breathing, which had been un
Isla pov As soon as I stepped into my office, I placed my bag on the desk and pulled out the bank card, a small smile tugging at my lips as I shook my head, remembering the scene from earlier. Suhyeon and Esther had always been there for me, ever since the day we met. Through thick and thin, they made sure I was okay— even back in college. Suhyeon had taken on the role of the mother I never had, something my stepmother never even attempted. And Esther… she was like the troublesome sister I had always wished for. And I wasn’t talking about the Isolde kind of troublesome. That thought made me pause, I wondered how they were all doing back home. Not that it mattered anymore. I’d run away, blocked them all, cut every tie. I didn’t want to see them or hear from them again. “Time to get to work,” I muttered under my breath with a small smile, slipping the bank card back into my bag and reaching to turn on the laptop. But before I could, a knock at the door froze me in place.
Isla pov Little rose, I’m sorry for scaring you like that. I was just a little upset you met with another man at the club today. I hope you weren’t injured and don’t worry, I’ll deal with that bastard for touching you earlier. Have a good night! The words from last night kept echoing in my head, and I couldn't help but grip the fork in my hand tighter as I stared blankly at the plate in front of me. My mind was a mess, desperately trying to process everything. ’Little rose.’ That was Alaric’s nickname for me. He was the only one who ever called me that. The only one I’d ever heard say it and I liked it when he did. But last night, for the first time, the word made me feel uneasy. It left a sick feeling in my stomach, and I hadn’t been able to sleep properly since. And the picture, it was truly terrifying, especially knowing it had been taken just a week ago. It made me wonder how long this person had been following me to capture such a moment. Was this some kind of sick
Isla pov I was all just in my head. I was just imagining it. Yet my entire body trembled as I watched the van disappear into the distance. I didn’t know what compelled me, but I quickly read out the plate number, trying hard to memorize it. “7LXG295,” I whispered under my breath and shakily reached for my phone to type it down in case I forgot. But before I could, a loud knock on the window made me jump. My head snapped to the side in fright, only to see a man furiously banging on the glass, his other hand clutching the back of his neck in pain. “Come out, you bitch! Look at what you did to my car! Are you blind?! Can’t you see where you’re going?!” he yelled, his voice thunderous. I flinched, glancing at the car I had crashed into earlier. “Fuck,” I muttered under my breath, my eyes widening as I glanced back at the furious man still yelling and banging on the window. My gaze quickly took in his appearance, tattoos covering his arms, rough clothes, and a deep scar runn