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 I pushed my glasses up the bridge of my nose as I stared at my reflection in the mirror, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it might explode. You know, I’ve asked myself so many times, what the actual fuck was I doing? Was I seriously about to walk into my boss’s club, hoping he finally fucks me? Who does that? No sane person masturbates to thoughts of their boss. No sane person lets their boss eat them out. And most definitely, no sane person picks out their sexiest underwear just to look good when they strip in front of said boss. I bit my bottom lip, running a hand through my red hair as I stared at the dress I’d picked out, a tight, black mini dress with thick straps that hugged my body and accentuated every curve. It was the only club-appropriate outfit I’d packed when I ran away from home, but honestly, I didn’t care. I wanted to look good— no, I wanted to look sexy in front of Alaric tonight. I didn’t even know why his opinion mattered so much, but for som
Isla pov “Little rose, tell me… do you know how to suck a dick?” I froze, staring at the insanely gorgeous man in front of me as his question echoed in my mind over and over. Did I know how to suck a dick? The moment those words slipped from his lips, a jolt of heat shot through me. My thighs clenched involuntarily, and I felt my core throb, warmth flooding between my legs. God, how could just his voice, just that one filthy question, make me this wet? Alaric had always made my body respond to him before my mind could even catch up. It was as if the man in front of me had me under some kind of spell. All I could think about were sinful thoughts, especially the idea of dropping to my knees and doing everything I could to please him, to return the pleasure he had given me yesterday morning with just my mouth. But there was one problem. I was nervous— terrified I wouldn’t be good enough for him. Sure, I had given Leon blowjobs before whenever he wanted, but now that
Alaric pov I couldn’t control myself. I tried to be gentle— I really did. I kept telling myself over and over to take it slow with her, but it felt as though something inside me finally snapped. That urge, that hunger, I couldn’t fight it anymore. So I gave in. I ran my hand over her head, my voice low and rough as I grunted, “It seems like you're having trouble getting everything in your mouth, little rose. Let me help you with that.” Without a second thought, I pushed her down, forcing her to take every inch of my dick into her mouth. “Fuck,” I groaned, my head tilting back as the warmth of her mouth wrapped around me, sending a shudder through my entire body. It felt good. So fucking good. I tightened my grip in her hair, holding her there for a moment, savoring the sensation. Isla gagged, her hand pressing against my thigh but she didn’t pull away like I expected. No. She stayed right there, obedient and eager, giving me exactly the kind of pleasure I craved. I couldn’t co
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.
Isla pov “You make me want to rip your eyes out.” That was what Alaric had said and just like that, the entire room turned tense within seconds. I could feel it in the air, see it on everyone’s faces, the shock, the disbelief. All eyes were on Alaric, who stared coldly at Isolde with that same emotionless gaze, and Isolde… she looked like she couldn’t breathe. Fear flickered in her eyes as she stared back at him in both shock and confusion. D–Did he really just say that? Did I hear him right? No one moved or said a word in that moment, and I blinked, glancing around to make sure I hadn’t misheard but the expressions on everyone’s faces confirmed I hadn’t imagined it. James and my father had deep frowns etched into their faces as they stared at Alaric. Kieran looked equally stunned, his mouth hanging open, while Liam— well, Liam was just Liam. His face remained unreadable, blank as ever. Either he was used to hearing such things from Alaric, or he was simply someone who n
Isla pov I couldn’t move. My eyes were glued to the three people in front of me, and instinctively, my hands clenched into fists as I took in their expressions. As usual, my father looked at me with that same empty gaze— cold and unreadable. But I still caught the slight disapproving frown that formed the second he saw me and a second later, he looked away, as if I were nothing more than a stranger. Kieran, on the other hand, stood there with a bright smile plastered on his face, waving enthusiastically at me. His other hand rested casually in his pocket, his posture relaxed, like this was just another normal day. And then there was Isolde. She stood beside him, dressed in a short pink skirt and a white blouse with the top few buttons undone. Her brown hair cascaded down her waist, and her makeup— flawless, perfectly highlighted her already striking features. She looked beautiful. The corner of her lips curled into a smirk as our eyes met. I caught the glint in her eyes just b