Worshiped Him, Whipped By Him

, traced the rim

, an art history

tern at her father

as just a gir

suming crush on

as thirt

, brilliant,

usiness partne

nd to her, a warm s

once given her from a construction s

lized his strength,

was

as a blur of glitt

it. He looked l

a distance, her hea

ildhood friend" and business a

or designer with a smile that

hampagne flutes into Marcus

king too mu

e too loud, his ba

ghtened Li

d him as the

, are y

ocus on her. "Liv. Litt

was

te," she offered, her voice

er, heavier th

et, away from the noise.

them minu

fectly timed, pe

ia? What is g

a, his eyes closed. Liv was j

appened. Noth

s already out, a qu

Izzy, it's not what you

a masterclass in fei

g, Marcus," Izzy c

groaning. "What.

on. "Olivia was... helping y

ion hung hea

a sleazy gossip co

ate mogul David Hayes, caught in a compromising posi

accompanied it. Liv, leani

burned wi

furious.

is voice ice. "W

do anything! Izz

!" he snarled. "My reputation is in sh

ed Izzy.

her father, to Marcus, t

e lis

ull of contempt whenever he was forc

a nightmare of whisp

s relentless. Online

a bug under

ed world, her dreams of

ed, the kind, sophist

uel stranger who look

e of his true nature, h

harp, physical a

side her window see

Liv died

eved in fairy tales and

was

ew, colder awaren

ind. People were no

stone he'd given her. It f

y, col

irth, but not

e into a cold,

ent of her blind adorat

ot hope, but a refusal to complete

bout Marcus,

led. How eager she'd been

Iz

ntless small mom

sive hand on

any woman who got

ocus on Mar

Izzy's ruthless amb

and Liv had been a n

neutr

a family dinner a week later. Her f

unavo

believe me," she whispered,

her, his face a ma

o manipulate this situat

side, slipping he

voice dripping with false sympathy for him. "She'

eyes fixed on Liv

ed. Izzy had won him

e a unit

ociety reporter, her v

their connections inappropriately. Marcus is such

ke tiny, sharp st

in her ro

ns with Marcus, her open ad

had been so obvio

fo

luttered for him, now felt

father's office, was the f

ign off on some intern

er wait f

red his temporary off

t," he said,

e just talk fo

empty. "About what, Olivia? Your de

g. Cold in

ero shattered into

painful fi

everywhere. The "intimacy" of Marcus and

ase – the death o

er internship. She sto

r apartment, the

too loud, too bright,

cape, an escape

g she wanted, but it was

ord

re together, the picture of a supp

tive was se

id Hayes, came

worry and a quiet anger

you can't go

. He didn't understand

aw the i

internship, from school if you need to. We can

at him, her

f all the tim

of Marcus, sketching his

ent on her photography

bitter taste

er hand. It

Liv. Whatev

er solutions,

us, at Izzy, at the

concern was

d. "Europe? Or just... away

n't exciting. It

reaching for her

as the only futu

ape of just getting