DAMIEN'S POV The rage was a living thing inside me, twisting and burning. Sienna. The name tasted like ash in my mouth. I was going to make her pay. Every single manipulative, cruel act she’d committed would be laid bare for the world to see. The police… I’d initially considered going straight to them, laying out the evidence, but a cold calculation took hold. This wasn’t just about justice; it was about ensuring she couldn’t wiggle her way out with her lies and charm. I needed to be smarter. That’s when I called Attorney Brigham. Brigham was a shark, the kind of lawyer you hired when you wanted a guaranteed kill. His success rate was legendary, bordering on mythical. Securing him wasn’t cheap, but Sienna was worth every penny. I sat across from him in his plush, mahogany-lined office, the expensive leather of the chair molding to my form. The video evidence burned in my pocket like a brand. "I want her destroyed, Brigham. Legally, professionally, every way possible." Brigham, a
DAMIEN'S POV I spent the next few hours in a nervous frenzy. Showering, changing clothes repeatedly, trying to appear presentable despite the turmoil raging inside me. I re-read the email a dozen times, searching for hidden meanings, for any clue that could reveal the sender's intentions. The subject line, simply "Adrian," was enough to send a shiver down my spine each time.I knew I should be cautious. This could be a setup, a cruel prank. But the lure of the unknown, the promise of answers about that horrific night, was too strong to resist. Adrian deserved to have the truth revealed, even if he was no longer here to hear it. My best friend, gone too soon, his life was stolen by a murky conspiracy I was only beginning to understand.As I walked towards the address, a sense of unease prickled at the back of my neck. Greenwich Village, even in the daylight, had a certain grittiness, a sense of secrets lurking beneath the surface. I scanned the faces of passersby, trying to gauge if I
DAMIEN'S POV It was a hollow echo, Nadia's voice. "That's one of the best sex I've ever had."Best for who? Certainly not for me. I lay there, staring at the ornate ceiling of the VIP room, her sweaty body still clinging to mine. My body had reacted, sure. I'd climaxed. But the release was fleeting, a spark in a vast, empty cavern. It didn't fill the void, didn't even touch the edges of the grief that had taken root in my soul since Adrian… since Adrian was gone.Adrian, my best friend, my brother in all but blood. His absence was a gaping wound, and everything felt… muted. Sex, once a vibrant pleasure, now felt like a mechanical exercise, a desperate attempt to feel something, anything, other than the crushing weight of his loss."Ohhhh," Nadia's voice dripped with a hint of playful accusation. "You didn't enjoy it? Maybe I should persevere more next time."I didn't answer. What could I say? That my heart was a tomb, and she was dancing on the gravestone? That the pleasure she sough
DAMIEN'S POV The amber liquid swirled in the glass, catching the dim light of the club's private room. Another gulp, another fleeting moment of numbness. But the silence in the room was too loud, amplifying the echo of Adrian's name in my head. "Adrian..." I mumbled, the word a broken plea. "Come back, damn it. Just come back."Guilt gnawed at me, a constant companion ever since knowing what happened on him."I'm sorry, Adrian. I'm so fucking sorry. So goddamn sorry " The words were meant for him, but they tasted like ash in my mouth.Suddenly, a flicker of a memory surfaced, a desperate attempt by my mind to escape the torment. A coping mechanism I had relied on for years. Sex. The momentary oblivion, the distraction from the pain. It was a temporary fix, but right now, temporary was all I craved.I fumbled for my phone, the cool metal a stark contrast to the heat of the whiskey in my veins. My thumb scrolled through the contacts, a graveyard of past encounters, until my eyes lan
ADRIAN'S POVOver the next few weeks, Kaja became like a big sister, my friend. She helped me navigate the strange new world I found myself in, with the media and the pressure to step into a role that didn't belong to me. We spent hours talking, exploring the city, and laughing. I found myself opening up to her in ways I had with Damien.One evening, we were sitting by the harbor, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of orange and pink. Kaja turned to me, her eyes shining."I have some news," she said. "I contacted Prince Adrian's mother, the Queen."My heart skipped a beat. "What did she say?""She wants to meet you."I stared at her, speechless."She wants to see for herself who you are," Kaja continued. "She says she only sees her son when she closes her eyes.""I don't know what to do," I said, panic rising in my chest."Do what feels right," Kaja said, squeezing my hand. "Be yourself. That's all you can do."The night I met the Queen was one of the most surreal experiences o
DAMIEN'S POVThe sun, a persistent intruder, clawed its way through the gap in my curtains, dragging me from a fitful sleep. "Argggg," I groaned, my throat feeling like sandpaper. Too much crying last night, I figured. Raw grief mixed with a potent cocktail of guilt and confusion.Last night's dreams hadn't helped either. Vivid, unwanted images of Adrian swam in my memory – images of me kissing him, me initiating it. Disgust churned in my stomach. Adrian was gone. He was at peace, reunited with his mother. To have these… these thoughts, these desires, felt like a betrayal. Like I was defiling his memory.I forced myself out of bed, meticulously smoothing the sheets, a futile attempt to impose order on the chaos within. Then, I headed to the bathroom for the morning routine, the motions feeling hollow and automatic.Leaving my room, my eyes instinctively drifted to Adrian's door. A phantom expectation lingered, a ghost of anticipation that he'd burst out, full of