로그인ZuriBreakfast was quiet in the worst possible way, forks scraping plates, nobody quite meeting anyone else's eyes across the table."We've booked our flight for this evening." My mum set her coffee down, voice steady but final. "We won't be staying until Monday after all.""If this is about what happened," Alexander said carefully, "we're sorry. We didn't raise these boys to behave this way. We don't know what came over any of them last night. You were meant to stay until Monday. Why rush off over one little altercation? This family has come a long way, Rhea. We've shared dinners, celebrations, years of friendship. One night shouldn't be enough to break that.""One little altercation." My mum's voice sharpened instantly. "You're calling what your sons did to my daughter a little thing?""It was consensual. My sons didn't force themselves on her.” Diane's voice cut in, clipped. "Don't put all of this on my sons, Rhea. Your daughter is equally responsible for whatever this arrangement
ZuriI found the three of them in Ethan's room, still dressed down from the party, the tension of the night still hanging heavy in the air between them. The second I walked in and shut the door behind me, all three went quiet, like they already knew this wasn't going to be a good conversation."I need to talk to you. All of you."Chris sat up straighter on the edge of the bed. "That doesn't sound good.""It's not." I forced myself to keep going before I lost my nerve entirely. "I think we need to end this. Whatever this is, between the four of us."Nobody said anything for a long moment."Because of your mum." Audric said it quietly, not a question."Because of my mum." My voice cracked despite everything I'd rehearsed on the walk over. "She's pregnant, and she's terrified for me, and tonight already nearly tore this entire family apart. I can't keep hurting her over this. I won't.""Zuri—""Let me finish." I pressed my hands together to stop them shaking. "I love all three of you. Th
AudricMy mother didn't raise her voice often. When she did, the whole house seemed to hold its breath."You Jezebel." She had Gabriela by the front hall, coat already shoved into her arms, voice cracking through the foyer loud enough that I heard it from the stairs. "Get out of my house. Trying to destroy my son's life with a lie you cooked up because you couldn't stand losing him.""Mrs. Cole, please—""I should call the police and have you charged for what you just tried to pull in there." My mother's finger jabbed toward the living room behind her. "Accusations like that ruin lives, Gabriela. I could throw you in a cell tonight for it. I'm letting you walk out of here instead, because despite everything, I am still someone's mother, and I imagine yours would be devastated to see how you've turned out."Gabriela's composure finally cracked completely, tears streaming as she clutched the coat to her chest. "Audric, I'm sorry. I love you. I love you so much. I only did it because I w
ZuriI found my mum sitting on the edge of the guest bed, hands folded in her lap, staring at nothing when I knocked and let myself in. She'd changed out of her party dress, hair still half pinned from earlier, and the quiet, controlled stillness of her was somehow worse than if she'd been crying.She didn't look up.I knelt in front of her instead of taking the chair across the room, needing to be at her level, needing her to actually look at me. The floor was hard against my knees, but it felt right somehow, smaller than her, deserving of it after everything I'd let unfold tonight without warning her once."Mum. I'm sorry."Nothing. She kept her eyes fixed somewhere past my shoulder, jaw set, the silence stretching long enough that I felt it settle heavy in my chest."Are you still not talking to me?" My voice cracked. "I can't get through this without you. I need you.""You don't need me, Zuri." Her voice finally came, quiet and precise, each word landing like something she'd been
ZuriMy dads led me into the small study off the main hallway and shut the door behind us, and the second it clicked shut, Jackson started pacing, one hand dragging through his hair over and over. Brandon stood by the window with his hands shoved deep in his pockets, quiet in a way that felt worse than shouting.I sat on the edge of the couch, staring at my own hands, shame burning hot enough that I couldn't bring myself to look at either of them."You are in a lot of trouble, Zuri Sterling." Jackson stopped pacing long enough to face me directly. "Starting right now, you're going to explain yourself.""Dad, I'm sorry.""Don't apologize." Brandon's voice stayed level, though I could hear the effort it took to keep it that way. "What was that? Sneaking around with Audric?""I love him."Neither of them said anything right away, both of them just looking at me like they genuinely didn't know what to do with that sentence."He had a girlfriend, Zuri." Brandon finally said. "You c
ZuriGabriela sat curled in the corner of the couch, a jacket wrapped around her shoulders like a shield. Her eyes were red. Her hands shook around the edges of the fabric.I watched from the doorway, and something about the whole scene felt wrong. I just couldn't name it yet.Alexander closed the distance in three strides. He grabbed Audric by the collar and slapped him. Once. Twice. The sound cracked through the room. Nobody moved.That came as a shock to everyone, including Audric, whose hand was on his cheek, which looked red from the impact."I didn't raise a son who doesn't know to stop when a woman says no," he said, his eyes burning with hot rage.Ethan spoke first, his voice hard. "How could you believe what Gabriela said?" He didn't even look at her. "We all know who Gabriela is. We went to school with her. You're going to take her word over your own son's?"Chris shook his head. "Gabriela is a liar. She doesn't have a single truth in her." He looked straight at his father.
RheaElowen’s voice cut through the moment. “So you’re the boyfriend.”Everyone looked at her. She pushed off the island, examining Nick with open curiosity.“I have to say, I’m impressed.” She took another bite of her apple. “Didn’t picture Rhea with someone so… put together. Stylish. Good-looking
RHEABrandon and Jackson stopped dead in the doorway.I watched their eyes travel over me—taking in the blood-red silk, my makeup, my spread legs, the shameless confidence in my pose. Their gazes lingered on my exposed breasts, dropped to where the nightdress had ridden up to show everything, then
RheaJackson dropped to his knees between my legs so fast I barely had time to register the movement. He slapped my hand away from my pussy and replaced it with his mouth.The first touch of his tongue against my clit sent electricity shooting through my entire body. I gasped, my hips jerking up i
RHEAThe ride to the hospital was tense and silent except for my labored breathing. Brandon drove like a man possessed, weaving through traffic with single-minded focus. Jackson sat in the back with me, his hand wrapped around my wrist, fingers pressed against my pulse point.“You’re okay,” he kep







