ACELooking back at the chaos I’ve stirred over the past few days, I’ve come to a stark realization: my strategy was flawed. Utterly flawed. And as much as I hated the idea, I aimed at the wrong target. I was too obsessed with my little game to forget my main objective.And I had to reconsider my strategy. Not out of guilt—regret isn’t something I romanticize—but because the outcome was far from what I'd hoped for. Maybe Beck’s idea of “making peace” with Damon was a move I need to consider. Not because I actually wanted to make peace—God, no—but because Reggie was watching. And if playing nice got me the “maturity” points Reggie was so desperate to see, then so be it.Still, I didn’t anticipate tonight’s surprise.Sera. She showed up at my door, knocking like some uninvited but very welcome guest. Wearing one of those button-up sweaters she seems to favor. Simple enough, but the way it fits her? Yeah, that threw me off for a second—a very brief second.“Sera? Can I help you?” I asked
SERAIt all felt like a carefully laid trap. His stare, his smile, even the way he said my name in that low, almost teasing tone. Ace always knew how to create tension in a room, and me… yeah, I was way too aware of it.I took a slow breath, trying to calm my heartbeat—which, for some reason, was racing faster than it should’ve been. My steps down the hallway felt heavier than usual, even though I knew there was no reason for Ace to follow me.Once I was done with Ace, I had to do the same with Damon—give him his gift. It was ridiculous, really. I felt more like a mom with four teenage sons than anything else.I knocked on Damon’s door a few times, but there was no answer. He was probably in the garage. But tonight was way too cold for me to bother looking for him there, so I decided to push it to tomorrow. Besides, I had other things to prep for—like the important presentation Reggie and I had been talking about earlier.Opening my bedroom door that night felt like walking into a tra
DAMONI was in Sera’s bedroom, sprawled across her bed, my eyes locked on her figure at the desk. She sat there with her laptop open, fingers dancing over the keyboard, her brows furrowing every now and then like the fate of the world depended on every word she typed.I’d promised her I wouldn’t bother her, and for once, I was keeping my word. I stayed quiet, just watching her. Time felt like it stopped in this room. Maybe only minutes had passed. Or maybe hours. I didn’t know, and I didn’t care. All I knew was the way her brows creased, the way she sighed every so often, the way her sharp glances shot in my direction like daggers. Thirteen frowns. Six deep breaths. Ten glares. I counted every single one because when I was with her, I couldn’t help but notice every detail.I knew from the moment I first saw her, she was special. There was just something about her, something I couldn’t put into words. It was not just about her beauty—though that alone could undo a man like me. But more
SERA I was buried in financial reports when my office door swung open without a knock. Gia stepped in, her expression something I rarely saw—a mix of tension and caution, like she’d just discovered a ticking time bomb in the middle of the office. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking. “We have a problem,” she said, urgency lacing her voice. I gestured for her to sit, but she remained standing in front of my desk. “How bad?” I leaned back in my chair. Gia exhaled before handing me a tablet. “Dominic Marsh. He made a deal with Parkinson & Co. without full approval from Mr. Blackwood.” My pulse picked up. I took the tablet and scanned the document on the screen. Clause after clause unfolded before me, and the more I read, the tighter my jaw clenched. Dominic Marsh, Blackwood Group’s in-house attorney—the one handling the company’s legal affairs—had brokered a deal with a major investment firm to fast-track the acquisition of a struggling tech company. “This is basically a gamble. If
SERA“I'm going to rip Dominic apart.”With an expression as calm as a storm before it hits, Reggie leaned back in his chair and looked at me with enough intensity to burn anyone unprepared.I remained sitting upright in my spot, not flinching in the slightest. I was used to Reggie's outbursts. He could be a threat to anyone—except me.“Ace is handling it,” I said, deliberately prodding.I saw it—the slightest shift in his expression, something no one else would notice, but I knew him better than anyone. “Ace?”I nodded. “He's combing through the contracts, looking for loopholes to either void or modify the deal. If there's a way out of this mess, he'll find it.”“So you're leaving this to Ace?” he asked, his voice still tense, but lighter now.I shrugged, feigning indifference, though a part of me was really hoping Ace would find a way to kick Dominic’s ass. "You said he’s a genius in his field. Why not?”Reggie watched me for a few seconds before finally sighing. “Fine. I want a ful
SERAI blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness of the room that was only lit by the desk lamp. My gaze immediately fell on Ace at the desk, still struggling with the documents scattered before him. The clock on the nightstand read three in the morning.An old habit of mine that I couldn't quite shake—waking up at this hour.I moved, pushing my body to sit up straight, and that was apparently enough to get her attention.“Sera? Why are you awake?” His voice was deep, a little rough from exhaustion.I leaned back against the headboard, watching him, still so straight-backed despite how clearly drained he was. “Why aren't you asleep, Ace?”“Almost done,” he replied casually, without looking at me.I sighed, my gaze fixed on him, the silent words probably speaking louder than anything I could say. He was still in the same clothes he’d worn earlier today. “Ace…”He closed the file in his hands and leaned back in his chair. His eyes looked even darker under the dim light, a si
