《Love Me in the Dark》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1: Prologue RIVER Three years ago¡­ He¡¯s even more stunning. The tall, dark-haired in a tux was standing across the hall, conversing with the other invites before he looked around and caught me gawking. Heat rushed in a wave from my chest to my neck. My cheeks were burning. My heart was pounding as I watched him freeze, turned to stone before an older man caught his attention. I sighed in relief despite my heart still hammered in my chest. That was three hours ago. Damn. My feet were throbbing. Thanks to my expertise in online purchasing. I would have enjoyed a soak in a bathtub with my cheap Pinot noir, but my HR diploma came in handy. Journey loved her job at the Cullen Art Catering, so I decided to take her ce for tonight. The venue that featured a 70-foot ceiling with a gigantic column balcony was just majestic. I was assigned in the cocktail area with my partner Colleen, a little bit chatty, keeping me entertained with the gossips of people she recognized. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look pleased with the party,¡± Colleen sang. The fundraising g was doing great, aside from the fact that it was more tedious than I thought, but this event was to raise money for a cause, and I had to suck this up for a few more hours. ¡°And you call this a party? I mean, yeah, it is because there¡¯s a live auction, but no one seemed to appreciate the musical performance.¡± I¡¯d been watching these people and only one man who managed to top my boredom¡ªhim. ¡°Forget about live music. Just take a look at the eye candy over there.¡± She was looking over my shoulder. ¡°Who is exactly the eye candy you are talking about?¡± I pretended to search for the eye candy even though I thought I may have an idea. ¡°Don¡¯t look,¡± she rushed, pretending to inspect the table. ¡°He¡¯s looking at you.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s looking at me?¡± With wide eyes, I looked at Colleen. ¡°Not now,¡± she whispered through greeted teeth. ¡°And you missed to mention him to me, why?¡± Her hazel eyes widened into circles. ¡°You don¡¯t know him?¡± I squinted slightly. ¡°Should I?¡± ¡°If a man could knock you up by a stare alone, damn, you are nine months pregnant, River,¡± she casually said. ¡°I honestly don¡¯t know anyone,¡± I admitted. ¡°And besides, my only interest is saving Journey¡¯s job. So I¡¯ll stick with it.¡± ¡°Ugh. You¡¯re no fun. But he¡¯s hot, isn¡¯t he?¡± She pushed the topic, which Journey warned me about her. We stepped back when the refill had arrived. Yeah, like the hottest me. ¡°He¡¯s okay, I guess.¡± I tried my best not to talk too much. We were briefed to avoid chitchatting, but here we were. We couldn¡¯t just help it. Colleen threw me a where-the-freaking-part-of-this-universe-youe-from look. ¡°Are you crazy? You should have seen his brother,¡± she whispered and straightened her back. ¡°Poor Journey. She¡¯s been looking forward to this event.¡± ¡°There¡¯s always a next time. I need a five-minute break. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I wanted this to be over. I couldn¡¯t wait to throw myself onto the couch and raise my feet. Even a server needed to look decent. I entered the employer break room, and luckily, it was empty. I sat on the counter and kicked my shoes off. My heels were killing me. I closed my eyes and wiggled my toes. A momentter, the break room door cracked open, my eyes flew open. Before I couldpose myself, my spine stiffened like a stone. Oh, my god. It¡¯s him. And he was holding his blistering gaze at me as if he was trying to talk to me telepathically. ¡°Not enjoying yourself.¡± He had a deep and husky voice. And just wow, no introduction? I guessed he thought he didn¡¯t need one. Direct to the point. Is he the type of person who doesn¡¯t like forey and chose the wall over the bed instead? I gulped, stared at him in astonishment as I slid my butt down. When I straightened my spine and fixed my uniform, I realized what he was doing¡ªhe was talking to me as he stepped closer. He seemed to suck the air in the room, taking my breath away as I met his fascinating searing dark eyes. Sweet Jesus, he¡¯s so damn gorgeous. Thankfully, I managed to detach my tongue from the roof of the mouth. ¡°Sorry. Is this supposed to be ¡ª?¡± Did I enter the wrong room? I looked around then back to him. As he was closing the distance between us with his hands in his pockets, I was still rooted in ce. He was tall with broad shoulders, at least, a foot taller than me in high heels. His tux was molded to his frame, showing his bulging biceps and sturdy thighs. ¡°I think you¡¯re in the right room.¡± Something in his voice crawled shivers up my spine, in a good way, and made me feel hot at the same time. ¡°And I supposed you¡¯re not?¡± I raised a brow a little. He studied me for a ferocious focus for a moment before he shrugged. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that event behind this wall is not your crowd.¡± I motioned to his perfect well-tailored outfit that cost a fortune. His lips curved at the corner, then pressed them into a thin line as if trying to hide his smile. His dimples showed through his five o¡¯clock shadow. He was almost perfect, except for his dark thick hair touching the cor of his starched white crisp shirt, but he couldn¡¯t be any less perfect in my eyes. This man radiated power, oozed confidence, and had a full load of testosterone. ¡°And I can tell that this isn¡¯t your thing.¡± How did he know? He stopped merely a foot away from me, eyes glittering with humor. He filled up the room like a force of nature, and I could hardly catch my breath. His pine and woodsy cologne quickly intoxicated me, and I also smelled alcohol in his breath. ¡°Bingo. I have to rece a friend who¡¯s sick at home.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I even bothered exining to a stranger. Maybe I didn¡¯t want to look stupid in front of a hot as hell of a male specimen, or maybe, I was only making a decent conversation. ¡°My brother backed out an hour before the event.¡± Colleen was right, he had a brother. I nodded in understanding. ¡°Well, how unlucky we are¡ª¡± I stopped when he stood still for a moment and stared at me. Really stared at me, making me almost quiver. What¡¯s wrong with this guy? Why did this man have the ability to invade me and make me all hot and race my heartbeat? I wished I could read what was in his mind right now. I gulped. ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to do something, like pretend to fix your bow, lit a smoke, or dial your girlfriend and tell her that you¡¯re dying in boredom?¡± Gah! Just shut up, River. I looked down at my feet, feeling utterly embarrassed. T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Couldn¡¯t say I was unlucky. Maybe things really happen for a reason. If I didn¡¯t show up tonight, I wouldn¡¯t have met the most beautiful woman in the room.¡± ¡°What?¡± I froze. I had to think twice that he wasn¡¯t referring to me. Of course, why would I think it was me? ¡°I guess so. I¡¯ve seen a lot of beautiful women tonight.¡± So, no girlfriend then. Crap. I sounded stupid. I met his gaze, and he was staring at me again, seeming to zero into my eyes for a few moments as if to memorize my face, which I could tell that nothing special about me. Does he paint for a living or something? Then he dropped his gaze on my mouth. Every nerve in my body jumped. ¡°You have the most beautiful blue eyes I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± He must be drunk, or this must be his pickup line. I blinked at his words. He was just probably bored and wanted to waste his time with someone, and that poor someone was me for a moment, in this freaking break room. Great. I was sure I looked like a mess. My exhaustion weighed on me. My penny brown hair was falling out of its ponytail, and god, there was nothing special with the color of my Prussian eyes. Nevertheless, my knees weakened, and my eyes widened into circles. Stupid River, get a grip. ¡°You¡¯re not bad yourself.¡± God, please, kill me now. In my head, I could see myself facepalming. Did I just say that? But okay, this man was hot, like a blue me. His dark eyes were hypnotic, and he had the cerise red full lips I¡¯d ever seen, not to mention his strong jawline to add to his perfection. And if he only made a move, I was definitely willing to let him bang me in this room. I would hate myselfter. Tomorrow would be the new day anyway. With his nose ring, he muttered a curse under his breath as he was still staring at my mouth. He then trailed a finger on my cheek. It was a simple touch, yet I felt a jolt as if I identally jabbed my finger into a socket. When I looked at his slightly parted lips, in an instant, my blood was moltenva in my veins. Oh, boy. Am I really doing this? I hadn¡¯t had fun in a long time, and I couldn¡¯t remember thest time I had the best orgasm or wild sex in a powder room or any room for that matter. Before I could contemte further, he crushed his mouth to mine, his hand at the back of my neck. I gasped in surprise, taking that advantage to thrust his tongue deep. Hepletely invaded me, and I had no power to resist. He tasted of wine and mint, and it was strangely good. So good that I couldn¡¯t push him away and p him hard. Instead, I kissed him back, tangling my tongue with his. Our lips slid each other as if they¡¯d done this a thousand times. I entwined my fingers in his dark hair, and it felt like silk against my fingers. I dug my fingernails into his scalp, pulling him closer as if I couldn¡¯t get enough of him. A low growl vibrated from his throat into our mouths, fueling the heat between my legs. We kissed like we¡¯d missed each other for a