Chapter: Chapter 89CARTERThe house felt too quiet when I pulled into the driveway.Not the peaceful kind of quiet, this one was tense, but it wouldn't have been, if I hadn't gotten a text from mum saying we should meet up. The lights in the living room were on, even though it was still early evening, and for a second I just sat in the car, hands resting on the steering wheel, staring at the front door like it might explain itself.It didn’t.Inside, Mum was already in the living room. She was seated on the edge of the couch instead of her usual spot, hands folded together so tightly her knuckles had gone pale. Liam stood near the window, arms crossed, his jaw set in that way that meant he was trying not to look worried.“Carter,” Mum said softly. “You’re home.”Her tone told me everything and nothing at the same time.“What’s going on?” I asked, setting my bag down but not taking my eyes off her.She hesitated and it scared me more than if she’d rushed into it.“I thought it’d be better if we talked to
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-10
Chapter: Chapter 88ELIMy phone rang as I finished up the dishes.Carter’s name flashed across the screen and I froze, I was alone and probably unprepared for whatever he was about to say.I answered anyway. “Uhm, this is new. Please tell me there's no problem.”“Not yet” his voice was cold “Are you on your way in?”“Nope, not at all” even though I felt the urge to lie that I was on my way. “Well hurry. I need you and Maya in my office immediately. The minute you step onto campus”I was confused“That serious?”“Yes”“Got it. I’ll go grab Maya” I don't think he waited for me to finish talking before he ended the call.I hurriedly packed my things. Good thing I was showered and dressed up.I texted Maya to meet at the bus stop and made sure to text in all caps so she knew it was important.I got to the bus stop before Maya, thankfully, I was early and the bus hadn't arrived yet.It didn't take long before I sighted her and started waving frantically like a maniac.“I got your text” she stared at me.“C
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-08
Chapter: Chapter 87CARTERI made it to campus very early in the morning. It was deceptively calm, mainly because the student rush hour hadn't started yet.I noticed, the hedges around were freshly trimmed. A few students were observing morning runs or whatever they called it.On my way to my office, I ran into Vanessa Cross, by accident. At least that was what I told myself at first, an incidental crossing of paths in the east corridor, the kind that happens when you work in the same building long enough.She was standing near the notice board, pretending to read something that had been pinned there for weeks. Her tablet was tucked under her arm, untouched. When she heard my footsteps, she turned too quickly, like she’d been waiting.“Car… uh Professor Vale” she said, and smiled.Vanessa’s smiles were usually effortless. This one took work.“Professor Cross,” I replied, slowing down. “You’re in early.”“So are you.” Her eyes flicked past me, down the corridor, toward my office, and then back to my face.
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-07
Chapter: Chapter 86ELII woke up before my alarm and stared at the ceiling for a full minute, then I rolled out of bed like the day hadn’t already started chasing me. Outside my window, everything looked normal. The other tenants were walking out as usual, one was even walking their dog. No one looked like they were waiting for the floor to collapse beneath them.I showered, dressed, and checked my phone. I had no missed calls, no emails with ominous subject lines. Nothing from the ethics board and nothing from Carter.That should’ve been comforting. Instead, it made the silence louder.By the time I got to my first lecture, my mind was already elsewhere. I took notes slowly, my pen moving while my thoughts spiraled. I stopped when I caught myself writing the same phrase twice and scratched it out harder than necessary. That was when I noticed the professor was talking about institutional accountability, ironic enough that I almost laughed.Almost.Maya slid into the seat beside me halfway through the l
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-06
Chapter: Chapter 85CARTER“Professor Vale,” Dean said, gesturing to the chair opposite him. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”I took the seat but didn’t relax into it. “You said it was important.”“Yes, yes”, Dean Holloway nodded. “I wanted to clarify a few things. There’s been… uh… information about the direction of a certain investigation. About your student, Mr Rivera and Ms Adeniran. They have been assuming and reassessing certain assumptions.”“And?” I kept my facial expressionless.“Uhmm.. It can be destabilizing, especially with the ethics board watching”“Who is your informant?” I asked.“Informat?” he repeated.“Yes. Who fed you this info?”“Well… that can't be disclosed”I exhaled and leaned back in my seat.Silence stretched between us. Holloway eventually exhaled, smoothing a hand over the desk. “Of course. I only wanted to ensure we’re aligned.”“We are,” I said, standing. “On doing this right.”I felt him watch me go. His piercing eyes, seeing through my skin.My phone buzzed be
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-03
Chapter: Chapter 84ELIWe were all sitting in Carter’s office. Maya, Carter, and I. It was like a meeting where we planned to discuss what had happened so far.Except the office felt different today, not physically though, everything was still where it always was. The tall bookshelf is stuffed with case files and journals. The window that was never fully opened. But the air itself felt heavier.Maya sat on the arm of one of the chairs, legs crossed, and her notebook already open. I took the seat closest to Carter’s desk. Carter remained standing for a moment, hands were braced against the edge of the table, staring down at a file as if it personally offended him.“So,” Maya says, clapping her hands once softly, trying to inject energy into the room. “Let’s recalibrate.”Carter hums. He didn't say a word.Maya doesn’t let it throw her.“Eli and I went back over everything,” she continues. “Timeline, access points, motive. And honestly? Dean Holloway doesn’t fit as cleanly as we thought.”That gets Carter