SERAI held my breath as he stood in front of me, so close I could feel the heat of his body. His fingers rose, touching my chin, tilting my face toward him.“Don’t test me,” he said quietly, but with a warning in his voice. “You will what?”And before I could think twice, I grabbed his neck and kissed him—hard.I felt his body tense, like he was fighting something inside himself. But it took just a second for his restraint to snap, and then he was kissing me back with a force that was almost terrifying.His lips were rough, nearly brutal, like his anger had shifted into something raw and consuming. His fingers dug into my waist too tightly, his breath hot, ragged, dripping with frustration.When he pulled away, his eyes burned with a mess of emotions—the anger he was hiding and the desire he was trying to fight. “God damn it, Sera,” he rasped, his voice almost shaking. “What the hell have you done to me?”His jaw clenched so tight I could see the muscles flexing, like he was holding
DAMON“I told you I was never afraid of you, Wolfe.” Her voice dripped with that sweet poison she always fed me.Fuck. I wanted to tear apart every last shred of confidence she had, make her see that she couldn’t win.My hand gripped her chin, holding her in place. Her lips were wet and swollen, her chest rising and falling, her pupils blown wide. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her.I smirked. "That’s because you haven’t really seen me lose control yet."And tonight, I was going to give her that.One hard pull, and she was trapped beneath me. I pinned both her wrists to the mattress, my body caging her in like a beast finally capturing its prey. I could feel her heartbeat hammering beneath my chest, her warmth seeping into my skin, sending my blood boiling.I dragged my lips along her throat, biting down hard until I heard a sharp gasp mixed with a moan. "Tell me, Sera," I murmured, my breath hot against her skin. "Did he ever touch you like this?"She writhed, trying to catc
DAMONShe really went full bad girl when she barged into my room wearing nothing but a black T-shirt—my T-shirt. Somehow, that was even hotter than if she’d walked in naked.“Is this how you study? Half-naked and dangerously hot?” she asked, arm crossed.I was actually trying to be a better man for once, doing some homework on the Blackwood Group. But the second I saw her standing there—bare legs, messy hair, those big challenging eyes like a sin straight out of hell—I lost it.My body moved before my brain caught up. One breath and I already had her in my arms, kissing her hard, hungry, with an urge I couldn’t fake if I tried.“You really want me to lose my mind tonight, huh, princess?” I murmured against her mouth.She just let out this low, dirty laugh—one that made me instantly harder—and ran her fingers down my bare chest, like she knew exactly how easy it was to make me fall apart.“You’re not scared of me at all, are you?” I whispered, my hand wrapped around her neck.She looke
SERAAfter Grant left, taking his ambitious ideas with him, I was about to refill my tea when I noticed something out the front window. Something mildly alarming. Or mildly hilarious. Or both.Ace was standing in the driveway—sleeves rolled up, jaw clenched, looking like a man on the brink of a very controlled meltdown. Beside him, Beck sat behind the wheel of a car that I’d known, since their arrival, would end up being Beck’s. And from the way Beck gripped the steering wheel like it was a giant paintbrush, I knew this was going to be entertaining.I stepped outside, leaning against the doorframe, secretly wondering how long Ace could last before losing it.“Brake’s on the left, Beckett,” Ace said flatly, the use of Beckett and that tone suggesting his patience was hanging by 12%.Beck nodded, fully committed—and promptly stomped on the pedal, launching the car forward like a wild horse out of its stable. Ace jumped to the side with a sharp curse. “That’s the gas, you idiot!”Beck p
SERAI was on my third email, fourth sip of cold coffee, and possibly my hundredth sigh when a knock landed on my door—soft, polite, but too familiar to ignore.Before I could say anything, the door creaked open just enough to let Cal’s head peek through.“Hey,” he said, a little grin on his face. I automatically stood up. "Cal? What are you—"“Tell me you haven’t eaten.”I blinked. “Is that a trick question?”He opened the door wider, revealing a brown paper bag in one hand. “Didn’t think so.”“You’re ridiculous.”“And you’re predictable.”He walked in, and the smell hit me before he even sat down: grilled chicken, something spicy. My stomach betrayed me with a growl.“God, that smells unfairly good,” kataku, menyusulnya duduk di sofa.He set the bag on the table, pulled out a container, then handed me a fork like this was some scheduled meeting on my calendar. “Eat first. You can hate me later.”I gave him a look. “I don’t hate you.”“Not even a little?”I tried not to smile. Faile
