ELENAI smiled, tilting my head as I pulled away slightly from the hug. “Relax,” I said lightly, “I was just asking. You looked like you were starving in that department.”Bella blinked again, then narrowed her eyes. “How do you say the things I’m thinking before I even say them out loud? It’s like you read minds or something.”Oh, Bella. If only you knew.She exhaled, shaking her head and stepping away, her arms crossing again as she leaned against the window. “It’s been a long time,” she admitted. “Not just a regular quickie… I mean the kind that leaves you limp and shaky for two days.”I quirked a brow, mildly amused. “That bad, huh?”“Yeah,” she said, then paused for a few seconds. “I’ve been kinda into Ricardo, but… he’s not exactly into girls.”She continued, her voice lower now. “So, the last time something happened between us… he, uh, went for the backdoor.”I blinked.Then I threw my head back and laughed. “Wait… seriously?”Bella gave a sheepish giggle. “I’m not joking. I to
ELENAI was back, and everything was going exactly as planned.I headed straight into my private bathroom, shut the door behind me, and stared at myself in the mirror. Then I smiled.“Wow,” I whispered, letting out a low laugh. “What the fuck did I just do?”I fucked him. That bastard. I actually fucked him.And the best part? He had no idea he was playing straight into my hands.I sat on the toilet and let myself breathe for a second, the release both physical and oddly triumphant. When I finished, I cleaned up, my fingers moving lower, slower, until I found that sweet pulse between my thighs. I bit down on my bottom lip, teasing myself. God, this was getting fun.I washed up, fixed my hair, and stepped out like nothing happened.I walked through the hospital, humming a song I didn’t even realize I rememberedAs I turned the corner, I caught them.A small group of nurses huddled near the supply room, whispering behind half-covered hands, their eyes flicking toward me like they though
RICARDOShe adjusted her dress gently like she hadn’t just saved a man’s life a few hours ago, and I won't lie I loved the aura she carried.“I actually saw them during the exchange,” she stated. “Didn’t think much of it at the time… just a strange look between Marco and the chef. Like they were in on something.”I narrowed my eyes, watching her closely.“But when I heard Ryan was being punished…” She paused. “I don’t know. It didn’t sit right. So I did my own digging.”She said it so simply. Like digging into my inner circle was as easy as flipping through a book.“I collected evidence,” she added, locking eyes with me. “Real proof. I didn’t want to accuse anyone without facts. I needed you to believe me”God.Who was this woman?Smart. Calculated. Brave. She didn’t just stumble into this world… she studied it.I exhaled slowly, letting her words settle in my chest. Thank God she was here.Because if she hadn’t been... I might’ve actually killed Ryan.The thought hit hard, like a fis
ELENAThe surgery went smoothly.Almost too smoothly.I won’t lie, there was a moment, a fleeting whisper of a thought, when I considered doing something reckless in there. After all, it would’ve been so easy. One tiny slip of the hand. One calculated mistake. And he would’ve never made it off the table.But I didn’t.No, not today.This was my first surgery since arriving, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t set fire to the stage before you’ve had your standing ovation. I still needed to build my reputation, to make them see me as irreplaceable. Competent. Reliable. Untouchable.So instead, I saved him.And I did it flawlessly.I was still at the sink, scrubbing the last of the blood from beneath my nails, when I heard footsteps behind me. I didn’t turn. I didn’t need to. The air had already shifted… Ricardo’s men had a way of announcing themselves without a word.“Dr Elena,” one of them called out. “Ricardo is asking for you. He wants to see you in his office.