long time of bottled-up desire and longing between us crackling up into the fire. This kiss was not the first normal kiss¡ªthis was hard, yearning, and raw with pure desire. He pressed his hard body against mine, and my back hit the marble counter. My god, he wanted me. I could feel his rigid erection pressed against my lower belly, and I also wanted him that my nipples ached, tightened, and hardened, causing an intensified heat to pulse in my core. ¡°God, I want you so bad. I want to fuck you so hard right here right now,¡± he said roughly into our mouths as he reached towards my breast. I flexed forward, seeking to ease the ache between my thighs and my sensitive nipples. I shivered and sighed as if he just read my mind¡ªhe cupped and pinched my hardened buds against the fabric. Oh, yes! I felt how wildly my heart pounded, and it wasn¡¯t the only one, I also felt his big, hard, hungrily digging cock twitching on my lower abdomen. And it felt incredible. I held my moan as he nibbled and nipped my bottom lip, and I imagined his mouth sucking my breast. Dear God, I wanted his mouth and tongue in there, everywhere, all over my body. I could feel the pool of desire soaking my panties. All I knew was I wanted him. At this moment, I didn¡¯t even care that I didn¡¯t know his name. Then his hand slid south, trailing his fingers between my thighs. I inhaled in a huge gust, shuddering. I wanted him to fuck me now until I couldn¡¯t walk. Except, this wasn¡¯t me. This isn¡¯t me. ¡°Stop.¡± I pushed him. My voice sounded like I wanted to dash out of the door, but my body screamed something else¡ªplease, don¡¯t stop! He froze as if he¡¯d turned to stone. His face paled as if someone just pped him, but his dark eyes pinning into mine were still on fire, and they were shooting mes at me. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the kind of woman you could just throwpliments and spread legs for you.¡± God, what was I thinking? My hormones had taken control of my brain. He stared at me, seemingly offended, and I could clearly see now that he was sober, but still drunk with lust. Then deliberately, his freeze started thawing while I was beyond turned on. But now something chilly filled between us. We were merely an inch apart, but the distance seemed like miles away. He said nothing as he stepped back. 1. A Favor 1. A Favor KREW Present day¡­ MY HEART jumped wildly. My phone kept ringing. Whoever the fuck was calling me at this hour, this better be a matter of life and death. I was in the middle of dreaming of a beautiful brte. Now, the hot as fuck big blue eyes angel had vanished into the abyss. Groaning, I blindly grabbed my phone from the nightstand. And my clock showed only four in the fucking morning. I answered and pressed the phone against my ear with a groan, ¡°Krystyn, I¡ª¡± I wanted to curse her badly, but my parents taught me good manners. ¡°I hate you right now. Can it wait until six?¡± ¡°I missed you too.¡± Her angelic voice sounded energetic at this time. She worked hard, but knowing that she was not an early riser, my stomach formed a knot. ¡°What is it, Krys?¡± I was already sitting on the bed, rubbing my eye, and trying to gather my thoughts. ¡°I need a favor, and please, don¡¯t hate me.¡± Thank fuck, it was only a favor. Thest time I received a call at this time. Shit. Memoryne was not T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. always fun to visit. ¡°How could I, sis? As long as no murder involved.¡± ¡°Thank you. I love you. You know that, right?¡± I imagined her checking her painted fingernails, thinking about what color she nned to change into next. ¡°Wait.¡± I raised my finger as if she was here in front of me and blinked my heavy eyelids. ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°I need a guest room in your house.¡± Now I was fully awake. Iughed out loud. ¡°What happened to the mansion and your damn penthouse, Krystyn? Are you broke that you can¡¯t afford to rent a hotel room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing. That room is not for me.¡± I could even feel her grinning sheepishly at me or maybe biting her nail. I groaned. Why did I feel that I was not going to like this favor? I was a private person. Despite my family owned a billion-dorpany, I chose to work in the board room than to stand beside my big brother¡ªthe CEO of Selik Enterprises. ¡°Then no. I don¡¯t entertain and wee strangers at my house, you know that. Get him or her a suit in the hotel. Put the bill in my name.¡± ¡°Please? When was thest time I asked a favor from you?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Last week. Have you forgotten what you did to your date? You ghosted him.¡± ¡°That was different. And he was a douche.¡± ¡°Krystyn.¡± Now I was annoyed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll call Kai.¡± Of course, she would, and Kai would still call me because I was a good brother and never said no to my sister. ¡°God, I want to dye your hair right now.¡± I drew a deep breath, releasing it through my nose. ¡°Not my hair, Stasi. Are you gonna help me or not?¡± Was she giving me a choice? ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡± I scratched my head in irritation. ¡°Great. I know I can count on you.¡± ¡°Who is this person, anyway? Why do you have to let him stay in my fu¡ª house, Krystyn? What kind of trouble you two have gotten into?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble, big bear. Jeez. She¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± ¡°She? A friend? Then why should I help her? Shouldn¡¯t it suppose to be you offering her a ce to stay? What¡¯s her deal?¡± ¡°Nothing you can¡¯t handle. And she¡¯s hot, by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you if she¡¯s hot. And I¡¯m not looking for someone to warm my bed.¡± ¡°You need to loosen up, blow off some steam, and blow someone¡¯s brain.¡± ¡°Jesus, can you be a little more serious?¡± ¡°This is what Kai and I are talking about. That ce has changed you.¡± ¡°Forget about me for a while. Are you sure you can trust your friend that she won¡¯t sell my story to the media?¡± ¡°My god, Krew. The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you. always revolve around you. She needs a ce where thest thing someone will look for her. The only ce I could think of is in the lion¡¯s den. Isn¡¯t it the purpose of your ce, brother?¡± She was right. My house waspletely off the grid, but something didn¡¯t add up. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°Thank you, Krew. Love love. Bye.¡± *** An hourter, I had no choice but to pick up my sister¡¯s so-called friend from the airport. She didn¡¯t even give me the name and said her friend knew me already. Of course, it was not a surprise. Her friends knew us, but why did she have to keep it a surprise? And it made me anxious. I texted Krystyn as soon as I arrived at the airport, and the domestic flight just arrived. Knowing that I was in the middle of nowhere, there was only one flight departed from New York this afternoon. Fifteen minutester, still no sign of her friend. I started to think that Krystyn was pranking me. I was pissed when she did not reply to my message. If she wasn¡¯t my sister, she should consider this herst favor. I entered the small airport lounge and looked around for a familiar face, but it was almost empty except for the staff. ¡°What the fuck?¡± I checked my phone and dialed Krystyn. It went to her voicemail. ¡°Damn it.¡± I knew she intended to turn it off, knowing that I would blow a fuse when I met this mysterious woman. Besides, I knew all her friends from old to new¡ªbeing Selik¡¯s close friends came at a price, and that involved background checking. Her friend had no exemption. I huffed and walked outside, shaking my head in annoyance. My anger started boiling up. My sister yed me out. What was this secrecy all about anyway? When I reached my car, I jerked slightly to the soft and low voice behind me. That voice seemed familiar, yet it sounded strange as if I had not heard it for a long time. I wasn¡¯t sure why. I turned and held back a gasp upon seeing the most beautiful woman I¡¯d everid eyes on, and only a meter away from me. Her eyes were the color of the hottest me¡ªPrussian. Fuck me now. I stopped my eyes from widening into circles as soon as I recognized the woman standing in front of me. How could I ever forget her? Chapter 2: 1. A Favor Chapter 2: 1. A Favor KREW Present day¡­ MY HEART jumped wildly. My phone kept ringing. Whoever the fuck was calling me at this hour, this better be a matter of life and death. I was in the middle of dreaming of a beautiful brte. Now, the hot as fuck big blue eyes angel had vanished into the abyss. Groaning, I blindly grabbed my phone from the nightstand. And my clock showed only four in the fucking morning. I answered and pressed the phone against my ear with a groan, ¡°Krystyn, I¡ª¡± I wanted to curse her badly, but my parents taught me good manners. ¡°I hate you right now. Can it wait until six?¡± ¡°I missed you too.¡± Her angelic voice sounded energetic at this time. She worked hard, but knowing that she was not an early riser, my stomach formed a knot. ¡°What is it, Krys?¡± I was already sitting on the bed, rubbing my eye, and trying to gather my thoughts. ¡°I need a favor, and please, don¡¯t hate me.¡± Thank fuck, it was only a favor. Thest time I received a call at this time. Shit. Memoryne was not always fun to visit. ¡°How could I, sis? As long as no murder involved.¡± ¡°Thank you. I love you. You know that, right?¡± I imagined her checking her painted fingernails, thinking about what color she nned to change into next. ¡°Wait.¡± I raised my finger as if she was here in front of me and blinked my heavy eyelids. ¡°What kind of favor?