Madison
Victor doesn’t say a word while I tell him about Gustaf and the chat that I found on his phone. He just stares at me with his intense, calculating gaze. It’s impossible to know what he is thinking, and I swallow thickly.Does he even think my situation is serious?I try to gauge his reaction, but his expression gives nothing away. It’s as if he is lost in his own thoughts, but then I see his jaw thick, and I know he is listening.I continue talking, finishing my story before taking a deep breath. Victor is stroking his chin between his thumb and forefinger, his piercing blue eyes as intense as ever.Then in a calm tone, he asks. “So your ex-boyfriend spread your nudes all over the internet?”For some reason, I shiver. Victor is calm, but there is no denying the murderous glare on his face. Is he angry at me or at Gustaf? I can’t tell, and it frightens me. I don’t remember Victor ever being violent, but he is a grown man now, and all his muscles are tense.I nervously lick my lips. “Not just nudes, Victor. Videos of us having sex. Where people can see all my embarrassing parts and...comment whatever they want.”“I see...” a ghost of a smile fleets over his lips. “And where can I find these videos? Do you have a link?”All fear leaves out the window, and I gasp. “Victor!” Is he seriously trying to seize the moment to get a chance at seeing me naked?!Victor’s lips twitch in amusement at my reaction, and his dimples are flirting with me as he smiles. “What?”I glare at him. He is much too good-looking for someone like me, wealthy too, so I doubt he wanted to snatch the chance at seeing me naked.I sigh. “Nothing...”He chuckles. “I’m not a pervert if that’s what you’re thinking. I wouldn’t want to see someone I consider my sister naked. I simply need to know where these videos and images are so I can take care of them.” A small smile teases his lips.Take care of it? What the hell does that mean?“What are you talking about?” I ask.Victor leans forward, his eyes still locked on mine. “I’m talking about getting those videos taken down, of course. No one should have their privacy violated like that.”I feel a wave of relief washes over me. “Oh, right. Sorry, I thought you meant something else.”Victor raises an eyebrow. “What else could I mean?”I fidget nervously. “I don’t know...”Victor chuckles. “Anyway, I have ways to get things done, so maybe I can help.”I shake my head. “No, you shouldn’t get involved. This is my mess, I should be the one dealing with this.”Victor stares at me intently. He almost looks angry. “Look, I understand that you want to handle this on your own,” Victor says firmly. “But you don’t have to. You don’t have to go through this alone. I’m offering to help because I care about you.”I feel a lump form in my throat, moved by Victor’s words. He cares about me?“But what can you possibly do? Go to Gustaf’s house and beat him up?” I ask.Humor lights up in his eyes. “If you think he deserves it, sure, why not?”I can’t help but laugh at his response. “No, I don’t think violence is the answer.”“We agree to disagree,” he says grimly.Something in his voice shows me that he might not be joking, but I decide not to dwell on it. “Now, back to those videos. I really want to help you sort this out.”I give him a small smile. “Thanks, Victor. I appreciate it.”“Of course,” he says. “Now, let’s get to work. Do you have any information on where these videos are posted?”I nod and pull out my phone. “I have a list of sites that they were uploaded to. I’ve been trying to get them taken down, but it’s been difficult.”Victor takes the phone from me and begins scrolling through the list. “Hmm...first thing first. I have these taken down, and then...”“Then what?” I ask curiously.“Nothing. Don’t worry about it, Maddie,” Victor says.I give him a suspicious look. “What do you mean, ‘nothing’? What are you planning?”Victor raises an eyebrow. “Just trust me, Maddie. I will take care of it.”I hesitate for a moment but ultimately decide to trust him. “Okay, fine. But I want to know what you’re planning eventually.”Victor grins. “Fair enough.”We sit in silence for a moment. It’s one of those comfortable silence where you don’t feel the need to fill the space with meaningless chatter. I can feel his eyes on me, but I don’t turn to look at him.Victor yawns. “Anyway, it’s getting late, so I’m going to hit the shower. Try not to burn the place down again while I’m gone.”