GENESIS“Wake up, you little freak.” That was my morning greeting before a bucket of freezing water drenched me, soaking my thin bedding and making me shiver uncontrollably.“What do you think you’re doing, sleeping this late? Do you think you’re royalty while we serve you?” Mark, my stepbrother, sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. Before I could fully wipe the water off my face, he kicked my bed, sending me tumbling to the floor with a painful thud. My jaw slammed against the wooden boards, sending a jolt of pain through my skull.But I knew better than to stay down. If I valued my life, I had to get up, quickly. Without a second thought, I pushed myself off the ground, ignoring the ache in my jaw as I stood upright.My shoulders instinctively hunched as I faced them, bracing myself for whatever came next. Mark was bad enough, but Jimmy, the older of my stepbrothers, was far worse. His cruelty wasn’t just physical, it was insidious, calculated.Jimmy stepped forward, and I stif
KIER“Welcome back, fam! You know what it is, live and loud from my favorite spot in the city,” I tilted my phone, the live stream capturing the pulsing lights and packed dance floor of the club. The chat exploded with messages, half drooling over me, half trying to get noticed.I leaned back against the VIP booth. My tailored black shirt clung perfectly to my chest, the top few buttons undone to show just enough skin for effect. I raked a hand through my tousled hair, pretending not to notice the camera lingering on my face.“In case you forgot, you’re tuned into the Kier Blackwood channel, where you watch me live a life you’ll never afford. But hey, at least you can pretend.”I scanned the chat, smirking at the flood of comments. ‘Kier, you’re a god!’ ‘Notice me, please!’ ‘What’s tonight’s drink of choice?’I swirled the champagne in my glass, holding it up to the camera. “Champagne, because why settle for anything less? And before you ask, no, it’s not the cheap stuff. But you prob
GENESISI stood in the court, in disbelief. I was marrying someone I didn’t know, a man who clearly didn’t want to marry me. I knew it for sure. First, he was late to the court wedding. Second, his eyes never looked at me with warmth. His gaze wasn’t full of hate, but it wasn’t tender either. It was more like he was inspecting me, sizing me up, with no real interest. There was no hunger in his eyes like there was with Jimmy. Instead, when he looked at me, it felt like disappointment, as if I wasn’t what he had expected.Well, we were both in the same boat. This wasn’t what I had expected either. When Monica had called me downstairs last night, I thought I was in trouble. I thought I had done something horribly wrong. But no, instead, she told me I was getting married. Then came the yelling, the slaps, and the broken objects flying through the air.“How dare he? How dare he think he can just waltz back into your life?” Monica screamed at me, throwing things as she went on. Who was this
KIERThree days laterFamily Estate mansion"Y... young master," Richard, the butler, called out just as I was about to leave for the company.I froze, my hand on the door handle of my car. I had bigger things to worry about than whatever insignificant problem he was about to bring up.Not only had I been forced into a marriage with some random woman, but now I had to step into my father's company and learn how to "take charge" of a business I was already well-versed in. I went to business school for this, for God’s sake. I didn’t need to be babysat.I turned and gave him a sharp look. "What is it?"Richard fidgeted, rubbing a hand over his forehead, looking like he'd just run a marathon. "It's about your wife," he stammered.My jaw tightened. My wife? The woman I was married to for a few days now, and still didn’t even know? Why would Richard come to me with this?I exhaled sharply. "What about her?"He hesitated, then spoke in a near whisper. "She hasn't... she hasn't left her room
GenesisThree days.Three long, suffocating days since I was brought to this cold, lifeless mansion. It felt like I’d been dropped into another world, a world too quiet, too clean, too alien. No Monica. No Mark. No Jimmy. No yelling, no beatings, no… anything.I should have felt relief, but the silence only kept me on edge.When I first arrived, I thought it would be like my old home. Rules to follow. Voices barking orders. But this house was nothing like that. The people here, like the butler, Richard, brought me food every day. I barely touched it. The plates were piled high with things I didn’t recognize. Meat glistening with strange sauces. Bread that smells sweet. It was too much. Too strange.I wasn’t allowed to eat like this before, so how could I now?My stomach twisted in hunger, but I couldn’t bring myself to take more than a few bites. What if they were testing me? What if eating too much would bring punishment?The bathroom was another thing. It was bigger than my old room
KIER I gently led her trembling body toward the stall, concern etched on my face. "What’s the matter?" I inquired, noticing the thick steam billowing from the shower head. It was clear she had cranked the water up to an intense heat.I quickly adjusted the temperature, setting the water to a more comfortable level. The steam began to fade a bit, and I turned my gaze to her fragile, exposed form pressed against the wall, hunched and shivering, my jaw clenched tight.How could someone be so terrified of a simple shower?Her front was still to me, the scars on her skin stark against her pale complexion. Just seeing them made my chest constrict. I forced myself to take slow, deep breaths. Losing my cool wouldn’t do her any good.“Genesis,” I said gently, stepping a little closer. She flinched but didn’t retreat this time. I took that as a sign of progress.“You’re okay, it’s just water,” I reassured her, keeping my voice steady. My hand hovered near her shoulder, but I refrained from tou
