Novel-novel oleh ammienwaeze

Leyla’s PovThe restaurant door swings shut behind me, the chime of the bell sounding like it's tolling for her. Alora thinks she’s actually done something. She thinks that Pinterest-aesthetic white linen dress and that massive, overcompensated rock on her finger make her the main character.Delusional. She’s just a shiny new toy in a gilded cage, and she’s in for a literal nightmare.My phone buzzes on the table, my Uber's here. I stomp off, the pavement shaking under my heels like it understands I’m not in the mood for grace. This outfit? Big mistake. I need to be in leather. Where's the smoke too? Jezzzzz! And a boot girll.I dial his number, straight to voicemail. As usual."GET YOUR PHONE OFF DND, YOU ACTUAL PSYCHO!" I scream into the empty air, my thumbs flying across the screen.I fire off a text: I’m coming over. Don't be "busy."He doesn’t reply, never does. But I know him and his kind of places. Places where he goes when he wants to disappear without actually leaving.High p

Alora’s PovThe city blurs past the car window in a smear of neon and steel, but all I still see is Leyla’s smug. LUCIEN TOOK ME TO SEE HIM. The words settle in slowly. Leyla has always been the perfect twin, known how to make things work for her. She moves with so much ease, one would think the world adjusts itself around her. I’ve never had that. I just take the heat and keep going. If I don't get smart, I already knows how this ends. I’m going to end up as nothing more than a pretty piece of furniture in Lucien’s penthouse with no value."Change of plans," I say, breaking the low hum of the car. “Take me to his office.”The driver’s eyes meet mine in the rearview mirror, hesitant. "Sorry, ma’am. Boss ordered I take you home straight after brunch. No detours.""I didn't ask for his itinerary," I cut him off, my voice ice-flat, the chill in it surprises even me. "I gave you a direction. Turn the car around, or I’ll make sure the next job you’re looking for isn't in this city."He k

Leyla’s PovThe morning light in my apartment is a lot, exposing every loose thread in the rug and the fatigue etched in my face. I’m standing in front of my mirror, wrestling with a sundress over my head. A soft, breathable chiffon with daisies on a pale yellow background. It feels like a sharp contrast to the reality of a woman who has spent the last three nights grinding for tips under neon lights. Alora hit me up last night, talking about brunch. Said we needed to talk. Her treat.I mean… obviously. Was I meant to pay? You’re rich now, babe. Duhhh.My phone's blowing up on the dressing table just as I’m over here struggling with a stubborn knot in my hair, my fingers already loosing the battle. I peep at the screen and the name pulls a real smile out of me. The 'Oh, it's you' smile.“I know you couldn't get enough of me,” I say, slipping the phone between my shoulder and ear while I hunt for a hair tie. “You were blowing up my phone last night, boyyy. You know that’s when I work.

Lucien’s PovThe penthouse hits me with saffron and a cold silence. I toss my keys onto the console, the clock echoing through the empty foyer. My head is pounding; a relic of a twelve-hour day spent in boardrooms. I don't want to fight. I just want a drink, a hot shower, and a blackout curtain over the world.But my fiancée is waiting.Of course she is.Alora is in the kitchen, leaning against the kitchen counter with a glass of red wine on one hand and her phone in the other. She's dressed in a black sheer, floor-length silk robe. Her hair is rolled up in a bun, exposing that beautiful neck line. The fabric flows around her as she moves, hinting at the shape beneath, held together by a single ribbon at her waist.The table is set, suggesting an unexpected welcome."You're late. Long day?” she asks, lifting her eyes from her phone to me.I chuckle dryly, massaging my temple. "Try 12 hours of being competent while everyone waits for you to mess up."She gives me a thumbs up while gulp

Alora's PovThe car door opens with a soft, reluctant sigh. I step out, my coat brushing the seat before I tug it back into place. Sunlight spills into the cafe like a soft filter, all warm and sharp. Dust motes radiates in its beam, like they're suddenly alive. It hits my skin and it's like my chest is lowkey screaming, like it might shatter or dissolve. I scan the cafe.There he is. My hands start to shake. I feel like I'm on the run or something, even though Lucien's security detail is parked in the black SUV across the street, eyes on us like they're glued there. I walk over and slide into the booth across from him, the red vinyl sticking to my skin."Always stunning," he says, his eyes tracing the hollow of my throat down to my boobs. "Took you long enough.""We're here to talk," I whisper, the words tumbling out of me. "Lucien. What..."Marcel doesn't let me finish. He leans in, the scent of his perfume all over us. Instead of taking my hand, he lifts his index finger and pres

Lucien’s PovIt's just the two of us in the penthouse now, the city lights below us.I step up behind her without saying a word, inhaling the scent of her, the perfume I bought her, layered over the faint, sweet scent of the girl I remember from when I was Nineteen. I slide my hands over her shoulders, pulling her back to me. She stiffens, a small gasp escaping her, before she goes unnervingly still.Mine, my mind whispers. A dark, possessive chant that has only grown louder with time. But even as it rises, part of me wonders if I’ve mistaken ownership for love. "You were perfect tonight," I murmur against her skin as my lips graze the curves of her neck. I can feel her pulse fluttering, erratic and wild.I turn her slowly. I want to see the fire in her eyes, even if it's fueled by hate. I kiss her without asking. My hand finds the zipper of her dress, the cool metal sliding down as I trace the bare line of her back. As the silk loosens, I let my fingers trail over the bare skin of h