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CHAPTER NINE: She wore the dress for him.
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-03-27 06:49:36
Bab terkait
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER TEN: Did he kiss me?
"The sudden change in Pacific Green’s stock is quite the tale." Alex leaned back in his chair, glazed at Dante pouring himself a cup of green tea, the same brand he’d been drinking since Alex was a teenager. He’d once mentioned that the Japanese monks who cultivated it swore by its calming effects, and it had became a ritual for him like everything else about Dante McFowler.Niya glanced between them, debating whether she should say something or stay silent. She settled for silence, since it wasn't like she had many options.“Market shifts happen all the time,” Alex stated. “I wouldn’t call it a tale.”Pacific Green Energies had been his father’s legacy, a powerhouse in renewable energy long before the market saw its full potential. When Alex took over, he’d expanded its influence, and with the upcoming gala in a few weeks, he planned to secure more international partnerships that could give the company access to more innovations. Still, the company was solid.EcoWave Technologies, o
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-03-27TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER ELEVEN: Out The Door And Into The Fire.
Her eyelids fluttered against the dull light flickering from the lamp opposite her. The room was still, but the noise hadn’t disappeared. It was just further away now, dissolving into the background. The sputtering sound of a washing machine, the ticking of a slightly off-kilter fan, and slight hum of the small, secondhand refrigerator. It was muffled save for the occasional drip from the bathroom faucet, pulling her halfway between sleep and wakefulness.Niya exhaled, groggy. The ache in her temples told her she hadn’t had enough sleep or maybe too much. She forced herself to move, blindly reaching for her phone out of instinct. But her fingers brush against a stiff, smooth surface. A note.Blinking against the dim light, she jammed on the lamp switch and its flickering stopped."Ouf!" Niya blew out a breath through pouty lips, squinting at the note propped against the vanity mirror. Pony’s handwriting was uneven, scrawled like she’d written it in a rush.‘Had to go see Mom. Don’t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-02TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER TWELVE: Marked.
"Look what you've done now, sweetheart," he said, fake-pouting, flexing his wrist like it had hurt him. That annoying word again. He said it like Alex used to—condescending, mocking, like he owned the right to address her however he pleased. His eyes stayed on her too long, raking over every part of her like she was already bought.Niya tried to steady her hand, but failed. The man’s sleeve darkened where the whiskey spilled, and she knew she was screwed.The others chuckled low and lazy, like a pack of dogs watching their alpha corner a prey.There were only three of them. Three devils sent from hell. The blonde one she was pouring a drink for led, while the almost-bald one leaned in with a pervy grin, eyes twinkling like he enjoyed watching women squirm. And the third, darker-skinned and muscular, lounged back with a cigar between his teeth.“What do you think, boys? I like her,” he continued."Not sure she can handle it, Palix,” the almost bald one shook his head, pushing his glas
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-10TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Vantablack Temple.
Palix scoffed. “You her handler now?”“No,” Rina continued smiling as she started towards him. “I’m the woman who decides whether you walk out of here with your face intact. So if you’re smart, you’ll sit your entitled ass down and remember that you’re here to do business—not act like a frat boy on spring break.”“Fuck,” Baldy clapped under his breath. Rina’s gaze darted towards him, pausing for a beat longer than necessary. For a moment, she could feel the pull in his ocean blue eyes like tide crashing at shore, sending beads of moist air against her skin. Rina didn’t understand it, but the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She shrugged it off, turning to her side.“She’s not yours. That’s your problem. None of the girls here are. And if any of you think you can treat them like dirt, try another club next time. Or better yet, grow up. Now if you're all done playing Who Can Get Sued First, I’ll be taking her.”Rina didn’t even look at him again as she looped an arm around Niya.Niy
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-11TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Red marble hell.
