LOGINDamien’s POVI parked my car at the back exit of my club, a route designed strictly for my use alone, hidden away from the usual chaos that clung to the front like a second skin. I hated the crowd, the noise, the unnecessary contact with people who thought they knew what luxury looked like, so I created distance in the only way I could afford, absolute control over my space. The club was not just a business, it was a feeding ground, a system I built carefully after opening my gallery, a place where I could stay close enough to humans to blend in yet distant enough to never be questioned. I needed both my worlds to function without collision, and this was the only arrangement that kept my existence stable.I stepped out of the car and pressed the lock button, listening to the soft beep that confirmed everything was secure before heading toward the private entrance. The hallway leading to my elevator was dimly lit, lined with abstract ar
Aethelwulf POV"What do you mean by we need to discuss something important, I just told you that I am busy?" I said with my voice slightly raised, already irritated that he was standing here disturbing me when I clearly wasn't in the mood for any form of conversation."Come on bro, let's have a bit of brotherly talk..." I ain't into hearing that. The last thing I wanted right now was whatever fake brotherly conversation he was trying to force on me."Preston, I am busy at this moment and I don't care how important whatever you need to say is, it can wait." I let out and he took a deep breath and nodded, probably his senses are screaming back to him because he could obviously tell I wasn't in a good mood and pushing me further wouldn't end well for him."Fine, so when should I come back, this is very important bro, I really need to talk to you, so give me a specific time." He requested and I didn't even know what to say. I really didn't want to entertain him at all but then if I don't g
Damien’s POVThe moment she asked what I meant, I already knew patience was something I was running out of. She stood there too close, still trying to interpret authority as conversation instead of command, and I let the silence grow long enough for her to feel it in her bones. Humans always needed spoken fear to understand danger, but silence did most of the work for me.“What did you say, sir?” she repeated again, softer this time, as if volume would change the meaning of my words. I finally lifted my gaze from the documents in front of me and looked at her fully. Not with interest, not with desire, but with the kind of cold clarity that stripped illusions away. Even her thoughts were already loud, careless, spilling in directions she didn’t realize I could hear.“Lock. The. Door.” I said again, slower this time, breaking each word down so there was no room left for confusion. My voice didn’t rise, but it pressed into the room like weight. I watched her hesitate, that small flicker
Damien's POVI walked slowly through the gallery, my polished shoes echoing softly against the marble floor as I inspected every piece displayed for tomorrow's exhibition. The building was silent except for the distant sounds of workers making final preparations in other sections of the gallery. Massive chandeliers hung from the ceiling like frozen waterfalls, their golden glow bathing the artworks in a warm light that made each piece appear almost alive. Tomorrow's exhibition was one of the biggest events of the year and I refused to allow anything less than perfection. Humans had many admirable qualities, but attention to detail was rarely one of them. That was why I preferred seeing things myself rather than relying entirely on managers and supervisors.My gaze landed on the centerpiece of the exhibition, a colossal painting that occupied nearly an entire wall. It was known as The Crimson Ascension, a fictional depiction of an ancient vampire legend. The painting showed a blood red
He couldn't look at me. His head remained bent over the table as though the weight of his guilt was too heavy for him to carry. He was too ashamed to look me in the eyes, but I honestly didn't care whether he looked at me or not. For years, I had looked into those same eyes searching for the man I fell in love with and all I ever found staring back at me was cruelty, disappointment, and anger. This was my chance to finally let everything out. Every tear I swallowed. Every sleepless night. Every bruise I hid. Every question I never got answers to. My chest tightened painfully as emotions I had buried for years clawed their way to the surface."Do you know how many nights I go to bed praying that I never wake up again?" I asked, my voice trembling despite my efforts to keep it steady."Do you know how disappointed I feel every single morning when I open my eyes and realize I'm still alive? Do you know what it feels like to dread your own
Martha's POV"I knew you would be hungry when you woke up so I decided to prepare your favourite meal for you. Go have a seat at the dining area, I would serve your food in a jiffy," he said with a wink, and for some reason it irritated me instead of making me blush.I didn’t say a word, I simply walked to the dining table and sat down, trying to ignore the strange feeling tightening in my chest because I didn’t know if I should be happy about this sudden change or afraid of it. I hated it when people pretended, it made me more anxious than anger ever did, and right now I could already feel that this was not normal, not with Jeff, not after everything that had happened, and it made my heart shift uneasily as I watched him move around the kitchen.I brought out my phone and started going through social apps while sipping the juice he had placed in front of me, but I wasn’t really seeing anything on
Martha's POVMy heart sank the moment those words left my lips, but what else could I have done? All I wanted was peace. I was not ready for another round of physical abuse. My body was already screaming from the damage he had done. If apologizing for being beaten was t
Martha's POVI walked into the house sluggishly, dragging my feet behind me as though each step weighed twice as much as it should. All I wanted right now was a quick shower and my bed. Nothing else. Today had been unbelievably long, and every part of my body seemed to be protesting against being a
Aethelwulf POV"The battle just began."His voice rang clearly in my ears, deep and cold, more like he was speaking directly into my mind rather than across a distance, the sound echoing through my skull with unnatural force. I growled at him instinctively, my eyes burning red with fury as heat spr
Aethelwulf POV"Because you're the rarest gem in the universe." She closed the distance between us and sealed our lips together. I was completely caught off guard. I wanted to pull back, I should have pulled back, but I just couldn't say no. I don't know what it is about this woman, but it isn't j







