**************CHAPTER 60~Summer’s POV~My breath came in short, panicked gasps. My pulse pounded so hard it echoed in my ears. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. Blaze wasn’t supposed to care about Kaia this much.Not enough to do this. Not enough to terrify me in a way I had never known before.I yanked at the ropes binding my wrists, my nails digging into my skin. “Blaze,” I forced out, trying to keep my voice steady, “you don’t have to do this.”Blaze exhaled. He rested his elbows on his knees, watching me like a predator studying his prey.“You’re right,” he said calmly. “I don’t have to. I want to.”I swallowed hard.This was bad.Really, really bad.“I just…” I tried to force my voice into something sweet, something desperate enough to pull at his heart—soft, something that might appeal to the man I used to know. “Blaze, I just—”His chair scraped as he leaned forward, cutting off my words with nothing but his sheer presence.“Shut up, Summer.”The way he said my name
**************CHAPTER 61~Kaia’s POV~"Okay, this looks good," I muttered to myself. With my hands resting on my hips, I stepped back to take one last look at the table. The aroma of roasted lamb, garlic mashed potatoes, and honey-glazed carrots filled the dining room. The table was set elegantly, with a simple but classy arrangement of silverware, wine glasses, and a bottle of aged red wine."I hope he likes it."It wasn’t every day I did something like this—cooking for Blaze. It wasn’t because I couldn’t cook but because I had never really felt the need to go out of my way for him. But after everything that had happened the day before, after how he had taken care of me, I wanted to say thank you in a way that felt more personal.Just then, I heard the sound of an engine pulling into the driveway. My heartbeat quickened. He's here.Quickly, I untied my apron and smoothed out my short green dress. I checked my reflection in the hallway mirror, running my fingers through my hair t
**************CHAPTER 62~Kaia’s POV~After dinner, Blaze stood, stretching his arms before glancing at me. “Come on.” He nodded toward the living room. “Let’s sit for a bit.”I hesitated for a second but then nodded, following him. The warmth of the wine lingered in my veins, and my body felt lighter than usual. It wasn’t just the alcohol. It was this—this unfamiliar but not unwelcome feeling between us.Blaze settled into the couch, his arm lazily draped over the backrest. I sat beside him, tucking my legs beneath me as I turned to face him.“You didn’t have to do all this,” he said after a moment, his voice softer than usual. “The dinner, the effort… But I appreciate it.”I shrugged, trying to play it cool. “It’s a thank you.”Blaze arched a brow. “For what again?”“For taking care of me yesterday,” I admitted. “You didn’t have to, but you did. Also, you could have taken advantage of me like I so not and yet wanted but you didn’t. That’s something.”Blaze’s smirk softened into som
**************CHAPTER 63~Kaia’s POV~It didn't take long before we entered his room. Blaze placed me gently on his bed. I leaned back on the mattress, watching as he reached into the nightstand and grabbed a condom.I licked my lips, anticipation and need bubbling inside of me as Blaze stepped in between my legs."This is happening," I breathed."If you're not sure, we can stop. I'll stop."I shook my head. "Don't you dare. You had me the moment you kissed me."Blaze's mouth curved into a cocky smirk. "Just kissing, huh?""Yes, and you're so good at it, Blaze. So, please, don't make me wait." I surprised myself and Blaze with those words coming from my mouth. Unlike me, Blaze recovered quickly. Placing the condom down, he moved forward between my legs and kissed me deeply while his right hand slid up my stomach to cover my left breast.I moaned, arching against his touch as his lips trailed down my neck, his teeth scraping against my collarbone.My fingers tangled in his hair, pull
**************CHAPTER 64~Kaia’s POV~When the last wave finally faded, he withdrew his hand and straightened.I lay there, panting, watching through heavy-lidded eyes as he licked his fingers clean, just like before."Fuck, Kaia, you're so fucking sweet," he murmured, his blue eyes dark with lust. I couldn't respond. My chest heaved as I tried to catch my breath. "You ready for more, baby?""I'm always ready.""Good," he said, coming down to kiss me again. I could taste myself on his lips and the thought was oddly arousing. We exchanged a few more heated kisses before his hands grabbed the sides of my panties. In one quick movement, he ripped them apart."Hey!""Don't worry," Blaze murmured. "I'll buy you new ones."Before I could reply, his mouth trailed down, leaving a blazing path of kisses on my chest, stomach, and hips, until he was positioned in between my thighs.My pulse skyrocketed as I watched him part my legs. My cheeks heated as his hungry gaze fixed on the place that t
**************CHAPTER 65~Kaia’s POV~I didn't reply. Instead, I bobbed my head up and down his length, slowly and deliberately, making sure my tongue rubbed along his entire shaft."Oh, shit," he muttered, his hand tightening in my hair. Blaze was thick, and he got length, but I was determined to prove to him that I could handle his length and make him feel good, just like he made me.I hummed around him, and he jerked, his hips bucking against me.I took things slow, too agonisingly slow if you asked me, as Blaze tensed every passing second, fighting back the urge to moan my name and plead for me to go faster."Fuck, Kaia, you're torturing me. Come