Chapter Nine
SERENITY VEYLOR-KORVEN
He called me Venus!
How the fuck did he know? Nobody had called me that in years.
My father was Vince, my brother was Vernon, and I wanted to fit in so much that I begged for a name that made me feel more like I belonged.
After Knox said it, I demanded an answer. He said Venus fit me better than princess because it held all the power he saw in me—love, desire, beauty, and raw sexuality. Even though his words made sense, doubt still lingered under my skin.
I tried to ask more, but he silenced me with a kiss then told me to let go and let him take control. Then he fucked me so good, every thought vanished until I passed out in his arms.
I didn’t know how long I slept. I only remembered Vixen waking me before sunrise, telling me I had to leave right away.
The escort was gone, but the ache he left behind wouldn’t fade.
I wanted to ask who he was, but Vixen didn’t give me space to breathe, let alone question anything.
If anyone saw Konflict Korven’s wife walking out of a brothel at dawn, the consequences would be catastrophic.
Rumors would sweep through the city within minutes, and Konflict would use them as justification to end me long before the annulment.
Standing under the shower, I replayed everything he did to me—every thrust, every sound, every dirty word. My hands searched for the spots he’d claimed, trying to bring back that feeling, but nothing even came close.
I stepped out of the shower, dried off, and chose a dress that made me feel beautiful and different. I wasn’t the same woman I was yesterday. I felt complete and confident and free.
As I fastened the last button, Valery knocked and pushed the door open slightly.
“Your breakfast is ready,” she said, voice calm but hesitant. “And there is someone waiting for you.”
My attention snapped to her. “Who is waiting for me.”
“You will see when you reach the dining room. But you may want to prepare yourself before you walk in.” She shifted her weight on her heels.
I studied her face, searching for anything she wasn’t saying. “Valery. Who is it.”
“It is better if you see for yourself.”
Her tone settled uneasily in my stomach.
I made my way down the corridor then when I entered the dining room, my breath caught in my throat.
Konflict was sitting at the table, settled in the chair as if the estate was his alone.
His Timberlands were set wide on the floor, his posture loose.
His dark brown skin caught the morning light in a way that drew my gaze without effort.
The black hoodie he wore was pulled low, but I could still make out the clean lines of his cropped hair.
He was clean-shaven too, and that only made the sharp angles of his jaw stand out more, especially when he clenched his teeth.
He didn’t look at me. He just kept spreading butter on his toast with slow movements, ignoring me, and that fucking pissed me off.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice cutting straight through the space between us. I wanted him out of this house right now.
He finally looked up and his gaze locked on mine, steady and unblinking. He took a bite of his toast, chewed slowly then swallowed, and let the silence stretch until it pissed me off more than I already was.
“As far as I know, I still own this house,” he said, unhurried. “I come when the fuck I feel like coming.”
He made my blood boil, but I forced my breathing to settle.
“Interesting! I could have sworn you forgot the Korven estate existed. Yet lately, you’ve been showing up more often. Should I assume there’s a reason for that, or are we pretending you came here for breakfast, Konflict.”
He held my gaze without blinking, the corner of his mouth lifting with a confidence that pushed heat into my chest. “The bread hits better here.”
I gave him a humorless smile. “Don’t insult my intelligence. If bread was your priority, you wouldn’t live half a world away. Just tell me what you want so I can go about my day. I’m not here to play house with you.”
He stared at me with his face locked in that flat, merciless expression that promised nothing good.
“As I said, I do what the fuck I want. And I figured it was a good day to have breakfast with my future ex-wife before I put a bullet in that pretty head. We can at least enjoy this little moment, right?”
Hatred and frustration spilled out of me. “If that’s what you want, fine. I can give you that. But believe me, I can’t wait for this to end.”
His eyes narrowed, amused in a way that made me more pissed than I already was. “Never seen someone so damn eager to meet their end. You’re really in a hurry to die, huh?”
I didn’t blink. “If living means putting up with you, I’d rather die with a smile. At least I’ll have enjoyed myself before you finally pull that trigger.”
