Hades
Her scent. It drove me crazy. I’d just arrived at the masquerade, already regretting it. The moment I stepped inside that ridiculous party, I wanted to leave. I’d only come back to this godforsaken country because of the deal my old man demanded. It had only been seven years, and the first thing he did was throw a party I had to attend, just to sign a damn contract. He even told me to dress the part. I hated unnecessary things, but without his signature, the merger would stall. So, I gave in to his childish demands. What I didn't expect was to come across someone this fascinating. When she passed by me at the party, her scent hit me first. It was the kind of scent that made you want to bury your face in her neck and forget everything else. She was smiling at someone, dressed modestly compared to the other guests, yet she outshone every heiress in the room. That was when I knew I was going to have her. I was the kind of person who always took what I wanted, even if it meant going after the girlfriend of the adopted boy I took in for convenience. That boy was just a placeholder so my father could have a future heir without bothering me. I never wanted to deal with that kind of drama, so I signed the paperwork and told my secretary to handle the details and adopt whoever he liked. I’d barely spoken more than a few words to the kid over the years. But his woman? She had my full attention. The moment I saw how he treated her like she was replaceable, it only sealed his fate. I don’t feel guilt, but even if I did, there would be none here. She deserved better. She deserved someone who would treat her right, and give her all the pleasure her body craved. She was in my car, soaking wet, and wrapped in my coat, looking at me with those soft, innocent eyes, it made something primal snap inside me. I didn’t feel like a man at that moment. I felt like a beast barely held together. She licked her lips and I had to control myself to keep from dragging her into my lap and taking her right here. I felt her tremble. Her body responded perfectly, as if she was made to fit against mine. I bit her ear again, and she gasped. “Y-You… you were serious?” she stammered, voice barely above a whisper. I leaned back just enough to see her face. “I hardly joke around, princess,” I murmured. That delicious red bloom rose on her cheeks again. She looked like she was overheating from the contact. Ah, so cute. She swallowed and frowned slightly. “Why do you keep calling me that?” “Princess?” I echoed, brushing her hair behind her ear. “Because that’s what you remind me of.” Her breath hitched in her throat, and her blush deepened. I think I’d just found my new favorite pastime, making and watching this woman blush. My hand slid from her thigh to her waist, fingers tightening possessively. I brought my other hand up, brushing my thumb along the curve of her bottom lip. “Give yourself to me.” She blinked, and licked my thumb. It was the barest flick of her tongue, but she froze instantly, her eyes flying open like she hadn’t even realized what she’d done. She probably meant to lick her lips. “I…I just came out of a toxic relationship.” “I know,” I said. “I’ll make you forget about that little boy.” Her gaze darted down. “I might not be the perfect person to—” “You’re breathtaking.” She stared at me like I’d just flipped her world upside down. There was tension between us. God, she didn’t even know how irresistible she was like this. “I don’t even know you,” she whispered. “We can fix that.” Before she could blink, I lifted her. Her breath caught in her throat as I shifted back into the leather seat and pulled her onto my lap. She gasped, arms instinctively wrapping around my shoulders, her legs tightening around my waist. Her breasts pressed into my chest, and her thighs gripped my hips. I felt all of her. A growl escaped my throat before I could stop it. My voice came out darker, and more strained. “Careful, princess, you’re making me hard.” She jerked back immediately. I placed my hands firmly on her waist, anchoring her in place. Her breathing was shallow, but she didn’t try to climb off me. “What are you doing?” she asked. “Trying to have a conversation,” I said, looking up at her. “We can have a conversation without doing this.” I chuckled, reached up, and brushed a loose strand of hair from her flushed face. “And how would that be any fun? Ask your questions.” She sighed as if finally surrendering to me. “Fine. There’s no harm in trying. What’s your name?” “Hades.” She smiled almost instinctively, as if the name had sparked something playful in her. “Just like the god of death?” she said, a little too brightly. When she realized how excited she sounded, she coughed and looked away, flustered. “Sorry—I’m kind of a Greek gods fan.” I chuckled, amused. Of course she was. “Just like the god of death,” I confirmed. “My father’s a mythology fanatic. He thought naming me after the ruler of the underworld was cool.” Her smile returned. “That is actually kind of cool. But I’ve heard the name somewhere before. I just can’t remember where.” “It’s a pretty common name.” “Maybe.” She was relaxing now, her weight settling more comfortably on top of me, her body molding against mine like she belonged there. I slid my hand to her waist, holding her with ease, and asked, “And what’s your name, princess?” “Violet.” I nodded slowly. “Alright, princess.” She gave me a look. “What’s the use of telling you my name if you’re still going to call me princess?” “Because you wanted to have a conversation,” I said with a small smirk. I usually didn’t waste time playing games before taking what I wanted. But this time, I was willing to play a little. Even if I was still impatient. “How old are you?” I asked. “Twenty-four,” she said. “I’m in my final year of college. You?” “Thirty-eight.” She paused, as if she hadn’t expected that. “Nervous now that you know my age?” I leaned in, letting my voice drop lower, right near her ear. “I thought I made it clear, you were going to spend the night with a man, not a little boy who can’t get his shit together, princess.” My hand slid back down her thigh once again, creeping higher inch by inch. She swallowed, breath catching in her throat. “It’s not that. I’ve just never—” I cut her off, lips brushing against her neck. “Never been with someone older?” I murmured, pressing a kiss just beneath her jaw. