ANMELDENNicole’s POVTwo days later…The house was quiet.Too quiet.I sat in the living room, legs tucked under me, scrolling aimlessly through my phone, A knock broke the silence.I frowned slightly, getting up to open the door.A delivery guy stood there, holding out a package.“For Odell.”“I’ll take it,” I said, signing quickly.I closed the door behind me and walked back into the living room, dropping the package on the table.At first, I ignored it. Really, I tried to but my eyes kept drifting back to it. That small, innocent-looking box was sitting there like it wasn’t hiding something.Curiosity itched under my skin.Just a look.That’s all.I reached for it, turned it over. My gaze dropped to the label.His name.Still… I opened it, slowly and carefully. And then—I froze.A mask.Not just any mask, a masquerade mask. Black. Sleek. Elegant. Expensive-looking. The kind that screamed luxury and secrecy.My fingers brushed over it lightly. “A masquerade…?” I whispered.Why would he nee
Odell’s POV“What do you mean you got a job here?”The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.I’m staring at Nicole, trying to make sense of what I just heard, but her expression is already shifting—caught, slightly nervous.“I—um… I just got it today and—”“Enough.” The manager’s voice cuts through everything like a blade.“This is my place of business. I will not tolerate this kind of disturbance. All of you, outside. Now.”I barely register it, my focus is still on her. A job? Here? Why?Beside her, Alex steps forward quickly. “Sir, I’ll just go back to work—”“I said leave,” the man snaps, his tone final. “Both of you are fired. You haven’t even started, and you’re already bringing drama. I don’t need that here.”Fired.Just like that.Nicole opens her mouth to speak, but nothing comes out.And for some reason… That annoys me even more.We step out of the café. The door shuts behind us.Silence hangs for a second.Then I grab her wrist—not harsh, but firm enough — and pull h
Nicole’s POVThe moment I shut my door, I froze. Then my breath came out fast, too fast like I had just run a marathon.“What… was that?” I whispered to myself.My heart was still racing. My mind is replaying everything that just happened with Odell Johnson. The way he looked at me, the way his voice dropped.“I don’t want you going anywhere.”“I don’t want you seeing any guy.”I pressed my back against the door, slowly sliding down until I was sitting on the floor.Confused.Completely confused.“Why would he act like that…?”I wrapped my arms around myself, thinking. Was that… jealousy? Possessiveness? Or Something else? My brows furrowed. “No… that doesn’t make sense.”He’s gay.“I haven’t even done anything yet…” I muttered.I hadn’t seduced him. Hadn’t tried anything serious. Hadn’t even properly started. So why was he acting like that?Unless—My heart skipped slightly. “Does he… like me already?”The thought sat there, heavy and dangerous because if that was true, then everyt
Odell’s POVI don’t move.I keep kissing her, my grip on her ass tightening just enough to make her gasp. Her nails rake down my back, her body trembling with the effort of holding back. I can taste her frustration, her need, and it’s overwhelming.“Say it,” I murmur against her mouth, my voice a growl. “Say you want me.”She pulls back just enough to glare at me, her eyes dark with lust, her lips swollen from my kisses. “You know I want you, you bastard.”I smirk. “Not good enough.”Her breath hitches. For a second, I think she’s going to argue. But then her expression shifts, her gaze dropping to my mouth before flicking back up. “I want you,” she says, slower this time. Deliberate. “I want your hands on me. Your mouth. Your dick—”I cut her off with another kiss, this one brutal. Possessive. My tongue sweeps into her mouth, claiming her, and she moans, her body going pliant in my arms. The counter digs into her spine, but she doesn’t complain. She kisses me back, her hands fisting
Odell’s POVThe drive to Isabella place felt longer than usual. My grip on the steering wheel tightened and loosened repeatedly. My mind kept running in circles.Nicole, Ethan, and now this.I parked outside her building and stepped out, exhaling slowly.“Fix this,” I muttered to myself. Then I walked up and knocked. A few seconds later, the door opened.Isabella stood there, arms folded, expression guarded. “What are you doing here?” she asked.No warmth.No smile.Just distance.I stepped closer. “Can I come in?”She hesitated then stepped aside silently. I walked in. The door closed behind me.For a moment, neither of us spoke.Then she turned to face me. “I meant what I said,” she said quietly. “We should end this.”I shook my head immediately. “No.”Her brows furrowed. “No?”“No,” I repeated. “We’re not ending anything.”She let out a dry laugh. “You don’t get to decide that, Odell.”“I’m not deciding alone,” I said, my voice softer now. “I’m asking you to listen.”She looked awa
Odell’s POV“I’ll call you back.”That was the last thing I said before I hung up.Before she walked in.Before everything suddenly felt… off.A few seconds earlier, I had been smiling like an idiot on the phone with Ethan Parker.“When are we meeting?” I had asked.“Soon,” Ethan replied. “I’m sorting out a place. I’ll let you know.”I leaned back against the couch, grinning. “I can’t wait to see you again.”A soft chuckle came from the other end. “I miss you too.”Something about the way he said it… It stayed.“How was your day?” I asked.Ethan sighed lightly. “Crazy. I had to stand in for a lecturer.”I laughed. “You? Babysitting students?”“You have no idea,” he said. “I walked into the class and saw a ridiculous scene.”I frowned slightly. “What happened?”“A guy was asking a girl to kneel in front of everyone.”“What?”“Yeah,” he said. “And when I called them to my office, the girl said she wasn’t being bullied. She said she slapped him first and was just apologizing.”I shook my
Nichole POVWhen Jason asked for my number, I wasn’t stupid.I saw Odell’s face. His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened. He shifted in his seat like something was bothering him. And for a second…My heart skipped.Was he… jealous?Jason smiled at me. “Let me get your number properly.”I hesitated. No
Nicole POVThe car rolled to a slow stop in front of Valley Hill Lodge, and for a second, I just sat there, staring.This was it.The gates, the manicured hedges, the long private driveway, everything screamed money, power, distance. Then I saw him.Odell was standing outside, arms crossed, dressed
“What the fuck are you doing? And why are you kissing my toothbrush?”My brain stopped working.“I—I wasn’t— I mean— I just—” My words tangled over themselves. My hands felt empty the second he snatched the toothbrush from me.He stared at it as if I had contaminated it, then placed it back by the
I swallowed hard, my voice trembling as I tried to speak.“Od—”Before I could say another word, the car slowed to a stop.The door opened.And his mum’s voice broke through the moment.“We’re here.”Just like that, the spell shattered.His hand slipped from mine, and he looked away, his face closi