He leaned in slightly, his gaze dragging over my face with a quiet but calculating interest. “If you’re still that committed to dying on the day we dissolve this joke of a marriage, it means you followed through with whatever the hell you planned for last night?”
I cut my eyes at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction. “You’ve been a little too invested in my life lately, Konflict. Maybe find a hobby. What I did last night is none of your business.”
He smirked again, slow and infuriating. “Simple curiosity. Don’t read too much into it.”
“So that’s what brings you here? You’re curious about whether I actually fucked a man last night?
” I straightened my shoulders, lifted my chin, and let my voice turn to ice.
“Since you’re so desperate to know, let me make things clear for you.
Last night was magic. The man I had knew exactly what he was doing.
He flipped me every damn way he wanted, fucked me in every position, made me feel things I didn’t even know my body could feel.
And honestly, I doubt my incompetent, idiotic husband could have managed half of what he did. ”
I locked my gaze onto his and watched the way the muscle jumped at the edge of his cheek.
“Now that I know what it feels like to be fucked right, I’m eager to do it again.”
His lips pressed into a thin line and his voice couldn’t hide the irritation he was feeling “So you’re planning to see him again?”
I let a sweet and venomous smile kiss my lips. “Maybe. But even if I enjoyed what he did to me, I have no intention of booking the same man twice. There are plenty of dicks in this city, and I intend to explore every single one.”
Tension rolled through his shoulders, sharp enough to shift the air between us. “What the fuck does that mean?”
I leaned forward. “I already knew you struggled with reading, but I had no idea memory was an issue too. Or is it basic comprehension you’re missing?
That letter spelled everything out. I said I planned to get dicked down by different men.
I tasted one last night, and that was enough for him. Tonight, I’ll choose someone new.”
His nostrils flared, anger bleeding straight through them. “So you’re really going to do this every night? Different men? You hear yourself?”
I shrugged. “Save your judgment. I don’t give a damn if you think I’m a whore, Konflict.
I’ll use my pussy however I want. I won’t settle for one dick when I’ve got a month left to live.
I’m going to fuck whoever I want, however I want, until you kill me or I lose interest. Now enjoy your breakfast alone. Seeing your face ruined my appetite.”
Grabbing my bag, I walked out without giving him a chance to speak. I didn’t slam the door, but the moment I stepped outside, the tension in my chest didn’t loosen.
All day, his voice scraped at the back of my mind. It made no sense. After everything we had done to each other, I should have been unreachable. But that morning sank under my skin like poison.
I walked into the casino later that morning for inspection.
We were still in training mode, so my dealers were practicing hands they’d need to master before nightfall.
I moved from table to table, watching how they handled the chips and how well they followed instructions.
When I reached one of the high-stakes tables, irritation spiked instantly.
A young trainee was mixing chip denominations as if he was stacking candy.
He was careless and oblivious, completely unprepared for the reality of live play.
“Is this how you plan to run my house?” I asked.
He jerked, his hands trembling so violently the entire stack toppled over. When the chips hit the table, he lost whatever composure he had left. He dropped to his knees in front of me, eyes wide and shining with panic, sweat rolling down his temple even though the room was cool.
“Please, Madame Korven,” he stammered. “Forgive me. I’ll fix it, I swear. Please, have mercy. I need this job. I need my life.”
I stared at him, thrown off-balance. Fear poured out of him as if he expected someone to drag him outside and shoot him.
“Why are you shaking like that? Stand up and explain yourself.”
He gulped. “It’s your husband, Madame, Mr. Korven. I don’t want him to think I disrespected you or made a mistake. If he believes I did anything wrong, he’ll make sure I pay for it. Please… I don’t want to die.”
Cold rage rose inside me, but I held it down, smoothing my voice before he could unravel any further. “Stand up,” I said quietly. “You’re not dying. You made a mistake, and you’ll learn. That’s why you’re in training. Focus, pay attention, and you’ll be fine.”
He nodded so fast it looked painful, but I gave him a steady look that anchored him enough to breathe again. When he repeated that he would do better, I dismissed him and walked away.
