~~PEYTON~~
I clear my throat as I press the phone against my ear. Odin picks up at the first ring. "What is it?" His voice is clipped, impatient, as if I’m interrupting something far more important than his wife's call. My stomach churns. This is going to be impossible. I snivel as if I’ve been crying for a long time. "Odin, come home, please. I… I…" "What the fuck happened?" he interrupts, his voice sharper. Now that I have his attention, I start sobbing. God, I’m not good at this, but I have no choice. Raphael's gaze is burning into me. "The house is on fire!" I say, my voice cracking as I cry like a dramatic actress who just found out her understudy got the lead role. "Peyton, what the fuck did you do?" he hollers, and I squirm at the tone. "It's barely an hour since I left, and you've turned the whole place into chaos. I told you to stop cooking, didn't I?" "Come quickly, you idiot! The fire is spreading!" I cut him off, already exhausted from all the yelling and poor acting. The line goes dead, and I sigh heavily while meeting Raphael's gaze. "Happy now?" He nods, and that’s when I realize we are only a few inches apart, my head just short of touching his chest. I move back subtly, but he notices immediately. His eyes, sharp and assessing, follow my retreat. "Why are you stepping back?" "'Cause I smell like whiskey." I retort, and he closes the tiny distance between us and sniffs me. I freeze. Did he just… He frowns, and I’m surprised by how seriously he's taking this. "You smell fine," he says and sniffs me again. "A little like vanilla, with a hint of something musky… and definitely not too much whiskey." God, what is he? A human bloodhound? And why is he sniffing me like a fine wine, completely ignoring the massive elephant in the room about his brother? I shift back and force a tiny smile, wanting to escape his suffocating presence. I hate how he makes me feel. Just a moment ago he was threatening to burn down my kitchen, and now he's complimenting me. He’s so unpredictable—even more annoying than Axel. I clear my throat. "I'm going to take a shower; make yourself comfortable." He doesn't respond as I dash into my room, slamming the door and sliding down the wall. God, today’s one hell of a rollercoaster, and I just want it to end. I want these maniac twins to disappear so I can be left with Odin—at least he's manageable and predictable, even with his damn blondes. ******* After my long, purposely drawn-out shower, I feel like a slightly less sticky version of myself, but the world is still spinning. I hear the sound of Odin's car as it squeals into the garage. I can tell from the tires screeching that he rushed down here, buying my lame excuse for acting. There's an angry thud from the door, followed by "Peyton, where the hell are—" He pauses, and I can guess what makes him stop. I slip out of my room, perched in a corner, eavesdropping. Hell no, I'm not interfering; I've got a lot on my plate. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Odin spits. Raphael follows. "I need my money." "I don't have it." There's silence for a beat, and before I know it, I hear staggering—a brutal sound of a punch. The ground tumbles beneath my feet. Now it gets really serious. I rush over and find Odin sprawled on the floor, blood already blooming at the corner of his lip, while Raphael stands over him, knuckles clenched, his eyes burning with a cold fury I haven't seen before. This isn't just about money; this is personal. He's about to deliver another blow when I wrap my hands around his waist, pulling him back. Can you imagine a small part of me scolding myself for stepping in too early? I should have let Odin receive two more punches—three even—before I stopped Raphael. Silly me. "Let him go, Raphael," I plead. His body stiffens, and I feel a slight tremor ripple through him, a barely contained raw power that makes the hairs on my arms stand on end. But he doesn't move. He just stands as Odin picks himself up from the ground, wiping the blood from his lips. "Stop pretending to care, Peyton," he spits, and I peek from behind Raphael's back. "Excuse me?" "You fooled me… You deceived me into rushing home for nothing, didn't you, Peyton? There's no fire! I thought… I actually thought you needed me. For once." "Wait a minute, so you're more concerned with my lame fire acting than the fifty million you owe him?" I say, incredulous. "Oh, forgive me! Like I'm the first person with a betrayal record in this damn house. I just fucking made a mistake in saving your ass." I turn to Raphael, my shoulders slumping. "Go ahead. Continue from where you stopped. I don't give a damn anymore. You two handle your own mess; I'm out." I storm off and don’t look back. He's talking about betrayal? Oh, really? I betrayed him? Well, he hasn't seen the worst I can do. In fact, I no longer feel bad about hooking up with his brother. I should betray him more often so he knows how it hurts. I don't hear punching, but I hear shouting. Odin's on the defensive while Raphael stays quiet and lets him run his mouth. The thought of leaving them to their chaos is strangely freeing. Let them deal with their own inferno. I've had enough of my own to navigate. As I reach my room, my phone rings, and I don't bother checking the caller—too angry to care. "Yes?" I start, but there's silence from the other end. "Hello?" "Peyton, isn't it?" I freeze; my knees suddenly feel weak. That voice. The devil has finally caught up with me. The smooth, mischievous voice, the one I'd spent the past few hours trying to erase from my memory. "Axel, is it?" I fire back. He laughs. "Someone's done her research. I don't remember you recalling my name." "What do you want?" I snap, wanting this conversation to end ASAP. "Nothing much. I just wanted to let you know that I have your panties." "Keep them. And don't you dare come over." I slam the phone down, my hand trembling. The nerve of that man! First, he plays with me, then he dares to call me and make that kind of statement. My cheeks flush. I pace my room, the adrenaline from the fight still coursing through me, now mixed with a fresh wave of fury directed squarely at Axel. How can he be so brazen? And how did he even get my number? A sudden knock on my door makes me jump. "Peyton! Open the door!" Odin's voice is muffled, but I can hear the lingering anger. "Go away!" I shout back, not bothering to hide the tremor in my voice. "We need to talk about this, Peyton!" he insists, his voice closer now, as if he's pressing his ear to the wood. "What the hell were you thinking, lying about a fire?" I press my back against the door, my eyes squeezed shut. "It's none of your business!" I yell, though even to my own ears, it sounds weak and unconvincing. The sound of his fist hitting the door makes me flinch. "Yes, it is! Everything in this house is my business! Now open this damn door!" I'm about to retort when I hear my phone ping. A text message from an unknown number. *I don't have to come over; you're the one who'll come to me.