LOGINHazel POV“What’s happening?”The scream tore out of me before I could stop it. The car spun wildly, tires shrieking against asphalt. The world tilted—sky, track, barriers blurring into a nauseating smear. My stomach lurched upward into my throat.Asher’s face darkened. He snapped a glance at the rearview mirror.Behind us, Toni’s car had slammed into our rear bumper—hard. Metal groaned. The impact jerked us sideways again.My face drained of color. “Why on earth did you agree to this race?” I shouted over the roar of the engine. “Why did you bring me into this mess? You’re such a jerk!”He didn’t flinch. His voice cut through the chaos, calm and steady. “Hold on tight. I’m going to speed up.”Speed up?My mind blanked. We were already going too fast—way too fast. The finish line was still a lap away. How could we go any faster without flying apart?The next second answered me.Asher punched the accelerator. The engine screamed in protest. The car surged forward, but his tied hand cou
Hazel POVHis words brushed against my ear like a secret I didn’t want to hear. “We have already slept together,” he murmured, low and casual, as if it were nothing more than a fact. “How can you say we don’t have any kind of relationship?”A warm shiver raced down my spine, pooling low in my stomach. My cheeks burned so hot I thought they might catch fire. I shoved against his chest with both hands, desperate for space.“You… stay away from me.”I turned my face away, refusing to meet his eyes. My heart hammered painfully. “This is your fight. Don’t drag me into it. I don’t want to bet my life on this. Alpha Royal, you’d better find someone else to take my place.”I spun on my heel and started walking—fast, determined, not caring where I ended up as long as it was away from him.His hand caught my wrist before I’d taken three steps.“Even so,” he said quietly, “you can’t refuse me. Whatever I say goes.”The words landed like a decree from someone who had never once been told no. He p
Hazel POV“How dare you?” The words burned on my tongue, but I swallowed them down. My hands shook at my sides. I wanted to scream, to shove him, to run until the city lights swallowed me whole. But his threat about Lucas still rang in my ears—quiet, cold, real. I couldn’t risk it. Not again.I sighed instead, the sound ragged and defeated, and kept walking toward the changing rooms. My sneakers squeaked on the polished concrete. I would wait. I would find the perfect moment to slip away when he was distracted. That was the plan.Inside the sleek locker area, a staff member handed me a racing suit—black, form-fitting, made of some high-tech fabric that felt cool against my skin. I changed quickly, avoiding my reflection in the mirror. I didn’t want to see the bruises fading on my arms, the hollow look in my eyes, the way my hand kept drifting protectively to my stomach.When I stepped out, Asher was already waiting. The racing suit clung to him like a second skin—sleek lines accentuat
Hazel POVThe car kept moving, eating up the miles like it was hungry for distance. Streetlights grew sparse, then vanished altogether. The city skyline shrank in the rearview mirror until only dark fields and the occasional glow of distant houses remained. My hands clenched in my lap, nails digging into my palms. Every passing minute made the knot in my stomach tighter.“Where are you taking me?” I finally asked, voice thin with anxiety.Asher didn’t look at me. His gaze stayed fixed on the road ahead, one hand resting loosely on the wheel.“To race cars,” he said, tone flat and commanding, like he was stating an obvious fact.I stared at him. “What?”He didn’t repeat himself. The car accelerated smoothly, the engine’s low growl filling the silence that followed.Race cars?I must have misheard. Or maybe he was mocking me. Either way, none of this made sense. I pressed my forehead against the cool glass and tried to steady my breathing. The baby. The secret. The fact that I’d been se
Hazel POVThe city lights streaked past the tinted windows in long, golden blurs. I pressed my palms flat against the leather seat, trying to anchor myself as the Maybach glided smoothly through traffic. My heart hadn’t slowed since he’d pulled me inside. Every breath felt shallow, every second stretched too long.I finally found my voice when we were several blocks away from the bridal salon.“Why did you drag me in here?” The words came out sharper than I intended, edged with the panic still clawing at my throat.Asher didn’t look at me right away. He leaned back against the seat, one arm stretched along the backrest, fingers drumming once—twice—against the leather. His profile was sharp in the dim interior light: high cheekbones, straight nose, that perpetual line of tension around his mouth.“You were hiding behind a pillar,” he said calmly. “Watching me.”My face burned. “I wasn’t watching you. I just… happened to pass by.”He turned his head then. Dark eyes met mine, unblinking.
Hazel POVThe moment the words left his mouth—“It’s really you!”—my world tilted.I spun around so fast the room blurred. Alpha Asher stood inches away, towering over me, his dark eyes locked on mine with an intensity that made my knees buckle. Up close, he looked even more imposing—suit crisp, jaw set, that cold aura radiating like heat from a fire. But there was something else in his gaze: recognition, surprise, and a flicker of something raw I couldn’t name.I jumped back instinctively, heart slamming against my ribs. My heel caught on the edge of the carpet runner. I lost my balance, arms flailing as I tipped backward toward the display of crystal tiaras.His hand shot out—fast, sure. Fingers wrapped around my upper arm, pulling me upright before I could fall. The touch was firm, electric. Memories crashed over me: that same grip in the parking garage, pinning me, claiming me. I gasped, yanking away, but he didn’t let go.“Let me—” I started, voice cracking.He didn’t wait for the
Alpha Asher POVAn hour had passed since I sent Jaden away. Exactly one hour. I didn’t look at the clock; I didn’t need to. Time obeyed me, or at least it tried to.I sat behind the massive ebony desk in my private office on the top floor of Royal Corporations. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked t
Alpha Asher POVHer words hit me like a slap I didn’t see coming.“What do you mean?” Hazel’s voice cracked with fresh anger, raw and trembling. She sat up straighter despite the way her body still shook, clutching my jacket around her like armor. “Now that you’ve taken advantage of me and got what
Callie POVThe Voss family estate was quiet that afternoon, the kind of quiet money buys—thick carpets swallowing footsteps, crystal chandeliers catching sunlight in lazy sparkles, air scented with fresh lilies and expensive perfume. I lounged on the cream leather sofa in the sunroom, legs tucked b
Hazel POVTime slipped away faster than I wanted it to. One month passed in a quiet blur—days blending into nights, routines settling back like they’d never been broken. Lucas was home. He slept better now, ate more, even cracked a few weak jokes at dinner. Mom’s color was returning; she smiled aga







