Mag-log inRHEAI drum my fingers against my cheek as I stare at Marek through the rear-view mirror.Liz had texted me five minutes ago about some last-minute emergency and said she wouldn’t be coming in today, which meant I’d made Marek turn the car around so I could stop at my favourite café near mine and Damien’s house and grab a bottle of caffeinated water before heading to work.It still doesn’t make sense.I frown.Then look up.“Marek.”“Boss.”“Has your boss been in a good mood lately?”“Boss is always in a good mood.” He glances at me through the mirror. “A fantastic mood, actually. Just look at you. You somehow get prettier every day.”I roll my eyes so hard it almost hurts.“You can stop now.”“What?”“The ass-kissing.”Marek looks genuinely offended. “I was being sincere.”“Of course you were.”Just to be safe, I glance at my reflection on my phone screen.Nothing appears out of place.Not that Damien would’ve let me leave the house looking ridiculous.Probably.“And I meant your oth
DAMIEN“Not particularly.” Iris frowns into her mug. “You have terrible etiquette and nobody cares. Why do I have to learn all that nonsense?”I ignore the very obvious jab at my character and raise an eyebrow.“Nonsense?”“Yes. Nonsense. They teach the boys diplomacy, negotiation, self-defence and all the other interesting things while I’m stuck learning which fork to use at dinner.”The irritation in her voice makes me frown. “Is that so?” Iris nods vigorously, her eyes downcast and my jaw tightens. “I’ll speak to your headmaster.”Her eyes widen. “Wait, seriously? You will?”“Of course I will. I don’t pay that school an absurd amount of money every year for them to teach my little sister table manners.”“Thanks, Dame!” Iris practically lights up, her lips pull into her usual happy smile. Much better. She immediately drops her hot chocolate onto the counter and gets up.I narrow my eyes at her practically full cup. “Sit down. Finish your drink, there’s breakfast. I’ll make you a pl
RHEA“This is…”I can’t hide the confusion in my voice as Damien turns on the morning news.Victor and Elara’s faces fill the screen beneath a headline so absurd that for a second I wonder if I’ve read it wrong.Slowly, I turn to look at Damien.He’s standing behind me, completely unconcerned, brushing my hair over one shoulder before pressing a kiss against my neck.“Tea?” he asks, holding out my usual mug.I blink.I hadn’t even noticed he’d made it.“Thank you.”I take the cup from him, still staring at the television.The reporter keeps talking, but my attention drifts back to Damien.“Damien, did you…”One eyebrow arches.I sigh immediately.Right.Never mind.If he had something to do with this, I have a feeling I don’t actually want to know the details.I take a sip of my tea instead.“It’s just strange. Why would Victor admit to any of this? It doesn’t make sense. Elara must be losing her mind right now.”Damien lets out a quiet snort.His arm slips around my waist while his m
ELARA“AH!”The scream tears out of my throat before I can stop it.My phone flies across the room and slams into the wall.For a second I can only stand there, chest heaving as I struggle to breathe around the rage choking me.That bitch.That fucking bitch.Who does Aurora think she is?Threatening me?After everything she’s already taken from me?I pace the room, trying and failing to calm myself.In.Out.In—Shit.My hands won’t stop shaking.The front door suddenly slams open.I freeze.My gaze darts to the files scattered across Victor’s desk.Shit.I rush forward, stuffing documents into drawers and folders, trying to make everything look untouched before the office door bursts open.I whirl around.And gasp.“Victor!”He looks terrible.His face is pale, his clothes are dishevelled, and he’s putting almost no weight on one leg as he limps into the room.“Darling, what happened to you?”I hurry to his side.The second I touch him, he sucks in a sharp breath.“My ankle is broke
Content Warning: Mentions of graphic sexual assault. Please proceed with care.DAMIENShe swallows.“They said Papa must have disappeared. But I know they just never found his body. Or hid away the remnants, Papa would never, he... he wasn’t that kind of man. When I got older, I went looking for answers because I couldn’t accept it. I kept thinking somebody had to care. Somebody had to investigate. Somebody had to do something.”A bitter laugh escapes her.“The case was ruled a suicide twelve hours after the police found her body.”Twelve hours.Jesus Christ.“Twelve hours,” she repeats quietly. “That’s how long it took for everybody to decide my parents weren’t worth saving.”I close my eyes.Just for a second.When I open them, she’s still staring straight ahead.“I spent so long being angry.”Her voice is softer now.“At the system. At my parents. At myself. At everyone.”She laughs weakly.“I was convinced my life was over before it had even started.”The laugh fades.“And then I
Content Warning: Mentions of graphic sexual assault. Please proceed with care.DAMIEN“I want to kill him, Dame. Can I?”Rhea’s eyes are clear when she says it.Calm.Matter-of-fact.As though she’s asking whether we should stop for coffee on the way home.I can’t help smiling.I lace our fingers together and bring her hand to my lips.God, I adore this woman.“Is that all?”She blinks. “What?”“Is that all you want?”Confusion flickers across her face. “I… think so?”I frown. “Well, that’s hardly ambitious.”“Damien.”“You could ask for more.”Her expression somehow grows even more bewildered. “What more?”“Yes, more.” I squeeze her hand. “You’re limiting yourself, Dot. If we’re discussing murder, we should discuss it properly.”The corners of her mouth twitch.I continue anyway.“Dismemberment is always an option. Poison is terribly boring, though. Guns are uninspired. Anyone can pull a trigger.”“Anyone?”I nod solemnly. “Anyone. For your first murder, I’d expect something with a l







