MasukLOU “You are late.” My entire body stiffened at the sound of Jaxon’s voice. I turned slowly, my face turning blank. Jaxon stood at the foot of the staircase, one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his black trousers, the other holding a glass of amber liquor. His dark shirt was rolled up to his elbows, exposing strong forearms I once traced my fingers over like they were something sacred. I rolled my eyes at the thought, replying coldly, “I’m five minutes early.” Jaxon’s lips curved faintly. “Well, that's not good enough for me.” I let out a scoff, yeah of course it wasn't, only a psychopath like him would think that way. Jaxon’s gaze slowly moved over me, from my shoes to the loose cream sweater I wore, then finally to my face, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. “You look tired,” he said. I almost laughed. “You dragged me here to comment on how I look or feel?” “Do not hate me for being concerned about my employee,” he said smiling, but I had no time for his
LOUFor a second, I honestly thought I misheard him.“Excuse me?” My brows furrowed even further, “That isn't possible.” I argued, but Jaxon's smile simply brightened.“It is indeed possible. You are now my personal stripper, you belong to me alone, and no one else.” He said, sounding weirdly possessive.His words didn’t just sound wrong, they felt wrong, like something sour settling at the back of my throat and no matter how I try, I can't get it off.“You can't do this,” I said slowly, my voice dangerously quiet.Jaxon didn’t respond immediately, Instead, he leaned back in his chair like he had all the time in the world, fingers resting beneath his chin, watching me.“You heard me, Lou,” he finally said. “Your position here has been… adjusted.”Adjusted? That's what he calls this?My hands curled into fists at my sides. “No,” I said flatly, shaking my head. “No, I don’t think I heard you properly. Because I refuse to believe you just said I would no longer be working the floor and i
LOUI pushed through the glass doors of the hospital just before the sun began to dip.My grip tightened around the strap of my bag as I headed toward the elevators, knowing the exact floor to find her. Showing up here every day of my life for the past year, the steps had already been implanted in my head.Third floor, room 312.I stopped before her ward, squeezing the brown bag in my hand. It still felt unreal even after all this time had passed, it didn't feel like one whole year of struggling with her cancer.I held the door handle, twisting it slowly before pushing it open, trying not to make a sound. I walked into the room and saw her fast asleep, her bible in hand. She must have waited so long for me to show up.I slowly approached her, my lips curling into a smile. She looked peaceful in her sleep, almost as though she wasn't battling something this deadly.I could still remember that very unfortunate day. One minute she was nagging me about eating properly, the next she was co
Lou’s POVThe moment I clicked the door shut behind me, every instinct in my body screamed at me to run down the hallway, past the stairs, through the back exit, out into the cold night air, and to just keep going until New York became a blur behind me.But I didn't, because running is what the old Lou Bennett would have done, and I am no longer her.Rather, I walked, my steps slow and measured. I steadied my breath, raising my chin and shoulders, the same way I had learned to move on that stage.The hallway behind the Vip suites was dim, lined with silver-trimmed mirrors that reflected my image as I walked. An image, even I was still trying to recognize, pale skin, dark eyes, and bold makeup.I paused in front of one of the mirrors, and for a split second, I saw her. The old Lou Bennett, the girl who used to sit on the library floor, face buried in books larger than her hands, while an enormous pile sat right next to her. The girl who was too naive to believe the rich cocky bastard w
Jaxon’s POVThe bass in The Gilded Lily didn’t just play, no, it breathed. It was a living, pulsing beast of engineered acoustics designed to make people feel expensive and untethered. But as I sat in the center of the owner’s suite, the king of a kingdom built on neon and sin, all I felt was a hollow, echoing silence.Five years. . . It's been five years since I stood in a hallway at Crestwood High, rooted to the floor like a coward while the only girl who ever looked at the real me, saw me for who I really am away from the rich kid and cocky bastard I was, was drenched in humiliation in front of the whole school.Damn! I am still a cocky bastard, only now I have my own money to boast.I could still see that day if I closed my eyes. The way her white shirt clung to her, the way her eyes didn't just leak tears, they leaked a soul-crushing disappointment that had aged me a decade in a single second.“You are dead to me.”Those four words had been my death sentence. I’d spent the last s
Lou’s POVI gripped the smooth metal of the restroom door handle, ready to step back out into the fluorescent hallway of Crestwood High. My relief at having five quiet minutes to myself was immediate and calming. I pushed the door open, but my foot never made it across the threshold.A body blocked my path. Then another. And then a third.Standing before me were Tiffany Hale, the school's unofficial queen, flanked by her two loyal, sharply dressed satellites, Maya and Chloe. Tiffany’s blue eyes were fixed on me, not with their usual cold indifference, but with a burning, vicious amusement that made my stomach tighten into a hard knot.“Lou Bennett,” Tiffany’s voice was sugary, too loud for the empty stretch of hallway. “Did you really think you could just walk away?”My hands started to sweat. I dropped my gaze to the floor, instantly feeling the familiar pressure of being watched. I did not want to look at them. I knew what this meant, or at least, I thought I did. It was just anothe







