❝"𝐒𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐦𝐞," 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫. "𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐯𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞."❞ ꨄꨄꨄ "You are ruining me and my reputation right now," I mutter, relaxing slightly in his arms. "You think I want to ruin you?" he murmurs. His thumb traces the edge of my jaw, slow and deliberate. "Sunshine..." A crooked smile spreads across his face. "I already have." ꨄꨄꨄ Alec Donovan is the kind of boy you cross the street to avoid. Bruised knuckles, a temper no one can control, and eyes that don't just look at you-they warn you. People don't get close to him. And if they do, they don't leave without damage. I was never supposed to be one of them. My life is planned-perfect grades, a future in design, expectations I can't break. My father calls boys distractions, and Alec Donovan is the worst kind. I called him Angel once. As a joke. Because he showed up when he shouldn't have, ruined my night, saved my life-and looked like he regretted both. The nickname should have died right after that. It didn't. Not when he kisses me just to shut me up. Not when he punches the boy who touched me wrong. Not when he looks at me like I'm something worth keeping. He doesn't ask. He takes-my space, my control, the life I thought I had planned. And the worst part? I don't stop him. Because when everything starts falling apart, he's there. Watching. Waiting. Protecting me in ways he never admits. Alec Donovan isn't a mistake. He's a warning. And the truth is- I'm not scared of him ruining me. I'm scared of how much I want him too.

Copyright © 2024 by xphoenixo BEAUTIFULLY DESTROYED ELIXIR SERIES | BOOK 1 ××× Everything around her was chaotic. Lights were flickering on and off, casting wild shadows across the room. Sparks flew from broken wires, and the stench of burning plastic filled the air. But through it all, she heard the sound of slow footsteps approaching her. A pair of black boots stepped into her blurry line of vision. She tried to lift her head, but it felt like it weighed a ton. All she could do was lie there, soaked and shaking, staring up at the figure that loomed over her. He crouched down, his cold dark eyes gleaming with a twisted kind of pride. The one who smiled when she screamed. "Finally," he whispered, his voice smooth and calm, like he was congratulating her on passing a test. "My beautiful creation... ready to take on the world." Evelyn's heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to move, to fight, but she was too weak. The power that had burst out of her was gone, leaving her empty and drained. All she could do was glare up at him, her vision fading as exhaustion swallowed her whole. The last thing she saw before the darkness took her was his cruel smile, and she knew - this was far from over. He had won this time. But deep inside her, there was still a spark. And one day, that spark would become a fire that would burn him and all the monsters like him to ash. But for now, all she could do was survive. And wait. Because she has nothing to lose but him?