MasukShe was fire—and she knew I was the one already burning.Nico murmured something at her ear. She smiled, then laughed, tipping her head back. Her throat exposed. His hand too close to her spine.She flicked her gaze toward me—barely a glance. Then turned away.My jaw tightened.“Jesus,” Cooper mutte
WESLEY's POVI arrived fashionably late, as expected. A calculated move—enough to rattle Mona and remind the rest of them I only appeared when I damn well pleased. Cooper flanked me in silent formation, his eyes sweeping the grand marble entryway like a soldier entering enemy territory. Technically,
But it wasn’t until I felt the sudden presence at my side that I knew the temperature had dropped.Wesley.He didn’t say a word, but the silence around him roared. He was dressed in his usual sharp lines and shadowed intensity, but something about him now was coiled—tightly held fury barely hidden b
CARA's POVThe zipper hissed softly as I adjusted the back of my dress, smoothing the fabric over my hips. The satin clung like a second skin, emerald green and deliberate—just enough modesty to pass as elegant, just enough curve to command attention. I glanced at my reflection, tilting my chin slig
I stood, calm and controlled.“She’s neither.”Mona’s eyes gleamed as she closed the last of the space between us. She was close enough that I could see the scar near her collarbone—the one she kept visible on purpose.“She should be one or the other,” she whispered. “Soon. Because people are watchi
WESLEY's POVThe hum of the servers was the only sound that didn’t piss me off tonight.I leaned against the edge of the control desk, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the monitors. Grainy footage from every inch of the estate flickered across the wall—shadows passing through halls, staff rotations logge
That scared me more than anything.“You ordered them dead. All of them. Just like that.”“They made a move on my territory. My men. You saw the message.”“I saw a ring covered in blood. That’s not business, Wesley.”“No,” he said. “It’s a message. And mine had to be louder.”He turned fully now, lea
CARA's POVThe light was soft and slow, the kind that kissed everything gold and made even my pencil lines look gentle. I sat cross-legged on one of the loungers by the terrace edge, sketchbook balanced on my knee, pretending the world was quieter than it actually was.The truth-or-dare game still e
What was I doing? Wanting answers from a man who gave nothing unless it served a purpose?And yet—when he looked at me like that, I forgot all of it.Forgot logic.Forgot every reason I should protect myself.A breeze caught the curtains and they fluttered inward, brushing the foot of my bed like a
CARA's POVThe night air was thick with sea breeze and secrets.Strings of golden bulbs hung between the palms, swaying gently as we lounged around the long outdoor table, plates pushed aside in favor of wine glasses and rum cocktails. Laughter came easy—too easy. Everyone was a little too shiny, to







