JAKE POV.The water poured over me relentlessly as I stood under the shower, but it wasnât enough to cool the storm inside me. It had been over a week since I locked myself in my room like a monster. Not a single day passed without regrets. I shouldnât have gone that night. My fingers tightened into fists. The thought sent a fresh wave of rage through me, causing my fist to slam into the tiled wall. It ached, but it was nothing compared to the fire I still felt on my left face. My fingers grazed the scarred flesh, tracing the rough skin that was once smooth. Once admired. My eyes squeezed shut as tears poured, mingling with the water washing over me. I had risked everything for her, but in the end, I lost everything. Iâll make them all pay. VictoriaâĶJust then, I heard itâa sound. I was certain someone was creeping around in my room. Quickly, I grabbed my towel and my mask, anger burning within me. Slowly, I stepped forward. My gaze over my dimly lit room, then it landed on her
LIZ POV. After our morning duties, it was finally time to eat. We all lined up in the staffâs kitchen, holding a tray. The scent of eggs and toast bread filled the air, but my stomach felt tight. It wasnât hungerâit was the way the maids kept glancing at me after what had happened earlier. Worst was that Hazel refused to talk to me after everything. She stood few feet away with her arms crossed, acting like I didnât exist anymore. My heart ached, seeing my own sister ignore me. Suddenly, some maid spoke to me.âHey, newbie!â A voice rang out. âHow the hell did you do it? She asked, tilting her head. I had not been there for long, but I managed to learn their names. Her name was Maya. Before now sheâd been ignoring me, but now all of a sudden, she was talking to me.Amberâ her friend, spoke next. âYeah, Liz. How exactly did you pull that off?â I frowned. âPull what off?â Maya let out a short laugh, exchanging glances with the others. âOh, come on. Donât play dumb.â âYou went int
LIZ POV.âLiz, wake up!â A voice called out, but I buried my face deeper into my pillow. âI said wake up!â A sharp tap landed on my shoulder. I shot up so fast I almost fell off the bed. âI didnât go in this time, I swear!â Hazelâs brows pulled together. âHuh?â My heart dropped immediatelyâshit. Hazel sighed. âYouâve forgotten? The Blackwell family will be returning today! Youâre sleeping too much, Liz.âMy eyes widened. âOh my God! Why didnât you wake me up? And how long have I been asleep?âHazel shrugged. âI donât know. Donât forgetâI wake up early before anyone else. Been helping Madam Olivia with some arrangements.â I groaned, swinging my legs off the bed. âHow do I face Madam Olivia now? I donât wanna scrub toilets for waking up late again!â Hazel chuckled, arms crossed. âWellâĶâ she dragged, smirking. âIf you hurry and get down there on time, you might make it there before she notices. And maybeâjust maybeâI wonât tell on you for being late.â I gasped. âYou wouldnât dar
LIZ POV.âWhatâs wrong? Want me to help you take it off?â Audrina crouched down, her smirk widening. Anger burned in my veins. I clenched my fist so hard, and for a moment, I wanted to smack that look off her face. âIâll do it myself,â I said in a low tone. âOh! Be fast then. Youâre wasting time.â She snapped. I glanced at Hazel. She shook her head gently, but enough for me to understand the warning in her eyes. It made me wonder what she was really scared of, and why she looked tense. My hands went to my mask, and I was ready to remove it. Suddenly, the maids and security lowered their heads. Whatâs going on?âGood evening, Sir.â They greeted in unison. I barely had time to process before Audrinaâs excited voice screamed. âBrother!â She practically launched forward, sprinting like a little kid. My eyes snapped towards the new arrival, and the moment I saw who it was, my breath hitched. Even with his mask on, the aura, his broad shoulder, the way he carried himselfâGawwd. H
