The Good Side of Wrong

  Jenika Snow

  THE GOOD SIDE OF WRONG

  By Jenika Snow

  www.JenikaSnow.com

  Jenika_Snow@Yahoo.com

  Copyright © October 2022 by Jenika Snow

  First E-book and Paperback Publication: October 2022

  Ebook cover Designer: Emily Witting

  Editors: Snow Queen Editing

  Beta Readers: Judy Ann Loves Books

  Proof Reader: Jill Reading

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: The unauthorized reproduction, transmission, or distribution of any part of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  This literary work is fiction. Any name, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental. Please respect the author and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials that would violate the author’s rights.

  Contents

  Synopsis

  Author’s Note

  Prologue

  1. Persephone

  2. Persephone

  3. Persephone

  4. Persephone

  5. Hades

  6. Persephone

  7. Hades

  8. Persephone

  9. Persephone

  10. Hades

  11. Persephone

  12. Persephone

  13. Hades

  14. Persephone

  15. Persephone

  16. Hades

  17. Persephone

  18. Hades

  19. Persephone

  20. Persephone

  21. Hades

  22. Persephone

  23. Persephone

  24. Persephone

  25. Persephone

  26. Hades

  27. Hades

  28. Persephone

  29. Hades

  30. Persephone

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  I’d lost everything after my parents passed away, but Hades was there, pen in hand, for me to sign my life away to him.

  I could have refused, but then I’d be without a home. Without a support system, I’d be penniless.

  So I said yes.

  Hades was my guardian. I was his ward.

  He was cruel. I was too innocent.

  And the longer I was in his care, and the more I saw how cruel and cold he could be, the more… I wanted him.

  It was wrong—forbidden—to be together, but the deeper I let Hades pull me into his underworld, the more I wanted him to corrupt me.

  Author’s Note

  For a full list of TW/CW,

  please visit the author’s site at:

  https://jenikasnow.com/books/the-good-side-of-wrong/

  Prologue

  Hades

  “Hiding yourself from me only makes me harder.”

  I shifted and spread my legs slightly, letting her see the hard length of my cock punching against my slacks.

  “You’re so innocent, not wanting Daddy to see those perfect little breasts. Now, sweetheart, here’s what’s going to happen.” I took another long drink and watched her over the rim. “I’m going to speak. You’re going to listen.”

  Her cheeks turned pink from her anger, but she kept that pretty mouth shut.

  “You’re going to do every single thing I say without sass, without backtalk.” Her eyes widened and her mouth parted. “And I’m going to watch you obey.”

  “E-Excuse me?” A look of shock was rooted on her face.

  The flash of defiance in her eyes had my cock throbbing in response.

  She was strong, but I was stronger. And we both knew this was what she wanted and needed.

  But I welcomed the fight she’d give me. It turned me on more.

  “And you are going to be a good girl and give me this because deep down, you want to please me. Understand?”

  She opened her mouth and closed it repeatedly. My girl was at a loss for words.

  Corrupting her is going to feel so fucking good. I just wish Zachariah was here to see it.

  But as that thought slammed into my head, it was quickly whisked away. Things were shifting, changing, completely rearranging inside of me so profoundly I didn’t feel like myself when I was around her.

  I’d wanted to use her, ruin her for anyone else. I wanted her to cling to me, like I was the air in her lungs and the blood in her veins. All I’d been able to think about was leaving her cold, broken-hearted, and penniless. And I hadn’t planned on looking back.

  But now… now none of that made sense.

  “Go on, Bunny,” I cooed. “Show Daddy how perfect you are.” Her cheeks turned pink from embarrassment.

  I smoothed my fingers back and forth over the leather armrest. I was excited, so fucking eager to see how far I could push her.

  “I-I’ve never been naked in front of anyone before,” Persephone whispered in a frightened voice.

  “Oh, darling,” I said with a grin, my arousal because of her fear of the unknown heightening. “That changes here and now. Show Daddy what’s his.”

  After I told Persephone to stay and strip, a long minute of silence passed. The only sound filling the room was of the fire licking over the logs in the hearth.

  I leaned back in the chair. I’d been waiting for this moment. The very fucking thought of her at my mercy, of doing what I said without hesitation, had me beating off morning and night. Fuck, even that wasn’t enough to sate my need for her.

  I was constantly hard, my cock at half-mast until I was in private. And then the fucker got rock hard, knowing it was time to ease some of the pressure as I fantasized about Persephone and what I was about to make her do.

  She stood and stared at me, her eyes wide, the long fall of her dark hair cascading over her shoulders. She was afraid. It was like an aphrodisiac to me. The ends of her hair were still damp from her shower, soft waves framing her face.

