FreyaI woke up to the softest brush of lips against my forehead, a tender, lingering kiss that stirred me from sleep far more gently than any alarm ever could. My lashes fluttered open, and for a second, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming. But then I saw him. Victor, sitting at the edge of the bed, fully dressed in a sleek dark suit, his tie perfectly knotted, and that boyish, heart-melting smile on his face.“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered, his hand lightly caressing my cheek.I smiled back at him, still feeling a little dazed from sleep, from everything that had happened the past few days. “You’re all dressed up,” I mumbled, stretching lazily beneath the covers. “What time is it?”“Almost eight,” he said, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “I didn’t want to leave without seeing you awake first.”My heart squeezed at that. God, how did I ever get this lucky?I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and propped myself up slightly. “The court hearing...?” I asked, my voice stil
VictorStacey and I got into the car and I drove off. Having her with me changed my routine a bit, usually while driving to work in the morning, it’s always silent, so I use the time to reflect on my thoughts and day ahead. With Stacey, it’s totally different. She was seated beside me, quiet at first, just scrolling through her phone and occasionally replying to emails or whatever it was doctors did before a long shift. I didn’t think much of it until I caught her stealing glances at me. Once. Twice. Then again. And again.At first, I chalked it up to coincidence. Maybe something was on my face. I rubbed my jaw subtly, checked the mirror, and even adjusted the rearview to make sure nothing weird was going on with my hair. Nothing.But then she did it again, this time, a full glance paired with this shy little smile before looking out the window like I hadn’t seen her. And to top it off? She blushed. I mean actually blushed.That was when I knew something was up.I kept my eyes on the
Victor The moment I parked the car, I didn’t even wait for the engine to go off completely before I flung the door open and rushed out. My pulse was thudding like a war drum in my ears, my heart hammering harder than it should for someone who had been reassured over the phone that everything was fine. But how could I trust that? How could I trust that when my woman was just confronted in our home by a stranger with a veiled threat? And I wasn’t there.How the heck did they even know she’d be there? It’s not as if we live together, and we stay at her place more than we come to mine! I should have been more careful. I should have stayed at home today to look after her!The guilt chewed at my insides like acid as I unlocked the front door and stepped in. My ears were tuned for any strange sound, my eyes scanning everything. The house looked calm, too calm for the kind of emotional earthquake I was sure she must’ve endured.Then I caught a whiff of vanilla and chocolate and followed it t
Victor The moment I stepped through the door and saw Freya rushing over to greet me, something inside me softened. No matter how long the day was or how much weight I carried on my shoulders, seeing her smile made it all worth it. I held out the flowers I picked up on the way home. It was nothing extravagant, just fresh white tulips she liked. Her eyes lit up once I handed it to her and she beamed with smiles, making my heart flutter even more.She buried her face in the bouquet, inhaling deeply, and I watched her like a man who had no business owning this much peace. "Thanks baby, it smells so amazing," she murmured.“You do too,” I said with a grin, and kissed her. Her lips were warm, soft, familiar.As I slipped off my jacket, she asked the question I knew was coming. “Any word from Nate?”I sighed. “Not yet. He’s still digging.”She nodded slowly, that glimmer in her eyes dimming just slightly.“Don’t worry, I trust him, huh?” I let out while she nodded slowly. I know she’s stil
FreyaI felt my heart tighten in my chest as I watched with horror, my fiancé and my best friend having sex in the hotel. They were so engrossed and couldn’t even care less that they were half naked and anyone who cared, could see them from the glass wall of the building’s fourth floor. Sonia was pressed to the wall while Dennis worked her insides from behind. I couldn’t hear her moans but with every second that I imagined it, my heart sank the more.Tears flooded my face as I flashed into the last two years of my life when I met Dennis. He was everything I wanted and more. Tall, handsome, broad shoulders and chest, I couldn’t stop drooling as he pulled me into a hug. For a moment there, my heart forgot how to beat, and the moment he smiled and introduced himself, I knew I was going to marry him. I had fallen hard in love with him.Before then, Dennis and I had been talking online for two months. Sonia matchmade us, and though I didn’t want another relationship at the time, she had con
FreyaI felt a stray tear trickle down my face.I was still sitting on the bed in my lingerie while Dennis snored away. I looked at the gift box in my hand, and another tear came running. That was all I was worth. A gift to shut me from using my head.I pulled the ribbon and opened it. It was a necklace. A diamond necklace. It must have cost him a fortune. My fortune. Five hours ago, it would have meant the world to me and I would have sneaked into the bathroom to sing his praises to Sonia, and thank her for giving me the best man, Dennis. She would have smiled and pretended to have my back.Ohh Freya, what a fool you have been.I was still wallowing in self-pity when his phone beeped. For the first time in our relationship, I felt the urge to check it. I gently reached into his pocket and took it. It was Sonia and I wasn’t surprised.“Why aren’t you picking up? Are you home yet?” with so much anger, I went through his text messages, desperate to find something to prove his cheating a