JAKE POV.The long dining table stretched before me, covered in an extravagant spread. On the table were different kinds of mealsâroasted chicken, lobster, caviar, creamy mashed potatoes, ruffled pasta, expensive wine bottles, and so on. Maids stood around us in silence, ready to take orders. While others poured wine into the delicate crystal glasses on the table. This used to feel special. Sitting here and sharing meals with my family. Now, it felt forcedâlike I wasnât supposed to be here. I gripped my knife, my fist clenching hard onto the handle as my gaze landed on the man sitting across meâmy father. My jaw clenched, along with my fist, but then a flash of cold fingers against mine made me soften. I thought of her again, that maidâĶ Liz. No doubt she had a spell on me, and I couldnât shake it off. I could still feel the way she trembled under Audrinaâs tormentâhelpless. I was glad I got there just on time to save her from sisterâs tormentâI couldnât watch that.A sharp throa
JAKE POV.My body was unsteady as I ran towards her, my legs unstable. The alcohol made my movement sluggish but I didnât stop. My vision flickered between blurry and clear. She shielded herself with her hands, trying to say somethingâbut I didnât care, I couldnât even hear anything. I was driven by an uncontrollable rage. As soon as I got to her, I wrapped my fingers around her throat. âDie, you bitch!â I snarled. She struggled, her nails clawing at my wrist. âSâstop!â Her voice choked desperately, but it only fueled my rage. âYou have to die!â I said, squeezing harder. She struggled, trying to save herself but she was too weak compared to me. âNobody can save you now,â I growled. âI saved you before. You owe me your life, and Iâm finally here to take it back.â In a blind rage, I pushed her into the pool. She stumbled back, her fingers holding onto my shirt. Before I could react, she pulled me in with her. The water hit me like a slap on my faceâcold. It shocked my system, a
LIZ POV. I should be terrified. I was terrified. This same man had tried to kill me, not onceâtwice! But thisâthis felt different. I felt his breath on my neck, and I shivered. It wasnât from fear but something deeper, something I wasnât ready to name. At that moment, I felt something hard. It pressed right against my stomach causing my breath to hitch. My legs clenched and a low heat curled inside me. What was that?I swallowed hard. I could tellâI could tell he was already hard and it was making me wet too. His hesitation made me restless. I closed my eyes, feeling a strange pullâlike dÃĐjà vu. I leaned in before I could stop myself, pressing against him. What are you doing, Liz? My head screamed at me to run, but my body betrayed meâit wanted his touch even more. A moan slipped from my lips. âJakeâĶâ Do it! My mind urged. Kiss me!âFuck it,â he growled. He gripped my neck gently, tilting my head back. His lips hovering just above mine. Every nerve on my body was on fire. His
LIZ POV.âI can explain!âHazelâs jaw tightened and her fist clenched tight. âStart explaining!â I opened my mouth, but no words came out. No excuse, not even a lie could form in my head. Before I could react, Hazel grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled hard. âYou stubborn little thing. You're going to get us in trouble again.â She snapped. âWait, wait! HazelâĶâ I gasped, gripping her fist but she wouldnât let go. Then an idea struck my mind. I stopped struggling. My body went limp, slumping forward in her grasp like life had left me. Hazel froze. âLiz?âI stayed still, my breathing slow and shallow. Her fingers loosened slightly. âYou better not be playing games with me now, Liz.â I still didnât move. My acting skills were perfect. I needed enough time for her to get distracted so I could run. I could see her hesitation shift to panic. Then she exhaled sharply, tapping my cheek. When I didnât react, she began to panic. âMy God! Liz, get up please.â Her voice cracked. âWater,
