Novels by Syre E.

Jonah's POVClara walked out of the room, giving Elliot and me time to gather ourselves. I walked into the kitchen first and poured us cups of coffee. Elliot followed, dressed in a summer shirt and simple shorts.Clara cleared her throat, "Now that I have your attention. I believe I have some information you may like to know." I looked to Elliot, my hands trembling and beads of sweat gathering at my forehead.I did not understand Clara's sudden change of attitude and support. Elliot, noticing my discomfort, cleared his throat awkwardly and said, "Umm don't keep us in suspense. What is it?""Well, I looked at all the tabloids, made a few calls and discovered the pictures came from one source." Clara replied."What source? And how did the person get their hands on those pictures?" Elliot asked."I can answer only one of those questions. The source?- Elaine Woodward, an editor at a tabloid company. How those images got to her?- I have no idea. You should have been more careful with your

Jonah's POV The TV blared, Elliot's face, so damn handsome, so damn composed, filling my small apartment. I stared, my gut twisting into a hard knot. Each word Elliot spoke, "fabricated," "photoshopped," "smear campaign" It felt like a punch. I felt the familiar burn of anger, but underneath, a colder dread settled in. I grabbed my phone, my hand shaking so badly I almost dropped it. I jabbed at Elliot's number.The press conference buzz must have still vibrated in Elliot's ears. He probably plastered on a polite smile, mumbled an excuse about needing to take a call, and slipped through the door, grateful for the momentary escape.I imagined seeing my name on his phone made his stomach clench. He hesitated, then answered, his voice tight."Jonah," he said, trying to sound calm."Elliot," my voice crackled with fury, "I just saw the press conference.""Jonah," Elliot sighed, "I can explain...""Explain what?" I cut him off, my voice rising. "Explain how you stood there, in front of ev

Elliot's POV“I really do not know what to say about this.”The door clicked shut behind me, the sound echoing in the quiet, suffocating stillness of the study. The room was opulent, like always, grand, refined, but today it felt like a prison. I stood there, facing my mother, the intricate rug beneath my feet suddenly felt like it was shifting. I had braced myself for my father’s rage, the booming voice, the thinly veiled threats masked as “advice.” But it was my mother who summoned me. And her eyes, heavy with quiet disappointment, cut deeper than any of my father’s fury ever could.“Elliot,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper, “your father showed me the magazines… the pictures.”I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. The air in the room had thickened, wrapping around my lungs like a vise. I fixed my gaze over her shoulder, focusing on the landscape painting behind her, a calm, distant meadow that had nothing to do with the storm inside me.“He… he explained what he wants you to do,”

Clara’s POVI shut my eyes and breathed in deeply, promising myself not to break again.“I will do what you asked,” I whispered, the words tasting like salt and steel on my tongue. “Just because I still care for you.”I did not look at him. I couldn’t. Not yet. My heart still felt like it had been scooped out and exposed to the world without warning. But I needed clarity. I needed answers, real ones. I needed to make sense of this chaos before it swallowed me whole.“So,” I finally said, my voice quieter than I intended, “tell me about you and Jonah. Tell me how all of this started.”There was a long pause, and then Elliot sighed. It was the kind of sigh that sounded like years of pent-up truth finally beginning to unravel.“Well… it started when I noticed I didn’t talk about girls the way other boys my age did. They would go on and on about crushes, and I would just… smile and nod. I never really felt anything.”His voice was steady, but I could hear the tremor beneath it. A boy cau

Victor’s POV The car door swung open and Jason slipped into the passenger seat. He was short, old, dressed in all black like he was headed to a funeral. I did not even bother greeting him. I just started the ignition and pulled away from the curb. The hum of the engine filled the car, low and steady, like a predator purring before the strike.“Okay, Jason, what’s the latest update?”He adjusted himself in the seat and reached into his coat pocket. “It’s confirmed. Elliot and Jonah are in a romantic relationship. And I have the evidence to prove it.”I glanced at him briefly before turning back to the road. “Good job. Hope the evidence is damning?”He handed me a brown envelope, and I could hear the faint rustle of glossy paper inside. I opened it with one hand, eyes still on the road. The first picture said enough. A hand on a back, a kiss exchanged, clothes rumpled in early morning light. I smiled.“Your money will be wired to you this evening,” I said coolly, sealing the envelope

Later That Evening(Elliot's POV)The ballroom was dazzling, glilded ceilings, crystal chandeliers shimmering like stars, and every inch of the room whispered opulence. My family had gone all out for the occasion. Of course they had. Tonight was about me. Or rather, us, me and Clara.She clung to my arm, radiant in a scarlet gown that matched the red embroidery on my black tux. Picture-perfect. That is what people would call us. I smiled as we walked through the crowd, exchanging greetings, shaking hands, laughing on cue. The buzz in the air was deafening, most of it centered on our engagement. Every time someone offered congratulations, I nodded, thanked them, and felt something inside me twist tighter.I played the part. I always do.Across the ballroom, I noticed Jonah slip in, his posture tense, his eyes scanning until they found me. Our eyes met for a second, and I immediately looked away.He made his way to the bar. Of course he did. I knew that look, he needed something to ca

