ARIANA I felt her nails dig deeper into my cheeks, the sting making my eyes water. My heart raced, not just from fear but from the rising irritation building inside me. I couldn’t take much more of this. Gathering my strength, I grabbed her wrists, pushing her hands away with a firm, controlled force.“Listen, woman,” I snapped, my voice laced with irritation. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, and frankly, I don’t care! Whatever your husband and—" I stopped myself just in time, the name 'Skyler' nearly slipping out. My heart pounded in my chest, but I couldn't let her see my slip-up. Her eyes narrowed, and she lunged at me again, her expression twisted with rage.But this time, I was ready. I caught her wrist in midair, gripping it tightly, and with a quick, deliberate motion, I pried her away from me with enough force to make her stagger back. Her eyes widened in shock, her stance faltering as she tried to regain her balance.“That’s enough!” I snarled, my patience gone, the
GRAYSON The defiance in her voice, the audacity to say no to me, ignited a fire I hadn’t felt in years. My hands stilled on the last button of my shirt, the fabric half-open, exposing the tattoos inked across my chest. Her refusal wasn’t just a word; it was a challenge—a direct affront to the control I held over her over everything. My jaw tightened as I watched her, her shoulders squared, her eyes locked onto mine with a mixture of fear and rebellion. She didn’t flinch, not even when the air between us crackled with the tension of unspoken threats. I could see her trembling, but she stood her ground, refusing to bend. The sight of her like this—angry, determined—was infuriating, but it also stirred something else inside me, something I couldn’t name but couldn’t ignore. I took a slow, deliberate step toward her, watching as her breath hitched in her throat. I could see the effort it took for her not to back away, to hold her ground even as I closed the distance between us. The
GRAYSON The revelation hit me like a sledgehammer, shattering through the wall of fury that had consumed me moments before. SKYLER. The woman I had spent years searching for, the woman who had disappeared without a trace, leaving a void that I had filled with anger, power, and control."Where?" I forced the word out, my voice raw and hoarse.Tony hesitated, knowing the gravity of what he was about to say. "She’s in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. We tracked her to a secluded estate in the hills. The place is heavily guarded, but there's no doubt— it’s her."For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My mind was a whirlwind of emotions—disbelief and anger. But above all, I need to get to that bitch right away. "Send me the address," I demanded, my voice barely more than a growl. My heart pounded in my chest, a chaotic drumbeat that drowned out all rational thought. I needed to see it with my own eyes. I needed to see her.My phone chimed with a notification right away. I glanced down and saw the loca
ARIANA I stared at the framed photo of Grayson and his wife, Skyler, as his words echoed in my mind: "The child you’re carrying… It’s mine." The certainty in his voice had left no room for doubt, yet it only deepened the confusion swirling inside me. But why did Lucian’s wife tell me Grayson couldn’t have children?I looked back at Skyler’s image, her eyes seemingly boring into mine with a secretive gleam. What was going on with you and Grayson? I silently questioned the photo, my thoughts racing. Why did you cheat on him with his brother? The idea was almost unfathomable, but there it was, staring me in the face. And the more I thought about it, the more pieces seemed to fall into place.Was it because of Grayson’s abusive attitude? The question lingered in the air, heavy and suffocating. I had seen the cold, ruthless side of him, the part that seemed to enjoy wielding power and control. But now, after last night… I wasn’t so sure.Last night, there had been a flicker of something
ARIANA My eyes fluttered open slowly, the world around me swimming into focus with disorienting slowness. Everything was blurry at first—a haze of light and shadow that made no sense. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear the fog from my vision. As the room finally came into view, my heart sank.The space was unfamiliar, clean, and expensive-looking—like a hospital room, but not quite. The walls were a soft cream colour, adorned with minimalist artwork, and the furniture was modern and sleek. A faint smell of antiseptic lingered in the air, making my nose wrinkle in discomfort. The muted beeping of machines filled the quiet room, each sound a jarring reminder of where I was. A sense of dread began to claw its way up from the pit of my stomach, making my heart beat erratically. The events leading up to this moment began to flood back, one after another, like a terrible montage playing in my mind. The pain, the blood… the realisation hit me with brutal force. I slowly moved my shaking
ARIANA I stared at Mathew, my mind spinning as I tried to process his words. “Wait,” I said, cutting him off, my voice laced with disbelief, “who did you say brought you here?”Mathew looked at me with a calm, steady gaze, his eyes filled with concern. “Your husband,” he repeated gently, as if saying my husband would somehow make it more believable.I blinked, my heart skipping a beat. Grayson? The same man who hadn’t bothered to show his face in four days? The same man who left me alone, broken, and grieving? Why would he do that? It didn’t make sense. Nothing about this made sense.“Grayson did?” I asked again, my voice a mere whisper as I tried to make sense of it all. The idea that Grayson had reached out to my brothers—that he had thought of me, of my need for my family—felt like a cruel twist of fate. It clashed violently with the image of him I had held onto, the cold, detached man who seemed to care for nothing but his own needs.Mathew nodded, his grip on my hand tightening
GRAYSON I cracked my eyes open, my head pounding like a drum. Through the blur, I saw the door creak open and caught a glimpse of Ariana’s face. Her eyes widened in shock before she quickly shut the door, disappearing from view. Damn it. My head felt like it was about to split in two, the hangover, a brutal reminder of last night's excesses.I groaned, forcing my eyes open fully. The dull light in the room did nothing to help the pounding in my skull. I glanced down at the woman beside me—the one I'd dragged back from the club. Her bleached hair was tangled across the pillow, her makeup smudged and smeared. I felt a wave of irritation wash over me. I didn’t even remember her name, and I sure as hell wasn’t in the mood for this.“Get dressed and get lost,” I muttered, my voice gravelly and harsh. I grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her upright, ignoring her soft whimper of pain. My patience was thinner than a razor’s edge. I needed her gone. Now.I reached for my pants on the f
GRAYSON As I stared at the video, my emotions tangled in a mess I couldn't unravel. My thumb hovered over the screen, ready to close it and shove the feelings back into the box where they belonged. But before I could, a notification banner appeared at the top of the screen.Lord Andre: Why didn’t you tell me your wife had a miscarriage?My heart stopped, then kicked into overdrive, thudding so hard I could feel it in my throat. My grip on the phone tightened, my knuckles going white. How the hell did he know? I made sure that everything that happened inside my house stayed there. I’d made damn sure of it. Without thinking, I hurled the phone across the room. It hit the glass window with a sharp crack, the sound echoing in the quiet office. The glass didn’t shatter, but a thin spiderweb of cracks spread across the surface, matching the fractured chaos inside my mind.I leaned back in my chair, trying to steady my breathing, but the anger and confusion boiled inside me, refusing to se