Back Rooms Novels & Stories

Ariana Vance agrees to a paper marriage to Damon Sterling — the ruthless, untouchable billionaire — to save her family’s collapsing empire. The deal is simple: two years as his perfect, obedient wife, then a quiet divorce. No feelings. No expectations. No love. But Damon isn’t the cold, heartless man the world sees. Behind his icy armor lies a man scarred by loneliness and burdened by a dangerous legacy. As Ariana slowly unravels the layers of the man beneath the mask, the line between pretense and reality begins to blur. Late-night conversations, quiet glances, and moments of unexpected tenderness awaken something in both of them — a connection neither can deny, nor afford to keep. Ju

Whichever brother had given her that particular quality, the quick, generous smile that could charm even the sternest customer, I had never once managed to place with certainty, though something in Wren's easy laughter sometimes reminded me sharply of a truck ride through empty country roads and a voice telling me we had moved past insane into something closer to right. The voice carried clearly through the thin wall separating the front counter from the back room, polite, measured, entirely unremarkable except for the particular careful neutrality I had learned across these past years to recognize instantly as danger. I moved fast and silent, gathering Wren against my chest, and lowered us

Wait here for me, I'll be back" he instructed and left. He arrived and went towards the door at the other end of hallway. He pushed it opened and led the way into the dark room. He flipped the light switch on and I looked around the grande space. It was very familiar to the ancient libraries; ceiling length shelves filled with a lot of books, opposite the shelf at the other end of the room contained a cabinet that was constructed from glass and had a lot of weapons, dangerous weapons if I may add locked up in them which only fueled my curiosity about who Riccardo was.

she whines. "Okay, okay. If you have any other problems, feel free to call." With the close of the door, exits her sigh. Looking sideways, what she sees is light blue.

The thought made my hand shake, and the cake fork slipped from my fingers, clattering to the floor. I was about to pick it up, but Jerry was already on his way out. "Pack business came up. I'll drive you another time," he said, then he was gone. Alone, I headed to the clinic on crutches. Somehow, I felt all those eyes on me, heavy with pity. On my way to the medication room to grab some medication, I overheard whispers from inside.

The back door. I walked down the narrow, gravel alleyway, my heels crunching in the silence. As I rounded the corner, I froze. The back lot wasn't empty. There were four or five high-end cars parked there—black SUVs with tinted windows and a sleek Italian sports car that looked like it cost a fortune. I wondered what went on in this place at night. This wasn't just a sex shop; it was a front for something much deeper, much more exclusive. I was totally sure of that.

Though I let him take me home, it was a surprisingly silent journey, as opposed to when he persistently tried to come up with things to talk about. But this was fine too, as it afforded me some peace and quiet. Just as I was about to return to my room, Mark asked behind me, "You're not actually working overtime, are you?" "Nope," I admitted. Misery showed in his eyes. "I've actually seen you going to the library every day after work and returning to your office at eight when I come to pick you up… because I would go to your office an hour earlier to wait." I remained completely unaffected despite Mark's obvious misery, while his eyes were getting teary because my coldness hurt him.

I slipped out of the theater before the movie even ended. After making sure no one was following me, I wandered around until nightfall before finally taking the bus home. On the road leading back to Briarwood Manor, I suddenly noticed a long shadow stretched across the ground. Nathaniel was smoking under the moonlight, his face hidden in the dark. I turned on my heel and headed straight for the Brown residence. As soon as I pushed the door open, I saw Catherine flaunting the things she'd gotten with him that day.

Mandy didn't hesitate, quickly occupying the largest guest room right beside the master bedroom. Following that, piles of luxury packaging boxes frequently littered the living room. A designer bag today, a pair of limited-edition high heels tomorrow, and a set of high-end skincare products ordered the day after. Every time it came to payment, she would smile and say to Heidi. "Mr. Tucker will be a big shot in the future. This bit of money is nothing." Meanwhile, Harrison was being driven insane by debt collection calls. Overdue credit card reminders popped up one after another, and the banks continuously pressured him for repayment.

She was preparing to deliver her final killing blow, urging the courts to make an example of me, the social degenerate. Then it happened. The giant screen behind her flickered. Without warning, the giant LCD screen behind her flickered and changed. Her tear-streaked face disappeared from the screen. A black player interface took its place. Moments later, a crystal-clear audio recording blared through the speakers, reaching every corner of the hall and every livestream. The voices in the recording belonged to two people.