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1,211,272	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1211256}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	1114003393086224	#1 Restless Leg Relief Device [Sold Out 3x Already]	✨ Restless Legs Relief Device! ✨<br /> <br /> ✅ Relaxes Feet & Legs For More Restful Sleep<br /> ✅ Relieves Tingling, Pins & Needles<br /> ✅ Relief From Muscle Cramps & Spasms<br /> ✅ Stimulates Healthy Blood Flow<br /> ✅ Promotes Nerve Regeneration<br /> ✅ 120 Day Free Trial - 100% Money Back Guarantee!<br /> <br /> Get It Here >>> <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fzurafit.com%2Fproducts%2Fzurafit-heated-leg-massager&h=AT29DpyXanu7W2JDd4UV0OIjK7GdMAMb33YNcelemMGPffxGokKiIFAmSc04KikvYDyDf8QbUGkvXi_gnUnjmeKhP9hVt2g_ABwHCc2ABi33Q-7oVBJ5A5IsR0AcUVHUE7saWiJxaoYoJg" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://zurafit.com/products/zurafit-heated-leg-massager</a>	SHOP_NOW	https://zurafit.com/products/zurafit-heated-leg-ma	109546384846491	Zurafit	https://facebook.com/100076174643416	3,656	3	1,102,319,204,428,417	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Shop now	Zurafit	120208736559390652	zurafit.com	NONE	video	FREE Shipping & 120-Day Results Or Refund Guarantee.	https://zurafit.com/products/zurafit-heated-leg-massager	2024-04-12 02:33	https://scontent-atl3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437741598_933369058257136_1704568523773671078_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=4xchZ9PSq8sAb4N2iEs&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDqacOzEAqc7Oi9wN_t0ozt6jJEUlxw9HlUnE9NLvkniw&oe=6622016C	person_profile	Zurafit	https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437744256_1458653041422564_5751283588382334240_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=GxZ6bqFpRe0Ab4wyiun&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCjiqk3kc17drTu7r1cZy9sG6--8POtkxSeFhsjHcWmJw&oe=6622071E	3	Zurafit	2024-04-13 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,209,327	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1209362}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	776364814431867	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your whore's actions."<br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> I spat. "You should know, you didn't deprive me of Luna's title, but I didn't want it myself. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> "Oh, and Alpha, You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> ————————<br /> "Well Zel, I just wanted to let you know that I plan on being the Luna of this pack, and your days as Kosta's mate and luna are numbered. I have decided that I deserve to be luna of the third strongest pack in the nation. I mean why should you get everything and I get stuck with nothing?" Khalis says.<br /> <br /> Is this bimbo serious? I just sat there staring at her for a few seconds. Not much shocks me, but this is something else. I knew Khalis was selfish, but this is on a whole other level. There have been rumors about Khalis sleeping with mated males, but I always gave her the benefit of the doubt. I never thought we would be having this kind of conversation. We have been friends since elementary school. Her father and brothers are elite warriors in my father's pack. She was with me when Kosta declared we were mates. She even encouraged me to go with him when he begged me and my father to let me come to his pack with him before I turned 18. She moved to this pack with me, hoping to meet her own mate. She knows Kosta is my fated mate. The moon goddess chose for him me. We both have known Kosta for most of our lives. Kosta is one of my brother's best friends. I keep thinking about everything we have done together and now this bimbo is sitting in my office telling me she plans to take my mate. I'm really speechless. This is a new low, even for her.<br /> <br /> "Just so that I am clear, what exactly do you mean that you want my goddess-given mate and title," I asked.<br /> <br /> "I mean exactly what I said. I want Kosta. I want to be his luna and I am going to make that happen. I've already started the process. I deserve to be a luna."<br /> <br /> "So you just want to come in here and tell me that you want my mate? What about your own mate? Have you thought about that? If the goddess meant for you to be a luna, you would have been fated to an alpha."<br /> <br /> "I waited for my mate. I gave the goddess a chance to do right by me. She gave everyone around me an Alpha. My sister got one, my little ugly cousin got one and even you got one, but what did I get? I got a lowly elite warrior as a mate." She spat.<br /> <br /> "How can you speak like that about elite warriors? Your father and your brother are elite warriors."<br /> <br /> "I know, and I deserve better than that. I deserve to be a luna. I deserve to have people respect me and cater to me."<br /> <br /> "Well, obviously the goddess did not agree with you," I said. "Just to clarify, you're saying that even though you found your destined mate, the one that was made specifically for you by the goddess, you're still interested in my mate? You are unbelievable. What is wrong with you?"<br /> <br /> "It's simple. I'm not meant to be the mate of a warrior. I am meant to be a luna. The moon goddess got it wrong and I am correcting her mistake. As soon as I scented my fated mate and realized he was a warrior, I rejected him and he accepted my rejection. Good riddance."<br /> <br /> "So you think you know better than the goddess?" I asked.<br /> <br /> I am still somewhat shocked. I have a hard time reconciling this cold-blooded bimbo to the person that has been my best friend for over a decade.<br /> <br /> "Zell, I told you a long time ago not to trust her. She has always been this person. She just pretended with you." Sapphire said.<br /> <br /> "This isn't personal, Zell. It's simple since the moon goddess did not give me an alpha, I'm going to take one."<br /> <br /> This bimbo is sitting here calmly telling me she is going to take my mate from me like we are talking about going shopping. She actually thinks this is ok. How could I have been so blind for so long? Everyone tried to warn me about her, but she was my only friend and I just didn't want to believe that about her. I convinced myself that the others were just jealous of her.<br /> <br /> "Do you really think it is ok to try to break your best friend's mate bond?" I say.<br /> <br /> "Oh Honey, I'm not going to try. I'm going to do it. He will be mine. I'm just giving you the courtesy of walking away with your dignity. You might as well start making arrangements for yourself because once I am the luna, there is no way that I will let you remain in my pack. He may keep some tender feelings for you. After all, you are fated."<br /> <br /> "You got one thing right; Kosta and I are fated. You are not the first she-wolf to try to break our mate bond and since he is an alpha, I'm sure you won't be the last. I will tell you what I tell them all, If you can get Kosta to cheat on our bond, you can have him. If he can do that, then he is not the man I have believed him to be and wouldn't deserve me. You would be welcome to him. Just remember, it is because of me and my family that this pack is ranked third. All of that goes with me, but you would be more than welcome to whatever is left." I say.<br /> <br /> "It's not an if, it's a when it happens. And when you leave, Kosta will still be the alpha of this pack. You will just be the ex-luna of the pack. I will be the luna."<br /> <br /> "That's where you are wrong. I am alpha born; a pure-blooded alpha. If I leave, I will still be an alpha and you will still be that bimbo on the side. Some males may be dumb enough to sleep with you, but I have not seen any of the mate men you've been accused of leaving their mates for you. Even the ones who got rejected didn't choose to be with you. Now I suggest you leave my office while I am still being nice or else you will find out why I am feared by others. And if you are successful, don't think for a minute that my family will let either of you go."<br /> <br /> "I will leave for now. Enjoy this office while it is still yours. Your arrogance will be your downfall. Why should I fear you or your family? They have not even been around since your luna ceremony. I'll give you 1 week to make arrangements for yourself. In 7 days, all of this will be mine and you will be out. I will break you and completely disgrace you. I have to thank you for working so hard to build this pack up for me to take over. I will be sure to enjoy the fruit of your labor. I and my children will enjoy this. I am glad he listened to me early on when I told him to wait to have children so you could live your life first. I had to set the groundwork just in case. Now it's time for you to go before you give him an heir." Khalis says and walks out of my office like nothing happened.<br /> <br /> She has caused a lot of chaos since coming to this pack. I just didn't realize her character before now. I thought she was misunderstood. Now I know I was just naïve. It appears that I was the only person blind to her true nature.<br /> <br /> I spent the rest of the day working on pack security and setting up meetings. There are a few alphas wanting an alliance with us. Kosta and I have become quite the power couple in the werewolf society. Since we took over as alpha and luna, the pack and the businesses have grown tremendously. I put my heart and soul into making our pack the best. I got an early start. I graduated from high school when I was 16 and went to university. I graduated with a business degree at 20. Kosta has let me take the lead in our businesses. He knows that beast at negotiation and a whiz at growing businesses. I have acquired several new companies since working in the pack business. Kosta is still the CEO, but I am the COO of the company. I broker the deals and then call Kosta in to close the deal. Most alphas in our circle are jealous of Kosta because he has me at his side. Kosta used to be proud of me and what I did for the pack, but lately he has been resisting the changes I have been making and trying to take over more of the daily operations of the pack. He can't take it all because I am the sole financial backing of the pack and the businesses.<br /> <br /> I am known in werewolf society as a child prodigy, but don't get it twisted, I am not all brains. I can be very deadly when needed. I train every day. I am one of the strongest wolves alive, although I keep that hidden. I can be ruthless, but fair. I know that I am the total package. I am athletic, tall with curves in the right places. I've never been one to compete with other she-wolves. I thought I was happy and had a good life. I thought Khalis was happy. We used to talk about finding our fated mates. I just can't understand how or why Khalis would try to come between me and my mate. I wish I could believe that my bond was safe and solid, but Sapphire is right about Kosta acting suspiciously lately. Kosta has been questioning me a lot lately. It's like he woke up a different person one day. He suddenly lost trust in me, but I have never given him a reason to doubt me. I have found him outside of my door listening to business phone calls, which is crazy because he could just walk in at any time and join the conversation. I have never hidden anything I was doing from him. The worse thing is that our life is now nonexistent. Kosta is always too busy or too tired. His behavior has led me to believe that he is not attracted to me anymore. He had the nerve to ask me why I have been trying so hard to seduce him lately. Like he didn't just stop making love to me cold turkey all of a sudden. We went from making love every day, sometime multiple times a day, to nothing in over a month. Seems like he should have been worried if I didn't try to seduce him. I don't know any mated pair that has gone this long without being intimate with each other. I don't know what the issue is. If we were not marked, I would wonder if he was cheating, but I know he is not. I would have felt it. Why did all of this suddenly become so hard? Why do I even need to seduce my goddess-given mate? It was never supposed to be this way. At least not yet. I'm only 20 years old. Much too young to be going through a dry spell while mated.<br /> <br /> I got so desperate at one time I asked our friends what was going on with him. Kosta tells his beta and gamma everything. I figured if there was a problem, they would tell me and I could fix it, but they just said that he was under a lot of stress. What exactly does he have to stress about? The pack is doing better than it has been in years. In half a year, the pack will be self-sufficient again and won't need to depend on my finances to keep it afloat. I have everything set in motion for the pack to have more disposable cash and residual income. I have a feeling this has Khalis written all over it. Kosta appears to have fallen in line with her already. Maybe this was their plan all along. Kosta needed me to get his pack back on track and now that they are almost completely independent, they don't need me anymore. If that's the case, they are in for a rude awakening. My six-month plan depends on me closing several more deals. All of these deals are allies with my father, uncle, and grandfather. They will not work with Kosta if our bond falls apart. He would erase everything that I have done over the past three years. Well, that would be his problem.<br /> <br /> I got so caught up in working and thinking; I didn't realize I worked up to dinner time. No one called me for lunch. In fact, no one called me for dinner. That is strange. One of the omegas usually checks on me when I am working too much and makes sure I am eating. I guess everyone is following Kosta. Since he has not been showing me any care, they are not either. That really hurts. I sacrificed a lot for this pack. I thought they cared more than this for me. I should just go back to my room. I don't know if I want to be around this pack right now, especially if they could turn their backs on me this quickly. Were they all just using me for my family's wealth?<br /> <br /> "We need to eat Zell. Remember, we are eating for our pup as well. Don't let them win. We are better than this. If they show us they don't want us here, we will leave. Remember, we are alpha born. We will rise above this. We will go back to where we are celebrated. If they turn against us, they don't deserve us. We will sit back and let them destroy themselves."<br /> <br /> "You are right Sapphire. Let's go eat. Our pup needs sustenance."<br /> <br /> I went and cleaned myself up and walked to the dining room. As soon as I walked through the door, all the talking stopped. The whole place went silent. As I walked all the way in, I saw why everyone went silent. Khalis was sitting in my seat, putting food on Kosta's plate like she is the luna. When she saw me, she just smirked and kept doing what she was doing. Kosta just keep eating like I was not standing there. Sapphire stared, pushing forward. She wanted blood. I did too, but I have to think about our pup.<br /> <br /> "What is going on, Kosta? Why is she sitting in my seat feeding you?" I growled.<br /> <br /> "I meant no harm, Zell. You were busy, so I decided to take care of Kosta for you. Someone needs to care for him while you are caring for other things. "<br /> <br /> "I was speaking to my mate, not his bimbo on the side."<br /> <br /> "You were not here for your mate, so I have been taking care of his needs."<br /> <br /> Sapphire pushed forward and growled loudly. Everyone in the room bowed their neck to her.<br /> <br /> "I could kill you in less than 30 seconds, Khalis. I would advise you not to keep crossing my line and you will find yourself very dead. You obviously have forgotten who I am. Don't make me remind you what my family name is," Sapphire said.<br /> <br /> I regained control and looked at Kosta. He didn't even appear to be concerned. He didn't show an ounce of regret or remorse. That took a little of the fight out of me. Khalis can only do what Kosta allows her to do.<br /> <br /> "Kosta, I asked you a question. What is going on?"<br /> <br /> "As Khalis said, you were busy, so she came to do your job for you. If you spent more time catering to me, your mate, and less time working or whatever you are doing, Khalis wouldn't have to step in and take care of my needs." Kosta said.<br /> <br /> I and every pack member gasped. I could not believe he openly disrespected me like that after everything I have done for him and this pack. I did all of that for him. This ungrateful hip.<br /> <br /> "So now I'm working too much, making your pack financially secure? You were not complaining when the pack was bankrupted and I worked day and night just so you could feed the pack another day. I was working too hard then. It's only now that you think the pack is out of the woods that I am working too hard. Now that everyone is comfortable and not at risk of starving, you want to change. Ok, I see who you are now. So instead of appreciating the sacrifices I made for us and the pack, you are sitting here with your bimbo, enjoying the feast that my hard work made possible. I am glad I finally understand where your priorities lie. Trust me, I will never make the same mistake twice." I said and walked away.<br /> <br /> I need to get out of here before I wolf out and kill one of them. After tonight, Khalis can have him. He is not the male I thought he was. I refuse to fight for someone who can spit on all the effort I put into making him great.<br /> <br /> "Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> <br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your bimbo's actions."<br /> <br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> <br /> "Alpha, what are you doing?" Beta James asked<br /> <br /> "Mind your business Beta. This is my pack." Kosta says.<br /> <br /> "Yes, and as your beta and friend, it is my job to tell you when you are making a mistake. Alpha, you are dangerously close to crossing the line of no return. Let's all calm down and discuss this later." Beta James said.<br /> <br /> "Beta, my word stands. Zel, until you learn to respect me as your alpha, you can forget about representing this pack in any aspect. I will be instructing the security team to restrict all of your access. You are no longer the COO of our businesses. As of now, you are just a regular pact member with no power."<br /> <br /> "First of all Alpha." I spat. "Respect is earned. While you are trying to throw your weight around, you can have the luna title back. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I also provide 60% of the pack budget from my personal accounts. So while you can restrict my duties as Luna, you cannot touch the business, but I'll do you a solid. You can buy me out of the business and I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> <br /> I can see that he had forgotten how dependent his pack was on me, but oh well. He made his bed. Now he and his bimbo can lie in it.<br /> <br /> "Oh, and Alpha, if you try to strong-arm me, I will have to call in the full loan that I gave this pack when we mated. Remember, we signed a contract for the loan. You have only paid me a small portion of the loan and I have not pushed the issue, but the contract is legal and binding. Don't push me, Kosta. You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> <br /> I walked off again and made it as far as the stairs. I realized that I could not stay in my current room anymore. There is no way on this goddess-green earth that I want to be in a room with Kosta. Not that he has really shared it with me lately. Now I know why. Khalis has been feeding him and he has been eating it up. They both miscalculated. They thought I would be leaving here with nothing. The jokes on them. I may have been in love, but there is no love in business. I may have put my all into saving this pack and making it independently wealthy, but my parents did not raise a fool and I protected my finances. I invested millions in this company and pack. Did he really think I would protect my money? Does he not remember the prenup my father made him sign since I was a minor when he brought me to this pack? He never gained control over my finances.<br /> <br /> Khalis just showed her hand. After what I just saw, she has a right to be confident. Kosta has completely changed. He is not the man that I mated. He is not the boy that I followed around when I was younger. I don't know what happened or when he changed. Maybe this is who he really is and, like with Khalis, I just never saw his true self. He must have hidden it from my father and brother as well. There is no way they would have let me come here when I was 17 if they knew this was how he would end up treating me. I can see now that it is over between Kosta and me. I need to start planning my exit. I pulled up my computer and moved all of my finances from the pack accounts. I closed all the joint accounts I had with Kosta. It was mostly my money that financed them. I left the ones that he financed in his name. I don't want anything from him at all. After I handle business, I call my brother. I will need his help to leave here safely. Now that Kosta knows that all the money is still tied up with me, I doubt he will let me leave easily. I'm sure he and the bimbo are plotting up something.<br /> <br /> I called my brother and tall him waht happened.<br /> <br /> "So what's the plan, baby sis?" my brother answered.<br /> <br /> "Well, I have already moved all of my personal money from the pack accounts. They are now responsible for themselves. I'm not sure how that is going to go over. I was covering most of the pack's budget. Tomorrow, I will contact my attorneys to protect all of my other assets. I also plan to call our allies and let them know that I am no longer associated with the pack. I am erasing everything I've done over the past three years. They will need to start over from scratch and rebuild it all on their own. There is no way they will get to enjoy my hard work. No, sir."<br /> <br /> "Very smart Zell. What do you need me to do?"	LEARN_MORE	https://a.letsreadnovel.com/ad/bGV0c3JlYWQvMTQ4NjY	103537452734793	Lett011	https://facebook.com/100092011133637	59	1	1,138,781,000,589,112	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Lett011	120208370808400357	a.letsreadnovel.com	NONE	video		https://a.letsreadnovel.com/ad/bGV0c3JlYWQvMTQ4NjY2LzIwMjQwNDExMTY0NTE2L3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}}	2024-04-11 04:09	https://scontent.fsac1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436277817_410031108409619_961246382628114852_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HWNNRQHWadQAb6XRAqF&_nc_ht=scontent.fsac1-2.fna&oh=00_AfByNYzeCp3uJJeryQs9uOHDS9J51Qv7LldC1Pa1sMEhLg&oe=6621E0E9	person_profile	Lett011	https://scontent.fsac1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436879726_1173434817419478_8846574822846869356_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=n1xUDo-v5KEAb4XeXNc&_nc_ht=scontent.fsac1-2.fna&oh=00_AfC3HXJ35XAQMEQARrbI8E2v0oTCuLqxbQKJkDgMHEK-ow&oe=6621FD0C	3	Lett011	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,209,756	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210245}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	2804607746343670	Superfood Complete: Nose to Tail Nutrition for a Healthier Dog	🐶 Which human foods are dog friendly?