Aria’s POV

How did he even find out about me and bGrayson/b? I didn’t even tell May.

“Say something, Arial” Jace roared. “So this is how you betray me, bhuh/b? bYou /bwere never pure and innocent–you were just saving precious pussy for the richest guy who’dnd your

His hand mped tighter around my throat, making it hard to breathe.

“Stop…” I choked out. “It’s not what you think. Me knowing Grayson… it’s just a coincidence..

“A coincidence?” he sneered, his voice dripping with hate. “Yeah, right. bMore /blike you nned this from the start. Because that’s what you are a gold–digging bitch”

“What did byou /btell him, huh? Did you tell him about us? Is he helping you get revenge on me now? Don’t tell me even that prenup crap bwas /balso your doing!”

1 had absolutely nothing to do with that prenup. bBut /bit didn’t matter. bJace /bwould never believe it. He needed someone to me, and was the easiest target..

“You’re a fucking slut, Aria, you know that?” he spat. “We were together for four fucking years and you didn’t let me rouch you. Yet the moment we bbroke /bbup/b, you jumped right into Grayson’s fucking bed!”

…F–Funny, Thissed, still gasping for bair/b. “You’re calling me a gold–digger, but aren’t you the one who married Delh for her money? I…. If anyone’s for bsale /bhere, it’s you”

His beyes /bwidened like he couldn’t believe I bjust /bsaid that, “What the fuck did byou /bjust say?”

“You’re mad I’m with Grayson, but you’re bthe /bone who ditched your girlfriend and marry into money. Don’t talk to me about morals, Jace. You’re the one who’d sell his soul for a fat bank ount.”

“bShut /bup! SHUT UP!” he yelled, his face twisted with fury. “That’s different! Delh and I

we’re in love-

“You love her money,” I cut in. “That’s the only kind of love ba /bselfish bastard like you could ever understand.

His grip on my throat tightened, like an iron chain around my neck.

“Don’t act like you fucking know bme/b!” he growled. “Now you fucking listen. Leave Grayson. And don’t even think about messing with my life. You might think you’vended a rich guy, but I’ve got ways to crushiyou

I stared him down, refusing to flinch. “Then I’ll go straight to your darling wife. I bet Delh would love to hear how you dumped your long–time girlfriend and married her in less bthan /ba week”

“You wouldn’t dare!” His eyes went red with brage/bb. /b

“Stop ying dirty, Jace,” I snapped. “We both work in the marketing department now. It’s a fair game, Let’s see who’s the bone /bsurviving

off connections,”

He’d burned me once before. I wasn’t giving him a second bchance/b.

I would face him head–on. bAnd /bI’d win.

He suddenly let out a coldugh. His blips /btwisted into something cruel.

“You against me? Please. You are just a dump little girl with nothing but a pretty face! All the achievements you’ve bgot /bbso /bfar is because you know when to separate your fucking legs. You know what? Now that Grayson had popped your virginity, byou /bwouldn’t mind me taking the second round, would you?”

His other hand slid around my waist, grabbed me hard, then started moving up toward my breast.

“Get off me!” I screamed, thrashing violently.

19:47 bAM /b

Chapter b13 /b

He pressed his knee between my legs, pinning me in ce.

“This suit,” he hissed. “he bought it for you after sex? It had to be a pretty rough fuck for him to get you something this pricey.”

“NO–fuck off?”

“bOh/bb, /be on, Aria. Isn’t this what byou /blike? bI /bgot bmoney /btoo now. Come on, open those legs for me-

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF HER!”

The voice exploded from bnearby/b.

Before I could react, someone rushed in and smacked Jace in the head with a swing of a heavy umbre. Jace groaned, stumbling back and loosened bhis /bbgrip/b.

May stepped in front of me, gripping the umbre like a sword, trembling with fury.

“Back the hell off, you bsick /bpsycho” she roared

“Fuck! You crazy bitch ——”

bI /balready called the cops! Keep going and we’ll take a little trip bdowntown/b. I’m sure your lovely wife Delh would love toe bbail/b) out.” She swung the umbre again. “now get lost!”

Jace clutched his head, shooting ba /bvenomous re at me. He hesitated for a second, then finally stepped back.

“This isn’t over,” he spat before turning and leaving the alley

bmy /bbGod/b, are you okay?” May dropped to her knees beside bme/b. frantic.

-Oh bmy /b

I grabbed her bin /ba tight hug, nodding as my body trembled “Yeah.. Oh thank God.. How did you even find me?”

b“/bbYou /bweren’t picking up your phone, band /bwhen I got to your office, they bsaid /byou balready /bleft. So I started looking. Damn it, Ariab, /bI thought Jace bwas /bjust a dick–I didn’t know he was an actual psychopath”

I took ba /bbshaky /bbreath. “Did you really call the cops?”

“No. I just said that to scare him off. But you have to tell someone.”

“Tell bwho/b?” I muttered. “He’s Delh’s husband. An upper–ss golden boy now. No one will believe me.”

“Are you kidding me? You’re just gonna walk it off?” she cried. “bAria/b, he’s absessed. He’lle after you again. You bhave /bto tell Alpha Grayson. He’ll help.”

“Grayson is Delh’s brother. Who do you think he’d side with?”

“bYou/b, of course! You’re together, right?”

I sighed.

you

I’d promised Grayson not to tell anyone about our contract. So all I said to May was that I was his assistant and bwas /bcurrently staying at his house to better assist him.

And while May bwas /balways a romantic, always dreaming up love stories, she didn’t buy it. To her, the moment I bsaid /bI was living under the same roof with Grayson, it meant we were in some kind of fairy tale romance.

“I’m fine, May,” I whispered. “bI’m /bbnot /bafraid of Jace.”

“I know you’re brave. But bthis /bbisn’t /bjust about being brave. It’s about being safe

I pulled her into another hug. “bAnd /bI will be bsafe/b. bCome /bbon/b, we’re both soaked.”

She grumbled, still furious as she cursed out Jace under her breath. I blinked /barms with her, and we walked out of the alley btogether/b.

bJust /bbas /bwe were babout /bto cross the street, headlights cut through the rainb. /bOut of nowhere, a sleek bck /bcar swerved bto /ba stop in bfront /bof

947 AM c

Chapter B

“Hey watch it!” May cried angrily,

The driver jumped out, holding an umbre as he opened the back door.

And thenb, /blike he stepped straight out of a dream, Grayson emerged from the car.

I froze in shock, mouth slightly open like ban /bidiot.

He was supposed to be on the other side of the world.

Yet here he was

He took the umbre from the driver and held it over my head, blocking the rain. His brows were furrowed, face unreadable but definitely stern

“The driver said you never showed up at the pickup spot.”

“Oh, um, right.” 1 scrambled to find my voice. “I bdidn’t /bbneed /ba ride today. Forgot to tell him. Sorryb” /b

“And the umbre?” he asked, eyeing my soaking wet clothes.

Forgot

that too,b” /bI muttered.

Yet his face bonly /bgot darker. “Lying is a bad bhabit/bb, /bbAria/b.”

“W–What? I don’t understand…”

“There are fresh finger marks bon /byour bneck/b.”

His voice was icy. And there was a storm looming bin /bbhis /beyes. I shivered bunder /bhis intense gaze. Just while I was hesitating bwhat /bto tell him, bMay /bblurted out beside me

“It was Jace Carter! He attacked her. bRight /bin bthat /balley!”

田