LOGINI spun around so fast, I might have broken my neck. The car door swung open, revealing the mysterious Mr. Hunter. He sat relaxed against the plush leather seat, his piercing eyes fixed intently on me. I almost took a step back but reminded myself of the importance of today's task.
I was taken aback by his extraordinary physical presence. In all my dealings with Luke Hunter, I had never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. He normally sent his assistant. "Miss Jones, if you are done checking me out, we can proceed," he said in a low, but deep voice, his dark gray eyes shining with amusement. "Oh, yes, of course. Sorry about that," I said, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "It was very impolite of me." I slid into the luxurious car and sat across from him. With a deep breath, I opened my file and started explaining my proposal, carefully outlining the value of my shares and the benefits of buying them. "So, let's get this straight," His eyes narrowed slightly as he leaned forward. "You own the rights to all their major projects. The Venco homestead, the Lex Building, the Tevan Estates. And now, you want to sell your shares in the company so you can publicly disclose your involvement in these projects, is that correct?" "Yes Sir," I replied, my voice firm and confident, as I met his piercing gaze. "Now, tell me, Miss Jones, why should I buy shares of a company that's going to be dragged into mud soon?" "Because, even though I designed them, Hales Enterprises still owns the rights," I explained. I already knew my reality "They invested in the projects, which means the best I will get will be a percentage of the profits they generate each year. And if they hire a better lawyer, I may even be forced to sell out my rights entirely.” He didn't seem convinced so I added. "My case can't permanently damage Hales Enterprises. You won't be at a loss." "Oh, but I will," he leaned closer, his voice deep and rich. "The mastermind behind that company is leaving. I don't want to be part of a company that solely relies on past projects to survive." He looked me directly in the eyes. His thumb traced a gentle path along my jaw. “And what's worse, what if you join the competition, or start a company of your own? Will Hales Estates even survive?” He raised my chin so I could face him, his thumb still caressing my jaw. "Real estate is not the only sector in Hales Enterprises," I replied, trying to sound calm even though I was panicking, he was my best chance. His face drew even closer, I could feel his warm breath on my skin, sending shivers down my spine. He smelled like pine and earth. "Miss Jones," Luke whispered, his lips inches from mine. "Uhmm, as I was saying," I continued, trying to focus despite the distraction of his handsome face, "you have always wanted an entry into the Hales group. With my shares in your hands, you will have the power to slowly buy out the Hales group... or destroy it." "But you would prefer I destroy it, right, little one? Is that your wish?" I nodded, his closeness was making me nervous. He laughed, his voice deep and rich, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You are a little devil, you figured you may not be able to destroy Hales Enterprises on your own, so you seek me out, how vengeful." “I….l,l” I was stammering now, but what could I say? Luke Hunter had seen right through me. "You what?" He was so close now, his index finger gently lifted my chin, guiding my face upwards until our eyes met. "You have the most beautiful eyes," he whispered. "Big, round, innocent baby blue eyes, but you're not innocent, are you, little one?" "Mr. Hunter," I said, trying to sound calm and composed. "Do you agree with my proposal?" I held my breath, waiting for his response. In a swift, unexpected move, Luke Hunter pulled me onto his lap, his arms wrapping around me. "Should I? Tell me, Stacy, what will my gain be?" “STACY” I repeated after him "You called me Stacy," my voice was trembling and filled with surprise, curiosity and fear. He smiled, and before I could react, his lips covered mine, I tried to talk, but that only granted him access, and his tongue swept in, hot and demanding. His lips moved on mine in soft caresses, his hand cradling the back of my head. In that moment, I lost myself, melting into the kiss. But then, his hand slid down, and I felt the zipper of my dress slide open, the sound snapping me back to reality. "Mr. Hunter, what are you doing?