Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 87996 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 440(@200wpm)___ 352(@250wpm)___ 293(@300wpm)
He was dressed for the office, but something was different. His usually impeccable suit was wrinkled, and his hair was a mess. Even his eyes looked red and bloodshot, and his skin seemed a bit gray.
I didn’t even try to hide my satisfaction from Olivia.
I ran the backs of my knuckles over the soft skin of her neck as I pushed her hair over her shoulder to expose the delicate whorls of her ear. I leaned in to whisper cruelly, “It looks like your brother hasn’t been sleeping well. Do you think it’s his new wife’s pussy keeping him up, or is he worried about you?”
She smelled so good, clean and fresh. Even though I knew she didn’t want to be on my lap, her body still fit perfectly into mine, like she was made for me.
The breeze coming from the open water was chilly, so I pulled her tighter into me, trying to shield her body from the cold, despite how her back stiffened against my touch.
The plan said I was supposed to give her back at the end of all this, but I didn’t want to.
I wanted to hold on to her, keep her by my side and in my bed. I shook those thoughts from my mind and refocused on the woman in my lap.
She stared at the screen, her lower lip trembling.
“Why are you doing this to me?” she sniffled. “I don’t understand.”
“Shh, watch the show,” I whispered. “I’ll explain more after.”
Luc picked up the photo I had printed for him.
As much as I regretted sending the texts, I knew I had no choice but to follow through with my plan. Regrets were for the weak. You didn’t build and protect a kingdom by worrying about the feelings of the pawns sacrificed in the strategic power game that was empire building.
I had to keep reminding myself, Olivia was a pawn to be used and sacrificed.
Nothing more.
Perhaps when all this was over ...
No. It was pointless even thinking it.
A moving army always burned the bridge behind them when at war.
The photo was one of Olivia, topless, with white powder spread under her nose and her red lips wrapped around the tentacle dildo. Her eyes were staring straight into the camera.
On the photo, I’d written a simple message. “Do you think you can save her before I ruin her?”
Luc’s face went red, and he threw the photo back down on the bed facing the hidden camera.
Olivia gasped in my arms and started shaking.
“Why,” she sobbed, tears spilling down her beautiful face. She tilted her chin down to let her hair cover her face, but I brushed it back again and caressed her wet cheek.
“Don’t worry, princess. None of it is real. It’s all an illusion.”
“What?” She looked into my eyes, her brow furrowing.
“Don’t you see this isn’t real? None of it is real, not for you. This is all just an illusion.”
“How is this an illusion? You kidnapped me, punished me, took my innocence, and then you made me ...” Her words trailed off as her gaze lowered and her cheeks heated.
“I made you what?” I probed as my thumb rubbed her earlobe.
“You showed my brother a photo of me that makes me look like a strung-out coke whore.”
“Yes, exactly.” I nodded. “I made you look like a drugged-up coke whore. But you aren’t one. You have never been high, and the only cock you have ever taken is mine.”
Or will take, I silently finished, unsure how I felt about the unwanted possessive thought.
“But ...”
“What your brother did to me? That was real. It started as an illusion when he made it look like I was the fool who loved a woman he was sleeping with. He made me look weak.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“He took something very real from me, and then he cast an illusion that nearly destroyed me. Am I a soft-cocked cuckold that can’t keep a woman satisfied? I think you, of all people, know that isn’t true.”
I slipped my hand lower to gently wrap around her throat, her pulse rapid against my palm.
“He is trying to reinforce this illusion that I am weak. So he can cover up his shady, unethical business practices. He is forcing my hand. I need to dissolve his illusions and replace them with some of my own. So I can take control of my empire back, and rest assured, princess, I will be coming out on top in the end.”
I squeezed my hand lightly.
She tilted her head back to ease the tension in my grip as she swallowed. “I don’t even know what you are talking about. I don’t understand what he took from you other than Amelia. He shouldn’t have done that, especially so very publicly. But I didn’t do that to you. You aren’t creating a narrative that will destroy Luc. You are destroying me.”