Chapter One
Desperation
Gabriella’s POV
The room felt unbearable, choking every single breath in my body. It bore down on me like a weight I couldn’t escape.my fingers trembling at my sides, nails pressing into my palms trying to keep them steady.
I couldn’t show weakness. Not now. Jax sat in his chair, his legs crossed against the other. One hand idly turned the glass of amber liquid Between his fingers.
His piercing dark eyes, cold and unreadable, pinned me in place. He didn’t say a word.. well he didn’t have to. The atmosphere inside cracked with unspoken power, he knew he had it all.
I swallowed hard, before saying a word. “You have the money?" I asked
His lips curled into a tiny quirk, just a little."straight to the point. I like that."
I tried everything in my power to fight the urge to shift on my feet. The dress he had chosen for me to wear clung to every curve in my body, whispering against my skin with every breath. It wasn’t luxurious enough compared to the room we were in, but it was purposely.
He wanted me to feel out of place. Vulnerable, to feel weak. "That wasn’t an answer," I shot back, my voice sharper than I intended.
He leaned forward on his desk, elbows resting on them. "And yet, here you are, still standing here.”
I exhaled sharply through my nose, steadying myself to give him a befitting reply."I did what you asked. I’m here right, I held my turn of the deal.”
Silence stretched between us, the firelight casting shadows on his face as he stood up. His body tensed as he walked closer to me, closing the distance, stopping just inches from me.
His fingers reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. I held myself, trying not to flinch at his touch.
"No pregnancy, Gabriella," he whispered, his voice smooth but firm. “ I don’t want any pregnancy.”
Forcing myself to hold his gaze. I forced myself to give him a response. “ There won’t be any, I give you my word.”
He watched me closely for a long moment before he smiled. “Good. Then there won’t be any problems.”
Jax took his time, letting the tension get even tighter with every second. His hands, large and sure, traced down to the curve of my waist before sliding lower, gripping me with a possessive intention.
"Show me you understand our agreement," he whispered to my ears. his breath, hot against my ear.
I exhaled shakily, my walls breaking as he drew me backwards. Pressing me against the cold surface of his desk.
My dress lifted up to my hips as tough creeped freely on every bit of my skin, each stroke purposeful, each kiss laced with nothing but pure dominance.
There was nothing tender in the way he took me—only control, raw and unstopping. His hands were demanding, claiming leaving every single trace about who really held the power in this arrangement.
I held on to him, my nails digging into his skin as he pushed me further,deeper, until the only thing I could do was surrender to the intensity of his hold over me.
No single whisper of sweet words from him. He didn’t promise anything beyond the moment. And well.. I didn’t ask for more, because I knew what this was.
When it was finally over, he pulled away first, straightening his shirt as if nothing happened between us. I just lay there for a moment, catching my breath, my body still beating from the aftershocks of what he did to me.
He reached into his drawer, pulled out an envelope, and tossed it onto me. “ Your payment, now get out.”
I sat up, gripping tightly the edge of the desk. My legs, still shaking as I reached for the envelope, my fingers brushing against the fine dollar bills inside.
"We’re done here, Gabriella," he said, his tone devoid of no single emotion.
I nodded, swallowing the lump forming in my throat. I knew what I was getting into before I got here. This was nothing more than just another transaction between us.
I pulled my dress back into place, smoothing the fabric over my thighs before climbing down the desk. Without another word, I turned,walking away as I could feel his eyes watching me the entire time.
Days later
The bathroom tiles were cold under my feet as I sat on the floor, my knees trembling. The small plastic stick shaking in my hands, my breath uneven.
Two lines. Two…lines.
My heart slammed against my ribs.
No. No. No.
“Fuck!!!!!!!!!!!”
“How did this happen?”
This can’t be happening. It couldn’t be happening. I was careful. I had done everything right. And yet, here it was. Proof that my body had betrayed me. Proof that I had broken the one rule that I gave my word never to break.
The bathroom immediately swung open with a loud crash. I barely had the time to react before Hunter stormed in. My fingers trembled around the pregnancy strip, but it was too late. He had already seen it.
There was no point in trying to hide it now.
“What the hell is that?” Hunter screamed at me.
I couldn’t speak. The words couldn’t just come out. I watched as his face twisted, anger darkening around his features. He snatched the test strip forcefully from my grip, his fingers white-knuckled around it.
“No,” he whispered, shaking his head. “This can’t be fucking…. real!Tell me this isn’t real.”
“Hunter…Hunter please it’s not what it seems.” I said , as I tried to calm him down.
His laugh was sharp, nothing funny about it. “Are you serious, Gabriella?” He shot back, throwing the pregnancy strip across the bathroom wall, the plastic shattering against the tiles.
“Who is responsible for this …thing you are carrying ?”
The accusation was a slap across the face, even though I had known it was coming.His hands went to his head, his fingers tingling in frustration.
He paced up and down the bathroom, his breathing rough.“You promised me. You said you would handle it. How come this!!”.
Tears burned at the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “I….I did it for us.”
“What the fuck did you mean you did if for us.”
“How the fuck did this happen?” He shot back as he grabbed my neck with a tight force.