LOGINCierra's POV I slipped out of the purple room on silent bare feet, the silk robe barely tied around my naked body, my heart hammering with a dangerous thrill.The mansion corridors were dimly lit and empty at this hour, the only sound was the soft pad of my footsteps on the cool marble. I moved quickly down the grand staircase and out into the cool night air, heading straight for the cluster of modest guard apartments at the side of the estate.Each small building had a nameplate beside the door, clearly marking who lived inside.My pulse raced as I scanned the plates until I found it...“Jonathan.” The same guard I had bumped into earlier, the one with the sculpted abs and that intense, confident stare that had made heat pool low in my belly.A small, wicked smile curved my lips. I raised my hand and knocked softly.The door opened almost immediately.Jonathan stood there in nothing but low-slung black sweatpants, his muscular torso completely bare and still slightly damp from a re
Cierra's POV The purple room was bathed in soft moonlight filtering through the heavy curtains, the only illumination besides the dim bedside lamp that cast a warm, golden glow over the luxurious space It was already deep into the night, and the entire mansion had fallen into a peaceful hush. I stood in front of the full-length mirror, my fingers slowly tying the delicate silk belt of my robe around my waist.The thin violet fabric clung to my still-damp skin from the long shower, the material parting teasingly to reveal the inner curves of my breasts and the smooth line of my thighs.My hair hung loose and slightly wet over one shoulder, and as I adjusted the knot, a familiar, insistent ache began to build low in my belly... the kind that had been simmering beneath the surface all day amid the grief, revelations, and emotional chaos.The door opened without a knock.Dominic stepped inside, closing it quietly behind him. He looked powerful and relaxed in his dark shirt, the top butt
Cierra's POV “What is it you want to tell me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why did you act so awful when I said George?”Yonda looked at me with hesitation in her eyes, her usual bright expression clouded with discomfort.She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, clearly reluctant. “George… he was a very bad person in this place. My daddy never liked him. He tried to rape me.”The statement hit me like a cold wave. I froze, tension coiling tight in my stomach.George would never do that. The man I had loved, the one who had risked everything to protect me, he couldn’t be the monster she was describing. “George would never do that,” I said, my voice shaking with disbelief and rising defensiveness.Yonda’s face softened with sympathy, but she pressed on, her tone gentle yet firm. “That’s exactly what he did. Dad had to shove him out of the place because he was so greedy, selfish, and dangerous. He was a rapist. He even raped a lot of the girls who worked here. I
Cierra's POV “Dad, no!” I cried, panic flooding every nerve in my body.Before I could even finish the plea, Dominic’s hand flashed to his side. In one fluid, terrifying motion he drew his own gun and aimed it straight back at my father.I stepped forward, heart hammering so violently I could feel it in my throat. “No, no, no... please drop the gun! I said drop the gun! You guys, stop this right now, please!”Greg’s small voice pierced the tension like a knife. “Mommy, Mommy, I need my own gun!”“Shut up!” I snapped, fear sharpening my words into something harsher than I intended. “You don’t need your fucking gun. They are not doing the right thing. Just sit down and don’t say anything. Zip your lips.”Greg’s eyes widened in confusion, but he nodded slowly and sank back into his chair.“Can you just stop it?” I begged, my voice breaking. “Daddy, you promised me you weren’t going to do this. What are you doing?”My father’s gaze never left Dominic. “Well, tell him to drop his gun firs
Cierra's POV The grand dining room of the Monroe mansion shimmered under the soft glow of crystal chandeliers, their light reflecting off polished silverware and fine china.Guards had escorted us through the marble hallways with quiet efficiency, leading us to the long mahogany table where steaming platters awaited. Servants moved with practiced grace, placing dishes of roasted lamb glazed in herbs, buttered asparagus, creamy mashed potatoes, baskets of warm bread, and rich red wine in elegant decanters.The aroma was rich and inviting, a stark contrast to the emotional storm still swirling inside me after the rainy reunion outside.My father, Mr. Monroe, took his place at the head of the table with the natural authority of a man who commanded empires, while Greg bounced excitedly in the seat to his right and I settled across from them, my black funeral dress still carrying the faint scent of rain and cemetery soil.As we began to eat, the clink of forks and knives filled the air,
Cierra's POV The drive to the Monroe estate passed in a blur of tense silence and pounding rain against the windows.Dominic gripped the wheel tightly, his jaw set, while I sat in the passenger seat with Greg dozing in the back, exhausted from the burial.My mind spun with the revelation Dominic had dropped at the grave...my father alive, ruling an empire I had mourned for years.The betrayal of my mother’s lie burned like acid in my chest, but beneath it was a raw, aching hope I couldn’t name.I had demanded to see him immediately, and Dominic hadn’t argued. Now here we were, pulling through massive iron gates flanked by armed guards in dark suits, the sprawling mansion rising like a fortress under the stormy sky.As soon as the car stopped, I pushed the door open and stepped out, my black funeral dress still clinging to me with the scent of cemetery soil.Two guards moved fast, their hands clamping down on my arms before I could take more than three steps toward the grand entrance.
The room was small and unfinished, built from bare concrete and neglect. The walls carried cracks like old scars, and the single bulb hanging from the ceiling flickered as if it might give up at any moment. The air was thick...dust, sweat, and fear pressed together until breathing felt like work.C
Fear didn’t come to George like a storm.It came like a whisper.It slid into him quietly, settling deep inside his chest, wrapping itself around his heart like a slow, tightening rope. At first, he thought it was just panic, the kind that fades if you breathe through it. But this one stayed. It p
Cierra's POV Fear has a way of creeping in slowly before it finally takes over everything. At first, it sits quietly in your chest, pretending it is nothing. Then, without warning, it grows heavy, thick, and impossible to ignore. I felt it the moment I realized how silent the room had become.Roge
Cierra's POV I woke up slowly.Not the normal kind of waking where your eyes open and the world makes sense. This one came with pain first. Sharp, sudden pain that cut through my lower back and spread like fire through my waist. My body reacted before my mind did... I gasped, my fingers curling i