  And she was breathing hard, the tight beads of her nipples stabbing through the threadbare sweater she wore.

  I was already hard, harder than I ever remembered being in my fucking life.

  Maybe she needed little inspiration, a little nudge?

  Without saying a word, I rose and walked over to my desk, pulled open the large drawer at the bottom, and removed the gift I’d gotten her that day we’d gone shopping.

  Or maybe it’s my gift. I was, after all, the one who’d get the most enjoyment out of it.

  When I was back in my chair, relaxed, content to just watch her, I held out the brown box with the white script scrawled along the top.

  She eyed it for a second, her shapely brows pulling down in confusion before she hesitantly took it. And when she saw the brand scrawled on the top, her brows lifted to her hairline.

  “What are these?”

  I slowly smiled and let her wait before I responded, letting her wonder what I’d say.

  “You need someone to rein you in, Bunny. You need me to be in control so you don’t have to think. You only have to feel.”

  Chapter 1

  Persephone

  I hated it here, the fakeness all these people exuded as they wore their expensive outfits, their necks and wrists dripping with gold and diamonds.

  I didn’t know why my parents associated with them. I hated the way they looked at me, as if I were a nuisance, as if they couldn’t believe Mother and Father would allow a mere child to attend such a lavish gathering.

  God, I wished I didn’t have to come.

  I’d much prefer to stay in my bedroom and read rather than force a smile until my cheeks hurt and my jaw ached.

  But it was my grandfather’s birthday, something that was celebrated yearly, like some kind of national treasure.

  Michael Cronus was the well-known CEO of Cronus Enterprises. I’d heard about their company so much growing up that I could have recited the company slogan in my sleep. A consumer loan market company that they’d streamlined and incorporated into an online presence. They were so well known, so established all over the globe, that they helped approve loans faster than banks. And because of their success, Cronus Enterprises was a multibillion-dollar powerhouse.

  I spied my grandfather standing by the fireplace. He brought his crystal-cut glass to his mouth as others spoke around him. When he lifted his head and his gaze locked on mine, I felt nothing but detachment. He had a heart as hard and cold as a slab of granite.

  And I was pretty sure he didn’t have an ounce of love for me.

  I heard high-pitched laughter surround me as I weaved my way through the party and made my way out onto the balcony. I shut the door behind me softly and walked over toward the stone banister that overlooked the grounds.

  I leaned against the railing just as the wind picked up, ruffling the carefully styled ringlets my mother had curled for me earlier in the day. I heard another round of laughter and looked over my shoulder.

  The large windows allowed me to see into the ballroom. With marble flooring and dark oak accents, a grand fireplace that always seemed to be lit, and the crystal chandelier that hung from the center of the arched ceiling, it was possibly the most beautiful room in our home.

  But that was where the beautiful aesthetics of it ended. Because, although it was gorgeous with no expense spared, when you stepped inside, you felt nothing but a cold rigidness suffocating you.<
br />
  I had to imagine this was what happened when you had so much wealth you never had to worry about money. The rich bought items without a care or much thought. They weren’t loved or cherished. These things were purchased to sit on a pedestal for others to look at and admire, to bask in a momentary bout of pleasure.

  Even at eleven years old, I knew money didn’t bring you happiness. It didn’t buy you friends or love. It gave you loneliness. And I could see that in all the guests’ eyes.

  I spotted my mother and father in the far corner of the room, my mother perfectly dressed with her hair coiled up in a chignon, the pearl necklace I’d given her for Mother’s Day two years ago draped around her neck.

  My father stood beside her in his custom tailored Armani suit, his arm wrapped around her waist as he kept her snugly against his side.

  They loved each other. It was genuine. I could see it in the way they looked at each other. Which was why I could never understand why my parents insisted on throwing these gatherings, why they didn’t tell all these people to kick rocks.

  “Money buys ties, allegiances. It gives you security. Remember that, Persephone. Remember that as long as you have money, you have power. And if you have power, you control the world.”

  I’d felt weird hearing my father say that, had seen something flash in his eyes that had seemed foreign, as if a stranger was speaking to me.

  He told me that phrase constantly, like he wanted to instill that in me, to let me know that although money wasn’t everything… it was.

  I faced forward again, looking at the fairy lights twisting around white pillars that the landscaping staff had just hung that morning. The gardens had been trimmed, not a weed in sight, and the lawn was cut perfectly with thick greenery all around.

  “Bunch of pompous assholes.”

  The deep voice that came from behind startled me, and I jumped, turning around. But I saw nothing but shadows.

  “I can’t stand these fucking parties.”

