Chapter: 43. Rule Number OneIVORY POV"She is allowed to enroll in the Royal Academy, alongside my daughter, Evelyn."The Head Guardian’s final decree still echoed in my ears as the heavy brass doors finally swung shut behind us. The suffocating pressure of the council chamber faded slightly, replaced by the cool, drafty air of the grand corridor. My knees felt weak, like jelly, and I had to resist the urge to slide right down against the dark mahogany paneling and bury my face in my hands.Before I could even open my mouth to ask my mom the million questions screaming in my brain, a heavy hand clapped onto her shoulder.It was Roy, the burly man who had escorted us to our quarters earlier. "Rose," he said, his voice low and serious. "The Head Guardian requests your presence in her private chambers. For further discussions. Alone."My mom went completely rigid beside me. She looked down at me, her eyes filled with a mixture of intense anxiety and strict warning."Ivory, stay right here in the hallway. Do not wan
Last Updated: 2026-06-27
Chapter: 42. The Royal AcademyIVORY POVThe night air was heavy and entirely devoid of the familiar city sounds I had grown up with. There were no sirens, no distant hum of highway traffic, and no comforting buzz of smartphones vibrating in my pockets. Instead, there was an oppressive, ancient silence that seemed to press down on my chest as we stood at the base of the hill.We were currently staring at the council building, which easily seemed to be the tallest structure in the entire territory so far.It was an old building, but it still stood tall and imposing against the dark velvet of the night sky. The architecture was completely unlike anything from the modern world it was constructed from massive blocks of weathered, dark gray stone that looked as though they had been pulled straight from the earth centuries ago. Ivy climbed aggressively up the western facade, its dark leaves whispering in the wind like a gathering crowd. The windows were long, narrow slits encased in heavy wrought-iron frames, casting sh
Last Updated: 2026-05-27
Chapter: 41. Stand DownIVORY POVThe ride went on for hours and hours, stretching on and on until the constant motion felt like a punishment.Just when I thought the nightmare had to be over, the driver Marco happily announced from the front seat that we had only just covered half of the journey.That was the breaking point for my body.A sudden wave of nausea hit me so hard that I couldn't breathe, and I violently emptied my stomach contents into a small trash bag Marco tossed to the back. My head pounded, and my skin felt clammy and cold. Seeing me look so pale, Mom reached into a bag and pulled out a light snack of crackers and a juice box. I forced them down, completely exhausted. Slowly, the rocking of the van caught up to me, and my eyelids started to get droopy.Darkness blinded my vision. As the world faded, I fell fast asleep, with the agonizing thoughts of Daniel still lingering on my mind. Where was he? Was he looking for me? Did he think I ran away from him?A light tap on my shoulders rudely s
Last Updated: 2026-05-19
Chapter: 40. Marco FasterIVORY POV"What? Mom, you cannot be serious? He is literally my boyfriend!" My voice cracked as I shouted over the sound of the engine. The golden glow of the prom was fading, replaced by the harsh, clinical orange of the streetlights."What do you mean 'stay away from him'? You might as well tell us to break up!""Ivory, you have to listen to me! Just do as I say and everything will be fine," she snapped, her eyes fixed on the road, her knuckles white."Even when you are wrong? Even when you speak like you’re slowly losing your mind?" I felt the sting of hot tears. I couldn't wrap my head around it. "I can’t believe you are saying this after you treated Daniel like your literal favorite son! You beamed at him! You trusted him!"The argument didn't stop. It raged all the way to our front door....a bitter, ugly back-and-forth that felt like tearing a seam. I was desperate to defend the boy who had just crowned me his queen, and she was desperate to lock me in a cage built of ghost sto
Last Updated: 2026-05-03
Chapter: 39. Faster MarcoIVORY POV The morning sun filtered through my curtains, stinging my eyes and pulling me out of a heavy, dreamless sleep. My hand instinctively reached for the empty space beside me before I remembered I was in my own room, not the sprawling, silk-covered bed at the Connor mansion. I groaned as I rolled over, feeling a sharp twinge in my lower back and a dull ache in my thighs. My phone buzzed on the nightstand a string of notifications that made my heart do a little somersault. 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑫𝒊𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍, 𝑴𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆? 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕. 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒎𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒖𝒎𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒔. 𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒆𝒍: 𝑨𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒆? 𝑰 𝒎𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒎𝒆. I bit my lip, a heat creeping up my neck that had nothing to do with the morning sun. I typed back a quick, “I’m perfectly fine, stop worrying,” but
Last Updated: 2026-05-03
Chapter: 38. You Have To Believe MeIVORY POV The drive back from Daniel’s felt like floating through a dream. My skin still felt the ghost of his touch, and the air in the car seemed to hum with the memory of his voice. I pulled into our driveway at the exact minute Mom had demanded....midnight sharp. I didn't want to give her any reason to fuel her new, strange paranoia. The house was dark, save for a single light flickering from the upstairs landing. I let myself in, the click of the lock sounding like a gunshot in the silence. "Mom? Mom? Mom!" I called out, my voice echoing as I climbed the stairs. I headed straight for her bedroom, my heels clicking softly on the floorboards. "Mom, I am back!" I stopped just outside her door. It was slightly ajar, casting a thin, sharp line of light across the hallway. I was about to push it open, but the sound of her voice stopped me. It wasn't her "Mom" voice—the one she used to ask about my day. It was frantic. Cold. I peered through the crack. She was prancing around the
Last Updated: 2026-05-03
Craved By My Husband's Best Friend
Marissa was the perfect wife. She gave up her high powered corporate career to build a beautiful life supporting her husband, Ethan—home cooked meals, a curated home, and unwavering loyalty. But her world shatters when Ethan confesses to a four-month affair, not out of guilt, but because his mistress is blackmailing him for $300 million.