<br /> <br /> Actress & dog activist, Katherine Heigl, is here to set the record straight. <br /> <br /> Find out which foods are amazing for your dog's health - and which to avoid at ALL costs! <br /> <br /> Get a powerful key to a healthy dog with Superfood Complete now 👉 <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Flnk.to%2FBadlandsSurvey&h=AT0JgiK0vCE2LbXQp9k-_vHUToNXi08YclM9oaXofPnqlWftS9hTb5w9GIj1Ed39iIzsNwgK3EuAqCvybkZH4f8Vsv7YL9qMNvSCzxlCWn825tHS-UviZCgcF8v3nUPRKF28pDOBxlujJ6RRzTzu6IMXhtj3Wz0zp64vPw" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">lnk.to/BadlandsSurvey</a>	LEARN_MORE	http://lnk.to/BadlandsSurvey	146438712035078	Katherine Heigl	https://facebook.com/KatieHeigl	4,876,818	0	1,707,337,546,352,949	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Katherine Heigl	120208359320470243	caninesuperfoods.com	NONE	video		http://lnk.to/BadlandsSurvey	2024-04-14 03:46	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438032200_752574793675079_7111841933058275073_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=106&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=BQTSKJWBqRMAb6aB8yN&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCV5N7FqKIqyrDbxYLmmJX19K3hQtCUz68MnEsBIITxpw&oe=6621DE0F	person_profile	Katherine Heigl	https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437671581_7888214787856251_305665793158928446_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7MrjYyknC4QAb7S1_G6&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBoD8hixgQBJwOO6lbeHopEK8UTzIxl_tZxttEtmahieQ&oe=6621E393	3	Katherine Heigl	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,210,097	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1211090}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	1114337996450860	Continue watching more series 👉👉👉	🚤💔 Waves of Fate: Isabella's Voyage from Seaside Tragedy to Luxurious Love with Tycoon Theodore	INSTALL_MOBILE_APP	http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.e	258566017343934	Eashort Fantasity	https://facebook.com/61557908425537	12	0	402,029,912,775,775	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	Install now	Eashort Fantasity	120208827060050448	play.google.com	NONE	video		http://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.esbook.dk	2024-04-14 00:42	https://scontent.forf1-4.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437672331_964163208407796_266996025926102411_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j6qSuhWIHJkAb5YYibF&_nc_ht=scontent.forf1-4.fna&oh=00_AfAreEEwbfMQnAcTHfjTTpvdJkF1f7j9PkFSSC0YUbhZBA&oe=6621E813	person_profile	Eashort Fantasity	https://scontent.forf1-4.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437374672_3608147369439840_6920646005617109862_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=XzA8A3N61mkAb7qO949&_nc_oc=AdjgrdISuSFFo33bbS1AX1YD2cEeyIHvT9P4a0AgMHe2hX6gSn-KKhl0uF8dVhah8qXHocepZIbSOb8bbXUrRDJj&_nc_ht=scontent.forf1-4.fna&oh=00_AfDb_TXhaGX6ix3rUvQr2Ywmrw1aEbviU2ih_Cm_BlkoUA&oe=6621E9E2	3	Eashort Fantasity	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,210,207	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210209}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	7053815971408028	Continue watching more series 👉👉👉	🚤💔 Waves of Fate: Isabella's Voyage from Seaside Tragedy to Luxurious Love with Tycoon Theodore	WATCH_MORE	https://d.eavideo.net/w2a?p0=1b562gev&p1={{campaig	190396754167998	Eashort IOS	https://facebook.com/61556887250165	48	1	796,606,478,559,707	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	Watch more	Eashort IOS	120207990406450403	d.eavideo.net	NONE	video		https://d.eavideo.net/w2a?p0=1b562gev&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}&p7=1716054102176369&deeplink=esvideo%3A%2F%2Fbook.easou.com%2Fta%2Fesvideo.m%3Fgid%3D300000318%26nid%3D300000318%26sort%3D0%26ch%3D182%26paytype%3Dwwppy7%26pi%3D3%26pa%3D99999	2024-04-13 23:58	https://scontent-ord5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438263767_404419112376633_1045371341159551209_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=fTnELNwgH64Ab4xfPdC&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-2.xx&oh=00_AfCQgaXt4KbAx34ccfRSGjBLYZ_GTUF7zcy7mZcX-NMbwA&oe=6621FD40	person_profile	Eashort IOS	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437956754_399753149679627_2257899642146236631_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8La1I4N-fK8Ab4prKmd&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfAcQoCWG2vzN0ku1T2_ZERdajAY4JHHbkeU_LSLFGjgvQ&oe=6621E615	3	Eashort IOS	2024-04-13 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,210,775	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210209}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	6012699672188057	Continue watching more series 👉👉👉	🚗💔 Collision of Destiny: Estella's Journey from Tragic Accident to Twisted Marriage with Billionaire Bryce	WATCH_MORE	https://d.eavideo.net/w2a?p0=1b562gev&p1={{campaig	190396754167998	Eashort IOS	https://facebook.com/61556887250165	48	0	2,251,943,305,148,731	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	Watch more	Eashort IOS	120207934885820403	d.eavideo.net	NONE	video		https://d.eavideo.net/w2a?p0=1b562gev&p1={{campaign.name}}&p2={{campaign.id}}&p3={{adset.name}}&p4={{adset.id}}&p5={{ad.name}}&p6={{ad.id}}&p7=1716054102176369&deeplink=esvideo%3A%2F%2Fbook.easou.com%2Fta%2Fesvideo.m%3Fgid%3D300000318%26nid%3D300000318%26sort%3D0%26ch%3D182%26paytype%3Dwwppy7%26pi%3D3%26pa%3D99999	2024-04-12 07:05	https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436361048_1581507745961528_4672011980708633186_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=j4S6nM2AGu4Ab6wjxrj&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-1.xx&oh=00_AfD4FHbx7RM9KDLB-lTm7KykP6fBaP9zD55ebW0QQbIkTg&oe=6621E37C	person_profile	Eashort IOS	https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437154175_1077777099970903_2511753652573569622_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=8F3HJVhHzmQAb4IT62t&_nc_oc=AdhX3zdzf7Y40vJbgfSSn2VdJrglFjqbsmpIU820vkHmI6AEvnmr6zMAo5s4ZzxXrMs&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=00_AfBD8nwfuWMKSpuwR9ZhetX9eOM4Lcf07ezo7PFsPWs41w&oe=6621FB89	3	Eashort IOS	2024-04-13 02:00	View Edit Delete
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1,209,438	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1209301}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	2140125896349384	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	“Tony, I don’t want to be your wife.”<br /> “You pick an odd time to complain.”<br /> “I assumed you’d back out.” I lifted my chin, whispering with desperate firmness. "And you’re not my first choice either.”<br /> “No doubt, but nothing you say will stop this wedding.” His deep-timbred voice rose somewhat. “Are we clear?”<br /> ————————<br /> Evie<br /> I’m grateful that my fiancé has good hygiene.<br /> <br /> I’m grateful that my fiancé is tall.<br /> I’m grateful that my fiancé is handsome.<br /> The ink bled through the paper as I wracked my brain for a fourth virtue for my gratitude journal. Every day, I wrote five things for which I was grateful. The simple reason for this was that when the darkness inside me lightened so did the world outside.<br /> Not today.<br /> No amount of pretty thinking made this situation better because I was giving up on love. I’d said my goodbyes to the man I’d never meet or marry, the romance we wouldn’t share, the butterflies that’d never flutter, the passion that’d never ignite, and the children we’d never have.<br /> What I liked about my fiancé, Tony Costa, was vanishingly small and mostly superficial. There wasn’t a single-quality about his character that I admired.<br /> My soon-to-be husband did not inspire people.<br /> He put the fear of God into them.<br /> The hotel suite’s door opened, admitting an older guy with an easygoing vibe. I liked his smile. It was warm without being too friendly.<br /> “This came for you, Miss Craine. Tony sent it.” He appeared at my elbow, sliding a tall glass filled with a golden liquid into my hands. “Prosecco from Italy.”<br /> How thoughtful.<br /> I had no clue about wines. The club gravitated toward beverage and whiskey, and anything more than twenty dollars was considered a waste.<br /> My throat pounded as I swiped the drink. I tipped it into my mouth, the bubbles snapping my tongue. I drank, unimpressed by the warmth fluttering my chest. It lacked the punch of straight beverage, my go-to this week when reality got too close for comfort.<br /> “He’ll be along shortly to check on you.”<br /> “Great.”<br /> Christian stood behind me, brows furrowed. Perhaps the tone in my voice concerned him. “You have nothing to worry about, hon. Tony’s a standup guy.”<br /> “Really?” I murmured, playing with my new phone. “Is that why he’s forcing me to marry him?”<br /> “He’s not as bad as you think.”<br /> “Again, not very comforting.”<br /> Christian grabbed the empty flute. He studied the glass, a deep frown wrinkling his brow. His sympathy was wasted on me. I didn’t trust Christian.<br /> I didn’t trust any of them.<br /> A combination of emotional blackmail and threats had forced me to accept Tony’s proposal. Dad stole my life’s work and would’ve sold it for a pittance if I hadn’t said yes, which was how I ended up in front of a vanity wearing couture. A designer bag sat in my lap, the pillowed leather gliding over me like silk. The finest accessory I owned, apart from my jewelry. The pre-wedding gift held my phone programmed with one contact:<br /> T<br /> <br /> My thumb traced his number.<br /> I hadn’t worked up the nerve to call him. I’d treated the last week as a vacation, relishing the pampering I never could’ve afforded on my own. My future husband’s people had extensively prepped me. They’d waxed every inch of me. They’d thrust my hands into hot baths and trimmed my cuticles. They’d conditioned my hair, exfoliated my skin, and painted my nails.<br /> I’m grateful my fiancé takes care of me.<br /> He’d spared no expense to make me his possession. My engagement ring was a gaudy diamond solitaire on a platinum setting. I’d studied it with my jeweler’s loupe and appraised it at ninety thousand dollars. I hated the thing. It looked ridiculous on my petite hand, but Tony hadn’t asked for feedback. He hadn’t even proposed. His bodyguard had awkwardly shoved the velvet box in my direction.<br /> Tony seemed to be all about status, like all wealthy egomaniacs. The ring, the Vera Wang dress, and the spa treatments belonged to someone else, a trophy wife, not me. I still clipped coupons. I lived in a mobile home and probably couldn’t name half the designers in his closet.<br /> Why did he want me?<br /> Christian’s pocket buzzed. He answered his phone, murmuring in Italian. He always switched to the language when Tony called. He wheeled toward the door, closing his cell.<br /> I clenched my jaw tighter.<br /> The door opened to Tony’s powerful, Viking-like frame. His broad shoulders strained his suit. Normally, his hair was as untamed as the rest of him, but for the wedding he’d slicked it back. Salt and pepper marked his ebony mane. Everything about him was bold, the deep tan, the boyish lips built for sin. The media had dubbed him Mob Prince for a reason.<br /> Tall, dark, and handsome didn’t begin to describe his level of gorgeous.<br /> Heat stole into my face as my gaze raked over his devastating appeal. I drank in the lazy seduction of his big eyes, the cutting jawline. He was in his late thirties, and it showed in how he carried himself. He stood as though steel made his spine. A short mustache and beard clung to his upper lip and jaw. Dark wisps peeked from the V neck of his shirt.<br /> Hot. Very masculine.<br /> It was like he’d just left a vacation in the Amazon. I’d lived in Boston my whole life, and I’d never seen anyone like Tony.<br /> “Looking good, T.” Christian slapped his back, exploding with enthusiasm. “Ready to get married?”<br /> A cloud settled over Tony’s features. “I need a moment alone with my bride.”<br /> “Of course, buddy.”<br /> Tony glowered at Christian until the door swung behind him. Then his lightning rod stare landed on me.<br /> I fisted my clutch.<br /> It was very strange. He glared at me as though I’d condemned him to nightmare. As he crossed the room, my muscles tensed.<br /> He held out his hand.<br /> I took it, and a jolt passed from his skin to mine.<br /> My body stiffened as he boldly assessed me, his gaze traveling down my face, neck, and breasts.<br /> “I’m Tony Costa, and you belong to me now.” He beckoned me with a wave—a gesture for servants, not his fiancée. “Let’s see the rest of you.”<br /> I stayed put. “Tony, I don’t want to be your wife.”<br /> “You pick an odd time to complain.”<br /> “I assumed you’d back out.” I lifted my chin, whispering with desperate firmness. “I’ve tried to meet you for days. You weren’t at the negotiation meetings. You didn’t come to the engagement supper.”<br /> “I’m not a fan of chaperoned visits. My number is on your phone.”<br /> “I only got it recently.”<br /> His flat gaze held me still. “And?”<br /> “Why do you want this?”<br /> “I don’t,” he said, stunning me. “I rank marrying into your family slightly higher than blowing out my brains, which is the only reason I’m here.”<br /> My chest tightened. “You’re not my first choice either.”<br /> “No doubt, but nothing you say will stop this wedding.” His deep-timbred voice rose somewhat. “Are we clear?”<br /> “Not one bit.”<br /> My mind reeled. If he didn’t want to marry me, why were we doing this?<br /> He squinted at me. “You are of age, right?”<br /> I frowned. “I’m twenty-two.”<br /> Relief smoothed his brows.<br /> Weird.<br /> He acted like he loathed me and had no idea of my age. I’d spent hours researching him. I’d read op-eds and articles. I’d scoured the comment sections for insight.<br /> Tony literally didn’t know me.<br /> “Didn’t you ask questions about me?”<br /> He shook his head. “I didn’t care about the details, considering you were all the same. They lined up photos of women and told me to pick. Yours happened to be the one that made my shaft hard.”<br /> I stared at him, tongue-tied and frozen.<br /> Tony brushed lint off his jacket. “Were you expecting something romantic?”<br /> My face heated at his mocking drawl. “I had my blood drawn for fertility tests.”<br /> “So?”<br /> A flicker of adrenaline surged through me. “You could’ve asked me. I would’ve told you to go with someone else.”<br /> His mouth twisted into a cruel slant. “Should I have picked from the club sluts with more STDs between them than Paris Hilton? I chose you, the virgin, knowing at least I wouldn’t get the clap.”<br /> This man couldn’t be serious.<br /> “You’re lucky you got a choice,” I snarled, abandoning all attempts at civility. “I’m stuck with Public Enemy Number One for my old man.”<br /> “Don’t call me that,” he growled, the loudness piercing my ears. “I’m not one of you, thank God. Once you have my name, you’ll drop the biker nonsense. I won’t have it in my house or anywhere around me.”<br /> That settled it.<br /> I’d stab my husband before the night ended.<br /> “I’ll wear ripped jeans and leather to all your family barbecues. And guess what’s going on the wall? A giant Harley-Davidson poster.”<br /> Tony’s dark eyes sparkled with the love of a challenge. “I’ll gag you with your panties. Force you to taste your private part for hours. I’ll drag you over my lap and do things. Maybe in front of an audience.”<br /> An unwelcome flush burned my cheeks.<br /> He lightly fingered my chin, and the air vanished from my lungs. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”<br /> No, I don’t.<br /> My heart hammered.<br /> “And you don’t know it yet, but you chose the wrong girl.”<br /> <br /> ---------<br /> Evie<br /> I’m grateful so many people support our marriage.<br /> <br /> Mom warned me.<br /> Dating in the MC was not for romantics who planned their wedding in the first two weeks of a new relationship. She said I couldn’t handle the club girls, the cheating, and the heartbreak. Now I’d never know if she was right.<br /> Because Dad was forcing me to marry him.<br /> Tony stood at the altar, wearing an expression more appropriate for being stuck at the DMV, not celebrating his marriage. Nobody wanted to be here, least of all my fiancé. He glowered like I was the bug crawling up his hip.<br /> A tense silence enveloped us as the march’s last notes faded, the droning of the priest not enough to slice the tension. My gaze wandered to my leather-clad father in the front row, a grim set to his jaw. Behind him, rows of people shifted in their seats. Sympathy marked the women’s faces, but the men mirrored Tony’s put-upon boredom.<br /> My spirits sank even lower.<br /> I curled my hands into fists and shut them out. A woman’s wild sobbing broke the quiet, and I gaped at Tony’s side. His mother cried into a tissue.<br /> I bristled.<br /> Why was she crying? I was the wronged party in this situation. Her murdering son would be my husband, and he’d made it clear that he planned to use me like a blow-up doll.<br /> Tony shot me a twisted smile full of lethal calm. Before long, his “I do” echoed as though he stood in a tomb. Then the priest turned toward me.<br /> “And do you, Evie, take Anthony to be your husband?”<br /> Grief tore at my heart, but my father’s threats rang in my ears. I swallowed the ache in my throat.<br /> “I do.”<br /> Tony’s surly best man handed him the rings. My family’s oldest enemy took my hand in his big, calloused one. Shock slammed into my ribs as he slid another ring I hated onto my finger. His resentment drilled holes into my skull.<br /> “I now pronounce you man and wife,” said the distant voice of the priest. “You may peck the bride.”<br /> Our vulnerable gazes clashed.<br /> Hatred blazed in those tawny brown pools. They had a burning, faraway look, like he couldn’t bear to share the same space. His arm banded my waist, pulling me roughly to him. He cradled my head. We stared at each other as though across an unfathomable distance.<br /> Married, but still strangers.<br /> I anchored my hands on his shoulders, my stomach twisting as our bodies pressed close. I tipped my head up to peck my husband, stowing my rage for later. Then his lips caught mine, and my senses leaped to life. His peck was punishing and angry, sending spirals of heat through me. His stubble raked my skin. He was a flame eating the oxygen in the air, devouring my sustenance.<br /> Scattered applause cleaved through my brain.<br /> Tony pulled away, stone-faced.<br /> I swayed, fingers digging into his jacket. At the base of my throat, my pulse beat and swelled. My lips tingled.<br /> I wanted more. Tony was zoned out—and bored.<br /> A fierce sting bit my cheeks.<br /> That was it.<br /> I officially belonged to a monster.<br /> <br /> * * *<br /> <br /> Dad had spenta lifetime warning me against men like Tony. Despite that, he’d permitted Tony to make my life bad forever. His only daughter, fed to Tony like a sacrificial lamb.<br /> The betrayal sawed into my chest.<br /> After an hour of photos, we drove to our reception at a waterfront museum. A giant wall of glass overlooked the harbor, winking with a sea of yellow lights as the dark water reflected a cloudless sky. Seafood rested on ice, but I’d yet to go anywhere near the buffet. I had a mild allergy to shellfish, but nobody thought to ask for my preferences. His mother had planned everything.<br /> Tony sat at our sweetheart table, brooding. He’d skipped the five-course dinner, glowering when guests approached us.<br /> I grabbed a flute of champagne and offered it to him, but Tony waved off my peace offering.<br /> “I don’t drink.”<br /> “Not even at your wedding?”<br /> He shot me a black look but didn’t elaborate. Then his gaze dropped to his ring.<br /> I glared at him. “Strong and silent, huh? Are you that way because you’re too proud? Or are you not bright enough to string together words that aren’t insults?”<br /> “I think we’ve had enough of each other.”<br /> “Well, I have a lot to discuss, even if you’d rather sit there and pout.”<br /> “This is the most backwards day in my life. I have the right to be pissed off.” His eyes echoed the smolder in his voice. “So do you. You’re paying for sins that aren’t yours. I enjoy tormenting my enemies, but this is cruel, even by my standards. And believe me, honey, I’ve seen some crud.”<br /> I didn’t doubt him.<br /> I’d heard all kinds of rumors, but separating fact from fiction required research. Since my father refused to tell me anything at all, what I’d read painted a billionaire playboy’s fall from grace and his comeback as a “human rights” activist. Hard to accept that candy-coated spin when it was rumored he gave out cash for dead bikers.<br /> I refilled the champagne and drank, hoping to dissolve the knot in my throat. I could deal with being his wife, but icy fingers seeped into my flesh at what was expected of me. The prenup had a list of requirements:<br /> sleep once a week, the lowest minimum.<br /> We were to start a family. If I didn’t conceive in a year, Tony could file for divorce, and I would get nothing. Since my fertility was already established, Tony would also be penalized if he failed to make an heir. Most of his estate would be signed over to his cousin, including property, stocks, and overseas bank accounts. A pregnancy within six months would grant me a bonus.<br /> Any violation of the prenup would result in our marriage’s immediate termination, and my assets would be split down the middle.<br /> My business would never recover. Not to mention, I’d have to repay every cent toward it. I could be in debt to Costa forever, but he could lose half his harvest worth and still be a rich man.<br /> “Dream a Little Dream”by Pink Martinipulsed from speakers, the jaunty romantic tune stabbing my brain like a pitchfork.<br /> “I guess we should dance.” Tony sounded like he’d rather drown, but he grabbed my arm and pulled me upright. His touch splayed over my exposed back, flooding my skin with heat.<br /> “I’m not a good dancer.I have absolutely no rhythm.” I took his shoulder, my skin flushing. “You’ll be embarrassed when I stumble over your shoes.”<br /> Tony’s jaw clenched, but he nodded. Then he cradled me in a tight embrace, his chin hooking my shoulder. His warmth enveloped me in a musky vanilla scent. His arms banded my waist, pinning me to a wall of muscle. A current ran through me as we slowly revolved on the spot. It would’ve been sweet if not for the poison falling from his lips.<br /> “They would give me an uncoordinated girl.”<br /> I dug into him. “I have many talents. Dancing just isn’t one of them.”<br /> “Like?”<br /> “Jewelry design.”<br /> “Jewelry design. Plastic beads, that sort of thing?” His voice boomed through my stomach. “Do you have an Etsy? Do you go to makeup parties to sell your handmade bracelets? How adorable.”<br /> I rolled my eyes at his stupid assumptions and pictured his reaction when I moved in with a fully stocked jeweler’s studio, which included a blowtorch.<br /> “And what have you done with your life, except spend Daddy’s money?”<br /> He leaned in, his whisper brushing my ear. “Lately, I’m all about activism. Cleaning up the city.”<br /> Killing bikers. Right.<br /> “You should take a hard look at yourself.”<br /> “I know what I am.”<br /> A monster.<br /> “I don’t have the luxury of waging crusades.” That was putting it lightly. “I have bills. Endless bills.”<br /> “Which I’m inheriting, no doubt.”<br /> I hadn’t planned on milking him, but why not? “I have bigger dreams than being your wife.”<br /> Something that resembled a smile touched his brutally handsome face. “You could open your legs for me regularly. You might have a quarter of a million dollars, if you’re lucky.”<br /> “Not sure I’d call carrying your baby luck.”<br /> “If not for me, where would you be?” His brows narrowed. “Living a mediocre life with one of them, popping out three kids, only to be stuck alone when he gets jailed for dope trafficking.”<br /> A furnace blazed up my neck, claiming my ears. “At least I wouldn’t be married to a psychopath. And I’d be able to work in peace.”<br /> “Well, that won’t be necessary anymore.”<br /> “I am not quitting,” I ground out. “It’s not just my passion. It pays the bills.”<br /> “You need me to pay them, so how successful can you be?”<br /> The barbed insult sank deep, striking behind my ribs. I inhaled sharply, fighting to breathe around the wound he’d caused.<br /> I ripped away.