MasukWe froze. Damien’s body was still pressed against mine, his hand halfway under my shirt. My back was against the cool glass window, heart racing from everything that had just happened. The sound of the elevator ding echoed down the hallway outside the penthouse. Footsteps followed. “Shit,” Damien whispered. He pulled his hand away quickly and stepped back. I fixed my clothes fast, pulling my shirt down and zipping my jeans. My cheeks burned. I couldn’t believe how far we had gone in just a few minutes. The footsteps got closer. I looked at Damien. “I thought you said the elevator wouldn’t work because of the storm?” He scratched the back of his head, avoiding my eyes for a second. “Yeah… about that.” He didn’t give a real answer. Just stood there looking a little guilty, like he had made it up on purpose to keep me there longer. I felt a rush of embarrassment and anger. “You lied?” Before he could reply, I stepped away from him, grabbed my jacket from the couch, and headed for
Austin took another step toward me, close enough that I could smell his cologne. “Unless you’d rather go back down to your cold apartment?” His voice dropped lower. “Or you can stay right here… with me.”I swallowed hard. The storm roared outside, rain beating against the massive windows. My apartment downstairs was dark and freezing. Up here, the warm glow from the generator-powered lamps made everything feel safer. And dangerous at the same time.“I’ll stay,” I said quietly. “Just until the power comes back.”He smiled, slow and knowing. “Good choice.”He poured me a small glass of red wine even though I’d asked for water earlier. I took it anyway. We moved to the living room, standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked the entire city. Lightning flashed, lighting up the dark sky and the wet streets far below.“Beautiful view,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.Austin stood right beside me, shoulder brushing mine. “It is. Especially tonight.”We talked for a while
The storm hit harder than anyone expected. Rain slammed against the windows of my new apartment like it wanted to break in. I had just finished unpacking the last box when the lights flickered once, twice, and then everything went black.“Great,” I muttered, feeling around in the dark for my phone. The screen lit up my face. No power. No Wi-Fi. Just the sound of thunder rumbling outside.I had moved into this fancy high-rise building only two weeks ago after landing my first real job in the city. It was supposed to be a fresh start. Quiet. Peaceful. Instead, I was standing in complete darkness on the 28th floor with no flashlight and a dead laptop battery.I waited ten minutes, hoping the power would come back. It didn’t. The storm only got worse. Lightning flashed across the sky, lighting up my bare apartment for a second. I couldn’t just sit here doing nothing. I remembered the penthouse on the top floor. Maybe the rich guy who lived there had a generator or at least some candles.I
He opened one eye. “What the fuck are you doing?” I froze with his phone in my hand, the screen still bright. My heart slammed against my ribs. Jax sat up slowly, his eyes narrowing at me. He reached out fast, trying to grab the phone back. “Give it here, bitch.” That was the moment everything snapped. He had lied. He never planned to delete anything. I could see it in his face. All those hours, the way he used me, it was just a game to him. My fingers brushed the nightstand beside the bed. A heavy glass ashtray sat there, full of cigarette butts. I didn’t think. I just grabbed it. I swung hard as he lunged. The ashtray connected with the side of his head with a sickening thud. Glass cracked. Cigarette ash flew everywhere. Jax let out a sharp grunt and clutched his head, blood already trickling between his fingers. He stumbled back on the bed, dazed. “You… fucking…” I didn’t wait. I snatched the phone from where it had nearly slipped and scrolled fast through his gallery. My ha
The man smirked, his eyes narrowing as he looked at me over. Up close, he smelled like cheap whiskey and sweat. The tattoo on his arm looked like some kind of snake curling toward his shoulder. He was taller than Daniel, broader too, with a scar just above his left eyebrow. “Name it? Alright. But money ain’t the only thing I’m after tonight.” I swallowed hard. “What do you mean?” He reached past me and locked the door with a soft click. The sound made my stomach drop. “Saw you two on the train. Real show you put on. Thought it was hot at first. Then I figured, why not get something out of it?” He pulled his phone from his back pocket and waved it in front of me. The screen lit up with the video. Even in the low light, I could see myself clearly enough on my knees, head moving, Daniel’s hand in my hair. The audio was faint but there, the train rumbled, his whispers, my small moans. Cold fear washed over me. “Turn it off. Please.” He didn’t. Instead, he set the phone on the small ta
Daniel noticed. “What’s wrong?” I showed him the message. His face hardened. “Shit. Blackmail?” Before I could answer, another text came in. This one had a blurry thumbnail image attached, dark shapes that could only be us in the train. The hook tightened in my gut. Who was this? How much did they see? And what would they want? My hands shook as I slipped the phone back into my bag. The party still hummed around us, but it all felt distant now. Daniel stepped closer, his brow furrowed. “Esther, talk to me. We can figure this out.” I forced a small smile, even though my stomach twisted. “It’s probably nothing. Some drunk guests were messing around. I’ll handle it later. Right now, I just… I’m not feeling great. The long day, the travel, everything caught up. Mind if we talk tomorrow?” He searched my face, worry clear in his eyes. “You sure? I can drive you home. Or stay with you if you want.” “No, really. Go enjoy the rest of the night with your friends. Clara’s big day, rememb







