LOGINHazel POVI stayed frozen against the Maybach, heart still racing from the race. My legs felt shaky, my stomach unsettled. I was just starting to breathe normally when I heard the sharp click of heels approaching fast.Callie Voss marched straight toward Asher’s car. Her red skirt hugged her body, and her long legs looked endless under the floodlights. She looked even more beautiful up close—polished, expensive, furious. Without hesitation, she yanked open the passenger door like she owned it.I was still half-leaning against the car. She froze when she saw me sitting inside.Her perfectly shaped eyebrows shot up. Shock flashed across her face, quickly turning into pure venom.“Who… Who are you?” she demanded, voice sharp enough to cut. “Why are you in Asher’s car?”I opened my mouth, but the words stuck. “I-I’m…”Before I could finish, Callie reached in and grabbed my wrist. Her nails dug into my skin as she dragged me out of the seat. I stumbled, nearly losing my balance on the pave
Hazel POVThe cheering crowd felt far away now, like noise from another world. My stomach had emptied itself completely—nothing left but bitter acid and shaking. My legs trembled so badly I thought they might give out any second. Cold sweat clung to my skin, and every breath still tasted like burnt rubber and fear.Asher crouched beside me, silent for once. He held out the bottle of water again. I grabbed it with shaky hands and drank greedily, gulping until the plastic crinkled. The cool liquid helped a little. The spinning in my head slowed, but the world still felt unsteady.I tried to stand. My knees buckled almost immediately.Asher moved fast. His arm slid around my waist, strong and steady, pulling me upright against his side. The warmth of his body cut through the night chill. I hated how safe it felt for a second.“Let go of me,” I whispered. My voice came out soft and hoarse, barely louder than the distant engines.“I’ll carry you to the lounge to rest,” he said quietly. “Th
Hazel 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
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
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 POVThe hospital room smelled like antiseptic and wilted flowers. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, too bright, too cold. I sat on the edge of Mom’s bed, holding her thin hand. She had woken up an hour ago, eyes glassy and confused. The doctor had come in, checked her vitals, and shaken
Hazel POVThe bell above the door chimed softly as I stepped inside. The air smelled like fresh lilies, expensive silk, and a faint trace of vanilla candles. Soft classical music played from hidden speakers. Mirrors lined every wall, reflecting endless versions of white gowns that shimmered under c







