My frown deepened as I took in Stephen’s appearance. He was dressed in a tailored suit, his hair slicked back to reveal a smug expression. He had a naughty glint in his eye, and I knew that he only spelt trouble. He was a rich entitled brat that has been on my neck since forever. Just a jealous twat after my business, but mostly my peace of mind.
"Good to see you Logan," Stephen said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I didn't know you were into auctions." I narrowed my eyes, my instincts on high alert. "I'm just here for a specific item," I said trying to keep my cool. Stephen's grin widened. "Oh, I think I know what that item might be, And I think I might just have to bid against you." My eyes locked onto his, a spark of anger igniting within me. “You don’t have to be a prick every goddamn time.” I hissed annoyed and he chuckled as he neared me. He lifted his hands and stroked my hair but I pushed him off. “Awwww! Princess is mad? Come on Logan, it’s a bid. So just try your best to win against me.” He said as he laughed like a maniac before handing his invite to the guards. "See you inside princess." he snickered as he walked away. Why? Just why did I have to run into him? As if things weren’t hard enough. And I hated the fact he called me princess. I hated everything about this prick of a man. “Sir, let’s go.” Peter beckoned. I hissed as I strode into the hall. I needed to get my head straight. I walked into the auction hall, the sound of murmured conversations and the clinking of glasses filling the air. The room was filled with rich folks, all dressed to the nines, and I could sense the excitement and anticipation building up. The announcer, a tall, slender man with a soothing voice, introduced himself and welcomed everyone to the auction. He explained the rules and the procedures, and then, without further ado, the auction began. Numerous valuable items were on display, and the bidding started. I watched carefully, waiting for when my item would be on display. "Lot number 12, a rare diamond ring valued at 500 thousand," the announcer said, holding up the ring. A woman in the front row raised her hand, bidding 700 thousand, Another man bidded 800 thousand, until it reached 1.2 million. And so the auction continued. The item I came for was finally on display and my eyes narrowed as I clenched my fist. I spotted Stephen, who had a naughty grin on his face and mouthed the words "mine." I frowned as I looked away. I can't let him get to me. The announcer described the item as a precious family heirloom, and the bidding started at 80 million. I was the first to bid a 100 million. Stephen snickered as he raised it by an extra 20 million. Fuck! He’s really going to challenge me. A certain business woman, who had a knack for jewelry bid 170 million, and so the bidding continued competitively. I clenched my jaws feeling frustrated. I knew Stephen was just doing this to mess with me, and I was soon at my last million. The bidding continued until it reached 680 million. With frustration, I called out 700 million which was all I had at the moment. Stephen didn't back down and made a call. “750 million.” He said with his eyes fixed on me. I knew I didn't have the money to bid higher, but I stubbornly wanted to keep bidding. Peter immediately grabbed my arm to stop me. "It's not wise sir," he whispered. "You can't afford to bid higher." But I was determined. "I can't let the necklace end up with a shitty person like Stephen," I said stubbornly, but Peter wouldn’t let me make another call. Just as the announcer was about to declare the necklace sold to Stephen, someone else made a bid “1.5 billion.” The familiar voice said from behind and the crowd was in shock. I quickly turned around to see who had made that call, and I was met with fucking Gavin with a sexy grin plastered on his stupidly handsome face, his gaze fixed on me. I felt cold sweat trickle down my spine, and I knew I couldn't win the bid. Stephen also backed down immediately with a frown. The announcer called out the bid once, twice, and then slammed down his gavel. "Sold to Mr Gavin Slade for 1.5 billion!" I felt a mix of emotions. Frustration, disappointment, and relief. I knew I couldn't have afforded to bid higher, but a part of me was glad that the necklace wouldn't end up with Stephen, but Gavin wasn’t any better either. As soon as the auction was over, Gavin got up immediately to leave, his confident stride eating up the distance. I hurried to catch up to him, cause I needed to speak with him. I finally caught up to him just as he was about to get into his car. I blocked his path, my eyes locked on his. Gavin narrowed his eyes and raised his brows at me. "Logan," he said, his voice low and smooth. "What can I do for you?" I took a deep breath, "I want to make a deal," I said, my voice firm. Gavin couldn't help but chuckle. "A deal?" he repeated. "Why would I want to make a deal with you Logan?" I gritted my teeth. "Stop being pretentious Gavin, I know why you bought the necklace anyway." Gavin grinned, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Nothing gets past you, does it Logan?" he said, his voice low and husky. He moved closer to me, his sensual smile making my heart skip a beat. "So Logan," he said, his voice dripping with seduction. "What are you willing to do for your mom's necklace?" I swallowed hard. "Anything," I replied trying to sound confident, but the smell of his cologne drowned every confidence in my veins. Gavin leaned in all the more, his breath hot against my ears. "Anything?" he repeated, his voice low and needy. This moment, I knew I was falling into a trap. Gavin's eyes seemed to bore into my soul, and I could feel my resolve weakening. But I couldn't back down now. I had to get what I wanted from this psycho. “Anything.” I repeated firmly, and I knew immediately that I was only digging my own grave.