<br /> I needed a moment before I shattered the champagne glass fountain or threw him over the balcony. Unbearable heat flushed my arms. I crossed the glitzy reception hall to the wall of bearded men wearing leather cuts. A handsome prospect with chestnut brown hair waved.<br /> Ghost.<br /> A flash of loneliness stabbed my heart. I headed toward him, but a hand on my wrist stopped me. Glowering, I faced my husband.<br /> “What?”<br /> Tony’s grip slid down my arm and tightened.<br /> “My wife is not associated with bikers. Especially with the boy that’s been eyes stare at you all night.” An ugly suspicion darkened his voice. “Yes, I notice everything that concerns me or mine.”<br /> This was a bridge too far.<br /> “I’m part of that world. You can’t pry it out of me!”<br /> “I can and will.”<br /> I wrenched hard, but his hold was iron. “Let me go.”<br /> “I will not have him around you, Evie.” His tawny eyes blazed, daring me to challenge him. “I don’t hurt anyone without reason, but if I find out you’re still friends, I’ll send you his hands in a box. Do yourself a favor and behave.”<br /> The threat plunged me into ice.<br /> “You’re every bit as horrible as they say. You’re a sick blighter.”<br /> <br /> ----------<br /> Evie<br /> I’m grateful that my husband doesn’t mince words.<br /> <br /> I’d married the monster.<br /> Soon I’d have to sleep with him.<br /> It was a splinter in my mind, driving me mad.<br /> Until now, the activity at the reception had swept it from my head. There’d been enough to occupy me with the forced wedding, the endless receiving line, and my husband’s strange hostility. Getting in the mood would be impossible, even if he hadn’t threatened to dismember someone.<br /> Tony was certifiable, more jaded than a former convict. He stood on the harbor, his sharp silhouette illuminated by yellow lights. Apparently, he preferred standing outside in the miserable weather than talking to me.<br /> What was wrong with him?<br /> And didn’t he eat?<br /> My vision tunneled as I finished my Aperol spritz, a cocktail I’d never tried before. There was so much I hadn’t experienced because I’d grown up in a clubhouse, and I loved the way the orange syrup cradled the bottom of the glass, the citrus tang, how the sparkling vino teased my tongue before sweetness rolled in. The drink went down easy, so I’d had four.<br /> A blurry outline swam into focus.<br /> I ignored the bold frame. My mouth was papery, dry and dusty. I gulped the melted ice. The heavy presence lingered, heating the space between us like smoking coal.<br /> What did he want?<br /> I gave his immaculate suit serious side-eye.<br /> Tony didn’t take the hint. He leaned into my chair. Then a jacketed arm swung forward. He pried the cup from me and set it aside. He had beautiful hands—tapered, tanned, neat cuticles, with tattoos crawling from his sleeve. Small nicks and scrapes marked his knuckles, but I could’ve used him as a model for my watch.<br /> “You’ve had enough. No more.”<br /> Drinking wasn’t making it better, but his cold disapproval whipped me in a fury.<br /> “If I’m spending the night with my cheek stuck to the bathroom floor, that’s my problem.” I raised my head, glaring at him. “Not yours.”<br /> “By all means, make a fool of yourself. Peeling you off the ground would be the perfect ending to this wedding.”<br /> “You realize you’re the reason I’m drinking, right?”<br /> I thought he’d leave. Instead he slid into the seat beside mine.<br /> “You’re in for a rough eight hours unless you eat.” He turned, addressing the bodyguard. “How many has she had?”<br /> Christian squinted. “Five?”<br /> “Get her some water.” He grabbed my empty glass and handed it to the man. “And a plate of food. Something heavy with meat. Don’t skimp on the starch. She needs it to absorb all the cocktails.”<br /> A thin chill clung to Tony’s words.<br /> Christian raked his hair. “It’s a wedding.”<br /> “You trying to give my bride spirits poisoning?”<br /> My cheeks warmed. “Tony, I’m fine.”<br /> “Sorry, T.”<br /> “Don’t let it happen again.” He gripped my arm. Then he leaned in, his body heat burning through his suit.<br /> The aggression didn’t scare me, but the hand weighing me knotted my insides.<br /> “I’m not that drunk.”<br /> “You’re a lightweight, Evie.” Sparks in my chest erupted at my name rolling off his tongue. “Evie. Is that French?”<br /> “No idea. Mom probably heard it on TV.”<br /> “Where is she?”<br /> I shrugged, ignoring the ache. “Living her best life somewhere else.”<br /> “What does that mean?”<br /> “Now you’re interested in my backstory? After biting my head off the whole night? Give me the spritz back. Then make like a leaf, and split.”<br /> His grim expression broke with the ghost of a smile. “You’re so wasted that you’re confusing your idioms.”<br /> “Oh.”<br /> I rarely got this nasty, but he brought it out in me. He’d trashed my every expectation and turned a celebration into a funeral.<br /> A Whitney Houston ballad warbled through the air, breaking up the agony of another Italian folk song. Couples in the dark revolved, spinning effortlessly. That shot an arrow through my lingering euphoria.<br /> A pang burrowed in my heart.<br /> God, this sucked. “Can we go?”<br /> “Not yet. You’re slurring and off-balance.” He planted the water in my hands. “Drink. Sober up.”<br /> “Why do I have to sober up?”<br /> “I need to make you mine, and I don’t sleep with drunk girls.”<br /> I squeezed the glass.<br /> The bodyguard returned, balancing a giant plate of frites and poached salmon. The fat from the fish spiraled into my nostrils. Tony’s stare bored into me until I seized the fork. Then I dug into the entree. Cajun spice hit my tongue, melting with the buttery meat. I ate until the heaviness dissipated from my mind, leaving me in a frazzled panic.<br /> What would I do when Tony got me alone?<br /> “Feel better?”<br /> I nodded, staring at his tie. I waited, torn apart by nerves.<br /> He took my elbow. “Let’s get this over with.”	LEARN_MORE	https://a.shepherdsapp.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMTQ5NzE5	110620302003689	Pop001	https://facebook.com/100092038763039	377	1	273,503,799,158,069	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Pop001	120208100914550338	a.shepherdsapp.com	NONE	video		https://a.shepherdsapp.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMTQ5NzE5LzIwMjQwNDEzMTk1MDExL3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}}	2024-04-13 06:57	https://scontent.ford4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435579355_392284203690308_3058958677629546057_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=-3eaikit1K0Ab6N4itx&_nc_ht=scontent.ford4-1.fna&oh=00_AfB0M7aJ7eaDZp44PGvAXAPacLRP-saoFqvB3zNujkxLMg&oe=662202EB	person_profile	Pop001	https://scontent.ford4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436354806_1128743545075242_5560310009228015391_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=cvQ3a1UglL8Ab7FYu5d&_nc_ht=scontent.ford4-1.fna&oh=00_AfBIyHm8F-dLAGfRHartOzMYlk2iD0m6fQe9NqMVZkemPw&oe=66220136	3	Pop001	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,210,842	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210864}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	394772190051144	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"You mated with him on my wedding day!" she said angrily.<br /> "We didn't mate, it was-it was an accident"I said standing up holding my hand up trying to get her to understand.<br /> "How could you?"<br /> "I didn't, Hannah he did it, I'm sorry it wasn't my fault I didn't ask"<br /> "He left me because of you!" she shouted loudly and I could hear the footsteps on the stairs, probably my mom drawn to the commotion.<br /> "Hannah he-he did it before I could stop him" I pleaded, even though I knew deep down I could've stopped him if I wanted to. But stopping him never crossed my mind until it was done.<br /> "What going on here?" my mom asked.<br /> "She mated with Dezmond Collins!" she said pointing at me , his name being said made my stomach clench , my mom gasped her hand going to her mouth.<br /> ******** <br /> "Kendal!" I heard my sister squeal,I cringed as she grabbed a hold of me.<br /> "Can you believe it? I'm getting married!" she said dragging me out of the crowd down some hallway into a dressing room full of her brides' maids .<br /> "I'm more worried about to who"I answered through my teeth.<br /> "Oh stop it, he's so gorgeous!"<br /> As a peace offering my family offered my sister up as a wife for Dezmond Collins on the condition he would stop attacking our pack. She was so excited to finally be mated,since she hadn't found her mate at 16 like she hoped.<br /> I couldn't believe my father was getting my 16 year old sister to mate with someone as horrible as Dezmond Collins. My father's excuse was sometimes we have to make sacrifices. But sacrificing my sister to someone for literally not killing us, is outrageous. I didn't understand why she would want to be one of his wives .<br /> Yes you read that correctly. Wives. Plural, meaning there were more.<br /> "He's dangerous"I said like I had been since I learned of this ... engagement.<br /> "Stop raining on my happiness Kendal, I want this"<br /> "Why? He's murders people, Hannah"I said, she stopped.<br /> "Why are you so mad?" she asked me.<br /> "Because Dad is offering you as a peace offering, like an object to the most dangerous person in the world, and I can't do anything about it!" I said angrily, why couldn't she understand. I knew she was stupid sometimes but this was too much. I knew she couldn't be this stupid.<br /> "I want this Kendal, okay? I didn't find my mate, and he wants to be it , and he's going to take care of me . "<br /> "Hannah he's not going to mate you , he's just going to use you as another one of his wives "<br /> "How do you know that?"<br /> "Because! That's what he's done with all the others Hannah , honestly what makes you think you're so different!" I demanded. I had heard about this for years, him taking innocent women as wives , never mating with any of them.<br /> "I am different, I'm going to be the one Kendal, you'll see"<br /> she said defiantly like she was convincing me she was going to be a princess.<br /> "Why can't you just be happy for me , Kendal ? " she asked tears in her eyes.<br /> "Because this is wrong " I replied motioning around me at all the decorations and the people beyond the wall .<br /> "For once, cant you just be happy for me, this is what I want Kendal"I sighed.<br /> "I need a drink"I responded going back down the hallway. I stopped in the middle of it freezing, every muscle in my body stiffened as my body lit up with electricity. The most amazing scent hit my nose and I had to reach out for the wall so I didn't collapse.<br /> My throat tightened and my chest started humming, as every pore and nerve in my body was on high alert. I inhaled deeper, the scent making me shiver, it smelled like the woods with so much musk and spice it burned my nose. I chewed on my lip standing there for a minute trying to regain my composure . My wolf was pacing urging me to go find my mate.<br /> I could feel my primal urge rising in my body, making me determined to find this person. I took a hesitant step forward, until my feet were carrying themselves in the direction of the crowd, I pushed my way through it, and froze completely.<br /> Oh god.<br /> He was standing there clad in a tuxedo , talking to someone . He was standing , 7 and had everything . He had broad shoulders, a defined chest that was noticeable even through his tux. His biceps were large, and I wondered how he got a jacket that would actually fit around them. He had a strong jawline and high cheekbones, his eyes were so serious and a breathtaking honey brown, that almost shined gold . His sharp nose lead to the most flawless lips I have ever seen . His hair was chocolate brown and messy ,with occasional curls in the endless waves .<br /> My breath caught in my throat completely, and black dots swam in my vision.<br /> Standing there looking as beautiful as ever, was my mate.<br /> Dezmond Collins.<br /> My body screamed in protest when I turned directly around and started walking away. Each step sent a sharp pain through my chest.<br /> Not only was my mate beyond dangerous, he was also my sister's fiance.<br /> Oh god. I walked towards the doors seeing a bottle of Jack Daniels on the bar, I grabbed it and went back towards the hallway, and I started hyperventilating. I tried to breathe but I couldn't, I was just gasping for air even though I couldn't inhale. I felt nausea rise in my stomach and I knew I was going to throw up.<br /> I swallowed hard, finding the first door I could in the dim hallway. I stumbled in holding onto the handle for support. I was in an empty dressing room . I sat down on the couch opening the bottle with shaky hands, my whole body was trembling , my chest hurt from walking away from him and denying my primal urge to go to him.<br /> I tilted the bottle back taking a swig "Okay breathe'l reminded myself.<br /> Everything is going to be okay . Dezmond Collins is going to marry my sister , and I wont intervene .<br /> This is want she wants, I can't ruin her life or wedding.<br /> I can't and I won't. I'll just stay in here until it's over and official and then I'll leave as quickly as possible so he doesn't see me.<br /> My wolf growled angrily at these words. She wanted her mate.<br /> Dezmond Collins is dangerous and he murders people. He was the most dangerous of our kind. You were either with him or you weren't and if you weren't you wouldn't be alive for long . He was despicable , and truly the definition of monster. Women and children were murdered almost every week because of him. Packs fell to his knees and then he burned them to ground. No one lived after meeting him unless they were offering up something.<br /> I can't be with that. Not to mention he's marrying my sister in less than an hour, if he ever found out I was his mate and called the wedding off she would hate me forever .<br /> I was his mate.<br /> These words repeated in my head, making me feel queasy again. I hadn't had anything but a shot today, so I had nothing to throw up so I just dry heaved, my body trembled as I tried to throw up but I couldn't . Eventually the tears came and I wiped them away, as the exhaustion hit me afterwards.<br /> I sat there on the floor with the bottle of jack between my legs, every sip burned but somehow numbed the pain. The door slammed against the wall and I jumped looking up facing the face I never wanted to see again .<br /> His honey brown eyes caught mine and the room seemed to disappear completely, he stared down at me and I stared back not sure what to do. My fears had come true, he found out about me, I should've left when I had the chance.<br /> I should've ran and dealt with my emotions later. I didn't know what to do, so I just picked the now half empty bottle up and offered it to him. His eyes flicked down to it, and then they flicked back up to mine, and I got completely lost in them again.<br /> There were no emotions on his features, but I could see shock in his eyes. I dropped the bottle back in my lap and he shut the door behind him , I carefully stood up almost falling from the horrid heels I had been forced into .<br /> My whole body was shaking under his gaze. Neither of us said anything.<br /> "What's your name?" he asked looking me over slowly and carefully , his eyes trailing down my body . His voice was like hot tea with honey, or melting chocolate, it was so smooth but somehow rough at the same time.<br /> "K-Kendal" I stuttered out, and then cleared my throat. Why am I stuttering ? His eyes came back up to my face . I bit my lip dropping my eyes to the floor . He let out a low growl that vibrated through my chest, and sent shivers down my spine. My body covered in goose-bumps and the electricity running over my skin seemed to heat up.<br /> A sharp pain coursed through my stomach and lower back.<br /> His growl was calling my wolf forward, I could feel my skin start to heat up and I mentally fought pushing her back trying to block her out . My head started to hurt .<br /> "Stop doing that" he said angrily and his angry words pierced through my like a knife. What was I doing? I looked up at him confused , his eyes were glued to my lip pulled between my teeth. I let my lip go and his posture noticeably relaxed, he still stood stiffly but his muscles relaxed.<br /> He took a step forward and I resisted the urge to take one back , my body was screaming at me to run away , and my wolf was screaming at me to step closer to him, I was torn between my primal urge and common sense, so I just froze watching him walk closer.<br /> Eventually he got so close I was craning my neck to look up at him, the scent radiating off him was heavenly. My breath had caught in my throat and I wasn't breathing once again.<br /> He was so close I could see the small hint of a tattoo peeking out from under his tux on his neck. And I could see the small scar across his eyebrow that was half hidden by his hair that probably fell in his eyes when it was wet . And that his ears were pierced even though his messy hair was almost covering his ears.<br /> I tried to breathe but I couldn't, his close proximity completely jumbled all my thoughts and I completely forgot how to breathe much less talk or form a full thought.<br /> ==<br /> Realization hit me like a truck.<br /> He just marked me.<br /> I gathered all the strength I had left and shoved him away,he stumbled back from the shock.<br /> "What did you do that for?" I demanded. My hand flew to my neck and felt the spot that was now sore and more sensitive than ever . I could feel the tears falling freely .<br /> "Why did you do that? Why, why, WHY?" I asked he stared at me , I turned around going to the full body mirror examining the mark now placed permanently in my skin. I stared at the thin crescent shape of his teeth imprinted in my skin right above his name that decorated my neck.<br /> I wiped my tears away, touching it gently. He came up behind me and I looked at him through the mirror. He stepped right behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, I stiffened at first but I could feel the mark working its magic getting me to submit, and I relaxed into him.<br /> He pecked his mark , and violent shiver racked through my body as a wave of pleasure hit me like a ton of bricks .<br /> "Soon"he said looking up catching my eye in the mirror,and then he turned on his heels and left.<br /> I stared at the door for a solid minute before I broke out in sobs , going to sit on the couch . I finally pulled myself together, and had to take the beautiful braided messy bun my sister took an hour on this morning . I let my hair fall to cover up the mark now placed on my collarbone . I took a deep breath wiping my eyes one last time. I took a swig of jack and then left down the hallway.<br /> The crowd was in a frenzy and Hannah was freaking out .<br /> "What's wrong?" I asked Julie one of the bridesmaids, she turned around looking at me crinkling her nose .<br /> " You smell different " she told me .<br /> "Yeah what's wrong"I repeated cursing silently.<br /> "Apparently Dezmond Collins is nowhere to be found."<br /> My stomach clenched at his name, I sat down and waited while they finally decided to call the wedding. I felt extremely guilty but didn't say a word, about anything.<br /> That night my father was in his office on the phone and my mother was trying to get Hannah to open the door to her room she had locked herself in. I took a hot shower scrubbing every inch of my skin trying to scrub the feeling of his touch off.<br /> I must have stood there looking at myself in the bathroom mirror for an hour, I looked the same, except for Dezmond Collins's mark placed on my skin, bounding us together for life. I felt the same except for the sharp pains in my chest every time I breathed .<br /> I went to bed early, and tossed and turned all night. Every time I closed my eyes I would see his honey brown eyes looking back at me. And every time I started to drift off I would hear his voice saying one word.<br /> Soon.<br /> I laid in bed my arms wrapped around myself, breathing through the pain and thinking about him until light poured through my window violating my room. I pulled on a hoodie over my tank top and made sure my hair was covering my mark, and went downstairs hearing my mother banging around in the kitchen.<br /> I went to the kitchen and sat at the island both my parents stopped what they were doing and stared at me, my heart stopped fearing they could see my mark.<br /> "What are you doing up so early sweetie?" my mom asked and I sighed in relief.<br /> "Couldn't sleep" I replied. I had bags under my eyes that were bloodshot, and my face was paler than normal.<br /> "Are you okay sweetheart?" she asked pressing her hand to my forehead.<br /> "Yeah"I said forcing a small smile to my face,"Well sit down honey breakfast should be done in a few minutes"I nodded and went to the breakfast table sitting down my dad was looking over papers his head in his hands.<br /> "Dad"I said hesitantly, he looked up at me dropping his pen.<br /> I paused "Was there a reason Dez ... mond Collins wasn't there ? " I asked , apparently some time in the night my mind had decided to start calling him Dez.<br /> He shook his head "No, he broke off all alliances last night also, he's no longer in alliance with anyone, none of us are safe"he told me.<br /> "No discussing work at the table you know the rules" my mom said motioning to all his papers.<br /> Why would Dez break off all of his alliances? Dezmond . Dezmond is his name .<br /> 'His wolf loves it when we call him Dez'my wolf chimed in my head. She had spent all night crying out for him, which put me through physical pain. I eventually blocked her out and the sharp pains in my chest had dulled .<br /> 'That's not his name' I snapped at her, pushing her into the back of my mind, blocking her out.<br /> I waited until my mom was back in the kitchen.<br /> "Dad why would he do that?" I asked quietly.<br /> "I don't know, he cut them all off without explanation, but I think he's planning something" my dad told me.<br /> "Like what?"<br /> "I don't know, but I fear he's going to attack our pack soon so we need to be on the offense" he said straightening his papers, my eyes widened. The offense. We needed to be on the offense. Does that mean what I think it does, I studied my father's face. And I was hit with the realization.<br /> " You're going to attack his pack?" I said realization hitting me . My father didn't answer me confirming my fears.<br /> "Dad, his pack could take ours any day of the week, their stronger and trained"<br /> "But we have the element of surprise" my dad said.<br /> "Dad, don't do it, so many people will die"<br /> "Sitting here and waiting for him to attack first will result in people dying too Micah " my dad said using my first name telling me it was probably better to shut up now. My parents only used my first name when they were cross.<br /> I chewed on my lip thinking. My father was going to attack my mate.<br /> I didn't know what to do. Should I warn Dez? Should I tell my father what he is to me?<br /> My dad would use me as leverage, I knew it. He would use me to his advantage with Dez.<br /> Would Dez even care about me? If my father used me to his advantage and threatened Dez would he care at all? I so badly wanted to say yes , but my mind was telling me no .<br /> He wouldn't care about me.<br /> And all these questions lead me to a bigger question .<br /> Would I risk everything to warn Dez, yes.<br /> So where did my loyalties lie ? With Dez , my mate . Or with my pack and my father. I got up left going back up to my room. I curled into a ball under my blanket and laid there.<br /> That's what I did for the next week, absolutely nothing but breathe through the pain that was steadily getting worse by the day. By the 7th day, the pain was almost unbearable.