“Ha, ha.” I roll my eyes.Victor stands up from the couch and stretches his arms. His biceps are thicker than my thighs. “But seriously. You don’t need to go through things alone. Next time come to me when things like that happen.”I nod, feeling a bit more reassured now that Victor is on my side. “Thanks, Victor. I really appreciate your help.”“Anytime, Maddie,” he says with a smile before heading toward the bathroom.I’m left alone in the living room again, and I can’t help but wonder what Victor has planned. He has always been a bit mysterious, and I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to him than meets the eye.But for now, I push those thoughts to the back of my mind and focus on the fact that Victor Giovanni, my old childhood crush, is now in the shower right next door. Naked.Holy shit. I wonder what he looks like underneath his suit. His muscles are larger now. Chin more proud and those eyes? Holy Maria, for all that is good, he is hot!But entirely out of my league.I shake my head. I need to stop thinking about Victor. What the hell is wrong with me for imagining him naked!? Bad Maddie! I slap myself to make sure that I’m properly punished for these inappropriate thoughts.No, no, no. This is not the time or place for this. I need to focus on removing those videos, not on Victor’s naked body. I just got out of a terrible relationship with Gustaf, so the last thing I need is to think about another man.Besides, Victor will never be interested in someone like me. I’m Stanley’s baby sister, and that’s how he looks at me, I’m sure of it.As I sit and scroll through my phone, I hear the shower running.I turn the TV on, hoping it will distract me, but the sound of the running water is making it difficult to concentrate. I can’t help but wonder what Victor looks like.His body is all wet, drenched in soapy water.No, Mads. Stop it! I groan out loud and smack a throw pillow against my face. Has my brain always been this stupidly shameless?I go back to the TV, but nothing seems interesting enough to watch, so I try looking at my phone again. But then, I watch my screen go black.Dammit! Did my phone just die?I look around for my chargers, but it’s nowhere to be found. But then I remembered where it was and realized that I had left it in the bathroom.I tiptoe toward the bathroom and pause in front of the door, and smirk as I hear him humming in the shower.Hmm... I didn’t take him for a Bruno Mars fan.I hesitate for a moment, then knock.“Victor? How much longer are you going to be in the shower? I need my charger!” I say, but he doesn’t answer. “Victor!” I whine.Still no response from Victor.Fuck it, I will just go in and grab it really fast.I take a deep breath, turn the doorknob, and push the door open slowly. The steam from the shower rushes out, clouding my vision. I squint and make my way to the counter, where I remember leaving my charger.But then, as I reach for it, I catch a glimpse of Victor through the foggy shower curtain. My heart skips a beat as I take in the sight of him.His broad shoulders, muscular arms, and toned abs glisten under the water. He is using both his hands to wash his face while facing the stream, and my eyes land on a bulbous man’s butt that definitely took dedication at the gym.I just want to go down on my knees and bite it!No, bad, Madison!I quickly avert my gaze and grab my charger. And now to make my escape...I turn around to leave the bathroom. I can see the exit right in front of me, and I almost make it out.Almost.My foot catches on the edge of the rug in front of the door, and I lose my balance. I try to grab onto something, anything, but I end up falling face-first onto the hallway.“Ow!” I cry out, clutching my arm.“MADDIE!”I hear Victor shout, and it’s then followed by a rustling noise behind the curtain. He must be on his way to my rescue.This is so fucking embarrassing.“FUCK!” I hear my savior shout again, and then the sound of a gunshot echoes through the bathroom. I look inside the bathroom and see a huge hole in the ceiling with debris flying everywhere.“What the hell, Victor?!” I yell out in shock.There’s no answer from Victor for a moment, and I start to panic. Did he hurt himself? But then he bursts out of the shower curtain, fully naked, with a gun in his hand.