  I didn’t have to see who spoke to know who it was. “Then why come?” I let my gaze scan the patio before I made out a cloud of smoke rising from the corner. My eyes adjusted, and I finally saw the large shape of a man sitting down.

  My—adopted into the family—uncle. Hades Cronus. He would have been called the black sheep of the family if I hadn’t heard them use more colorful words to describe him.

  Hades leaned forward and braced his forearms on his thighs, bringing his cigar to his mouth as he took a drag from it. “Maybe I’m more of a masochist than a sadist.” He blew out the smoke, still staring at me. “Being around all of them makes me feel like I’m suffocating.” I saw a flash of white as he smiled after he spoke. “Only positive note is they’re all afraid of me.” He stayed quiet. “And I enjoy smelling the fear coming from them.”

  I didn’t respond because, just like the guests inside, I too was afraid of Hades. He just gave off predator vibes, like a massive beast stalking the wild for his next kill.

  The few interactions I’d had with him had been so cold, and he was more like a stranger to me than my uncle.

  I knew he and my father disliked each other, and knew my grandfather treated Hades as if he weren’t his adopted son… as if he were a stranger he loathed.

  But the three of them worked together, or had until my grandfather had a stroke and was no longer involved in the business side of things. I’d heard my father and mother discussing it and his care, and how they’d much rather have “professionals” handle things.

  I had a feeling they just didn’t want to deal with it.

  So for a while now, it had only been Hades and my father keeping their empire a powerhouse in the industry. They worked together, but only because they had to. They tolerated one another.

  I’d asked my father once why he didn’t like Hades. Why he acted like it was painful to be in the same room with him. But all I got was a placating smile and my father telling me I was too young for such topics.

  I faced forward again and stared at the gardens, but was acutely aware of Hades’ presence. It was like this dark stain that spilled across the table, an inkblot that you could never get out.

  And when I heard the slight scraping of the iron chair across the stone patio indicating he’d risen, I felt myself tense.

  He’d never been mean to me, never spoke a cruel word in my direction. He’d never been… anything toward me but aloof. In fact, I was pretty sure this was the most he’d ever said to me.

  I sensed him walk closer to stand right beside me, but he kept several feet between us.

  Neither one of us said a word as we glanced out over the grounds.

  I was about to turn and head back inside, knowing that being around those strangers would be a lot less uncomfortable than standing beside my uncle, but his voice stopped me.

  When I felt his gaze on me, I glanced at him. He was a massive man, a foot taller than my father, and wider than the football players I’d seen on TV.

  “Let me give you a little piece of advice, Persephone.” He brought his cigar to his mouth and drew a long puff from it, his eyes narrowing slightly as the smoke coiled from the end before dissipating in the air.

  When he pulled it away, he held it in for just a second before exhaling that cloud. The cigar smoke smelled sweet.

  “Never trust happiness.” He held my gaze before facing the gardens and straightening to his full height. “It’s poison. It changes people, corrodes their veins, and rots them from the inside out.”

  And then he turned and laughed, leaving me outside alone to let his words sink in.

  I didn’t see or hear from him again for another seven years.

  Chapter 2

  Persephone

  Seven years later

  It was the day before my eighteenth birthday when I felt what true pain was like.

  My parents had been taken from me, leaving me an orphan and at the mercy of a world that was cruel.

  The thought of seeing their flowers topped with white and purple colors came to my mind, but I blinked quickly.

  I squeezed my eyes shut and tried not to let the memory of their caskets lowering into the ground consume me.

  “I’m so sorry.”

  “My condolences.”

  “Thoughts and prayers with you.”

  Those were the things people said to my face, empty words thrown to placate others because they didn’t know what else to say.

  “Zachariah and Diana were the best of us.”

  “Poor thing.”

  “Losing her parents so young.”

  “What is she going to do now? So sad she’s an orphan.”

  Those were the things said behind my back, whispered words that still carried to me.

  I was numb. Is this what it felt to die? Was there just… nothing?

  The present—reality—filtered back to me, and I stared around the vast drawing room in my parents’ home, where everyone had congregated after the service.

  This heavy silence, this deep foreboding, suddenly weighed down on me.

  I turned my attention to the entrance of the home that I’d lived in my entire life. The entrance I’d gone through and left more times than I could count.

  The spot in my house where my mom would stand and wave as I left for school, or where my parents would kiss goodbye before my dad left for work.

  I felt something heavy lodge in my throat as I gazed at the man who stood at that entrance.

  Hades.

  It was the first time I’d seen him in far too many years. My last memory of him was standing on the balcony as he told me happiness was nothing but poison.