My Wild Beast-Chapter 167: She’s Back (1)

Facing the panoramic view of the city below from the wall of floor-to-ceiling windows, a suited man stood proud and tall, one hand fisting the back of his secretary’s hair as she knelt before him, bobbing back and forth on his length. He chased the orgasm, thrusting his hips as he stared down at her flushed features and short blonde hair. Yet, he did not see the woman who worked for him; in her place was Nova.

His thoughts ran wild as he imagined her kneeling and pleasing him like this. His head fell back, eyes clenching shut as slurping sounds filled the dark office. Glittering lights of the urban jungle beyond danced across the polished marble floor, catching on the sharp edges of obsidian furniture and the faint shimmer of whiskey in a half-finished glass. A single lamp on the sleek black desk behind him cast a warm, amber glow, but nothing else.

He opened his eyes again, his thoughts consumed by Nova Winslow. The view blurred, and the office seemed to close around him, a cage lined with glass and gold. Power pulsed in the silence, power he finally had claimed as his own, but it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t as satisfying as he once thought it would be.

Now nothing ever seemed to be enough, not when his every thought, every breath, was shadowed by her. He’d become a fool in her absence. Even Naomi had noticed, cutting her hair short just to please him.

"Mmm, Nova," he grunted, stroking some of her hair back and staring into her hazel eyes. Ugh, wrong colour. He clenched his eyes shut again, Nova’s name tumbling from his lips, raw and reverent, the sound trembling in his throat as he lost control.

His phone blared to life, fracturing the moment and shattering his focus. Damned phone. He let it go to voicemail as he focused on the mess trickling down the side of Naomi’s lips and chin.

But his phone rang again. Nobody called him more than once unless it was important. Cursing under his breath, he retrieved it from inside his suit jacket. Naomi pulled back, catching her breath as she stared up at him patiently, her chest heaving, almost spilling out of her shirt. His grip tightened in her hair, pausing her retreat. "I didn’t say stop."

She smirked and took him in her mouth again. "Good girl," he praised her, then glanced at the caller ID with a scowl.

"Bruce?" He answered, his tone husky. "What is it? I’m in the middle of something."

Naomi did something with her tongue, teasing him while he was on the phone, making it a dash more exhilarating. He didn’t hold back. With one more grunt, he held Naomi still as he spilt his seed.

"Sir, did you hear me?" Bruce repeated.

"Tell me again."

"Sir, she’s back. Nova Winslow... She’s back on Isla De Tayun."

The phone slipped from Chad’s fingers before he could catch himself. It bonked Naomi on the head, and she accidentally bit his genitalia. Chad cursed so loudly that Naomi didn’t bother apologising before she fled for her life, wiping her mouth.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

8 MONTHS AGO

"Nova, this way!" Chad yanked her wrist, pulling her back. It was stupid to let her lead! She knew as little about these savages and this island as he did. He clicked his tongue, released her, and sprinted ahead toward safety.

Silence followed him.

He spun, a curse dying on his lips. Nova wasn’t right behind him. His heart lurched as he spotted her slipping on the narrow edge, her heel skidding, arms flailing. "Nova!" He shouted, diving for her.

It was too late.

Nova fell into the lake with a loud splash. The savages directed their bows in her direction. She was done for. They both were.

Chad backed away, watching her body disappear in the watery depths, then frowned. The water started to glow. It. Started. To. Glow.

"The fuck...?"

The savages stopped their pursuit and started talking animatedly among themselves. Chad was all but forgotten.

A bright light shone from the lake. Its light was so piercing that Chad had to cover his eyes with his arm and look away. Then it zapped out of existence.

The jungle grew eerily silent.

Chad’s chest heaved as he stared at the lake, a strange sound rising in the distance. It grew louder, closer, a steady, mechanical beat.

His knees buckled as he stared up at the growing light. It was a helicopter. Not just one. There were many. The savages stared up, drawing their bows in unison. Then came a stuttering, metallic roar, chewing through the night. Machine guns took fire.

