The morning light bled through the massive windows, casting golden streaks over the silk sheets tangled around Nirvana’s legs. She stretched, muscles still thrumming with the memory of last night’s tension. RAyNe had played his game well, but so had she.A sharp knock on her door interrupted her thoughts.Before she could respond, Gianni stepped in, holding a sleek black box with a satin ribbon. He set it on the bed beside her."From RAyNe," he said.Nirvana arched a brow. "Should I be flattered or concerned?"Gianni smirked but didn’t answer. He turned and left, the door clicking shut behind him.Curious, she pulled the ribbon loose and lifted the lid.Her breath hitched.Inside lay a dress…a deep crimson masterpiece, cut low in the front and scandalously high on the thigh. Delicate chains draped across the open sides, held together by gold clasps. The silk fabric felt sinful against her fingers.She chuckled to herself.He thinks this will unsettle me?No. She'd wear it. And she'd m
The tension hung thick in the air, charged with an energy that neither Nirvana nor RAyNe could ignore. His fingers hovered at the curve of her waist, barely touching, yet she felt the heat of his presence sear through the thin fabric of her dress.“You might just get burned,” he warned, voice dangerously low.She tilted her head slightly, a teasing smirk gracing her lips. “Then make it worth the scars.”Before RAyNe could respond, Siara’s voice cut through the moment like a blade.“There you are,” she said, stepping between them with a smile too forced to be genuine. “RAyNe, come dance with me.”Nirvana suppressed a laugh, stepping back smoothly as Siara latched onto RAyNe’s arm.RAyNe didn’t move, his gaze locked onto Nirvana’s as if silently daring her to react. She didn’t. Instead, she turned to Gianni, who had been watching with a smirk of his own.“Dance?” she asked, her tone light, almost mocking.Gianni chuckled and extended his arm. “With pleasure.”As she walked away, she cou
Nirvana leaned back against the leather seat, her legs crossed, fingers lightly tracing the hem of her dress. "Let's go to High City Condos," she said, her voice dripping with something unspoken.Gianni nodded in the driver’s seat without question.RayNe, however, wasn’t so easily convinced. He studied her, the way she smirked like she was up to something. His instincts had never failed him before, and right now, they told him she was playing a game.He leaned in, watching her eyes flicker with something he couldn’t quite place. She turned, and their lips almost collided."What the hell are you doing?" she asked, pulling back, her breath slightly unsteady.RayNe didn’t answer. He just looked at her..long, deep, penetrating. Like he was peeling away every layer of her mind with his gaze alone.Then, in one swift movement, he grabbed her, pulling her onto his lap."You pervert! Let me go!" she squirmed, trying to push off his chest.But the sudden shade of red on her face betrayed her.
Nirvana tapped her manicured fingers against the phone, the sharp click echoing in the dimly lit room. She smirked as Clement Holt finally picked up."Clement Darling, you've got what I want and I wasn't able to get it back at the banquet” Nirvana smirked like he could see her.“you sly little bitch,” Clement growled over the phone“Careful now,I've got the upper hand here at the moment.” She chuckles.“If you fuck with me, I'll make sure you never see Olivia again.”Her voice was smooth but threatening and laced with danger. A beat of silence followed before Clement exhaled sharply.“What do you want?”“Your presence. At your daughter's place. And come alone.”The line went dead before he could respond.Thirty minutes later, Clement arrived. But he wasn’t alone.Nirvana’s lips curled upward as Adrian stepped in beside him. Instead of irritation, amusement danced in her eyes. She leaned back elegantly, legs crossed, her posture exuding power.“Hello, Mr. Ex-Fiancé.” Her voice dripped
The heavy doors of the mansion creaked open, and RAyNe stepped inside, his sharp gaze locked onto the woman in front of him. Nirvana’s hips swayed with each step, her dress hugging every curve of her body like it had been designed just for her. He clenched his jaw, his hands itching to grab her, to pin her against the nearest wall, to taste every inch of her. His overcoat barely concealed the evidence of his desire, and his patience was thinning by the second. “I’m impressed,” he finally muttered, his voice thick with something dangerously close to admiration. Nirvana didn’t turn around. “I’d take that as a compliment, boss.” Boss. He fucking hated that word coming from her lips. He wanted to hear her say his name, wanted her to moan it, scream it. His thoughts turned wicked, dark. That sharp little tongue of hers would feel exquisite wrapped around his cock.. “You left me at the party. Where the hell have you been with… her?” RAyNe exhaled sharply, the unwanted interruption slas
Nirvana pushed RAyNe away slightly then without warning spun around and gently pushed him against the window. His eyes gleamed with interest. She buried her face in his neck and gently laid kisses along the nook of it.RAyNe was pleasantly surprised,a low impatient groan escaped from his lips.His grip on her waist tightened slightly.Her lips trailed his jaw and captured his lips. She moaned Into his mouth as his fingers trailed behind her squeezing her perfectly round butt with impatience.RAyNe broke the kiss and stared at her with complete lust in his eyes then without warning....Nirvana went down on her knees and unzipped his pants.RAyNe's eyes widened. There was an amused smile tugging the corner of his lips. Had she forgotten she was a virgin? He didn't stop her, he wanted to see what she would do.Nirvana's fingers grabbed the band of RAyNe's boxers and pulled them down a little. His c*ck sprang out like it had been painfully waiting to be set free, her eyes widened in surpri
