Alaric pov “I— I want to apologize… I got you involved in that situation with the video, but I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t affect you in any way. I’m so sorry, Alaric. I will resign, I am so stupid… I always drag everyone into my mess.” That was what she had said last night as she cried. But that wasn’t why I had been mad. The reason was the redness of her cheek, an unmistakable mark of a slap, and the blood trickling down her leg. Someone had done that to her and at that moment, I wanted to kill the bastard and even though she wouldn't tell me who it was, I wanted to make them bleed in the worst possible way. To take everything they loved, to break them until they had nothing left, until they were on their knees, begging for mercy from her. And I would. “Y-you erased the videos?” she stammered, her voice shaky. She looked flustered, disbelief written all over her face. A deep shade of red crept up her neck, her mesmerizing eyes locked onto
Isla pov Did I trust him? I barely knew Alaric. We had hardly crossed paths before all of this because I had always avoided him. So how could he ask me that? No, that wasn’t the real question. The real question was, why had I answered so easily? Why couldn’t I push him away? Why hadn’t I just walked out and stopped whatever was happening? And more than anything… why had I said yes without hesitation? Why? Why? Why? I had so many questions racing through my mind, but my thoughts felt hazy, unable to focus on anything except the way Alaric's fingers plunged deep inside me, the way his tongue worked me over. Every stroke, every flick sent me spiraling over the edge, my body arching instinctively, desperate for more. "Fuck!" My head fell back against the sheets as he found that unfamiliar perfect spot again, sending pleasure rippling through me. My senses blurred, drowning in the ecstasy he mercilessly dragged me into. “Oh God! Alaric, right there— please” I pleaded, my
Isla pov I stared blankly, my mind clouded with emotions all at once. Mortification, shock and fear all suffocated me at once. "What did I just do… What the hell did I just do?!" I groaned, gripping the steering wheel tighter before dropping my head against it with a dull thud, trying to wrap my head at what just happened with Alaric. I practically embarrassed myself, begging Alaric to make me cum, and when I finally did, it was unlike anything I had ever felt, it was intense and intoxicating. The pleasure was so consuming that I couldn't help but wonder what it would feel like to take the real thing. But just as I was about to give in, ready to finally cross that line, Alaric caught my hand when I was about to reach for his pants, his grip firm yet gentle. "You’re not ready yet, little rose," he murmured, his voice rich with amusement. Then, as if he hadn’t just unraveled me completely, he leaned back, brushing a strand of hair from my face. "Now, how about I make you bre
Isla pov “What?” The word barely escaped my lips as I stared at my father in disbelief, my heart pounding so hard it echoed in my ears. I didn’t hear that correctly… right? There was no way my father had just told me to resign— no way he had just informed me that I was getting married. Yet… the man before me barely spared me a glance as he continued eating. “You’re not deaf. You heard me right, you’re getting married in a month. Resign from Voss Corporation. Isolde will be taking your place.” It felt like a bucket of ice-cold water had been dumped over me. I blinked, stumbling back. “Y-you—” My voice wavered, but I forced the words out. “What are you saying? Get married?” My father’s hand paused on his cutlery as he lifted his gaze, fixing me with a sharp glare. His lips tugged downward into a frown, and I instantly knew why. He hated repeating himself. But right now? I couldn’t care less. I took a step forward, my fists clenching at my sides as I met his gaze. Eve
Alaric pov "Liam, do you know that popular quote?" I asked, drumming my fingers mindlessly against the desk as I took a bite of the apple in my hand. "They say when life gives you lemons, squeeze them into your enemy's eyes." I tilted my head, a smirk curling on my lips as I watched him sigh and shake his head. "Boss, you got it wrong. The quote is 'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.'" I chuckled, leaning back. "Yeah? Well, I prefer my version." He didn't say anything; instead, he stepped forward and placed the file on the table before giving me a slight bow. "This is the information you requested on Ashford Corporation, particularly Mr. Desmond Ashford. I was able to uncover everything you asked for, including details from the businesses he's involved with and evidence of his mismanagement of funds and other things you need to know about his relationship with his daughter, Miss Isla Ashford”. I glanced at the file on the table, a slow smile spreading across my l