¡± ¡°I need a guest room in your house.¡± Now I was fully awake. Iughed out loud. ¡°What happened to the mansion and your damn penthouse, Krystyn? Are you broke that you can¡¯t afford to rent a hotel room?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the thing. That room is not for me.¡± I could even feel her grinning sheepishly at me or maybe biting her nail. I groaned. Why did I feel that I was not going to like this favor? I was a private person. Despite my family owned a billion-dorpany, I chose to work in the board room than to stand beside my big brother¡ªthe CEO of Selik Enterprises. ¡°Then no. I don¡¯t entertain and wee strangers at my house, you know that. Get him or her a suit in the hotel. Put the bill in my name.¡± ¡°Please? When was thest time I asked a favor from you?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Last week. Have you forgotten what you did to your date? You ghosted him.¡± ¡°That was different. And he was a douche.¡± ¡°Krystyn.¡± Now I was annoyed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll call Kai.¡± Of course, she would, and Kai would still call me because I was a good brother and never said no to my sister. ¡°God, I want to dye your hair right now.¡± I drew a deep breath, releasing it through my nose. ¡°Not my hair, Stasi. Are you gonna help me or not?¡± Was she giving me a choice? ¡°Fine. Whatever.¡± I scratched my head in irritation. ¡°Great. I know I can count on you.¡± ¡°Who is this person, anyway? Why do you have to let him stay in my fu¡ª house, Krystyn? What kind of trouble you two have gotten into?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not in trouble, big bear. Jeez. She¡¯s a friend of mine.¡± ¡°She? A friend? Then why should I help her? Shouldn¡¯t it suppose to be you offering her a ce to stay? What¡¯s her deal?¡± ¡°Nothing you can¡¯t handle. And she¡¯s hot, by the way.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you if she¡¯s hot. And I¡¯m not looking for someone to warm my bed.¡± ¡°You need to loosen up, blow off some steam, and blow someone¡¯s brain.¡± ¡°Jesus, can you be a little more serious?¡± ¡°This is what Kai and I are talking about. That ce has changed you.¡± ¡°Forget about me for a while. Are you sure you can trust your friend that she won¡¯t sell my story to the media?¡± ¡°My god, Krew. The world doesn¡¯t revolve around you. always revolve around you. She needs a ce where thest thing someone will look for her. The only ce I could think of is in the lion¡¯s den. Isn¡¯t it the purpose of your ce, brother?¡± She was right. My house waspletely off the grid, but something didn¡¯t add up. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°Thank you, Krew. Love love. Bye.¡± *** An hourter, I had no choice but to pick up my sister¡¯s so-called friend from the airport. She didn¡¯t even give me the name and said her friend knew me already. Of course, it was not a surprise. Her friends knew us, but why did she have to keep it a surprise? And it made me anxious. I texted Krystyn as soon as I arrived at the airport, and the domestic flight just arrived. Knowing that I was in the middle of nowhere, there was only one flight departed from New York this afternoon. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. Fifteen minutester, still no sign of her friend. I started to think that Krystyn was pranking me. I was pissed when she did not reply to my message. If she wasn¡¯t my sister, she should consider this herst favor. I entered the small airport lounge and looked around for a familiar face, but it was almost empty except for the staff. ¡°What the fuck?¡± I checked my phone and dialed Krystyn. It went to her voicemail. ¡°Damn it.¡± I knew she intended to turn it off, knowing that I would blow a fuse when I met this mysterious woman. Besides, I knew all her friends from old to new¡ªbeing Selik¡¯s close friends came at a price, and that involved background checking. Her friend had no exemption. I huffed and walked outside, shaking my head in annoyance. My anger started boiling up. My sister yed me out. What was this secrecy all about anyway? When I reached my car, I jerked slightly to the soft and low voice behind me. That voice seemed familiar, yet it sounded strange as if I had not heard it for a long time. I wasn¡¯t sure why. I turned and held back a gasp upon seeing the most beautiful woman I¡¯d everid eyes on, and only a meter away from me. Her eyes were the color of the hottest me¡ªPrussian. Fuck me now. I stopped my eyes from widening into circles as soon as I recognized the woman standing in front of me. How could I ever forget her? 2. River 2. River KREW SHE STEPPED forward at a calcted pace. ¡°Hello, Krew.¡± Outrageous. How fucking convenient? I cursed silently. She was not Krystyn¡¯s friend. No fucking way. Not in a million light-years. But she was here in all her gorgeousness. No wonder my sister would never tell me about her friend because there was no way I would allow this to happen even if the hell turned to arctic and thawed. I would never wee her into my house. When did they be a friend? Yesterday? Last night? Just fucking great. I huffed mockingly. ¡°What do I owe this pleasure?¡± I ignored the fact that I was here to pick her up. Could I just pretend that she was not the reason why I was here? Im-fucking-possible! ¡°I believe your sister has informed you about my arrival?¡± I arched a brow. ¡°What are you doing in this awful ce?¡± She only answered me with a shrug. Her penny brown hair was tousled, but it didn¡¯t make her any less beautiful. Her gorgeous eyes showed a lot of unsettled emotions, but the most dominant ones were sadness and terrified. She¡¯s indeed in trouble. How big? I had no clue. ¡°Look. I got to go. I¡¯m sure you can find yourself a hotel in town. I don¡¯t have time to deal with you and my sister¡¯s devious ns.¡± I walked to my car and opened the door. ¡°Krew, please?¡± she called urgently. Wow! Was she really the woman I once knew? There was no way River fucking Rouge would ask for my help or beg for something. I could still remember what she did to me in my own building. What changed, though? Why did shee to my sister for help when she loathed me and my family for years? I whirled around and realized she had nothing but the white dress on her body. I met her perturbed gaze, and it immediately made my heart sad. The moment I said yes to my sister, I knew there was no backing out, and I was a man of my word. The fact that she was my sister¡¯s friend¡ªwait a sec, are they really friends? I was still finding it hard to believe. But if Krys would be in trouble, I knew River would do the same as I was about to do right now. Profoundly disturbed with this whole scenario, I rounded to the passenger seat and opened the door for her. ¡°Help yourself.¡± I climbed to the driver¡¯s seat and fastened my seat belt. She joined me and did the same. The space between us suddenly turned small and congesting. I ignored a shiver that swept over me when her cologne permeated in the car¡ªsomething like jasmine, ckberry, flowers extract drizzled with chocte. I liked a woman who smelled good¡ªnot strong, not too sweet, just enough that made me want to run my nose against her skin. Fuck. Where did thate from? This is really a very bad and disturbing idea to have her in my house. Back to the issue at hand, I had a lot of questions spinning in my head, but I had no n on asking her. She would fill me up if she felt like it. Besides, if she killed someone, my sister would not get me into whatever mess River had than what she already did before. The real deal was, why Krystyn was willing to help her even though she knew I was River¡¯s mortal T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. enemy? The silence stretched between us as I drove through the long road towards my house. My sister was right, my ce was thest thing someone would look for her. And by the look on River¡¯s face, she was definitely running from something or someone. Heart trouble maybe? Why would I care? I didn¡¯t want to go down that road again. ¡°I know you still hate me, and I was probably thest person you were expecting to show up.¡± Hate was just a burden that I didn¡¯t have to carry with me. ¡°Yeah, imagine my profound disappointment, but you did not travel all the way here to swap memories, didn¡¯t you?¡± I scoffed. ¡°And you¡¯re right with thetter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking Krys a favor,¡± she just apologized. This is really getting interesting. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say no to her even if it isn¡¯t you Krys¡¯ helping.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be in your way. I will stay at the farther end of your house, and you won¡¯t even know that I am there until I figure things out.¡± Is she kidding me? She could pretend, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Really, like what?¡± I stole a nce at her, and it was a terrible mistake. She might be a mess right now, but she was still the most beautiful thing in my eyes. ¡°And how would you exactly do that?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stay long.¡± Her voice shook. There was a fine line between pleasure and pain, and it would please me to see her just at the other corner of my house, but it pained me even more that I had to suck it up that she thought I could just ignore her. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t and can¡¯t. I used to stay alone in one ce, and I would love to keep it that way. My privacy matters a lot to me.¡± I was an ass, but we better clear things up than me fake-liking her. ¡°You better fix your problems, whatever it is. I can¡¯t be involved with you and your mess. Thest thing I want is a battalion of stupid nosy people sneaking into my property.