Chapter 4
Serena's POV
Anna nodded, a sly smile curving her lips. "He's the one who's been bankrolling her account this whole time. The anonymous whale who tips thousands every month without asking for a single private message." She glanced at me, her gaze cold and triumphant. "This idiot never even tried to reach out to her top subscribers. She had no idea."
Louis.
The name hit me like a punch to the gut. Louis Maverick—Jax's best friend from college, the brooding, untouchable guy who'd barely acknowledged my existence whenever I was around. He'd always been polite but distant, never engaging in the group hangouts or laughing at my jokes. Yet now that I thought about it, there had been odd moments: the way his blue eyes would linger on me a second too long when he thought no one was watching, or how he'd once quietly paid the bar tab after I'd mentioned my father's latest disappointment, his expression unreadable. I'd assumed he just didn't like me. And now Anna was saying he'd been... watching me? Supporting me?
A fresh wave of nausea rolled through me.
Jax let out a low whistle, shaking his head. "No shit. My best friend's been jerking off to my girlfriend this whole time."
"Ex-girlfriend," Anna corrected sweetly, her eyes glittering with malice.
Jax laughed, the sound sharp and bitter. "Right. Ex." He turned his attention back to me, and something shifted in his expression—something calculating. "Anna, what are you thinking?"
She leaned in again, whispering more urgently this time. I strained to hear, but the gag and the pounding of my own heartbeat drowned out most of it. I caught fragments—sell her, one night, enough to cover, he's already agreed—and my blood ran cold.
Jax nodded slowly, a grin spreading across his face. "You're a genius, you know that?"
Before I could process what was happening, Anna grabbed my jaw, forcing my mouth open while Jax pinned my shoulders. Something bitter and metallic flooded my tongue as she poured liquid from a small vial down my throat. I choked, coughing, but they held me until I swallowed most of it. Then Jax raised his hand and smashed a heavy, vicious strike down onto my shoulder and the side of my neck. Pain exploded through me, my vision blurred instantly, and everything went black.
When I woke, fragmented memories flickered through the haze—rough hands carrying me into an elevator, the chime of a private keycard, the scent of leather seats in a car, someone stripping away my clothes and sliding cool lace over my skin while I drifted in and out of consciousness.
The first thing I noticed was the softness beneath me. Not the sticky rug of my apartment. This was a real bed, with high-thread-count sheets that felt like silk against my skin. My head throbbed viciously, and my mouth still carried that faint bitter aftertaste. My body felt wrong—heavy and sluggish, my skin burning with unnatural heat that radiated from deep inside, pooling low in my belly. My thighs pressed together instinctively, but the ache only sharpened. My fingertips tingled, and my vision swam at the edges.
They had drugged me. The bitter liquid Anna had forced down my throat, the way my body was reacting now—it all clicked into place with horrifying clarity.
I forced my eyes open, blinking against the dim light filtering through heavy curtains. The room was massive, a luxurious top-floor suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city lights. A private elevator and discreet entrance probably explained how they'd gotten me in here unnoticed. I looked down at myself and my stomach dropped.
The jeans and T-shirt I'd been wearing were gone. In their place was a sheer black lace teddy that left almost nothing to the imagination. My bra and panties were missing. Someone had changed me while I was unconscious.
A sob caught in my throat. What had they done to me? My mind recoiled from the violation.
I spotted my phone on the nightstand, screen glowing with a notification. They had left it deliberately—Jax wanted me to see his threats, wanted me scared and compliant. With trembling hands, I grabbed it and unlocked it.
Jax:
Make sure you take good care of your sponsor tonight. Otherwise, Daddy's going to get a very interesting email—complete with photos.
Attached was a thumbnail image. I didn't need to open it. My hands shook so violently I nearly dropped the phone.
Rage surged through me, cutting through the drug's fog. I hated them. Hated Jax for his lies and cruelty. Hated Anna for her jealousy and viciousness. Hated myself for being so blind.
The bathroom door opened.
Steam billowed out from the bathroom, revealing Louis Maverick. He was tall and broad-shouldered, with dark hair still damp and slicked back from the shower. His cold blue eyes locked onto me instantly, sharp and unreadable.
I had only seen him a few times before, always from a distance. Polite nods, nothing more. Yet he had been the anonymous benefactor the entire time—silent, distant, always watching from the shadows.
I scrambled backward on the bed, pressing myself against the headboard and wrapping my arms tightly around my body. The drug made my heart pound violently and my legs feel weak.
He didn’t rush. He simply stood there for a moment, watching me with that intense, unreadable gaze. Then he took slow, deliberate steps toward the bed. He stopped at the edge, towering over me. His black bathrobe hung loosely, the fabric parting slightly to reveal his toned abs—clear, defined muscle lines still faintly glistening from the shower.
“You’re afraid of me?” His voice was low and rough, carrying a hint of dark amusement. “After all the money I’ve sent you?”
“Please…” My voice cracked, trembling. “Please don’t—”
Louis tilted his head slightly, studying me like something he had just acquired. He didn’t move closer, but his presence alone was overwhelming. The way he looked at me made my stomach twist with fear.
“I won’t do anything to you right now,” he said calmly, though his tone carried an unmistakable sense of control. “But seeing you like this… it’s not easy to ignore.”
He rested one hand on the edge of the bed, the movement causing his robe to shift again, exposing more of his firm, sculpted abdomen. His face was strikingly handsome—sharp jawline, piercing blue eyes, and a cold, commanding aura that made him feel even more dangerous.
I was shaking harder now, tears stinging at the corners of my eyes.