The wind howled through the pier, sending ripples across the dark water. Adrian exhaled, the tip of his cigarette glowing red in the night. His fingers curled around the stick, tightening as his mind wandered back to her…Nirvana. He despised the way she carried herself now, all confidence and defiance, no longer the naive little doll he had once manipulated so easily. It was infuriating."That bastard..." he muttered, smoke curling from his lips as he thought of RAyNe St. Trinity. The man was a menace, a force no one dared to trifle with. And yet Nirvana had somehow slipped under his protection. How had she managed that? It was laughable.Footsteps approached from behind, and Adrian turned slightly, casting a glance over his shoulder."Mr. Holt..." the man addressed him, voice low, cautious. He was a wiry figure, not particularly tall, but sharp-eyed and efficient. The type Adrian paid well to do his dirty work.Adrian flicked his cigarette into the water. "You took your time."The ma
Nirvana stepped out of her room cautiously, her eyes darting around the hallway. The last thing she wanted was to run into RAyNe. She was still reeling from last night. The sex had been... wild. The sounds that had escaped her lips made her cringe just thinking about it. Embarrassment burned in her chest.She had woken up alone.RAyNe had left without a word, and she hated how that made her feel."You little slut."Siara’s voice sliced through the air like a dagger. Nirvana sighed in relief."Ugh, what do you want? It’s too early for your screeching, birdbrain." She folded her arms, leveling Siara with a bored look."You slept with my man! You shameless…""Oh please," Nirvana cut her off, rolling her eyes. "Your man slept with me. And honestly? It was average at best."Lies.The truth was, she could barely walk straight. Her body still ached in places she never knew existed. She had given away her virginity to RAyNe St. Trinity..the man who bought her like an object, the man she was t
"You dare compare me to Jolene again and I swear, Darius, I'll do more than just speak in riddles."The words slipped through Jezara’s ruby-painted lips with venom so subtle it chilled the sun-drenched room in the Voltaire estate. She stood by the window in all black…satin gloves, a fur stole draped over her shoulder, and that damn wide-brimmed hat that cast her eyes in shadow like the villain she refused to admit she was. But Darius saw her. He always had.“Careful,” Darius warned coldly, adjusting the cufflinks of his pristine suit. “You’re not on a stage.”Jezara scoffed, dragging one heel against the white marble. “You always had a flair for dramatics, didn’t you? Like your beloved sister.”He flinched at the name…Jolene. The sister she’d murdered slowly, piece by piece, with jealousy sharp enough to gut a heart.“I don’t have time for riddles,” he said. “What do you want, Jezara?”She turned, the corner of her lip curled. “Castillo Holdings.”Darius blinked. “Excuse me?”“You hea
"No... No. This can't be right."Gianni stood stiff in the center of the lavish living room, his phone slipping from his hand. The sharp clack of it hitting the hardwood barely registered. His eyes were locked on the news playing on the TV in front of him, the banner bleeding red at the bottom of the screen:BREAKING: HEIRESS NIRVANA CASTILLO DECLARED DEAD FOLLOWING ACCIDENTAL CRASHHis lungs stopped working."Gianni? What is it?" Sienna called from behind, slowly walking in on bare feet. The moment her eyes caught the screen, her knees gave out. A scream ripped out of her chest, raw and gut-wrenching."NO! NO! NO!" she shrieked, collapsing onto the floor. Her scream was enough to bring everyone running.Luna darted in from the kitchen, skidding to a halt. "What happened? Sienna, what.."Then she saw it. Her hand flew to her mouth as tears welled up.Elias was the next to appear, followed by Lucian. Lucian grabbed the remote and turned the volume up, listening as the anchor reported w
The room was dim, sterile, silent. Machines hummed, monitors beeped, and Nirvana Castillo lay lifeless beneath sterile white sheets, the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest the only proof she was still fighting.The door creaked.It wasn’t a doctor.Wasn’t a nurse.Wasn’t family.Siara Sandoval stepped into the room with heels clicking softly against the tiled floor, her manicured fingers clutched around a designer purse, her lips curled in disgust. She wore blood-red, like she was attending a gala instead of creeping into the hospital room of the girl she tried to destroy.She leaned over Nirvana’s bed, tilting her head with an expression twisted between amusement and bitterness.“Well, look at you. Pale. Pitiful. Pathetic,” she whispered, her voice sugary venom. “So this is the girl that had everyone on their knees… even him.”Siara sat at the edge of the bed, crossing her legs delicately.“RAyNe hasn’t eaten in three days. Barely sleeps. He looks like a man who’s lost his fucking s