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly as I tried to push him away. "It would be wrong if you didn't enjoy it, Stacy," he whispered in my ear, as his hand caressed my back, sending shivers down my spine and arousing emotions I hadn't felt in a long time. "Why do you keep calling me Stacy?" I asked, my voice filled with a mix of curiosity and anxiety. "Have we met before?" I searched his eyes, trying to place where we met. "Let's say I have done my research," he said smiling. "You have given me quite the headache these past few years." I looked at him skeptically. "That research must have taken all your time and resources." Stacy was a name I had left in the past, in the rundown orphanage I preferred not to remember. I struggled to free myself from his lap. "I have to go," I said, my voice firm. "Please, call me once you have agreed to my proposal." He held me down, his lips claiming mine once again. The straps of my dress slipped down, exposing my chest and back. "We shouldn't be doing this, Mr. Hunters," I whispered, trying to pull away. "It's wrong." Rather than responding, I felt his hands on my breasts gently caressing, his mouth lowered and he sucked on my other nipple. I couldn't help but moan in pleasure, it felt amazing. "But it feels so good, Stacy," he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. "I have wanted this for so long... so long." His voice trembled with desire. "But ……” I tried to find the right words to stop this. “Call me Luke." "Lukе, can wе..." My voicе trailed off as I felt his tongue roll around my nipple. "Oh, heavеns." I moaned as his hand was caressing my other breast with so much skill I couldn’t focus, I looked at those inviting pink lips, craving another kiss. Those long, skilled fingers would definitely work magic. What are you thinking, Alexa? Have you gone mad? Are you really considering sleeping with a man you have just met? While lost in the kiss his hand on my thigh somehow reached my pants, he gently moved my pants aside and slid his finger deep into my folds. A loud moan escaped my lips. The finger vanished as quickly as it appeared; he sniffed and then sucked it. He smiled, “I finally get to taste you, little Stacy, you are delicious. Do you want to know how you taste?” "Lukе, pleasе," I whispered, but hе silenced mе with another kiss. This timе, hе savored еvery part of my mouth, his lips moving slowly, deliberately. Then, I felt myself being lifted, and my feet touched the ground. Wait a minute! Was that the ground beneath my feet? I did a double take, and my eyes widened in surprise. Yes, I was standing in the Hales Group parking lot. "Oh God, I almost forgot my meeting!" I turned to face Luke, and he was smiling at me. His hands were busy arranging my dress. Then, he handed me my files, his fingers brushing against mine. "You're not safe in my hands, little one," Luke whispered, his voice low and husky. "But in my defense, I kept my distance until you sought me out. Now, you can't run from me." He lifted my hand and placed a gentle kiss. "See you in the meeting," Luke called out, waving the share transfer documents in the air. "I will complete this." I frowned, confused. "What do you mean?" I asked, but he didn't respond. His line of cars was already turning and preparing to depart. I scanned my surroundings, relieved that no one had witnessed our encounter. My dress was still in perfect condition, only that my panties were soaked. "Ohhh Alexa, you really have no self-respect, do you?" I heard a very familiar voice.( ALEXA'S POV)The music played in the background as we moved across the floor, Luke leaned in, a smug smile on his lips. "I am glad to see your body hasn't forgotten who it belongs to," he whispered. I grated my teeth in anger. He twirled me around, pulling me back into his chest suddenly, the closeness sending a shiver down my spine. I hated that my body still reacted to him this way, I needed to get away from this man before I lost my composure and destroyed everything. We didn't have the same idea, because at that moment, he leaned closer, his lips on my ear, he nipped the skin softly. "Have you slept with him yet, little Dove?" he hissed.I slammed my heel down onto his shoe in anger, like he had the right to ask. He let out a sharp hiss of pain but didn't let go, instead, he held me tighter. "Still defiant, I see," he murmured, his warm breath on my ear, making me weak. He spun me one last time, before ending the dance with a mockingly perfect bow.I turned to the now silent
(ALEXA'S POV)Ten days of playing the fool for Garary. I walked into the breakfast room, with a fake smile on my face, across the table, Garary watched me with those analyzing eyes as usual, I am sure he doubted I could buy his lies, but here we were. I turned my attention to little Klaus. He sat there fidgeting with a butter knife. I bent down and pressed a kiss against his warm cheek, he beamed, his face lighting up brightly.“Good morning, Mama,” he said happily in that sweet, high pitched baby voice.I smiled back, playing with his chubby checks. Looking into his gray eyes was like seeing a young Luke, he was a painful reminder of his father.“A package for you, Miss,” a butler suddenly announced.I took it, examining it suspiciously as I turned it over in my hands. Who could send me a package? Since moving in under Garary’s care, I have been isolated from the outside world. The only time I went out was when he took me to work and let the paparazzi capture our beautiful marriage,
