[Ralph’s POV]Women are bad drivers—this I don’t believe. As much as I hate to admit it, I’ve seen Jewel take the wheel, and she’s one hell of a driver. But women are bad with guns—this… I’m starting to believe. BANG! “Ah!” BANG!“AH!!!” BANG!“OH MY FUCKING GOD!” I removed my earmuffs and yanked Juliette’s behind her head. “Jesus Christ, Juliette!” I barked at her. I took a quick scan around the area, relieved that we are the only ones around, and then glared at the heiress. “You’re fucking noisy!” I hissed. And fucking erotic! GODDAMN IT. I listened to a few more, I might actually get hard. She was equally pissed. “I’m noisy?” She jerked up her hand that was holding the gun. “THIS IS NOISY!” I shook the headphones around her neck. “You have these! They’re supposed to reduce the noise.” “Well, they aren’t doing a good job, aren’t they?!” she snapped. I took the gun from her and drew in a deep breath to calm my nerves. “I know you’re scared—.” “DAMN WELL I AM.” She sulked
[Ralph’s POV] Fuck… I didn’t mean to tell her that… But it happened. Now I just have to go with the flow. Is this what love is? Is this what Ben means when he said he can’t help it, he just wants Jewel? The daughter of Lux stared at me, at a loss for words. The shine in her eyes flickered with the flame of the campfire, growing brighter with each passing second. Sucking me into a trance, enveloping me with something enticing… warmth? Fear? A connection? One that I’ve longed for, yearned for all these years but never truly found it anywhere… And now, I’ve finally found it. Or have I not? “Juliette….” I heard my voice calling out to her. And an array of purple shades wavered in her eyes. I saw my hand reaching out to her cheeks, wanting to feel that film of silk bathing her skin. “Ralph…?” Her voice breezed through the cold wind. I grabbed her hands and pressed her palms to my face, as though desperate for her warmth. “Life with me will be filled with darkness… so dark you ca
[Juliette’s POV] A few days later… I was perusing the sales reports that had just arrived in emails from the restaurants we invested in, both the local and overseas, when my phone rang angrily. I picked up from my desk and saw Monsieur Kugerfield’s name. Hastily, I accepted the call and replied in a casual tone, “Good afternoon, Monsieur. Have you had lunch—?” “She’s not here again, Julie!” Monsieur barked. “Where zee hell is zat girl!” Immediately, I felt my face fall with knowledge of what had happened, even before hearing it from Monsieur. “She may be running late again, Mon—.” “SHE’S FORGOTTEN! Zat girl!” Monsieur’s accent gets thick and clear whenever he’s driven madly upset. No one has done that for years—Jewel Virtus sure is a heck of a scum. Doesn’t she have a streak of consideration for the elderly? Monsieur can’t take such panic attacks! “I’m sure she remembers, Monsieur…” I tried to stay as calm as possible, hoping that it would reduce his stress. “Don’t say ni
[Juliette’s POV] Shame crawled into the old housekeeper’s smile before she looked away. “Even though she shaved all her hair and eyebrows, she looked like an angel.” “Y-You’re in love with Ralph’s mother?” My shock came out in a whisper that slipped with the winds gushing through us. Margaret nodded. “I’m just amazed by her beauty…. There wasn’t a day when I wouldn’t look at her. But that’s all there is to it.” She chuckled lightly and said, “I’m just a friend to her. And that was quite enough for me.” She paused to turn back to me and continued, “I knew she was here to protect her son. I knew she shouldn’t be here. But I couldn’t say no to her. I had to help her. Because that was the only thing I could do for her.” I took the bony hand that once tried to claw me into my hand and squeezed it gently. “Thank you for helping Ralph’s mother, Margaret. Does Ralph know what you did for his mother?” She shook her head with a weak smile. “He burned all the photos of her after she die
[Juliette’s POV] We strolled past the first guest room beside the staircase that led to the second floor—Guest Room 1A—and then I blurted, “Why do you need so many guest bedrooms?” “I can ask your father the same question,” he retorted. Immediately, I clarified, “I didn’t mean it that way.” “Then what do you mean?” he sounded impatient, which felt like a bite on my neck. He’s offended. To me, it was a question of curiosity. Obviously, he read it as something else—something that I know nothing of. The old me would immediately get into an argument with him. But the new me wanted to be more understanding and slowly ease the information out of him. So I maintained a calm demeanour and explained. “Well, there are twenty-four guest bedrooms in this mansion. And you said that this place was more of a training ground. So I didn’t think that the head of the Virtus clan would have guests staying over as often as my ancestors would. I thought maybe the rooms were previously used for s
[Juliette’s POV]Ralph. He’s at the door. I jumped off bed and dashed to the door. But as soon as my hand felt the door knob, his voice came through from the other side. “DON’T.” I paused. Don’t? Don’t what?As if reading my mind, he exhaled and said, “Don’t open the door.” And before I asked why, he added, “It’s my punishment. For hurting you. So don’t let me see you.” I sniffed and wiped my face with my fingertips and unlocked the door. “I SAID ‘DON’T’!” he barked, and I halted once more, tempting to ignore him and open the door, and flung myself into his arms—I’m sure they’re open, waiting for me. “Jesus Christ, Juliette….” He sounded tired. And wounded. Like that stray puppy I found at the pathside of the college campus. I remembered how it shivered with fear and cold, its brown fur dirty and dusty. And my heart fell ten storeys. I want to get to him. But I'm also afraid that my aggression will push him away. So I stayed put. Silence ensued between us. And then he asked,
[Juliette’s POV] I was lying on top of Ralph, left ear on his chest, breasts flattened against his upper abdomen, arms around his waist, listening to the rapid thudding beneath his firm muscles returning to its regular, calm rhythm, when his deep voice spoke. “When I first arrived here, everything was huge. Everyone looked angry. I was scared… but then somehow I knew, I can’t show it. So I kept my hands in my pockets. Grip them tight.” I wanted to lift myself up to face him when his hand came over my head and his fingers started sliding through the damp strands of my hair in an absentminded manner. “This place was huge. Dark and dusty. Except for the sounds of pain, it was quiet everywhere.” He paused and exhaled, and then added in a whisper, “Very quiet.” “You were nine. Any kid your age would feel scared.” I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. “You were taken away from your mother too. To a strange and unknown place.” “I thought I’d never see her again so I cried… I cried h
[Ralph’s POV] “Enough….” she gasped, and her body convulsed once more—for the fourth time. The pleasure was thickened to a low grunt from her throat. But it wasn’t enough for me. She made me remember so much of the darkness and pain, and touched them all with light, making me feel worthy of remembering my mother again. I could see those kind eyes smiling at me again before those undernourished arms came around me tight, protectively. This heiress had made me remember what it was like to be human. I want to consume her. Fill her entirely with me. Just me. “Not yet, kitten….” I heard my voice in the darkness, and then it coaxed her, “Open your eyes, love. I want to see them when I come.” In a whimper, she slowly opened them and I kissed their damp lashes. “Ralph…?” She looked drunk with bliss. She looked like she wanted more… but then she also seemed to be begging me to stop. “Say you love me, kitten….” She stared at me through hooded eyes and exhaled, “I love you, Ralph…