LOGINChapter 180: Net Worth Reese I stopped dead on the marble steps leading out to the estate grounds, the cool night air brushing against my heated skin.He just laughed, stopping in his tracks. Then he leaned in close, voice dropping to a conspiratorial murmur. “Didn’t you give her a task? She’s preparing herself to seduce Hudson.” Alex pulled me by the arm, his grip firm but brotherly. “Come on. Let’s go where we can have a little privacy.”I was still swimming in confusion as he dragged me out into the grounds. The night air wrapped around us carrying the sweet, heady fragrance of night-blooming jasmine and freshly watered roses. The fountain gurgled softly in the distance, its water sparkling under strategically placed garden lights that cast long, dancing shadows across the manicured lawns. We stopped near the rose garden, far enough from the scattered guards that their low murmurs blended into the background hum of crickets.I tugged my arm free, frowning deeply. “I admit I sen
Chapter 179: Handsome Reward Reese I don’t know why Ramsey’s innocent slip about the “footage” had me pausing mid-thought, replaying them slowly in my mind like a looping tape. Maybe it was the deep-seated knowledge of just how twisted the inhabitants of this manor truly were. Secrets festered here like mold in damp corners, poisoning everything they touched. Or maybe it was the lingering shadow of Penelope, that sick woman who had unleashed an incredibly inappropriate video of me into the world and left it flying around. Yes, flying around. I had no idea who else she’d sent it to or shown it to. That kind of vindictive move was exactly what someone as unhinged as her would do.If Ramsey had somehow stumbled upon actual footage of me with Penelope… God, I’d want to jump off the nearest cliff. That would scar the kid for life.He’d insisted it wasn’t porn—just “a footage.” But what kind of footage? The question gnawed at me, sharp and insistent.I glanced at him while the rest of
Chapter 178: A Footage Reese Alex snorted with laughter, nearly choking on his water. “If she’d stop being a hag then maybe—just maybe—someone might have a little mercy on her and show her what she's been missing.”“You’re disgusting,” Rosalie spat, her eyes shining with barely contained tears of rage.Alex raised his glass in a mock toast. “Thank you. At least I don’t lose my shit at the mention of a good head.” He grinned. “If you were a little nicer, then maybe you’d experience that. Head is good for the soul, Rosie.”I burst out laughing, the sound rolling deep from my chest. The absurdity of it all—the lavish dining hall with its untouched feast, the crystal glasses catching fractured light—made the family meltdown feel almost theatrical.“I can’t believe I’m related to you guys,” Rosalie muttered, voice trembling.“Likewise, sister,” Alex cooed sweetly.“You are all okay with this?” Rosalie pressed, gesturing wildly. “Did you all not hear what Father said? He isn’t happy!”“F
Chapter 177: A Mad Dog Reese My hand shot out, fingers wrapping firmly around Zahir’s forearm as he turned to leave. “Roman?” I asked, voice low and urgent. “My brother sent you?”He paused, turning just enough for that enigmatic smile to flash again under the golden glow of the chandeliers. His hand clasped mine in a firm, deliberate shake, skin warm and calloused. “Is that so difficult to believe?” His smile widened, revealing perfect teeth that caught the light. “Good night, Reese. We’ll meet again.”And just like that, he was gone. No second glance back. Not even toward Riley, who sat frozen with a mix of relief and lingering unease. Tariq and the guards melted out behind him, their footsteps echoing sharply against the floors before fading into the vast corridors of the manor. The heavy doors closed with a resonant thud that vibrated through my chest, leaving the dining hall feeling suddenly cavernous and exposed.Ryan was the next to rise. He didn’t spare a single look for
Chapter 176: Quite Charmed Reese “Yes,” Charlotte said, leaning forward with genuine intrigue sparkling in her eyes. “I’d like to hear all about it. Reese never struck me as the romantic type. I’m quite curious how he managed it.”I smiled to myself, already knowing exactly where Lizzie was headed. The atmosphere in this opulent dining hall was about to shift dramatically—and not in the way my father expected. The air still hummed with the remnants of Zahir’s bombshell contract and the lingering threat over our heads, but Lizzie had that glint in her eye. The one that said she was done playing defense.Lizzie smiled sweetly, her gaze sweeping slowly across the table, taking in every face. Her hand rubbed up and down my arm in absentminded affection, calming me even as chaos brewed. “Well, it was a very unusual proposal. But still the best.” She paused for dramatic effect. “We’re all adults here, aren’t we?”“Adults?” River repeated, blinking in confusion, her fork hovering over h
Chapter 175: Hit The Jackpot Reese “What does that even mean?” Ramsey asked, his voice cutting through the heavy silence like a dull knife. “Sir, so we become your children or what?”Zahir simply smiled, that wolfish grin never fading as he leaned back in his chair with the ease of a man who owned the room. “Maybe. Maybe not. That’s for me to decide.” His gaze drifted pointedly to Riley, lingering just long enough to make my blood simmer. “But one of the ladies has to take up the role of my wife. Don’t you think so, Riley?”She stared at him, horror etched across her young face, before quickly looking away. “No.”“But not to worry,” Zahir continued smoothly, waving off the tension like it was nothing more than a passing breeze. “Reginald is a capable businessman. I trust his vision. If he says this is solid, then it is solid. Just have a little faith in your old man.” He grinned wider, flashing those perfect teeth.I didn’t buy a single word. That grin was predatory, calculated. He