on, baby, stop being such a tease and put it all in your mouth," Blaze urged, his eyes opening to stare at me."I am putting it all in my mouth, Mr. Black," I said, pulling back."You're taking your time. It's almost like you don't know what you're doing," Blaze challenged.I knew what he was trying to do, he was trying to egg me on and
**************CHAPTER 66~Kaia’s POV~"Cum for me.""BLAZE!!!!!!"The tension snapped, and a wave of pleasure washed over me. My body stiffened, a cry tore from my throat, and my fingers curled into the sheets as I came hard.Blaze continued thrusting into me, dragging out my orgasm.When the last waves faded, he pulled out, flipped me around, and entered me again.My back arched, a whimper leaving my lips."You okay?""Y-yes.""Good." He moved up, his lips trailing soft kisses around my neck and shoulders as he pulled out of me and thrust in deeply.He repeated his actions, thrusting into me, this time harder and faster, making me cry out again."Oh, fuck, you're still so fucking tight," Blaze grunted while his hands reached under me to grab both breasts and fondle them."Blaze," I gasped when he pinched my nipples, tweaking them. In response, I clenched my walls tight around his dick, and he moaned in my ear, moaning my name with reckless abandon.I turned my head and met his lips,
**************CHAPTER 67~Kaia’s POV~Morning came, but I had barely slept. I had slipped out of bed before Blaze could wake, wrapping the sheets around me as I stood by the window, my mind spiralling. The night before had been… intense. It was raw, passionate, earth-shattering. Everything about the way Blaze touched me, kissed me, wanted me—it had felt real. Like we were finally moving past whatever this contract was, like there was something more between us. And then. Then he had moaned a name that wasn’t mine. Iris.I had frozen, my heart seizing in my chest. Even as he drifted into sleep, he muttered it again, his arms still wrapped around me like I was someone else. Who the hell was Iris? I had spent the rest of the night staring at the ceiling, sleep evading me as the same questions replayed over and over in my head. Why would he moan out her name at such a point while making love to me? Was I just a replacement? Had he been picturing her the entire time he w
*****************CHAPTER 132~Kaia’s POV~“Did you break anything in there?” he asked without looking up.I didn’t answer. Just dropped onto the opposite armchair and pulled my knees up, curling into myself.Then, I saw his face shift.Blaze stilled.His jaw clenched slightly, and the light glow of the screen reflected in his eyes. Whatever he was reading, it wasn’t good.I sat up straighter. “What is it?”He didn’t respond immediately. Just stared at the screen a few more seconds before finally locking the tablet and setting it down on the table.“Blaze?” I pressed.He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, running both hands down his face. For a long beat, he didn’t move. Then, finally, he looked at me. The humor, the teasing, even the exhaustion—it was all gone from his face.“I just got an email,” he said quietly.I waited, tension wrapping around my chest.“It’s from Sam. Dr. Sam Allen—he’s been treating Grandma for years.”My stomach dropped.“What… what did it say?”He looked aw
*****************CHAPTER 131~Kaia’s POV~The moment I stepped off the rooftop garden, something inside me clicked into place.I couldn’t run anymore.I couldn’t keep pretending that the walls weren't closing in around me.If I was going to have any future with Blaze—or even just peace with myself—I needed answers. The real ones. No half-truths. No more silence.By the time I reached my office, I was already pulling out my phone.My hands trembled slightly as I scrolled through my contacts and pressed the call button.It rang twice before my mother’s voice answered, warm but cautious. "Kaia, darling! This is a surprise."I inhaled, steadying my voice. "Hi, Mum. Are you home later this afternoon?"There was a small pause before she answered, "Yes, of course. Is everything alright?"I forced a smile she couldn’t see. "I just… I want to come by. I’d like to see you and Dad."Another slight hesitation on her end.But she recovered quickly, her tone chipper again. "We’d love that, sweethe
Kaia’s POVThe next morning came too soon.I barely slept. Every time I closed my eyes, flashes of the party replayed behind my eyelids—the whispers, the lingering glances, the half-hidden stares of strangers I didn’t know but who somehow seemed to know me.I dragged myself out of bed, forcing my body into motion even though my mind was still stuck somewhere between fear and denial.By the time I got to Apex Global, the familiar buzz of the office barely cut through the cloud in my head.Blaze was already there when I arrived. He stood by the windows of his office, phone pressed to his ear, speaking in low, clipped tones that I couldn’t quite catch. His tie was loose, the sleeves of his white shirt rolled up, and there was a tension in his shoulders I hadn’t seen in a while.I hesitated for a moment outside his door, then knocked softly.He glanced up, his expression softening immediately. He gestured for me to come in.I stepped inside, trying to push my swirling thoughts to the back