Nick's POV "Some people need to talk about it. I can be a great listener." Her words stung my ears. The last time I shared how I felt, I ended up in a mess, worse than how I was before sharing. I can't imagine doing that again.So I gave a small chuckle, trying to keep things casual. "Is that in the package too?""Depends on how generous you are."The side flirtish tone didn’t go unnoticed. Her hands moved slower, with intent, lingering too long at the base of my spine, then sliding slowly over my lower back.I felt her lean forward as she pressed her body over mine. She whispered into my ear. "You have a beautiful body."I didn't respond. I wasn’t in the mood for this, but I didn’t stop her either.She leaned in further. I could feel her breasts pressing against my back. Her breath brushed my ear as she spoke. "I could help you forget whatever’s bothering you."Then she flipped the towel slightly to reach my hip. I stiffened. I felt uncomfortable, far from pleasure.I sat up abrupt

Nick's POVThe screeching of the tires pulled me from my annoyance. The car rolled over the marbled courtyard of my father's mansion. The bright sunlight bounced off the polished hood of my sleek black Jaguar. The world outside looked buzzy. The neighborhood still maintained its clean calm essence, just the way he liked it. Just the way he believed everything should be. But inside me, it was anything but perfect. My jaw clenched as I turned out of the block and onto the sleek road.I hated everything here.I hated the expectations, the scripts that were written for us long before we could even form sentences. Why do our fathers think they had the right to dictate our lives? Why does his father keep shoving royalty and legacy down Alex's throat like it was the only reason he had him? Why does mine keep trying to mold me into a man I can barely recognize? The perfect son. The future president.They didn't know us.At least, mine never really did. I exhaled, shaking my head. There was

Nick's POV The screen lit up revealing a series of messages and calls. I scanned through the calls—Mom, Dad and him.Twelve missed calls. All from Alex alone.My thumb hovered over the redial button, the sound of his voice echoing in my head. But I kicked against it, lowering the phone. In all honesty, what would I say? Sorry for walking out. Sorry for leaving you behind when you looked like you were falling apart.I tossed the phone over to the couch at the side. I needed to clear my head from all these. I looked over at the packed box at my side but couldn't muster the energy to do anything. The only thing I needed to do now was to eat, so I headed down to the kitchen still in the same apparel. I stepped into the kitchen to find the maid fumbling through some plates. She was dressed in her usual unnecessarily short gown but that didn't move me a bit."Good morning sir, I heard you came back early this morning," she said when she noticed my presence."Yeah," I replied blankly, gett

Alex's POVThe wooden doors of my father’s private study slammed against the wall as I barged in. I pushed through the door, not caring to knock. My heart raced heavily in my chest. Rising and falling hard with a mix of desperation and frustration flooding my head.He wasn’t there. The emptiness stared back at me, heating the anger in me.I cursed under my breath, needing a way to release the frustration in me. I needed to confirm everything. I paced back and forth like a madman then picked up the office line, dialing the security guard. "His Highness. Good morning, how may be of service," "George!" I thundered into the phone."Oh, Prince Alex. Sorry, I didn't know—" "Doesn't matter. Are you aware of the whereabouts of Nick Peters?" I demanded."Your Highness, he left the palace last night," he responded.So he left? For a second, I thought it was a prank."Your Highness?" George called from the other side, bringing me back to reality."Yes, and do you know where he went to?""Yes,

Alex's POV “I said I’m fine!” I barked.Ray flinched but didn’t move. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but I didn’t give him the chance. I stormed past him, heading straight for my room. I got there and slammed the door shut behind me.The silence around me burned inside.I leaned back against the door, breathing hard.The events of last night played back in flashes. Nick’s eyes filled with anger then hurt when I told him to go away. The tension between us. The moment I yelled at him and let him walk away. The way he looked at me before turning away was like he’d lost something he could never get back.I opened up the paper again, and my eyes ran through the words over and over. The pain burned deep in me as I realised he had left this for me before going, meaning it was a farewell message. The last I will hear from him.I pressed the paper to my chest, barely breathing at this point.I walked toward my desk, picked up my phone, and dialed his number. I didn't know wha

Nick's POVI slammed the door behind me so hard. I could feel the walls shake.The night was laced with silence, giving room for my thoughts to haunt me. I kicked the edge of the couch, sending a pillow flying over to where a lamp lay, nearly toppling it.Why does he keep doing this?I paced the length of the room, my fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. My heart raced as my thoughts grew into frustration. Alex knows how I feel. He knows what this is between us. And yet… he keeps pretending like it’s nothing. Like we’re nothing.“Why are you so scared, Alex?” I muttered, dragging a hand through my hair. “Why the hell are you holding back?”I stopped at the window, staring out into the city. I watched the moon even though I couldn't feel it's brightness. The city lights filled the space.We’ve played around this for too long. Every moment we’ve shared—every touch, every lingering glance, every word left unsaid—it’s all been too real. But he keeps retreating, hiding behind that d