Masuk"Why are you so damn gullible and stupid?!" I screamed, the harsh words tearing from my throat before I could even attempt to filter them. I stepped right into his space, poking a trembling finger hard against his chest. "Are you completely brain-dead, Kingsley? What part of stay out of my business do you not understand?" "I was only trying to help out," he whispered, the sheer venom in his quiet tone cutting deeper than any scream. He took a step forward, towering over me, his eyes flashing with a dangerous blend of hurt and irritation. "But I guess someone is very independent. Too independent to realize when they're drowning." --- In the shadows of New York, Summer Walker trades her dreams of music for survival - dancing as the infamous "Dark Bird" to protect her younger brother after her parents' brutal murder. When wealthy, brooding Kingsley Robert saves her one fateful night, their worlds collide in a dangerous spark. But Kingsley is tied to the monster who destroyed her life, and someone is watching her every move. As blackmail, betrayal, and a deadly family secret threaten everything she loves, Summer must choose: Embrace the darkness to survive... or risk it all for a love that could shatter them both. Dirty Little Secret - Where passion meets vengeance.
Lihat lebih banyakSUMMER'S POV
I arrived at the club very late. I knew I was going to be scolded by Mr Noel, the club manager, but I cared less. Life was already hard enough for me. I clutched my bag, so tightly like my depended on it. Because my life really depended on it. I walked in, slowly. The club reeked alcohol and cigarettes. Only the well-known are allowed in this club. Everything seen and heard, never leaves the place. I only liked the pay, not the job. But I can't be picky. I'm in a tight spot, already. And there came that voice, that I hated the most- Mr Noel. "Dark Bird! How dare you come late? Do you think money and customer grows at the back?" I slowly turned to him, my eyes were tired already. "I do have an explanation." "Keep your damn explanation to yourself. I will let it go, because the customer likes you. But the next time, you come late, you are fired. Get that into your head!" He lashed out. "Now get your ass, into the dressing room. Look sexy and put on a smile." He concluded and walked away. I just stood still. I was so tired already from the day's shift. But I had to work. Amanda came to my aid. She is like my buddy here in the club. "Dark Bird, down to earth, girl!" She snapped her finger at me. "A lot from being so sexy." I just stared at her, plainly as we both walked to the dressing room together. I selected the most provocative one among them. Amanda quickly did my makeup. Amanda kept talking nonstop. Talking about a big shot, that came today, and how she wish she could serve him. I just nodded all through. And we were finally done. I wore an extremely crop top, with a bare string. My makeup was a dark one. I can always trust Amanda on that. Wore my jewelry in the necessary place. I was about to walk out to dance, when Mr Noel bursted in. "Dark Bird, your assignment today is special. There is a special guest that came today. You will serve him. And I trust that you will do it well. Do not disgrace me." Mr Noel said. I was so confused. My duty today was strip dancing, not serving any client. I had already calculated, how I will sneak out to steal from some big shot. Now my plans has been ruined. I swear at that moment, I could feel Amanda's eyes on me. Maybe this special guest is who Amanda talked about earlier. "What room do I go to?" I asked him. "Room 306. Do not be late. He is waiting." He said and walked. "Girl! What charm do you use?" Amanda squealed behind me. I turned to her and shook my head. "Oh! Please." I picked up the necessary things I needed and went to the room this so called special guest. I wasn't excited the way Amanda thought I would be. I just wanted to get it done and go home. When I opened the door to Room 306, a thick cloud of aromatic smoke greeted me. The ambient blue neon lighting caught the vapor, creating an eerie, almost hypnotic atmosphere. I walked further into the dim room toward the plush lounge bed, and there he sat. He didn't look like the typical older, bloated politicians I usually served. Judging by his tailored designer clothes and heavy silver jewelry, he was young. Strangely, a sleek black mask completely concealed his face. He leaned back, watching me approach. When he spoke, his voice was unexpectedly deep, smooth, and alluring. "So, you're the famous Dark Bird. The rumors didn't do you justice: you really are stunning." I suppressed a shiver. Wait, he knows me? "You know who I am?" I asked, keeping my voice sultry as I poured two glasses of wine. Using the sleeve of my top as cover, I expertly slipped a powerful sleeping pill into his glass. It was a massive risk, but survival required desperate measures. I needed him unconscious so I could clean him out. "Girl, you're all the high-rollers talk about," he murmured, his eyes tracking my movements. "Is that so?" I smiled, handing him the drugged glass. We both took a sip, his gaze locked onto mine, completely oblivious. Setting my glass down, I immediately moved in to do my job. I slid onto his lap, shifting my body seductively against his to distract him while my fingers worked on the buttons of his shirt. But the moment my hand reached for the edge of his mask, he violently slapped my wrist away. "No," he growled, his breathing turning shallow as he fought the sudden rush of heat between us. "The mask stays on." It was bizarre, but I couldn't afford to argue. He was the client. The room grew heavy with tension. I shifted my weight, pressing closer, guiding his hands along my waist as I shed my outer layers. The air felt thick, charged with a sudden, overwhelming friction. "What a flawless body you have," he rasped, his hands tracing the curve of my hips, his touch sending an involuntary shudder down my spine. A wave of self-loathing hit me. I felt incredibly cheap, but I forced the feeling down. This is just business, I reminded myself. "Thank you," I whispered against his neck. The encounter was a blur of shadows, hushed breaths, and the slow, deliberate rhythm of seduction. I moved with a practiced grace, keeping him entirely focused on the physical sensation while I mentally counted the minutes, waiting for