Novels by Abby

Ariana's POVThree months.That’s how long I’d been living in this house. Three months since Roman Sinclair stopped being just my stepbrother and started becoming my secret addiction.We never talked about what we were. We just kept touching, kept stealing moments when the house was asleep or empty. Late nights when his fingers found me under the sheets. Quiet mornings when he’d press kisses to my neck as I brushed my teeth. Hooking up without rules, without a label, without... boundaries.And now, today, I was finally starting school.I rolled out of bed and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. My heart thudded with nerves, and not just because it was my first day at a new university. I hadn’t seen Roman yet this morning. After everything we’d done last night, I half expected him to be here, still asleep, sprawled across my mattress like he owned it. Like he owned me.But my bed was cold.Empty.I sighed and pushed myself up. There was something about today that felt different sharp-edged

Roman's POVShe was still asleep.Her skin was warm against mine, her breathing slow and steady, her face relaxed in a way I hadn’t seen in weeks. The morning light slipped in through the curtains and painted her in gold.I watched her for a long time.I wasn’t supposed to stay. I had told myself I’d leave after the shower, that I’d keep some distance, give her space. But the moment I picked her up and laid her on the bed, something inside me shattered.I couldn’t walk away from her again.Not after last night.Not after hearing her say stay.I didn’t deserve her. Not after the things I’d done. Not after the lies I’d let pile between us. But still, when she looked at me like that—like I was the only thing keeping her world from falling apart—I stayed.And now I was here. Staring at her. Wanting to touch her again. Wanting to give her everything I swore I never would.I reached out and brushed a strand of hair from her cheek.She stirred.Her eyes blinked open slowly, confused at first

Ariana's POVI woke up alone.The side of the bed where Roman had been was empty. The sheets were rumpled, still warm, and carried the faint scent of him smoke, mint, and something darker, something him. My body ached, tender and spent, a reminder of everything that happened last night.Or did it?I blinked, staring up at the ceiling.Had it all been some twisted dream? A product of my own desire and delusion? Had Roman really touched me like that—kissed me, fingered me, said those things in the dark with his voice all rough and low?A dream wouldn’t have left my thighs this sore.And yet he was gone.No note. No sound. Just the emptiness and the memory of his mouth on my skin.My heart squeezed. I sat up slowly, dragging the blanket over my chest even though I was alone. My sweater was bunched around my waist, my underwear damp and askew. Heat flushed through me as I peeled them off and stood on shaky legs. I didn’t know what I felt—ashamed, or hurt, or just hollow.I wanted to belie

Ariana’s POV"Rie," he said again, like that name still meant something.Like he had the right to say it.I yanked the blanket off my head, heart pounding.No. I wasn’t going to cry under the covers like some shattered little girl. I wasn’t going to let him knock and whisper and pretend last night didn’t fucking happen.I shoved the blanket aside, got up, and stormed to the door.His knuckles were still raised when I opened it.Roman froze.We just stood there, inches apart, the silence thick and ugly between us. His hoodie hung loose on his frame, hair messy, eyes bloodshot like he hadn’t slept either.Good.I wanted him to suffer too."What do you want?" I asked, voice sharp, tight, fighting the tremble trying to break through.He stared at me like I was a ghost."I just..." he dragged a hand through his hair, jaw flexing. "I didn’t want you to find out like that."I laughed.Cold. Bitter."Like what, Roman? Catching you with your tongue down her throat? Or was it the part where she

Roman's POVThe apartment was too quiet and I woke up late. Maddie was gone by then, thank fuck. Her perfume still lingered cheap and sugary, clinging to the couch like regret. I didn’t need a reminder of the night before. I didn’t want it. Not when all I could think about was her.I don’t know what time Ariana came home last night, that was If she came home at all.I kept telling myself I didn’t care, that it didn’t matter. That whatever she saw—whatever she thought she saw—wasn’t my fucking problem. But the longer the silence stretched, the more I started to notice every creak in the floorboards, every second ticking by without her footsteps, her humming, her presence.Her room was still locked when I passed by.I stood there like an idiot, fingers twitching against her doorknob, listening. Nothing.A flash of her face when she saw me on the couch with Maddie punched through my skull like a knife. The shock in her eyes. The way she didn’t say a word—just turned around and left. No

Roman’s POVThe house was too quiet.I’d spent the last hour flipping through the same playlist, trying to drown out the silence. But music didn’t do shit when your thoughts were screaming louder. The sofa was still warm from where I’d been sitting for too long, doing nothing but clenching my jaw and trying not to think about her.So when Maddie texted me—“u home? i’m bored and hot ;)”—I didn’t even hesitate before I replied.Yeah, come over.That was all she needed.Ten minutes later, she was at the door, perfume hitting me before she even stepped in. Vanilla. Cheap. Sticky sweet, like every time she came over already meant nothing. Her smile was stretched too wide, her blonde hair in those perfect waves she spent hours on, like she expected me to care.“You gonna let me stand out here or what?” she teased, already walking in like she owned the place.I shut the door behind her.She didn’t wait. Dropped her bag by the stairs and turned around to press herself against me, her lips bru