*****************CHAPTER 129~Kaia’s POV~The week passed in a blur of meetings, phone calls, and whispered conversations about the project with Kayne Kyle. I barely had time to breathe, much less think about anything else.It was Friday afternoon when Blaze knocked on my office door, stepped inside without waiting for a full reply, and leaned casually against the frame."You’re coming with me to an event tonight," he said, like it wasn’t up for debate.I blinked up from my laptop. "Event?"He smirked. "Gala. Big business celebration. One of my oldest associates is throwing it. I need you to be my date."I set my pen down slowly. "You need me?"He shrugged, unbothered. "You’re beautiful, smart, and far less annoying than most women who’d kill to be on my arm. Plus, I like looking at you."I rolled my eyes, but my cheeks warmed at his words. "You could have just said you wanted company."He chuckled. "Maybe. But then you’d have thought you had a choice."That evening, I found myself s
*************Kaia’s POVThe car ride home was mostly quiet.Blaze was at the wheel, one hand on the steering, the other occasionally tapping against his thigh. I didn’t press him for conversation. We were both exhausted. Meetings all day, back-to-back check-ins with the project team, Kayne Kyle hovering like a charming shadow I didn’t ask for.By the time we pulled into the estate, the sky was already turning dusky blue, the last traces of sunset melting into the city skyline behind us.As soon as we stepped through the front doors, we were greeted by the scent of something warm and cinnamon-sweet wafting through the air.Blaze raised a brow. “Smells like cake.”“It’s too quiet,” I muttered, glancing around the hallway. “Which means—”“She’s back,” he finished.Sure enough, when we turned the corner into the main sitting room, there she was.Grandma Black.Sitting upright and elegant in her floral-print blouse and pearls, legs crossed, a steaming cup of tea in her hand and a full spr
*****************CHAPTER 127~Author’s POV~The rooftop lounge of Seraphine, one of the city’s most exclusive members-only clubs, buzzed with low conversation and jazz humming through golden speakers. The skyline burned orange with the last of the sunset, and the air was thick with cigar smoke and quiet power.Kayne arrived just as David Mercer waved him over from a private corner booth.“Good timing,” David said smoothly, raising his glass as Kayne took the seat across from him.“I figured you'd pick somewhere dramatic,” Kayne replied with a chuckle, resting his blazer on the arm of the chair. “What are we drinking to?”“Progress.” David leaned forward, his tone was much cooler now. “And control.”Kayne raised a brow. “Sounds vague.”“Blaze is unravelling. Slowly. I’ve seen it. Ever since Kaia, he’s more emotional, more unpredictable. You showing up—getting close to her—it’s exactly what we need to keep him off balance.”Kayne smiled lazily, but his eyes sharpened. “You sound like
*****************CHAPTER 126~Author’s POV~The evening sun shone through the tall windows of Kayne Kyle’s penthouse suite, filling the space with warm light. From the top floor, the sprawling city unfolded—buildings like steel giants against a cotton-candy sky. But Kayne’s gaze was inward, fixed on the amber liquid swirling in his glass as his feet rested on the cool surface of the glass coffee table.The intercom’s soft buzz broke the silence. “Sir, Mr. Draven is here.”A smile touched Kayne’s lips. He stood and straightened the cuffs of his shirt. “Send him up.”Two minutes later, the door yielded, and Draven Davion entered. Dressed in a black shirt and dark jeans, his attire suggested ease, yet his presence never did. He moved with confidence into his cousin’s house while his eyes raked the surroundings. “Nice place,” Draven commented, his gaze sweeping over the penthouse a second time as though taking in anything he missed on first glance. “As expected.”Kayne chuckled, extend
*****************CHAPTER 125~Kaia’s POV~I was still sitting in the living room of my parents’ house when my phone buzzed beside me.Blaze.For a second, I considered ignoring it. My mind was still wrapped around the truth I had just uncovered. The weight of that document hadn’t left my chest since I found it.But I answered.“Kaia,” Blaze’s voice came through, warm and deep. “I was thinking… dinner tonight? Just the two of us.”I hesitated, shifting on the couch. “I don’t think—”“It doesn’t have to be anything serious,” he cut in, gently. “Just you and me. Good food. Maybe some dessert we don’t finish because I can’t keep my hands off you.”I should’ve laughed. I almost did.But something in me wasn’t ready. Not tonight. Not after everything.Still, I couldn’t bring myself to say no to him. Not when he sounded so hopeful.“I’ll meet you there,” I said quietly.Later that evening, I arrived at the restaurant he had chosen—Maison Lune, a softly lit, elegant space tucked into a quiet
*****************CHAPTER 124~Author’s POV~Eriel Black was sitting in his cozy study, gently swirling the last bit of his aged whiskey in a crystal glass. The late morning sun poured in through the tall windows, filling the room with a warm golden light, but his mind was anything but calm.Not today.He had barely finished reading through his messages when one of the housekeepers knocked softly and entered with a bow.“Sir… Miss Crystal is here. She’s waiting for you in the living room.”Eriel’s brows lifted slightly. That was fast.He stood up without a word, set his glass down on the desk, and walked down the long hallway. The housekeeper disappeared behind him as he stepped into the big living room.And there she was.Crystal sat elegantly on one of the couches like she had all the time in the world, her legs crossed, one hand casually resting on the armrest as though she hadn’t been at the centre of a brewing storm. Her smile was faint, polite… and empty.“Uncle,” she greeted s