LOGIN“Julia has always been skinny.” He chuckled lightly. “I wish she’d add some flesh. Men like women with a little meat on their bones, you know.”Heat crawled up my neck.“As an African man,” he added casually, “I’ve always appreciated chubby women. They’re the best.” He paused, his gaze drifting over me. “Can you encourage her to put on some weight? Hitting bones can be very off-putting. Especially the sagging skin… Your skin are tight and plump. Your tanned skin is nice too. Are you by any chance mixed?”“I… I don’t know.”I wrapped my arms tighter around myself, as if I could shield my body from his stare.*Is he drunk?*How could he speak like this to a stranger? Insulting his own wife’s body while she slept upstairs?Before he could say anything else, I cut in. “I… I really need to use the bathroom, do you mind giving me some privacy?” I mumbled.He seemed to notice my discomfort at last and gave a small nod. “That’s all right. I’ll leave.”"Thank you".He headed for the door, the
I wished I hadn’t left the phone he’d bought me back at the suite. If I still had it, I would have called him right now and unleashed every curse I could think of. I hadn’t lashed out earlier—I’d been too shocked, too numb. Instead, I had pretended I didn’t care.But now the anger boiled over.I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to hit him. I wanted him to feel even a fraction of this agony.I shot to my feet, grabbed the pillow, and slammed it against the edge of the bed again and again. I punched and beat it with every ounce of fury I possessed, my breaths tearing out in ragged gasps.When I finally stopped, my chest was heaving, my face wet with tears, strands of hair clinging to my damp skin. A loud, broken sob tore from my throat.“Why, Tarzan?” I whispered hoarsely to the empty room. “Why did you try so hard to win a ‘yes’ from me, only to do this? Was it really just the chase? Maybe I’m too old for these games.” My voice cracked. “I hate you… I fucking hate you.”I collapsed on
LENA'S POV After dinner, the house settled into a deep, peaceful silence. Julia and her family had long since gone to bed, but sleep refused to claim me. I lay in the guest room, tossing and turning, my mind a relentless storm. Hot tears soaked the pillow beneath my cheek, turning the fabric cold and clammy against my skin. I told myself I wouldn’t cry, I thought bitterly. I had done so well all evening—smiling through dinner, laughing at Julia’s jokes, helping clear the table like a woman who had her life perfectly together. But the moment the house grew quiet and the lights dimmed, everything I’d been holding back crashed over me like a tidal wave. All the pain I had pushed aside came rushing back, heavier than before. My chest ached so fiercely it felt like a physical wound. I sniffled and sat up, unable to stay in that bed any longer. Slipping out from under the covers, I pressed my bare feet against the cool floor and slid down to sit against the side of the mattress. I drew
“You killed my best friend!” Ricardo thundered. “The least I could do was take his son in and raise him as my own.” “Your best friend?” Andres let out a high-pitched, unhinged laugh, wiping furiously at his nose. “He was gonna turn you in anyway. I did you a fucking favor! If he’d lived, you’d be rotting in a federal cell right now. I handled that shit. Me. Your son.” Ricardo’s voice dropped to a dangerous low. “No. You acted out of childishness and recklessness—giving orders that directly contradicted mine. You murdered my good friend and his wife. He wasn’t a bad man. Of course he would have turned me in, even if I was his best friend. I had plans… and I was ready to disappear without bloodshed.” He paused, jaw tight. “He saved my life once. I promised him I would do better. And now you—my own son—ended his. Not only that, you killed his wife too… then mocked his death by wearing his fucking cologne.” Andres threw his head back and laughed louder, the sound jagged and manic
AUTHOR'S POVThe heavy iron gates of Ricardo’s estate exploded inward with a deafening crash.A convoy of armored vehicles stormed into the courtyard, tires screeching across the ancient stone. At the command given to them, the armed soldiers guarding the gates poured out, weapons raised, swiftly surrounding the mansion.A uniformed man stepped out of the lead vehicle and opened the rear door of the white armored car positioned in the center of the convoy.Andres emerged with a wide, manic grin, a thick cigar clenched between his teeth. He pulled the cigar free, closed his eyes, and drew in a deep, theatrical breath.“Smells like home,” he murmured, then took a bold step forward.The tall glass doors of the mansion flew open. Andres and his armed men rushed inside.Ricardo’s guards immediately pivoted, pointing their weapons at the intruders. Both sides froze in a tense standoff, guns trained on one another.Andres kept walking, his eyes wild and steps unsteady. He sniffed hard and ru
After a quick shower, I changed into a simple pair of jeans and an oversized T-shirt Julia had lent me. Feeling refreshed, I stepped out of the guest room and into the hallway.The moment I reached the stairs, the front door swung open.A tall, broad-shouldered man walked in carrying several grocery bags. I froze mid-step. He stopped just as abruptly, clearly surprised to find a stranger standing in his house. For a tense second, neither of us spoke.I forced a polite smile. “Good afternoon.”He gave a small nod. “Yeah? Em… where’s my wife?” His voice was deep, with a slight accent I couldn’t quite place.“She’s in the kitchen. I’m… Lena. A friend of Julia’s.”His eyes lingered on me a moment longer than necessary. His expression remained unreadable, but something about his gaze made my stomach tighten. He didn’t seem pleased.Before the silence could grow more uncomfortable, Julia appeared from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a dish towel.“Honey, you’re home!” She hurried over, sli
I had my hands around a knife before I even realized it. It was like the world went red. I don’t remember crossing the kitchen, I grabbed the man’s shoulder and spun him around.However, his fist hit my jaw hard before I could even raise the knife. The impact nearly knocked me out. Another blow
MITCH'S POV I got back home from work, my body heavy and my head dizzy. I hadn’t eaten a proper meal since yesterday afternoon; I’d completely lost my appetite. I scoffed under my breath. It was hard to believe Lena had her phone all day and still hadn’t bothered to call me. I’d stupidly staye
"Lena, you are crying.." His voice came softly through the darkness. I held my breath. How could he have heard me? I had been so careful. "Thinking about him? I told you I’ll take you back home tomorrow. I won’t hold you against your will. You should rest. It’s been a rough day for you." He sp
Something poked me, and I knew exactly what it was.“No… this is not not supposed to… happen… I… I didn’t mean…I…”“Lena…”He breathed hotly against my skin.“Please let me go!” I snapped.His hands dropped from my body instantly. I scrambled off him so fast I nearly fell again.I stood there brea