GENESIS“Stop fiddling with your food and eat,” he commanded, his voice echoing with a deep authority that made me catch my breath. He was sitting uncomfortably close to me on the adjacent stool, right by the counter.It wasn’t that I didn’t want to eat; the meal looked absolutely delectable, and my stomach rumbled like a beast at the mere sight of it. The real issue was that if I consumed more than my allotted share, I would face punishment, and that was something I desperately wanted to avoid.“Go ahead, take more,” he urged as I twirled the spaghetti around my fork. I hesitated but eventually took a bit more, quickly bringing it to my lips before he could demand that I stuff my mouth even fuller. Despite the bath he had given me and the moments of apparent kindness, I knew better. People like him were the worst, pretending to care while hiding a monstrous side, unpredictable and dangerous, much like Jimmy.I understood that I had to stay alert, to keep that lurking monster within h
Kier's POVI couldn't believe what I was seeing. This girl had to be joking. What on earth did she think she was doing? “What are you doing?” I asked, and once again, she flinched. Honestly, the number of times she had reacted like that whenever I spoke or got too close was beyond counting.She turned to face me from her spot on the floor. After tending to her injury and putting a band-aid on it, I carried her to my room, determined to avoid a repeat of the chaos that had previously happened in her room.That meant saying goodbye to Sofia, the sweet brunette I had wanted to bang today. As soon as I set her down, she jumped onto the cold, hard floor beside the bed. Who does that? Apparently, she does.“What are you doing on the floor? Get on the bed,” I instructed, and she stared at me with wide eyes, as if I had just suggested the most absurd thing imaginable. I couldn’t blame her; it was a ridiculous request, even to my own ears. I wasn’t one to share a bed unless I had just fucked
GENESIS"How much for a smile?"Huh?My head tilted before I could stop it. I blinked up at him, confused.I scrunch my nose slightly. Was this... a game? Was I supposed to smile now? But why would he pay for that?He pushed me gently against the wet, smooth stone wall. The coldness against my back contrasted sharply with the heat of his bare body pressing into mine. I could feel something else, too—hard, stiff—pressing against me.Heat rushed up my neck, blooming across my face.He lifted one hand from my waist to wipe the water from his face. The shower kept pouring over us, but since I was backed against the wall, my view wasn’t blocked. I saw everything.Then he cupped my cheek with a rough, warm palm.“Did I upset you, kitten? Since I came home, you haven’t smiled at me. You haven’t even looked at me.”Oh.Guilt slammed into my chest, hard. That’s what had been clawing at me since the moment he walked through the door. Every time my mind drifted to that tiny bottle filled with po
Kier"You're late," my dad said the moment I stepped into the dining room, barely a second after spotting me.I rolled my eyes and glanced at Genesis, who sat in the chair closest to him. She looked at me, then quickly looked away, her eyes dropping to her plate.I tore my gaze from her and looked toward Donald at the head of the table. Without a word, I moved to the seat opposite her and sat down."And you're still here, Father? I thought you'd have left by now."I smiled at him, but it didn’t reach my eyes. I snuck another glance at my wife, who still refused to look at me. She stared at her food like it was more worthy of her attention than I was. My hand clenched into a fist. It was ridiculous to feel jealous of a plate of food—but I was. I wanted to toss it across the room just to force her to look at me."So that was your plan all along?" he said, voice laced with something darker. "Stay behind and wait for your old man to finish eating and leave? Or were you up to something els
Knight Blood, known in the underground as the Black Knight, stood calmly behind the Royal Mirage Casino & Resort, his sleek black car parked just a few feet away. Flames licked the night sky, the building groaning under the weight of its destruction. Wood cracked. Cement blocks fell like thunder. Screams and shouts pierced the smoky air.Knight smiled.His eyes glowed with the fire’s reflection as he watched the chaos he’d created unfold. There was no joy in his grin. No sense of relief.Just a sliver of satisfaction.A tiny flicker of calm buried beneath the inferno of rage boiling in his chest.Because this wasn’t over.Not yet.One of his men stepped forward, voice tight with urgency. “Boss, we have to leave now. The police are…..”“Tell me that’s not the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen.” Knight interrupted, catching the man off guard.The guy hesitated, unsure how to respond. His eyes darted to the fire, then back to Knight, searching for the right words. He glanced around, but n
