All Chapters of The Angel's Den: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Wilhemina-“Holy shit…”I leaned back in my chair, iced latte in hand, watching the launch video for probably the fifteenth time. The livestream had aired the previous Saturday. Millions of people tuned in. The countdown had barely reached zero before the screen exploded into color.CENTRAL-BAY'S ANNUAL MUSICAL FESTIVALThen the words disappeared.THIS YEAR…A pause.PREPARE FOR AN ADVENTURE.The promotional video swept through digital renderings of enormous themed worlds, interactive stages, elaborate food villages, floating lights and immersive attractions before finally revealing the theme.ADVENTURES IN MUSICLANDThe internet had lost its collective fucking mind.The festival would run for two days—Friday and Saturday—with each section designed around a different musical experience. Pop. R&B. Jazz. Rock. Classical. Country. Latin. Hip-hop. Even an entire fantasy-inspired area where live orchestras would perform cinematic arrangements beneath thousands of suspended lights.Then cam

Chapter 13: The Musical Festival (Part 3)Wilhemina-Me: I'm heading home now.I stared at the message for another second before locking my phone.No response...of course. I tossed it onto the passenger seat and turned my attention back toward the road. He was probably with Yazmin.Honestly, I didn't know why I'd bothered texting him. Courtesy, perhaps. Habit. Some leftover piece of the dutiful wife I'd spent three years becoming.Whatever.I wasn't expecting him to be waiting for me. Which was why I nearly stopped walking when George opened the front door.“Good evening, Mrs. Saldini.”“Evening, George.”He accepted my coat.“Mr. Saldini is home.”My brows rose.“Emilio?”“Yes, ma'am.”Interesting. I headed upstairs, showered and changed into a comfortable silk lounge set. I'd barely finished brushing my hair when a knock sounded.“Come in.”The door opened.Emilio.“Hey.”I stared at him through the mirror.“Hey.”His hands disappeared into his pockets.“Dinner's ready.”“Okay.”That

Wilhemina-By the time I left the festival grounds, it was well after midnight.I should've been exhausted. Technically, I was exhausted. My feet hurt. My throat was sore. My body felt like it had been operating on adrenaline and champagne for the past forty-eight hours.Still, I drove straight toward The Angel's Den. Angel had insisted.Angel: I don't care how late it is. Come to me.So I did. I drove myself instead of using the family driver. The last thing I needed was someone reporting back to Emilio where I'd gone.Speaking of my darling husband… Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. My phone hadn't stopped since I left.Emilio: Where are you going?Emilio: Wilhemina, answer me.Emilio: You're being childish.Childish. I laughed bitterly. Another message.Emilio: The way you spoke to Yazmin was completely unnecessary. She was humiliated.Oh, boo-fucking-hoo.Apparently, Yazmin had nearly passed out from embarrassment after being forced to call another man's wife Mrs. Saldini. She didn't die though..

Azrael-I should've known she was going to wreck my fucking life the moment I saw her.Maybe I did. I just hadn't understood why.The first night Wilhemina walked into The Angel's Den, I was upstairs in my office reviewing documents when movement on one of the security monitors caught my attention.A woman had entered.Small. Couldn't have been more than five-foot-three without the heels that pushed her closer to five-seven.My pen stopped.She wore a little black cocktail dress. Nothing particularly scandalous by Den standards. Hell, compared to half the women downstairs, she was practically overdressed.Yet somehow…she made that dress look like sin. I leaned back. Interesting. But it wasn't her body that kept my attention. It was her face. Even with her mask on...I could tell she was gorgeous. She kept looking around. Lost. Intrigued. Nervous.And beneath all three…desperate.Not desperate for attention. Desperate for something she couldn't name. I'd owned the Den long enough to reco

Wilhemina-“Emilio, you son of a bitch.”George remained silent. I stared toward the staircase, anger boiling hotter with every second. Of course. Of fucking course Emilio would find someone else to blame.“Tell me exactly what happened.”George hesitated before sitting straighter.“The morning after you left, Mr. Saldini called me into the breakfast room. He asked who had cleaned the master suite before you returned.”My jaw tightened.“I told him Mary had been assigned to the room.”“And he fired her?”“Not immediately. He ordered me to bring her to him. Mary explained that she'd changed the linens that morning and found nothing unusual. She was extremely confused.”Because there hadn't been anything there. Those panties hadn't accidentally survived housekeeping. Yazmin had left them intentionally.“And Emilio?”“Accused her of negligence. He said whether she'd seen them or not, it was her responsibility to ensure the room was properly cleaned.”My mouth fell open.“You cannot be ser