Isla pov “God, is it too late to jump off a cliff?” I murmured under my breath, pressing my face into the pillow as I contemplated all the questionable life choices that had led me to this moment. What the fuck have I done? Did I just yell at my father? Did I just call my stepmother a white lotus? And did I really call Isolde out? To be honest, every word I said earlier was the truth, and I meant every single one of them. But now that the courage and adrenaline had worn off, the timid, old me resurfaced— panicked and already dreading the consequences of my actions. “Wait, maybe I’m just overreacting, and it’s not that bad. I was just angry, and tensions were high at the time, so it couldn't be—” “Desmond!! What? You’re not the only one who can yell! I can raise my voice too, Desmond Ashford!” “So do me a favor and shut up. Stop acting like a fucking white lotus when your heart is just as black. And don't get me started on that annoying voice of yours.” “You know, I alway
Isla pov Suhyeon and Esther had let me crash in one of the rooms in their penthouse suite. To them, it was no big deal, but to me, it meant everything especially since I had nowhere else to go. I wasn’t even sure if my father had frozen my cards yet, though knowing him, he probably had. We had dinner together, drank, and talked for a while, and now I was lying in bed, trying to fall asleep. But sleep wouldn’t come. Why, you ask? Because of Alaric, the man who seemed to occupy my every thought. His godlike face, that sculpted body, and that damn infuriating smirk he wore whenever he teased me, I thought of it all. The way his lips seemed to steal the breath right out of my lungs, the way he touched me, the way his fingers felt inside me. God. What the hell was wrong with me? “Isla, you need to stop acting like a dog in heat,” I muttered under my breath, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Without thinking twice, I reached for my phone on the counter, des
Alaric pov“I’m sorry, Mr. Alaric, but Dr. Adam isn’t available today. I can schedule your appointment for a later date when he’s back,” the brunette receptionist said with a smile, her eyes blatantly checking me out.I frowned, resting my head on my hand as I leaned against the counter, my fingers drumming lazily on the hard surface. I stared at her with a blank expression, ignoring the way her gaze roamed.Silence stretched between us when I didn’t respond. She opened her mouth to speak again, but I cut her off with a sigh before turning to Liam, who stood behind me, his expression as cold as ever.“What a pity,” I drawled, a slow smirk tugging at my lips as I fixed my eyes on him.“Liam, she says my therapist isn’t around. Where do you think he could be?”Liam's expression remained unchanged. His cold gaze flickered to the receptionist, who swallowed nervously and took a step back, before shifting back to me. Without hesitation, he spoke.“I believe she is lying, boss. Mr. Adam is
Isla pov He fell asleep. After Alaric pulled out, he wrapped his arms around me, held me close, and whispered that I was a good girl- then drifted off. It had been over an hour now, a little past one in the afternoon. I’d fallen asleep beside him, my body too exhausted to stay awake. But I’d woken up about thirty minutes ago and had been lying here ever since— just staring at him. Not because I was some creep who couldn’t tear my eyes away (well, maybe partly because of that), but mostly because I couldn’t move. Every time I tried to shift, Alaric’s arm around my waist would tighten, he would frown in his sleep and refuse to let me go. However, he looked peaceful this time around, unlike how he had been this morning. His breathing was steady, his chest rising and falling in a calm rhythm. His lips were drawn into a straight line, and his tousled hair framed his face in the most effortlessly attractive way— his bedroom look was really breathtaking. Everything about him was flawles
Isla pov “I won, my little rose.” I wasn’t sure what happened next— what emotions I felt or what thoughts ran through my mind after Alaric spoke those words. All I knew was that I now found myself between his thighs, my hands wrapped around his thick length, stroking him slowly as I gazed up at him. I needed to see his face, to read his expression, needed to know if he liked it, if I was doing it right, if I was pleasing him. Alaric’s head was tilted slightly back, his hair falling across his face, partially obscuring his eyes. His hands rested at his sides, he didn’t touch me, didn’t control the pace. That power belonged to me. "You’ve been so good for me… now show me just how badly you want it." That’s what he’d said and now, here I was, stroking him, slow and deliberate, feeling every heated pulse beneath my palm. I bit my bottom lip, my gaze falling back to his hard dick. My throat tightened as I watched the precum coat the tip, and without a second thought, I leaned in,
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 onto