LOGIN“Promise me, Jade. Sisters forever.” “I promise.” The memory of Barbara’s voice makes my stomach turn. I remember the smell of smoke and gasoline from eleven years ago—the night her parents died. I still remember the intensity of her screams and feel her body against mineI as I held her hand while she cried. I was the one who found her in the bathroom a week later, the floor stained red, and promised her she’d never have to be alone again. I had been her anchor since she promised never to try to take her life again, but in return, she betrayed me and helped Daniel destroy my life. The second time she attempted suicide, I promised her we would be sisters forever. “I’m on my way,” I say, disconnecting the call. I dress as quickly as I can, pulling on the most casual dress I can find. I’m fidgeting, and I know I’m not thinking straight, but I can’t let Barbara be alone at a time like this. I have to go to her. I swing the door open. Zayn is standing there, his balled fist hanging i
Zayn’s hand is a brand against my skin. His fingers move with a slow, agonizing possessiveness that makes my brain short-circuit. I’m draped over the dining table like a sacrifice, my legs locked around his waist, my breath coming in shallow, pathetic gasps. “You hate me?” he murmurs, his lips brushing the pulse point at my throat. I can feel the dark vibration of his voice in my very bones. “Is that why your heart is trying to hammer its way out of your chest and into my hand?” “It’s—it’s adrenaline,” I choke out, my fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulders. “I’m… I’m terrified of you.” “Liar.” He pulls back just enough to look me in the eye. The grey is gone, replaced by a storm. He looks hungry. He looks like he wants to devour me and then burn the remains. And that makes me so fucking wet. “You’re not terrified of me, Jade. You’re terrified of how much you want to stay in this cage.” He moves then, his mouth reclaiming mine with a brutality that leaves me lig
“Damon sent her,” I say, walking toward the front door, my bag in my hand, heels clicking on the floor. “He sent her to rattle me. And it worked, didn't it? Because you went completely silent the moment you saw her. Was what you had with her that special?” Zayn catches my arm, spinning me around to face him. “My past is a graveyard Jade. Don’t dig it up. No questions. Remember that was my only rule.” “I’m not digging into your past! Your ex-girlfriend is a chatterbox,” I snap, shoving my hand against his chest. “Let go of me.” Zayn’s eyes turn pitch black. He steps into my space, his shadow swallowing me whole. He doesn't flinch. He doesn't move back. He presses me against the partition, his hands coming up to cage my head, his palms flat against the wall. “You’re angry,” he whispers, his breath hot against my lips, his grey eyes locked on mine. “Are you…jealous?” My heart skips a beat as he puts a name to the emotion that’s been riling me up this entire time. “I’m furious,” I
JADEThe air in the boutique, which had felt light and airy only moments ago, suddenly turns cold. My hand is still clamped around Zayn’s arm, my fingers digging into the expensive fabric of his suit. I don’t let go. I can’t.I feel the way Zayn’s muscles tenses beneath my touch. He isn't looking at me; he is looking at Clara as if she were a ghost that had crawled out of a grave he’d spent years digging.Something about that look unsettles me. I’m not angry. I’m not surprised. I just recognize that look. It shows years of history. And I don’t like it.“Ex-girlfriend?” I repeat, still finding it hard to believe. My gaze drifts over her again. She’s beautiful in a way that feels effortless—polished, high-society, and perfectly at ease with the monster standing beside me. I tighten my grip on him. “That’s interesting. Zayn didn't mention he had any… exes.”The curtain shifts again. This time, an attendant rushes in, breath uneven, eyes flicking nervously between us.“I—I’m so sorry, Mr.
“You’re late,” I say bluntly. “I… Victoria had things for me to finish. I didn’t realize you were waiting.” I don’t answer. Instead, I lean closer, invading her space. I don't touch her—not yet—but I let her feel the heat of me. I watch her pupils dilate. I watch the way her breath hitches, a tiny, stuttering sound that intoxicates me. I want her to forget Damon. I want her to forget Daniel, Victoria, her family, and that damn friend of hers, Barbara. I want to reach into her mind and erase everything that isn't me. “Did anything weird happen today?” I ask softly. I watch her throat move as she swallows. A lie is forming; I can see it in the way her gaze darts to the ground. “No,” she whispers. “Nothing. Why?” I reach out, my fingers grazing the hair at her temple, tucking a loose strand behind her ear. I let my hand linger, my thumb tracing the line of her jaw with a terrifying slowness. She is trembling. If she’s trembling because of me, she isn't thinking about the past. S
“Damon!” Grandmother’s voice is a whisper of pure horror. “Put that away! Have you lost your mind? That’s your brother you’re aiming at.” But Damon doesn't care. A thin sheen of sweat breaks across my brow. I’m unable to move. My heart is a ferocious beast in my chest. A beast that is scraping at my ribs while my body remains a statue. I can see it before my eyes. I’m thirteen again, trapped in the dark, staring at a gun with blood on my hands. Blood that wasn't mine. I start to quiver, my head spinning in circles as the image becomes clearer. “What’s the matter, Zayn?” Damon’s voice sounds miles away, distorted. “Not so brave when you can’t fight back with your hands?” I can’t stare away from the gun. I don’t even see Damon anymore. I only see the small, black hole that leads to nothingness. I’m fighting for air. My vision begins to tunnel, the edges of the study blurring into a dark, suffocating gray. “Zayn?” Grandmother calls, terrified. “Zayn, look at me!” I can’t look
The gates slide open before us. I don't ask how. The place looks magical. It isn't a New York high-rise. It’s a sprawling, modern estate tucked away behind high walls. The mansion is in the middle of green lawns. The glass windows reflect the moonlight. “You live here with your family?” I whisper
The priest begins to chant. He flings the water at me. “Cast out the spirit of rebellion!” he bellows. “Release this girl from the shadow of the beast!” I don’t scream. I throw my head back and laugh. It’s a hollow, terrifying sound that echoes off the walls. “The beast isn’t inside me, you id
My father’s voice is sharp with fury. “You shameless girl!” I taste blood in my mouth. “Look at what she’s wearing,” Natasha sneers. “She was with that man. She’s been having an affair with him even before the wedding.” My mother’s eyes fill with rage. The old me used to hide under oversized
“I don't care how you met. Just stay away from him. Do you understand? Jade? Are you still on the fucking line? Jade?” I can't find the right words to say. Honestly, I don't know what to say. I can't even think straight. Zayn is a Hemsworth? The Hemsworth? No way! “Jade, I’m warning you,” V







