ログイン~CAKE~The car stopped in front of my mother’s house, and I didn’t wait for anyone to open the door for me before stepping out.“Come back for me later,” I said, already reaching for my bag.Neither of them moved.I turned, brows raised. “Did you hear what I said?”One of them shifted. “We’re supposed to stay with you, ma’am.”I let out a dry laugh. “It’s my mother’s house.”I stared at them for a second, then shook my head. “You people want to suffocate me here too?”They exchanged looks again, clearly debating whether disobeying me was worse than disobeying Nico.“I said go,” I repeated, firmer this time. “I’ll call when I’m done.”That did it. The engine came back on, and the car slowly reversed out of the driveway before disappearing down the street.Better.I picked up my bag and walked to the door, pushing it open after a quick knock. “Mama?”I barely finished calling before she appeared, and the moment she saw me, her entire face lit up.“Cake!”She hurried over, and I met her
~CAKE~By the time the third bottle of Hennessy landed on the table, everything already felt loose and blurry in the best way.The room was dark, red lights flashing across the walls, bass shaking everything so hard I could feel it in my teeth. Thick smoke from the blunt I was pulling on hung heavy in the air. My head felt light, my body warm all over, and nothing outside this room mattered anymore. We had booked the whole VIP section just for the two of us and ordered exactly what we wanted — four tall, masked male strippers. No girls, no mixed crowd. Just us and them.Elianna screamed with laughter as one of the masked strippers spun her around fast. She almost lost her balance but caught herself on his chest, giggling like crazy. “Again! Do it again!” she yelled, her eyes already red and glassy from the weed and all the drink.I laughed too, the sound bubbling out easily. My legs felt a bit wobbly but I moved to the beat anyway, swaying my hips. The music was loud and nasty, the ki
~CAKE~By the time the third bottle of Hennessy landed on the table, everything already felt loose and blurry in the best way.The room was dark, red lights flashing across the walls, bass shaking everything so hard I could feel it in my teeth. Thick smoke from the blunt I was pulling on hung heavy in the air. My head felt light, my body warm all over, and nothing outside this room mattered anymore. We had booked the whole VIP section just for the two of us and ordered exactly what we wanted — four tall, masked male strippers. No girls, no mixed crowd. Just us and them.Elianna screamed with laughter as one of the masked strippers spun her around fast. She almost lost her balance but caught herself on his chest, giggling like crazy. “Again! Do it again!” she yelled, her eyes already red and glassy from the weed and all the drink.I laughed too, the sound bubbling out easily. My legs felt a bit wobbly but I moved to the beat anyway, swaying my hips. The music was loud and nasty, the ki
~NICO~I had the security footage pulled up on my desktop, replaying the same ten seconds over and over again. The stretch of road was narrow, poorly lit, and just busy enough to make anything look accidental if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Tomaso’s car came into view first, steady speed, no hesitation, no sign of distress. Then the second vehicle appeared from the side street and drove straight into him.On the surface, it looked clean. Too clean.I slowed it down, watching the moment just before impact again. The brake lights on Tomaso’s car flashed briefly. Not a full stop, not even close, just a tap. Early. Controlled. Like he knew exactly what was coming.That was the problem.If it was an ambush, he reacted too soon. If it wasn’t, then he anticipated it. And if Tomaso Greco anticipated something like that and still let it happen, then it wasn’t an accident and it wasn’t a mistake. It was deliberate.“Interesting.” I muttered.I replayed it again, this time focusing
~CAKE~“I’m still not over that last take,” Elianna said, laughing as she tipped her glass back. “The one where you almost slipped.”“I didn’t almost slip,” I shot back. “My heel shifted.”“You nearly broke your neck.”“I would have recovered.”“You would have fallen, and your husband would have ordered my death.”I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my champagne, shaking my head at her. “You’re such a hater.”“And you’re dramatic.”“That’s rich coming from you.”We both laughed again, louder this time.Music played from the speakers behind us, nothing too crazy, just enough to carry the mood. The pool lights were on, the water calm, bottles of champagne sitting in a bucket by the edge.This wasn’t random.This was a celebration.My celebration.“One billion,” Elianna said again, like she still couldn’t believe it. “Do you actually understand what you just signed today?”I leaned back against the edge of the pool, glass in hand. “I understand that we’re both about to make a ridiculous a
~NICO~Bianca opened the door like she had been standing there waiting for the exact second I would arrive.She didn’t ask why I was there.She didn’t need to.Her eyes went straight to my face first, then lower—taking in my clothes, the cuffs, the faint streak of blood that hadn’t fully dried yet.She paused, not in fear, but in recognition.Her lips curved slowly. “You’re angry,” she said, stepping aside to let me in. “So I’ll answer my own question.”I walked past her without acknowledging it, my gaze sweeping the penthouse out of habit.Behind me, the door shut.“You didn’t even bother to clean up,” she added, her tone softer now, more curious than concerned.“Does it matter?” I asked.“It does to the people who usually bleed around you,” she replied lightly.I said nothing.I felt her approach anyway.Her fingers came to rest on my sleeve, right where the blood had darkened the fabric. She traced it slowly, her touch deliberate.“Fresh,” she murmured. Then she looked up at me. “S