His solution is as cold as his betrayal: “Cheat back. Get even. Stay married.”
Fueled by rage and humiliation, Marissa agrees. Determined to reclaim her power, she steps into the night seeking one reckless moment to erase the sting of his betrayal. It leads her to an exclusive masquerade club, where identities are hidden and desire rules. Behind a mask, she meets a commanding stranger—mysterious, intoxicating, and unlike anyone she has ever known.
For one night, he sees her not as a wife, but as a woman with fire still burning inside her. Their connection is intense, unforgettable. By morning, Marissa disappears, intending to leave it as nothing more than a calculated act of revenge.
But some secrets refuse to stay buried.
When she returns to the corporate world, Marissa comes face to face with the man behind the mask....Xavier Sterling, her former boss, a ruthless billionaire CEO… and Ethan’s best friend.
Xavier recognizes her. He knows her in ways no one else does and he knows exactly what Ethan did.
Now, Marissa is trapped in a dangerous web. Her husband is desperate to keep her, his mistress wants her gone, and Xavier is determined to claim the one woman he was never meant to touch.
As power, betrayal, and desire collide, Marissa must decide....will she remain a pawn in their game or become the one who controls it?
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Chapter: 67. Conference Room AMarissa POVBefore I could even finish processing Vivienne’s petty exit, John’s booming voice echoed across the department floor, cutting through the low hum of chatter."Conference room A, everyone! Five minutes! We are running through the preliminary blueprints for the Sterling Holdings center, and I want every single designer in their seat!"A collective groan rippled through the office as my colleagues scrambled to gather their laptops and notebooks. My stomach plummeted straight to my feet. A sudden, unannounced presentation on a Monday morning was bad enough, but doing it while being the main topic of office gossip was absolute torture.I quickly grabbed my flash drive, doublechecked my rendered files, and walked into the glasswalled conference room.The moment I walked in, the room fell into a heavy, uncomfortable quiet. Vivienne was already seated near the head of the table next to John, looking like a predator waiting for her prey. She cast a deliberate, theatrical glance at
Last Updated: 2026-08-23
Chapter: 66. GossipMarissa POV Monday morning came way too fast. Monday was normally my least favorite day of the week, but this particular one felt like a nightmare. I knew by now that Vivienne would have spread malicious rumors about me all around the office. My only desperate hope was that the news hadn't passed our department block yet.To think all of this was happening because of a damn bottle of soy sauce. I still couldn't get over the nerve of Xavier showing up at my door later that same Sunday with the sauce in hand. The silly, unbothered look on his face while I berated him inwardly was etched into my memory."Universe, if you save me from this today, I promise to always be on my best behavior," I whispered under my breath as I grabbed my bag. It was a complete lie, but I was willing to say anything to get out of this bad luck.I really wished I could skip work today, but running away would only make me look guilty and make the situation ten times worse.Imagine my absolute annoyance and frus
Last Updated: 2026-08-18
Chapter: 65. MisunderstandingMarissa POVThere is nothing worse than being on the absolute brink of starvation on a lazy Sunday morning, only to realize you are missing the one ingredient that holds your entire meal together.I stood over my kitchen counter, staring down at my pan with a spatula in hand, my stomach letting out a growl so loud it practically echoed off the walls. I was missing soy sauce. Just a single tablespoon of dark soy sauce, and my morning would be saved.My mind instantly drifted to the front door across the hall. Xavier.I cringed, holding my forehead as the memory of yesterday slammed into me. The amusement park. The Ferris wheel. The absolute silence as he leaned across the glass cabin, his hand resting on my cheek, and his lips pressing softly against mine. My face burned at the sheer thought of it. How was I supposed to just knock on his door and ask for cooking ingredients after a moment like that? It was beyond awkward.I stared at my half cooked food. My head was pounding, my knees
Last Updated: 2026-08-17
