The night stretched over the city in a quiet hush, the skyline dotted with the glow of distant skyscrapers. At a private high-rise hotel, Alexander had just finished showering. Dressed in a loose silk robe, he stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, skimming through the last of the documents on his tablet. The dim light from the bedside lamp cast soft shadows over the elegant furnishings of the suite, giving the space a warm yet distant ambiance.
A persistent knock at the door broke the silence. Lynne.
Alexander’s jaw tightened. He ignored it at first, but her voice floated in through the heavy wooden door.
"Alexander, you don’t seem in a good mood tonight. Do you need me to keep you company?"
Her tone was laced with careful seduction, but it only deepened his frown. With an air of finality, he set his tablet aside and walked toward the door, pulling it open.
Lynne’s face lit up, her delicate features painted with hope as she instinctively clung to
Inside the room, chaos reigned. Hugo and Alexei were struggling to break up the fight when Alexander landed a brutal kick squarely into Lucca’s chest. Lucca staggered backward, crashing down onto shattered glass. A sharp sliver sliced into his palm, leaving a long, bloody gash.Alexander was no better off. A fresh wound streaked across his neck, vivid red against his pale skin, proof of how viciously they’d come at each other. Both had fought as if they truly meant to kill. But the instant Ava stepped through the doorway, everything in Alexander froze.Her face was stricken with panic. Without sparing Alexander a glance, she hurried straight to Lucca, kneeling beside him. “Mr. Reinaldi, are you alright?”Lucca lifted his injured hand, wincing at the sight of the deep cut.Ava’s face drained of color. “That needs stitches.”Without hesitation, she reached out to help him up, then turned on Alexander with an edge of fury in her voice. “Mr. Vanderbilt, Mr. Reinaldi is a guest from afar.
Triggee Warning marked with ### and ##### again similar to previous chapter... proceed with caution---When they arrived at the hospital, the corridor was already crowded with members of the Vanderbilt family. Their faces were drawn, tense, each carrying a silent dread. The news of what had happened to Rita had traveled fast within their circle, but no one dared speak it aloud. An oppressive hush filled the waiting area, heavy enough to crush even the faintest whisper.If word of this incident leaked beyond these walls, Rita’s reputation would be shattered.Diana let out a weary sigh, her shoulders drooping. “Why would Rita go there all of a sudden?”Alexander shook his head, jaw tense. “The kidnappers are finished. They won’t be around to talk. I’ll arrange for her to see a psychologist.”It was all they could do for now.Moments later, Rita’s parents, Justin and his wife, arrived. Their expressions were unsettlingly calm, as if this was just another business inconvenience. Justin, i
Trigger Warning : This author would like to disclose that there are mentions of sexual abuse and rape (albeit briefly and not detailed) in this chapter therefore if this is something that might trigger you or cause you any discomfort, please do skip this, step away, and take the time for yourself. This author wishes you well and will see you in the next one... P.S. the author will put a ### to mark where the abuse will be mentioned and another ##### once it is finished. P.P.S. this author hopes you will enjoy reading Ava being a bad arse here... ---The shoppers inside had no clue what was about to unfold. A gunman abruptly fired several shots into the ceiling, sending a deafening crack echoing through the mall. Chaos exploded like a powder keg. People screamed, their voices tangled with panic, some collapsing to the floor in sobbing fits of terror.Ava forced herself to stay calm as she scanned the scene. Dozens of armed men emerged from the shadows, shedding their street clothes
The next morning, Ava had barely gotten out of bed when Ray messaged, asking her to come by the office to check the final cut of their new web series.Shoving aside everything else on her mind, she quickly got ready and headed over.Only the first five episodes were finished, but the production quality blew her away. Even though she’d given Ray a generous budget, she hadn’t expected him to execute it so flawlessly.“Ms. Morales,” Ray said, his voice brimming with excitement, “we’ve already submitted it for review. Once we get the green light, we can go live.”They hadn’t even started hyping it yet, since Anita was still busy flooding the headlines with stories about The Eye of the Storm.Ava’s lips curved into a subtle smile. “The quality is solid. Let’s wait for their approval.”Ray nearly vibrated with adrenaline. His first web series since his comeback was finally about to see the light of day, and he could barely contain his enthusiasm.“Oh—and one more thing, Ms. Morales.” His to
After Alexander left, Ava slumped against the back of the leather seat, completely spent. Her limbs felt weak, as though they’d been drained of every ounce of strength. The interior of the car still carried the heat of their passion, his scent clinging to the air, making her cheeks flush all over again. The subtle tremors running through her body hadn’t yet faded.She tugged at her rumpled dress, trying to compose herself before stepping out. As soon as she opened the car door, a blast of cold night air struck her, snapping her back to reality — reminding her, almost shamefully, that they had just been reckless in a car parked barely a stone’s throw from the villa.She let out a soft groan, covering her face with a hand for a moment before gathering herself and walking toward the villa entrance. A servant opened the door politely. Ava didn’t recognize the staff here very well, so she simply nodded in greeting and quietly climbed the stairs to the master bedroom.She’d broken into a swe
Vincent picked up the call.Marilyn’s voice was weak, brittle, almost unrecognizable. “Vincent, I feel terrible.”He guessed right away — it was probably her period again, and she was in agony.“Go lie down and rest. I’m working late, I’ll be home later,” he replied, his tone clipped, distracted.Marilyn was drenched in sweat, her vision swimming, her stomach turning in nauseous waves that wouldn’t let her vomit. For weeks she had pushed herself too hard, desperate to pay down the debt crushing her. She hadn’t rested in what felt like forever.Just then, May approached Vincent with an expectant look, so he hurriedly wrapped up the call.“Marilyn, take a painkiller. My boss is coming. If he sees me on the phone, he’ll be pissed,” he added before hanging up, giving her no chance to say another word.Marilyn bit her lip, tears of exhaustion and humiliation welling. Usually strong-willed, she now found herself gripping the steering wheel with trembling hands. She could hardly see through t