I reached my office, shut the door, and dialed Konflict’s number. He answered on the first ring, as if he had been waiting.
“Stay out of my business, Konflict,” I said as soon as he took the call. “This is my casino. You don’t get to threaten my staff.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he replied, not even pretending to deny it.
“When you die, everything becomes mine, so I don’t see why I shouldn’t protect my future assets.
Especially since your family of thieves worked so damn hard stealing it from mine.
Funny how everything you built crawls right back to Korven in the end. ”
“Go fuck yourself, asshole,” I said, and I hung up so hard my hand stung.
After I cut the call, the anger didn’t leave. It grew, spreading through my blood until even the walls of the casino felt too tight around me. I needed something to cut through the pressure under my skin.
So as soon as the sky dimmed, I headed straight to Vixen’s house.
She opened the door with one brow raised. “You should have called. I didn’t have time to clear out the staff.”
“I was careful,” I said, stepping inside. “I couldn’t wait. I need an escort. Now.”
She closed the door behind me, then studied my face. “The same man as last night?”
“No. Someone else.”
She blinked. “You didn’t enjoy him? I thought you’d want more.”
“He was good, but tonight I want another flavor. Something harder that pushes past a forbidden line. You know exactly what I’m asking for, Vixen. I’m paying for a certain darkness, so give me the man who can take me there.”
She let the silence stretch, reading exactly how far I was willing to go. Then she nodded.
“Follow me. I’ll put you in a room that matches exactly what you’re asking for.”
Leading me down a hallway, Vixen opened a room at the end of the corridor.
The air in the room held a steady tension.
Cuffs rested on the table beside the bed.
A drawer remained slightly open, showing a few toys arranged with care.
A padded bench stood near the corner, and the bed against the far wall was covered in dark sheets that absorbed every bit of light.
A shiver stitched down my spine as Vixen stepped deeper into the room and gestured toward the adjoining bathroom.
“You can take a bath while you wait,” she said.
I nodded, but before she could leave, the question that had been burning in my mind since dawn forced itself out.
“Vixen. The man you sent last night… do you know if he knew me? Or my family?”
She paused and turned slowly to meet my gaze. “Why do you ask?” she questioned cautiously.
I could feel her body tense.
“Just curiosity. He felt familiar.”
Vixen exhaled. “Respectfully, Madame Korven, I cannot give you that information. That is the contract. I protect my escorts, especially from your husband. If Mr. Korven discovers who touched you, he will kill him. If I give out names and my men pay the price for it, I lose everything I built.”
I understood her explanation, but I still hated every part of it. It didn’t matter anyway. I didn’t plan to see him again.
“I will prepare what you asked for. You can get ready.”
She moved toward the door and closed it behind her.
I stripped and stepped under the hot water, letting it swallow some of the tension.
Once out of my bath, I found the outfit Vixen left for me waiting on the bed.
It was a sort of cloth made of black elastic bands, wrapping around my body and framing the swell of my breasts.
It left my nipples bare in the cold air.
Thin bands dipped between my hips, parting just enough to expose my pussy.
It had every detail crafted to restrain nothing and reveal everything.
I adjusted the straps and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting. It didn’t take long before the door creaked open.
A tall, broad man stepped inside, masked, his silhouette filling the room. His stride was slow, certain, and predatory. The air shifted around him the way it had last night. His presence only made my stomach drop.
Standing up, I moved a few steps toward him, bracing myself. “What are you doing here?” I snapped. “I asked for someone new. Get out. I don’t need your services tonight.”
He moved without hesitation, crossing the space in three steady steps. His hand came up to my throat in one firm motion, the pressure guiding me back against the wall.
“If you think I’m letting you hand my pussy to another man, you’re out of your damn mind, Venus. You’re mine. And I’m going to fuck you so hard tonight you’ll learn exactly who you belong to,” he said, his voice menacing and full of hunger.
And just like that, my whole body felt it. My pussy clenched, and my insides went wet. I knew right then I would never resist this man.