Isla’s pov. “This is your new office, and I’ve printed out Mr. Voss’s schedule for you,” Liam, Alaric's other secretary, announced as he dropped what looked like an entire book onto the desk with a heavy thud. My jaw nearly hit the floor. Eyes wide, I turned to Liam, half-expecting him to burst into laughter and tell me it was all a joke. But instead, he simply flipped the book open with a practiced ease and pointed to a page. “If you go to page 24, you’ll find the CEO likes and dislikes,” he said matter-of-factly. “For example, here, it details exactly how Mr. Voss likes his coffee—black and bland, no sugar.” My eyes flickered to the line he was indicating, and sure enough, in bold letters, it read: Mr. Voss likes his coffee black and bland. No sugar and absolutely no milk. Please take note of this. I stared at the words in disbelief. What the actual hell? He didn’t really expect me to read and memorize all of this, right? “And here,” Liam continued, completely unfa
Isla’s pov. The hum of the coffee machine and the hushed whispers around me were the only sounds filling the break room as I prepared Alaric's coffee. "Did you hear? She's the boss’s new secretary—the daughter of the Ashford Corporation," one of the employees whispered, not doing a great job of keeping her voice down. "Really? Wait... you mean the one from that viral video? The one whose fiancé cheated, and the wedding got called off?" "Oh my God, yes! That’s her—Isla Ashford. Is she really working as the boss’s secretary? That’s pretty sad. What a pity... She’s going to suffer like the others." I gulped nervously, a shiver running down my spine as I tried to concentrate on the words in front of me while preparing Alaric’s coffee. But it was kind of hard to focus when people around me were whispering about how I was now working for the devil. Their words, not mine. Taking a deep breath, I narrowed my eyes at the book, trying to read the precise steps for making Alaric’s coffee
Isla’s pov. Everything seemed to freeze at that moment. No one moved. It was like pressing the pause button on a movie at its most intense scene. My mouth is hung open in shock, eyes wide with disbelief. Alaric, however, remained still, his gaze locked onto his burnt hand. His eyes narrowed as if trying to process what had just happened, the faint wisps of smoke curling from his scorched skin the only movement in the heavy silence. My heart dropped—no, my everything dropped. Shit. There was no way out of this. I was smart enough to know what came next—I was getting fired. And if I lost this job, my father wouldn’t hesitate to marry me off to that old man. But at least I’d still be alive. Getting killed by Alaric Voss over a spilled coffee? Now that would be the worst possible outcome. So… “I am so sorry,” I whispered, barely audible, before spinning on my heel and bolting for the door. Survival mode had officially kicked in. But I didn’t make it far. Before I could take a si
Isla’s pov.I stopped the car in front of the grand mansion, my heart pounding against my chest as I clutched my phone, rereading the messages Suhyeon and Esther had sent while I was driving.Suhyeon: Korea or Nigeria? You’re exaggerating, Isla. Even if your father is evil, I doubt he’d actually sell his only biological child to some man twice your age. You should calm down and think carefully before doing anything stupid again.Esther: Hmm, we seem to have diverted from something important. Isla fucked Alaric Voss! She lost her virginity to him! Man, I don’t know if I should be scared for her or proud. Either way, I’m just happy she didn’t lose it to that dickhead.Esther: Anyway, tell me, Isla. How did it feel to spend the night with the man everyone wants to fuck? Is it true? I heard his dick is at least nine inches. You gotta tell me everything!Suhyeon: Esther! This is not the time for sex talk. Isla wants to flee to either Korea or Nigeria because she’s afraid her father will se
isla’s pov. I should have done it on my wedding day. I should have slapped him. I should have acted like a crazed woman, clawed at his face, or better yet, aimed straight for his dick. Instead, I cried. Instead, I let myself be weak. I should have gone full-on crazy. But I hadn’t. Because back then, the pain had drowned out the anger. It had clouded my mind, made it impossible to think straight. Now, though? Now the anger burned through me like wildfire. And all I could think about were his lies. His fake promises. His fake smiles. His relentless persistence just to get inside my pants. It was all so painfully clear now. But Isla? Why are you hurt? You should have been used to this from day one. You should have known that no one would ever truly love you, that no one would ever care. Even… My gaze darkened as I glared at Leon, my hands clenched into fists at my sides. Even the man you once loved. Silence. “Oh. My. Fucking. God.” Kieran was the first to break the suff
Isla’s pov. My father never loved me. He never cared. But one thing I knew for certain—he would never allow anyone to lay a hand on me. Anyone aside from him. That explained the fury in his glare as he looked at my stepmother. And she knew it too. It was written all over her face, in the fear that widened her eyes as she stared at him, frozen in place. Like I said, my father was a man who commanded and demanded respect. From his wife to his children to everyone around him. The only man I had ever seen my father bitterly yield to was Alaric. And that was because Alaric was more ruthless than he was. Alaric could bankrupt a company overnight—my father couldn’t. Alaric could make billions in minutes—my father never could. But most of all, Alaric was a Voss. Even if he was an illegitimate child of the Voss family, he was still one of them. And that alone made all the difference. My body went deadly still, and my heart pounded heavily against my chest—so loud, so insistent, I could