“Uhh...I think I ruined Stanley’s apartment even more. There is a hole in the wall, but the good thing is that he always complained he barely saw his neighbors. Now he will get the chance to see them every time he showers.”SheilaI freeze, my heart racing as I look around the room, trying to spot any signs of danger. Ethan notices my distress and places a comforting hand on my arm."Is everything okay?" he asks, concern etched on his face."I don't know," I say, showing him the message from my dad. "He's telling me to leave."Ethan's expression darkens. "We should go, then. Henrik!" he calls out to my brother, who's standing at the punch bowl, chatting up one of the teachers. "We need to leave. Now."Henrik nods, his eyes scanning the room. "I'll go get the car."We rush out of the venue, and Henrik pulls the car around to the front. We jump in, and he speeds off into the night."What's going on?" I ask, my heart pounding in my chest."I don't know. But I got the same message from Dad, telling us to leave," Henrik says, scanning the parking lot.Ethan's phone buzzes, and he checks it. "My dad is telling me the same thing.""Someone is following us," Henrik says urgently as he looks into the rearview mir
Prom night.I stand in front of the mirror, admiring my dress. It's a strapless, navy blue gown that hugs my curves in all the right places. My friend Leslie helped me pick it out, and I couldn't be happier.I hear a tapping at my door, and I grin, knowing it's Henrik. I quickly open it."Ready to go?" Henrik asks.I nod, excitement bubbling inside of me. "Thanks for helping me with this, Henrik. I really appreciate it."He chuckles. "Of course, sis. Anything for you. Now, let's go before Dad starts to suspect something."We make our way outside, and I see Ethan's car waiting for us. Henrik opens the door for me, and I climb in. Ethan greets me with a smile. My heart skips a beat as I take in his handsome appearance. He's in a black tuxedo, and he looks like he just stepped out of a magazine."You look beautiful," he says, taking my hand.I blush, feeling flattered. "You don't look too bad yourself, Ethan."He smirks. "Glad to hear it. Shall we get going, then?""Ahem..."We both turn
Sheila Damien almost looks nervous at the woman, which is kind of funny to me. Isn't he supposed to be some tough Mafia boss?"Hey, Addie. This is Sheila," Damien says. "Sheila, this is my wife, Adeline."Hi," I say shyly.Adeline's eyes light up. "Sheila? Ethan told me about you!"Ethan talked about me? My cheeks warm at the thought."What are you doing here? Where is Ethan?" she asks.I look at Damien, trying to give him a chance to explain the situation, but when he says nothing, I decide to tell her myself."Mr. Damien kidnapped me from my school."Adeline's face twists into a frown. "He did what!?" she exclaimed.Damien raises his hand. "Now, hold on, I wouldn't call it kidnapping."I keep my smile intact. "It was definitely kidnapping. Some guy just pulled over next to me and told me to get inside the car."Adeline glared at him. "And why did you do such a thing?""Mr. Damien found out I am the daughter of his enemy, so he wanted to have a chat with me," I answer for him.Adeli
SheilaI don't care what Dad says. I want to see Ethan again. Last time we had so much fun together, and we connected so well!I catch him by his locker, so I stride toward him. "Ethan, hi!" I chirp.He looks at me and smiles. "Hey, Sheila. I thought you were forbidden from seeing me.""I am, but I don't care," I say determinedly.Ethan chuckles. "Being a rebel, are we?"I turn serious. "Look, Ethan. I don't care what kind of rivalry your dad and my dad have going on, but I want us to keep being friends. What do you have to say about that?"Ethan smirks and leans toward me. "Friends? I was hoping we could be more than friends."My heart does a little flip inside my ribcage. "Really?"Ethan nods, his smirk fading into a gentle smile. "Yeah, really. I've enjoyed getting to know you, Sheila. You're smart, funny, and we have a lot in common. I'd like to explore the possibility of something more than just friendship if you're interested."I bite my lower lip. "I would like that.""I wanted