*Damien*The moment Scarlett stepped out of the office, Ivy broke down.Her hands trembled as she tried to wipe her face, her voice cracking. “I just I can’t stop seeing it, Damien. Every time I close my eyes… Ana’s face, the blood”Before I could react, she stumbled forward and wrapped her arms around me. For a second, I froze, caught off guard. Her body was shaking, her clothes still damp from the rain. She looked terrified. Completely undone.I sighed quietly and pulled her closer, one hand resting gently on her back. “Hey… it’s okay,” I murmured. “You’re safe now. You hear me?”She nodded against my chest, her breathing uneven. “I didn’t know where else to go,” she whispered. “I’ve been trying to sleep but I keep waking up… I keep hearing her scream.”Her voice broke, and I felt her tears soak through my shirt.I tightened my arm around her, slow and steady, letting her calm down. “It’s over, Ivy. What happened wasn’t your fault.”She pulled back just a little, her eyes glossy and

IvyI decided to go to Damien’s house. It was raining, the kind of heavy, biting rain that made the air feel like ice against my skin. Still, I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed my bag, threw on my clothes, and pulled a cap low over my head before boarding a cab straight to his apartment.The ride felt endless, fifteen minutes stretching like hours, every second dragging as the rain hammered down on the roof. When we finally pulled into his estate, I paid the driver and stepped out. My shoes sank into puddles, my clothes already plastered to my body by the storm.The garden looked different. Maybe because it had been so long since I was here… or maybe because the air itself carried a weight tonight. Something about it felt wrong.That’s when I saw them.Two men in sharp suits, standing stiff, their posture too precise. They looked like those hot FBI agents you see in movies, the kind that don’t miss a single detail. My stomach dropped. My heart raced so fast I thought it might rip through my

*Damien*I stood in my office, hands braced on the edge of the desk, staring down at the untouched glass of whiskey in front of me. The amber liquid glowed faintly in the late afternoon light, but I hadn’t taken a sip. Not yet.I hadn’t earned the relief.The weight of Ana’s death still clung to the air—heavy, suffocating. Her blood was no longer on the floor, but it was everywhere else. On my conscience. In my lungs. Beneath my skin.I had failed her.And Ivy.And Scarlett.I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to steady my heartbeat that always spiraled when I thought too long about what if.What if the killer had gone after Scarlett?What if Ivy didn’t make it out?What if this was only the beginning?I hadn’t slept since the night it happened.“Sir?” Malik’s voice came from the hallway, dragging me from my thoughts. “Scarlett’s in the garden. Do you want me to keep eyes on her?”I glanced at the clock. Scarlett had said she wanted some air earlier. She needed space, and after all t

*Damien*The Next Day“So, this is the easiest way to reach all of us at once,” I said, standing at the center of the main living space in the estate, now turned into a makeshift security hub.“We’ll tour the entire premises after lunch. That way everyone gets familiar with the layout.”After everything that happened… Ana’s death, Ivy’s tears, Scarlett’s fear I wasn’t taking any more risks. I'd doubled the security across the entire property. My wife deserved to feel safe. And I needed to feel like I could protect what mattered most.The truth was, I still felt like a monster.Ivy. That night. The sex. The chaos. The guilt.It clung to me like smoke after a fire, suffocating and unshakable. What I felt for Ivy whatever it was had morphed into a knot of shame and regret. I cared for her once, maybe more than I should have.But yesterday, when I saw Scarlett, heard her voice trembling in fear, saw her protectively cradle her stomach…It hit me.What I had with Ivy wasn’t love.It was lu

*Ivy*Police swarmed the hotel like ants on sugar blue lights flashing, yellow tape cutting off every corridor. Investigators, medics, cameras. It was chaos. Controlled, methodical chaos.And I stood right in the middle of it, crying.Or at least… pretending to.Tears rolled down my cheeks, my body trembling like a scared little girl. I could’ve won an Oscar."The man attacked both of you?" the officer asked gently, his pen ready."Y-Yes," I mumbled, my voice cracking as I sniffled. I dabbed my eyes with a tissue Damien had handed me earlier. The officer nodded, scribbling into his notepad."He was insane," I added, shaking my head, forcing my lip to tremble like I was still shaken to the core.He glanced at his notes. "You said he was a white male, approximately 30 to 40 years old. Dressed in all black. Wielded only a knife?"I nodded quickly. "Yes. I was so scared. Ana… she tried to protect me. And he...."I broke down again, letting out a sob for good measure. “She didn’t deserve t

Present Moment*Damien*The way Ivy’s voice quivered with fear hit me harder than any threat ever could. It reminded me of a truth I’d long buried beneath power and success—being a billionaire CEO of a massive company doesn’t just make me a target. It paints a red mark on the backs of everyone I care about.And now… this.The guilt twisted deep in my chest, sick and sharp. I should’ve been more careful. I should’ve done more. This never would’ve happened if I had better security, tighter control, fewer blind spots.This tragedy—Ana’s blood, Ivy’s trembling hands—it was on me.“Who was he? What’s his name?” I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.“I… I don’t know,” she choked out, tears cracking her voice like glass.Her pain gutted me. And worse? I knew she was trying to be strong—for me. For all of us. But it was me who failed her.I pulled her into my arms, holding her like I could somehow squeeze the fear out of her body and into mine. “It’s okay… You’re safe now,” I whispered int