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask why I am here.¡± ¡°I believe you would tell me if you feel like sharing your issue. Besides, I don¡¯t think it would pique my interest even a little.¡± That was a total asshole-esque, and I just lied. I was beyond curious, and I needed to know to be able to help her. How did I miss crucial information like this? ¡°I hope you¡¯re not trying to get away with murder by flying over here to hide.¡± ¡°Close.¡± I parked the car in front of the house in a halt. My eyes narrowing to slits. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Someone was stalking me for months, but the police said, I don¡¯t have evidence to file a case or get a restraining order against my stalker.¡± I swallowed the overflowing rage not to shout at her. ¡°How does running away stop him from stalking you? Until when do you think you can run and hide from him?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking straight when I asked Krys for help, but she was the first person that I knew who could help me. Now I realize what a huge mistake I made. I shouldn¡¯t havee here.¡± She broke the gaze and wiped her tears. As much as I would like to piss her off, I hated to see women cry. ¡°Toote for that, don¡¯t you think? And who is your stalker, River?¡± Instead of answering me, she shook to cry in her seat. Conversation killer. ¡°Forget that I asked.¡± Chapter 3: 2. River Chapter 3: 2. River KREW SHE STEPPED forward at a calcted pace. ¡°Hello, Krew.¡± Outrageous. How fucking convenient? I cursed silently. She was not Krystyn¡¯s friend. No fucking way. Not in a million light-years. But she was here in all her gorgeousness. No wonder my sister would never tell me about her friend because there was no way I would allow this to happen even if the hell turned to arctic and thawed. I would never wee her into my house. When did they be a friend? Yesterday? Last night? Just fucking great. I huffed mockingly. ¡°What do I owe this pleasure?¡± I ignored the fact that I was here to pick her up. Could I just pretend that she was not the reason why I was here? Im-fucking-possible! ¡°I believe your sister has informed you about my arrival?¡± I arched a brow. ¡°What are you doing in this awful ce?¡± She only answered me with a shrug. Her penny brown hair was tousled, but it didn¡¯t make her any less beautiful. Her gorgeous eyes showed a lot of unsettled emotions, but the most dominant ones were sadness and terrified. She¡¯s indeed in trouble. How big? I had no clue. ¡°Look. I got to go. I¡¯m sure you can find yourself a hotel in town. I don¡¯t have time to deal with you and my sister¡¯s devious ns.¡± I walked to my car and opened the door. ¡°Krew, please?¡± she called urgently. Wow! Was she really the woman I once knew? There was no way River fucking Rouge would ask for my help or beg for something. I could still remember what she did to me in my own building. What changed, though? Why did shee to my sister for help when she loathed me and my family for years? I whirled around and realized she had nothing but the white dress on her body. I met her perturbed gaze, and it immediately made my heart sad. The moment I said yes to my sister, I knew there was no backing out, and I was a man of my word. The fact that she was my sister¡¯s friend¡ªwait a sec, are they really friends? I was still finding it hard to believe. But if Krys would be in trouble, I knew River would do the same as I was about to do right now. Profoundly disturbed with this whole scenario, I rounded to the passenger seat and opened the door for her. ¡°Help yourself.¡± I climbed to the driver¡¯s seat and fastened my seat belt. She joined me and did the same. The space between us suddenly turned small and congesting. I ignored a shiver that swept over me when her cologne permeated in the car¡ªsomething like jasmine, ckberry, flowers extract drizzled with chocte. I liked a woman who smelled good¡ªnot strong, not too sweet, just enough that made me want to run my nose against her skin. Fuck. Where did thate from? This is really a very bad and disturbing idea to have her in my house. Back to the issue at hand, I had a lot of questions spinning in my head, but I had no n on asking her. She would fill me up if she felt like it. Besides, if she killed someone, my sister would not get me into whatever mess River had than what she already did before. The real deal was, why Krystyn was willing to help her even though she knew I was River¡¯s mortal enemy? The silence stretched between us as I drove through the long road towards my house. My sister was right, my ce was thest thing someone would look for her. And by the look on River¡¯s face, she was definitely running from something or someone. Heart trouble maybe? Why would I care? I didn¡¯t want to T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. go down that road again. ¡°I know you still hate me, and I was probably thest person you were expecting to show up.¡± Hate was just a burden that I didn¡¯t have to carry with me. ¡°Yeah, imagine my profound disappointment, but you did not travel all the way here to swap memories, didn¡¯t you?¡± I scoffed. ¡°And you¡¯re right with thetter.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry for asking Krys a favor,¡± she just apologized. This is really getting interesting. ¡°I couldn¡¯t say no to her even if it isn¡¯t you Krys¡¯ helping.¡± ¡°I promise I won¡¯t be in your way. I will stay at the farther end of your house, and you won¡¯t even know that I am there until I figure things out.¡± Is she kidding me? She could pretend, but I couldn¡¯t. ¡°Really, like what?¡± I stole a nce at her, and it was a terrible mistake. She might be a mess right now, but she was still the most beautiful thing in my eyes. ¡°And how would you exactly do that?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stay long.¡± Her voice shook. There was a fine line between pleasure and pain, and it would please me to see her just at the other corner of my house, but it pained me even more that I had to suck it up that she thought I could just ignore her. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t and can¡¯t. I used to stay alone in one ce, and I would love to keep it that way. My privacy matters a lot to me.¡± I was an ass, but we better clear things up than me fake-liking her. ¡°You better fix your problems, whatever it is. I can¡¯t be involved with you and your mess. Thest thing I want is a battalion of stupid nosy people sneaking into my property.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t even ask why I am here.¡± ¡°I believe you would tell me if you feel like sharing your issue. Besides, I don¡¯t think it would pique my interest even a little.¡± That was a total asshole-esque, and I just lied. I was beyond curious, and I needed to know to be able to help her. How did I miss crucial information like this? ¡°I hope you¡¯re not trying to get away with murder by flying over here to hide.¡± ¡°Close.¡± I parked the car in front of the house in a halt. My eyes narrowing to slits. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Someone was stalking me for months, but the police said, I don¡¯t have evidence to file a case or get a restraining order against my stalker.¡± I swallowed the overflowing rage not to shout at her. ¡°How does running away stop him from stalking you? Until when do you think you can run and hide from him?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking straight when I asked Krys for help, but she was the first person that I knew who could help me. Now I realize what a huge mistake I made. I shouldn¡¯t havee here.¡± She broke the gaze and wiped her tears. As much as I would like to piss her off, I hated to see women cry. ¡°Toote for that, don¡¯t you think? And who is your stalker, River?¡± Instead of answering me, she shook to cry in her seat. Conversation killer. ¡°Forget that I asked.¡± 3. Big Mushy Bear 3. Big Mushy Bear RIVER KRYSTYN WAS right about this ce¡ªit was a getaway that no one would get any idea of finding me. Or maybe I had no reason toin because of the big bear frowning next to me, the same man that I almost ruined years ago, but I wasn¡¯t sure with his silence if it was a yes or he was still debating whether to help me or turned around, drove the car back to the airport, and say goodbye. The million-dor acreage home was luxurious, contemting with lush greenery surrounding us. No wonder Krew preferred this ce over his penthouse in New York. I stayed quiet as we walked into the humongous entryway. The white grand piano at the corner and the living room at the far end. I followed him as he climbed up the brown striped carpeted c-shaped staircase that added to the interior while I was admiring his firm ass. As he walked like his majesty the King, head held up, with effortless confidence, he hadn¡¯t said anything aside from showing me one of the rooms where I would probably going to spend days in or worse, it wouldst weeks. Krew was dead serious when he mentioned his privacy. From what I heard, he hated the spotlight, and he seemed recluse in contrast to their brother, Kai who loved attention and power. The Selik wasn¡¯t born rich. Koby Selik was a self-made billionaire when his children were still young. When he died, Kai took his ce as the CEO, and Krew chose to work behind the desk as one of the members of the board. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. Right now, I had to be grateful to him for giving me a roof as my temporary haven. Then I realized that there was really something wrong with me. I couldn¡¯t help but admired his dark chocte eyes that darkened into almost obsidian ck when he stared at me, his dark hair that I knew was soft, his perfectly straight nose, full red lips, and he had shoulders broader than years ago. I was lost in the thought of how perfect he was until he called me to get my attention, or more likely, growled my name, but still, I found it sexier on his tongue. God, I needed to get rid of this obtuse obsession over him. ¡°River,¡± he called me again. His voice crawled shivers up my spine, his gaze razored sharp as he pinned it to me. The more he did that, the more my heartbeat picked up, and I couldn¡¯t break my dark thought out of it. I swallowed. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± You. My skin tingled. He definitely caught me gawking at him. So what? I was single. It wasn¡¯t that he still wanted me, or he was into me. He was drunk when he kissed me, and we almost had sex in that break room. I really had wished he was into me though, but in ourtest encounter, he already made a point that he resented me. What was I expecting? Humility from Krew Selik? Okay, that was a little bit tad dramatic, but I should behave now that myst rtionship had ended up bringing me here. I felt degraded¡ªabased when he sent hiswyer with a cheque and NDA. And I was stupid at that time. It hurt me with the idea that he thought everyone had a price tag. So I went to the Selik Tower and tore the NDA and cheque in front of the receptionist when he did not want to see me. At that time, he and his brother had an interview with the business magazine. Kai was always in the headline in any news channel even on the trashy gossip sites and social media. And I nearly ruined my life in the end. Of course, who would give a damn about a nobody over the Selik? My humiliation did not end there. My face was ming when a strange look crossed his face. He growled something that he only could hear and understand. He was probably disgusted. ¡°I need something to change from this.¡± I looked down at my crumpled dress I wore at Journey¡¯s engagement party. ¡°I think my sister has something she left in the other room. I hope you don¡¯t mind wearing used clothes.¡± ¡°That would be great. Thank you.¡± For the first time since he picked me up from the airport, I managed to smile. ¡°You must be hungry. Meet me down in fifteen when you changed to somethingfortable.¡± His gaze drilled into mine before he retreated as if I just burned him. This wasn¡¯t the time to be smitten by a grumpy big bear. I wished I could call Krystyn and tell her to pick me up that I changed my mind, but I left everything behind, even my phone. She advised me not to call anyone until she and Krew arranged something out for me. For the first time in my life, I had no n other than to keep myself safe. Once I changed into jeans and a shirt, I made my way downstairs. I found Krew on a phone call outside the house. He must be talking to his sister, then he lowered his voice and turned around as soon as he noticed my presence. The me in his eyes was evident, and so was the huge restraint on his face. By the look of it, it didn¡¯t sound good¡ªhe was about to curse the hell out of me, or far worse, threw me into the middle of the woods and left me there. I had no idea what was happening right now. I wanted to know what was in his head as he pinned me with aser re with his jaw getting harder each second ticked by. ¡°Was that Krys?¡± ¡°Have you been eavesdropping?¡± he snapped. ¡°No.¡± I gulped. ¡°I was thinking of calling your sister and tell her that I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He strolled his gaze at me, making me self-conscious. I wasn¡¯t wearing anything pretty. I didn¡¯t have any traces of makeup on my face, and I felt I was naked and vulnerable through his stare in blistering silence for a few moments. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m alreadyte,¡± finally, he talked, or rather ordered a sharpmand as I released a shuddering breath. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I followed his quick pace. My eyes widened to see a bike parked in front of the gate. ¡°Is that yours?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t ridden a bike before, princess?¡± I could feel him rolling his eyes. ¡°Why did I even ask?¡± he muttered through gritted teeth. Because bike terrified me, dumbass. ¡°That¡¯s not nice. I¡¯m homeless right now, you know. I don¡¯t have anything. I could be with the human trafficker at this moment on the way to Mexico if Krys did not help me.¡± Great! I just told him how terrified and desperate I was. I bit my lip to stop trembling, but it was too me right or pretend to be kind, I¡¯d rather be left alone. Chapter 4: 3. Big Mushy Bear Chapter 4: 3. Big Mushy Bear RIVER KRYSTYN WAS right about this ce¡ªit was a getaway that no one would get any idea of finding me. Or maybe I had no reason toin because of the big bear frowning next to me, the same man that I almost ruined years ago, but I wasn¡¯t sure with his silence if it was a yes or he was still debating whether to help me or turned around, drove the car back to the airport, and say goodbye. The million-dor acreage home was luxurious, contemting with lush greenery surrounding us. No wonder Krew preferred this ce over his penthouse in New York. I stayed quiet as we walked into the humongous entryway. The white grand piano at the corner and the living room at the far end. I followed him as he climbed up the brown striped carpeted c-shaped staircase that added to the interior while I was admiring his firm ass. As he walked like his majesty the King, head held up, with effortless confidence, he hadn¡¯t said anything aside from showing me one of the rooms where I would probably going to spend days in or worse, it wouldst weeks. Krew was dead serious when he mentioned his privacy. From what I heard, he hated the spotlight, and he seemed recluse in contrast to their brother, Kai who loved attention and power. The Selik wasn¡¯t born rich. Koby Selik was a self-made billionaire when his children were still young. When he died, Kai took his ce as the CEO, and Krew chose to work behind the desk as one of the members of the board. Right now, I had to be grateful to him for giving me a roof as my temporary haven. Then I realized that there was really something wrong with me. I couldn¡¯t help but admired his dark chocte eyes that darkened into almost obsidian ck when he stared at me, his dark hair that I knew was soft, his perfectly straight nose, full red lips, and he had shoulders broader than years ago. I was lost in the thought of how perfect he was until he called me to get my attention, or more likely, growled my name, but still, I found it sexier on his tongue. God, I needed to get rid of this obtuse obsession over him. ¡°River,¡± he called me again. His voice crawled shivers up my spine, his gaze razored sharp as he pinned it to me. The more he did that, the more my heartbeat picked up, and I couldn¡¯t break my dark thought out of it. I swallowed. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you need anything else?¡± You. My skin tingled. He definitely caught me gawking at him. So what? I was single. It wasn¡¯t that he still wanted me, or he was into me. He was drunk when he kissed me, and we almost had sex in that break room. I really had wished he was into me though, but in ourtest encounter, he already made a point that he resented me. What was I expecting? Humility from Krew Selik? Okay, that was a little bit tad dramatic, but I should behave now that myst rtionship had ended up bringing me here. Content ? N?velDrama.Org. I felt degraded¡ªabased when he sent hiswyer with a cheque and NDA. And I was stupid at that time. It hurt me with the idea that he thought everyone had a price tag. So I went to the Selik Tower and tore the NDA and cheque in front of the receptionist when he did not want to see me. At that time, he and his brother had an interview with the business magazine. Kai was always in the headline in any news channel even on the trashy gossip sites and social media. And I nearly ruined my life in the end. Of course, who would give a damn about a nobody over the Selik? My humiliation did not end there. My face was ming when a strange look crossed his face. He growled something that he only could hear and understand. He was probably disgusted. ¡°I need something to change from this.¡± I looked down at my crumpled dress I wore at Journey¡¯s engagement party. ¡°I think my sister has something she left in the other room. I hope you don¡¯t mind wearing used clothes.¡± ¡°That would be great. Thank you.¡± For the first time since he picked me up from the airport, I managed to smile. ¡°You must be hungry. Meet me down in fifteen when you changed to somethingfortable.¡± His gaze drilled into mine before he retreated as if I just burned him. This wasn¡¯t the time to be smitten by a grumpy big bear. I wished I could call Krystyn and tell her to pick me up that I changed my mind, but I left everything behind, even my phone. She advised me not to call anyone until she and Krew arranged something out for me. For the first time in my life, I had no n other than to keep myself safe. Once I changed into jeans and a shirt, I made my way downstairs. I found Krew on a phone call outside the house. He must be talking to his sister, then he lowered his voice and turned around as soon as he noticed my presence. The me in his eyes was evident, and so was the huge restraint on his face. By the look of it, it didn¡¯t sound good¡ªhe was about to curse the hell out of me, or far worse, threw me into the middle of the woods and left me there. I had no idea what was happening right now. I wanted to know what was in his head as he pinned me with aser re with his jaw getting harder each second ticked by. ¡°Was that Krys?¡± ¡°Have you been eavesdropping?¡± he snapped. ¡°No.¡± I gulped. ¡°I was thinking of calling your sister and tell her that I¡¯m okay.