LOGINAdrian’s lips were shaking. He stayed so close to my mouth. The sharp metal corner of the black USB drive pressed right into his shirt. His heart was beating so fast. His chest hit mine every time he took a ragged breath. The air in the narrow hallway felt super hot.
Slowly, he pulled back. His eyes were wet and glossy. He looked full of shame, but his body was hard. He was turned on because I was crowding him. I stepped forward. I pushed him until his back slammed into the wall. I hooked my fingers into his silk tie. I yanked it down hard. His hot breath hit my neck. "What... what is on that drive?" Adrian choked out. He swallowed hard. "Everything your father hid," I whispered right against his ear. My lips brushed his skin. "Every bribe. Every fake signature. It will destroy the Hayes name tonight." I slid the black drive back into my pocket. I stepped back. Adrian felt the cold right away. He backed up until his spine hit the opposite wall. He looked so small under the dim light. His white tuxedo jacket was wrinkled. "Noah, please. Don't do this. I'll do anything. Just tell me what you want." I walked right up to him. Our shoes touched. I wrapped my fingers around his tie again. I pulled him down until his ear touched my lips. “You want forgiveness?” I breathed against his ear. I let my lips slide over his sensitive skin. “Then get on your knees. Right here. Like the desperate slut you’ve become.” "Get down," I commanded. "You heard me," I said. My voice was dark and cold. "Get on your knees. Right here. In the dirt, just like you left me six years ago." Adrian’s throat moved. He was full of shame and lust. His face was totally flushed. Then, his pride died. His knees buckled. His crisp white trousers hit the dirty floor with a soft, humiliating sound. I tangled my fingers roughly in his perfect hair. I pulled his head back hard. His throat was completely exposed to me. My thumb dragged slowly across his swollen bottom lip. I pushed my thumb inside just enough to feel the wet heat of his mouth. “Good boy,” I murmured. My voice was thick. “Now show me exactly how badly you want to save what’s left of your pathetic life.” The hallway felt ten times hotter. His hands stayed near my thighs. He was trembling, desperate to touch me. Adrian’s breath came in hot, broken pants against my thigh. His expensive white trousers were completely ruined with grey dust from the dirty floor. His knees were spread wide. I kept my fingers tangled tight in his hair, pulling his neck back hard until the lines on his throat stood out. “Look at you,” I whispered. My voice was full of cruel pleasure. “The untouchable Adrian Hayes. You are hard and leaking in your designer suit just from being on your knees for the freak you threw away.”Leo slammed his body hard against the heavy iron bar of the final security door. The rusty metal gave a loud, painful screech before swinging open completely. The cool, damp night air of the underground VIP parking lot hit my face, shocking my senses after the suffocating heat of the kitchen hallways. The space was massive, lit only by a few flickering yellow lights that cast long, scary shadows across the grease-stained concrete floor.Right in the center of the lot, idling under a dim bulb, was Leo’s sleek, low-profile black sports car. The engine was roaring with a low, heavy growl that vibrated straight through the soles of my shoes. The exhaust fumes filled the damp air with a thick smell of burning rubber and hot fuel. The passenger doors were already unlocked, sitting wide open like an invitation into the dark.Before I could take a step toward the vehicle, a heavy, wet hand slammed onto my shoulder from behind.Julian stumbled out of the dark stairwell, his face completely pal
The ballroom door behind us exploded open with a loud, wooden crash. The heavy shouts of the police officers echoed over the screams of the rich guests. Red and blue lights flashed wildly across the ceiling, turning the air into a chaotic trap. I didn't look back. I let the heavy velvet curtain fall shut behind us, plunging the three of us into the narrow, dim service hallway of the hotel kitchen.The air here smelled completely different. It was cold, smelling of old concrete, metallic grease, and heavy bleach. The bright luxury of the ballroom vanished, replaced by long rows of stainless steel tables and industrial sinks.Julian’s massive frame was right behind me. His breathing was heavy, rough, and uneven from the pain of his arm. His large, calloused hand stayed locked onto my waist, his fingers pressing hard into my hip bone to guide my steps. The hot, thick blood from his cut was still flowing, wetting my black silk shirt and gluing the fabric directly to my bare ribs. The wet
The heavy, white fabric of Adrian’s designer tuxedo jacket was soaking up the dark red pool leaking fast from Julian's forearm. The thick liquid spread across the pristine white cloth like an ink stain, turning it a deep, ugly crimson. But nobody stepped forward to save him. The wealthy guests just stood there in a massive circle, holding their breath, their eyes wide with shock. The same people who were laughing at Adrian’s jokes ten minutes ago were now pulling their expensive silk dresses back. They did not want the wet red puddle to touch their shoes. His fiancée, Chloe, had already run out of the room. His father was completely missing. The great golden boy was totally alone, knocked out cold on the hard floor, and his entire world was watching his absolute ruin.The hotel security guards finally rushed past the heavy velvet curtains. They did not drop to their knees to check his pulse or see if he was breathing. Instead, two large men roughly grabbed Adrian by his upper arms, dr
Adrian’s hand was shaking so violently that the silver blade of the pocket knife flickered under the bright chandelier lights. His eyes were wide, completely bloodshot, and rolling with pure madness. The security guards were shouting, and guests were screaming, scrambling over chairs to get away from our tight circle."I gave up everything for you!" Adrian shrieked, his voice cracking as he took a step closer, the tip of the blade wobbling inches from my bare throat. "My wedding is gone! My family is ruined! If I am going to hell tonight, Noah, you are coming with me!"I did not move. I did not blink. My heart hammered against my ribs, but my face remained completely ice-cold. I wanted him to see that even with a weapon in his hand, he was still nothing to me.But before the blade could even graze my skin, Julian reacted.With a dark, primal roar, Julian’s massive frame lunged directly in front of me. His broad shoulders completely blocked my view of Adrian. He did not hesitate for a
The board of my company just voted me out.Elijah Hayes stood right in front of me, stepping back with a big, victorious grin on his face. His voice was dark and happy. "The board just voted you out, Noah. You came here to bankrupt my family. But while you were playing dirty games with my little brother in the staff hallway, I bought out all your investors. By tomorrow morning, you won't own a single cent of your precious empire."My phone violently buzzed in my hand again. The harsh vibration bit into my skin. I looked down at the bright screen. It was an official alert from my company's headquarters: Emergency board meeting concluded. CEO Noah Carter stripped of all executive voting rights.My heart gave a heavy, painful thud against my ribs. The shock felt like cold water running through my veins. Elijah had anticipated my return. He had planned everything. He let me humiliate Adrian just to distract me. He used his brother as bait while he cut the legs out from under my own busine
My body felt completely frozen. Cold sweat broke out across my back as I turned my head toward the very back of the ballroom. My eyes scanned past the whispering guests, moving past the expensive dresses and diamond necklaces, until they locked onto a man standing under the deep shadow of the mezzanine balcony.It was him.Elijah Hayes. Adrian’s older stepbrother.He was leaning casually against a thick marble pillar, holding a crystal glass of dark whiskey. He did not look like Adrian at all. Where Adrian was all soft boyish looks and emotional outbursts, Elijah was pure, cold calculation. He wore a perfectly tailored dark grey suit that made his broad shoulders look massive. His sharp, dark eyes were fixed right on my face. When he saw me look back at him, he slowly raised his glass in a silent toast. A cruel, knowing smirk stretched across his lips.Six years ago, I thought Adrian was the one who came up with the plan to humiliate me in front of the whole school. I thought Adrian h







