\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re acting like people have two lives\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re acting like people have two lives\u00a0<\/p>\n
Violet\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slapped myself. It was not a light pat, or a playful tap. This time it was hard, the sting shooting across my cheek. The sound cracked in the silence. Even Hades froze. His brows lifted, his eyes widened slightly as though he didn\u2019t expect me to go this far.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My palm lingered on my cheek. Sometimes the best wake\u2013up call is a slap to the face, I told myself. For example, if your heart keeps beating faster whenever you see your ex\u2013boyfriend\u2019s father, it\u2019s a damn good wake\u2013up call. Snaps you out of it faster than chasing useless thoughts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I bit my lip, wincing. Okay, maybe I overdid it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A low chuckle rumbled beside me. My head snapped up. Hades Sinclair was looking amused, as if he had just peeled back my entire soul and found it entertaining. His lips curled, that devastating smirk making my stomach knot.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned closer, closing what little space I had left. His hand pressed gently to the top of my head, like I was some stubborn child he found amusing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to try so hard to resist me,\u201d he murmured. \u201cYou want me, princess. Why not take what you want?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cl\u00a0<\/p>\n
})\u00a0<\/p>\n
His other hand slid across my back, coaxing me closer, his fingers pressing firmly into my lower spine until I was flush against the hard line of his body. His eyes locked on mine, his breath hot against my lips as he leaned in.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you stay with me, I\u2019ll give you everything this world has to offer. And if you dare ask for something beyond it, I\u2019ll still make it yours.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My heart skipped violently, like it was trying to claw its way out of my chest. I bit down on my lip so hard the sting almost drew blood. I finally gathered enough courage to move, my hand pressing against his chest. It wasn\u2019t a push, pushing a man like him was impossible. But it was enough to create a sliver of space between us.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned my face away, drew in a shaky breath, and forced my voice steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Hades,\u201d I said. \u201cI have no idea what you want from me. But since you\u2019ve already had your fun, that\u2019s enough. It\u2019s time to stop this game.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned back slightly, arms crossing, an eyebrow arching as if my words amused him more than anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cGames?\u201d he repeated, like he\u2019d never heard the word before.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I frowned at his clueless tone, heat rising in my chest, but I swallowed down the anger. I didn\u2019t want this to end in another explosion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou got what you wanted, right?\u201d I whispered. \u201cYou had sex with your son\u2019s girlfriend. Maybe that felt thrilling for you, maybe it was nothing at all. But unlike you, I\u2019m just a college student. If people find out I was messing around with Matthew\u2019s father, they\u2019ll destroy me, and call names, worse than they already do. This scandal will\u00a0<\/p>\n
ruin me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t want all these useless thoughts, but I could already imagine the damage if it got out that I was sleeping with Hades. It would even affect Sebastian. I had to put an end to this before it put an end to me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re acting like people have two lives,\u201d Hades said flatly, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re acting like people have two lives\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked at him, confused. \u201c\u2026What?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His lips curled dangerously, that same predator\u2019s smile on his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDestroy you? Call you names? They\u2019d only dare to do that if they had more than one life. Why would I ever allow a bunch of nobodies to bully what\u2019s mine? If they did that, I\u2019d make them wish for an early death. I\u2019d make sure they know exactly what it feels like to be crushed before they ever think of raising their voices again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him, searching for even a shred of sanity in the man standing before me, but there was none. He didn\u2019t even grasp the point of what I was saying. I was telling him to leave me alone, and instead, he was promising to declare war on the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And as if that wasn\u2019t enough, he stepped forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I immediately stepped back, my pulse hammering. His tall frame towered over mine, his hands sliding casually into his pockets as he loomed above me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou think what I\u2019m doing is a game?\u201d His voice dropped low. \u201cEven though your opinion of me isn\u2019t that great, princess, I\u2019m not the type to play games. Especially not with women. I don\u2019t waste my time on anyone unless they matter. And I\u2019m definitely not the type to want a person this much.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned just enough that his piercing blue eyes locked onto mine, stripping me bare.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if you\u00a0<\/p>\n
think this is some sort of game, Violet, then you\u2019re highly mistaken about something. I do not have control of the game. You do.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My face burned. I hated myself for the way his words affected me, twisting everything. Maybe it was because he was older, and more experienced, or maybe it was just because he was Hades, but damn it, this man was too smooth with his mouth. My stupid heart kept racing, betraying me with every beat.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed, opening my mouth to say something, only to find my voice gone.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOh my god, she\u2019s finally awake!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The cheerful voice snapped me out of whatever trance he had me under. I blinked, tearing my gaze past him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Behind Hades stood a beautiful older woman. She was plump, with gray\u2013streaked hair tied neatly back. An apron was fastened around her waist, and her hands rested firmly on her hips. A wide smile lit up her face, and the way she looked at me, like I had just descended from heaven and performed the most miraculous thing ever, made me freeze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Someone else was here?\u00a0<\/p>\n
How long had she been standing there? Had she heard everything Hades just said? Oh God. My cheeks flamed with embarrassment. The thought alone made me want the floor to open up and swallow me whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n
If she had overheard, she gave no sign of caring.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The woman walked right up to us, her smile only growing wider, and placed both hands on Hades to push him. aside. At least, she tried to. It was painfully obvious she couldn\u2019t move him unless he allowed it, but Hades went along with it anyway, shifting lazily out of her way.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was in front of me, her hand wrapping around mine.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHi, I\u2019m Naomi. Hades\u2018 nanny.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blinked at her. Nanny? I darted a look back at Hades, disbelief written all over my face. How old was he to still\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/3\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re acting like people have two lives\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
have a nanny? But Hades just stood there, watching the entire exchange, not bothering to explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Naomi gave my hand a squeeze, her eyes sparkling as she looked me over. \u201cYou are so beautiful,\u201d she said warmly. \u201cA little skinny, but lovely. Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019ll just fatten you up and you\u2019ll make a wonderful bride.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nearly choked on my own breath. A bride?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Completely lost, I shook my head quickly. \u201cT\u2013there seems to be a misunderstanding, I\u2019m not-\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t let me finish. Naomi let out a delighted laugh, gripping my hand tighter as if she\u2019d already claimed me. \u201cCome, come! I cooked a lot this morning. Let\u2019s get you some breakfast, dear.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before I could protest, she was dragging me toward the door. I stumbled after her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What on earth was going on here?\u00a0<\/p>\n
BIG SALE: 3500 bonus free fou you\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Nights Burn With Regret \u2014 by Nathan Perez 66 \u00a0 You\u2019re acting like people have two lives\u00a0 +25 Bonus\u00a0 You\u2019re […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[83],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27982","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-craving-the-guardian-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27982","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27982\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}