LIZ POV.âI can explain!âHazelâs jaw tightened and her fist clenched tight. âStart explaining!â I opened my mouth, but no words came out. No excuse, not even a lie could form in my head. Before I could react, Hazel grabbed a fistful of my hair and pulled hard. âYou stubborn little thing. You're going to get us in trouble again.â She snapped. âWait, wait! HazelâĶâ I gasped, gripping her fist but she wouldnât let go. Then an idea struck my mind. I stopped struggling. My body went limp, slumping forward in her grasp like life had left me. Hazel froze. âLiz?âI stayed still, my breathing slow and shallow. Her fingers loosened slightly. âYou better not be playing games with me now, Liz.â I still didnât move. My acting skills were perfect. I needed enough time for her to get distracted so I could run. I could see her hesitation shift to panic. Then she exhaled sharply, tapping my cheek. When I didnât react, she began to panic. âMy God! Liz, get up please.â Her voice cracked. âWater,
LIZ POV. I should be terrified. I was terrified. This same man had tried to kill me, not onceâtwice! But thisâthis felt different. I felt his breath on my neck, and I shivered. It wasnât from fear but something deeper, something I wasnât ready to name. At that moment, I felt something hard. It pressed right against my stomach causing my breath to hitch. My legs clenched and a low heat curled inside me. What was that?I swallowed hard. I could tellâI could tell he was already hard and it was making me wet too. His hesitation made me restless. I closed my eyes, feeling a strange pullâlike dÃĐjà vu. I leaned in before I could stop myself, pressing against him. What are you doing, Liz? My head screamed at me to run, but my body betrayed meâit wanted his touch even more. A moan slipped from my lips. âJakeâĶâ Do it! My mind urged. Kiss me!âFuck it,â he growled. He gripped my neck gently, tilting my head back. His lips hovering just above mine. Every nerve on my body was on fire. His
JAKE POV.My body was unsteady as I ran towards her, my legs unstable. The alcohol made my movement sluggish but I didnât stop. My vision flickered between blurry and clear. She shielded herself with her hands, trying to say somethingâbut I didnât care, I couldnât even hear anything. I was driven by an uncontrollable rage. As soon as I got to her, I wrapped my fingers around her throat. âDie, you bitch!â I snarled. She struggled, her nails clawing at my wrist. âSâstop!â Her voice choked desperately, but it only fueled my rage. âYou have to die!â I said, squeezing harder. She struggled, trying to save herself but she was too weak compared to me. âNobody can save you now,â I growled. âI saved you before. You owe me your life, and Iâm finally here to take it back.â In a blind rage, I pushed her into the pool. She stumbled back, her fingers holding onto my shirt. Before I could react, she pulled me in with her. The water hit me like a slap on my faceâcold. It shocked my system, a
JAKE POV.The long dining table stretched before me, covered in an extravagant spread. On the table were different kinds of mealsâroasted chicken, lobster, caviar, creamy mashed potatoes, ruffled pasta, expensive wine bottles, and so on. Maids stood around us in silence, ready to take orders. While others poured wine into the delicate crystal glasses on the table. This used to feel special. Sitting here and sharing meals with my family. Now, it felt forcedâlike I wasnât supposed to be here. I gripped my knife, my fist clenching hard onto the handle as my gaze landed on the man sitting across meâmy father. My jaw clenched, along with my fist, but then a flash of cold fingers against mine made me soften. I thought of her again, that maidâĶ Liz. No doubt she had a spell on me, and I couldnât shake it off. I could still feel the way she trembled under Audrinaâs tormentâhelpless. I was glad I got there just on time to save her from sisterâs tormentâI couldnât watch that.A sharp throa
LIZ POV.âWhatâs wrong? Want me to help you take it off?â Audrina crouched down, her smirk widening. Anger burned in my veins. I clenched my fist so hard, and for a moment, I wanted to smack that look off her face. âIâll do it myself,â I said in a low tone. âOh! Be fast then. Youâre wasting time.â She snapped. I glanced at Hazel. She shook her head gently, but enough for me to understand the warning in her eyes. It made me wonder what she was really scared of, and why she looked tense. My hands went to my mask, and I was ready to remove it. Suddenly, the maids and security lowered their heads. Whatâs going on?âGood evening, Sir.â They greeted in unison. I barely had time to process before Audrinaâs excited voice screamed. âBrother!â She practically launched forward, sprinting like a little kid. My eyes snapped towards the new arrival, and the moment I saw who it was, my breath hitched. Even with his mask on, the aura, his broad shoulder, the way he carried himselfâGawwd. H