A Few Hours Before.She was already late, and somehow, the fucking cab kept rocking like it was trying to sabotage her winged liner on purpose.Niya dragged the small pouch open with her teeth, compact mirror in one hand, trying not to stab herself in the eye with the brush. Pony’s highlighter sat on her lap - she swore by that thing like she wasn’t already ethereal with that porcelain doll complexion. But on Niya, it didn’t ‘glow.’ It shimmered, obnoxiously.She barely wore makeup, and when she did, Alex usually wouldn’t let her do it herself. This sloppy attempt was supposed to be a peace offering for Rina, for being late. She just hoped it said ‘I care’ and not ‘I cried and wiped my face on glitter.’Niya bit her lip as the cab swerved again, this time her brush slipped, dumping too much onto one cheek. “Holy mothe—”She heaved a deep sigh. Perfect. Now she looked like a disco ball.“You're late already, calm down,” the cab driver said without looking back.“I know I’m late,” Niya
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER FIFTEEN: HE is watching.
Up high was a huge stage bled red with metal bars and white ropes that looked like the type used to hold ships to anchors. They were moving glittering bodies with red under-toned makeup, dressed in nothing - except stars covering the nipples and W-area, chained in different cages. They were the most beautiful women Niya had ever seen in her life. They danced on poles, against the bars, unbothered by its heaviness, probably bruising on their wrists. Below them. Slam! Niya just noticed the golden masked people watching. Some leaned back lazily in the velvet seats, others relaxed forward, nestled in purposely severed glass compartments.They didn't speak but the continuous buzzing coming from their compartments and the occasional switch of glittering bodies proved to Niya that she wasn't dreaming but actually witnessing humans bidding on other humans.She stopped breathing or she couldn't, her heart still galloping when a woman in a black corset bumped into her. “Here, babe. Just take
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-24TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Golden cage.
PRESENT"Out," Daniel Lexi said without glancing up from the tablet he was scribbling on.Rina huffed, her nose scrunching. "The fuck, Dan—""As in, close the fucking door on your fucking way out," he cut her off. "I’m allergic to backup singers during serious talks."Niya stifled a cough, unsure if he was serious or just mean with flair."Daniel..." Rina warned."Rina," he exhaled loudly, visibly impatient, finally lifting his head, one brow arched high enough to throw off the symmetry of his tanned face. "If you breathe too close to the contract, it might revoke itself. Go bother the bartender or threaten a valet, something more in your damn department."She grinned. “You’re lucky I like you.” Then to Niya, “I’ll be right outside.”Daniel gestured to the chair in front of his desk without a word. Niya sat, quietly counting how many times he could fit the word ‘fuck’ into a conversation.“You’re fucking quieter than I expected,” he observed.“I figured it was safer to listen first.”
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-27TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Buying me?!
She cleared her throat, but before her knuckles grazed the door, a deep, unhurried, masculine voice spoke from the other side.“Come in.”Her hand hovered in the air for a second, her nerves clashing in her chest. Then she turned the knob.The room was dim, a low amber light pooled in the corners, barely enough to make sense of the space. Somewhere in the shadows, a screen’s pale blue glow flickered against a man’s profile. Caught in the ghost of a light, that was all she could see of him.He lowered the screen the second she entered, and just like that, he became a silhouette.She clasped her hands together, pressing her fingers so tightly the tips turned pale. “Hi,” she began, breathy. “Um. I’m Niya. Daniel sent me. I guess you already know that, though. Obviously.”She laughed just a little, but it died in the air, just like she had been thrown into this void of a room.“I mean… not that I assume anything. I just, well, I’m here for the evening. Or the night. I wasn’t sure if it w
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-05-02
Bab terbaru
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER 21: Get off me!
