That was my privilege.Her tiny hands clutched at my shirt, desperate and weak, as if she thought I might disappear if she let go.A cruel smile ghosted my lips.She was afraid to lose me.Just as I was afraid to lose her.And yet… she had betrayed me.Hadn’t she?The thought slithered into my mind,
But my mind was elsewhere.I thought about that basement.I thought about her down there, shackled in the dark, surrounded by men who weren’t me.I imagined their hands on her. The bruises they left. The fear they forced into her veins.What if they had done more?The thought nearly sent me over the
Hudson raised an eyebrow. "His brother?"I barely acknowledged him. I was too busy watching her.Abruptly, she shoved herself off my lap, her voice rising in frustration."I told you it’s me!" she yelled, wiping at the tears brimming in her eyes, as if she could erase the evidence of her weakness.I
"Please…"Her voice cracked, a fractured thing."Please, kill me."I stilled.She didn’t beg for her life.She begged for his."I-I'm sorry," she choked out, voice thick with sobs. "Please, Ace, please… I will do anything. Beat me, hurt me, I’ll do everything in this house, whatever you say, but lea
Ace POV:198…199…200.I sat up, my breath ragged, sweat slicking my skin. The burn in my muscles did nothing to quell the chaos in my head.Her voice was still there."For me, please, Ace….."I clenched my jaw. I had walked away. I had to.But I could still feel her fingers gripping my leg, the desp
"Pittsford," I muttered, the word dry in my throat.Susan sighed, the sound dragging with irritation. She stepped forward, her eyes locked onto mine."Ace," she drawled, slow and deliberate, her voice dropping into something lethal. "Leave her. If next time anything happens to my family because of h
Liam exhaled sharply, already piecing things together. “I’ll gather more information. You all keep an eye on everyone from now on.”He strode out of the room with brisk determination, urgency lacing his every step.Aiden, ever perceptive, landed a firm hand on my shoulder. “Talk to her.”I barely re
Then, the shift came.The handwriting changed—became neater, more careful.And the words?They made my jaw clench."Dear god, he saved me. I want to see him again and maybe thank him."Who the fuck is ‘he’?My grip on the fragile pages tightened as I skimmed further."Dear god, he was looking handso
Why did I only notice it now?Ace chuckled—low, knowing."Do your work like a good whore," he murmured, his tone silky but laced with steel. "And show me your devotion, brat."He leaned back, and the pressure of his hands, which had been a constricting comfort around my body, vanished. Like a snake
I blinked, my breath hitching, frustration curling inside my chest."Please…" The whisper left me before I could stop it, before I could hold onto my pride. My head dipped down, shame curling my shoulders inward as I bit down on my lower lip. "Just one kiss. Even a peck."Ace clicked his tongue, th
“Don’t expect me to treat you like a good girl till I believe you’re sorry, Iris,” he murmured, his tone dark and taunting.Before I could process it, his thumb shoved past my lips, forcing them apart. My eyes flew wide, a muffled “Hmph” escaping as my hands shot up, fingers digging into his knees
“Sit on your knees.”…What?I froze.My smile slipped, and a soft “Huh?” escaped me before I could stop it.The warmth I’d felt a second ago twisted into something heavier, sharper, and I blinked at him, caught off guard.“You heard me, my sweet whore,” he said, leaning back with a smirk that stretc
I clenched my fists, inhaling sharply before narrowing my eyes at him.This man.This man would kill me.My fingers tugged at my top, pulling it back down as I tried to piece together what just happened.Why did he stop?I gulped, my throat dry, my body still traitorously warm. Ace smirked, draping
I sputtered, fisting my hands.“Boss,” Joy’s voice cut through my humiliation.“Wouldn’t Hudson sir be angry about what you just did to his sister? Should we, uh, step outside?”Ace didn’t even spare her a glance.“No. Stay here and do your work. I’ll do mine,” he said smoothly, like he hadn’t just
And he had the audacity to ignore me?He didn’t even say thank you!I glared at his back.“Boss,” I said, layering my voice with a little too much sweetness. “It’s past your lunch time. You should eat.”Nothing.Not even a glance.Ace continued flipping through his damn papers like I was invisible.
But it was probably not the sparkly, glittering fairy kind. More like the I-make-people-disappear kind.Joy. That’s her name.Wooow.A woman named Joy working at a place where she literally brings pain. “Oh yeah!! I remember now,” Joy exclaimed, her face lighting up like I was her long-lost best f
Damn it, Iris. Play it cool!His gaze didn’t waver. “May I know what you are doing here?”I cleared my throat. “Uh… just… passing by?”He arched a brow.I let out a nervous laugh and gestured to the air. “You know, just… admiring the architecture?”Then, he tilted his head toward the slightly open d