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2026-02-01
Chapter: Chapter 4DANTE'S POV I pretended to be busy with my car when Orabella came to call me for breakfast. Knowing Aldo, he would still be sour from last night's altercation.“Tell the boy to meet me here once he's had a bath,” I said to Orabella's retreating figure and she nodded.After almost an hour, he was walking through the front door. His hair was wet and some of them clung to the side of his face and his forehead. He wore a t-shirt that clung to his frame and a pair of well tailored pants. I was leaning on my car like the devil offering a ride.“Mother said…”“Get in the car,” I tossed my keys up and caught them.“Why?” He asked as he went around to the passenger seat.“Come on,” I got in. “You are about to find out how to win.”He slipped into the passenger’s seat and crossed his legs at his ankles. He smelled like fruits and oud with an undertone of vanilla. I wanted to lean in and take a deep breath. He didn't say a word about what happened earlier and I wasn't going to push it.Th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 3JULIAN’S POV The last time I saw Mother angry, I was probably still struggling to pronounce words properly. In this dark world, she was the ray of sunshine. I loved how she loved me and tried to protect me but there's only so much she could do. My hands moved quickly as I piled the plates together. I felt him hovering above me before I saw his shadow. We reached for a plate together and our hands brushed briefly. I pulled back like I had been shocked.“Let me help you.” His breath fanned my face. I wanted to lean in and press my lips against his.“I’m fine,” I stuttered. “It’s nothing much.”He picked up the napkins and started wiping the table. His presence now that he was barely five inches away from me was suffocating. I struggled to focus on the plates but my eyes kept travelling to him. He smelled like spices and wood, intoxicatingly male and heat poured out from his pores. It was the kind of heat I wanted to be wrapped in.“Law,” He dragged out the word. “You’ve always
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 2DANTE'S POV Julian was a pretty boy. He had always been but after fifteen years, he looked too delicate to be involved in the family business. I was glad Orabella was trying to make him take another path. His lashes fluttered as he looked up at me briefly. I could tell he was skeptical about living with me and I understood him. I would not welcome the idea of living with a step uncle who disappeared for fifteen years.Aldo cleared his throat. “You know the Montrelli.”“Very well,” I said, my eyes still fixed on Julian. He was chewing really slowly and his mouth sagged like he'd rather not be here.“They are sniffing around the port again. Two of their men were caught there last week. Are they just going to ignore that we have it locked down?”I scoffed. “They are testing you.”Julian glanced at me. He was a young man shielded from our world. Orabella had done a great job keeping him away from this evil.“You talk as if this test might not end up with bodies in bags,” Orabella sai
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-10-13
Chapter: Chapter 1 JULIAN’S POVThe devil I know is better than the angel I didn't. Problem is, I didn't know any angels. Born into a life like this, there were just devils and devils and they showed up when you least expected.Tonight's surprise was Dante Martinez. He arrived at dinner fifteen years late with a suit that must have cost a fortune. The moment he walked into the room, the air thickened like even oxygen was scared of him.“Dante,” My mother said in a strangled voice. Her hand trembled slightly as she lifted her wine glass to her mouth. My father who had leaned back in a posture mum had always complained about suddenly sat upright, straightening his back. His eyes followed Dante as he took a seat. It felt like God had walked into the room except that I had imagined God as anything but a six foot, fully tatted, dark-haired man.My eyes followed his every move the second he walked through those doors. His long strides, the way he loosened his tie and undid the button of his suit as he took hi
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-10-13
My Stepbrother Divorced Me—and Lost Everything.
“Sign it!”
Marcus didn’t even look at me when he tossed the divorce papers onto the bed—not at the husband he had lived with for two years, not at the man he pulled from a collapsing life, not at the man who the world was against marrying.
He only said, “He’s back,” and that was enough to end everything.
So I signed the papers, regretting knowing the man who taught me what it felt like to be wanted again and walked out of the mansion we once shared.
A year later, the headlines screamed the unthinkable:
CEO of Hale Enterprises, Marcus Hale, Loses Everything.
I realized it was the perfect time to exert my revenge on him.
But I didn’t expect to find my stepbrother on his knees, broken, desperate, and still looking at me like I’m the only thing he has left.
Then a message appears on my phone:Do you want to know the truth about your mother’s death?
Now I’m trapped between the past I ran from and a man I swore I would never forgive.
As secrets surface, lies unravel, and desire refuses to die, I realize this divorce was never the end.
It was the beginning.