the sedative to take effect. Yet, despite the potency of the drug, his grip remained firm, his stamina defying my calculations. When it was over, we lay tangled in the sheets, his breathing heavy, but his eyes were still open. He wasn't passing out. "You were incredible," he whispered in my ear, his deep voice sending a strange, genuine tingle down my spine. What the hell, Summer? He walked into the toilet to clean up. I seized that opportunity and grabbed some valuable and blotted out. "Dark Bird, when next can we meet? You were really more than what the rumor said." I heard him asking, but I didn't dared come back. At the corridor, I bumped into a guy's chest. What a strong chest, this is. I thought, while drooling at his handsome face. I'm just a girl, right? "Dark Bird!! Snap out of it." I heard Amanda voice as she passed by. "I'm so sorry sir. I wasn't watching where I was going to." I apologized, with my eyes facing down. He just hissed and walked away. What a rude brat, I thought and went my way too. Not long after, I was knocked out again, from other wide chest. Before I could say "I'm sorry." I slumped. And I heard a voice, "Dark Bird, do you think that you can run away from me?"SUMMER'S POV."Summer!! We've found it. His location." Felix screamed. It was his voice that jolted me out of my thoughts. I hurriedly returned back to the living room."Where is he?" I asked impatiently. George just stared at me, stared at Kingsley, but did not say anything."The same IP address we got from before." He turned the computer towards me."The same building?" Kingsley asked, finally. "The same one I went to?" He moved forward t9 check the computer. He stared at me for a little while but did not say anything."There isn't any time to waste. Let go!" George said as we prepare to set."I would suggest that Summer stays behind." Kingsley spoke again."What do you mean by that?" I stopped at my tracks and slowly turned to look at him."This isn't the right time for that. Let's all go." George cooed us. I gave Kingsley the 'God - saved - you' kind of stare and walked. We were set and Kingsley drove us there, since he has been there once.It was exactly 11pm when we arrived at
SUMMER'S POVThe drive back to George's house was silent the entire way. Felix had stayed behind to take Eleanor home and would meet us later. Nobody spoke. Nobody seemed to know how to. Everyone was lost in their own different worlds.I stared out the window, watching the streetlights blur past, my mind spinning through every version of what might have happened to Clyde. My hands wouldn't stop shaking."It's going to be fine, Summer." Kingsley's hand found mine, steady despite everything simmering between us since the rooftop. "We're going to find him.""How?" My voice cracked, and I hated how small it sounded. "He texted me. He said he was going to some welcome thing with Gabrielle and he'd be back the next day. That's it. That's all I have.""We'll find him," Kingsley said again, his grip tightening around my fingers. "I promise you."I wanted to believe him. I wasn't sure if I could. I fought the tears from falling, because how do you explain this situation.By the time we got to
SUMMER'S POVThe hospital hallway had gone quiet in that particular way hospitals do in the evening; machines humming somewhere behind closed doors, the occasional squeak of shoes on tile, everyone's voices dropping automatically like the building itself demanded it."Discharge papers should be ready in twenty minutes," the nurse said, glancing between George and me. "We'll need her son to sign for her.""He was right here," George said, frowning, scanning the waiting area like Kingsley might materialize out of the plastic chairs. "Kingsley?"No answer. No Kingsley."I'll find him," I said, already moving before George could offer. Some part of me needed the walk, needed a minute away from the fluorescent lights and the smell of antiseptic and Felix's restless leg bouncing against the chair beside me.I checked the cafeteria first. Then the little chapel near the east wing, which felt like a strange guess even as I made it. Then, finally, I found the stairwell door propped open with a
CLYDE'S POVI got Gabrielle home in one piece, though "in one piece" felt generous. She hadn't said a word the entire drive. She just stared out the window with her arms crossed like she was holding herself together by force."Keys," I said outside her door, holding out my hand.She dug them out of her bag without looking at me and let me unlock it, let me steer her inside with a hand hovering near her back, not quite touching. I got her a glass of water. She didn't drink it. I got her a blanket. She didn't need it, but she pulled it around her shoulders anyway, like the weight of it helped."You don't have to babysit me," she said eventually, curled into the corner of her couch."I'm not babysitting. I'm making sure you're not about to fall apart the second I walk out the door." I sat on the edge of the coffee table across from her. "There's a difference.""I'm fine.""You keep saying that word like it means something." I studied her face - still pale, still tight around the eyes. "Y
SUMMER'S POV The rest of the week went by so fast. I had to give George a detailed explanation of how I ended up in a stranger's bed. He would not stop budging me until I had explained myself. We promised to keep it a secret from Clyde. He would go overboard about it.George has been my best frien
SUMMER'S POV I slowly woke up, also trying to fight the throbbing headache I was feeling. "Where the hell am I?" I thought. The place smelt like woods mixed with cigarettes, and another thing that smelt like lavender. "What a weird combination." I thought. I woke up fully, and observed where I w
SUMMER'S POV I arrived at the club very late. I knew I was going to be scolded by Mr Noel, the club manager, but I cared less. Life was already hard enough for me. I clutched my bag, so tightly like my depended on it. Because my life really depended on it. I walked in, slowly. The club reeked
SUMMER'S POV I gradually woke up, but yet again in a strange but comforting apartment. I stood up slowly, trying not to a make a sound-my head still throbbing seriously. The air felt so fresh, as I sighed in relief.I began to feed to my eyes. The house was magnificent: high ceilings, soft recesse






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