Chapter: 64. Amusement ParkMarissa POV It had been a full week since I started suspecting that Xavier Sterling might actually be Silver Mask. Every time the thought crossed my mind, connecting the claw marks on his neck, the silver glitter in his car, and how he knew my exact address, I felt completely twisted up. Half of me felt insane for thinking my arrogant boss was the guy from the club, while the other half was terrified of what it meant if I was right. To make matters worse, Alina and I had not talked all week because of our chaotic schedules. So I was totally thrown off when my apartment doorbell rang at eight o'clock on a sunny Saturday morning. I opened the door and found Alina standing on my welcome mat. She brought Roosevelt along, and before I could even rub the sleep out of my eyes, she told us all that we were going to an amusement park. I did not really have a choice, so I went to change. I put on a fitted white tank top, high-waisted jeans, and my white sneakers. When we walked down t
Last Updated: 2026-08-17
Chapter: 62. Future Gordan RamsayMarissa POV “Or maybe he just went to the club to have fun like any other normal person,” I reasoned, trying to sound completely unbothered while mentally begging my heart to stop pounding. “Alina, you are describing your brother as if he is a monk.” “Well, he is, okay? He actually is a monk,” she insisted, threw her hands up dramatically. “Oh no, no, Marissa. The tabloids would have pasted his face everywhere, baby. ‘CEO of Sterling Holdings Wasted at a VIP Club!’ That kind of scandal is going to affect stocks, baby!” I couldn't help but shake my head with a faint trace of pity for the poor man. How could his personal life be everyone's business? Every movement scrutinized, every late night turned into a headline. Just then, a deep, velvety voice rumbled right behind us, making us both jump with hesitation. “Gossiping about me, I see.” I spun around to see Xavier strutting toward us across the polished lobby floor. He was impeccably tailored as always, wearing a dark navy suit
Last Updated: 2026-08-17
Chapter: 62. Who Could She Possibly Be?Marissa POV “Perhaps because he is in the same circle as my boss, Xav must have known to drop me here since I mentioned being his neighbor…” I reasoned in my head, exhaling a slow, shaky breath.I smoothed down the wrinkled hem of my outfit, making a strict mental note to grill him about it later when my head wasn't spinning so wildly.I turned around to head toward the lobby glass doors, taking two steps forward before a warm hand suddenly landed squarely on my shoulder."Ah!" I shrieked, jumping half a foot into the air and spinning around with my heart hammering against my ribs.Standing there with her hands planted firmly on her hips, looking like an elite interrogator caught in the middle of a high-stakes crime scene, was Alina."None of my tenants are currently in this building... why is that? Was it planned?" she bombarded me without even letting me catch my breath, her sharp eyes darting from my ruined, messy hair down to my silver heels."Can you... can you come again?" I as
Last Updated: 2026-08-14
The Beta's Forsaken Daughter
"Do you honestly think a cosmic mate bond will stop me from taking the Luna title?" Lyra sneered, twisting the silver heirloom ring that used to belong to my mother.
"Blaine and I already shook hands on this marriage months ago. Fated or not, I am the only choice to rule this pack, and he loves me, not a wolfless glitch like you."
She tapped a manicured nail against his chest, her eyes flashing with malice. "Go ahead, Blaine. Free yourself from this mistake."
Blaine didn't even blink as he looked down at me. "I, Blaine Cross of the Eclipse pack, formally reject you, Isabella Brooks, as my fated mate and future Luna. You are stripped of your name and your place in our bloodline."
Growing up as the Beta’s daughter, Isabella Brooks was supposed to inherit everything. But when her shifting ceremony turned into a public failure, her perfect life fractured into a nightmare. Branded a fraud, stripped of her rank, and treated like a slave by the pack she was born to lead, her breaking point arrives when her own fated mate publicly rejects her for her treacherous stepsister.
Left with nothing, Isabella escapes into the royal Iridescent Wolfe Ball hoping to get eliminated and... finally Freedom at last. But she was in for a big surprise because not only did she manage to make enemies but also caught the eye of the ultimate tyrant: Alpha King Killian Blackwood
What happens when the wolfless exile becomes the King's dangerous secret weapon?
