Prologue

If I wanted to survive I had to do it again… To keep the gnawing emptiness at bay, to find a sliver of warmth in the perpetual chill of the alleyways, I had to be fast, invisible, and utterly ruthless. The memory of my last meal—a stale crust shared with a stray cat—was a sharp goad in my side. Today, I wouldn't eat crumbs; I'd eat well. So when my tired eyes spot a rich-looking man from behind with his wallet sticking out of his expensive coat, I took a chance. He looked like the kind of person who wouldn't notice a missing wallet until he was comfortably settled in a high-backed chair, ordering a vintage brandy. Perfect. I slipped from the shadows like a ghost, my practiced movements silent and quick. My fingers brushed the buttery leather of the coat, a texture miles removed from the threadbare rags I wore, and closed them around the thick wallet. Success. I began to retreat and melt back into the crowd heartbeat away from freedom when... Just as I felt the asphalt of the alley

Last Updated : 2025-10-30

The pain is a grinding, hollow ache, but it's the hunger that is truly the worst. It claws at my stomach, making every frantic breath shallow and sharp. But I can't stop. I have to keep going, keep putting distance between myself and that crumbling prison—the place I once called "home." Now, it's just The Dubois Orphanage, a name that tastes like ash. Now, it's Hell. I am running from hell at all costs, escaping the devil in the guise of Mr. Dubois. Last night, the sick old man finally crossed the line. His dirty paws. The thought alone sends a wave of revulsion so strong I have to spit on the pavement just to clear the taste. My eighteenth birthday wasn't a celebration; it was the trigger for a nightmare. "It's your birthday, Manda, let me give you your present!" he'd husked, and then his hands were on me, violating the secret places my mother had warned me to protect. I fought him off, fueled by adrenaline and utter disgust, and now I'm here: Amanda, newly eighteen, and officially

Last Updated : 2025-10-30

We didn't wait. Dylan, as the de facto second-in-command, barked orders for everyone to scatter and regroup later. The kids dispersed instantly, dissolving into the back alleys in pairs and small groups. Dylan motioned for me to stick with him, and I agreed immediately. He seemed competent, and besides, I had nowhere else to go. We slipped out the back just as the first sirens wailed outside. Running down a narrow alley, we burst onto the street—and froze. Right in front of us, police cars lined the curb, and in the backseat of one of them, I saw him, Brandon. He was shouting through the locked window, pointing frantically for us to run and not worry about him. We pounded on the windows uselessly for a minute, our panic rising. Finally, Dylan grabbed my arm, his grip hard, and dragged me away. "We have to go! Now!" We ran until the blue flashing lights were just a distant memory. Hours later, after wandering until our legs ached, Dylan managed to get us some food—a meager, greasy

Last Updated : 2025-10-30

The streets were cold and cruel. The police was a cage. The man in front of me was a terrifying, unpredictable mystery, but he was offering warmth, food, and some kind of purpose—a chance to stop surviving and start living. I looked at his expectant eyes. I slowly released the wallet, letting it clatter to the ground. My hand trembled slightly as i took the snow-white glove from him. The gesture of acceptance, simple as it was, felt heavier than the weight of the gold-filled wallet I had just dropped on the stones. It was an exchange of freedom for fate. I looked straight up into the man's dark, penetrating eyes. They held no judgment, only an unnerving calculation. He was offering me a new cage, yes, but one gilded with comfort and purpose—a place where the hollow ache of hunger wouldn't be the master of my days. “The street is done,” i rasped, the words scratching in my dry throat. “I take your proposition.” A fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of satisfaction touched the c

Last Updated : 2025-10-30

A shaft of sunlight, piercing through a gap in the heavy curtains, stabs at my eyes. Groaning, I roll over, trying to burrow deeper into the plush duvet, but the events of the previous day rush back, dragging me fully awake. Keith. The offer. The sheer improbability of it all. I quickly get up, make my bed – smoothing the crisp linen sheets with a lingering touch, still marveling at the sheer luxury – and go to the bathroom to freshen up. The bathroom is an oasis of marble and chrome, a stark contrast to the dingy communal facilities I’d grown accustomed to in the orphanage. I run cold water over my face, trying to scrub away the last vestiges of sleep and the lingering anxiety that gnaws at me. Afterwards, I go downstairs to the dining room in search of breakfast. The house is silent, save for the faint clatter of silverware coming from the open doorway. Hesitantly, I step inside. Keith is seated at the head of a long, polished mahogany table, a newspaper spread before him. He loo

Last Updated : 2025-11-01

The kiss steals my breath, my thoughts, my very sense of reality. Keith's lips are firm yet gentle, demanding yet coaxing, and I find myself melting into him despite every warning bell clanging in my head. His hand cups the back of my neck, fingers threading through my hair, and I'm drowning in sensations I've never experienced before. The faint scent of his cologne – something expensive and masculine – the warmth radiating from his body, the way his thumb traces lazy circles against my skin. When he finally pulls back, I'm gasping, my lips tingling, my heart hammering so hard I'm certain he can hear it. My eyes flutter open to find him watching me with an intensity that makes my stomach flip. "W-what was that?" I stammer, my hand instinctively flying to my lips, as if I can still feel the ghost of his kiss there. "A distraction," he says simply, though there's a glint of something darker, more primal in his eyes. "You were spiraling, jumping to conclusions. I needed you to stop

Last Updated : 2025-11-06

All Chapters of Heels & Handcuffs - Club Gold Trilogy: Chapter 1 - Chapter 6

Prologue

1.

2.

3.

4.

5