تسجيل الدخولThe soundproof oak door closed with a soft click. A middle-aged man wearing a suit worth thousands of dollars was already sitting inside, slowly swirling the wine in his glass.The moment he saw Renee enter, the man set the glass down and stood up.“Renee,” he greeted warmly.A smile spread across Renee’s lips as she stepped gracefully into the restaurant’s VIP room. She extended her hand, which he welcomed immediately.“It’s good to see you again, Mr. Ward,” Renee said.“Please… Richard.”Richard Ward.A senior politician with massive influence in Eastbourne. He even had direct connections within the police department.“I suppose I should be calling you Mrs. Watson now,” Richard joked lightly.Renee only smiled faintly. “I’d rather you just call me Renee.”“Your marriage to Anthony Watson was pretty sudden… and surprising.”But when he saw Renee’s expression turn cold, her eyes sharpening dangerously, Richard immediately stopped himself and changed the subject.“So… what exactly did
The air inside the back guesthouse felt frozen. Mr. Watson glared at Belle as if she were his worst enemy. Belle clenched her fists, holding back the anger threatening to explode all over again.In front of her, Renee was still clutching her cheek. Her eyes were watery, a perfect performance that only made Mrs. Watson panic even more.“Now, Belle!” Mr. Watson roared.Belle opened her mouth. “Dad, you didn’t hear what she—”“I don’t care what the reason was! You had no right to slap your sister-in-law!”Belle shot a sharp look at Renee, who answered with the faintest victorious smile, barely noticeable to anyone else.Suddenly, Anthony stepped forward and moved in front of Belle.“That’s enough, Dad,” Anthony said, his voice heavy with exhaustion.“Stay out of this, Anthony! Your sister needs to learn some manners!” Mr. Watson snapped.Anthony glanced briefly at his father before turning toward Renee.“I’m apologizing on Belle’s behalf. She’s dealing with a lot right now. Please… forgi
Belle took a deep breath after parking the car in the driveway. She stepped out, carrying her trench coat in one hand, then hurried inside the house. The silence immediately made her frown in confusion.It was Saturday. Normally, her parents would be chatting somewhere in the living room or out back.But today…Everything felt different. Tense.Belle quickly headed upstairs and entered her bedroom. Just as she was about to close the door, it suddenly stopped from the outside.Renee was holding it open.The moment their eyes met, Belle felt the tension instantly. The thin smile on Renee’s face sent chills down her spine.“Spending the night at Eve’s?” Renee asked casually.Belle nodded. “Yeah.”“Really? Because I think I saw Eve downtown last night. And you weren’t with her. Are you sure?”This weekend, Eve has been staying at her grandmother’s house since yesterday af
Bastian lowered his head and kissed Belle’s shoulder, then slowly moved down to the curve of her chest. A soft moan escaped Belle when Bastian kissed her breasts through her bra.Meanwhile, Bastian’s hands didn’t stay still. They roamed over her waist and thighs, applying just the right amount of pressure until Belle let out a low whimper.“Bastian, hurry…” Belle whimpered, her hands gripping the sheets tightly.Bastian chuckled softly, the sound deep and sexy in her ears.“Don’t rush, baby. We have all night, remember? Tonight belongs to us.”Bastian kissed her again, slower this time, deeper. As if he wanted to drink in every breath Belle gave him. Their skin burned against each other, chasing away the cold left behind by the rain outside. Bastian shifted lower, his hands pulling down Belle’s denim jeans. From Belle’s point of view, the muscles in Bastian’s body looked tight with desire.Bastian kissed her once more, slow and deep, and when they finally became one, he pushed inside
Heavy rain poured over Eastbourne that night, masking the sound of Belle’s footsteps in the dim hallway outside Bastian’s apartment. She wore a long black trench coat, the hood covering half of her face.Belle glanced left and right, making sure none of her father’s men or Renee’s spies had followed her.This was a reckless night for Belle.She was lying again, telling everyone she was staying over at Eve’s place. She had even deliberately parked her car near Eve’s house before taking a taxi to Bastian’s apartment.Belle knew it was incredibly risky, but she couldn’t hold back her longing anymore.There were too many things making her worry about Bastian. Especially after finding out he was looking for a new job. Belle couldn’t bear the thought of him returning to the underground fighting world again.Belle paused when the phone in her pocket vibrated. Nervously, she looked at the screen, but the message turned out to be from Peter.“No. 22. Don’t forget, that’s Bastian’s apartment nu
Usually, the shop was filled with the hum of machines and the blast of metal music. But that day, the place was silent.Inside Anthony’s shop, there were only stacks of boxes and rolls of bubble wrap scattered around. Anthony himself was taking down several bottles of color pigment from the shelves. His movements were rough and impatient.Belle stood in front of the counter, wrapping sterile equipment into small boxes. She glanced at her brother with concern.Ever since the wedding reception yesterday, Anthony had looked like a walking corpse. Belle noticed the gold ring on his finger shining under the light, almost as if it were mocking both of them.“You’re really shutting this place down?” Belle asked, still unable to believe it.“Dad doesn’t want some ‘thug shop’ ruining the family image. Especially now that he’s Mr. Carlyle’s in-law.”Anthony’s voice was full of bitterness and anger. To prove it, he angrily tossed an empty ink bottle into the trash.“This place has to be cleared
Belle glanced at Bastian. His jaw was clenched so tightly that the tendons in his neck stood out.Bastian said nothing. He remained standing there, beside the woman holding the chain to his freedom.And his silence hurt more than anything Renee had said.“Come on, Belle,” Anthony’s voice cut throug
“Is it wrong for a younger sister to remind her older brother?” Belle said, not looking at Anthony at all.She took a breath, then continued with difficulty. “Bastian is already like a brother to me. Like you.”“Well, yeah. Honestly, Bastian fits the role of your brother more than me,” Anthony chuc
A message came in on Belle’s phone. She had just been about to go to sleep when she turned the light back on. Belle reached for her phone on the nightstand, unlocked the screen, and saw a message from Eve.“Did you know Bastian is fighting tonight?” Another message followed almost immediately.“He
A surge of desperate longing washed over Belle and Bastian, making them forget about time entirely. They ignored everything that stood in their way. Their kisses grew wilder, hotter, tangled with hunger and need.Bastian’s hands roamed over Belle’s body, squeezing her in the most sensitive places,