And this time, my stepbrother will regret choosing anyone.
Baca
Chapter: Chapter 5CYRUS’s POV “Do I really need to spell it out?” I asked. “I don’t need to take revenge on you directly. I know just the right strings to pull to make you regret ever leaving me… and just wish you never crossed paths with me.”“What if,” he said quietly after a pause, “I already regret it?”Our eyes locked. And just like that, everything inside me collapsed. My heart sank so violently it hurt. What was this? What was wrong with me?Why did his words still reach places I swore were dead?Did I care that he regretted it?Did I want him to?I had come too far. I couldn’t back out now. Not even while he knelt there, broken. Not even when part of me wanted to kneel with him to get him back on his feet. “You’ve not regretted it enough.” I replied, my voice barely cold. “It’s until you beg for life to take you back to where it was given to you.” I didn’t wait for his answer.I turned and walked away before I could see what my words did to him—before I could see if they broke him or if th
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-27
Chapter: Chapter 4CYRUS’ POV “CEO of Hale Enterprises, Marcus Hale, Loses Everything.”I had imagined this moment many times—how it would feel, how my chest would tighten, and how satisfaction would bloom deep inside me. Instead, what I felt was a sharp pang of pain in my chest. But it won’t hold me down. My steps quickened as I glided down the stairs, my pulse racing.“Maxwell, hurry,” I said into the phone, ending the call before he could reply.“Mr. Carter, why are you in such a rush?!” Elizabeth, the senior maid, ran after me, almost breathless as she struggled to keep up. “The time has come.” I said calmly. “That’s why.” She raised an eyebrow. “The time for what?” “For something long overdue.” My smile sharpened. “Revenge is best served when cold.” “What revenge?” She asked, confusion clouding her face. “One I have been patient with,” I responded. “And it begins right now. I’m heading to New York.” Her eyes widened. “You can’t be serious. Who will run the company here?”The evening breeze
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-27
Chapter: Chapter threeCYRUS’ POVThe words rang in my ears like a church bell on repeat. My lips trembled, my legs went numb, and my mouth fell open as I struggled to breathe.“Marcus,” his name was the only thing I could manage. “Is this—”“I’ve already signed the agreement,” he cut in sharply. “I don’t need your opinion. All I need is your signature.”“Who is back?” I asked.“Maxwell,” he replied without hesitation. “My boyfriend.”The words shattered something inside me. My breathing turned heavy, hot tears burning at the corners of my eyes.“Boyfriend?” I echoed, and he nodded.That picture I once saw hidden in his drawer suddenly made sense.So it was him.“You had a boyfriend while you were in a contract marriage with me?” My voice shook. “Wasn’t it clearly stated that we weren’t allowed to be in a romantic relationship with anyone else?”“I’m glad you understand what the word anyone means,” he snapped. “That explains why you opened yourself for me while—”I didn’t let him finish.My hand moved befor
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-27
Chapter: Chapter twoCYRUS’ POV“I wonder why I had to wait that long to pop your hole, stepbrother,” he said casually, laughing.I forced a smile—one that didn’t reach my heart.“You don’t have anything to say?” he asked, stepping closer. His breath brushed my face. “What’s wrong, husband?”“Nothing,” I lied. “I need to take a shower.”I slid off the bed, my thighs brushing together. I glanced down and froze—slick between them, his mess and mine.“Cyrus,” he called softly.“I just need a break.”I pushed the bathroom door open, stepped inside, and shut it behind me. Resting my head against the door, I whispered, “This shouldn’t have happened.”My eyes drifted to the bathtub. I crossed the room and slowly lowered myself into it, letting the water swallow me whole.It all started five years ago, after my father’s sudden death by poison. I was reduced to nothing—no house, no fame, no money. I was nothing more than a fly.My mother and I became a burden.No one stepped forward to help us. Not even my father’
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-27
Chapter: Chapter oneCYRUS’ POVA divorce agreement.He wanted to end this. End us.“Why?” I asked, my throat dry, sweat forming as my hands trembled.His gaze held mine, steady and unfeeling.“He’s back.”A FEW MINUTES AGO ~~~My fingers dug into his hair as I arched my lower back, spreading my legs apart while my head fell backward as the first touch of his tongue—a knowing swipe—grazed my hole, a burning sensation blooming inside me. “Marcus.” I moaned, shooting my ass up. “Hmmm,” he hummed. “How do I make you feel?” “Good. Ahhh—” I cried out of ecstasy. “Fuck…” “You haven’t given a reply.” He teased, his tongue still gently teasing my hole. “You make me feel good.” I muttered, my voice coming out nervous. My eyes locked with his and he smirked. “I know it’s your first time. But I still want you to know how good sex can be.” “Teach me.” I said, breathless.“Beg me.” He uttered, sharply.“Please— Marcus.” I pleaded, my body shaking tremendously. His tongue finally slid in. I shut my eyes as it d
Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-12-27
Masuk
