Chapter 69 I’m having the best of freaking life, when I come to, mattress is sooo freaking soft I never want to get up, Not the one in my bedroom soft that I’ve gotten used to, but deep and warm, like it’s been holding heat all night. The air smells

Chapter 68 Her foot catches slightly on the stone path and she stumbles, not enough to fall, but enough that her body tilts sideways. “Elaine,” I warn. She wobbles again and I’m moving before she hits the ground. My hand catches her arm, the other going to her waist, pulling

Chapter 67 Her door is closed when I get there so I knock once and gently, like the very gentle man I am. When there’s no answer, open it anyway only to find her room empty, I check the bathroom next just to find it empty too. My jaw tightens.

Chapter 66 “He doesn’t like being challenged,” Aaron says. “Especially in front of other men p> I look down at my hands only to see my fingers are still shaking He stands carefully and rolls his sleeve back down. “You don’t owe me an apology,” he adds. “You didn’t pull

Chapter 65 “Get up,” Zane orders. Aaron hesitates, just for a beat. “I said get the fuck up p> Aaron plants his good hand on the floor and pushes himself to his feet. He sways slightly but straightens, pain clearly something he’s forcing down. Zane’s arm tightens around me. “Have

Chapter 64 I know Zane is home the second I turn into the driveway. His car is parked exactly where it always is when he is home. My grip tightens on the steering wheel. “Of course,” I mutter. “Of course you are home p> The engine clicks as I turn

Chapter 63 By the time I pull up outside Lucas’s place, my stomach is already tight. Not because I’m nervous to see them or anything like that but because Noah texted earlier that he was cooking. I sit in the car for a moment, keys still in my hand, staring

Chapter 62 I wake up sore, I gues getting choked two nights in a row does that to someone. My neck is sore, more like the ache that settles into your muscles after a bad fall or a long night you didn’t sleep through properly. My neck feels tight when

Chapter 61 I toss it into his lap like it’s contaminated, because well it is, with his stupid cum “Ugh. You are so disgusting p> He rolls his eyes, then folds the handkerchief carefully into a neat square and slips it back into his pocket. “It’s a joke, Elaine p>

Chapter 60 The moment he gets closer, I know. Not because of his face. Not even because of the way he’s looking at me. It’s the feeling and that scent of his, it’s been printed into my brain since the incident happened. The one that crawls up my spine and

Chapter 59 By the time I’m done dressing, my phone is already buzzing on the bed. Claire’s name lights up the screen, yes I saved it this time after the call. “I’m outside,” she says when I answer. “Hurry before I lose my parking spot p> “I’m coming,” I say,

Chapter 58 I shouldn’t go looking. I know that but I stand and leave the kitchen anyway. The noise leads me down a corridor I haven’t fully explored yet. The bar room is dimly lit, just one lamp on, casting a warm glow across dark wood and glass shelves. Zane

Chapter 57 Margaret doesn’t leave the dining room. She comes back in carrying a small plate, something simple she must have forgotten the first time. Bread and butter, her movements are slower now, cautious in a way they weren’t before. I’m halfway through standing when she stops beside me. “Elaine,”

Chapter 56 I wake up slowly my body sore and tired. Every movement hurts, My throat aches first, a dull soreness that makes me swallow carefully… I guess Zane chocked my harder than I thought he did. My shoulders follow, then my back, then the faint sting in my palm

Chapter 55 Elaine’s POV The car barely stops before I’m reaching for the handle. I don’t wait for him to step out or open any car door for me, not like I expect it from him, he isn’t a gentleman. I step out into the night air, heels hitting the

Chapter 54 Elaine’s POV By the time the music fades and Zane releases my waist, my smile feels glued on, my cheeks ache from holding it for so long. My pulse is still doing something stupid in my throat, but I refuse to let him see that. I step back

Chapter 53 Zane’s POV. Donald leaves the balcony first. He claps a hand on my shoulder, gives me that knowing look I’ve hated since we were teenagers, and says, “Don’t try to be too hard on yourself, give yourself a break and maybe you can experience and explore something great

Chapter 52 Elaine’s POV. Zane disappears sometime after most of the formalities end. He just slips away, jacket in hand, murmuring something to some man equally as tall as him. They head toward the balcony doors together, and before I can even think about whether I care, they’re gone. I

Chapter 51 “No,” Elaine cuts in. Her voice is steady, but there’s heat under it. “You don’t get to ’dear’ me five minutes after discussing my uterus like it’s a business asset p> A few heads turn nearby. I feel her pulse hammering where my hand rests on her waist.

Chapter 50 Unfortunately for her, I can’t allow it. Part of my plan involves isolating her, Keeping her dependent. Cutting off unnecessary connections, including my own circle unless required. David knight does not get access to my wife. She lifts a glass of water, takes a sip, then runs her