Alaric pov. Daniel continued ranting as he wrapped the bandage around my hand, his frustration evident in every word. “So, seriously, how insane do you think my twin brother is? The poor girl didn’t do anything wrong, and yet he went ahead and changed her entire identity to match his late wife’s. I’ve never met anyone as crazy as he is. It’s honestly frustrating watching her live a life that isn’t even hers, but I know if I say anything, Alexander will have my head. What do you think I should do? Should I tell her or not?” I barely heard him. If you asked me, I wasn’t paying attention at all. My gaze was fixed on my phone, on the message glowing on the screen. Isla: Let’s make a deal. If you help me, I’ll give you anything you want. What do you say? The corner of my lips curled into a slow, amused smirk as I reread the message again and again. Tilting my head slightly, a dangerous glint flickered in my eyes. Anything I wanted? Did she truly understand what she was offering? Di
Isla pov. What have you done? Why are you here? Do you even know what you’re getting yourself into? Those questions echoed in my mind as I stood outside the lavish mansion before me—Alaric’s mansion. Everything in me screamed to turn around, to forget about this and drive away. I was on the verge of making a fucked-up decision, one I knew I’d regret. I thought my father was terrifying, but Alaric? He was worse. Maybe that was why I convinced myself this was a good idea—to seek help from the only man I’d ever seen my father bow to. But was it really? What if Alaric wasn’t the solution but another monster I should be running from? Damn it. There was no turning back now. I had to do this—there was no other choice. And nothing could be worse than getting married. I bit my bottom lip, hesitating for a moment before reaching out to press the doorbell. But before my fingers could even touch it, the door suddenly swung open on its own, nearly making my heart stop. I gasped, my eyes wi
Isla pov Did I hear Alaric correctly? Did he just say I should crawl over to him— to show him how desperate I was to please him? My breath hitched, fingers tightening around the sheets as the echo of my heartbeat thundered in my ears. It was fast, relentless– like it was about to explode right out of my chest. And if my heart was bad, my body was worse. The moment those words left his mouth, a shiver of pleasure shot down my spine, heat pooled between my legs, and I was certain I grew even wetter in an instant. Fuck, what was happening to me? I continued to stare at Alaric, trying to convince myself he was joking but the look in his eyes told me otherwise. That familiar smirk tugged at his lips, the one he always wore when he teased me. But his eyes... they were different. Cold and emotionless, yes but beneath the surface, there was hunger. Lust. A challenge. For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. His gaze held me captive, pinning me in their depths. Before I knew it, I couldn’
Isla pov A gasp. A shudder. A moan. My whole body burned— hot and achingly sensitive. I couldn’t think straight, and honestly, how could I? I was bare, completely naked on Alaric’s bed with my legs spread apart. How could I, when Alaric kissed me with such hunger, stealing my breath and leaving me utterly weak? And how could I, when his fingers moved inside me with such precision and skill that I arched my back against him, desperate for more? Oh God, what was happening? How did something so wrong feel so incredibly right? My arms tightened around his broad shoulders as our lips moved in sync, my fingers tangling in his hair. Every moan that escaped me was swallowed by his greedy mouth. More. Alaric slid another finger inside me, and I shuddered as they worked faster— thick, long, stretching me in ways that made it nearly impossible to keep kissing him. Even breathing became a challenge. And yet... My body begged for more. This man— this devil knew exactly what he was doi
Isla pov “Little rose, if I tell you I’m not okay… will you be a good girl and let me fuck you?” My eyes snapped open and a gasp escaped me at his words. A shudder ran through me, my body reacting almost instantly. Heat pooled between my legs, and I knew I was already wet. Alaric hovered above me, caging me in, and in that moment, all I wanted was to scream ‘Yes Please! fuck me, I want it!' But instead, my trembling hands rose on their own, pressing against his chest as I struggled to steady my voice. “W-what are you saying? Stop joking around, please... get off me,” I stammered, my cheeks flushed. I watched as Alaric leaned away from my ear, stopping just inches from my lips, his head tilted slightly as that familiar, amused smirk slowly spread across his face. “Joking?” he echoed, and before I could even react, he grabbed my thigh, lifting it to wrap around his waist. My eyes widened as he slowly ground against me, his bulge pressing firmly against my core. “You call this j