(ALEXA'S POV)Luke stood next to his car, silently watching us. He dropped his cigarette, crashing it on the pavement with his heel. I almost went back to the car, I wasn't ready to face him yet. This felt like stepping onto a battlefield. With Luke I still wasn't sure where his loyalty lay.“Wow. I must say, I am impressed,” He laughed mockingly as he watched me in Garary’s arms. His gaze swept over us. “I didn’t believe it at first, but here we are, I still can't believe you two fooled me for that long.” He paused as if lost in thought. “But I am confused, what kind of game were you two playing when Alexa pretended to be Ryan?”So he believed I had been with Garary all along. What story did Garary fabricate during stay at the hospital? I wondered, forgetting my own game. Garary pulled me firmly behind him as his eyes searched mine for any recognition or sign of memory, I lowered my gaze slowly pretending to be lost and confused. Luke was supposed to be a total stranger to me now,
(ALEXA'S POV)I stood there alone, staring at the crumpled piece of paper in my hands. It was a simple command. "Forget him."I knew Linsley had slipped it in my hands before she disappeared, but why, who was I supposed to forget? And more importantly, why? Completely lost in thought, I wandered out of the building and stepped into the street. A car appeared out of nowhere and knocked me hard off the ground. Through the panic, I saw Luke running toward me, he stretched his hands trying to catch me, but he was too late. My head slammed against the cold pavement, and the world went black.When I finally gained back my consciousness, my eyes burned. I was in a really bright room, basing off the scent I was in a hospital. Everything was quiet except the voices whispering next to me. "Do you think she remembers?" a woman whispered.But her voice was familiar, it was Linsley. I fought hard to adjust to the light. I wanted a glass of water."I don't think so, Lin," a man replied with a hea
(ALEXA'S POV)I wanted to laugh. Was she mocking me, or just stalling for time?"The Orchid has existed for five centuries," Linsley repeated, her voice low but serious. "And so have we."I stared at her. Did she actually believe she was some kind of vampire? If my life wasn't full of ridiculous realities, I would have laughed. "Who exactly is we?" I asked."All of us. The ones at the very top." She replied like it wasn't a joke."Wow." I shook my head, convinced she had finally lost her mind."Diana was the first success after centuries of waiting," She continued, ignoring my now surprised and scared face, what if she was serious? "She had almost everything we needed, but lacked the ability to reproduce with us. She couldn't provide the hormone we needed. So, we set her free and waited."“Set her free” I murmured, a cold realization washing over me, even Grandma Daisy was never free. "So you knew about my grandmother? My cousins?" I asked.Linsley laughed softly. "Every single person
( ALEXA'S POV)Brandon kept glancing at his watch, his anxiety clear even in the small mirror on the dressing table I watching him from. The room felt heavy and lived in, like a hotel room that has been occupied for far too long. I gripped the window sill, my fingers aching from holding on too long. I glanced around anxiously wondering why our target was taking so much time.Just as I was about to give up, the door clicked open. Cole walked in, it's been long since I had seen him, but I could clearly see he looked lost and tired. His face was strained by stress, his beard overgrown, and his eyes had lost their usual spark. Dr. Gwen followed closely behind him.She set a bag of groceries on the table and sat beside him on the bed.“Please, don't hurt her,” Cole begged as soon as he sat down, his voice trembling. “She made a mistake, but she will change.”“Change?” Dr. Gwen mused, her voice filled with mockery. “How? If only she had been obedient, we wouldn't be here.”Cole laughed, hi
(ALEXA'S POV)Rachel burst into the office, her face filled with anger. Here we go, I thought, I knew she had got the message. She looked like she was about to explode, lucky for Luke, he managed to quickly grab her and pull her out of the room. I let out a long sigh, the tension leaving my shoulde
ALEXA'S POV)I rolled my wheelchair into the office anxiously. The room, which had been buzzing with conversation, fell silent instantly. I tried to find my way quickly.I settled at my workstation, trying to seem normal. "Good morning, everyone," I greeted, but I was completely ignored.Is this ho
(ALEXA'S POV)The room fell silent as they displayed a blunt old picture of Daisy. I couldn't help but smile as I stood beside it, the resemblance was unmistakable.The man on the stage stepped closer, clearly confused. "Mr… or Miss?" He asked far more politely.I held out my hand. "Miss…" but stop
(ALEXA'S POV)"Nicole Hales," I said, my voice steady as I looked directly at her, "you led to the destruction of your entire family. But there is one thing I could never forgive you for” I paused, remembering his body tied onto that building, the fear in his voice, Steven had played me, but he was