<br /> I was laying there under all my blankets like every day, I was so cold. It didn't matter how many blankets I got or how hot of water I soaked in, I was cold. I was cold from the inside out , I craved the warmth that came with Dez's touch.<br /> A sharp pain shot through my chest thinking about him,which is all I seemed to be able to think about. My mind always came back to him, I couldn't think of anything for 30seconds without my mind reeling back to him somehow.<br /> I heard a knock at my door and it opened I didn't move from my tight ball.<br /> "Hey Kendal, wake up" it was Hannah she had gotten over Dez quickly, and was now back to obsessing over finding her perfect mate. She pulled my blanket off.<br /> "Mom wanted to tell y-" she stopped abruptly causing me to look up at her waiting for her to finish. Her eyes were fixated on my neck. My heart stopped knowing exactly what she was looking at , her jaw dropped .<br /> "What is that?" she asked loudly pointing at it, I quickly covered it with my hand.<br /> "Hannah, listen you can't tell-"<br /> " Whose is it ? " she asked , I thought about lying but by the horror written all over her face I knew she already knew whose it was.<br /> "You mated with him on my wedding day!" she said angrily.<br /> "We didn't mate, it was-it was an accident"I said standing up holding my hand up trying to get her to understand.<br /> "How could you?"<br /> "I didn't, Hannah he did it, I'm sorry it wasn't my fault I didn't ask"<br /> "He left me because of you!" she shouted loudly and I could hear the footsteps on the stairs, probably my mom drawn to the commotion.<br /> "Hannah he-he did it before I could stop him" I pleaded, even though I knew deep down I could've stopped him if I wanted to. But stopping him never crossed my mind until it was done.<br /> "What going on here?" my mom asked.<br /> "She mated with Dezmond Collins!" she said pointing at me , his name being said made my stomach clench , my mom gasped her hand going to her mouth .<br /> " No we didn't mate , mom it was-it was an accident , I didn't mean to , he just did it , and-and - "<br /> "How could you do this to your father?" she asked me sternly , I swallowed . Shock hit me , my mother had never spoken to me in a tone like that.<br /> "Why would he mark you?" my sister demanded looking furious.<br /> "I'm his-I'm his mate"I said quietly.<br /> "Why didn't you stop him?" she asked.<br /> "I was going to-I was, but he-he just did it, I didn't, I'm sorry it was-it was an accident"I said trying to explain.	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1,211,026	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210815}'	No	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	1372437913437066	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"She is a client's assistant. We met a little over two months and it was an accidental hook-up. I swear I didn't plan or thought of it at first. It just happened." He looked away.<br /> "Two months? You've been making a fool out of me for two months, David?!" Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.<br /> "Please forgive me, please Babe."<br /> "I want you to tell her that everything is over between you two... in front of me."<br /> ————————<br /> "The moment I saw you, I knew in my heart that I love everything about you. As I spent more time with you, I realized that I have deeply fallen for you. I promised God and myself that I will never hurt you. Every day of my life I will only spend with you. Your happiness will always be my priority. Loving you forever is my greatest promise. My life will be incomplete without you. Avery Jackson, will you marry me?"<br /> "YES! Yes, David, I will marry you!"<br /> For some, whatever they have may seem too good to be true, but for both of them, finding each other is a dream come true. Everything seemed perfect until the unexpected happened.<br /> Avery couldn't find the word to describe the mixed emotions she felt when she read the message that popped on David's phone. She didn't know if her eyes were fast enough to have read it before the notification faded away or it was the heavens that wanted her to read it. Her body froze, her heart stopped, heavy and painful pounding on her chest dominated. She gasped for air. Her whole body stiffened. It was like any second her head will explode. Every inch of her body trembled. Nauseated, her stomach flipped. She begged her mouth not to vomit. When she heard the bathroom door unlocked, she immediately put back the phone where David originally left before he took a shower.<br /> "Are you okay Babe? What's wrong? You are trembling," David asked, his eyes widened.<br /> "Ah... Um... I need to go to the bathroom. I think I'm having diarrhea." Her steps bolted for the bathroom.<br /> She locked the bathroom door and sat on the tiled floor as her trembling body touched the wall. Her eyes welled with tears.<br /> What should I do? Should I confront him? Since when? Who is she? How? Where? Why?<br /> Strong, piercing and poking burned on her head. Her brain asked all the different questions but failed to find answers to any of them. She pressed her chest slowly and hard, hoping her hand can lessen the pain when she heard David from the outside of the door.<br /> "Babe, are you okay? Do you need medicine? How are you feeling?"<br /> "I'm okay," she answered in a soft voice, hiding her silent cries.<br /> "Do you want me to buy you an energy drink or something?"<br /> "Please... Thank you," her voice crackled.<br /> She burst into tears with her hands placed in between her knees and face when she heard the main door shut. Her whole body convulsed like no end. Is this for real? She denied David is cheating on her. My David will never do that. Maybe the message was wrongly sent? The message wasn't for him?<br /> She went out of the bathroom in a swift motion. It crushed her hope not finding David's phone where she placed it back a while ago. Stupid Ave! No cheating prick will leave his phone behind. She had to think of something. Confronting him can be good or bad. How will I do it? Reality hit her. Her woman's instinct activated. Were there signs? Either she had been so dumb, so trusting, or so in love?<br /> How would I have known the signs?<br /> It's not like there's a manual or a guide for her to know if he is cheating on her.<br /> Maybe David was so good at hiding. She started going back to the past days, weeks, and months. Tears fell again, like on cue the same heaviness and poking in her chest got stronger. But she has to brave all the pains to find the answers. Someone other than David might know. Who else knows?<br /> Self-pity struck her. Do people in the firm know? Am I the last one to know? These are just a few of the questions that popped into her mind. This pain sucks! She wanted very much to confront him, but she's also afraid that she might be wrong. She got the urge to ask people, especially those around him, but she doubted if they will tell her. If people who knew about it want her to know, at least someone should have mentioned it to her already.<br /> "Oh, God! I'm so naïve and stupid! David is their boss. Their loyalty is with him of course."<br /> She felt so alone and pitiful. She knew she can get comfort from her family in times like this, but she can't because she still wanted to protect David. What a stupid idea that despite the hurts and pains she still wants him to get on her family's good side.<br /> Am I acting normal right now? She suddenly remembered Shelly, her best friend, when they caught her fiance doing a "mouth-to-mouth" resuscitation with his secretary inside his office. Back then she wanted badly to smack Shelly when instead of telling her parents the truth, she covered the truth to keep the guy's respectable image. Am I being Shelly right now?<br /> What to do, Avery? What to do?<br /> "Babe, are you okay now?" David asked.<br /> "Better I guess."<br /> She didn't realize that he already came back. She watched him as he opened the bottle of energy drink. Her eyes focused on the cellphone that he placed on top of the bedside table. Even without her going near it, she can see that it was on silent mode judging by the number of times the notifications have been lighting on the screen.<br /> "Here Babe drink it. Make sure you don't get dehydrated. Do you need anything else?"<br /> I need you to be honest with me. "Nothing, thanks."<br /> She gulped the drink without taking her sight off David. He looked excited as he grabbed his cellphone from the side table. She watched him as he sat in bed. He was so engrossed in what he was reading; he didn't realize that she glued her eyes to him all along. She felt a lump in her stomach. How his face changed to the same face he had the morning he asked her to be his girlfriend. She saw the same excitement and sweet smile he had for her then. Except that this time she is sure it wasn't for her. Her body trembled again. She placed her hand over her heart. She can't seem to breathe.<br /> NO.<br /> I think my breathing is becoming loud.<br /> Too loud that she unconsciously covered her ears with her hands.<br /> Now I can't seem to hear my heartbeat.<br /> She feels like her heart stopped. She started pressing into her chest. Everything around her blurs. Then there was total darkness and silence.<br /> "Babe! Avery! Wake up!"<br /> David's voice awakened her. Her restless body was in David's arms when she opened her eyes. He was staring at her, worried. She can't find the strength to say anything. She looked into his eyes and silently asked the questions to herself. The questions she can't dare to ask him.<br /> Why David? Why?<br /> "What happened to you? Do you want me to bring you to the hospital?"<br /> I'm fine. I need to be.<br /> "I'll get you water. Stay in bed for now."<br /> Saying nothing, she stood up and trudged to the bed. She saw his cellphone on top of his pillow. It is in silent mode. She sees the call notifications as the phone screen keeps on lighting. The same contact who sent him the message is the same contact calling him right now. She grabbed the phone. 15 missed calls. All from the same contact. She heard footsteps coming near the bedroom door. It's too late. David already saw her holding his phone. He looked at her. She looked at him. They stared at each other.<br /> "Your phone. Someone has been calling you 15 times now."<br /> She looked into his eyes. His eyes avoided hers. He immediately took the phone from her hand. He seemed anxious but didn't look at her.<br /> "It's Jonathan. He's been calling me regarding the recent case. Take a rest, for now, babe. I'll just call Jonathan. Stay here. I'll be back."<br /> She just nodded and watched him as he rushed to get out of their room. The adrenalin and jealousy gave her body the strength to move and run for the door. Quietly, she watched him from the small opening.<br /> His gestures are familiar, bright smile, sparkling eyes.<br /> But one thing is for sure... those sweet gestures, his bright smile, and the sparks in his eyes... this time they're not hers.<br /> Avery was always confident. On top of her class, from elementary to her master's class days. Always gets praised for being young and smart. She knew how to hold an audience of professionals. She was a quick thinker. But this time, this exact moment, she felt like nothing. Worthless. Hopeless. Dumb. Numb.<br /> Her mind overflowed with silent questions. What did I do wrong? Did I lack on something? So many whats and whys. All thoughts that made her doubt herself, her worth.<br /> Sound of footsteps coming awakened her from her thoughts. She immediately went to bed and rested her back on the headboard.<br /> "Babe, will you be alright if I meet up with Jonathan for an hour or two? We badly need to discuss our plan for tomorrow's court hearing."<br /> She looked him in the eye as she wanted very much to ask him.<br /> Why do you have to lie, David?" Do you really have to meet Jonathan at this hour? Where are you really going? Can't you guys just meet early tomorrow instead?"<br /> "You know how is Jonathan, babe. He wouldn't stop calling and texting me unless I meet up with him. That idiot is quite a workaholic and a nerve-wreck!"<br /> Who are you meeting? "Okay," was the only word that came out of her.<br /> She still can't believe that this is happening. That the David who is lying to her face right now is the same David who promised to love her forever. The David for an angel she thought of has turned into a lying monster in front of her. But she can't understand why she's so weak and afraid. Weak to confront him and afraid to get an answer she might not want to hear.<br /> "I have to go, Babe! I'll try to be back as soon as I can."<br /> Like in a dream, everything was floating and blurred. She just realized he already left after hearing his car revving out loud and fast from the garage.<br /> I am not expecting this. It's just six months after we got engaged. We just confirmed a schedule to meet with the wedding planner yesterday.<br /> She stood fast and looked for her phone, and dialed. "Hello! Jonathan speaking."<br /> "Hey, Jonathan! This is Avery. I just wanted to know what you and David have scheduled for tomorrow? I wanted to surprise him for his birthday and secretly work on his schedule with his assistant tomorrow."<br /> "Avery, hey! Oh, we don't have any case right now. The last time we worked together was before your engagement. I wished we have a case together. It's so easy to work on a case with your man Ave!"<br /> "Uh... Oh... I know... How's Izzy? the kids?"<br /> "Well, Izzy is in the province with her mom right now. I'm on leave for three days because I'm stuck here at home babysitting the kids! Daddy duties!"<br /> "So sorry to have bothered you, Jonathan! peck the kids for me and tell Izzy I said hi."<br /> "I will Ave! Send my regards to your man! Goodnight!"<br /> "Goodnight Jonathan!"<br /> In silence, her tears started flowing like waterfalls. Everything in her body ached. Her heart pierced and broke into million pieces. Her imaginations worked. David driving fast, excited to meet his "Jonathan." She suddenly saw their engagement picture. As she holds the heart-shaped frame, she can't help but remember that day. Her heart was full of happiness and love. She and David looked so in love. Their eyes were sparkling, and he was holding her hand, showing the engagement ring, which was an heirloom passed down from his grandmother to his mom and now to David for her.<br /> When Avery felt him slowly getting on his side of the bed, she prayed for him not to notice that she was awake. He went to bed under the impression that she was in a deep sleep. He was unaware that she was just observing him all along. In a matter of fifteen minutes, he cleaned the broken glass, sneaked in a shower, and placed his clothes in the washer.<br /> Avery wanted very much not to cry, knowing that David is just in the other room, but her eyes have a mind of their own. She looked around and saw their engagement picture in a replaced frame the sobbing was a powerful force she can't fight anymore. She wished that one can easily replace broken relationships, like when broken frames were replaced with new ones.<br /> "What is wrong, babe? Why are you crying?"<br /> Avery froze knowing that David is now standing behind her. If he sees her face and she sees his, her tears will betray her. She hoped David will leave her and not insist to get an answer. But maybe, just maybe, or she was hoping against hope that everything is just a misunderstanding and that David is still the same David. The same who promised to love her forever and the same who she still loves despite.<br /> The crying she was trying so hard to keep to herself turned into loud and continuous sobbing. Avery can't control her emotions anymore. When David put his arms around her and then made her slowly face him, she lost it all.<br /> "What is happening Ave? Why are you crying? Did something happen?"<br /> Seeing David's concerned expression made her forget he is looking at the person who has been hurting him for weeks now. She placed her arms around him and cried harder. "I'm so in pain right now David."<br /> "Tell me, Babe, what's going on? Which is hurting? Why?"<br /> "My heart is hurting... in so much pain for weeks now." She told in between sobs and tears.<br /> As he wipes her tears with his fingers, he kept asking her questions, unaware of what she is about to say. "Is there something wrong with your heart? Did the doctor find something?"<br /> "No. But I discovered something. It has been causing me pain, it's been killing me every day."<br /> "You're making me worried now, babe. Tell me, please." He motioned her towards the bedroom bench. As they sat together, he clasped his hand with hers.<br /> Avery, feeling hopeful, felt that this might be her chance to confront him. She decided it's now or never. "We need to talk."<br /> "Okay Babe, talk to me. Tell me everything."<br /> "Who is she?"<br /> "Who? What do you mean she?"<br /> "Please be honest with me, David. At least as a friend. Who is the woman you are cheating on me with?"<br /> David's face fell. His breathing turned heavier and louder. The warmth that his hand was giving hers turned ice cold. And as he removed his hand from hers, he immediately brushed both of his hands through his hair and looked down. Dead silence enveloped the room. Avery knows this is their chance to lay everything down. As painful as it may be, the only way to know the truth is to get answers from him.<br /> "I knew it from the night I blacked out. She didn't ask him a question this time. I unintentionally read the message she sent you. I knew you didn't meet with Jonathan. You didn't have any reason to meet him at all."<br /> "Ave you know I can't lie to you."He looked her in the eye, guilt reflected.<br /> "But you did." If there is one thing that Avery learned as a paralegal that is interrogating without asking. "I called Jonathan right after you left that night. He doesn't have any clue. Izzy was in her province that night, no way for her to tell you to say hi to me."<br /> "Babe, I'm sorry." He cupped her face, looked directly into her eyes. She didn't stop him. The tears and the sobbing stopped. She felt braver, empowered seeing his sorry and admitting face.<br /> "Who is she? Tell me, what did I do wrong? What did I not do?" She removed his hands from her face.<br /> "There is nothing wrong with you, babe. It wasn't you, it was me. I was stupid! I'm sorry Ave."<br /> David lowered his head."I'm sorry Ave." He said the three words she regretted hearing. For the past weeks, she had been agonizing over herself to know the truth. She didn't realize that hearing the truth from him will be a thousand times more painful than how she has been feeling all along.<br /> Truth sucks. Truth hurts. Truth is real. These were the only things that echoed on Avery's mind. She values honesty all her life, but she wished that David should have just lied to her face again. The confirmation she had been longing to get from him didn't just hurt her wounded heart more. It pained, it cut, and it stabbed her already bleeding heart.<br /> "Ave, I'm really sorry. I know there is no excuse for what I did."<br /> She took in a deep breath. "Who is she? Since when?"<br /> "You don't know her. She is a client's assistant. We met a little over two months and it was an accidental hook-up. I swear I didn't plan or thought of it at first. It just happened." He looked away.<br /> "Two months? You've been making a fool out of me for two months, David?!" Her chest rose and fell with rapid breaths.<br /> "No Babe! Believe me. The night I told you I was to meet Jonathan, I went to meet her. I ended everything with her. Please believe me Ave!"<br /> The memory of that night flashed back to Avery. David's sweet gestures, his bright smile, and the sparks in his eyes... she wouldn't forget that picture of him reading messages on his phone. David may lie to her, but not to her heart. His face then didn't show an inch of a man about to end everything with the woman whose message he was reading.<br /> Her mind told her not to believe and not to forgive David is the most reasonable decision. But her heart reminded her he's asking for forgiveness should put her at ease, that he is deserving him a second chance. "After you confirmed David is really cheating, what do you plan to do?" She heard Shelly's voice as if she was just beside her.<br /> "Ave please say something. Please forgive me, please Babe."<br /> What should I do with you, David? Avery felt weak to even say a word. She just stared at David. If only her eyes have sharp arrows flying out of them, she would have surely hit his body bulls-eye slowly but fiercely. And she remembered what she told herself. She wouldn't be in his game without a fight.<br /> "Ave, tell me what I need to do for you to forgive me, please."<br /> "I want you to tell her that everything is over between you two... in front of me."	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1,210,124	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210116}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	1076315463430972	Live a Pain-Free Life Again	Experiencing a reherniation can be distressing. Barricaid provides a proactive approach to reduce the need for reoperation, allowing you to pursue your passions without interruption.	LEARN_MORE	https://barricaid.com/landingpages2/index6-a.html?	169168387005175	Barricaid	https://facebook.com/barricaid	96	1	798,091,511,745,941	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn More	Barricaid	120209376355500130	barricaid.com	NONE	dco	{{product.description}}	https://barricaid.com/landingpages2/index6-a.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=leads	2024-04-14 00:31	https://scontent.forf1-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/438079459_1191213628755554_745134301691033838_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=C9dxfhKTbnAAb7_SiQL&_nc_ht=scontent.forf1-3.fna&oh=00_AfBRDUzNDjkaCxOJoxnKBIRh3kGwT2Usw2SIAFS9ez5O-Q&oe=6621FBD2	person_profile	Barricaid	https://scontent.forf1-3.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437522056_803181985046692_1920682126802739198_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=RYXGuC6LryoAb62LgXh&_nc_ht=scontent.forf1-3.fna&oh=00_AfA1tsR4DhpuSbCmjiHmBHFxr6C4CxImTHQCUAnrfZUVVw&oe=66220627	3	Barricaid	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,209,418	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1209349}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	1708716766533555	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Sebastian." His name was a soft prayer on her lips, waiting to be whispered.<br /> He was here, right in front of her. And he would see right through her happy facade.<br /> He was the only one she could never convince. She could fool everyone else about how happy and alive she was but not him. He always saw right through her.<br /> He gave her a small smile, a small sad smile. "Chocolate cupcakes are still your thing, huh?"<br /> Anisha gave a small nod but turned to walk away. Not in front of him. She couldn't act like she was okay. He would see the cracks and quite frankly, she just didn't have it in her anymore to pull it together and act as if she was okay.<br /> She didn't want to cry either nor did she want to smile.<br /> —<br /> Anisha held the mug filled with milk tea in her hands and took a seat at the dining table. It was still early morning and neither Andrew nor the kids would be awake for another hour.<br /> She needed to be alone. Ever since she had fainted at work last week, she had been on edge. Something was wrong.<br /> Lately, she had noticed how tired and weak she felt. But of course, that was nothing new. Being tired could simply be a result of the fact that she wasn't getting much sleep lately and being weak could be a result of her not eating a lot lately.