All Chapters of Beneath The Mask: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

Ghost POVThere’s a flash of disgust and humiliation in Prince’s eyes, and I know immediately that my question hit a nerve. I regret asking it. I should’ve known better. “You know what, let’s change the subject,” I say quickly, trying to steer us away from the minefield I’ve just stumbled into.But Prince shakes his head, his voice barely a whisper. “No, it’s fine.” He says the words, but the way he avoids meeting my eyes tells me it’s anything but fine. “I’m not even sure how old I was,” he starts hesitantly, his gaze fixed somewhere in the distance. “Birthdays weren’t tracked there, and I wasn’t in a place where I could keep track myself.”The realization hits me like a punch to the gut. It happened there. In that place. My stomach churns as I piece together what he’s saying, and a sickening rage begins to bubble inside me. How the hell could something like that have happened there?“I don’t know her name,” he continues quietly, his voice devoid of emotion, like he’s forcing himself

Ghost POVWhen we’re done, I set the plates aside. The silence stretches on as we sit there drinking. Eventually, he sighs, like he’s about to say something, but the words don’t come. I glance at him, waiting, and his eyes meet mine.“Are you okay?” I ask, my voice quiet but firm.He hesitates, then shakes his head. “Yeah, I’m just... No, I’m not.” His voice is barely above a whisper, and I feel the sting of his admission. I set my glass down and turn to face him fully, giving him my full attention.“Do you ever feel like certain things in your life are meant as a test? Like... to see if you’ll fail?” he asks, his voice distant, almost hollow.My head shakes instinctively. “No, and that’s the fucking bullshit they put in your head talking, not you,” I snap, harsher than I mean to. I hate that they’ve broken him down like this, that their words are still poisoning his thoughts.His eyes flick to mine, filled with something I can’t quite place—pain, resignation, maybe both. He shrugs lig

Prince POVWhen I wake, I’m still wrapped around Ghost. For a moment, I don’t move, don’t even open my eyes. I let myself just be. Somehow, everything feels... right. There’s a strange sense of normalcy in this, even though it’s far from normal.“Why was the marriage pulled forward?” Ghost’s voice cuts through the stillness, his tone sharp. I groan inwardly. So much for pretending, for escaping into the quiet.“Prince?” he prompts again, more insistent this time.Reluctantly, I open my eyes and find him staring at me. He looks like he hasn’t slept, his expression hard and unrelenting.“I’ve been going over it all night,” he says, his voice tight with frustration. “Over and over. There was no reason for it to be pushed forward. So, what am I missing?”Sighing, I sit up and move to grab a coffee from the side. Anything to delay the inevitable conversation.“Prince?” His voice sharpens.“Because I’m taking over!” I snap, turning to face him. The words tumble out before I can stop them. “

Prince POV“Your silence just confirms it,” Ghost says, his voice low and bitter. He downs the drink in one swallow, his back turned to me now.I don’t know what to say. I can’t go back and change what happened to Marcello. I can’t undo what I’ve done. All I know is that I didn’t want my father to think I was weak, didn’t want him to think I was soft on Ghost. And now? Now I’ve destroyed the one thing I wanted to keep intact.The door opens, and neither of us moves. Ghost glares at his glass, and I stare at him, waiting. This tension, this unspoken storm between us, was inevitable. At least it’s happening now and not hanging over us later.“Figured you could do with something to pass the time between giving us videos,” the man sneers from the doorway, his voice grating and smug. He lingers in the doorway, watching us like we’re his entertainment.I don’t turn to face him; I’m too focused on Ghost, silently willing him to speak. Say something. Anything.“You two seem busy, just don’t f

Ghost POVAnd then he moves. With a guttural growl of frustration, he surges up, closing the distance between us, his lips crashing into mine with a force that leaves me reeling.The kiss is violent, desperate, a collision of teeth and tongue and pent-up emotion. It’s every argument we’ve never finished, every touch we’ve denied ourselves, every unsaid word spilling out in a chaotic, messy, passionate clash.I kiss him back just as fiercely, pouring every ounce of frustration and longing and anger into it, and for the first time, it feels like we’re finally saying everything we’ve never been able to put into words.When we break apart, our breaths come in harsh gasps, mingling in the charged space between us. Prince’s eyes bore into mine, wide with a mix of shock and something dangerously close to desire. His lips are swollen, the evidence of our clash still fresh, and for a fleeting moment, he looks torn—caught between running and diving deeper.“This changes nothing,” he whispers, b