He’d had several women in the past, hell, and a goddamn threesome barely half an hour before she walked in, yet he couldn't control how his body jiggled at the sight of her clothed. For a man in his line of work, he’d mastered the art of restraint, kept his libido in check, but now it felt like every year of discipline just stopped working.He wondered how ripe her breasts would feel in his hands, how her lips would taste under his. His mind painted pictures of what she wore under the clinging crop top and leggings until she actually took them off, fuck! it took ever ounce of self control not to tear her apart.But that wasn’t him. Rapha didn’t take what wasn’t freely given even if her whole body screamed yes, still, he waited for the voice. Always the goddamn voice, and that is what made it worse. He hated that voice, hated that she hadn’t refused the offer, even though he would’ve taken it like a blade to the ribs if she had. Hated that she thought seduction was something she chose
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER 20: Idiocy.
Palix jumped mid-glance at his wristwatch, like a kid caught lying, his spine visibly stiffening. The others reacted like a ripple effect - Scott, the balding one, jerked upright, his collar already soaked through with nervous sweat, while Parker, the dark-skinned smooth-talker fumbled a step forward then back again, like his legs were trying to make up their mind. All three of them shook as if stillness might get them killed.“Uh, Rapha,” Palix stammered, his lips pulling up into a smile but failed woefully as his lips twitched around the edges. “It’s nothing. New watch. I keep looking at it.”Scott and Parker exchanged a glance, uncertain whether to play dumb or nod along like fools.From the far corner of the room, Kade peeled himself. In his hand was a tab identical to Rapha’s - same model, same custom specs, even the same faint smudge clinging to the lower corner. He let it drop onto the glass table behind Rapha with a soft clack that somehow echoed louder than it should have.Hi
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER 19: Take off my belt.
Niya couldn’t look at him but also couldn’t not look. He was watching her, and somehow that made her want him more. Her chest rose and fell unevenly, her heart thudding hot against her ribs. Her body traitorously trembling, wanted this, wanting him. Wanting a man so badly.What was wrong with her? But still, she kept undressing. She lost count of how long she’d been in there, but It felt like the clocks outside had stopped ticking the second she stepped into his orbit.“Take off my shirt,” he grinded his jaw as he adjusted to the edge of the chair.Her legs moved on autopilot before they stopped before him. She lowered down, hands, still hovering uselessly by her side, trembled as they moved up toward his buttons. The first button slid out of its hole, then the next.“Look at me, Niya,” he called out. Her fingers stilled and she angled her head before she could stop it. Her name in his mouth is like honey being licked off a steel spoon, God! it was the first time he’d said it.His ey
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER 18: What's next?
“You’re here to satisfy me tonight.”Her heart skipped a beat, then kept going like it didn’t matter, but it did. Still, was she expecting a casual drink and handshake?Rapha could smell how tightly she was wound, so his jaw flexed once before he spoke again.“But don’t worry,” his deep voice was as dry as gin, as his eyes swept down her body in one clean motion, almost like he was judging her. “You won’t need to sleep with me. You’re not my type.”It wasn’t that she wanted him to want her. No, that wasn’t the point. That’s exactly what men say right before they try to screw you anyway, she thought bitterly.Niya's tongue brushed her bottom lip before the words tumbled out too fast as if they’d been stacking up in her throat.“Maybe that’s just ’cause you haven’t given me the chance,” she took a step closer, ignoring the twisting in her belly. “Maybe I’m not your type yet. I mean -” she let out a breathless laugh, nerves bristling up her spine, “- you haven’t even looked at me properly
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Buying me?!
She cleared her throat, but before her knuckles grazed the door, a deep, unhurried, masculine voice spoke from the other side.“Come in.”Her hand hovered in the air for a second, her nerves clashing in her chest. Then she turned the knob.The room was dim, a low amber light pooled in the corners, barely enough to make sense of the space. Somewhere in the shadows, a screen’s pale blue glow flickered against a man’s profile. Caught in the ghost of a light, that was all she could see of him.He lowered the screen the second she entered, and just like that, he became a silhouette.She clasped her hands together, pressing her fingers so tightly the tips turned pale. “Hi,” she began, breathy. “Um. I’m Niya. Daniel sent me. I guess you already know that, though. Obviously.”She laughed just a little, but it died in the air, just like she had been thrown into this void of a room.“I mean… not that I assume anything. I just, well, I’m here for the evening. Or the night. I wasn’t sure if it w
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Golden cage.
