LOGINMatvei.Love is something I have never desired—never wanted to feel, not after I lost my brother. That part of me died with him. But hatred? Hatred is different. Hatred is alive. It breathes inside me, sharp and restless. It fuels me so fucking much that I can’t help myself when this monster of a father tries to lay a hand on someone I care about.The tension in the room was suffocating, thick enough to choke on. It curled in the air like smoke, laced with the one thing I thrive on—fear.A low chuckle slipped past my lips as I tilted my head, staring at my father like he was nothing more than a joke.“How dare you point a gun at me because of a fucking commoner?!” he growled, but I heard it—the surprise buried beneath his anger.Nigga, I would have killed you already if you didn’t still hold half of my fucking wealth.I let my gun drop lazily to the floor, the dull clatter echoing across the marble, and leaned back into the couch like none of this mattered.“Get to whatever shit you h
Araceli.The drive was silent.My gaze stayed mostly on my thighs. I tried using my side eye to watch him drive, but I always dropped my gaze back down the moment I noticed he was looking at me.I didn’t even realize when we got to his mansion.It was when he slowed the car for the gates to open that I noticed.My breath caught.There were more armed guards than usual.SUVs lined up—so many I lost count… maybe fifty.The men standing outside looked stiff, emotionless… cruel. Just by looking at them, you could tell, they were killers.A cold shiver ran down my spine.I flinched slightly, turning to Matvei. “What—What is happening?!”He parked in the front yard before turning to me, his expression unreadable.“Nothing… Just remember to be calm and don’t overreact,” he said firmly.My fingers curled slightly into my palm.I nodded.I trusted him.He knew what was waiting inside.I didn’t.He stepped out of the car, and every single man bowed their heads.I froze.Men who looked like they
Araceli.I stood in front of Matvei’s sports car, biting my lips while waiting for him.When I walked away, I was very sure I could hear him behind me… but when I got to the parking lot, I didn’t see him anywhere.I leaned against his car, my eyes searching around, wondering where he had disappeared to.My mind kept wandering back to what he said about fulfilling his husband duties.I knew I wasn’t playing my part well… but he already had people to do all of that for him.So what could I do?What could I do to fulfill my part?I rubbed my head, trying to think, frustration building slowly in my chest.Then I paused.I just got a new phone.Sonia said she would teach me how to use it…So maybe I could browse the internet… and find out what other wifely duties I could do—something no one else could do for him.My legs started aching from standing too long, a dull pain creeping up my calves, so I pushed myself off the car and began walking back into the restaurant to see what was keeping
Araceli.“I know the chef,” he said smoothly. “One of the best in the world. He wouldn’t dare serve me rubbish… unless he wants to leave me no choice but to cut his dick off.”My jaw dropped slightly.The words came out so easily. Like violence was just another language he spoke.“Araceli,” he muttered, his eyes narrowing slightly, “I can see the food in your mouth while you’re chewing.”“Oh—” Heat rushed to my face. I quickly closed my mouth, forcing the food down as embarrassment curled in my chest. “Sorry.”I swallowed, then glanced at him again, curiosity pushing past my shame. “How do you just… talk about killing people like that without being scared?”“Scared?” he repeated, the word rolling off his tongue like something foreign—something almost offensive.I nodded, taking another bite, slower this time. “Yes. Don’t you feel fear?”He leaned back slightly, his posture loose, unbothered. “Fear is an illusion, Araceli.”I shook my head immediately. “I don’t think so.”My fingers t
Araceli.Matvei stepped by my side, walking casually beside me, our bodies barely an inch apart. If I moved just a little closer, I knew I would feel the warmth of his skin—and my heart ached quietly for it.We were silent, and it felt like the tension in the room was heavy, almost pressing against my chest. The air between us felt thick, like words were stuck there, waiting to be said. We both had things to say to each other… but we stayed silent.I knew he wanted to say something to me, I could see it in the way his jaw ticked slightly, tightening and relaxing like he was holding himself back.“Welcome, Mr. Matvei Orlov… let me lead you to your reserved table.”A tall blonde lady, looking like she had just stepped out of a magazine, stood before us. Her voice was smooth, practiced. Her gaze stayed fixed on Matvei, completely ignoring me like I didn’t exist beside him.Matvei nodded once.She smiled—slow and a little too seductive—her eyes finally flickering over me, scanning me from
Araceli.Matvei reached for my hands, warm and strong, and led me toward a black sports car waiting nearby. My head stayed lifted, staring at his beautiful face, and for a moment, the world seemed to vanish. The bustling street, the cars, the men… everything blurred to shadows. The only thing I could see clearly, the only thing that existed, was him.He opened the car door slowly, the soft creak of it breaking through the noise around us, and gently guided me inside. I slid into the seat, the leather smooth and cool against my skin, my body still tingling from his touch.My neck twisted slightly, almost straining, as I watched him walk around the front of the car. His movements were unhurried, controlled, every step carrying that same quiet authority. My eyes followed him without thinking, tracing every detail of his face, the sharp lines, the calm dominance in his expression.He got into the driver’s seat, the door shutting with a firm click that seemed louder than it should have bee
Araceli.“I want to have that too.” I smiled, my eyes glinting at her.Her lips tugged into a smile. “Are you sure?”“Yes, I am,” I answered too quickly. “I just want to experience different things, Sonia.”“I would have let you link up with a friend of mine,” she said, pausing. “But I don’t think
Araceli.This day has been the worst day of my life. I woke up to the most unusual and traumatic gift my so-called husband decided to offer me. Aside from the way I reacted when I saw how he was torturing my sister, the worst and calmest feeling at the same time is how my body reacts to him.I’m gr
AraceliMy eyes widened at what his mother had just said about her own son. I blinked rapidly as I turned away, my vision blurring. I never knew words alone could make someone feel this dizzy.“H-he… he killed his brother?” I whispered, my voice shaking as I pressed my fingers to my temples.“Yes,
Araceli.His dark green eyes turned stormy in a second, filling with an anger that felt capable of swallowing me whole.I shifted back, fear crawling up my spine, but my shoulders stayed squared—like I was daring him to do his worst. He tilted his head, then lowered it slowly.“Mind your fucking la