~ Logan’s POV ~My heart was practically tap dancing in my chest. It was today. Today was the day. My wedding day. My wedding with Gavin. A silly, goofy grin felt permanently plastered to my face, and every time I looked in the mirror, it just widened.Peter had been surprisingly invested. I still remember his dramatic sigh when I first mentioned needing a suit, only for him to drag me to some ridiculously expensive boutique three weeks ago to get suits. "Darling you need to look royal," he complained as he picked up fabrics. In the end, he chose a dark blue suit that actually made me look… well, royal. He said going for white was too basic. And this morning, he was here earlier, buzzing around my hotel room like an over caffeinated hummingbird."Logan, for the love of all that is holy, are you even dressed yet?" he shrieked, barging in for the tenth time in the last hour. "The ceremony starts in an hour! Gavin's already there, probably a nervous wreck, and you're still fiddling wit
It’s been a few months now and I must say, it has been the happiest for me. Peter had, quite simply, moved in. Or rather, I hadn't let him leave. The house felt hollow without his easy laughter, and the mornings dull without the aroma of his coffee brewing. Even the incessant meows of his three ridiculously fluffy cats, had become a comforting soundtrack to my days. They had taken quite a liking to me too, much to Peter’s amusement who thought they wouldn’t like me, especially Claws. They would often choose to nap on my lap while I tried to work on my laptop.Our days were so comfortable. I still went to the office, the pressures of work feeling somehow lighter knowing Peter would be waiting for me at home. He would often text me throughout the day, sending silly memes or asking about my progress even while still at work. Evenings were the best. Sometimes, I would come home to the tantalizing smell of something delicious Peter had whipped up in the kitchen. He genuinely loved to cook,
My jaw clenched as my damn phone started ringing, tearing me away from the warmth of Peter's embrace. Reluctantly, I pulled back as I answered the call."What?" I snapped curtly without even checking the caller ID."Sir," my secretary's voice said through the speaker. She sounded troubled too. "I just received a call.. your father is..well his health has deteriorated significantly. You need to come home immediately."I was quiet for a while as I processed the information."I'm on my way," I finally managed, I hung up without another syllable.Peter's brow was furrowed with concern, his hand reaching out to gently touch my arm. "What is it Alex? What's wrong?""It's my father. His condition… it's gotten worse. I have to go.""I'll come with you," Peter said immediately, I shook my head because there was no way I was going to allow that. "No Peter. You can't. You don't understand… my father… he's… vehemently homophobic. It won't be pleasant if he..."But Peter's jaw was set stubbornly
~ Alexander’s POV ~It’s been fourteen agonizing days since the light had been stolen from Peter’s eyes. It felt like an eternity, a cruel suspension of time where the only constant thing was the fear that his eyes might never open again. Everything else became so insignificant to me. The company, deals, every single thing, I abandoned it all, and I was basically living in the hospital. I felt alien to anything else but the beeping of the machines that kept Peter’s fragile body alive.I didn’t want him to remain in the public ward so I had him moved swiftly to a private hospital, two weeks ago in a VIP ward, where the best doctors and nurses could attend to him. Every morning, I would arrive before dawn to watch over him. I would gently bathe him, clean him careful around the bandages. Then I would comb his messy hair. I didn’t want the nurses to do it. I wanted to do it myself. Seeing Peter like this made me so mad and I regretted listening to Gavin’s weak suggestion of dumping Ja
~~ TRIGGER WARNING!!! For those who doesn't like torture. I tried to make it less graphic though ~~There was a slow curl of Alex’s lips. It was not a smile, not really, but something far more unsettling. He didn't speak further, just nodded his head towards Marco. Marco in turn immediately barked a series of sharp commands at the other guards. "Get him secured! Set the bastard up!"My gut clenched. A cold dread began to seep into my veins as I watched them move with efficiency. Alex, meanwhile, was on his feet, his gaze dropping to the figure of Jaxon huddled on the floor. There was no pity in his eyes, only disgust. Jaxon was already a mess of whimpers and desperate pleas, his voice cracking with terror as the men descended upon him.Two of them hauled Jaxon up, his limbs flailing uselessly, and dragged him towards a heavy looking iron surface that lay in the center of the room, I didn’t even notice it before. He was laid face down, his body trembling violently against the cold meta
“I want in,” I stated, my voice firm, brooking no argument. Alex turned to me, his emerald orbs that had turned so dark locked in my gaze. “Can you handle it Gavin?” he asked. I met his gaze, and I felt a bit offended. “What do you take me for?”His eyes narrowed, a hint of something dangerous glinting within them. “What I’m about to do isn’t about ordering someone around Slade. I’m going to do this myself. With my own hands.” His voice was colder now, devoid of any warmth. “Can you handle that?”I stared into the abyss of his eyes, seeing the raw hate that resided there. It was unsettling. I swallowed hard before replying. “Yes,” I finally said, my voice low but resolute. “I can.”Alex nodded, a grim satisfaction flickering across his features. He stood up abruptly. “Let’s go. We need to be back before Peter wakes up.” He started towards the door, then paused, turning back. “Where’s Logan?”I snorted. “I thought you’d never ask.” I told him about Logan’s internal bleeding, the shar