PRESENT"Out," Daniel Lexi said without glancing up from the tablet he was scribbling on.Rina huffed, her nose scrunching. "The fuck, Dan—""As in, close the fucking door on your fucking way out," he cut her off. "I’m allergic to backup singers during serious talks."Niya stifled a cough, unsure if he was serious or just mean with flair."Daniel..." Rina warned."Rina," he exhaled loudly, visibly impatient, finally lifting his head, one brow arched high enough to throw off the symmetry of his tanned face. "If you breathe too close to the contract, it might revoke itself. Go bother the bartender or threaten a valet, something more in your damn department."She grinned. “You’re lucky I like you.” Then to Niya, “I’ll be right outside.”Daniel gestured to the chair in front of his desk without a word. Niya sat, quietly counting how many times he could fit the word ‘fuck’ into a conversation.“You’re fucking quieter than I expected,” he observed.“I figured it was safer to listen first.”
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER FIFTEEN: HE is watching.
Up high was a huge stage bled red with metal bars and white ropes that looked like the type used to hold ships to anchors. They were moving glittering bodies with red under-toned makeup, dressed in nothing - except stars covering the nipples and W-area, chained in different cages. They were the most beautiful women Niya had ever seen in her life. They danced on poles, against the bars, unbothered by its heaviness, probably bruising on their wrists. Below them. Slam! Niya just noticed the golden masked people watching. Some leaned back lazily in the velvet seats, others relaxed forward, nestled in purposely severed glass compartments.They didn't speak but the continuous buzzing coming from their compartments and the occasional switch of glittering bodies proved to Niya that she wasn't dreaming but actually witnessing humans bidding on other humans.She stopped breathing or she couldn't, her heart still galloping when a woman in a black corset bumped into her. “Here, babe. Just take
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Red marble hell.
A Few Hours Before.She was already late, and somehow, the fucking cab kept rocking like it was trying to sabotage her winged liner on purpose.Niya dragged the small pouch open with her teeth, compact mirror in one hand, trying not to stab herself in the eye with the brush. Pony’s highlighter sat on her lap - she swore by that thing like she wasn’t already ethereal with that porcelain doll complexion. But on Niya, it didn’t ‘glow.’ It shimmered, obnoxiously.She barely wore makeup, and when she did, Alex usually wouldn’t let her do it herself. This sloppy attempt was supposed to be a peace offering for Rina, for being late. She just hoped it said ‘I care’ and not ‘I cried and wiped my face on glitter.’Niya bit her lip as the cab swerved again, this time her brush slipped, dumping too much onto one cheek. “Holy mothe—”She heaved a deep sigh. Perfect. Now she looked like a disco ball.“You're late already, calm down,” the cab driver said without looking back.“I know I’m late,” Niya
TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Vantablack Temple.
Palix scoffed. “You her handler now?”“No,” Rina continued smiling as she started towards him. “I’m the woman who decides whether you walk out of here with your face intact. So if you’re smart, you’ll sit your entitled ass down and remember that you’re here to do business—not act like a frat boy on spring break.”“Fuck,” Baldy clapped under his breath. Rina’s gaze darted towards him, pausing for a beat longer than necessary. For a moment, she could feel the pull in his ocean blue eyes like tide crashing at shore, sending beads of moist air against her skin. Rina didn’t understand it, but the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She shrugged it off, turning to her side.“She’s not yours. That’s your problem. None of the girls here are. And if any of you think you can treat them like dirt, try another club next time. Or better yet, grow up. Now if you're all done playing Who Can Get Sued First, I’ll be taking her.”Rina didn’t even look at him again as she looped an arm around Niya.Niy
