MasukAXEL They say there's nothing as ugly as a woman scorned. I had never paid much attention to the saying, but standing there with a gun pressed against my back, I was beginning to understand why it existed.I didn't turn around. I didn't make any sudden movements. I simply stood there, waiting to see what she would do next.Would she pull the trigger?Would she make some ridiculous demand and expect me to obey?Or had she finally lost whatever little sense she had left?I had no idea. So I stayed still and let her decide what came next."Don't move!"Vasilisa's voice sounded different now. There was no sweetness in it, no desperate attempt to convince me that she would make a good wife. The woman who had been begging me to marry her a few minutes ago had disappeared, replaced by someone who seemed perfectly willing to put a bullet in my back.Kat had gone completely silent beside me. I could feel the tension radiating from her, and I knew she was trying to figure out what to do withou
AXEL "You're okay with being a trophy wife? Paraded around and shown off?" I asked her. "You're okay with being a baby machine, opening your legs on my command? You're okay with all the things I will do to you and other women, as long as you get the title?"Vasilisa looked as if she was about to explode."Are you seriously making fun of me right now?""Why would I do that, princess?""Stop calling me that!""Why? I thought you liked being treated like royalty."Kat burst out laughing, and I had to fight the smile threatening to spread across my face.Vasilisa's gaze swept around the room, toward her father and the two guards still standing in front of the door. She seemed to remember where she was and how many people were watching us."We need to talk. Excuse us," she said through clenched teeth, reaching for my arm.I moved before she could touch me."Careful, Vasilisa. Like I said, don't ever put your hands on me."Her hand froze in midair."Whatever you have to say, you can say it
AXEL Damien Morozov watched his daughter with a strange expression, one that told me he was as surprised by her performance as I was. But the surprise quickly faded, replaced by irritation.“Vasilisa,” he said sharply. “What are you doing here?”She pulled away from me just enough to turn toward him, but she kept one hand gripping the front of my jacket, as if she was afraid letting go would end me.“Dad, please! You can't do this!” Her voice trembled as she looked between us. “You can't threaten Axel just because you're angry with him. I know he's made mistakes, but I love him. I don't want anything to happen to him.”I almost laughed. Almost.This woman had spent the last several days behaving as though she held all the cards to our relationship while I followed around doing her bidding. She had shown up at my house uninvited, interrupted a private moment between Hazel and me, and then demanded that I attend this ridiculous party, acting all high and mighty.Now she was standing in
AXEL For the first time since we'd entered the room, I saw something besides anger in Damien's eyes. He was calculating. Trying to figure out what I wanted and how much trouble I was prepared to cause to get it.I leaned back in my chair."You gave your word." He finally said."And I intend to honour my obligations. But don't confuse honouring an agreement with surrendering control of my life."His eyes narrowed."You should be careful, Moretti. There are consequences for breaking agreements with my family.""I know. That's why I haven't broken this one." I let the words settle between us before adding, "Yet."Kat made a small sound standing beside me. It might have been a cough, but I knew her well enough to recognise that she was fighting the urge to laugh.Damien didn't find it amusing. He rose from his chair and placed both hands on the desk."Let me make something clear to you. My daughter will not be made a fool of by a man who thinks he can do whatever he wants simply because
AXEL Damien led the way out of the ballroom and down the hallway Corridors.The farther we went, the tighter Kat's hand gripped mine. She kept looking around, but there was no one else in sight. It was just the five of us, with Damien leading the way, Kat and me in the middle, and his two men following behind us.We turned a corner, and he finally stopped in front of a room. Damien opened the door and walked inside. I knew this place belonged to him, even if the ownership wasn't officially in his name. I also knew he did most of his business here, so I wasn't surprised. I'd expected something like this, although I hadn't thought he'd bring us into his office.Kat and I walked in together, still holding hands. Damien walked around the table, made himself comfortable in his seat, and looked at us. Kat and I remained standing. I was a gentleman, and I knew basic etiquette. You didn't just take a seat in someone else's office without being invited to do so.Damien looked at us once, then
AXEL Kat rolled her eyes, but she was smiling as we reached the bar. I ordered two drinks, then glanced around the room while the bartender prepared them.The party was getting louder. People danced, laughed, and pretended not to stare at us. Some weren't even trying to hide their curiosity. I caught a few people whispering while looking in our direction, and one man near the entrance was already holding up his phone.Good. Let them talk. Let them take pictures. Let them send those pictures to every gossip column and mafia family that cared enough to look.I wanted the entire city to hear about this party before the night was over. More importantly, I wanted Damien Morozov to hear about it."You're doing that thing again," Kat said, accepting her drink."What thing?""That look on your face. The one that says you're planning something that will make everyone's life miserable."I took my glass from the bartender. "I'm offended that you think so poorly of me.""You're offended? Axel. Y
HAZEL“Nico,” I begin, my voice trembling. “You’re freaking me out, okay? I don’t care if he decides to kill me. I guess it was a long time coming....”He stares at me, unblinking. “He already sold me in there...to that man called Mac,” I say, the words tumbling out. “I’m supposed to go spend the n
HAZELWhile I’m fighting with my inner self, Axel suddenly just stops laughing, just as quickly as he started. His laugh dies in his throat, and his face slips right back into place.It strikes me how easily he could do that. How easily he could switch from one person to another. As if the laughter
HAZELAxel nods once, his jaw tightening. “Okay. That’s how you want to do this?”I shrug, feigning innocence. “I don’t know What you mean.”He moves toward me, quick, silent, and my breath catches. He’s never hurt me, not physically, not once, but I’ve only been here three months. I don’t really
HAZELI am completely and utterly fucked.That's for sure.My stomach is tightening and I can feel an orgasm building dangerously fast. It feels like a devastating tsunami is forming that will surely kill me. The bed begins to squeak violently from how hard he’s fucking me. It feels like it’s goin