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Chapter: 56. 𝑊ℎ𝑒𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑝𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑦Isabella POVThe music ended, and Killian didn't let go of my hand right away. He held it a beat too long, long enough that I saw Valerie notice from the dais, her painted smile tightening at the edges, before he finally released me and inclined his head toward a side archway half-hidden behind a bank of white orchids."This way," he said, low enough that it wouldn't carry. "Unless you'd rather field questions from Nora about why the dance ran twenty seconds longer than everyone else's.""When you put it that way."I followed him through the archway, down a short flight of stone steps, and out onto a narrow balcony overlooking the eastern gardens. The night air was sharp after the heat of the ballroom, and I wrapped my arms around myself before I could stop the reflex.Killian noticed, of course. He always noticed. He shrugged out of his formal jacket and settled it over my shoulders before I could protest, the warmth of it ...the warmth of him settling over me like something I hadn't
Last Updated: 2026-08-30
Chapter: 55. Twelve DancesIsabella POV"Lady Gemma Ashworth," Valerie called first, her voice carrying easily over the hushed ballroom. A ripple of polite applause followed as Gemma rose, smoothing her skirts with a small, pleased smile, though she shot me a quick, wide-eyed look over her shoulder before making her way toward the dance floor."Lady Iris Fenwick." Iris stood as well, considerably less composed, nearly tripping over the leg of her chair in her haste, earning a few muffled laughs from nearby tables. She caught herself, straightened with as much dignity as she could muster, and marched forward as though nothing at all had happened.I kept my expression neutral as Valerie continued down the list, names I recognized and some I didn't, each candidate rising in turn to polite applause. Nora's posture beside me grew tighter with every name called that wasn't hers, her jaw set, her wine glass gripped just a fraction too firmly."You'd think," Nora muttered under her breath, mostly to herself, "that afte
Last Updated: 2026-08-30
Chapter: 54. A Spa DayIsabella POV"You are back, Isabella! I have been worried sick!" Nora exclaimed the moment I approached, though her eyes had already slid past me and landed squarely on Killian, lingering there with an intensity that made her concern feel like an afterthought."She was with me the entire time," Killian said smoothly, a faint chuckle underscoring the words. "There was no need to worry."Nora's smile flickered, just barely, before she smoothed it back into place. "Of course, Your Majesty. How silly of me to fret over her absence when she was in the safest hands in the kingdom." Her voice was soft, almost sweet, but I caught the edge beneath it. "We shouldn't keep the Council waiting any longer, though. Princess Valerie won't be pleased if this drags on.""Quite right," Killian agreed, and with one final glance in my direction...unreadable, weighted, he turned and disappeared back toward the east receiving hall.I watched him go for a moment longer than I probably should have, then made
Last Updated: 2026-08-29
Chapter: 53. We Are Not MatesIsabella POVI hadn't gotten more than a few steps past Morrigan when Killian's voice cut through the corridor behind me, sharp and commanding even from a distance."Isabella."I froze mid-step, my heart lurching. I hadn't expected him back so soon not with a disturbance at the aqueducts demanding his attention. I turned slowly, arranging my features into something resembling calm composure, though my mind was already racing through excuses for why I'd wandered so far from his study.He was standing at the mouth of the corridor, golden eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made the torchlight around us feel dim by comparison. Before either of us could speak, a second figure emerged from the shadows behind him....an older wolf in the deep gray uniform of the palace guard, a Beta's insignia pinned at his collar."Beta Corwin," Killian said, not taking his eyes off me. "This had better be urgent.""Forgive the intrusion, Your Majesty." The Beta's gaze flicked toward me for the br
Last Updated: 2026-08-29
Chapter: 52. Don't PretendIsabella POVThe corridors grew darker the further we walked from the ballroom, the muffled swell of the orchestra fading into the thick stone walls behind us. Sconces flickered at wide intervals, casting long, trembling shadows that stretched and shrank with every step. I kept my chin lifted, my pace measured and unhurried, though my mind was racing to map every turn we took.. a habit I couldn't seem to shake even now, with his hand resting possessively at the small of my back, right over the place where the tracking thread was sewn into my dress."Where exactly are we going, Killian?" I finally asked, unable to bear the silence any longer."My study," he said simply, as though the answer should have been obvious. "Unless you had somewhere else in mind, little mate.""I only asked so we wouldn't wander too far from the ball," I replied smoothly. "Some of us still have obligations to the other candidates tonight.""Is that so." It wasn't a question. He said it the way he said most thi
Last Updated: 2026-08-29
Chapter: 51. Wild heartsIsabella POVThe entire table fell completely silent as Killian’s commanding presence washed over us. The surrounding court chatter seemed to fade into a muffled hum, replaced by the heavy, oppressive aura of an Alpha King who was accustomed to taking whatever he wanted, whenever he pleased.Nora’s fake smile instantly froze on her face. Her posture straightened, and her eyes widened in a mix of panic and eager desire as she looked up at him. Gemma and Iris immediately lowered their heads in a sharp bow of respect, while Morrigan merely leaned back in her chair, taking a slow sip of her red wine over the rim of her glass with an amused glint in her eyes.“Your Majesty,” Nora breathed out, her voice pitching up into a sweet, overly delicate tone. “We were just helping Isabella settle in and introducing her to the table. We certainly did not mean to monopolize her time if you required her—”“I did not ask for an explanation, Nora,” Killian interrupted smoothly, not even sparing her a gl
Last Updated: 2026-08-28
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