Novels by Rose Pearly

I snapped out of my spiraling thoughts and leaned in even closer, careful not to let the wood creak beneath my weight."Do you think I would have been able to carry on with my life if you had died that night? How the fuck would I have explained to the world that we were having sex and I unintentionally choked you hard enough that you passed away?"Holy mother of sin.My eyes widened like saucers, and I swear my knees buckled a little. Ace is a beast in bed.For a moment, I just stood there frozen, processing. Then—like something out of a filthy, forbidden fantasy—my lips curled into a grin. He must have choked Megan during sex—so hard she blacked out? Goddamn. So that’s what happened. That's why Megan’s been acting like a haunted ghost lately. She got a taste of that dangerous side of Ace… and it almost sent her straight to the afterlife.That explains all the guilt on Ace's face and drama between them. But now all I could think about was how that same strength would feel grippin

**Aria**I'm so fucking pissed at Ace right now.Ever since his royal highness had a fallout with his Queen, he's made it his personal mission to treat me like emotional garbage disposal. He gets one glare from Megan and suddenly I'm the problem? Like I caused the marital apocalypse.Newsflash? I didn't.I don't even know what they're fighting about. Could be taxes. Could be toothbrushes. Could be that Ace finally snapped under the weight of being a man with too much ego and too little sense. All I know is, it's not about me. At least, that's what I'm telling myself. Megan's still sugary sweet to me when she's home, which clearly means I haven't been marked as the villain... yet.Still, the tension in this house is enough to choke a bitch.And Ace? That man's walking around like a brooding storm cloud with a permanent stick up his ass. The same ass I've been trying to tap for months, mind you. But now? Every time I so much as breathe in the same room, he looks at me like I invente

She looked stunned for a moment—like my words had smacked the breath right out of her. But it passed quickly, too quickly. That smug, infuriating smile crept across her face as she reached out and brushed a nonexistent speck of dust off my shirt. Her fingers lingered just a second too long, deliberate and mocking. “Fine,” she murmured, her voice as smooth as poison. “I’m the root of that argument. But there’s always a way out.” I narrowed my eyes. “And what way is that?” She met my gaze dead-on, no flinch, no shame. “Fuck me, Ace.” I blinked, actually stunned for a second. I stared at her, unsure if I’d heard right, unsure if she was real or just some twisted hallucination sent to test the last shred of control I was holding onto. She had to be insane. Or possessed. Or both. “What?” I said, my voice low and dangerous. She smiled wider, lips curling like a cat who’d cornered its prey. “Have sex with me. Just once. That’s all I’m asking. You do that, and the game ends. No

I glared at her. She looked down at the shattered glass on the floor, then back at me. Her eyes were wide, lips slightly parted in shock. Good. Let the bitch tremble. Let her finally understand I wasn’t in the mood.I didn’t say a damn word. Just stood up, my chair scraping against the tile as I shoved it back, and stormed off to my room.The moment I slammed the door behind me, I dragged a hand down my face, breathing hard. I couldn’t go to the office like this. One wrong look, one careless word, and I’d fire every goddamn person who crossed my path. I knew it. I was on the edge.So I holed myself up in the study instead. Tried to focus. Opened my laptop, stared at the glowing screen like it could fix me. Typed a few lines, deleted them. Made a few calls, barked some instructions. It was all pointless. My head wasn’t there.All I could think about was her.I must’ve called Megan over twenty times. Texted even more. I’m sorry.I didn’t mean to hurt you.What time will you be back

I stayed outside her hospital room, pacing the sterile corridor like a ghost tethered to guilt. “She’s been discharged,” the nurse said calmly. “She’s free to go now.”I stood up instantly, my heart in my throat. The door opened, and Megan stepped out.She was limping.My stomach turned to stone.I moved toward her instinctively, reaching out. “Let me help—”She didn’t say a word. Just brushed past me like my touch might corrode her. Like even air shared with me was poison. My hand dropped uselessly to my side.I swallowed and turned to the nurse, murmuring a quiet, “Thank you” She gave a soft nod.I followed Megan down the hall like a shadow—silently, guiltily, hopelessly. She didn’t look back once.When we got to the car, I opened the passenger side door for her. She hesitated only briefly before lowering herself into the seat with a wince. I got in on the driver's side and started the engine. The silence was unbearable, but I didn’t dare break it. I wanted to say something—God,

“No,” she said quickly, but firmly. “Nothing alarming. I just want to have a word.”I hesitated, glancing toward the direction of Megan’s room. But I nodded and followed her down the quiet hallway, my mind racing.Her office was small and sterile, the fluorescent lights humming quietly above us. She gestured to the seat across from her desk. I sat down slowly, my palms still damp.She sat as well, folding her hands in front of her.“I just want to be clear that this isn’t an accusation,” she began calmly, “but during the examination, we noticed a few things I felt obligated to bring to your attention.”I leaned forward, tense. “What do you mean?”“As we examined your wife,” she began gently, “we noticed multiple bruises across her body. Most of them appear consistent with… sexual activity.”I exhaled sharply, nodding. “Yeah. We were… we were having sex. And then suddenly she just stopped moving.” My voice cracked. “She went limp. I thought she was—shit, I didn’t know what was happen