ACEI didn’t know who started it. But the second our lips met again, I stopped thinking.This kiss was deeper—bolder. Her breath hitched, and her body shifted a little in my lap, like she was trying to find a more comfortable position … or maybe something closer. Something more.I let out a quiet sigh as my fingers slipped under the collar of her pajama shirt, brushing against her warm skin. She tensed for a second, but didn’t pull away. Instead, she reached up, grabbed the back of my neck, and kissed me harder. Her lips demanding, her tongue tracing mine in a rhythm that made my thoughts go static.My sanity was almost gone.She moved again—arched her hips, sliding in closer. Her knees were braced beside my waist now, bodies aligned. Her chest pressed to mine, her stomach against me. I could feel her heartbeat, wild and uneven.My hand slipped under her shirt, finding the smooth line of her back. I traced her spine slowly, deliberately.And yeah—I’d been hard for a while now.She kne
ACEI set my alarm for 2:40. Three nights in a row. Not because I had insomnia. I just … needed to make sure of something.The first night, I just sat here. Nothing happened.The second night, I made chamomile tea. Still nothing.The third night—tonight—I sat on the old leather couch facing the door, turned on the dim reading lamp, and opened a book I wasn’t really reading. The tea I made was still steaming on the little side table next to me. Two cups. I didn’t even drink tea, but I kept putting it there. Some kind of ritual I made up for myself. The reading lamp cast a soft glow, lighting up a random stack of books I picked just to make it look like I was reading. And the door … I left it open. Just a crack. Just enough for someone walking by to see the light inside. Just enough to be a quiet invitation.Until I finally heard it—the bedroom door creaking open, then light footsteps in the hallway at 3 a.m.And there she was.Sera stood in the library doorway. Her hair was messily ti
SERA“For you, I would.”I froze. Breath catching. Before I could say anything, he turned back to the screen—as if nothing had happened. As if he hadn’t just dropped a line that made my heart skip a whole damn beat.A few minutes passed in a comfortable silence, until suddenly, I heard him speak softly. “Thank you.”I frowned and turned a little. “For what?”He didn’t look at me right away. His eyes were still on the screen, like he was trying to find the right words. “For not asking.”And just like that, the mood shifted. I knew what he meant. That scar I saw at the gym. But it wasn’t just that. It was the way he said it. The way his shoulders tensed, the way his breathing slowed—controlled. Cal, who was usually so gentle and relaxed, now felt … intense.“Because I know what that feels like,” I said softly.He finally looked at me. Our eyes met, and this time, neither of us looked away. His eyes were darker than usual, like they were holding in way more than he’d ever say out loud.I
SERAThe moment Beck disappeared past the door, I knew Ace would go right after him. His shoulders were stiff, his jaw clenched like someone holding back a whole ocean of rage.Before he could leave, I grabbed his hand. “Come here,” I said softly, pulling him closer and giving him a quick kiss on the lips—gentle, light, just enough to cut through the tension between us.“I know you can handle this,” I whispered, still close enough to feel his breath. “I trust you, Ace.”For a second, something in his eyes softened. Just for a second. His gaze stayed sharp, still like Ace's—never fully readable. “I’ll be good. Because you
BECKToday, the first class after the announcement felt heavier than usual. Not because of the material, but because my chest felt … tight. Like Reggie didn’t just leave behind a legacy, but also left a weight way too big for me to carry.Legacy. It sounds like a gift, right? But it feels more like a curse. Like a crown of thorns handed to us not out of hope, but as a reminder that we’re never really free. That now we all have something we’re supposed to protect.And the truth was … I still didn’t know what it means to be a Blackwood. Even I was not sure I deserved to carry that name.My steps were heavy as I crossed to the pavilion to grab my favorite leather jacket. The plan was to grab my stuff and leave with Ace. We were supposed to go driving.Yeah, Ace insisted on teaching me how to drive. He said, “A grown man who can’t drive is embarrassing. What, you think you’ll survive an emergency driving with crayons?”Which was dumb. I didn’t even use crayons. (Anymore.)Then I heard so
SERAI never questioned Reggie's decisions.He must had his reasons.That was the line I kept replaying in my head, like some mantra, every time that stubborn old man made a decision I couldn’t fully accept. But today—tonight—that line felt like poison slowly tightening around my chest.I sat at the edge of his bed, right where I always sat whenever we talked. My spot. From there, I could look at him across the room, lounging on that worn-out leather sofa, complaining about corporate politics. I could still feel him there somehow. Like a ghost that refused to leave.My hand clutched a letter. Edward had given each of us—me and the Blackwood brothers—a personal letter from Reggie.The edges were already crumpling under my shaking fingers, but I couldn’t let go. This wasn’t a contract, or some company memo, or a blood-chilling will. It was just a letter. In Reggie’s handwriting, I knew those strokes by heart.I had read it twice. Maybe three times? I wasn’t sure anymore.***Dearest Ser