<br /> But it was the small purple bruise on her her lower left hip that had scared her. She hadn't even noticed it until a few days ago when she had been playing with her daughter and Mira had pointed out that Mommy had a boo-boo. She had tried to convince herself that perhaps such a bruise was because she had hit the nightstand in her room. But she knew it could also mean something more.<br /> She knew this because of the way her fellow doctors had acted around her after they had run a few blood tests after she had fainted. It was as if they knew something, or at least suspected something, and were afraid to tell her.<br /> And the answers were in the manila envelope in front of her. The envelope that held a copy of her blood results.<br /> Slowly, she gathered the will and tore open the envelope. Tears flooded her eyes even before she had read the letter.<br /> She could sense it. Something was wrong.<br /> Her eyes slowly scanned the letter, her hands shaking visibly, her lips trembling, heavy teardrops falling and her heart breaking into a million pieces.<br /> It couldn't be true. It couldn't be.<br /> She focused on the two numbers that made it clear that something was so very wrong with her.<br /> Her blood count was low and abnormal.<br /> It could've meant a number of things. But she knew what it was.<br /> Why? Because of the alternative tests the doctor had suggested. Because of the fact that she was scheduled for a bone marrow test next Thursday at 1 PM. Because of the fear in Sebastian's voice that her fainting, her bruising easily, her feeling weak and tired all the time, her not eating anymore, it all meant something worse, something far worse than a common flu or a little weakness.<br /> This couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not this early in life.<br /> It couldn't be her results.<br /> She was healthy and perfectly fine. Healthy and well.<br /> She reread the results once again, looking at every number, every letter, every word.<br /> The letter had to be a lie. It couldn't be happening. Not to her. Not this early in life.<br /> She slowly folded the letter and shoved the letter into her cardigan pocket. She sat on the dining table, staring at nothing.<br /> She didn't know what to feel. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do.<br /> She felt empty, empty and broken.<br /> She looked up as her husband walked into the kitchen and grabbed an apple. He barely gave her a glance. Not a single nod of acknowledgement or a 'good morning.'<br /> She smiled softly and slowly stood up. Maybe she should tell him.<br /> He needed to know. He deserved to know.<br /> But she couldn't. She couldn't tell him. She wasn't even sure what was going on yet. And it was her problem to deal with. He wouldn't care anyway. He never had.<br /> He had made it clear how little she meant to him, how much he didn't care about her and how much he hated her.<br /> But still she never gave up on him. After fourteen years, she should have. She should've packed her bags and left.<br /> But she never did.<br /> It wasn't only for the kids. It was also for him, for the two of them. She hoped that he would change, that he would slowly learn to forgive her and move on from the past.<br /> But he never did.<br /> "Wait Andrew, do you want some tea?" The glint of hope in her voice slowly diminishing. But still she asked. Maybe today would be the day. Maybe today he would eat breakfast with her. Maybe today he would show her he still cared. That he still loved her.<br /> He gave her a quick glance and shook his head. "Anisha, don't act like you care. There's no need to pretend, especially since the kids are still asleep."<br /> It was nothing new. It was a morning routine. Normally, she would've said something back. And they would have a full-blown argument in the kitchen. He would yell at her and she would scream back at him. A few minutes later and after few hurtful words, he would leave his heartbroken wife all alone in the kitchen. And Anisha would stand and cry for her failed marriage.<br /> But not today. Today, her mind was focused on the letter hidden in the left pocket of her cardigan.<br /> She turned and sat back down at the table as he turned around and left. She slowly pulled out the letter and simply stared at the folded piece of paper.<br /> This couldn't be happening.<br /> But she couldn't keep denying it anymore.<br /> The truth was inevitable. She couldn't change it. But sitting at the dining table, surrounded by a cup of tea and a copy of her blood test results, at 6 AM on a Tuesday morning, Anisha slowly found herself begging for some kind of hope. Any kind of hope.<br /> <br /> Anisha looked up as Amanda walked into the hall, wearing a short navy dress, the color exactly similar to the shirt Andrew was wearing under his suit.<br /> Anisha gasped as Amanda quickly spotted Andrew and made her way over to him.<br /> The nerve of that woman. To first show up wearing a dress that was better fit for a teenage and then to publically throw herself all over a married man.<br /> But she knew her husband was no saint. He accepted all her advances. And Anisha knew better than anyone, he too made advances on many.<br /> Anisha found herself more concerned with what they were wearing. They had planned to match; he had coordinated what he was wearing to the color of Amanda's dress.<br /> The sadness overpowered her. She had always wanted to be one of those couples who matched together. How cute the pictures would be!<br /> But now, here she was wearing a green dress that heavily contrasted her husband's navy suit.<br /> And who was she lying to? Andrew didn't know the smallest things about her. He knew nothing about the woman he had supposedly been wed to for sixteen years.<br /> The last thing he would even be concerned about would be if they matched or not.<br /> Nor could he be bothered to take a picture with her.<br /> And all his affection was only for public display.<br /> But she still wondered then, why did he tell Mira that he thought she was beautiful.<br /> Anisha raised an eyebrow and turned to Mira who was looking at her mother wide-eyed, afraid that her mother would scold her for what she had said.<br /> "I'm sowrry Mommy."<br /> "Mira, what did you call her?"<br /> "Nothwing Mommy. I just...you know. Oh come on mommy, don't look at me like that. "<br /> Anisha quickly stopped smiling and turned to her daughter. As much as she hated Amanda for ruining her life, her marriage and her happiness, Anisha refused to raise her daughter like that.<br /> "Why do you say that? Wait, where did you even learn that word?"<br /> "Because she is."<br /> "Mira." Anisha warned.<br /> "Okay, okay. She's always trying to peck daddy. Why does she do that? Daddy is only supposed to peck you. And even daddy said that she's annoying. He only likes her because she's good in bed. Whatever that means."<br /> "Where did you hear that?"<br /> Mira shrugged. "I heard Daddy talking on the phone one time."<br /> Anisha sighed and closed her eyes, gathering all the courage she had in her. "Mira, baby look at me. I need to tell you something very important."<br /> This was the most important lesson Anisha could leave behind for her daughter.<br /> "No matter how mean, annoying and hateful a person is, you must be a good person. If someone is mean to you, that doesn't mean anything. You don't get to mean in return. You need to be a good person and be nice to them."<br /> "But..."<br /> "No buts Mira. I'm serious. Kindness is everything in the world and at the end of the day, you never know what a simple smile could do."<br /> "But I hate her! Even more than I hate Aaron."<br /> "It doesn't matter if you hate her or love her. When someone needs help, you help them. No matter what. We all have our weaknesses and we all want someone to help us."<br /> For Anisha, raising her children wasn't about what they dressed like and how much they spent on toys and clothes. It wasn't about appearance but instead it was about character. All she really cared about what the kind of person they would turn into. Because for her, attitude and personality were a lot more important than physical appearances.<br /> And all she wanted them to learn from her was to always be a good person. Despite whatever the circumstance might be.<br /> She wanted them to see the good in people. The same way she had spent fourteen years overlooking every wrongdoing of Andrew and focusing rather on the small acts that proved he cared.<br /> Even if he acted like he didn't.<br /> Anisha shook away her thoughts away and turned to Mira. "Wait whose Aaron?"<br /> The way Mira's cheeks reddened and the shyness that surrounded her didn't go unnoticed by Anisha. Her daughter had a crush!<br /> "Stuwpid Aaron. He sits next to me in class and during reading time, he always throws erasers at me. And sometimes he steals my sparkly pens." Mira mumbled, almost afraid to admit that she liked the boy who sat next to her and teased her on a daily basis.<br /> "Are you sure you don't like him?" Anisha teased.<br /> "NO! I hate him."<br /> Anisha couldn't stop smiling as her daughter told her story after story about Aaron and how such she claimed to hate him.<br /> The evening was going far better than she had even imagined. These minutes with her daughter meant the world for her. And Anisha knew now, that at least Mira would have some sort of good memory with her mother.<br /> "Mira, I'm going to get food for both of us. Okay?"<br /> Mira nodded and smiled, showing her missing front tooth. "Make sure to get lots and lots of jelly beans."<br /> "I'm not sure they have jelly beans but I'll see."<br /> Mira and her obsession with jelly beans. Of course, they wouldn't have jelly beans but Anisha made note to buy a whole bag of them when she went grocery shopping later that weekend.<br /> She was going to spoil her daughter as much as she could in her last days.<br /> Anisha's mouth watered when she saw the chocolate cupcakes. Maybe Mira and her could have a sweet snack before dinner.<br /> Someone reached for the same cupcake at the same time. Anisha looked up to apologize but instead she came face to face with a pair of bright green eyes.<br /> The bright green eyes that belonged to the person who really knew every bit of her, every white lie and black secret, even the ones she even kept hidden from her dear husband.<br /> The one person she had spent all evening avoiding.<br /> Sebastian Knight.<br /> "Sebastian." His name was a soft prayer on her lips, waiting to be whispered.<br /> He was here, right in front of her. And he would see right through her happy facade.<br /> He was the only one she could never convince. She could fool everyone else about how happy and alive she was but not him. He always saw right through her.<br /> He gave her a small smile, a small sad smile. "Chocolate cupcakes are still your thing, huh?"<br /> Anisha gave a small nod but turned to walk away. Not in front of him. She couldn't act like she was okay. He would see the cracks and quite frankly, she just didn't have it in her anymore to pull it together and act as if she was okay.<br /> She didn't want to cry either nor did she want to smile.<br /> She wanted to give up. And so she was, slowly, day by day.<br /> She was sick of it. Sick of the tears, sick of the heartbreak, sick of the pain, the fake laughs. She was sick of everything life had thrown her way. She could only take so much. And she had. There wasn't much left.<br /> Sebastian gently reached out, turning her to face him, his hands placed softly on her shoulders.<br /> "How are you Anisha?"<br /> "I'm fine."<br /> His green eyes darkened with worry. She was lying, anyone could see that.<br /> This woman standing in front of him looked nothing like the girl he had fallen in love with some twenty years ago. It wasn't age, she wasn't even that old. But it was the toll life had taken on her.<br /> The dark bags under her eyes showed the lack of sleep. The emptiness in her eyes showed the pain she had suffered. She was frail and unhealthy.<br /> And he knew there was nothing he could do to help her.<br /> He tried once again. "How are you actually and I know it's not fine?"<br /> "Let go Sebastian. I don't know why you feel the need to ask me how I am more than once. Especially since I just told you I'm doing great. Besides, I'm sure Andrew wouldn't appreciate you trying to talk to his wife."<br /> "His wife is also my best friend and my ex-girlfriend."<br /> "I think the key word there was ex. Now if you'll excuse me, my daughter is waiting."<br /> She pulled away, tears brimmed her eyes. No, she begged herself not to cry. Not here, not where everyone could see.<br /> Two steps.<br /> Curse her fate.<br /> First him, now her.<br /> She took two steps and came face to face with Andrew's lover.<br /> First Sebastian and now Amanda.<br /> Anisha could see the wide smirk plastered on Amanda's face, as if she was trying to show she had won some prize. And she had, hadn't she?<br /> Amanda had managed to pull Andrew right out of Anisha's grasp.<br /> But standing there, looking at the woman her husband seemed to care more about than his own wife, the wife he lawfully wedded and claimed as his, anger arose in Anisha.<br /> Anisha was sick of it. Of all of it.<br /> She was so sick of it. And she was more than done with allowing people to walk all over her.<br /> Honestly, she didn't have enough strength anymore. And whatever time she did have left, she didn't want to cry.<br /> She spent more than enough time crying and cursing her days.<br /> Not anymore. Never again.<br /> "Anisha, how nice to see you."<br /> Anisha looked up with a fire blazing in her eyes. They would pay. She would make them pay. Andrew would regret the day he chose another woman over his wife and Amanda would regret the day she messed with Anisha's family.<br /> "I'm not sure what's nice in seeing the wife of the man you're sleeping with."<br /> Amanda's smirk faltered, she had definitely not expected that response.<br /> "Well, I mean it's nice to know that he plans on leaving you soon."<br /> Anisha's eyes softened in pain. She could pretend that the things around her didn't bother her. But they did. They did and she hated it.<br /> She hated that the fact that he still had the power to tear her apart. Even when she thought the pain and heartbreak couldn't get worse, he always found a way to tear her apart even more, to hurt beyond what she could endure.<br /> "Pity isn't it. He's leaving you soon, for me. And then he wants to get married and try for baby, our baby."<br /> Normally, Anisha was the type of woman who looked for the good in others. She always believed that each person had some bit of goodness in their heart.<br /> But standing there in the corner of the fall, Anisha realized how wrong she had been. Life had proven over and over to her that some people simply just didn't care about anyone else but themselves.<br /> And Amanda was one of those people.<br /> Anisha's brown eyes settled on the woman in front of her, the woman who had destroyed her marriage, the woman who had ruined her life.<br /> Her voice was low but deadly as she spoke. They would pay. They would all pay. "Congratulations Amanda. You two really are good for each other. The lying woman and the untrusting prick."<br /> Amanda furrowed her eyebrows, clearly confused as to what was going on. Often during their encounters, Anisha would back down, almost afraid to even dare look at her. Surely, sometime must be wrong.<br /> Maybe it was beverage. But Amanda knew Anisha wasn't a drinker.<br /> So where was this confidence coming from?<br /> Anisha was breaking apart on the inside. He was going to leave her. She begged herself to hold it together.<br /> Time wasn't on her side, she knew that. And she was going to let Amanda have it today.<br /> "But let's clear a few things, shall we? First of all, he won't be leaving me. I'll be the one leaving him soon, for good. So you don't need to worry about that."<br /> "Second, even if he does marry you, always remember you were the other woman and you will always be the second option. I was his first wife, I was the first woman he ever slept with and I will always hold a special place in his heart. We both know, that deep down, a part of him will always love me. Because when you love someone, you don't forget about them, no matter how much you want to."<br /> "And even if I'm not there Amanda, you will always be his second choice. He may not get along with me but we both know how much he loves Ryan and Mira. And at the end of the day, they will be his priority, even over any children you give him."<br /> Anisha turned to leave. She could see Mira sitting at the table, playing with her doll and waiting for her mother to return with jelly beans.<br /> Anisha looked at Amanda one last time, the fire in her eyes fading. The corners of her lips tugged upwards as she stared at a baffled Amanda.<br /> "Oh and also, I don't know what lies you've been telling him. But remember, Amanda, the truth doesn't stay hidden forever. One day the truth will come out. That day may be too late but one day, he will realize what the truth is. And when that day comes, I hope you're ready. You ruined my life. You ruined my marriage, you broke apart my family, you took away every ounce of happiness from me. But Amanda, life doesn't work like that. You can't ruin another person's happiness and then expect your life to be all sunshine and rainbows. This will come around to you. And when it does, I really hope you're able to look at yourself in the mirror."<br /> Anisha quickly turned to walk away and her facade fell. Heavy teardrops collected and began falling.<br /> Was he really leaving her? Why should she even care, especially when she knew she was leaving soon, that too for good?<br /> "Anisha."<br /> She looked up. Sebastian.<br /> Pity. She hated pity. She hated it. Hated it. Hated it. She hated when people, especially Sebastian, looked at her with pity.<br /> "Sebastian. You just don't get what leave me alone means."<br /> He smiled softly and hesitantly wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an embrace.<br /> "Anisha."<br /> "No please. I really don't want to talk about it." She pulled away and wiped her tears. The fake smile plastered on her face once again. Talking a hold of his hand she pulled him to the dance floor. "Dance with me Sebastian."<br /> Anisha hated dancing. But she just wanted to be held. She just wanted to be wanted. She wanted someone to love her, someone to tell her that they did love her, to look at her like she meant something to them.<br /> And Sebastian was that person.	LEARN_MORE	https://b.mystoryapps.com/ad/bXlzdG9yeS8xNDk4ODAvM	189647400891297	Ory004	https://facebook.com/61554098218435	3	1	1,621,990,598,574,237	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Ory004	120207151764120185	b.mystoryapps.com	NONE	video		https://b.mystoryapps.com/ad/bXlzdG9yeS8xNDk4ODAvMjAyNDA0MTMyMTIwMjgvcGFnZQ==?adid={{ad.id}}	2024-04-13 08:23	https://scontent.ford4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437859985_772674324810091_2999784720439764946_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gg0cdmWM4kcAb5nA2PY&_nc_oc=Adjg5zwpjXv7-sfKloWNjyHq8S_O_AF_OAiCcyObDLt05YT-9jsg_MztCs2br3iQYpk&_nc_ht=scontent.ford4-1.fna&oh=00_AfAB1OwnN4Rb5De1ztRChogQyGF8G-oh7EUiF_N9ZPxbMg&oe=6621D9F6	person_profile	Ory004	https://scontent.ford4-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437755507_365802629796000_5093117990802673640_n.jpg?_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=7hg6USIFURgAb4w-zE-&_nc_ht=scontent.ford4-1.fna&oh=00_AfCaqK9djvGirUX869l6aGpS3OKddmA8ID4DMftCzGcFaA&oe=6622085A	3	Ory004	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,210,873	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210939}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	453398660482950	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	【He won't be coming home tonight, he's too busy sleeping with me. A full year of passion, something you and him will never have.】<br /> A picture of some random bimbo with blonde hair and a stupid smirk was cuddling up next to my boyfriend who was half undressed and sleeping.<br /> Long forgetting his girlfriend who was at home like a fool, waiting for her boyfriend to show up so they could celebrate their four years together. <br /> And that was the day I found out my boyfriend of four years was cheating on me for the last year of our relationship.<br /> ————————<br /> With every picture I burned, memories of him were vanishing along with my love for him. Everything was finally coming to pieces. All the trips he took, all those long nights at work, all those rejections were part of his lies. Just a cover up for where he truly was, sleeping around with some cheap woman. All while I was at home waiting for him and giving him my love. As the pictures burned my hatred for him grew.<br /> "Babe I'm home."<br /> My head snaps up at the sound of his voice. A voice that once gave me comfort, but now disgusted me.<br /> "In the living room."<br /> I quickly hide the pictures under the couch, and put on a fake smile.<br /> He comes in with his black suit all wrinkled, his shirt un tucked, his tie loose around his neck. His blue eyes held a hint of guilt. A look I knew was fake just like the excuse he was about to give me. He was holding a bear that held a little black box, and a bouquet of red roses. Usually I would accept the gifts and forgive him, but that was before I knew his little cheating adventures. I hold my fake smile as I looked over the gifts in his hands.<br /> "So am I forgiven?"<br /> He says breaking the silence, and all I do is smile.<br /> "Oh babe it's fine, let me guess work was piling up today?"<br /> Let's see what you say you lying scumbag.<br /> I notice his eyes flicker with relief and he lets out a breath.<br /> "You know me so well babe, happy four years Nikky."<br /> He sets the bear, roses and small box on the couch. He comes closer and wraps his arms around me. All I wanted to do at that moment was push him off of me. But trying my best I hug him back. Huh he smells of cheap perfume.<br /> "I'll be back, I'm going to change and then we could have dinner."<br /> I just nod and watch him walk off to my room. I wait until he realizes that his clothes are nowhere to be found. Well at least he hasn't checked the garbage.<br /> "Nikky?"<br /> "Yea?"<br /> I respond looking at his confused face.<br /> "Why aren't any of my clothes in there?"<br /> Tell him now.<br /> "They're in the garbage."<br /> I respond.<br /> "Why?"<br /> "Well I thought since you probably have clothes at her house I could just throw away all the clothes you have here. And plus I need more space for the shoes and more clothes I want to buy."<br /> "What are you talking about?"<br /> He says confused.<br /> "Well I'm talking about the girl's house where you stay I'm pretty sure every night for a little sleepover."<br /> "So you assume I cheated on you?"<br /> "Oh no I'm not assuming anything, I have proof that you cheated on me."<br /> I push past him and grab my phone, opening the message and making him look at the picture. As he does his eyes go wide. He opens his mouth to say something but I cut him off.<br /> "Don't you dare say that this isn't you."<br /> I snap and he looks up at me with guilt in his blue eyes.<br /> "Don't do this."<br /> He pleads.<br /> "Leave."<br /> "Nikky come on please let me explain."<br /> "Explain what Luke?! How you cheated on me for who knows how long and yet you have the nerve to come home knowing well what you have done!"<br /> "Nikky it was a mistake!"<br /> "A mistake! No what you did was not a mistake but a choice."<br /> He doesn't say anything.<br /> "Leave! And take this because I don't want anything to do with you!"<br /> I throw the roses and bear at him, along with the little box. And the necklace I was currently wearing.<br /> "Ple-<br /> "Leave now before I call the police."<br /> He stands there looking at me.<br /> "Leave!"