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Blood Money

Author: Sheedah writes
last update publish date: 2026-05-09 13:58:23

I stood quietly in the doorway of the therapy room, arms wrapped around my waist like I was trying to hold myself together. David was on the exercise machine, his face twisted with effort as the physical therapist moved his legs through another set of slow repetitions. His breathing was labored, each exhale sounding painful. Sweat glistened on his forehead and neck. He looked exactly like the man I had spent the last ten years devoting my life to fragile, determined, and quietly suffering.

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  • Craving Their Touch    The Legal Fallout

    Julian arrived at Sterling Estate just after dawn, looking like he had not slept in days. His collar was unbuttoned, his eyes shadowed, and he carried a thick folder of documents that he dropped onto the library desk with a heavy thud."Tell me how bad it is," I said."It is bad. But it is not fatal. Not yet." He sat down heavily and opened the folder. "Sophia's testimony can now be challenged. The immunity deal she signed was contingent on full disclosure of her involvement with David's network. Irene Voss's documents prove Sophia did not fully disclose. Alexander's lawyers are already filing motions to reopen the board vote on the grounds that Sophia's testimony was tainted.""Can they succeed?""They can make enough noise to cause serious problems. The board is still fragile after the last coup. If enough members lose confidence, they could call for another vote. And this time, Alexander will not

  • Craving Their Touch    The Confrontation

    I went to the lake house alone.The morning was gray and cold, the frozen water stretching toward the treeline like a sheet of dirty glass. Spring was still weeks away. The ice had begun to crack along the edges, dark fissures spreading like veins beneath the surface. I parked the car and walked up the gravel path to the deck where Sophia sat wrapped in a wool blanket, her feet pulled up beneath her, staring at nothing.She did not turn when she heard my footsteps. She knew why I was there."Irene Voss," I said. "She worked with you and David in the early years. She has documents, Sophia. Emails. Financial records. A sworn statement claiming you helped him set up the offshore accounts willingly. Not as a hostage. As a partner.""I know." Her voice was barely a whisper, scraped raw by hours of crying. "I saw the headlines this morning.""You told me you were forced. You told me yo

  • Craving Their Touch    Sophia's Secret Surfaces

    The story broke on a Friday morning, and by noon, every major news outlet in the city was running it.I was in my office at Sterling Tower when Harold called. His voice was tight, the way it got when something had gone very wrong and he was trying not to alarm me before I knew the details. "Miss Sterling, you need to see the morning edition of the Financial Journal. And the City Herald. And the broadcast on Channel Four.""I am on my way to a board meeting, Harold. Can it wait?""No, miss. It cannot."I sent Helena Vance a quick message postponing the meeting and pulled up the news on my tablet. The headline hit me like a physical blow.Sophia the Survivor or Sophia the Accomplice? New Witness Claims Sterling Whistleblower Helped Build David Miller's Criminal Empire.Below the headline was a photograph of Sophia. Not the composed, determined woman who had tes

  • Craving Their Touch    The Journalist's Murder

    The news broke on a Tuesday morning.I was in the library at Sterling Estate, reviewing the latest intelligence Julian had gathered on Alexander's holdings, when Harold appeared in the doorway. His face was gray. His hands, usually so steady, were trembling slightly against the silver tray he carried."Miss Sterling," he said. "There is something you need to see."He set the tablet on the desk. The screen displayed a news article from one of the major outlets. The headline made my blood run cold.Investigative Journalist Found Dead in Apartment. Police Rule Homicide.Below the headline was a photograph of Daniel Cross. The same tired eyes I had looked into at the coffee shop. The same ink-stained fingers that had pushed the folder of Argos Holdings documents across the table. The same hollow cheeks that had suggested a man who had been working too hard for too long.

  • Craving Their Touch    The Refusal

    The dining room was silent except for the soft clink of silver against porcelain. I had not touched my plate in ten minutes. The food was exquisite, but my appetite had vanished the moment Alexander made his offer.He watched me from the head of the table, his dark eyes patient and unblinking. He had not pushed. He had not threatened again. He had simply laid out his terms and waited, letting the weight of his words settle over the room like a slow-moving fog.My father sat rigid and gray-faced across from me. Marcus was a coiled spring at my side, his hand resting on my thigh beneath the table, his jaw tight enough to crack teeth. Neither of them spoke. This was my answer to give.I set down my fork. The sound was too loud in the quiet room."I have spent ten years being told what to do by men who believed they owned me," I said. "David told me I was worthless. He told me I was a joke. He told me I

  • Craving Their Touch    The Meeting

    The estate was not what I expected.Alexander Vane's home was not a fortress. It was not a bunker hidden behind barbed wire and security cameras, the kind of place a man like David would have built. It was beautiful. A sprawling modern mansion of glass and steel, perched on a hillside overlooking the river valley. The architecture was clean and deliberate, every line intentional, every window placed to capture the view. It was the home of a man who had nothing to hide. Or a man who wanted you to believe he had nothing to hide.The gates opened as our convoy approached. No guards. No questions. Just the slow, silent swing of iron and the long curve of the driveway leading up to the main entrance. The security team fanned out around the perimeter, but Marcus stayed close to me. Arthur walked on my other side. His face was pale, but his steps were steady.A butler met us at the door. Tall. Impeccable. Expressionless. "Miss

  • Craving Their Touch    The broadcasting

    The morning light crept through the curtains slowly, pale and gray. I had not moved from Marcus's side all night. His bandaged hand still rested on mine, and his breathing had finally evened out around dawn. The bruise on his jaw had deepened to a dark purple, but the bleeding had stopped. He loo

  • Craving Their Touch    Anchor

    The knock on my door came at half past midnight.I was still awake. Sleep had become a stranger lately, visiting in fragments and leaving before dawn. The Sterling Estate was quiet at this hour, the staff retired to their quarters, the hallways dim

  • Craving Their Touch    The Breaking Point

    Marcus' POVI never thought I would hate the sound of my own name. But when David said it, the way he always said it, like he owned me, like I owed him something unpayable, I felt my fists clench before I could stop them."Marcus. S

  • Craving Their Touch    The Dinner Invitation

    Three days after David's desperate phone call, an envelope arrived at Sterling Estate.It was hand-delivered, not mailed. Heavy cream paper with my name written across the front in handwriting I recognized immediately. David's handwriting. The same sharp, angular script that had scrawled "Useful if

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