MasukAuthor's POV A terrifying scream tore through the room as Evander landed on the floor, groaning in pain, his hand clenched over his bleeding chest.It took Iris a long second to understand what had happened. Her mind went completely blank as she scrambled onto the floor beside Evander's body."Eva...n...der," she cried, her words cracking.Her hand reached towards him to help, but before she could touch him, Xavier's hand wrapped around her arm with an iron grip and dragged her up.Her eyes met his, making fury surge through her body. She struggled against his hold, crying."Fucking stop moving," Xavier growled, making her body flinch badly as more tears filled her eyes.The door was pushed open, and the guards rushed inside after hearing the gunshot.They all halted when their eyes landed on Xavier with Iris in his hold.Mason walked in a second later. The atmosphere thickened with tension. His jaw clenched as he saw Evander lying in a pool of his own blood."Leave her," Mason said,
Xavier's POV "This is our proposal."I finished my long speech. Rather than shooting him dead on the spot and taking his fingerprint from his dead body, he had asked me to explain how it would benefit them."How can we trust you when you broke your deal with those big families? You have nothing now. You are on the ground," he spat out with his plastered professional face."If you don't want it, then completely fine... but remember, we built this empire from the ground before too... and we will do it again. But what will happen to you after that? Because there are hundreds of people outside ready to accept this," I said, pulling the files back.I knew for sure this bastard wouldn't lose this opportunity."Let's be quick. If you deny it... I will have to kill you," Ethan said, loading the gun.I turned to him, and it was enough for Ethan to understand that this wasn't the moment to be violent."Don't take it seriously... we are doing business sincerely now," I told him, and I knew this
Author's POV "Where are the others, Evander?" Iris' voice cracked with sobs."They couldn't make it out," he mumbled, his gaze filling with tears.Iris cried even more as he gently took her hand into his, slowly pulling her into his arms."It was all his fault, and we are going to take revenge on him," he said, clenching his fists. Rage flooded his eyes, turning them red with anger."We will," Mason said as Iris pulled away from Evander."What do you mean by that?" she asked, wiping her tears."This is the time we take our revenge. The Stone Empire has nothing now, and all their secrets have been exposed," Mason said as he handed a glass of water to Iris, rubbing her back softly to calm her down."We can destroy them, Iru. This is all we wanted from the beginning. We will do justice for those who lost their lives because of them," Evander explained."Only if Iris wants to," Mason said, looking at Evander, silence filled the room as they waited for her reply."You take your time, Iris
Author's POV She twisted in her sleep in discomfort as the nightmare chased her. A warm hand pressed against her forehead."It's okay... I am here. Nothing will happen, Iru," a soothing voice came with a warm kiss on her forehead.Her eyes flickered open as the voice reached her mind. She knew this voice, and somehow she didn't want to know he was there.She met brown orbs. Xavier's face was in front of her. She didn't say anything or move, just looked at him as silence filled the room.His hand brushed against her hair. He pulled her into his arms, rolling her over him as he landed on the bed with Iris lying on top of him.Iris didn't show any signs of shock. She just laid her head on his chest. The faint smell of his body was calming her down, and he stroked her hair softly."What are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head up.He leaned down, taking her lips in a peck."Because I missed you," he breathed against her lips. His eyes were telling so many things that made her hea
Author's POV Iris got up. Everything was too much for her. She didn't stop, pushing the door open as she walked outside. She locked herself in the room. Hours passed, but she didn't open the door. Mason let her be, knowing she needed time to process everything that had come from him.The door opened the next day. She walked downstairs and had her breakfast in silence. She didn't speak about yesterday. Mason sat as the children had their food. Everyone could notice the dullness written across Iris's face.Later, Iris walked into the big garden. She let her thoughts run wild. As she turned around, her gaze fell on someone that made her completely stop in her tracks.It was her mom, Grace.Her mom crossed the distance between them, and in the same step she took, Iris was pulled into a warm hug. Iris's eyes grew moist. The woman she had called her mom for years, the one who had always been there for her, was not her true mother. The thought made her tighten her grip around her."Are you
Iris's POVI walked out. I still could smell him all over me. It hurt between my legs. My eyes scanned the room. He wasn't here. He had gone.A relieved breath left my lips, with something heavy settling on my heart. I don't care.I walked to the bed. I just sat there, my heart filled with a hollow feeling, filled with everything. I hate him, I whispered to myself, wiping away the tear that rolled down.I got up, cleaning it away. I didn't want anyone to know about it. My gaze fell on a piece of paper stuck to the edge of the table."I will come to get you. Take care of yourself and throw away the thought of leaving me." -XavierI read the note, and I tore it into pieces, throwing it into the dustbin. Does he really think he can control me, and I will follow everything like a puppet? The thought of leaving from here and going somewhere he couldn't find me emerged so strongly.After changing into the same decent clothes that would hide his ugly mark on my neck, I walked outside. The







