Mag-log inThe sound of distant murmuring echoed off the walls. Patrons were absorbed in their own activities — some typing furiously on their laptops, others talking and laughing with the people sitting close to them.Hidden in a darker corner of the establishment, Eric sat with a cup of coffee in front of him. Steam still rose from it, left completely untouched. His mind remained fixed on the only reason he was here.He opened his phone and checked the text Gabriel had sent him earlier that day — the address of this particular restaurant, along with a picture of Sebastian walking inside with someone who looked like Chloe.He took a deep breath, forcing his rage into silence, and put the phone away.He hadn’t visited Autumn, but from the report he received, she had returned home after the hospital. A bit shaken, but still holding up. If one could even call it that.His eyes swept across the room to where they were seated. Chloe was laughing at something Sebastian said.*Cute,* he thought sarcas
"—that would conclude today’s meeting.”Eric spoke the words,before exiting the video call, and turned off his computer. His hand found his head, resting on top of it as he rubbed his eyes, trying to fight off the approaching headache.His gaze moved to the digital clock on his desk. It read twenty-five minutes past midnight. The rest of the world should be asleep by now, yet he was still stuck here, finishing last-minute adjustments.He stood up from his desk, arranged the files, then walked toward the couch where his coat had been draped since morning. He pulled it on and moved toward the door. Being the last person left, he switched off the lights as he walked out.“You’re still here?” he asked, taking in the sight of Gabriel still fully engrossed in the work in front of him.“Yes, sir. You hadn’t finished your meeting.”Eric let out a low grunt.“You may leave. Continue the work tomorrow.” He started walking again after dismissing him, his posture slumped and heavy with exhaustion
Autumn safely nuzzled deeper into his chest as he descended the stairs. His grip on her never wavered — instead, it tightened just a fraction, as if to reassure himself that she was truly safe and alright.He reached the lobby and swiftly walked through the doors leading outside the building. His eyes darted around frantically, searching for where he had parked his car in his desperation to get her out.Locating it, he walked over and opened the front passenger door. He gently eased her inside, then moved his hands to her face, cupping it within his palms.Her eyes were unfocused, glossed over and slick with tears as she looked around blankly.“Hey,” he called out softly, afraid she would break if he raised his voice any higher. “Are you okay?” His hands moved over her, checking for any injuries he might have missed.She remained silent, her eyes still glossy and unfocused.“Hey, Autumn,” he called more firmly this time, using her name to pull her attention back. “Are you okay?” he as
His grip was tight and biting as he dragged her toward the covered window. All the way there, she kept struggling, trying to break free from his grasp, but he only let out a cruel laugh at her attempts.“Why are you resisting, Autumn?” He tugged at her sleeve. “Nobody is coming to rescue you. You are trapped in here with me.”She used whatever strength she could muster and struck his hand, desperately trying to free herself. But it was no use. Sebastian’s grip was tight and unforgiving.He dragged her with him as he uncovered the curtains, moving them aside with one hand. He was about to unlatch the lock when a ringing sound stopped him.His head snapped toward her — more precisely, toward her body.“What do you have with you?” He halted his movement and returned his full attention to her. His hands moved over her coat, trying to unearth whatever she had hidden underneath.The ringing continued. She struggled as he patted her down. *I can’t let him find it. It’s the only way Gus and E
“You gotta stop pestering her like that,” Gusty said, taking a seat and offering him a can of beer.The aftermath of his disagreement with Autumn still left him shaken. He had taken refuge with Gus just to cool his head.“I’m not pestering her,” he bit back. To him, his actions weren’t pestering. They came from a place of care. He cared deeply about her and couldn’t stand the thought of something bad happening to her.*I just want to protect her. Is that so wrong?* An image of Autumn’s genuine smile flashed in his mind.“I just want to protect her. Is that so wrong?” he repeated out loud.“Wanting to protect someone isn’t wrong,” Gusty replied, taking a sip of his beer. “But if the person doesn’t need it and has already told you multiple times, it starts to feel like smothering.”Ezra frowned at his words. Another thought bloomed in his head.“But she didn’t say ‘smother.’ She used the word ‘control,’” he interjected, correcting him.“I think that’s what she meant, but she’s so used t
Downstairs.Marcus strode through the doors with two bags of takeout in hand, both containing the exact orders Autumn had specifically asked for. The food orders were complex and had taken a decent amount of time to prepare. He had been worried she would be starving, which was why he had hurried back, sweating through his clothes and panting. The cool air-conditioning helped in regulating his body temperature.The main reason he put himself through this task wasn’t because of the respectable position Autumn now held. No. It was majorly due to who she had been married to.Eric.He feared him more than even his own bosses. A man who would casually hand out over ten thousand pounds just because someone had helped his wife and made her happy. Eric wasn’t somebody to fuck around with. From the way he had showered Autumn with attention and money, Marcus recognised him as someone he really shouldn’t cross — and by extension, neither should he cross Autumn.That was exactly why he was current
The chandeliers gleamed high up in the ceiling, casting a beautiful, intricate spiral of glass against the ornate plaster. Why was I so invested in a ceiling and a bunch of crystals? I didn't know. Maybe it was just the sheer weight of the stress, the kind that makes your neck stiff and your mind l
Chloe was still acting perfectly normal with me, laughing at the same jokes and leaning into our old rhythms, but I couldn't shake the feeling. It was like a splinter under my skin—tiny and impossible to ignore. I kept watching her, looking for a slip-up, a glance at her phone that lasted too long,
"Are you alright?"I heard Eric’s voice, low and rumbling, but it sounded like it was coming from underwater. My mind was somewhere else, replaying the look of pure hatred on Chloe’s face. The slamming door echoed in my ears, louder than any thunder.How could I lose the one most important person i
I asked a passing maid where Eric was, and she directed me toward the sunroom. I walked off, giving my thanks before she could even finish speaking. How dare he treat me in such a manner? I am not a child he can simply restrict from going out; I am a grown woman, and my son’s life is currently at r