¡± ¡°Done.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He strolled his gaze at me, making me self-conscious. I wasn¡¯t wearing anything pretty. I didn¡¯t have any traces of makeup on my face, and I felt I was naked and vulnerable through his stare in blistering silence for a few moments. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m alreadyte,¡± finally, he talked, or rather ordered a sharpmand as I released a shuddering breath. ¡°Where are we going?¡± I followed his quick pace. My eyes widened to see a bike parked in front of the gate. ¡°Is that yours?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t ridden a bike before, princess?¡± I could feel him rolling his eyes. ¡°Why did I even ask?¡± he muttered through gritted teeth. Because bike terrified me, dumbass. ¡°That¡¯s not nice. I¡¯m homeless right now, you know. I don¡¯t have anything. I could be with the human trafficker at this moment on the way to Mexico if Krys did not help me.¡± Great! I just told him how terrified and desperate I was. I bit my lip to stop trembling, but it was too me right or pretend to be kind, I¡¯d rather be left alone. 4. The Good Neighbor 4. The Good Neighbor RIVER ¡°River¡ª¡± My heart pounded so hard that I had to breathe. He was so achingly beautiful even if his lips were pressed into a thin line. We stared at each other, waiting in silence for the first one to speak up. ¡°I know that you¡¯re just trying to y a good guy here because of a promise or whatever you and your sister have agreed on. You don¡¯t have to. Let¡¯s face it, you still hate my guts, always will. I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at me. I really wish I could go back to that time and undo what I did to you. And I apologize for that. You seem a good person, but what you did to me was also terrible.¡± Gah, I was a mess. I knew that now. I walked away from him before I could say something foolish. I needed a moment to myself to think of a n. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know what to do or how to deal with my stalker without him hurting the people I cared about. ¡°River, wait!¡± On the other thought, maybe I asked the right person after all, and maybe he would be willing to help if I made the right deal. I stopped and faced him. ¡°I need a job.¡± His eyes narrowed, confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I need a paycheck, and you don¡¯t have to deal with my aggravating and nagging self every damn time.¡± He huffed, eyes burning with anger, but still, he managed to radiate pure sexual power. ¡°How could you even go out when someone is stalking you? That doesn¡¯t even ur to you until now? That you have to stay off his radar? And you haven¡¯t been here for an hour, you¡¯re already a pain in the ass.¡± Ouch! I managed not to flinch at his insult. I guessed, I just had to suck it up whatever he would throw at me, good or bad. That was the price I had to pay for walking into the lion¡¯s den. ¡°Let me work for you then.¡± I thought my eyes just sparkled with hope. Krew rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. Come with me.¡± I did as he said, and I rode a bike with him. It was noisy and a little bit ufortable, but I felt free, and I got to touch the sinewy hard muscles of his abs. This man was nothing like the yboy Kai and free- spirited Krystyn. Krew was quiet, yet magnificent. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked me as we rode through the endless road. He offered me his helmet, and now he wasn¡¯t wearing any. I was a little bit worried about him, but I could feel that he could ride safely with confidence and eyes closed. ¡°I think I¡¯ll live. After all, I can¡¯t be choosy. Where are we going exactly? Are you sure you¡¯re not gonna sell me to the highest bidder or throw me back to that asshole?¡± I joked as I tightened my arms around his narrow waist when he smoothly turned the bike off the road to the secluded gravel path. ¡°I thought of that. Twice actually.¡± I knew he was kidding. At least he tried to lighten up the tension between us. He might have noticed how frightened I was as I clung to him as if my life depended on his driving expertise. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± ¡°You just have to trust me if you wanna stay at my house.¡± I honestly did. Besides, I should not have gone to Krys and asked for help if I didn¡¯t trust her. What an odd? After what I did to her brother, she still weed me with open arms.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± The bike stopped. I realized I was still holding tightly onto him, my face pressing against his back. As I fluttered my eyes open, I slowly unwrapped my arms around him and got off the bike. Thank God, I¡¯m still alive. ¡°That was the most dangerous and outrageous ride I¡¯ve ever had, but it¡¯s undeniably thrilling and gratifying,¡± I admitted with my knees were still shaking. ¡°Dangerous for someone who wears a helmet.¡± We argued earlier for a few minutes before I rode with him because I felt like I just sealed my fate and punched my death card if I tried riding with that thing. I had never been an adrenaline junkie. I would rather have my internal organs and bones inside my body than doing something dangerous. But if there was one thing I learned yesterday, that I should take a risk sometimes to experience and learn life the hard way. ¡°You okay?¡± I met his worried gaze. My lips spread into a wide grin. ¡°That¡¯s the third time in less than an hour, Selik. If I haven¡¯t known you resented me, I would have thought I started to grow on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure about that. I might have wrung your pretty little neck in your sleep,¡± he said without remorse, making me flinch. At least he called my neck pretty. I may have made a huge mistake for running away, but I might be able to get through this if Krew could set his anger aside and help me instead, but at this moment, I had to suck up his overbearing attitude. ¡°I know you would learn to like me eventually, Selik. Krystyn likes me, you know.¡± I followed him to the wooden gate named Uphill Luncheon. ¡°It¡¯s because you two have a lot of things inmon.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do women love doing nowadays besides you two have stalkers? Stalking celebrities on social media? Posting selfies, taken in the bathroom? Showing the fucking disposable paper cups to the world while half of the poption are causing global warming and the others are sleeping with an empty stomach.¡± Wow! Note to self: Don¡¯t fall in love with your knight. I burst outughing. Oh, that feels nice. ¡°You sound like an old man. A very wise old man.¡± ¡°An old man?¡± Surprisingly, his brow quirked up. His eyes squinted with a slight amusement curved up his lips. Before I could reply, a fifties something woman pulled him into a tight hug. ¡°Hey, darling. You have the entire kitchen all you want.¡± ¡°The entire kitchen?¡± I asked incredulously, shutting my mouth quickly the moment they froze. ¡°You brought a friend. That¡¯s a first.¡± The woman inspected me from head to toe, and she didn¡¯t bother hiding her first impression on me¡ªshe did not look so happy. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m River. A friend of Krystyn.¡± I held my hand out. ¡°Odd name. Wee to my little Uphill Luncheon. I¡¯m Anna.¡± She shook my hand firmly. ¡°Thank you, Anna. Nice ce you have here.¡± I looked around when they walked inside the Inn. My eyes widened to the view. There were a few wooden tables with chairs scattered around upied by chatty customers, and they looked like they were not from around here¡ªvacationers? Then a vastnd took my breath away¡ªit was the vineyard, huge garden from the other side, then trees¡ªlots of them. I thought they were fruits. I found Krew waiting for me. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± ¡°I owned this. I changed my mind about developing it into amercial area. My brother wasn¡¯t exactly impressed with my idea, but who cares? I hired Anna and her husband to take care of thisnd while they made profits on their own.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re really one of a few good samaritans left.¡± For some bizarre reason, his kind heart to Anna and mother Earth warmth my heart. ¡°I help who deserves.¡± And where would I stand in this? I held that thought when I saw a sign. ¡°I think I just found a job.¡± ¡°What job?¡± ¡°That.¡± I pointed at the wanted server posted on the wall. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? This is an Inn. I waitressed before, remember? I could probably use a small room instead of going back to your house after the shift.¡± ¡°You reced your friend for a night. And no. Let¡¯s go to the kitchen.¡± ¡°Krew, I need a job.¡± ¡°I heard you the first time, River.¡± He groaned in annoyance, but I could care any less. This would be T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. awesome to work here with a good view and fresh air. Or I could entertain customers. ¡°Good, because I need one.¡± ¡°Starting today, you work for me. Now could you give me some serenity even just for a few minutes?¡± ¡°I just¡ª¡± ¡°Just shut it, River.¡± Chapter 5: 4. The Good Neighbor Chapter 5: 4. The Good Neighbor RIVER ¡°River¡ª¡± My heart pounded so hard that I had to breathe. He was so achingly beautiful even if his lips were pressed into a thin line. We stared at each other, waiting in silence for the first one to speak up. ¡°I know that you¡¯re just trying to y a good guy here because of a promise or whatever you and your sister have agreed on. You don¡¯t have to. Let¡¯s face it, you still hate my guts, always will. I could see it in your eyes every time you looked at me. I really wish I could go back to that time and undo what I did to you. And I apologize for that. You seem a good person, but what you did to me was also terrible.