Bullets pelted across the ground, and men cried out in pain. The savages fled through the jungle as ladders and ropes dangled down from the helicopters and soldiers landed and dispersed through the trees, creating a tight perimeter.

Kneeling in the dirt, Chad was frozen to the organised chaos around him. He was... saved. But how?

One of the helicopters managed to find an opening in the jungle and lowered for landing. The door slid open, and gracefully exiting it like he hadn’t just witnessed bloodshed or potential downfall of his bloodline was Preston Vale. Chad still couldn’t move as he stared at his father in shock.

Preston Vale was here on Isla de Tayun, walking toward him, buttoning his suit without a care in the world. Unlike Chad, his father had steel-grey eyes and dark hair slicked back, the sides fading into silver. He pulled off the look effortlessly. Fine lines framed his eyes, and a touch of styled stubble sharpened his jawline. It wasn’t just his appearance that was sharp.

Preston Vale was a cold-blooded shark in the business world, and right now, he looked every bit the part. He loomed over his son, those piercing eyes sweeping him from head to toe in quiet disgrace.

Medics sprinted past the father and son, snapping Chad out of his shocked daze. "How...?" He muttered.

"Bruce called me. My team have been on standby ever since you brought this forsaken island." Preston adjusted his cufflink, ignoring the wheezing of one of the tribesmen nearby in a pool of their own blood. "Where is Nova?"

Colour bled from Chad’s face as his stomach dropped. He looked over his shoulder at the lake. "She... she fell into the lake." His head whipped back to look at Preston. "Father, I swear this place-"

A sting sliced across his cheek, and his head was knocked to the side. Preston glowered at the son he just smacked. "You’d better dive in after her then."

Chad rubbed his jaw, scowling. Preston Vale had always liked Nova. Surprisingly, she’d been the only one of his girls his father liked and asked after.

"I will get the staff to-"

Another smack across the face stopped his speech before Preston fisted his collar, bringing his face close to his and pointing his finger at him. "You will go after your beloved girl, you spoiled piece of shit."

Nobody denied Preston of anything. So if he made an outrageous command to jump into some lake, then that’s precisely what Chad would typically do. But as he peered over at the lake, he was reminded of the light that burst free from it, the glistening waters, and how Nova, who hadn’t been shot at and was a strong swimmer, didn’t resurface. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Father, there could be crocodiles in there?!" Beads of sweat formed at his temples as he looked back at his father, acting like a damned wimp. "Would you really have your heir jump in there when we have staff and technology to search it for Nova?"

Preston clicked his tongue. "You’re my heir when you start acting like one." Chad’s logic won, though, as he added gruffly, "Fine."

Medics rushed past them again, this time with a cot and Bruce breathing heavily into a mask. Preston waved his hand at his son. "Why is it I am always tidying up your messes? I hope Nova is found. She was far out of your league."

Chad bristled at that. Not only was it an insult, but his father had a better relationship with her than he did! He was his blood! Nova was just his girl! Yet he treated her like a cherished daughter!

That resentment and jealousy over Preston and Nova’s relationship subsided, though. The lake was thoroughly searched by divers, and state-of-the-art equipment was used, but Nova Winslow could not be found. Not even her body returned.

It was like she’d disappeared entirely from this world. As if she had never been here to begin with.

Yet when Nova didn’t return after their vacation, and important meetings were missed, all eyes turned to the Vale family. Nova Winslow might be an orphan, but she wasn’t someone to be easily forgotten.

Preston tidied up his son’s mess like usual. An animal attack had been the headline. While the heat cooled down on the Vale family, Chad had fixated on Isla de Tayun, Nova’s missing body and the craziness of that night.

For Chad Vale, it didn’t stop there. His obsession poured thousands into the island, and in the meantime, he’d lain low and built his own empire exactly as he and Nova had planned.