Victor"This way then, my queen." I said to Freya with a gentle smile, while I held out my hand and saw her off to the car.I stood there, watching till her car was out of sight. I could literally taste the joy in my throat. I had been waiting for her for so long, and it had been so painful watching her love the wrong person who didn’t love her.Right from the first time I set my eyes on Freya, I wanted her. She had dreamy blue eyes, while her lush hair bounced over her shoulders. Her makeup was light, but it complimented her face and her beauty made those billboard models look like novices.“That’s my girl…” I had said to myself as I stared at the picture on her page over and over.When I finally peeled my eyes from my phone screen, I called my private investigator to run a quick search on her.We were supposed to meet on a blind date, but she stood me up. That was a first. No woman had ever done that.Abandon me on a date? Me? Victor Whitmore, the handsome billionaire heir.Women flo
FreyaThroughout the drive back home, my mind was blank. I intentionally forced myself not to think. I know how carried away I get when my mind is shuffling through thoughts. I almost drove myself into an accident when I was going earlier. I’m not going to do that to myself again this time.Kill myself over a man who doesn’t give a f*ck about me and busy screwing my best friend?Best friend? Really? How could you still be calling that back-biting b*tch ass wh*re your best friend? - a thought rose in my head.I took in a deep breath and then let it out slowly as I blanked out my mind. I pulled into the driveway and then went into the house.I was sleek and quiet, making sure not to wake him up.Watching him snore away like his life depended on it, I was filled with rage again. I grabbed my pillow and for a second there, I felt the urge to stifle the life out of him with the pillow… but I didn’t.Instead, I curled into his arms and pretended like nothing happened. He pulled me in closer
Victor The moment I stepped through the door and saw Freya rushing over to greet me, something inside me softened. No matter how long the day was or how much weight I carried on my shoulders, seeing her smile made it all worth it. I held out the flowers I picked up on the way home. It was nothing extravagant, just fresh white tulips she liked. Her eyes lit up once I handed it to her and she beamed with smiles, making my heart flutter even more.She buried her face in the bouquet, inhaling deeply, and I watched her like a man who had no business owning this much peace. "Thanks baby, it smells so amazing," she murmured.“You do too,” I said with a grin, and kissed her. Her lips were warm, soft, familiar.As I slipped off my jacket, she asked the question I knew was coming. “Any word from Nate?”I sighed. “Not yet. He’s still digging.”She nodded slowly, that glimmer in her eyes dimming just slightly.“Don’t worry, I trust him, huh?” I let out while she nodded slowly. I know she’s stil
Victor The moment I parked the car, I didn’t even wait for the engine to go off completely before I flung the door open and rushed out. My pulse was thudding like a war drum in my ears, my heart hammering harder than it should for someone who had been reassured over the phone that everything was fine. But how could I trust that? How could I trust that when my woman was just confronted in our home by a stranger with a veiled threat? And I wasn’t there.How the heck did they even know she’d be there? It’s not as if we live together, and we stay at her place more than we come to mine! I should have been more careful. I should have stayed at home today to look after her!The guilt chewed at my insides like acid as I unlocked the front door and stepped in. My ears were tuned for any strange sound, my eyes scanning everything. The house looked calm, too calm for the kind of emotional earthquake I was sure she must’ve endured.Then I caught a whiff of vanilla and chocolate and followed it t
VictorStacey and I got into the car and I drove off. Having her with me changed my routine a bit, usually while driving to work in the morning, it’s always silent, so I use the time to reflect on my thoughts and day ahead. With Stacey, it’s totally different. She was seated beside me, quiet at first, just scrolling through her phone and occasionally replying to emails or whatever it was doctors did before a long shift. I didn’t think much of it until I caught her stealing glances at me. Once. Twice. Then again. And again.At first, I chalked it up to coincidence. Maybe something was on my face. I rubbed my jaw subtly, checked the mirror, and even adjusted the rearview to make sure nothing weird was going on with my hair. Nothing.But then she did it again, this time, a full glance paired with this shy little smile before looking out the window like I hadn’t seen her. And to top it off? She blushed. I mean actually blushed.That was when I knew something was up.I kept my eyes on the