Genesis’s eyes blinked open, greeted by darkness. The room was shrouded in shadows, the windows completely covered by thick curtains. She looked around, but the blackness made it impossible to see anything—or anyone.Panic stirred in her chest. She immediately climbed out of bed, but the speed at which she moved made her stagger. Her heart began to race.She hated the dark. It reminded her of that place.With trembling hands, she bent down and fumbled for the bedside lamp. Her fingers found the thin rope, and she gave it a sharp tug. Warm light flooded the room, pushing the shadows away. She exhaled, shakily, her breath catching on relief.She was in their bedroom.But Kier was nowhere in sight.As she stepped forward, something small slipped from beneath her dress and hit the floor with a soft clink. Genesis looked down and saw the vial. She immediately bent and snatched it up, holding it tightly in her hand.Monica had given it to her. A bitter little secret in a glass bottle.“Take
KIERShe mustn’t know what happened last night.She stared at the smudge like she was trying to understand it—like her mind was racing to place it somewhere safe and failing.I shouldn’t have come back like this. I should’ve cleaned up. Taken a second to think, to breathe. To be better.But I wasn’t.And now, she was staring at me like she didn’t recognize me. Like I was someone else entirely.She looked like she was breaking.I reached out to her again. “Genesis…”Her breath hitched the moment my hand touched her shoulder—and something in me shattered. Not just because she flinched—God, she flinched—but because I saw it in her eyes.She wasn’t here. Not really.So I stood. Her eyes followed me, wide and wary, like she was bracing for something. Preparing for impact.I dragged a hand through my hair, staring down at her. She looked scared… so damn small. I wanted to wrap her in my arms, protect every inch of her.But first, I needed to take care of this mess.I made my way to the rest
GENESIS"Genesis," he called.I turned toward the door and saw him standing there—shirtless. My breath hitched. He’d notice. Quickly, I looked away and pressed my face into the pillow, wiping my eyes. He mustn’t find out. He mustn’t.When I was sure the tears were gone, I stood up from the bed. But as I turned around, he was already in front of me. His hands gripped my shoulders, his face carved in fury.What had I done?Did he find out?Or… was it something else?Was he going to hit me?"Who did that to your face?" he growled, each word gritted between his teeth. One hand brushed over my cheek. I opened my eyes and met his gaze.My face?“Who the fuck hit you?”Oh. That.Monica had slapped me. It was normal. I’d stepped out of line by telling her no.But why… why was he acting like this?Without another word, he turned away, striding to the nightstand. He grabbed my book and pencil, then came back and placed them gently into my hands."Write it down," he said, nodding toward the page
KIERMy eyes blinked open, and I looked up to see a strange ceiling.“Fuck, where am I?” I croaked, grimacing. Why did my mouth taste like I ate something sour mixed with liquor?As I tried to stand, a flash of images and loud words exploded behind my eyes.“The king is back. Give him more,” someone shouted. Then, I opened my mouth, and a woman—her face fuzzy—poured a drink into her own mouth and then into mine.That wasn’t all. Hands were roaming around my body, lips on places like my neck, my mouth.Flashing lights. Bodies grinding together.Then it all vanished as quickly as it had come. I pressed my hand to my forehead. Definitely a hangover. I leaned against the headboard, blinking, trying to clear my mind. After a moment, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings—and groaned.Three naked women were sleeping on the bed.“Damn… what happened last night?” I muttered.I vaguely remembered going to the Opal Noir club, but the rest was a blur. How had I ended up like this? Sleeping
KIERThe office was empty, everyone else had left for the night. My PA had gone home hours ago, and I was still working. I glanced over the Norwood files and made a note for tomorrow. I sent a message, brief and to the point: 'Have the Norwood files finalized and on my desk first thing tomorrow. No mistakes. I’m not dealing with this again.’Immediately that was done, I looked over the other files I had been sent. Tomorrow, I had a meeting with a small startup company—bright-eyed, underprepared, and probably hoping for a miracle. They wouldn’t get one. If their pitch wasn’t solid, I’d shut it down before the coffee cooled. I didn’t entertain weak ideas or wasted time.I skimmed their proposal, red-lining the fluff and circling the numbers that didn’t add up. They were trying too hard to impress, which usually meant they had something to hide—or nothing at all. Either way, I’d find out by morning.The clock on the wall blinked past ten, and I sighed. I wrapped everything up, shut down
Monica Candell stepped into the house and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she was out of the scorching heat. She hadn’t been able to take her car, since she could no longer afford the expenses it required.Taking a deep breath, she glanced around the large living space. Her stomach churned at the thought that her stepdaughter was now living in such a luxurious environment, while she and her children were stuck in a house they could no longer afford to even keep the AC running.She looked around again, but the large living room was empty. Then she heard voices followed by a loud clang. A twisted smile crept across her face. In her mind, she hoped Genesis wasn’t enjoying herself here either. That alone would make her day. And even though she didn’t hear any crying, she didn’t mind—her stepdaughter couldn’t make any sound anyway, so wouldn't be able to hear it, she thought with glee.Clearing her throat, she turned the corner and spoke just as she rounded it. “Genesis, mother’s home.