LOGINMilaJust like what you wanted.I left the phone there and slowly retreated to my side of the bed. I pulled my knees tightly against my chest, wrapping my arms protectively around my stomach. I wasn't naive. I wasn't some sheltered billionaire's wife who fainted at the sight of a gun. I was raised in the foster system. I was raised by Havoc. I had fallen in love with Ryan when he was wearing the president’s patch, when his hands were permanently stained with the violence of the streets.I knew exactly what he was capable of. I knew he was a killer. The blood didn't scare me.The lie did.The meticulously crafted, week-long lie. He had looked me directly in the eye, kissed my forehead, and sworn to me that he was building a corporate castle to keep our family safe. He had let me cry over his absence, let me feel completely isolated and alone in this suffocating estate, while he was slipping back into his leather cut the second the sun went down.Why? Why hide it from me? Did he think
MilaThe peace I felt in his arms was something I hadn't felt in days.Ryan’s breathing had deepened against my ear, sleeping on his stomach with one arm thrown securely across my waist, his large hand resting exactly where our baby was growing. His face was turned toward me, the sharp, ruthless lines of his jaw softened by sleep.I was simply watching the steady rise and fall of his scarred back in the dim moonlight filtering through the velvet curtains.For the first time all week, the crushing anxiety in my chest had receded. He was here. He was holding me. The desperate, worshipful way he had touched me left absolutely no room for doubt. Ryan loved me. Whatever corporate wars he was fighting for the Empire Group, he was doing it for us. I had to believe that. I wanted to believe that.I let my eyes drift shut, pulling the duvet higher over my shoulder, fully prepared to let sleep pull me under.Then, a sharp buzz shattered the silence.Bzzzz. Bzzzz.I flinched, my eyes snapping o
MilaWhen we pulled away finally, Ryan’s dark eyes were entirely black, completely consumed by a hunger he had forced to lock away. He moved his hands from my round belly, sliding them slowly, agonisingly up my waist. His large palms flattened against my ribs, his thumbs brushing the undersides of my breasts through the thin silk of my nightgown. "Do you have any idea….” Ryan murmured, his voice a dark, rough rasp that sent a shiver straight down my spine, "what you have done to me?" "Ryan..." I breathed out, my eyes fluttering shut as he leaned forward, pressing an open-mouthed kiss to the sensitive skin just below my jaw. "It is a torture, Mila." He growled softly against my neck. His teeth grazed my collarbone, making me gasp. My hands gripped his shoulders tightly. The possessiveness in his voice thrilled me. Slowly, Ryan pulled back just enough to look at my face. He reached up, his fingers tracing the thin straps of my nightgown. With a gentle tug, he slipped them off my s
MilaHis lips were soft, warm, and entirely desperate, but the space between us felt miles wide. I let his mouth move against mine but couldn't bring myself to kiss him back.Ryan slowly pulled away. The rejection, quiet as it was, flashed across his dark eyes. He let his hands drop from my face, his broad shoulders slumping."Mila." He whispered with an exhaustion that seemed to reach his bones. "What's wrong?"I looked away, staring away at the far wall of the suite. "Nothing." I murmured. I didn't have the energy to fight him anymore tonight.Ryan didn’t push. He didn’t argue or try to feed me another perfectly constructed corporate excuse. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh that seemed to tear its way out of his chest.Then, slowly, the untouchable billionaire CEO dropped to his knees right in front of me.I gasped softly, my hands instinctively dropping to my sides as he wrapped his muscular arms around my waist. He buried his face gently against my slightly rounded stomach."I a
MilaI felt a sudden, unexpected warmth flare in my chest. He had remembered I was pregnant. The man who had spent days psychologically picking me apart had just made me a hot chocolate because he knew I couldn't have the caffeine."Thank you…" I muttered softly, wrapping my cold hands around the warm ceramic.Aaron took his black espresso and leaned against the counter opposite me. He took a slow sip, his green eyes watching me carefully over the rim of the cup."Well." I started again, blowing softly on the hot chocolate. "I am glad you are back. The koi fish were getting incredibly arrogant without you here to stare them down.."Nothing. Not even a twitch of his jaw. He was a stone wall.Sighing again, I lifted the mug to my lips and took a long, greedy sip. It was incredible. It tasted like warmth and comfort. But as I pulled the mug away, I realized I had tipped it entirely too fast.A large, ridiculous portion of chocolate was planted firmly on the tip of my nose.I tried to loo
MilaFor a second, I thought I had hallucinated the word."Coffee?" I repeated. "With you?"Aaron didn't sigh, but the tightening of his jaw suggested I was testing the absolute limits of his newly discovered patience. "Generally, when I ask someone if they would like coffee, it implies joint consumption, yes."I blinked. The idea of sitting down with Aaron Wylder voluntarily was absurd. A week ago, I would have rather locked myself in the bathroom. But right now, looking at the exhaustion lined around his mouth and the loneliness he had suffered from, I couldn't say no."Okay." I breathed out. "Yes. Coffee sounds nice."He gave a single nod and turned on his heel. I followed him as he led the way to the massive, state-of-the-art kitchen tucked into the back of the East Wing.The kitchen was ridiculously large and entirely white. The morning sunlight reflected off spotless surfaces. It looked less like a place to cook food and more like a laboratory.Aaron immediately walked over to th
Mila’s POVThe glow from my laptop was the only thing breaking up the darkness.My heart hammered against my ribs, a hummingbird trapped in a cage. The call with the lawyer's office was still fresh in my mind. I had set things in motion. Now I just had to wait for the fallout.I kept refreshing the
ReaperI emerged from the basement into the main hallway, the heavy steel door clanging shut behind me, sealing the screams and the smell of fear below. The air up here felt different It was stale with cigarette smoke and spilled beer, vibrating with the bass of a song I didn't recognize. The party
Caleb’s POVThe numbers swam before my eyes on the monitor: $400 million.That was the estimated worth of my company. That was the initial stock price. That was my ticket out, the way to pay off the massive debt I had saddled Sterling Industries with.I was sitting in my office, the glittering Manha
MilaFrom the moment Reaper left, I was still frozen, just staring at the stupid door.My skin still tingled where he had touched me. My thighs still felt shaky, remembering the pressure of his hand.And my stomach, ugh, my stomach was just a mess all achy and empty. It felt like my own body was sta