Alaric pov The thick, suffocating smell of fire. The sensation of air slowly and painfully slipping away, replaced by the smoke that filled everything. The desperate urge to scream for help, but all that escaped were harsh, choking coughs. Was this what it felt like to burn alive? To be curled up beside the door, watching the flames slowly creep closer until they consumed you? Was this what helplessness felt like? To be weak? To know you were about to die and be powerless to stop it? Someone, help me. I was scared. Too scared to cry. My body could only tremble as I watched the fire spread, the heat scorching, the defeaning sound of explosions, the roof collapsing. Grandfather. Father. Mother. James. Please... anyone. I don’t want to die. Please, someone— save me. "Help," I muttered under my breath, arms wrapped tightly around myself as though they could shield me from the flames around me. But deep down, I already knew my fate— a five-year-old boy doomed
Isla pov I could remember it all— The embarrassment, the pain, the betrayal from that day are still vivid in my mind. Back then, I hadn’t paid much attention to Leon’s mistress. She was pregnant, after all. And even though she was a bitch who knowingly cheated with Leon despite knowing he had a fiancée, I placed most of the blame on Leon. He was the one I trusted— she was just a stranger. So, I tried to ignore her. But still, there was a debt left unsettled between us, especially after the way she acted that day. I tilted my head slightly and narrowed my eyes as she stormed toward us in fury, before halting beside Leon, who closed his eyes and muttered something dangerously like a curse in frustration. I lifted a brow as her gaze swept over everyone before landing on me. Almost instantly, I saw a flash of disdain in her eyes. She glared at me, then spun to face Leon, pointing in my direction. “Why is that bitch here? What is going on? Is she the one who hit you?! You bas
Isla pov I’ll be late today. I’m at the police station— something happened with Leon, but I’ll explain everything when I get back. I reread the message before finally sending it to the group chat, my trembling hands clutching the phone tightly. Lifting my head, I turned to look behind me— Leon was still being questioned by the officer. He looked like he was on the verge of tears, his head shaking repeatedly as he tried to explain himself. “I really wasn’t following or trying to scare her! I just wanted to talk, so I went to find her at the parking lot. But when I touched her, she screamed, that’s really what happened!” I sighed, frowning at Leon. Of all the people I thought I might see at the parking lot, he was the last. He had given me such a fright, my heart had nearly burst out of my chest. But even more shocking than Leon being there was the person who had hit him. James. He sat behind me in one of the chairs, giving his statement to a police officer. His face was unrea
Isla pov My father's expression didn't change in the slightest at my words. Instead, he held that same familiar, emotionless gaze I had known all my life— the one devoid of any feeling. The air around us grew tense and heavy, and for a brief moment, it felt as though no one was going to speak. We stood there in the thick silence until, just when it seemed it would drag on forever, he finally moved. His eyes flickered past me, toward Isolde and Kieran, and with an air of cold indifference, he uttered a single command: "Get out.” Just those words— a single command were all it took to snap Isolde and Kieran out of their daze. I stepped aside, watching as Kieran forced a nervous smile before lowering his head in a slight bow. "Y-yes, Father," he said, quickly scrambling toward the exit. Isolde, however, stood frozen, her hands clenched into tight fists, her face flushed a deep red as if the very air had been sucked out of the room. Her eyes— burning with fury were locked ont
Isla pov Why should I acknowledge someone who never wanted me? Someone who never cared? Someone who, since the day I was born, never showed me an ounce of love— why should I call that kind of man my father? I remember it clearly. I was just seven the first time he laid a hand on me. A small, clueless child who had never even seen a picture of her mother because, according to him, I didn’t deserve to. My mother had died giving birth to me, and for that, he blamed me entirely. He said I was the reason she was gone, so he hid every picture of her away in his room, keeping her memory out of my reach. It was my birthday that day. But like every other year, my father wasn’t home. Even as a child, I understood why. My birthday was also the day my mother died. That was why I was never allowed to celebrate it. No cake. No candles. No presents. No birthday wishes. I wasn’t allowed to celebrate my birthday like other kids. He said it was the day I was supposed to repent— a day to
Isla pov The ringing. It was all I could hear. It drowned everything else out, made my vision blur— made me nauseous. I’ll deal with that bastard for touching you earlier. That was what had been written on the back of the picture I found yesterday after coming back from the club. And the man who had died... was the same man from that night, the owner of the car who had demanded compensation. The video- was from the club that night, the one Isolde had used to threaten me, he had it. No, something told me he was the one who had taken it. But what truly sent a shiver down my spine was the word ‘little rose’. It was what Alaric always called me, but never in public. So, seeing someone else use that name… it made me wonder just how long this person had been watching me. What was going on? Was this a stalker? It couldn't be my family, something deep inside me told me it wasn’t. A shaky breath escaped my lips as I shut my eyes, unable to look at the photo on the TV any longer.