ELENAI sat in my office and smiled.A slow, smug curl of my lips as I stared at the half-filled glass of wine sitting in front of me. Everything was unraveling beautifully. I picked up the wine and took a slow sip, letting it swirl over my tongue. Mmm. Rich. A little bit hot. Just the way I liked it.God, I was enjoying this.The chaos was everything I had hoped for and more. It was intoxicating. Everyone was too busy pointing fingers at each other, too lost in their own mess to notice what I was really doing. And that? That made it all the more thrilling.They were going to love me. Every single one of them. They were going to trust me, lean on me, confide in me… and then I’d turn them all against each other. One by one. Until the only thing left standing was me.And Lucas. My brother. My only real family.I’d do anything for him. Burn the whole world if I had to. And right now? That fire was already spreading.Oh, I was going to ruin everyone in this house. One by one. Break them
RYANI woke up to the scent of Rafael still lingering on the sheets. My hand stretched out instinctively, reaching for the other side of the bed.Empty.The sheets were cool there, untouched for a while.I turned slowly, letting the soft light from the morning sun brush over my bare skin. My eyes blinked open, the room quiet except for the distant hum of something… maybe a fridge or the soft sound of birds outside.But Rafael wasn’t here.A small ache settled somewhere in my chest, stupidly. After a night like that, I guess I thought he’d still be tangled up next to me, all heat and soft breaths.I sat up, running a hand over my face, then reached for my phone from the nightstand.A message blinked on the screen.Elena: Hey Ryan, just checking in. Hope you’re okay.Elena.I’d almost forgotten she worked for me. Hell, I barely remembered hiring her… everything in the last few weeks had been a blur. But the fact that she messaged at all? That pulled a tired smile out of me.She didn’t h
RAFAEL At this point, all I could think about was how to satisfy Ryan… how to drag out every drop of his desire until he was breathless and begging for more.And thank God Ricardo wasn’t here to interrupt.I was going to take my time. Tease him. Learn every edge of his pleasure until I could play him like that damn grand piano downstairs.Slowly, I laid him back on the bed, the sheets cool against his heated skin.His eyes were on me… blown wide, dark, expectant. He bit his bottom lip like he was already aching for more, and my cock throbbed at the sight.I crawled over him, straddling his hips as my fingers danced across his chest.“I’m not letting you go tonight,” I whispered, my voice low, rough with need. “I’m going to make you forget everything but me.”Ryan’s lips parted, but nothing came out… just a shaky breath.I leaned down, brushed my mouth across his jaw, then trailed slow kisses down his throat, feeling the way his pulse jumped under my tongue.“Say it,” I murmured. “Tel
RYANThe jet came to a slow halt, a soft hiss escaping beneath us as the engines quieted.Rafael turned to me with a small smile, then extended his hand like we were stepping into some kind of fairytale. “Alright,” he said, “we’re here.”I stared at his hand for a second, then took it.His grip was warm. Steady. Reassuring in a way that words could never be.We stepped out together, and the sunlight hit me like a soft slap… gentle, but firm enough to remind me that I was somewhere new. Somewhere far from all the darkness I’d been drowning in.Two men in black suits were already waiting beside a blacked-out SUV with tinted windows. One of them opened the door the moment we approached.I blinked. “Okay, what is this… your James Bond phase?”Rafael smirked, nudging me toward the car. “Just enjoy it, drama king.”I slid into the back seat, the interior cool and luxurious. Rafael got in beside me, thanked the driver, and the doors closed with that soft, expensive thunk sound.As we pulled
RYANAs we walked to the car, my head felt like it was splitting into two.I couldn’t think straight.It’s been three weeks since the incident… three goddamn weeks, and I still hadn’t gotten myself back. I was messed up in every sense of the word. Shattered. Disoriented. Angry.And the worst part?That bastard didn’t even bother to check on me.Not once.Screw him.I was done pretending.For now… I just needed to get out of that godforsaken building. Out of the twisted maze of lies and betrayal that had become my life.I didn’t know exactly where I was going. I just knew I had to leave before I lost what little sanity I had left. A week. Two weeks. Just enough time to breathe again. To clear my mind. Resurface. Reshape.Restrategize.And then?I’d come back.Not the same Ryan they left shattered.But someone better. Smarter. Sharper.The kind of man who could look Ricardo in the eyes and smile while tearing everything he built to the ground.Rafael opened the car door, and I slipped i