"She’s not dead?"Adrian’s voice cut through the cigar-smoke-laced air of his office like a jagged blade. He slammed the glass of scotch down on the polished mahogany table, barely missing the edge."She’s in a coma. That’s practically dead," murmured the woman across from him, her legs crossed with elegance sharpened into menace. Her long black gloves creaked softly as she lifted her cigarette holder and took a slow drag. Smoke curled upward like the serpent behind her words.Adrian glared at her. "Practically isn’t enough. You said it would be clean.""You know accidents aren’t always neat, darling." She exhaled and tilted her head, her wide-brimmed hat casting shadows across her sharp cheekbones. "Besides, it was never about neatness."He narrowed his eyes. "And what is it about for you, Jezara? Revenge? Nostalgia?"She laughed…a low, velvety sound. "Justice. Entitlement. Bloodlines. Pick one."Jezara Voltaire…Nirvana's aunt. Her name rhymed too cruelly with the sister she claimed
The rain hadn’t stopped.It spilled like needles from the black clouds above as the long, sleek car pulled in front of the crimson-lit entrance of the Astoria Hotel. Tires hissed against the wet concrete, steam rising in tendrils as the engine idled briefly. The back door opened, and out stepped a figure wrapped in elegance and death.She wore black from head to toe…long trench coat with fur trim brushing against her thighs, stiletto boots clicking against the marble tiles. A wide-brimmed hat shadowed her features, but the bold line of her scarlet lipstick sliced through the veil of anonymity. Not a drop of rain touched her, though it bent and danced around her like the world knew better than to offend her presence.The doorman opened the door with shaky fingers, not daring a word. Her perfume drifted past him like smoke and sin. She stepped into the lobby, unmoved by the warmth of the chandeliers or the way every guest turned to glance at her. The heels announced her like gunshots on
Rain lashed against the roof of the speeding ambulance. The siren wailed into the night like a dirge, cutting through traffic and slicing the silence of the city’s soaked skyline. Inside, Nirvana lay unconscious, her body broken, bloodied, bruised.RAyNe St. Trinity sat beside her, drenched in rain and blood, hands trembling as he held her limp, icy fingers between his.“Nirvana,” he whispered, voice raw with panic. “Please. Please don’t leave me.”The paramedics worked quickly…oxygen mask on her face, IV line into her bruised arm, fingers pressed to her pulse.“She’s fading,” one of them murmured.RAyNe’s jaw clenched. His eyes burned red, not with fury…but devastation. The woman he’d dragged through hell… now lay close to death.And it was his fault.All of it.“Nirvana,” he whispered again, brushing hair away from her pale face. “Wake up, baby. Please. Just once. Just… curse me. Spit on me. Anything. Just wake up.”The ambulance jerked around a corner. The rain roared louder.“She’
The late evening shadows stretched long across the city skyline, the golden hour light fading into a dim, solemn hue as the sun dipped behind the horizon. Inside the Voltaire penthouse, the silence was thick, almost reverent, like the calm before a coming storm. In the vast library, Nirvana sat cross-legged on the Persian rug, a single brass lamp casting a warm halo over the red ledger opened before her. The soft ticking of the antique clock on the wall was the only sound that filled the room. Her fingers trembled as she flipped page after page, eyes scanning numbers, signatures, receipts, bank statements. A knot had lodged in her throat hours ago, tightening with every damning word she read. She had started from the beginning again that afternoon. Something had urged her to. A feeling that the truth was near...aching, waiting to gut her. And then she saw it. Page 274. The ink was different on that page. Bolder. Angrier. Castillo Holdings. Nevada Project. March 20, 2022.
The polished floors of Castillo Holdings gleamed under the sharp morning light. Nirvana stepped into the building like a storm cloaked in silk…black tailored suit, red-bottom heels, a glint of fire in her eyes that made onlookers step aside without realizing it.Whispers followed her like a second skin.“She’s back.”“Isn’t that Jordan Castillo’s daughter?”“She looks dangerous...”The whispers didn’t slow her.She had a goal.Today she officially resumed as Assistant CEO…her half of the empire rightfully reclaimed.The elevator doors ahead slid open. Nirvana moved faster…"Welcome back, sweetheart."Adrian Holt’s voice oozed mockery as he leaned lazily against the elevator wall, arms folded, a smirk etched across his arrogant face.Nirvana’s steps didn't falter, but her hands curled slightly at her sides."You’re late," Adrian said smoothly, eyes raking over her in a way that made her want to stab him with her stiletto. "But I guess royalty is allowed to make an entrance."She steppe
Nirvana didn’t care that she was barefoot. She didn’t care that the chilly morning air bit into her bare legs. She just wanted to get away.. from the suffocating house, from the mocking puppy love looks, from him.She pushed through the heavy front door, stepping into the sun-drenched driveway.The crisp breeze hit her skin, raising goosebumps. The world outside felt too bright, too open, too mocking.Behind her, the heavy door slammed open."Nirvana!" RAyNe's voice sliced through the air like a whip.She ignored him, lifting the hem of the satin dress so she could move faster across the pebbled drive."You’re really going to run away again?" RAyNe barked, fury threading his voice.She spun around."I'm not yours to keep!" she shouted back.RAyNe strode after her, slow and deliberate, like he had all the time in the world. Like a storm building behind deceptively calm skies."You’re mine because you made yourself mine," he said, voice low and dangerous."I didn’t make myself anything!