All Chapters of Owed to the Devil: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Grayson’s POVDead.That word kept circling like a vulture in my mind. Picking pieces off whatever was left of me.Isla. Gone.I didn’t even remember getting home. The taste of that lie still thick on my tongue. I sat in the dark, one arm resting on the bar counter, a half-drunk bottle of whiskey mocking me from the other end.I couldn’t feel my hands.I couldn’t feel anything.“She’s not dead,” I whispered for the fifth—maybe fiftieth—time.But no one answered.Caleb was quiet. He'd been pacing an hour ago. Now, he was just sitting on the stairs, looking at me like he’d already started mourning.“Say something,” I muttered.He exhaled. “I want to believe you, Gray. I do.”“Then believe me.” My voice cracked. “She’s not dead.”But if she wasn't… then where the hell was she?I laughed bitterly and stood, slamming the bottle to the ground. Glass shattered, and I didn’t even flinch. My knuckles were bleeding, but it felt like someone else’s pain.“I should’ve protected her,” I growled. “I

ISLAThe door slammed behind her.Isla leaned against it, breathing hard, her heart pounding like war drums. She slid her shoes off, barely registering the dull thud they made as they hit the floor. Her fingers shook as she fumbled for her phone.“Come on, pick up, pick up…”“Mariam?” Her voice cracked the second she heard the woman on the other end. “I saw someone. From school. Delilah. She—she knows me.”There was a pause. Then Mariam’s voice came gently through the line. “Slow down. Did she say anything?”“No. But she saw me. She recognized me, Mariam.”Another pause.“I’ll talk to Tariq,” Mariam said carefully. “Just sit tight. I’ll call you back.”The line went dead. Isla dropped the phone on the couch and wrapped her arms around herself. ********GRAYSONThe deal was signed. Another expansion. Another building bearing the Voss name.Grayson offered the client a handshake, the fake smile plastered across his face like wallpaper over a crumbling wall. Caleb stood a few steps behi

ISLAI couldn’t stay there anymore.The stench of rust and damp concrete suffocated me. The darkness was pressing in on all sides, and I couldn’t tell if it was night or just the shadows closing in on my mind.My arms trembled as I pushed myself up from the corner I had curled into. Every muscle ached. My legs wobbled beneath me, barely holding me upright.I could feel blood crusted down the side of my thigh, the sting of cuts, the sting of fear. My shirt was torn, sticking to my skin in places, loose in others. The hem was soaked with something I didn’t want to look at anymore.I stumbled out onto the narrow street, blinking into the blur of the world. The streetlight above buzzed once, then flickered. Everything doubled, then tripled. My vision spun like I’d just stepped off a cruel carousel that never stopped.I clutched my belly.Still there. Still with me.My breath came in shallow gasps. I could barely hear the footsteps anymore—maybe they were gone. Maybe they were still coming

Adrian arrived ,The estate lit up in soft tones, welcoming him back like an old friend.Grayson stepped out of the lounge to greet him."Adrian!" he called, arms opening wide.Adrian grinned.They embraced like brothers, slapping each other's backs with the kind of ease only long-time friends had. It had years, not jntil Adrian showed up at Grayson’s grandma birthdaywell some friendships didn’t need daily check-ins to stay solid."Remember that summer we snuck out to that lake house?" Adrian chuckled as he stepped inside."You mean the one we almost burned down with that grill?"Both laughed, shaking their heads."You still suck at cooking, by the way," Grayson said, eyeing Adrian’s attempt at balancing a tray of glasses and a bottle of whiskey.“Rude,” Adrian grinned, setting the drinks down and pouring. “But accurate.”They settled into the lounge, the room filled with warmth—dark wood shelves, an open fireplace, and the low hum of a jazz playlist."To old times," Adrian said, rais

Grayson’s POVI sat on the edge of my office couch, hands tangled in my hair, trying to piece together a night that felt like smoke in my brain.“I made a fucking mistake,” I muttered.Caleb, leaning on the doorframe, crossed his arms. “You mean Zara?”I nodded slowly, still staring at the floor like it might have answers for me.“I didn’t even use a condom,” I added, my voice low. “God, Caleb… I just hope it doesn’t go wrong.”There was a silence between us—heavy, laced with all the unspoken things I didn’t want to confront.Caleb shifted, walking further into the room. “Do you remember anything? At all?”I closed my eyes. “No… no. I—I don’t remember a damn thing. I drank too much. Blacked out after Adrian’s. I woke up to Zara beside me. Naked.”I opened my eyes. “It didn’t feel right. I didn’t feel like I… like we—”“Then don’t panic yet,” Caleb said calmly, “She could be lying. Or she could be telling the truth. Either way, you were vulnerable and she saw an opportunity.”I let ou