*~~PEYTON~~“We are running late, Ralph. What's taking you so long?!” Natalie’s voice rings from the phone, so agitating that Raphael had to pull the phone away from his ear.Still focusing on the road, he tosses the phone over to me, who's seated right beside him in the front seat. Like a few inches away. So close. Like it's normal.Why?Yeah, I know you might be wondering how on earth I'm in a car with Raphael after ditching our 'sex escapade' and why Natalie is yelling on the phone like a pregnant banshee.Well, it’s not what you think. We are not together; no way in Hell will I fall into this temptation of sleeping with him after finally finding a man who will love and cherish me, making me feel special and seen. Raphael is like the devil's blueprint for me to screw up and lose my man.No frigging way!After I sent Raphael that "Fuck you," my plan was very simple: Defiance. Freedom. Victory over the temptation. I'd show up at the office, do my job perfectly, and force him to fire m
~~PEYTON~~I feel my heart breaking into pieces. It's not just about the words. It's his voice, his eyes—the cold, dead disappointment in them is worse than any fury. The man who had once looked at me like I was his prized possession was now looking at me like I was something disgusting stuck to the bottom of his shoe.“Axel, I'm… I'm sorry…” I try to step toward him, but Raphael’s hand shoots out and clamps onto my arm, pulling me back against his chest.“Get your hands off her, Raphael!” Axel roars, finally losing his terrifying control. He lunges, not with a plan, but with blind, destructive rage.Raphael, a head taller and with the sudden advantage of surprise, shoves me violently aside, sending me stumbling to the floor. He meets Axel’s charge head-on.The sound of their collision is brutal—a grunt of pain, the muffled thud of muscle hitting muscle. They crash against the wall beside the door, fighting silently, viciously; each blow is like a hammer on my head.I can't take it. I
~~PEYTON~~I pull up to the hotel at 9:58 PM. I'm wearing the black silk slip dress I bought years ago and never had the courage to wear. It is flimsy, sleeveless, and barely reaching my thighs. Beneath it, nothing. I obeyed the last, most humiliating part of his command. Why I did that? I do not know. At the reception desk, a discreet man in a dark suit is already waiting. He doesn't ask my name; he simply meets my eyes, gives a small nod, and gestures toward the private elevators. "He's expecting you," the escort murmurs, leading me into the elevator reserved for the suites.The ride to the top is agonizingly slow. I use the mirrored wall of the elevator to check my reflection. My eyes are too bright, my lips cherry red with makeup. I don't want to look too desperate; I look like a woman on the edge of a cliff. Only that I'm jumping with a backflip. Stupid. Reckless. Why am I even doing this?When the doors open, they reveal a wide, dimly lit private hallway leading to a massiv
~~PEYTON~~Raphael: “Meet me at the *******Hotel tomorrow at 10 PM. Don't be late. And if possible, come without underwear and a bra.”“Who are you texting?”“No one.” I quickly slam the phone against my thigh, eyes wide at Axel as he looks at me suspiciously. He's visiting late; it's currently 9 PM, and he's been here since 8 PM. I've been racking my brains, thinking of tricks, lies, and performances to make him leave. Everything I think of ends up dying in my mind. Because this is Axel. “Really, no one?" he asks. He doesn't move, just watches me with those sharp, perceptive eyes. "You were biting your lips, and you practically assaulted your phone trying to hide it. A work crisis? Is your ruthless boss demanding you rewrite a five-hundred-page report by midnight?"I force a laugh, trying to keep it light. "Oh, you know Raphael. He's always unreasonable. Just a late-night email—you wouldn't want to know." I slip the phone under the cushion of the sofa, out of sight. The message, h
~~PEYTON~~“I...I...“ “Don't stutter.” He says, eyes narrow at me, driving every inch of my face to make it terribly hard to speak. His gaze is restricting, confining. Locking me in. I can't say no, yet I'm hesitant about saying yes. I shouldn't say yes, or no either.God, this is so difficult.I inhale a sharp breath, then bite my lips. I swallow. My core is throbbing, my body feels hot. Stupidity hits, and sneaking a glimpse at that thing hard under his pants is only making it worse.He pulls back only a little, fist resting on the table. “You have a minute to think this through and give an answer. If you say no, I'll walk out of here and fire you.“My eyes snap wide. “What?““Yes.” He confirms. “'Cause I can't keep getting tempted by this face every damn morning…” “You’re blackmailing me,” I whisper, the truth a bitter pill. I flatten my hands against the cool table, desperately needing something solid to hold onto."I’m offering you a choice, Peyton," he counters, but his voice
~~PEYTON~~My back is slammed against the wall as Raphael's heavy frame towers over me. He is so close, so fucking close that I can feel the heat radiating off him, the anger, and something else I don't want to name. His hand is still clamped around my wrist, the grip tight enough to prevent escape but not yet painful. He doesn't need to hurt me to dominate the space."You called me a chameleon," he states, his voice vibrating against my ear. "You think you can sneak an insult, break my concentration, and then run back to your desk like a child who rang a doorbell and sprinted away?""I was leaving," I whisper. "I have a job to do. You told me to get busy.""I told you to close the door," he corrects, his face dropping lower, forcing my eyes to meet his. "And then you chose to play one last, petty game. You little bitch."He releases my wrist only to hook my arm against the wall above my head—the same physically confining move Axel uses on me, but this time, the intention feels far m