Se connecterKara fidgeted once we were alone, her eyes darting around the room. “You can relax around me. You always look like your soul is about to jump out of your body,” I murmured, walking down the aisle of gowns. She sucked in breath behind me. “Relaxation is a luxury that I’m not accustomed to, especially in this situation,” Kara replied. I stopped, turning to face her. My expression softened just a fraction, allowing a glimpse of the emotions beneath the calculated exterior. "You'll find that luxury with me. You don’t have to worry about anything.”“You don’t understand,” she said, her voice cracking a bit, which almost crumbled my resolve, but I remained steadfast. “What don’t I understand, sweetheart?”She sighed and didn't say a word. "I'm not asking you to trust me blindly," I continued, taking a step closer to her. "But know that your well-being is my priority. I would never let harm come to you.” I watched her hesitate; her guard slowly began t
OMARIO.It was a couple of days before the wedding, and Karalana hadn't come around like I hoped she would. I’d thought that sooner or later, she would be bound to come around, but I guess that's just wishful thinking. Thankfully, I was knee-deep in finalizing my business issues, which made me push the thoughts of Karalana aside for the meantime. The Miami underworld was complex and needed as much of my attention as possible. I ran a business where any wrong move could unravel everything I’d worked so hard for, and weakness was not an option. But every now and then, amidst the urgent calls and strategic meetings, her image would flicker in my mind. The way she looked when she had glimpsed me dressing, her eyes carrying a vulnerability that struck a chord within me. I could swear that I saw a hint of desire flash in her eyes, and it took all of my willpower not to kiss her senselessly. But still, I couldn’t deny the truth which I felt. The intensity of her pre
“Denise!” I called her over the street, waving her over. The tall and willowy woman from the other side of the street, who happened to be my best friend for more than a decade, waved back at me, a huge smile on her face. She quickly maneuvered through the crowd, joining me on the bustling sidewalk.“Kara. Oh my gosh, I’ve been trying to reach you, and don’t worry, Sara told me everything, but I still need you to fill me in!” Denise exclaimed, enveloping me in a warm hug. It felt amazing knowing that I could see and confide in my best friend. Even hugging her felt like home somehow, and I couldn’t believe how much I needed this. “Let’s find a quieter place to catch up,” I said, my hand in hers as I led her through the crowd of people toward a cafe. “I don’t know if you know, but there are two huge men in black following us,” Denise whispered to me as we approached the cafe. I rolled my eyes. “They’re Omario’s goons. It was either going out with them to make sure I was protected or
KARALANA.I lay face up on my bed, staring up at the ceiling with nothing to do. It has been a couple of days since I’ve been in Omario’s home, and all I’ve done is dress up, eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner, catch up on my K-dramas, talk to Sara and Dad, and sleep. I’ve barely even seen him since the night I came to the house, and I hated the routine life I was forced into. The room I was given was gorgeous, and I still couldn’t fathom what I was going to do with this much space. The room whispered of privilege and affluence, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of discomfort. I was used to the small room back at home where there was barely space to put one foot in front of the other.The silence was only interrupted by the soft hum of the air conditioning, the distant clinking of cutlery, and the muffled conversations drifting from downstairs. Sometimes, if it was quiet enough, I could hear him walking down the hallway or his voice floating around the house. I found myself yearn
One glimpse of Karalana and I’d felt a crack in my steely composure, but I hoped she hadn’t seen the kind of power she had over me. I grit my teeth, trying to ignore the undeniable desire pulsating beneath my fly since I’d seen her. I’d tried to hide the bulge that had grown in my pants, and I couldn’t tell if I was doing a good job because the size was pretty hard to hide. “She’s quite the beauty,” Llanzo murmured. I shot him a death glare, and he quickly raised his hand in surrender. “I’m just stating the obvious, not that I want her or anything.”“You wouldn’t dare!” I growled. Llanzo nodded with a chuckle. “So, where do you want to go?”“A bar. Any bar. I need to drown how I’m feeling with a couple of bottles of liquor,” I said.“You have a huge bar in your mansion. Why are you going out to drink?”I frowned. “I don’t want to be under the same roof as her at the moment. I need to get control before going back there.”Llanzo raised an eyebrow, but shrugged as he began the car. “
OMARIO.I walked out of the house, leaving Kara in the hands of Teondra, who I was certain would take care of her, but I couldn’t stop the anger I felt. She hated me; she hated my guts, and I could see why she did, but I didn’t know it would be this heart-wrenching. I’d practically snatched her away from her family, like she’d said, and hence the hatred. But she not only hated me, she also hated the life I led. The life I led was far from conventional; and it was mired in shadows and very different from anything she’d ever known. In her mind, I’ll always be the bad guy, the one who kills people in movies and makes their lives miserable. It would be of no use explaining to her what I really was and what I really did. Maybe it would barely make a difference; I couldn’t tell. I wanted to change things for her, to ease her suffering; instead, I’d come across as the villain in her story. I knew this situation wasn't fair to her. A forced marriage, a life uprooted, a family threatened. I