¡± Gah, I was a mess. I knew that now. I walked away from him before I could say something foolish. I needed a moment to myself to think of a n. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know what to do or how to deal with my stalker without him hurting the people I cared about. ¡°River, wait!¡± On the other thought, maybe I asked the right person after all, and maybe he would be willing to help if I made the right deal. I stopped and faced him. ¡°I need a job.¡± His eyes narrowed, confused. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I need a paycheck, and you don¡¯t have to deal with my aggravating and nagging self every damn time.¡± He huffed, eyes burning with anger, but still, he managed to radiate pure sexual power. ¡°How could you even go out when someone is stalking you? That doesn¡¯t even ur to you until now? That you have to stay off his radar? And you haven¡¯t been here for an hour, you¡¯re already a pain in the ass.¡± Ouch! I managed not to flinch at his insult. I guessed, I just had to suck it up whatever he would throw at me, good or bad. That was the price I had to pay for walking into the lion¡¯s den. ¡°Let me work for you then.¡± I thought my eyes just sparkled with hope. Krew rolled his eyes. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about itter. Come with me.¡± I did as he said, and I rode a bike with him. It was noisy and a little bit ufortable, but I felt free, and I got to touch the sinewy hard muscles of his abs. This man was nothing like the yboy Kai and free- spirited Krystyn. Krew was quiet, yet magnificent. ¡°You okay?¡± he asked me as we rode through the endless road. He offered me his helmet, and now he wasn¡¯t wearing any. I was a little bit worried about him, but I could feel that he could ride safely with confidence and eyes closed. ¡°I think I¡¯ll live. After all, I can¡¯t be choosy. Where are we going exactly? Are you sure you¡¯re not gonna sell me to the highest bidder or throw me back to that asshole?¡± I joked as I tightened my arms around his narrow waist when he smoothly turned the bike off the road to the secluded gravel path. ¡°I thought of that. Twice actually.¡± I knew he was kidding. At least he tried to lighten up the tension between us. He might have noticed how frightened I was as I clung to him as if my life depended on his driving expertise. ¡°Touch¨¦.¡± ¡°You just have to trust me if you wanna stay at my house.¡± I honestly did. Besides, I should not have gone to Krys and asked for help if I didn¡¯t trust her. What an odd? After what I did to her brother, she still weed me with open arms.¡± ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡± The bike stopped. I realized I was still holding tightly onto him, my face pressing against his back. As I fluttered my eyes open, I slowly unwrapped my arms around him and got off the bike. Thank God, I¡¯m still alive. ¡°That was the most dangerous and outrageous ride I¡¯ve ever had, but it¡¯s undeniably thrilling and gratifying,¡± I admitted with my knees were still shaking. ¡°Dangerous for someone who wears a helmet.¡± We argued earlier for a few minutes before I rode with him because I felt like I just sealed my fate and punched my death card if I tried riding with that thing. I had never been an adrenaline junkie. I would rather have my internal organs and bones inside my body than doing something dangerous. But if there was one thing I learned yesterday, that I should take a risk sometimes to experience and learn life the hard way. ¡°You okay?¡± I met his worried gaze. My lips spread into a wide grin. ¡°That¡¯s the third time in less than an hour, Selik. If I haven¡¯t known you resented me, I would have thought I started to grow on you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure about that. I might have wrung your pretty little neck in your sleep,¡± he said without remorse, making me flinch. At least he called my neck pretty. I may have made a huge mistake for running away, but I might be able to get through this if Krew could set his anger aside and help me instead, but at this moment, I had to suck up his overbearing attitude. ¡°I know you would learn to like me eventually, Selik. Krystyn likes me, you know.¡± I followed him to the wooden gate named Uphill Luncheon. ¡°It¡¯s because you two have a lot of things inmon.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. What do women love doing nowadays besides you two have stalkers? Stalking celebrities on social media? Posting selfies, taken in the bathroom? Showing the fucking disposable paper cups to the world while half of the poption are causing global warming and the others are sleeping with an empty stomach.¡± Wow! Note to self: Don¡¯t fall in love with your knight. I burst outughing. Oh, that feels nice. ¡°You sound like an old man. A very wise old man.¡± ¡°An old man?¡± Surprisingly, his brow quirked up. His eyes squinted with a slight amusement curved up his lips. Before I could reply, a fifties something woman pulled him into a tight hug. ¡°Hey, darling. You have the entire kitchen all you want.¡± ¡°The entire kitchen?¡± I asked incredulously, shutting my mouth quickly the moment they froze. ¡°You brought a friend. That¡¯s a first.¡± The woman inspected me from head to toe, and she didn¡¯t bother hiding her first impression on me¡ªshe did not look so happy. ¡°Hi, I¡¯m River. A friend of Krystyn.¡± I held my hand out. ¡°Odd name. Wee to my little Uphill Luncheon. I¡¯m Anna.¡± She shook my hand firmly. ¡°Thank you, Anna. Nice ce you have here.¡± I looked around when they walked inside the Inn. My eyes widened to the view. There were a few wooden tables with chairs scattered around upied by chatty customers, and they looked like they were not from around here¡ªvacationers? Then a vastnd took my breath away¡ªit was the vineyard, huge garden from the other side, then trees¡ªlots of them. I thought they were fruits. I found Krew waiting for me. ¡°How did you find this ce?¡± ¡°I owned this. I changed my mind about developing it into amercial area. My brother wasn¡¯t exactly impressed with my idea, but who cares? I hired Anna and her husband to take care of thisnd while they made profits on their own.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re really one of a few good samaritans left.¡± For some bizarre reason, his kind heart to Anna and mother Earth warmth my heart. ¡°I help who deserves.¡± And where would I stand in this? I held that thought when I saw a sign. ¡°I think I just found a job.¡± ¡°What job?¡± ¡°That.¡± I pointed at the wanted server posted on the wall. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? This is an Inn. I waitressed before, remember? I could probably use a small room instead of going back to your house after the shift.¡± ¡°You reced your friend for a night. And no. Let¡¯s go to the kitchen.¡± ¡°Krew, I need a job.¡± ¡°I heard you the first time, River.¡± He groaned in annoyance, but I could care any less. This would be awesome to work here with a good view and fresh air. Or I could entertain customers. ¡°Good, because I need one.¡± ¡°Starting today, you work for me. Now could you give me some serenity even just for a few minutes?¡± ¡°I just¡ª¡± ¡°Just shut it, River.¡±Content ? N?velDrama.Org. 6. Hot 6. Hot KREW Her eyes filled with horror. What was she thinking? That I would put someone¡¯s life in my hands for her? ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone, and I won¡¯t have his blood on my hands if that¡¯s what you¡¯re concerned about. Getting him out of your life, that¡¯s what I meant to say.¡± My brother already made a point not to help me with River¡¯s case, but hiring people to do the job coulde in handy with the right price. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that despite what he did to you, you¡¯re still worried about him.¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to do something terrible for my sake.¡± In due time, baby. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my brother and I know a few people. And we won¡¯t be breaking anyws, River.¡± ¡°He must have been cursing me right now.¡± That reminded me of Kai¡¯s words. Is babysitting your new job now? My brow raised. ¡°Kai? We just fought when you came out of the house.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She walked towards my desk and checked what was in the bag one by one. ¡°Oh, my god. These may have cost you fortunes.¡± She stared at me for a few moments, gratified. ¡°You don¡¯t have to buy me a phone and a newptop.¡± ¡°Stop apologizing, River. We both made mistakes. And how do you exactly want me to contact you Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. while I¡¯m in the city? Besides, I¡¯ll just deduct them from your paycheck,¡± I half-jokingly said thest part. It would be fun to have someone to irk around other than my sister. I was starting to enjoy this little awkward reunion and a game we had, and we even barely started. ¡°Oh?¡± Her eyes grew big again, brightened, and she looked so pretty when she was blushing. I wondered how pretty she would be as she was sumbing to her orgasm beneath me. Fuck! ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked back. ¡°You swore.¡± ¡°Did I?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Never mind. Take your things up. I have work to do.¡± I tossed the notes for her to start working on my schedules, personal meetings, and lists of the tforms where I could investments a small fraction of money with zero negotiation. ¡°Do you always work?¡± Her curiosity was genuine. ¡°The reason why I did not hire an assistant is that I didn¡¯t want a distraction. I can manage just right alone.