<br /> I bang on his chest and push him out the door. Once he is out the door I slam it shut and that's when I feel it. My heart clenches and a sob escapes my throat, tears following right after. And that's when I break, I fall to the ground and let out sobs as I realize that the guy I had loved had broken my heart and didn't think twice when he cheated on me. The guy I was having a baby with had broken me. Grabbing my stomach I let out another sob.<br /> I'm so sorry baby.<br /> The seconds turned to hours which turned to days. I had moved out from the apartment into a smaller one closer to the city. My once flat belly was now a small round bump, being 1 month pregnant and alone brought a lot of complications for me, emotionally wise. I had yet to tell my parents, for all they knew Luke and I were still a thing. I had told no one about the break up except for my best friend Charlie, who I called up the next day to help me find a new place. A place were I could start fresh, with new memories. Just my baby and I.<br /> I was meeting my mom and dad for brunch today so to make sure my bump wasn't noticeable I decided to wear a large black shirt and black leggings and a pair of vans. My hair which was once long was now above my shoulders.<br /> Mom: Sweetie why don't you invite Luke over to eat with us? Your father and I haven't seen or heard from him in a while<br /> I sigh as I look at the text.<br /> Well of course you haven't heard from the scumbag, we broke up because he cheated. And now I'm having his baby.<br /> That's what I wanted to text her, but of course I didn't. But instead replied with the same excuse. Luke was at work and couldn't make it.<br /> "Come on little bean, we have to go meet grandma and grandpa."<br /> I rub my belly and smile. Yea I was already talking to the baby, who was probably the size of a bean if not a bit larger.<br /> Walking out of the apartment I head over to my car and drive off to the cafe that was twenty minutes away.<br /> Driving was always something that I dreaded, because my mind tends to wander to questions I would rather most likely avoid. And the biggest one of course was, When are you going to tell Luke that you're pregnant? Or are you not going to? Personally I would rather keep my baby away from him and not let him know, but he is the father and legally has the right to know.<br /> Before I could get anymore into the subject, I turn the radio on, raising the volume up to drown my thoughts.<br /> By the time I get there parking was already full, so I'm forced to park a block away.<br /> "Great, that means more walking little bean. Which isn't a bad thing. But mommy gets tired."<br /> Dad: Kiddo are you almost here?<br /> I look at the text and chuckle, my dad was always impatient when it came to food.<br /> Me: Yes dad, had to park a block away but I should be there in three minutes.<br /> I turn the engine off and walk out to the crisp air. It was mid-September and the weather in Chicago was getting a bit cooler as fall approached.<br /> I start walking and as I do I start to feel nervous, the fact that my parents will finally know that Luke and I broke up and that I was pregnant and was going to be a single mom was quite the thing to get me all nervous.<br /> It'll be fine, no need to get all worked up about it. You are an adult and they can't tell you what to do anymore.<br /> I kept telling myself as I opened the door and was welcomed with the scent of coffee and warmth. I search the whole place and spot my parents all the way in the back, my dad waving his hands and my mom laughing as she brought the mug to her lips.<br /> Smiling at them I walk towards their table causing them both to get up and greet me with a hug.<br /> "Kiddo Long time no see! How's Luke?"<br /> Just the mention of that name made my stomach churn.<br /> "Yea dad it has been a long time."<br /> I reply ignoring the last part.<br /> "Mom."<br /> I say giving her a hug.<br /> "Darling, how I've missed you. Woah looks like someone is gaining a bit of weight."<br /> Come on Nikky it's now or never. You have to tell them.<br /> "Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you guys about."<br /> I explain, biting on the inside of my cheek.<br /> "Of you gaining weight?"<br /> My dad asks as he sits back down.<br /> And before I can answer a waitress comes by.<br /> "Can I get you anything to drink?"<br /> "Yea she'll have an espresso."<br /> My mom answers.<br /> I shake my head.<br /> "Actually I'll just have a hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and a chocolate chip muffin please."<br /> "Alrighty, then I'll be right out with that."<br /> "Hot chocolate?"<br /> "Yea I just wanted to try something different."<br /> I say playing around with the hem of my shirt.<br /> "So what did you want to talk about Nikky?"<br /> My mom says sitting back down and I follow sitting across from her and my dad.<br /> "Well, um okay, how do I tell you guys."<br /> Quit stalling and just tell them Nikky!<br /> "Nikky just spit it out. You know you can tell us anything."<br /> I nod, reassuring my mom that I knew that.<br /> "Okay, well I'm uh pregnant."<br /> There I said it.<br /> I looked at both my parents who had a blank stare. That is until my mother broke into a smile and stood up, making me stand up as well.<br /> "Sweetie congratulations! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"<br /> She wraps her arms around me and sways us side to side.<br /> "Come on let me get a hug."<br /> My dad says and my mom lets go letting my dad congratulate me by giving me one of his famous bear hugs.<br /> "Can't believe we're going to be grandparents."<br /> I look over at my mom who was on the verge of crying.<br /> "Mom please don't cry."<br /> I plead knowing that I had yet to tell them the other part of the news and not know how they would react with the second part once I had told them.<br /> "So how did Luke react?"<br /> They both look at me with the biggest smiles on their faces.<br /> "He doesn't know."<br /> I say and my mom blinks and my dad just smiles.<br /> "Of course! you want to make it a surprise!"<br /> I shake my head no.<br /> "We broke up, have been for a while now. I left the apartment and got a smaller one closer to the city. Charlie helped me pick it out."<br /> "You're not going to keep it am I right?"<br /> My mother asks looking rather angry.<br /> I was taken aback from her remark, does she mean an abortion?<br /> "No, I plan on keeping my baby."<br /> "Nikky do you know what our friends will say when they find out about this?"<br /> I don't answer her but just continue staring at both my parents, letting her comment process.<br /> Why would I want to have an abortion? This baby was a blessing for me and there was no way that I was going to end my little bean's life. Sure being a single mom would be a bit more challenging but I had my friends, and I thought I had my family but apparently they don't approve.<br /> "Or if you don't want an abortion, we can have it be adopted."<br /> I look at my mother with a look of disgust.<br /> "It's a baby, not it. And I will not have an abortion nor will I have the baby be adopted."<br /> I speak low as to not cause a scene, not that it mattered.<br /> "Nikky listen to your mother, this won't be good for your reputation. Think about it, you'll be a single mom living on your own and not even married with a baby on the way."<br /> I scoff.<br /> "Are you listening to yourself, dad?! Not married and with a baby? This is the twenty-first century, things change and not being married and with a kid is one of them."<br /> Before my mom could reply the waitress comes with our stuff.<br /> "Actually I'll like to have my things to go please."<br /> I say giving her a small smile.<br /> She looks between my mom and I and nods, maybe she could sense the tension going on.<br /> "Of course."<br /> "Thank you."<br /> I turn back to my parents.<br /> "Don't worry, we won't be causing you or your reputation any more trouble."<br /> With that said I walk to the cash register grabbing my hot chocolate and muffin and leaving the coffee shop.<br /> I was preoccupied with my thoughts but the chime of my phone quickly pulled me back to reality.<br /> "So let me get this straight your mother wants you to have an abortion or have the baby be adopted?"<br /> Charlie looks over at me as he flips over the omelet, he looked a bit shocked that my mother would think such thing.<br /> "Yup, my dad even said that it was bad for my reputation being a single mother and all. That it was immoral for me to have the baby and not have the father here with me."<br /> I move around to the cupboard to get the plates along with the cups.<br /> "Well, why would you want a douchebag to me near your baby, especially a cheating one."<br /> "Well he is the father, I have to tell him. But no way will I get back with him."<br /> "So are you for sure ready to tell him? The real question I'm asking is if you're ready to face him again."<br /> He places the omelet on the plate and sets the pan down before looking at me.<br /> "I have no clue, whenever I think about him I feel like throwing up, and I just get nervous. But he has to know, doesn't he?"<br /> I ask looking as Charlie starts preparing his omelet. He shrugs his shoulders before cracking an egg followed by another.<br /> "That's up to you. Do you want him to be part of the baby's life?"<br /> I let out a sigh and run my hands through my face, feeling exhausted from the whole situation.<br /> "I don't know what I want anymore, I just want to live a happy life with my baby."<br /> "Here eat already."<br /> He nudges the plate towards me and I grab it sitting down, waiting for Charlie to finish making his.<br /> "I don't have his number anymore so that means I'm going to have to talk with his parents and get his number from them."<br /> I take my fork and cut a piece of the omelet bringing it to my mouth.<br /> "This is so good."<br /> I exclaim with a full mouth. Charlie chuckles and turns his head to look at me.<br /> "Glad you two like it."<br /> "Like it? We love it."<br /> I take another bite letting my mouth savor the flavors that the sausage, bacon, and ham brought to my taste buds. Charlie joins me finally with his omelet my hot chocolate and his coffee mug, taking a seat across from me.<br /> "Veggie omelet?"<br /> I ask looking at his omelet which contained mushrooms, avocado, spinach, and tomatoes.<br /> "Yea it's good."<br /> He says taking a bite and looking at me with his blue eyes.<br /> I shake my head.<br /> "Maybe, but little bean and I prefer the meat omelet."<br /> The rest of our breakfast time we spent time talking about random stuff, school, and a new project he had. We talked about almost everything except my parents, luke, and the problems I soon had to face.<br /> "Okay so let me get this, you have a date tomorrow and you're barely telling me today?! Why didn't you tell me sooner jerk?"<br /> I smack his arm playfully.<br /> "Becuase I'm not for sure if it will turn out into more dates."<br /> "I don't care, you should have told me. It's about time you got a date."<br /> He rolls his eyes, he opens his mouth to say something smart but he was cut off by a sudden knock at the door.<br /> "Are you expecting someone?"<br /> "Not that I'm aware of."<br /> I get up from my seat and make my way towards the door, before opening it I look through the peephole and feel my heart start beating faster, and not in a good way.	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1,209,780	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210255}'	No	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	3329095137385467	🔥🌶️Dig the Explosive Story: 📜<The Alpha's Exclusive Stripper>📜	“You are the first human to ever step foot in this place, Priscilla.” Beta Mariz cleared her throat. “Actually, you are the first woman Alpha prince Trevor has brought here. And we were told that you would also be the last.”<br /> “But... You are not a human, are you? You don’t have the scent of a human. Who are you, Priscilla?”<br /> I stiffened.⚡❤<br /> -------------------------------------------------------------<br /> Chapter 1<br /> (Priscilla's POV)<br /> “RULE number one: no matter who or what you see, once you are on stage, you cannot run unless your performance is over. Do your job. Even if this whole club collapses right in front of your eyes, stay on the stage and just dance.”<br /> After two years and a half, I’d come to understand why that became Spencer’s ultimate rule for the dancers inside Oblivion, the club he managed and owned. I’d heard gunshots from outside followed by screams and curses.<br /> This was not the first time it happened although it was the first time the commotion had lasted this long. Normally, the strict security personnel could handle the problem in less than five minutes. It has been over ten minutes now.<br /> But the instant I heard roars and howls, I understood why the security was having a difficult time.<br /> All of a sudden, there were big, brown wolves who rushed inside as if they were being chased by demons. The glass doors were shattered.<br /> While I was waiting for my turn to perform, two of the dancers, the newcomers, who were on stage had instantly forgotten rule number one when the wolves growled. I witnessed how color got drained from their faces.<br /> <br /> They stopped and after they’d recovered from the initial shock, they jumped down, screaming as the wild music went on. They showed the rest of us why it was dangerous to run away and why the stage was said to be safer than any part of this club at times like this.<br /> The wolves followed the women and lunged at them. I steeled myself when I saw how blood splattered on the floor, how their screams were swallowed by the huge beasts whose paws dug in their small frames.<br /> The human patrons were quietly and swiftly escorted to a safe room while the rest of the clients didn’t even blink as the chaos unfolded in front of them. They remained seated as they drank nonchalantly.<br /> After all, Oblivion caters to the needs of a wide variety of male patrons. From humans to vampires, mages, and werewolves. Name it, Oblivion has it. Although not all humans or supernatural beings could simply enter the club. Only the most influential beings were given access.<br /> Money, influence, and connection were all that mattered to Spencer. If they didn’t possess fat bank accounts and didn’t have high social rankings, they wouldn’t be allowed entry. Recently, most of the customers were the wolves who were yet to meet their mate.<br /> And tonight, these customers knew better than to mess with the others they called ‘rogues’ who had been marked judging by the ‘X’ on their left leg, a proof that there was already a pack who was targeting them. The X was engraved using a dagger.<br /> I’d been told that it was a rule never to interfere with the others’ targets.<br /> Not to mention that there was only one alpha in the whole world who marked his enemies that way: <br /> The Alpha crown prince Trevor Rodrigo. <br /> And nobody, not even the other supernatural beings, messes with the Rodrigos, especially with the cold-blooded crown prince. <br /> It was said that the alpha prince had been looking for his mate for a decade and would throw one final search before he chose someone else.<br /> The clients just threw a glance at the women with their ruthless eyes.<br /> One of them whispered, “You’ve been warned. That’s what you get from not listening.”<br /> Even the other dancers stood still behind me, unable to do anything.<br /> “How come you are so unfazed by all of this, Audrey?” Chloe, one of the dancers, asked me, while crying her heart out. “Those women are like our sisters!”<br /> Unfazed? Me? If she only knew. That was the last word I’d use to describe myself.<br /> “They won’t die, Chloe,” I said instead.<br /> She hiccupped. “What?”<br /> “That’s Spencer’s rule number two. No killing inside Oblivion.” There was no use telling her how fear had spiraled throughout my body as soon as I saw the rogues. “The clients knew that.”<br /> “The rogues didn’t!”<br /> “It doesn’t matter. The crown princes’ pack members are aware of the rule. They are patrons here.” I brushed her tears away and in a calm voice, I added, “You will be performing after me. Stop crying. The clients don’t find waterworks entertaining, Chloe. Do something about that or they will lose interest in you. Is that what you want?”<br /> Chloe shook her head. She was a monster up on the stage but right now, she was like a helpless little girl despite her heavy make-up, fish-net costume, and boots.<br /> “Then fix yourself. You still have time. Come on, do it.”<br /> She grabbed her make-up kit and ran to the restroom.<br /> If I could run, I would have done that, too, not to the restroom, but to the farthest place from Oblivion. Unlike Chloe and the rest of the dancers, I was not here by choice.<br /> The music changed at exactly twelve midnight which meant that it was now my turn to present myself in front of the predators out there. I could hear them grumbling, some were impatiently tapping their fingers on the table.<br /> The dancers flinched but they still made sure to give their sweetest smiles to the audience. They bowed and climbed down to entertain the human clients on the second floor while I took a deep breath and switched over into Audrey, my evening persona. I tossed my jacket on the steel chair and stepped out of the backstage in a little red dress and red stilettos.<br /> This was my third and last show for tonight.<br /> Once again, I found myself face to face with the strangers who looked at me like I was their meal. Lust flickered in their eyes as they ran their heated gaze up and down my body.<br /> I saw a satisfied gleam flashed in their eyes when they uttered, “Audrey.”<br /> I put on a smile and began to sway my hips to the sensual beat. Inside my head, the countdown started. If the rogues wouldn’t be stopped within three minutes, Spencer’s second rule would be broken. I couldn’t see him but I knew he was around. He was watching from wherever he was. I could feel his simmering anger.<br /> And if the wolves wouldn’t get their act together, there would be a disaster.<br /> I was only ten seconds away from the three-minute countdown when Maverick Spencer showed himself in one corner of the club. He was smiling but I knew what that smile meant and I was aware of the danger lying underneath it.<br /> Five seconds left. Four, three… this was going to be nasty. Two…<br /> But just when the countdown was about to be over, the noisy crowd had become quiet when a man wearing a dark, tailored suit entered the club. The wolves all stood to greet him while I pretended as if I didn’t know who he was.<br /> Trevor Rodrigo.<br /> Trevor Rodrigo was a definition of sin and temptation which made him very dangerous. He was oozing with raw masculinity as he walked inside the club as if he was the one who owned it. His pack walked behind him.<br /> I’d only seen him once from afar many years ago but I would never forget that square jaw and those piercing blue eyes.<br /> Trevor’s warriors dragged the rogues outside. Not long after and I caught a whiff of blood in the air, more blood, which only meant one thing. The rogues were dead. The medics rushed to the dancers and brought them to a separate room. They were injured but they were still breathing. That was still a good thing.<br /> All of those took place as Trevor casually sat on the table near the entrance while the rest of the wolves were beginning to show discomfort. He hadn’t acknowledged their greetings yet that’s why they couldn’t go back to their seats to watch the show. Fortunately, I didn’t have to see the arousal in their faces since they couldn’t look in my direction yet.<br /> Trevor didn’t throw a single glance to his subordinates. His hot gaze remained on me while I ran my hands over my breasts. My chest pounded. There was a wide distance between us but the second his eyes bore into mine; he made me feel like we were only centimeters apart.<br /> It was as if the alpha was so close that I could almost feel his intense gaze on my face. When his eyes dropped on my body, my stomach twisted.<br /> Trevor Rodrigo looked powerful and magnetic but that was not the only reason why I felt a shiver roll down my spine. It was the hunger I saw in his eyes as he looked at me as if he wanted to swallow me whole. I’d seen that look countless times before and I’d never been affected by it.<br /> Until tonight.<br /> His gaze made me arch my back and to my surprise, the tips of my breasts tightened painfully. After a while, I heard my name come out from the alpha’s lips.<br /> “Audrey.”<br /> I shuddered.<br /> Trevor’s rich and velvety voice resonated deep in my bones. I almost stopped moving when I felt like there was this sudden force that threatened to consume me. I’d almost broken rule number one and the dangerous sparkle in the alpha’s eyes showed me that he was aware of the effect he had on me, especially on my body.<br /> The instant Trevor uttered my name, even if it was nothing but a stage name, I could swear I heard warning bells ring in my head. <br /> It was his first time here. How did he know me already?<br /> My omega instinct screamed at me at full blast, saying, ‘Run, now, Priscilla. Run!’<br /> <br /> Chapter 2<br /> SPENCER must have sensed my plan. He pinned me with a hard stare, daring me to run. But I didn’t. This little freedom I had was all thanks to him. Running would only be a waste of time and effort and I was aware of that. I can’t afford turning my boss into my enemy.<br /> I know Spencer would never chase after me. But he would do worse than that.<br /> Even if my chest was heaving with emotions, I went on. I arched my back and rolled my hips for the only customer who was eyeing me intently.<br /> There were hundreds of men in Oblivion but he made me feel like he was the only one in the club.<br /> It was a miracle how I got through the rest of the show although that was the most nerve-wracking ten minutes I’d ever spent on the stage. When my performance was over, that was the only time when Trevor finally flicked a glance in the direction of the irritated werewolves. He nodded at them and they returned to their seats.<br /> I felt them gaze at me with sheer disappointment but unlike before, none of them could voice out their shameless thoughts tonight.<br /> Before I left the stage, I caught Spencer and Trevor discussing something. For the first time, Spencer looked pissed like he was losing the argument. His eyes narrowed while the alpha just comfortably sat there. He crossed his arms and stared at the club owner as if he was challenging him with his eyes.<br /> But that was not my business anymore. What mattered was that I was done here. Finally. I went backstage and grabbed my leather jacket. My hands were shaking when I clutched onto my necklace, my lifeline.<br /> I was about to head straight to my dressing room when I heard Spencer’s voice in my head.<br /> “Come out here for a minute, Audrey. Hurry.”<br /> I stiffened. Spencer was still with Trevor. And judging by how his jaw clenched, it looked like he had lost whatever mind games he played with the alpha. This was Spencer caving in. He didn’t usually allow me to linger after my performance.<br /> But here I was now, walking towards the very man I was supposed to run away from. Tension wormed its way into my chest.<br /> ‘Breathe, Priscilla,’ I reminded myself for the umpteenth time. ‘The more nervous you are, the more suspicious you’ll become.’<br /> Spencer stood next to Trevor who was currently on the phone. The latter must have felt my presence. He ended the call and put his phone back in his pocket before turning to me and eventually locking his gaze onto mine.<br /> I held my breath.<br /> “Audrey, there is someone I would like to introduce to you.”<br /> Trevor Rodrigo didn’t need any introduction. We both knew that. His entire presence already spoke for who and what he was.