J Sterling The Perfect Game Novels & Stories

I said coldly. Lily leaned in. Her perfume was choking. "Some details aren't on paper. What does Mr. Sterling like? His favorite vintage? His hobbies?" I looked at her desperate, greedy face. “Mr. Sterling loves the most expensive Moonlight vintage,” I said calmly. “He refuses red meat, only eats deep-sea fish. And he plays polo.” I wasn’t lying. But which vintage? What kind of fish? Where did he play polo? She never asked. "Got it." Lily scribbled furiously in her notebook. "Thanks, Aurora. By the way, you don't need to come back. Jasper says your presence hurts pack morale."

"Calm down? Calm down?! You told me you were done with her! " "I know, but—" "Do you still love her? Is that it? You're crawling back to that pathetic little orphan?" I sat perfectly still. Keep her close. Until we figure out what to do. Of course. Of course it was all a game. Of course the tears and the tender words meant nothing. I almost laughed at myself. Almost. "We'll talk about this later," Sterling hissed into the phone. "I can't do this right now." "You'd better come see me. Tonight. Or I swear to God, Sterling—"

"Not really. What’s up?" "Got something you need to hear. Now." I exchange a look with Bill, then press the phone closer to my ear. "Go ahead." James exhales, then lowers his voice. "Sterling’s not gone. He’s not backing off. He’s just changing tactics." A pit settles in my stomach. "What does that mean?" "Means he’s playing the long game." Bill leans forward, his face tight. I put the call on speaker. "Explain," I say.

"Do you know what I see when I look at you, Julia?" I shook my head, my throat dry. "Fear. Desire. Guilt. And a desperate need to survive." His voice dropped, low and dangerous, almost intimate. "You're fascinating… and infuriating." I wanted to deny it. I wanted to walk away. But instead, I felt heat rising in my chest, my body betraying me. "I'm here to do a job, Mr. Sterling. Nothing else." He laughed softly, a sound that sent shivers down my spine. "A job? Oh, Miss Hartley, this is more than a job. This… this is a game. And in my games, mistakes are punished."

“A man like that stays to watch the fire.” A slow, rhythmic clapping echoed from the hallway. Counselor Sterling stepped into the light. He was disgusting in his perfection—his suit unwrinkled, his posture arrogant. Two cleaners flanked him, their submachine guns leveled. “Well,” Sterling said, his voice smooth as silk. “This has been a remarkably resilient family reunion.” Marcus raised his weapon, but Sterling didn't blink. He looked at the sisters standing on the stairs above him. “I must admit, the ‘Two Marias’ turned out to be more than a marketing gimmick. I underestimated the biological drive to survive.”

I couldn’t afford to give Cassian a single hint. I flicked my gaze toward Cassian, heart hammering, but he wasn’t watching. He was distracted, his attention elsewhere, and relief washed over me. “Is the person here?” the game master teased, leaning forward, milking the tension. Sterling’s smirk deepened, dangerous, knowing. “I’m not answering questions that aren’t on the card.” Laughter rippled. The MC clapped him on the back. “Clever.” But I could still feel Sterling’s eyes on me, hot and relentless, even as the game moved on.

Sterling. Julian Sterling was thirty years old. He wasn't an "old" man, but he had a power that the boys at her college didn't have. He didn't play video games or wear baggy hoodies. He wore suits that cost more than Lila’s tuition. He had dark hair that was perfectly cut and eyes that looked like they knew every secret she was hiding. He was a man in his prime, and for the last three weeks, Lila had spent every day imagining what those large, tanned hands would feel like on her skin. "He's ready for you, Lila," the receptionist said, her voice snapping Lila out of her daze.

Eric pressed his lips, suppressing his lips to curve a naughty smile. “You’d really wake up aunt and uncle from their grave, Gianna,” Stella glared at her, shaking her head. She peeked at Ben in the living room. He said he would join later after helping Ivana and Jules with their homework. He also made Sean and Bree busy with the condition that he could only play his gadget after finishing his workbook, and as for Bree, she could only paint if she was done with hers as well. They all settled down on the chair while I stayed beside Tara, sitting on the edge of the bed.

And that was why I nodded my head at her and allowed myself to be blind for one more day, to pretend like everything was alright between us, to pretend like I still had a chance with her. When we all seated to have a meal before the games night was started, my phone started to ring. I glanced to see who is calling and saw Stella’s name flashed across the screen and without a second hesitation I picked her call only to hear her frantic voice as she tried to go a mile in a minute “Calm down and tell me what happened.“ I said quietly as I nodded to Femi and Tomi and started moving towards the door quickly and the phone still pressed against my ear.

After all of the preparations, now is the day that we are waiting for the announcement of our engagement and our company’s anniversary celebration. All the guests are waiting for us to show up on the stage. Shane looks so gorgeous and sexy in her light pink dress while I’m wearing one too that matches with her. She smiled so sweetly at me when I offered my hand to escort her down the stairs when the Mc called our names.