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. “Mm,” I murmured, lips dragging across her skin, “Well then, you should try it.” Her fingers gripped my shirt tighter. And when I kissed her neck again, lower this time, I felt her hips shift, slightly rubbing against me. “Ahh.” She moaned. My jaw tensed. She had no idea what she was doing to me. I pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, which were hazy with desire. “Enough games, princess. Do you want me?” Her eyelashes fluttered. She blinked slowly and whispered, “Yes… I want you.” “Good girl,” I said, then crushed my mouth to hers.Violet Another piece of clothing landed in my hands. I caught it automatically, adding it to the growing pile in my arms. At this point, I wasn’t an employee anymore, I was a walking coat rack.They moved through the store at an unhurried pace, talking to each other as if I didn’t exist. The woman snatched up anything that caught her eye only to toss it at me. I trailed behind in silence, my arms aching, the growing pile wobbling with each new addition.I took a deep breath, forcing the simmer in my chest to cool. The last thing I needed was to lose my temper. This was my highest-paying job, I couldn’t afford to walk out. Not with Sebastian’s trip in two days and barely half the money saved. At this point, I had no idea how I was going to manage it. Maybe I was foolishly hoping for a miracle, for half a million to drop into my lap. Or for some wealthy soul to be generous enough to simply hand it to me.Still, if they kept this up, I wasn’t sure how much more calm I had left in me.Th
Violet“Violet!”The sound of my name cut through the room. I groaned softly and lifted my gaze, blinking up at the person standing in front of me. It was the assistant manager, a blonde woman with sharp eyes and her hands firmly planted on her hips.My eyes widened. I shot to my feet. “I’m so sorry, I fell asleep again—”She sighed, her expression halfway between irritation and concern. “This is the third time today. Didn’t you sleep last night?”Her words made my throat tighten. My mind betrayed me, dragging me back to last night, my aunt and Conrad, the way my skin crawled just from being in the same room with him. I’d lain in bed, staring at the ceiling, eyes wide. Every time I closed them, my mind screamed at me to stay awake, to stay alert, or it would happen again.By six in the morning, I’d given up. I took a quick shower, grateful for the silence in the house, and slipped out with Tiger before anyone could stop me. I brought him to Penelope’s place.I wanted him with me, but
Violet I knew she was evil.I knew she hated me. I knew she wanted me gone, wanted me erased so her perfect family could bask in luxury without the weight of my existence dragging them down. But even knowing that, even carrying that truth in my chest, nothing could have prepared me for her smirking like she’d just won a game she’d been playing behind my back all along.Could a human really act like this?Could a woman? Someone who should have understood what it meant to be scared, to be vulnerable, to be preyed upon by men?My body shook, my stomach churning as the weight of everything crashed down over me. I wanted to believe I had misunderstood, that my mind had twisted it into something darker than it was. That maybe I was dreaming, that I’d blink and wake up in a world where she wasn’t this cruel.But that vile smirk on her face told me I was wide awake.I stumbled back, nearly tripping over the rug. Tiger whined softly and nudged my hand with his head, his warm eyes watching me,
Violet I stared at the doorknob, my hand hovering just above it, my fingers trembling slightly. My heart pounded so loudly I was scared someone inside might hear it. Something was wrong. I knew my aunt. Whenever she sounded that sweet, it meant trouble. She only used that voice when she had something planned, something I wouldn’t like. Something that would cost me deeply. And besides, a visitor for me? Who do I even know that would walk in here on their own two feet? My brain was racing through every possible person it couldn’t be. Penelope or Kai? No way. They’d never show up here without telling me first, and if they did, my aunt would be the one visiting the ER, not calling me sweetly. There was also no way it could be Sebastian. He knew better than to come here. Matthew? My stomach twisted. God, I hoped not. I didn’t have the strength to deal with his nonsense tonight. After everything that happened that day, I’d rather sleep on the street than face him again. Then…that
Violet I was just about to tell Penelope to stop talking nonsense when the bell above the restaurant door chimed.I turned my head slightly and sighed the moment I recognized them, they were two of my coworkers from the store. They wore the same uniform as me, a black button-ups tucked into fitted slacks, with the store pin shining on their collars.One of them, Mia, wrinkled her nose when her gaze landed on me. “She’s still eating and chatting when she’s supposed to be working. God, she’s so annoying.”Her friend, Lacey, snorted. “Give her a break. I mean, it’s the only time someone actually talks to her.”I looked at them indifferently. I’d known for a while now that my co-workers didn’t like me. They didn’t even try to hide it. Maybe it was because our manager praised me too much, or because I actually followed the rules while they did whatever they wanted. I didn’t care enough to figure it out. It wasn’t worth the energy.I focused on Penelope again, ready to ignore them like alw
Violet“So you’re telling me you had a one-night stand with a hot stranger who saved you from drowning,” Penelope said slowly, like she needed to hear herself say it to believe it, “and that same hot stranger sent you those flowers yesterday?”I nodded, taking a small sip of my water. Penelope’s eyes widened so much I swore they nearly popped out of her skull. “Oh. My. Fucking. God!”I practically lunged over the table and slapped my hand over her mouth. “Would you keep your voice down?! We’re in public!”She licked my hand.“Ugh, gross!” I yanked my hand back and wiped it furiously on my pants. “What the hell was that for?”Penelope leaned forward with a grin. “Who cares about other people?! Girl, are you crazy?! You had sex with a stranger, who’s fourteen years older than you, and you’re telling me to be quiet?!”I glanced around the little restaurant tucked beside the shopping mall, no one was paying attention. I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck.After everything that happened w