<br /> “This is Alpha Trevor Rodrigo from the Crimson Moon pack. Alpha, this is Audrey, Oblivion’s star dancer.”<br /> I forced a smile and offered her a handshake. “I’ve heard beautiful things about you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, alpha.”<br /> That was a lie. I did hear things about Trevor but so far, none of them were beautiful. Meeting him would never be a pleasure on my part. It was a disaster.<br /> Trevor didn’t say a word as if he couldn’t be bothered to do so. He only took a step closer to me but I could already feel the searing heat from his body. Despite the four inches high heels strapped to my feet, the alpha still towered over me.<br /> In his three-piece suit, he carried a certain air of sophistication around him. His presence had made this place seem so small, so simple, and so trivial.<br /> Trevor’s big, warm hand enveloped mine. One touch and I felt it. The electric heat, spreading quickly all over my body like a wildfire. If I wouldn’t be too careful now, I knew I would burn. And then suddenly, I heard his wolf roaring.<br /> My breathing had become shallow as I tried to keep my feet steady. I pretended I didn’t hear anything when the alpha’s sharp eyes lingered on my face. And then I saw something I couldn’t identify flickered in his eyes.<br /> “Pardon me, alpha, but I overheard from the warriors that the King wants to summon you in the castle right now,” Spencer interrupted.<br /> “That’s true,” Trevor answered, his eyes never leaving mine. “I do have a meeting in…” He glanced at his wristwatch before he added, “Fifteen minutes.”<br /> Trevor leaned down, his hot breath was gusting over my ear when he whispered, “I will see you again.”<br /> I heard the promise in his voice which didn’t do me any good. It was a statement, not a question. And he was certainly not asking for my permission. The other dancers were squealing right behind me. I didn’t have to look at them to know that they were staring at him with dreamy eyes. I knew they would kill to have Trevor as a client but it was the opposite for me.<br /> Spencer cleared his throat. Trevor gave my hand a light squeeze before he released it and turned his back on us. His exit was as grand as his entrance. All of the wolves stood up to bid him goodbye as his army followed right behind him.<br /> “You got yourself another VIP client and normally, I would be very happy for you but this time, I don’t know whether to congratulate you or feel sorry for you,” Spencer commented as we watched the last member of the Crimson Moon pack step out of the door.<br /> “You once said that none of the Rodrigos visit Oblivion, Spencer,” I said in a low voice as we walked in the hallway. “You even called them gods. And gods are not supposed to visit this place.”<br /> Granted, there was no club like Oblivion. Still, the Rodrigos were too high and mighty for this club. They didn’t need entertainers. They had their own women lining up in their estates to please them and to warm up their royal beds.<br /> Spencer’s jaw clenched. “What can I do? It’s not like I could stop the gods from descending on Earth,” he answered wryly. “That would be a sin I’m not quite ready to commit.”<br /> “I need to leave soon. You know that.”<br /> “We have a five-year deal, Priscilla. You still owe me two and a half years. Whether you like it or not, you will stay in Oblivion until the contract says so.”<br /> “But one of them has seen me already. It will only be a matter of time before he finds out the truth.”<br /> Spencer’s eyes narrowed. “It doesn’t change a damn thing. If Trevor Rodrigo doesn’t see you here the next time he visits, there will be a massive problem.”<br /> I know that if a problem were to break out, Spencer could always save himself. After all, he was a powerful Vampire. He had businesses in different parts of the world. He also had connections and numerous cards up his sleeves against anyone including the royals that’s why no one had ever dared to go against him in the past.<br /> I’d never expected obedience from the unruly owner of Oblivion. But for Spencer himself to be this bothered tonight meant that whatever card he had, it didn’t work on the alpha of the Crimson Moon pack which had only made me feel worse.<br /> “You don’t mess with the gods, Priscilla,” Spencer warned. “With your status, you can’t afford it.”<br /> <br /> Chapter 3<br /> ‘I’LL BE coming for you soon, butterfly. Wait for me. I will get you out of that hellhole. I’m now preparing the cage I’ll put you in. Remember this. I’m the only one who can touch you, hold you, and kiss you because you are mine, Audrey. Until then, be a good girl, butterfly, if you don’t want me to punish you.’<br /> He was back. Anxiety crept into my chest after I read the latest love letter from a man whose face I hadn’t even seen yet. I started receiving them two years ago. I couldn’t remember how many times I had to switch apartments because of the stalker.<br /> Twice a week, he would send me letters along with dead birds inside a cage. I knew it was his way of warning me, of telling me I would end up like the bird if I would let another man touch me.<br /> He stopped sending letters half a year ago after I finally told Spencer about it. He even assigned a driver slash bodyguard to pick me up and send me home to ensure my safety. And when we thought we succeeded in scaring the stalker, I stopped asking for the guard’s help.<br /> I thought I was safe. But then this happened.<br /> Back then, the letters would follow me everywhere. From my dressing room to my apartment. They were always at my doorstep as if he was just so close to me, hiding and watching from the shadows, but tonight, the letter was inside my bag which was odd and to think that this door was locked when I arrived.<br /> After being hailed as the club’s star dancer, I was given a solo dressing room. Spencer assured me that only I had the key to this room.<br /> It turned out he was wrong. This just proved that whoever he was, he had access anywhere, even in the east wing of this club which was strictly for the dancers. There goes another reason why I needed to get out of here. The sooner, the better.<br /> The stalker’s return and the crown prince’s arrival were making my knees weak.<br /> But I must not show it. I took a deep breath and crumpled the letter. I wanted to toss it to the nearest garbage bin since that was where it belonged but I had to keep this one as evidence in the future because for the first time, the letter was hand-written.<br /> I quickly changed into pants, sweaters, and sneakers before I stormed out of the dressing room and out of the club through the back door. Ten minutes before one in the morning and I found myself walking alone in the alleyway.<br /> Normally, there would be security guards who would hail cabs for us. For some reason, tonight, there was none. I clutched the taser in my bag and continued walking as fast as I could but a few minutes later, I felt someone walking behind me.<br /> All the hair on my nape rose. It was an alpha; I was sure of that. I could hear the sound his wolf was making. When I turned left, he followed me and even when I changed directions, I could still feel his terrifying presence behind me. I could still hear his footsteps getting closer and closer to me.<br /> My stomach lurched. Was he the stalker?<br /> It was a cold, windy morning but sweat still dripped down my forehead. My free hand kept dialing Spencer’s number but he wasn’t answering the phone. It was the first time this happened.<br /> “Pick up the phone, Spencer. Please!” I muttered underneath my breath.<br /> His phone was usually stuck to him like glue. And then all of a sudden, I heard the stranger’s laugh. It echoed in the alleyway.<br /> He was biding his time. I could see his shadow. He was a big man. He could have grabbed me already but he was obviously enjoying the chase like a predator to his prey.<br /> My body shook with anger and helplessness. It had been a long time since I last felt something like this. I was so focused on running and on typing something on the phone that it was too late when I realized I bumped into something hard and solid. The impact was so strong that my phone slipped from my hand.<br /> Strong, powerful arms surrounded my waist when I was about to fall on the ground. Slowly, I looked up. My heart started beating like a drum when I met Trevor Rodrigo’s discerning eyes.<br /> I glanced behind me. The alpha who was chasing me was now gone. But another problem arose in the form of this six-foot two inch man in front of me.<br /> My hands went to Trevor’s chest to push him away but I didn’t succeed. My hands were trembling and under the light post, I was sure he noticed that.<br /> A scowl crossed his face before he finally released me.<br /> What happened earlier reminded me of old times. I fought back the tears.<br /> Trevor lifted my chin to meet my gaze. “What happened?”<br /> I shook my head. I had a feeling that things would only get more complicated if he were to know. “Thank you for helping me a while ago, Alpha. Now, please excuse me. I have to go.”<br /> I was about to pick up the phone but Dean, his beta, had already beaten me to it. I clenched my hands when he surrendered the phone not to me but to his alpha. Trevor threw a quick glass at the screen before turning to his beta who nodded in return and left.<br /> The alpha handed me back my phone. It had a few cracks on the screen but the text I was typing earlier was still there. It was still readable.<br /> ‘Someone is following me, Spencer. I need your help!’<br /> I was sure that Trevor had read the message although he didn’t say anything anymore. After a while, his beta returned. He was now inside the car, sitting in the passenger’s seat.<br /> He stepped out and opened the door to the backseat. Trevor fixed his eyes on me and commanded, “Get in. We will send you home.”<br /> “I’ll be fine. You don’t really have to bother-“<br /> I stopped protesting when I saw him narrow his eyes. I had almost forgotten. A man like Trevor was used to getting his way. And if I would refuse this unwelcome generosity, the consequences could be worse.<br /> I swallowed and in a low, defeated voice, I answered, “Thank you, alpha.”<br /> I got in. After all, the stalker could still be out there. It was just a matter of choosing between the devil and the deep blue sea. I chose Trevor. I did hear how ruthless he was on the battlefield but I’d never heard of him killing a woman before. And for the next few minutes, I would hold onto that belief.<br /> Trevor sat beside me and his warrior started the engine.<br /> “Give him your address, Priscilla.”<br /> In the club, only my boss knew my real name. How much information did he get from Spencer? But then again, maybe the latter didn’t completely sell me out. He wouldn’t do that. Not yet. He still needed me. I was still safe. At least for now.<br /> Because if Trevor knew the truth about me, sending me to my apartment would be the last thing he would do to me. I shook my head to calm my raging nerves.<br /> “We are waiting, Priscilla,” he said.<br /> I told them the address of the condominium building I was currently residing in. I would have to move again soon anyway. Just the thought of it was making me feel exhausted already. I’d been running my whole life. It was draining.<br /> But I didn’t want to imagine what would happen if I’d stop running even for a brief moment.<br /> “You heard the lady, Todd,” Trevor said to his warrior slash driver.<br /> Todd nodded. “Loud and clear, alpha.”<br /> I could feel Trevor’s gaze on me. I lowered my head, afraid to meet his eyes, afraid that he might see through me. If only I had a choice, I would run to the place where Aunt Addison lived. I would feel more at ease if I was with her but I couldn’t risk it. Until I sort out all my problems, I had to be away from her. That was the only way I could protect her.<br /> Dean closed the car partition. Not seeing them made me feel more uncomfortable. The space was too narrow for Trevor and I. We still had some distance between us but it was not enough. He still felt too close for comfort.<br /> My palms had turned cold. I rubbed them together.<br /> “Feeling cold?” Trevor asked.<br /> “A little.”<br /> Trevor ordered his beta to adjust the AC but when he saw me still rubbing my palms, he said, “Look at me, Priscilla.”<br /> Reluctantly, I did as he commanded. Once again, I heard his wolf as if it was calling out to me. He inched closer and tucked a few strands of my hair behind my ear. And just when I thought he would remove his hand, it stayed right there, lazily rubbing my earlobe, sending heat curling through my stomach.<br /> Just like that and the coldness I felt had disappeared in an instant and was replaced by this dangerous heat.<br /> <br /> Chapter 4<br /> “ARE you still feeling cold?” Trevor asked.<br /> I shook my head and replied, “N-not anymore.”<br /> Trevor’s eyes darkened. “Don’t you have something to say to me?”<br /> Like what? I swallowed hard. He didn’t catch on yet, did he? I forced my head to think of something, anything that would help me get through the night. “I thought you had an important meeting? Why did you come back, alpha?”<br /> “There is something that belongs to me here that I forgot to mark as mine. That’s why there are pests who still foolishly chase after it.”<br /> “What about your meeting with the King?”<br /> “Meeting? Aren’t you going to ask what that ‘something’ is?”<br /> I cleared my throat and despite my fear, I replied, “You weren’t referring to a person, were you? I mean people, especially humans, can’t be owned. They can’t be simply marked as anyone else’s property without their knowledge. Or else, that would be… very cruel.”<br /> Trevor dragged his hand down to my nape, sending waves and waves of foreign sensations to my body. “Cruel?”<br /> He sounded as if that word didn’t exist in his vocabulary until tonight.<br /> “Yes. All the men who visit Oblivion think like that, like they could have me or any woman there so easily just because we happen to work there. I know that what we do isn’t really viewed as a respectable job. But we are there not to have fun. We are there to work and make a living. If they are genuine about wanting to have us, they need to make an effort.”<br /> When Trevor didn’t respond and just continued staring at me as if he was reading through my soul, I softly added, “But if you are referring to just anything, I sincerely hope you get that, whatever it is, alpha. If it’s worth it, then don’t let the pests break it.” I tried to laugh off the tension that I suddenly felt. “I’m sorry for blabbering.”<br /> Thankfully, the man called Todd had safely and quickly brought us in front of K building. Dean opened the door to my side. I politely smiled at him. Trevor finally lowered his hand and I almost let out a sigh of relief.<br /> “Thank you for bringing me home, alpha,” I said as I stepped out of the car in a hurry.<br /> “Wait,” Trevor said before I could leave. He followed me out and brought out a calling card from his wallet. “Take this. If you find yourself in another trouble, call me. Unlike your boss, I would show up right away. Wherever you are. Whatever the time is.”<br /> Both Dean and Todd gasped as if it was the first time this was happening.<br /> “I'm thankful but... why are you doing this?”<br /> He stepped closer to me. “It’s as you said, Priscilla. I’m making an effort.”<br /> I accepted the card and kept my smile on, hoping and desperately praying that I would never need it. Owing something to Trevor would never be good. He would never do anything for free.<br /> He would certainly demand for a payment. And it could be more than what I could afford. He was still a Rodrigo, after all. And Rodrigos never changed.<br /> After thanking the alpha, I walked away, aware that he was still watching me. I could feel his burning gaze on my back. I only heard his car leave after I entered the building.<br /> I rushed to the elevator.<br /> But I should have known that my prayers won’t be heard. And they never will. Because as soon as I reached my unit, I received a call from my boss.<br /> “I didn’t get to answer your call a while ago. I was in the hospital,” he said.<br /> "It’s fine. I’m-"<br /> “No, it isn’t fine. This is about Addison. She got in a major accident.”<br /> My steps faltered. Spencer was the only one who had Addison’s phone number. He was our bridge whenever she and I wanted to contact each other. “What? How is she? Where are you?”<br /> “I will tell you the rest of the details later. Right now, just know that she would need a werewolf blood, Priscilla, otherwise, she wouldn’t survive the night. It is not just any blood, but royal werewolf blood.”<br /> Only those who possessed royal blood had the ability to heal human injuries, no matter how fatal, without turning them into werewolves. It was the same with Spencer. His blood had the power to heal but it would mean turning Addison into a vampire.<br /> Right now, there was only one royal we knew. The crown prince.<br /> “There is only one way to save her,” Spencer added. “But it comes with a price. A very high price.”<br /> “I know.” I clutched Trevor’s calling card. I didn’t think that I would be giving him a call soon.<br /> My heart broke when Spencer sent me Aunt Addison’s photo from the hospital. I almost had a hard time recognizing the old woman because of the wounds in her face and the apparatuses attached in her frail body.<br /> I leaned against the wall. Tears were streaming down my cheeks when I dialed the alpha’s number. Aunt Addison was the only human who could bring me to my knees.<br /> After the second ring, I already heard Trevor’s familiar voice. “Priscilla.”<br /> My heart thumped. “How did you know it was me?”<br /> “You are the only one I gave my personal number to. You need help.”<br /> Again, it was not a question, but a confirmation.<br /> Tears blurred my vision when I nodded. “Yes, I do.”<br /> “Alright. I will be there soon, Priscilla.”<br /> The warning bells rang in my head, they were louder this time, telling me to back off while I still could. Trevor Rodrigo was my destruction but right now, he was my hope, too.<br /> My only hope.<br /> <br /> Chapter 5<br /> THE COLD wind blew. I wrapped my arms around myself while waiting for Trevor’s car outside the building. Anxiety gnawed a hole in my stomach. My chest rose and fell with my heavy breaths. And I know I would keep feeling this way unless I was a hundred percent sure that my aunt was okay, unless I saw for myself that she was safe and sound.<br /> But how?<br /> This was a huge favor. I was well-aware that the Rodrigos don’t shed their blood for just anyone. Will Trevor grant a request from someone he just met tonight?<br /> I fought the strong urge to dial Spencer’s number. I know he wouldn’t want that. He was my only access to the most important person in my life and I can’t piss him off just because I was anxious.<br /> After a while, I saw Trevor’s familiar car approaching the building. Seeing the only man who had the power to save my aunt’s life made tears slip down my cheeks. When the car stopped in front of me, this time, the alpha didn’t wait for his beta to open the door for him.<br /> Here was Trevor, looking so invincible as if nothing could ever faze him while here I was, still so foolishly weak.<br /> He stepped out of the car and swallowed the remaining distance between us with his long and powerful legs. Something I couldn’t fathom flickered in his eyes when he saw my tears.<br /> I bit my lower lip. I swore to myself that I would never be like this again.<br /> In fact, I thought I had strengthened myself enough that the thick scent of blood and the number of wounded bodies I saw in and out of Oblivion didn’t make my stomach squirm anymore.<br /> But it was Addison who was involved here. She was not just anyone. One news from her and it made my defenses crumble in an instant. She was my saving grace. My family. My home. She was the only reason why I was alive.<br /> And the thought of losing her made the tears keep falling. I could feel the fear all the way down to my bones.<br /> Trevor’s expression was unreadable. All I could see was my embarrassing reflection in his eyes. I lowered my head. “I’m sorry, Alpha, I really didn’t want to bother you again.”<br /> I didn’t even want to see him again. But the universe had a twisted sense of humor.<br /> “What’s the matter?” Trevor asked instead. He lifted my chin and our gazes met. “Answer me, Priscilla.”<br /> I didn’t know if it was just me but his voice seemed to be a shade softer now as his knuckles brushed the tears off my cheeks.<br /> The gesture was so unexpected that for a moment, I just stood there and looked at him. His hands dropped down to my waist possessively, holding me steady, as if he was showing me that whatever I was going through, he got my back.<br /> Which of course, was impossible. It was almost like saying that the earth was square.<br /> There was no way anyone from the Rodrigo family could have my back. Ever.<br /> I took a deep breath before explaining my aunt’s situation to him. He kept his gaze on me the whole time. There was a desperate edge in my voice when I added, “My aunt needs your blood, alpha. I promise I will give you anything. Just please… help her live.”<br /> “Which hospital is she at?” he asked after some time.<br /> I told him the name of the hospital. It was a three-hours and thirty minutes’ drive away from here. He released me and glanced at his beta who stood a few steps away from us. They were not talking but I could tell that Trevor linked with him when Dean nodded and typed something on his phone.<br /> And then the alpha shifted and returned his gaze on me. “Let’s go to the rooftop.”<br /> My eyes widened as panic started to spread in my chest. “We are not going to the hospital?”<br /> “We are.”<br /> "Then how-"<br /> “We will take the helicopter. It’s faster. You are in a hurry to see your aunt, right? The helicopter will arrive in twenty minutes.”<br /> Dean led us inside, towards the elevator, as if he had been in the building before. But he didn’t come with us inside. Trevor pressed the button towards the rooftop. His beta lowered his head as the door closed.<br /> When it was just the alpha and I inside, I became aware of his warm hand on my lower back. I cleared my throat and glanced at my reflection on the elevator. I almost flinched at the sight that greeted me. My hair was in a mess. I’d run my hands over my hair a few times while waiting for Trevor. My nose was still red and my eyes were swollen from crying.<br /> And yet, Trevor was still looking at my reflection.<br /> He disregarded his meeting with the King to accompany me to my aunt. In the wolf clan, no one disobeys the King. Yet, Trevor did.<br /> And for some reason, he did it for me.<br /> “What will you gain from this, alpha?” I asked.<br /> Before Trevor could answer, his phone rang. His gaze became hard and cold when he answered the phone on the third ring.<br /> The terrifying air around him was back when he uttered, “I don’t remember giving you my number, Weston.”<br /> I knew that name. It was the Alpha King’s right hand man.<br /> “Forgive me, alpha, but His Majesty has his ways of acquiring the things he wants. As of the moment, he requires your presence here in the castle.”<br /> I didn’t want to hear their conversation but I couldn’t help it.<br /> “Tell him that I’m in the middle of something very important.”<br /> "The search is now ongoing and-"<br /> “Stop the search at once.”<br /> "You can’t do that, alpha. The King-"<br /> “Tell him that I’ve found her.”<br /> Trevor returned his attention back at my reflection as he let out those words. And when I saw how anger flashed in his eyes, fear crawled in my veins once more. This time, it was not only for Aunt’s life. But also for my life.<br /> I immediately dragged myself away from him and reached out for the elevator button but his hand was quick to catch my wrist.