Girl, You Slept with the Don

Montrelle City, YannonThe music wasn't just loud—it was trying to kill my brain cells. After too many martinis, everything blurred.The guy in front of me? Straight thirst trap. Tall. Broad. Sin in a black suit.Gold-rimmed glasses—CEO or hitman, take your pick. Emerald eyes, unreadable and sharp. And those lips? Unfair levels of hot.I wrapped my arms around him, breath reeking of bad ideas."Hey, handsome. You into sugar mommies? What's your rate?"He looked older—ten years, maybe more—but I didn't care. I had cash. Enough to regret this later.He didn't speak. Just stared. That look? Pure alpha. Cold and electric.For a second, I actually wondered if he ran Montrelle or something.Then his cologne hit—rich, dark, expensive.But the fantasy died quick. No real power player would slum it in a place like this—just booze, hookups, and blackout regrets.I ran my fingers down his chest, popped two buttons. My nails skimmed muscle—hard and warm. Under the strobe lights, his ski

Gaia's POVWrapped in my beige coat, I bolted down the street, heart slamming. Nausea churned—fear and betrayal twisting tight in my gut.I'd had a one-night stand.With my ex's dad.Montrelle's freaking mafia Don.What. The. Hell.The booze was gone. All that was left was panic.I called Tina. Told her it was an emergency.She was mid-yoga, all zen, and said, "Come over. You need a full-body, full-soul cleanse."I figured I could use the cleanse.Hailing a cab nearly crushed my soul. Intern budget meant buses or walking, but today? I needed Tina—now.I had a key to her place. When I walked in, she was mid-breathing on the floor, following some dusty yoga DVD.I didn't wait. Peeled off my coat."Babe, I know I'm crashing the zen, but I seriously can't hold this in. Luciano and I broke up last night. And that's not even the craziest part. What happened after—I might actually die."I yanked open the fridge, grabbed a cold orange juice, and chugged.Didn't help. Still spira

Luciano ambushing me after work? Not on my bingo card.Curiosity snapped to annoyance. My face went cold."If you're just passing through, keep walking. If you came for me, don't bother—there's nothing left to say."I shoved past.He grabbed my wrist. Eyes all desperate and drowning in regret."Gaia, listen. That night—it was a mistake. I was drunk. Cecilia came on to me. She set me up!"My glare dug in."If you could just own what you did instead of pointing fingers, maybe I'd have a shred of respect left. But right now..."I let out a short, bitter snort.God, it hurt. Like something ripping in my chest.I didn't want to believe the guy I once loved—really loved—was this weak. This spineless.His laugh, that stupid dimpled grin, all those soft little memories? Torched."I always knew Cecilia was a snake," I said, stepping back. Voice flat, razor-edged. "But you? Lying to both of us? That's just sad."I'd heard it—him calling me a boring nun. Seen it—them, tangled up in h

My first instinct? Deny it. Cover it up.I reached for the scarf—then stopped.Why bother?The truth would cut cleaner.I yanked it off, stuffed it in my sweatshirt pocket, and met his eyes. Calm. Unbothered."Yeah. You saw them. Hickeys. I slept with someone else."Said it flat. No emotion.But it wrecked him.Luciano lost it.He grabbed my neck, slammed me into the corner.The polished, golden-boy act was gone, replaced by a full-blown mafia meltdown."What did you just say? Say it again!"Under all that rage? Fear. Clear as day.So I doubled down.Dead in the eye. "I said, on your birthday, after I walked out of your place, I slept with someone else.""You—" His jaw clenched. His grip tightened.He'd never actually hurt me before. When my face flushed from the pressure, his hands twitched—panicked.He let go, fingers trembling.Ran a hand through his blond hair, pacing like a psycho. "No... no way. You were terrified of men. For three years, you barely let me touch

I refused to think about him. Scrubbed every inch of my skin raw in the shower, then slathered on lotion, hoping the bruises would vanish faster.After finally getting some real sleep, I woke up clear-headed. Threw on my best game face and headed to the hospital.Yannon Memorial was the top hospital in the state—Montrelle City's pride. Every med student wanted in.I was an honors grad from Montrelle U, and this internship was my shot at locking down a spot.No screw-ups. No second chances. I had to crush it.I dropped my backpack on the tiny desk and headed to the locker room to throw on my white coat. While I was buttoning up, voices floated in from the next stall."Oh my god, I never thought I'd see him here. Guys like that stick to private clinics.""Maybe it's some kind of takeover thing. Why else would he show up in person?""He could've made the director crawl to him. You know he would've."I had no clue who they meant.But one thing was clear—someone big was in the bui