[Bianca]The stench of cigar smoke was enough to make me want to gag. The thug seated beside me had an arm slung over my shoulders, his sweat mixing with the greasy tobacco stench clinging to his clothes. I tried to turn my face away, but he only grinned wider, pressing closer as if he was unaware of his own stink.“The things I could do to you, gorgeous,” he said, sounding disgustingly sly.I glared at him, wrinkling my nose. “The least you could do is brush your damn teeth.”His expression dropped.The hand gripping my shoulder moved to the back of my head, and before I could brace myself, he slammed my skull against the car window.Crack.Everything went dark after that.When I woke, my head throbbed like it had been split open and glued back together. I was seated on cold concrete, arms bound painfully behind me and looped around what felt like a thick metal pillar. My legs were numb probably from sitting on my knees for too long, and my cheeks were sticky with dried blood.The fa
[Bianca]Anxious didn't even begin to describe my first full day working under Dante.Maybe it was because I hadn't had a proper office job in years, or maybe it was because of him—the deranged narcissist who seemed to think "assistant" meant glorified errand mule with benefits.Dante had me darting in and out of the elevator like I was trying to win an Olympic medal in coffee-fetching. If it wasn't a missing pen, it was printer paper. If it wasn't paper, it was gum. And if it wasn't gum, then apparently his royal throat was suddenly dry and needed "hydration."God forbid the man actually stand up and get water like a normal person.To make matters worse, I hadn't eaten all day. No breakfast, no lunch, not even a light snack. Just water and the aroma of his beverages.At some point, I finally snapped."Dante," I said, rubbing my temple as I rose from the seat across from him. "I'm going on a break, I'm starving."He didn't bother looking up. "Wait a moment—it's almost closing time."I
[Bianca]It was a knock that woke me the next morning. I'd wanted to ignore it, hell I'd only come here because Cassandra had gone somewhere and forgotten to leave the spare key. She wasn't answering her calls or texts either and I was beyond exhausted after such a busy day. I only meant to nap on the sofa before showering since I was all sticky and sweaty from such a long day. But somehow, exhaustion had overwhelmed me.From Dante's office antics to his doctor, Bella, and then the trip to the scrapyard. One good thing that had come out of it was the name 'Sara Lee' who was likely Keith's mother. It took a while but I'd made stops at a few police stations after the scrapyard. I was about to give up when one claimed that Keith had been moved to rehab. Nothing had come up about Anna yet and my donor's identity was still a mystery.KNOCK KNOCK KNOCKThe knock came again, louder than before. I slowly got off the bed, feeling the sluggishness within my bones. I caught my reflection in t
[Dante]I didn’t leave the office until well after sunset. Not because I had nothing better to do—if anything, the day had been unusually productive and busy. From sex with Bianca to finally silencing that insufferable doctor once and for all, I’d crossed off most of the day’s regular obligations. By all metrics, it had been a good day.But the work never really ended. I wasn’t particularly fond of it. I didn’t find spreadsheets, meetings, or documentation fulfilling. Still, I had no intention of ever stooping to poverty. Not now. Not five years from now. Not even on my deathbed.I was thirty-one. Sooner or later, I’d have to consider retirement but before that came succession. That lovely word that terrified men who’d built empires. The moment you start thinking about who comes after you, you start realising you’re not immortal. You start making exit plans—planning for your own obsolescence, wanting to make sure the next person to take over wouldn’t fuck up your life’s work.A succes
[Dante]From the twenty-fourth floor, everything looked insignificant. Cars, people, lives—they crawled like ants, unaware of the giants above them. I stood at the glass wall of my office, coffee gone cold in my hand, watching the parking lot below.That’s when I saw her.Bianca.Even from this height, there was no mistaking the subtle arrogance in her posture, the way her spine held straight despite the stiffness in her step. Of course, she hadn’t fully recovered from the sex. If only that fool hadn’t interrupted us. She didn’t have a car. Maybe I needed to get her one—but I couldn’t fathom her preferences in vehicles.She was walking toward the road when someone intercepted her. My eyes narrowed at the sight of Bella. Setting the coffee in my hand on the desk, I reached for my phone and dialled her number.She didn’t answer.My eyes narrowed as Bella stepped closer to Bianca, too close for comfort, her mouth moving to explain something briefly.I tapped my phone screen again. One
[Bianca]I exited the building shortly after our conversation. While strolling past the parking lot, I heard someone—a woman to be specific, call out:"Hey!"The voice was familiar so I spun around. To my surprise, it was the same woman I'd accidentally bumped into outside Dante's house the other night. This time, I got a better look.Around 5'10, maybe taller with the boots. Curvy. Broad-hipped and broad-shouldered, with rich brown skin. She wore a simple olive coat, and under it, a dark dress that hit just below her knees."Hey," I returned, trying to sound as polite as I could. After all, we didn't even know each other's names.Nice to meet you," she said, a little breathless. "Bella Dawson." Then she smiled, revealing a set of perfectly aligned teeth. "Sorry to bother you, but would you mind if we talked for a bit? Somewhere quieter?"I didn't ask why because I already knew what the topic was. Dante. What I didn't know was the details and in times like this—curiosity often got the