<br /> The elevator doors opened and I remembered trying to scream for help before my knees wavered and darkness swallowed me whole.	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1,211,373	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1211696}'	No	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	398848803034020	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	What’s more embarrassing than a butt dial? Butt dialing your boss… And leaving a dirty voicemail when you’re uhh… “thinking” about them.<br /> Just had a sexual fantasy with my boss. I stand on legs that are just as shaky as he said they’d be. My throat hurts from moaning and I’m sore as all get-out. As I stand, my phone clatters to the floor.<br /> I reach down to pick it up—<br /> And freeze in horror.<br /> Ruslan’s name is lighting up my screen.<br /> And the call is active.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’ve been masturbating to the absolute filthiest fantasy I’ve ever had, starring Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> ————————<br /> Emma<br /> If anyone has a reason to cry, it’s me. My boss is an arrogant prick and my sister is dead and her husband is more of a burden than a help and I have three innocent kids I’m doing my best to raise right but I can’t seem to catch a break and I need sleep and food and more coffee and a vacation and a fresh start and—the list just goes on. One reason for each of my thousand tears.<br /> “Auntie Em! Auntie Em, wake up.”<br /> I come to with a start. The sun is slanting in through the blinds and I have absolutely no freaking idea what planet I’m on. I feel a sharp line of pain on my cheek. It takes me a long moment to realize that it’s because I have a shoelace plastered to my skin. I peel it off with a wince and look up to see Josh standing over me.<br /> “Auntie Em, it’s 7:45. We’re late for school.”<br /> The next fifteen minutes are a blur. I get the girls up and dressed in the least coordinated outfits in the history of terrible parenting. I hurl random food into their lunchboxes with no regard for nutritional value. And then we’re all sprinting out the door.<br /> Ben, needless to say, doesn’t so much as lift a finger to help.<br /> I get the evil eye from the receptionist at the kids’ school when I drop them off well into first period. I just pop a peck on each of their foreheads and then turn to Bane.<br /> I get another evil eye from the lobby receptionist there, too, but I don’t quite realize why until I’m in the elevator up to the thirtieth floor and I catch sight of my reflection in the polished bronze.<br /> I look like an absolute shitshow. My hair is a rat’s nest on my head and my blouse is on backwards. The fashionable one-shoulder cutout is framing my frayed bra strap instead of a tasteful slice of arm.<br /> Wet street dogs are more put-together than I am.<br /> It’s way too late to go back now, though. I can already imagine Ruslan’s eyebrow. It’s probably halfway up his scalp by now. His voice is going to be absolutely frigid when he hears me come stumbling in. Something like:<br /> “You have got to be kidding me.”<br /> Wait. That wasn’t my imagination. That was actually his voice.<br /> I open my eyes and turn around to realize that the elevator doors have opened—and who should be standing there but my beloved, benevolent boss?<br /> Sure enough, his eyebrow is locked and loaded and that cruelly sharp jaw of his clenched so tight that I wonder idly if he has a good dentist on speed dial.<br /> I open my mouth to defend myself, but what is there even to say? “I’m sorry,” I blurt. “I fell asleep after—It was a long night and—I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry.”<br /> He doesn’t so much as blink. “I expect you to dress appropriately for your job, Ms. Carson,” he growls. “Not do the walk of shame through my building.”<br /> I frown. “The walk of—? Hold on. No, that’s not what this is. I didn’t—”<br /> “You’re wearing yesterday’s skirt and flaunting your undergarments like you think you can seduce your way out of being—” He checks his watch. “—two and a half hours late. I’m not sure if you think I’m stupid or easy. I’m also not sure which of those two would offend me more.”<br /> One word snags my attention. “Seduce?” I parrot stupidly.<br /> Out of nowhere, thoughts of what it would look like to seduce Ruslan Oryolov come prancing through my head.<br /> Wrapping his tie around my fist and bringing that smirking snarl down to my lips for a taste.<br /> Lying back on his desk, pencil skirt hiked above my hips, while he shoves my panties to the side and devours me like his last meal.<br /> On my knees on his office carpet as he stands over me and—<br /> “Ms. Carson, I’m not interested in your explanations. Go do your job. Before I find someone else to do it for you.”<br /> With that, he brushes past me and gets on the elevator. I turn and look dumbly at him as the doors close on his face. The last thing I see is the arrogant slant of his mouth.<br /> Then that, too, disappears.<br /> My cheeks are burning red for the rest of the day. Luckily, I have an extra cardigan at my desk, so I’m able to cover up the worst of my wardrobe malfunction.<br /> But my phone keeps pinging all day long with messages from Ruslan. Do this. Send that. Fax this. Email that. He’s as unbearable as ever. Everything from the expiration date on his coffee creamer to the status of the conference room chairs he’s so anal about merits yet another scathing comment from him. And after yesterday’s nightmare, I’m running on fumes.<br /> My only saving grace is that he has a gala tonight, so he’s scheduled to leave the office at 5:00 P.M. sharp. I’m counting down the last ten seconds until the clock strikes five like I’m a Times Square partier on New Year’s Eve.<br /> “Seven… Six… Five… Four… Three… Two… One…”<br /> Ping. Another text. I moan and look down to see the devil’s name pop up on my phone.<br /> RUSLAN: My office. Now.<br /> Goddammit. I was so close.<br /> Sighing, I get up and slink inside.<br /> “Shut the door,” he orders. It’s dark in here. The curtains are sealed tight and the temperature is Arctic. He’s a mass of shadows behind his desk, huge and fragrant. The only thing I can see is the sharp light of his amber eyes.<br /> “Sit.” A shadowy hand points at the chair across from his desk.<br /> I perch at the edge of the seat in question. My nerves are buzzing and frayed. I’m so, so tired. But I can’t show him that. Matter of fact, I refuse to show him that.<br /> I won’t give the smug prick the satisfaction of thinking he’s outlasted me.<br /> “I asked you yesterday if I had your full attention,” he begins. “I’m not so sure I do. So let me say this: if your priorities lie anywhere other than this company, then I will find a new assistant. I’m not a nice man, Ms. Carson. So believe me when I tell you that this is not the kind of place where you get three strikes before something bad happens. You mess up once—you’re gone. Am I making myself clear?”<br /> I swallow. “Yes, sir.”<br /> He nods. “Good. Be here on time tomorrow. Dress like you intend to keep your job. Now, if you’ll excuse me… there’s the door.”<br /> He looks down at his phone and poof, it’s like I don’t exist anymore.<br /> But I. Am. Pissed.<br /> He doesn’t know what I’m going through. He doesn’t know Ben is snoring and farting in my living room, or that three little kids are waiting on me to pick them up from after-school care. He doesn’t know that I buried my sister or that I’m barely keeping my head above water. He doesn’t know anything.<br /> “No.” I blurt it before I can think better of it. “No. No. I’m not some little worm under your shoe, Mr. Oryolov. I’m a—I mean, screw you, I’m a person! I have a life and hobbies and people who depend on me. I’m real! So I’d appreciate it very much if you’d pull your smug head out of your smug prick and treat me with some respect for once.”<br /> Ruslan blinks.<br /> Blinks.<br /> Blinks.<br /> “Is there something else, Ms. Carson?”<br /> That’s when I realize that my whole little tirade took place entirely in my head. It wasn’t real. All imagined. Just a pleasant little detour to a fantasy land where I give him my two cents and then some.<br /> I swallow past the nasty taste in my throat and stand. “No, sir,” I say quietly. “Nothing at all.”<br /> -<br /> I ended the call with my best friend, Phoebe.<br /> Then a face pops up on the black screen of my mind’s eye.<br /> It’s Ruslan because, like I told Pheebs, he haunts me even when I’m off the clock. He’s smiling that smile she described. That come-to-bed-and-let-me-show-you-what-I-can-do-to-you smile. The camera of my imagination pulls back and floats down.<br /> Imaginary Ruslan is wearing an ivory white button-down shirt with the top two buttons undone. Enough to see a dusting of dark chest hair and the edge of a tattoo I can’t quite make out. He flexes his forearms in front of him. Those knuckles crack, louder than I expected, and I let out a surprised little gasp.<br /> I like when you make that noise, he croons. Shall I see if I can make you do it again?<br /> I’m nodding before I’m even realizing what I’m doing. “Make me moan,” I plead.<br /> I’m also touching the inside of my knee before I realize what I’m doing. But it’s not my hands that are doing it—or at least, it doesn’t feel like it’s my hands. It’s Ruslan’s hands, huge and powerful, palming my thigh and drifting up under the edge of my pencil skirt.<br /> You’ve been a naughty assistant, he growls, breath minty in my face where it mingles with the woodsy spice of his cologne. There’s a faint laugh on the edge of his voice, like he knows that this whole thing is crazy but he’s just going with it because it’s hotter than it is ridiculous. You’ve been so very, very bad. Step into my office and shut the door.<br /> The rest of the world disappears like I just followed his orders. Gone is my messy apartment and the lingering smell of burrito cheese. Ruslan is all I smell now.<br /> That cologne.<br /> That breath.<br /> Beneath it, that musk that sets my nerve endings on fire.<br /> “Are you going to punish me, Ruslan?” I whisper.<br /> I’m on the literal edge of my seat, grinding and bucking against my fingers. Imaginary Ruslan has me eating out of the palm of his hand. I’d do anything for him. Say anything. Be anything.<br /> Imaginary Ruslan is every bit the cruel prick that real Ruslan is. He said he’d keep my orgasms to himself, but I feel like I stole this one from him. The euphoria of it rips through me in one endless lightning bolt after the next, until finally, what feels like an hour later, I come back to something like normal consciousness with drool on my lips and my fingers wet and sticky with my own desire.<br /> I stand on legs that are just as shaky as he said they’d be. My throat hurts from moaning and I’m sore as all get-out. As I stand, my phone clatters to the floor.<br /> I reach down to pick it up—<br /> And freeze in horror.<br /> Ruslan’s name is lighting up my screen.<br /> And the call is active.<br /> The reality of what is happening clicks in my gut immediately, but it takes a few delayed moments before my head comes to terms with it.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’ve been on a call with Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, I’ve been masturbating to the absolute filthiest fantasy I’ve ever had, starring Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> For seven minutes and thirty-two seconds, my phone has been recording every last moan and gasp and breath and twitch I made while I begged for his mercy and pleaded for him to make me come.<br /> Did Ruslan hear the whole thing?<br /> -<br /> “It’s over. My life as I know it is over. R.I.P. to me.”<br /> “I’m sorry, who is this?”<br /> “Pheebs!”<br /> She chuckles while I stare at my reflection in the mirror and try not to throw up. My phone is lying on the bathroom counter on speakerphone, mostly because my palms have been sweating since I saw the meeting invite in my calendar for today.<br /> 9:00 A.M. – 09:07:32 A.M.: Emma Carson 1-on-1 with Ruslan Oryolov.<br /> “Sorry. Couldn’t resist. Anyway, rewind, take a deep breath, then tell me what’s going on in your big girl voice. Unburden yourself. Take all the time you need. Just make it quick because I have a 9 o’clock appointment.”<br /> I’m bouncing on the balls of my feet now, the same way that Reagan does when she needs to pee really bad. “Yeah, so do I. With him.”<br /> “Ah. Oh, wait—oh.”<br /> I first called Phoebe last night right after realizing what I’d done. Her reaction was a dizzying mixture of pride and horror. I believe her exact words were, “Sure, it’s mortifying, but I’m glad you got your rocks off. Knew you had it in you.”<br /> She’s a little more reassuring now that things are escalating out of control. “That doesn’t necessarily mean he heard the voicemail, Em. Maybe this is just a standard, no-big-deal, super-boring-business-stuff Thursday morning meeting.”<br /> “It’s scheduled for seven minutes and thirty-two seconds. Precisely.”<br /> “Hm.” There’s a beat of silence. “Doesn’t look good, does it?”<br /> “Seriously? That’s all you’ve got for me? I’m gonna lose my job, Phoebe!”<br /> “You don’t know that for sure. Just take a deep breath and go in there, see what he wants. Play it cool, y’know?”<br /> “And what if what he wants is to kick my arse to the curb with a recommendation letter that claims I’m a dirty bimbo?”<br /> “I mean, there’s probably a market for that.” I moan as Phoebe’s laughter fades into a serious tone. “Listen, boo: whatever happens, you’re a strong, smart, confident woman and you’re gonna land on your feet. And until you do, I’ve got your back.”<br /> Her words mean everything to me, but I know that Phoebe doesn’t have much margin for error in her life, either. She struggles just as hard as I do. If she is able to help, it still wouldn’t put a dent in all the bills and loans looming over me.<br /> “Thanks for the pep talk. I’ve gotta go to my doom now.”<br /> “Keep your pecker up!”<br /> I blink. “Huh?”<br /> “Oklahoma talk. It means, like, ‘break a leg,’ but for Midwesterners.”<br /> If I weren’t worried about losing my job and ending up homeless on the street with three kids, I’d laugh. Instead, I say one more miserable goodbye, then spend a solid three minutes dry-heaving into one of the empty bathroom stalls.<br /> Once I’ve sufficiently bruised my stomach lining, I slink out of the bathroom and waste the remaining two minutes before the meeting standing outside of Ruslan’s door, watching the clock steal my life away one second at a time.<br /> “You okay, Emma?” asks Katie Miller, another of the executive assistants on this floor, as she passes by.<br /> “Dandy,” I mumble. “Just waiting for the noose.”<br /> “What was that?”<br /> “Nothing. I like your earrings. Have a good day.”<br /> She raises her brow a smidge. I’m not usually so dismissive, but I can’t concentrate on small talk right now. Not when I’m T-minus thirty seconds away from the end of my career.<br /> Dear God, I know I don’t pray to you often. Or, well, ever. But please help me out today and I’ll definitely consider starting on a more semi-regular basis.<br /> Great. Now, I’m bargaining with God. New low, Emma. New low.<br /> I take a deep breath and walk into his office. The shades are tight, snuffing out all the light of the Manhattan morning beyond. It’s like a bear cave in here—and the grizzly in question is sitting at his desk, scrolling through his phone. He doesn’t acknowledge me until I’m standing in front of his desk.<br /> “Sit.”<br /> The moment my rear end is parked, he puts his phone down and looks at me. Just looks at me.<br /> In the eighteen months that I’ve worked for him, he’s never once given me the benefit of his full attention. Even during our morning meetings, he’s either on his phone, flipping through files, or typing away on his laptop. I used to be annoyed about it. I’m only now realizing I should have been grateful.<br /> Should I say something?<br /> Maybe he wants me to break the silence. Maybe I’m supposed to give him an explanation, an apology, something. But the more the silence stretches on, the less I’m capable of breaking it.<br /> I decide once again that those amber eyes of his should be outlawed.<br /> “I heard the voicemail,” he says at last.<br /> I can’t place his tone. Amusement? Anger? Disbelief?<br /> “Do you have anything to say, Ms. Carson?”<br /> I launch into the apology I spent most of last night practicing in the mirror. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, Mr. Oryolov. I have no idea what I was thinking. The whole thing was an accident; I didn’t realize I’d dialed you. I was so tired and out of it and… I can assure you that it will never happen again. I swear.”<br /> My cheeks are flushed with embarrassment, but I try to keep my voice steady. I can’t sound too desperate, although that’s exactly what I am.<br /> “Tell me, Ms. Carson: what would you do in my place?”<br /> “I would give the plucky, hard-working assistant another chance, maybe?” It’s a long shot, but I figure, what the heck? I just wish I’d asked it without my voice rising to an Alvin and the Chipmunks pipsqueak at the end.<br /> His mouth twitches with the promise of a smile, but it’s gone as quick as it came. “I know what you sound like when you climax, Emma. Is that the soundtrack you want running through all our interactions from now on?”<br /> Flushing the brightest of reds, I shake my head. “If we could maybe just forget this whole thing—”<br /> “The way I see it, there are only two options here.”<br /> I hold my breath.<br /> “One, I fire you.”<br /> There it is. I knew it. I’m done for. I’m going to need to call the welfare office and see what—<br /> “Or two… I give you exactly what you want.”<br /> I almost choke on my own saliva. What little is left in my gaping mouth. “W-what?”<br /> Silently, Ruslan offers me the blue folder lying in front of him. I pick it up with shaky hands and open the cover. It takes me a few long moments to figure out what on earth I’m looking at.<br /> A… contract?<br /> I read through the first page, feeling a strange sensation bubble up in my chest.Then, since I’m clearly misunderstanding something, I read through the first page again. And again. And again.<br /> Only then do I look up. “Is this a joke?”<br /> He doesn’t blink. “I never joke.”<br /> “It’s just that, it seems like, from what I read, um—”<br /> “I will offer you money and security in exchange for live encores of the little performance you sent me last night. In addition to meeting my other needs.”<br /> “And by ‘needs,’ you mean…intercourse?”<br /> He tilts his chin down and regards me solemnly. “How explicit would you like me to be, Ms. Carson?”<br /> What.<br /> “So this—” I raise the blue folder in my hand. “—is a sugar daddy contract?”<br /> His brow furrows. “I’d prefer to call it a ‘Friend With Benefits’ contract.”<br /> “But we’re not friends.”<br /> He smirks. “Fair enough. No, we’re not.”<br /> There’s a throbbing in my head that reminds me of the first time I got drunk. Sienna and I had snuck into Dad’s study the eve of my sixteenth birthday and stolen a 1984 Chateau Latour. We passed it back and forth, taking turns sipping from the bottle like it was cheap bagged drink until the whole thing was gone.<br /> For a moment, I think about what Sienna would say if she were here. Would she be outraged or intrigued? Would she slap the smug prick and storm out?<br /> Or would she grin and say, Double the price and I’m in.<br /> What would you do, Si?<br /> And then it hits me, a bolt of lightning straight to the chest, almost like she’s speaking to me herself. I miss her so much, it hurts. But she left little bits of herself behind, in all three of her children. The same kids I’m working off to protect.<br /> That right there is the answer.<br /> Sienna would have done whatever was best for her children.<br /> So I don’t slap him. I don’t storm out. I sit there and stare at my arrogant, prick boss who always gets exactly what he wants.<br /> And what he wants… is me.<br /> I meet Ruslan’s steely gaze. “What happens if I say no?”	LEARN_MORE	https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMTQ5NjM3LzI	178740541994567	Fics101	https://facebook.com/61554382746013	123	1	1,438,876,903,686,783	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Learn more	Fics101	120210859485650460	b.ficsworld.com	NONE	video		https://b.ficsworld.com/ad/Zmljd29ybGQvMTQ5NjM3LzIwMjQwNDEyMTY0MjQxL3BhZ2U=?adid={{ad.id}}	2024-04-13 06:50	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435346861_1602428293851739_1993286731441545839_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=mNpUEvtxHX4Ab4cUt-r&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfC2_CeQSzaOr2Fr7DYGfTmZ93uX4l7Gjl2sYbYWnZ-95w&oe=6621FD50	person_profile	Fics101	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/435243236_737328378600275_834050864120040597_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=HmbNPZJF4qkAb5Mccxz&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBSQH_6aJGP260ds2XXHripsTcFD8ohJsvLJCpKFDt42g&oe=6621E943	3	Fics101	2024-04-13 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,211,165	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1211167}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	745777044375389			INSTAGRAM_MESSAGE	http://instagram.com/traumayoga	241684722953806	Insight Family Therapy Group, Inc.	https://facebook.com/insightfamilytherapy	120,925	1	1,078,988,386,740,986	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Send Message	Insight Family Therapy Group, Inc.	6552091735713	instagram.com	NONE	carousel		http://instagram.com/traumayoga	2024-04-13 10:22	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/437049591_413261801456003_2970702177618615611_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1B1W2RxevNwAb7KN31q&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBi00-WaqSDS7KCKZKlh9VSz2TVost2ceXTCjk46s15Vg&oe=6621D985	person_profile	Mary Ortenburger, LMFT, RYT-500, CEDS-S	https://scontent-iad3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/436149774_2131477500522397_5956469397286024416_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9K8Kwuq37agAb6asR6B&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDLteXYhQrnLkF5xL3veRb0S0lSCHyRdz_eBUbJU1i4KQ&oe=6621EB82	3	Insight Family Therapy Group, Inc.	2024-04-13 02:00	View Edit Delete
1,209,626	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":1210112}'	Yes	2024-04-14 13:48	active	515	1129450618194441	Get Rid of Neuropathy Pain - New Patient Special	🌞Chandler, say goodbye to neuropathy pain!<br /> <br /> Our Advanced Laser Therapy Device is scientifically-backed and non-invasive.<br /> <br /> Experience freedom from constant discomfort with our doctor's guidance.<br /> <br /> Click "SIGN UP" to take advantage of our special new patient offer and reclaim your life with our Advanced Laser Therapy.	BOOK_TRAVEL	https://funnel.goclickchiro.com/neuropathy	107474817693866	CLiCK Chiropractic	https://facebook.com/goclickchiro	885	2	944,765,947,216,402	2024-04-14 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	Book now	CLiCK Chiropractic	120211252027390054	goclickchiro.com	NONE	video	1000+ 5-Star Reviews!	https://funnel.goclickchiro.com/neuropathy	2024-04-06 09:30	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/433945636_1124450672031927_4407126465199182702_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=iucQAcDqh1MAb4br0KG&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfCjIjDoxLgjg6H0OoubUIQbHjJpleoPihDs3WSyEqk2pQ&oe=6621F57D	person_profile	Dr. Tadd Terry	https://scontent-ord5-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/434411694_1797191344108830_8667489028962695267_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=1ps3fAjJXNEAb7545e7&_nc_ht=scontent-ord5-1.xx&oh=00_AfDNgMeuxvTZscYA9jQ_DYTUic8YIwfokzpaQrO5QMraVw&oe=6622065F	3	CLiCK Chiropractic	2024-04-14 02:00	View Edit Delete

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