Whatever it was that the man did, he felt glad that he did it, whether he abused her or committed murder. Whatever it was, it brought her back to him, and for that, he felt delighted. Mason turned to the table, grabbed his cup of whiskey, and downed the contents in a gulp. As if drinking the alcohol jolted every bolt of anger in him, every memory came crawling back with deep claws piercing through his insides. He smashed the empty glass against the wall beside her and saw her flinch. ‘ Oh she should be trembling, cause I haven't even started ‘ Mason muttered in his mind. His mind drifted back to how they flirted before him, and a dark chuckle tore out of his throat. “ You still haven't fucking answer me,” he yelled, “ wasn't he satisfying you?” His breath was harsh and ragged. How could she? How dare she? Everything was supposed to be his. “ I gave you nothing but my love,” he said, remembering how considerate he was when he married her, gave her comfort and his arms when a p
| Later that night —Antonio’s Penthouse |Eloise was curled up on the couch when she heard the door open. Her heart skipped a beat upon hearing the sound. She'd been patiently waiting for his return, and the moment he walked in, she jumped to her feet.She stood, expecting the usual smug, composed Antonio. But something was different tonight.His shirt was dark. His hands were bare. His knuckles were red like he'd spent his night punching something.Her pulse quickened.“ Hey,” he muttered as he walked past her.Then it hit her nose —a faint iron-heavy smell. Raw, sharp, unmistakable.Blood.She swirled back towards him,“ Where have you been?” She asked, her heart racing in hope she was wrong.Without turning back, he headed towards the bar, answering “ taking care of some business.”She blinked, her throat felt dry, and her steps felt heavy as she stepped closer to him. She hid her trembling hands by clenching her fist and masking her expression.“Why do you smell like—”“Paint?” he
The hospital ward had grown quiet again, except for the soft beeping of a heart monitor and the occasional murmur of distant nurses. But Eloise could barely hear any of it. Her body froze. Luther is missing. The words clanged in her head like an alarm she couldn’t silence. She turned slowly to Laera. “Cops were around for him?” “ Hm,” Laera nodded, “ So… they're arresting him?” Laera snorted. “Please. You think it’s that easy to take down a man like Antonio? They came for a visit and to ask a few questions.” Eloise heaved a sigh of relief, “Maybe he has nothing to do with it,” “ C'mon, Elly, it was said that the last time Luther was seen, he was roughed up by Antonio's men. Nobody's seen Luther since then.” Eloise’s throat went dry. Her lips parted but no words came. She thought he'd handed him over to the police. But rough him up? Missing since then? Her chest tightened. Her memory flickered to the man he crippled just because he lied about it. Eloise placed
Eloise blinked as Laera's face glowed out of her phone screen. She smiled as the FaceTime call finally connected. “ Elly,” her voice cooed out, her face filling the screen, “ How are you feeling?” “ Hi Laera, I'm feeling better, thanks,” “ Visited you yesterday, but you were fast asleep, I feel so glad and relieved that nothing happened.” Eloise’s pulse quickened when she said she came around the previous day, “ Antonio didn't mention that you came around,” “ Might have skipped his mind,” “ Oh, thanks for coming, really,” “ I'm glad you didn't come to work today, you need to take enough rest and don't worry about your work, Oliver made Mary do everything and she deserves that.” Eloise smiled, “ I don't think it's her fault though,” “ Oh please, that bitch set you up, Antonio never instructed her to give you any files,” “ Eh? What…,” Eloise furrowed her brow, lost for words, “ So she was just bossing me around?” “ Well, this will be the last time she'll pull a crazy stunt li
Feeling much better, Eloise’s bare feet padded softly out of her room, heading for the stairs. Dressed in a blue shirt that reaches her thigh and a half-shouldered free blouse. Her hair neatly combed, cascaded down her shoulders. She doesn't look like she's had a fever the previous day; she looked all radiant and energetic. Eloise paused, inhaling deeply to confirm if she was mistaken. She stepped down the stairs and shut her eyes, halting her steps with her nostrils flaring. The air was thick with something rich and buttery, sweet, savory, and yet refined.“ Hmm,” she let the scent wrap her like a lover's embrace.“ My favorite,” she muttered inaudibly.Wagyu ribeye with truffle mashed potatoes, and not just any ribeye, but thick-cut 45 Japanese Wagyu.Oh gosh... She flung her eyes open and headed straight to the kitchen.The moment she got to the kitchen, she gasped a little. Her voice caught in her throat.There he was. Antonio Brayden.Her lips parted as her gaze lingered on hi
Mason stood before the window, his reflection faint in the glass as the city lights blinked back at him like indifferent stars. His shirt hung halfway off his shoulder, belt forgotten on the floor, his chest still heaving lightly—not from pleasure, but from the madness that had just emptied itself into the wrong woman. Behind him is Priscilia, pulling her blouse over her shoulders, adjusting it in silence. She looked satisfied, but only in the way someone would after surviving a storm, not basking in it. She didn’t speak. She didn’t have to. Because when she reached for her heels, Mason finally turned, voice cool and flat. “Was it good enough for a promotion?” Priscilia paused and smirked a little. Guess he understood her reason for coming over. “Depends. Are you going to remember it tomorrow, or pretend it didn’t happen?” He gave a quiet snort. “Did it happen?” “That’s up to you, Mason. More might be on the way, if you’re willing to acknowledge this.” She said and clicked