A FEAST FOR ONEThe sound of whisk against glass echoed through the kitchen as Damien mixed the batter for his applied pie. His sleeves rolled neatly to his elbow, and his grip on the bowl tightening, Damien stirred harder as the rich aroma of butter sugar and cinnamon wafted through the air. He paused, cutting a piece of the batter with his finger and tasting it. “Yeah, that's nice," he said with a satisfied nod. Still whisking, he reached for his phone with his second hand and dialed Ryan's number. Placing the phone against his ear, he grabbed the bowl again. The phone buzzed once before Ryan's voice picked up. “Hello, sir," Ryan greeted, keyboard clicks audible in the background. “Yeah, Chen," Damien instructed as he grabbed a salt shaker. “I’d love for you to take good care of the men who helped Vanessa's firm go public, yeah? Make sure you provide them with whatever they ask for. They should be content. An appreciation for their efforts.”“I will make sure of that, sir," Ryan

THE GRAVE AND THE GATE 1The street was bustling with the sound of chatter and the hum of morning traffic. But Damien had tuned everything out. The image of that man kissing his wife on the lips, Vanessa stretching her hands for him and the echo of her shouting voice in his mind drowned out everything else. ‘How did I even get to be with you.’‘You don't deserve me.’‘If you say it is, then maybe it is.’She had not even bothered denying it. That was what had hurt him the most. Damien clenched his fist, his jaws tightening as he tried taking his mind off everything. But the more he tried pushing it away, the harder it rebounded, the truth smacking him right across the face. Suddenly, his phone vibrates, jolting him back to the present. He pulled it out of his pocket and stared at the screen. It was Ryan. With a weary sigh, he slid the call icon and placed the phone against his ear. “What is it, Ryan?" he asked, his voice reduced to a soft whisper. “Sorry if I'm disturbing, sir,”

THE STRANGER'S HANDEverywhere was quiet… too quiet.Elara stirred, blinking against the blinding light above her. A chandelier. Her pulse spiked. Where was she?She tried to move, but pain shot through her arm. Thin red lines trailed down to her wrist, and the sight shattered her composure. Tears blurred her vision as dread clawed its way up her throat. What had they done to her?Suddenly, the door creaked open and a young man stepped in, sleeves rolled, whiskey bottle in hand. Her breath hitched–he was the man who had violated her. Rage took over and Elara let out a loud scream. She grabbed a vase from the bedside table and hurled it at the man, but he moved to the side, dodging it as though he had seen it coming. “You do know that's really expensive,” he said, his voice low and smooth. Elara gripped the second lamp beside her, trembling. She didn’t answer, just glared at him, hatred burning through her fear. Sighing, the man dropped the whiskey bottle on the vanity table and fo

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE“Penthouse Level.”The elevator slowed to a stop and with a ding, the doors slid open, revealing the private foyer. Her mouth opened with awe. “What's… what is this place?” Elara asked as she stepped out of the elevator, her bag clutched close to her chest. “Where… where is this?”Damien walked behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist as he gently led her forward. Elara's cheeks flushed as his strong hands pulled her forward towards the tall double doors at the end of the hallway. She looked up at his face, watching his expressions–he still hadn’t cracked a smile, the same cold indifference from when they were in the room still on his face. “The penthouse above the Grand Monarch,” Damien breathed as they stopped in front of the double doors. “Forbes mentioned this place to be the most exclusive and expensive in the state.”Elara's grip on her bag tightened as her gaze swept over the abstract paintings lining the wall of the hallway. She recalled a Forbes feat

SERVANT BOY RETURNSThe elevator ride down was silent, the hum of soft music filling the quiet. Elara kept on glancing at Damien but his expression still remained unreadable. Yet, something in his eyes had shifted…After everything that had happened upstairs, she couldn't help but rethink her decision. Maybe she wasn't meant to be in this world–everything was just so different. She clutched the keycard tight, wondering if she should just thank him and reject his offer–if she should walk away, or follow him?She looked up at Damien, watching as he stood by the street, answering a call. Before she could make up her mind to tell him, a car stopped in front of them and Damien opened the door without a word. His gaze met hers–cold, steady, but not unkind. Elara hesitated, heart tightening, before finally stepping in beside him.Without another word, Damien walked to the other side and got in. As soon as the door clicked shut, the car pulled away from the curb. Silence filled the space, le