HenrikI lean back in my chair as the waitress approaches us."Here's your whiskey on the rock. Let me know if you need anything else," she says with a smile.I smile back. "You know what, there is something else I need.""What's that?" she asks."I was wondering if you would spend some time with me tonight," I say.Her smile falters a bit. "What do you mean?""I mean, why don't we go to one of those private rooms and...talk? Maybe you could give me a lap dance?" I say and wink at her.Her cheeks flush. "I am not one of the dancers. I am just a server."I shrug. "What if I pay extra?"She sucks in a breath and her eyes narrow. "Are you serious? That's highly inappropriate." She takes a step back, clearly offended.But I'm not one to be deterred so easily. I lean in closer and give her a smirk. "Come on, it will be fun. I promise you won't regret it."She shakes her head and takes a step back. "I am not interested in being paid to dance for you."I shrug again. "That's too bad. But may
HenrikDang, family dramas, am I right?After causing that big scene at dinner, Dad got us all together for a private meeting."I need you all to keep an eye on your sister," he says in a hushed tone. "Don't we do that anyway?" Jonas rolls his eyes."I am serious!" Dad growls at him. "Pay extra attention to her. Make sure she doesn't see Ethan again.""You do realize they go to the same school, right? And they plan on going to the Prom together," I remind him."I will pull her out of school if I have to," Dad says gruffly.All four of us shake our heads disapprovingly. "That's a terrible idea," Oliver says. "She is about to graduate soon. You can't pull her out of school now. She will never forgive you.""Yup. Oli is right. Let her graduate at least," Aleks agrees.Dad's expression softens. He takes a deep breath, his voice reflecting a mixture of concern and resignation. "Fine. But you all need to promise me that you'll keep a close eye on her. And if anything feels off or suspicious
Sheila"Out! Get out of my house, NOW!" Dad roars, pointing at Ethan."Dad! What the hell!?" I stand up too. What is he doing and why? "Why are you saying this to Ethan?"Ethan looks as confused as me. "Sir?""I need you to leave. And make sure you and my daughter never see each other again," Dad says."I don't understand," Ethan says."Me neither," I say as I stare at my dad, completely embarrassed and horrified."Yeah, Dad. What's going on?" Henrik remarks."Hold on, everyone. Let's take a moment to understand what's happening here," Mom says, her voice steady and composed. "Victor, why are you suddenly asking Ethan to leave and demanding that they never see each other again?"Dad takes a deep breath, his anger subsiding slightly as he tries to explain himself. "It's for their own good. I can't have Damien Sky's son date my daughter."Mom looks at him curiously. "Damien Sky? Victor, why is that name significant? Why are you freaking out about him?""Damien and I go way back. And not
Sheila I changed my clothes at least three times in less than an hour. I am nervous. No, not just nervous. I am absolutely terrified of the dinner tonight. When Oliver told me he was planning on inviting Ethan over for dinner, my heart plunged to my throat. I tried to say no because I knew what my brothers were up to. They just want to invite Ethan so they can scare him in the comfort of their own home. But for some reason, I couldn't say no. Maybe because seeing Ethan in my house is much more tempting. I make a mental note to myself: I must protect Ethan from the quadruplets' wrath. And so I am standing in front of my wardrobe, looking for the perfect outfit. Nothing screams "I'm not interested" more than a casual T-shirt and jeans, but I don't want to seem too eager either. I try on a white summer dress with delicate lace details that fall perfectly around my curves. But then again, it's too girly and Ethan might think I'm trying too hard. So I put on a pair of slim-fitting j
OliverSheila is charging towards me. Her face is flushed red. She must be pissed at me and I know exactly why."How could you!?" she snarls at me."What do you mean? How could I what?" I feign ignorance which seems to piss her off even more."HOW COULD YOU RUIN MY DATE?" she roars.Jeez...so angry. I swear she has anger issues like Dad. "Don't scream at me, Sheila. I am older than you.""I don't give a hoot how old you are," she growls."What's all this commotion here?" Our father, Victor walks in and asks."Sheila is screaming at me because I scared her little date at the museum," I say gruffly.Dad scowls. "Date? What date?"Sheila's face turns pale. I can tell she is caught off guard as she didn't want to tell our father about her dating boys already. Hmm...I feel bad for her now. "She is trying to get a date for the Prom, Dad, that's all," I say in her defense."Okay...so what's the issue here?" Dad asks. "Ethan is new and he hasn't heard all the dumb rumors about me and my fam