LIZ POV.âLiz, wake up!â A voice called out, but I buried my face deeper into my pillow. âI said wake up!â A sharp tap landed on my shoulder. I shot up so fast I almost fell off the bed. âI didnât go in this time, I swear!â Hazelâs brows pulled together. âHuh?â My heart dropped immediatelyâshit. Hazel sighed. âYouâve forgotten? The Blackwell family will be returning today! Youâre sleeping too much, Liz.âMy eyes widened. âOh my God! Why didnât you wake me up? And how long have I been asleep?âHazel shrugged. âI donât know. Donât forgetâI wake up early before anyone else. Been helping Madam Olivia with some arrangements.â I groaned, swinging my legs off the bed. âHow do I face Madam Olivia now? I donât wanna scrub toilets for waking up late again!â Hazel chuckled, arms crossed. âWellâĶâ she dragged, smirking. âIf you hurry and get down there on time, you might make it there before she notices. And maybeâjust maybeâI wonât tell on you for being late.â I gasped. âYou wouldnât dar
LIZ POV. After our morning duties, it was finally time to eat. We all lined up in the staffâs kitchen, holding a tray. The scent of eggs and toast bread filled the air, but my stomach felt tight. It wasnât hungerâit was the way the maids kept glancing at me after what had happened earlier. Worst was that Hazel refused to talk to me after everything. She stood few feet away with her arms crossed, acting like I didnât exist anymore. My heart ached, seeing my own sister ignore me. Suddenly, some maid spoke to me.âHey, newbie!â A voice rang out. âHow the hell did you do it? She asked, tilting her head. I had not been there for long, but I managed to learn their names. Her name was Maya. Before now sheâd been ignoring me, but now all of a sudden, she was talking to me.Amberâ her friend, spoke next. âYeah, Liz. How exactly did you pull that off?â I frowned. âPull what off?â Maya let out a short laugh, exchanging glances with the others. âOh, come on. Donât play dumb.â âYou went int
JAKE POV.The water poured over me relentlessly as I stood under the shower, but it wasnât enough to cool the storm inside me. It had been over a week since I locked myself in my room like a monster. Not a single day passed without regrets. I shouldnât have gone that night. My fingers tightened into fists. The thought sent a fresh wave of rage through me, causing my fist to slam into the tiled wall. It ached, but it was nothing compared to the fire I still felt on my left face. My fingers grazed the scarred flesh, tracing the rough skin that was once smooth. Once admired. My eyes squeezed shut as tears poured, mingling with the water washing over me. I had risked everything for her, but in the end, I lost everything. Iâll make them all pay. VictoriaâĶJust then, I heard itâa sound. I was certain someone was creeping around in my room. Quickly, I grabbed my towel and my mask, anger burning within me. Slowly, I stepped forward. My gaze over my dimly lit room, then it landed on her
LIZ POV. Then I saw him. He stood right in front of me, shirtless. The faint glow of light from the hallway caught on the water dripping from his skin. A towel was wrapped loosely around his waist, making it obvious to me that he had just stepped out of the shower. I couldnât stop my gaze. I started from his feet, moving slowly up. Drops of water slid lazily down his chiseled abs, making the air around me feel heavier. His body looked like it was sculpted gently into perfection. I swallowed hard as my eyes went upward to his face, but his piercing eyes burned into mine with a force that made my heart skip. He had a mask on, but those eyes were sharp. I wanted to look away, but it was hard. A forceâan invisible pullâurged me forward. My hands trembled as they moved forward to feel if what I was seeing was real. Before I could, he grabbed my wrist.âDonât,â he growled. His deep voice sent shivers down my spine. His hands went to my face, his touchâtender. My breath hitched as his