FreyaI woke up to the softest brush of lips against my forehead, a tender, lingering kiss that stirred me from sleep far more gently than any alarm ever could. My lashes fluttered open, and for a second, I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming. But then I saw him. Victor, sitting at the edge of the bed, fully dressed in a sleek dark suit, his tie perfectly knotted, and that boyish, heart-melting smile on his face.“Good morning, sleepyhead,” he whispered, his hand lightly caressing my cheek.I smiled back at him, still feeling a little dazed from sleep, from everything that had happened the past few days. “You’re all dressed up,” I mumbled, stretching lazily beneath the covers. “What time is it?”“Almost eight,” he said, brushing a strand of hair out of my face. “I didn’t want to leave without seeing you awake first.”My heart squeezed at that. God, how did I ever get this lucky?I blinked the sleep out of my eyes and propped myself up slightly. “The court hearing...?” I asked, my voice stil
VictorMy fingers gripped the steering wheel so tight I thought it might snap off. Every mile I drove, every second I spent away from her, the anger in me only grew bigger, hotter. My mind wouldn’t stop flashing back to the way Freya looked lying unconscious on that hospital bed. She was so pale, so fragile.I slammed my palm against the steering wheel, the loud crack of it echoing inside the car.“Son of a b*tch!” I roared.Dennis was going to pay. He wasn’t just going to lose in court. No, that was too easy. Too clean. I was going to break him.I sped the rest of the way to the villa, not even caring that I was pushing way past the speed limit. Let the cops try to stop me tonight, they wouldn’t be able to slow me down if they tried.When I pulled up, I killed the engine and climbed out, slamming the door so hard the whole car shook. I didn’t even bother to check my surroundings. I was past the point of caring.Inside, the low sound of music filled the air, the smell of expensive liq
FreyaI was starting to feel restless, lying there and staring at the ceiling like I had nothing better to do. Victor was taking too long and it got me worried that he didn’t know what he was doing in there. I was about going to meet him when the door creaked open. I lifted my head and then blinked again just to be sure I wasn’t hallucinating.Victor walked in... and right beside him, Stacey.“Stacey!” I gasped, my voice practically breaking with surprise and relief.Before I could even process it properly, she rushed over to the bed and threw her arms around me. The sweet scent of her cologne and the warmth of her hug almost made me cry. I missed her so much.“Careful!” Victor’s voice cut sharply across the room. I laughed into Stacey’s shoulder, pulling back slightly just to look at his ridiculously serious face.“She’s fine, Victor!” Stacey said, rolling her eyes as she squeezed me a little tighter to make her point.I shook my head fondly and looked up at him, mock pleading, “Plea
Victor I must’ve paced the same the hospital corridor at least a hundred times, maybe more. My feet had gone numb, my throat was dry from whispering every kind of silent prayer I could think of, and my mind… God, my mind was a mess. All I could see was her falling, all I could hear was the dull, lifeless thud of her body hitting the ground, and all I could feel was this suffocating panic sitting heavy on my chest.Just then, the double doors finally creaked open and I turned so fast my neck cracked. It was the doctor with his white coat and a calm face.I don’t even remember moving. I was just suddenly in front of him, my hands grabbing his in a desperate, reflexive gesture. “Is she okay?” My voice cracked. I didn’t even care how I looked. I would’ve begged on my knees if I had to. “Please tell me she’s okay. Please.”He blinked, a little startled by how tightly I was gripping his arms. “She’s fine, Mr. Victor. She’s perfectly fine now.”I swear the air came back into my lungs in a r
SoniaI stood there, completely still, even as the air around us felt like it was vibrating with tension. Marshall's voice echoed in my head long after he’d stopped talking, like someone had stamped his words into my skull with a branding iron.‘A video... a judge that doesn't tolerate abuse... no way out.’And Dennis? God, he looked like a damn ghost. He was pale, shaken and for once, speechless.I watched him, watched the slow crumbling of his ego, his plans, his fake sense of control. And that’s when it hit me.He’s finished. Like… really finished.It was written all over his face. I didn’t need a judge or a lawyer to confirm it. I’d seen that look before, on men who lost everything and had no idea how to claw their way back. That mix of disbelief and slow, dawning horror that they’d gambled with too much and lost it all.And just like that, everything in me snapped to attention.Because I might’ve been a lot of things, but I wasn’t stupid. And I sure as hell wasn’t going down with
DennisI stood there, frozen, the sounds around me swallowed up in this buzzing roar in my ears. I couldn’t even blink. My eyes were locked on the spot where she had fallen just moments ago.Victor had carried her away like she weighed nothing, like she meant everything.I hadn’t moved. Not when she collapsed. Not even when Victor gave me that look… the kind you only give someone you want to bury with your bare hands.I’d seen men like him lose control before. And for a second, I thought he would.I actually braced for it, his fist, his rage but it never came. He didn’t throw a punch. He didn’t say a word.He just held her like the world could fall apart and she was the only thing he wanted to save.And I was still standing there like some idiot villain in an expensive courtroom drama. The cameras were still rolling, people were whispering, and phones were up. I could feel their judgment crawling on my skin like ants.“She fell… I didn’t even touch her,” I mumbled, to no one in partic