¡± Though, I have one huge reason that I¡¯d rather keep it to myself. Her face fell. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, and I know my job is just temporary. I¡¯m outta here before you even realize.¡± You have no idea that I want to fire you right now, but I have my reasons why I have to keep you an arm¡¯s length, baby. ¡°Anything Else? Coffee, tea? I can doundry for you, too.¡± Something glinted in her eyes. I rolled my eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not my maid, River.¡± You¡¯re mine to pleasure, not to do my fuckingundry. I groaned. Jesus, what¡¯s wrong with me? ¡°It¡¯s alright. I suppose I can use your kitchen?¡± She beamed at me, and I was sure as hell I was smiling right back at her. She would look perfect in my kitchen, but I would not get that through my thick skull. Besides, her stay would not be permanent, after all. ¡°Just¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t break anything. I get it the first time,¡± she just repeated my words. Fucking great. ¡°That¡¯s not what I was about to say. Just don¡¯t burn the entire house down.¡± ¡±I won¡¯t. Dinner is on me.¡± She raised the bags. ¡°Thanks for this.¡± That was it, she walked to the door, swaying her hips and her ass that I would love a squeeze. Fuck me. I released a deep sigh once River locked the door behind her. I threw my head back and stared at the ceiling. I never realized how exhausted I was as I tried to pull myself together when she was around. And this hadn¡¯t been even a day. Then I found a text message. Krys: Don¡¯t break her heart. My brows met. Krew: What made you think I would? Krys: You fucked up once. Don¡¯t fuck the second time. Krew: Such a dirty mouth. She¡¯s my employee. We made mistakes, and it was over. Krys: But you still have a thing for River. Krew: Is this why you put me up on the spot? I knew and felt that you had an ulterior motive when you called me, Krystyn. Krys: Of course, I always have, Yoda. I just want you to be happy. I know you could never move away from your unfinished business. You¡¯re still keeping tabs on her after what she did to you and what you did behind her back. Let¡¯s face it, what happened was not entirely your fault. Neither did she. Give it a try. For once, follow your heart, Teddy bear. Krew: Thanks for the pep-talk, baby sis. But that was an act of lust with alcohol influenced. It was a mistake. And until now, I still feel bad for what I did. Krys: My ass. What about the other things that you¡¯ve been doing for years? Care to exin? I bet you can¡¯t look away from your Prussian. Krew: I¡¯m busy. Get a life. Shoo. Krys: You. You get a life. Sex life. Enjoy a few orgasms. I shook my head. I was not going to discuss my sex life with my baby sister. Never. Krew: I love you. She¡¯s safe with me. I promise I¡¯ll keep my hands to myself. Now go and do something productive. I knew she was working even though she didn¡¯t have to, but our father had taught us not to depend on our trust funds. Krys: Oh, hell no! Keep your hands all over River. Keep her safe in your arms, in your bed. And don¡¯t use protection. I want to be an aunt. Jesus Christ! Krew: Go away! Bye! She still replied with heart eyes emoji. Iughed out loud. When was thest time Iughed this out loud? I did miss a life with overwhelming and earth-shattering sex life. An email notification popped up on my screen from [email protected]. My heart hammered in my chest to know it came from River. Hi Mr. Selik, I hope this email finds you well. I¡¯m River, your newly hired assistant. Please, don¡¯t hesitate to contact me through this email or my phone number anytime you need my assistance. P.s. I meant when I said earlier about doing yourundry, Mr. Selik. P.s.s You have my number saved on your phone, right? At your service, River Solen Rouge, Very original. I knew it was intentional. I could imagine her grinning as she typed this email. I clicked reply. Ms. Rouge, Very well. Start working then. P.s. Noundry P.s.s. Want to know your name on my Phonebook? Sent. Mr. Selik, I may have a few ideas. 90% of them are based on your extreme dislikes of me with 10% being inappropriate. P.s. As you wish, sir. P.s.s. I¡¯m dying to know Smartass. I was tempted to reply, but I could feel where it would end. I was not going to let it happen. At least, not right now because we just started flirting. A few minutester, she appeared at my office door, pausing for a moment. ¡°Sorry. Should I knock?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I answered quite immediately. ¡°I apologize. Your meeting with Mr. Chang is in five minutes.¡± Fuck. I almost forgot. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°My job, Mr. Selik.¡± She beamed. I inwardly groaned. River was pretty when she did that. ¡°Call me Mr. Selik again, and consider you just lost your job.¡± ¡°I keep that in mind.¡± She helped herself to the chair in front of my desk. She was still wearing the same clothes. I wondered if she even tried one of them. I had help from someone after I sent River¡¯s picture to her to estimate the size. She must have noticed me checking her out. ¡°Should I change?¡± ¡°No. Your clothes are just fine. Not that I need your appearance during a conference call.¡± ¡°Do you have a pen and a note or something?¡± ¡°Feel free, River,¡± I dismissed her as I prepared myself for a conference call with Mr. Chang in Hong Kong right now. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°What?¡± I met her blue eyes, and she looked so precious that it made my hand itch to frame her face and kiss her on her plumped lips. ¡°You look hot!¡± Her hand mped her mouth immediately. And I thought I just grinned. d you think so, River. Chapter 6: 5. Boss Chapter 6: 5. Boss KREW One thing I loved about being away from the city, I could focus on things at hand, making my work a lot easier. I had my office all to myself without someone barging in, and no traffic to piss me off and waste my time. Aside from the charities I supported, I found more ways to help in my own way and be the son Dad had raised me to be. When I met Anna and Caleb, I realized how fortunate I was to have certain privileges that others had not. ¡°Can I help?¡± River asked warily. Still, I tried and overlooked the fact that we were going to live under the same roof together. I fought with Kai over the phone when I told him about the woman he wanted to buy her silence was with me, thanked my sister. Considering she was a Rouge, Kai became raving mad. ¡°Make yourself useful. Just don¡¯t break anything.¡± I cooked in the kitchen once a week to help Anna feed her guests, and now I just found an annoying and hot as fuck partner in crime. Her kitchen was old-school to the stone oven she used. Anna was very hands-on and very particr with cooking styles. She used most of her spices from the herbs she nted in her garden. And I would like to think it helped save mother earth, not that I was an environmentalist. ¡°I don¡¯t know you can cook,¡± River remarked. ¡°Then you don¡¯t know anything about me. You should try to be a little bit less judgmental to someone you don¡¯t know shit about.¡± I was a douche again, but that was the truth. She did judge me even though she apologized profoundly. She silently picked up the knife. ¡°I hope you¡¯re not nning on using that on me.¡± Instead of answering me with her sass, she sliced some mushrooms in silence. I felt terrible that I couldn¡¯t keep my lividness to myself. She did change my life, though, but I learned to forgive her a long time ago, and she never had to ask. I wasn¡¯t also this douche. I used to keep my opinion to myself rather than sharing my emotions, but with her, I couldn¡¯t keep my mouth shut. Still reveling in silence, she grabbed the bread and took the poor thing¡¯s fate in her hands. ¡°If you wanna stay with me, and the fact that I¡¯m now your boss, we should learn how tomunicate. Don¡¯t think for a minute that I would be lenient because you¡¯re a friend of my sister. You¡¯re now my employee, and you talk to me with respect when I am talking to you. That¡¯s what an employee should do.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Selik.¡± Irritated countenance had crossed her beautiful feature. Call me Mr. Selik again, or you find your hands pinned above your head as I press you against this wall. Two hourster, we were in front of three tters full of Artichoke crostini with mushrooms. We had breakfast in silence. I spent an hour stealing nces at River while she appreciated the vast lush view around us. Up to this moment, I couldn¡¯t shake off how beautiful her eyes were, so mesmerizing that I could get lost with a little effort. And how could I ever forget what we did in that break room? That was one of the boldest things I¡¯d ever done in my life. I was supposed to ask her out and tell her what I knew, but things didn¡¯t go as I nned when she was so gorgeous and showing some interest. She was like an angel back then, so delicate, pure, and innocent as she stared at me with those big blue eyes, then I took that opportunity handed to my on a silver tter¡ªI kissed her. Here we go again. I couldn¡¯t believe I was bringing this up again. Finally, we arrived at my house, and still keeping her mouth shut. ¡°Meet me in my office in ten minutes.¡± I didn¡¯t likepanions a lot when it was only to waste my time and strength, but they said no man is an ind. I just disagreed with people doing the work for me when I could do it on my own, or when someone made decisions for me¡ªwhat to do even to clothes I should wear. It would only piss me off. She nodded before she headed upstairs. For thest four years, I learned a few things about River Rouge. She''d been working as an assistant in an advertising agency., had a roommate named Journey. She was a dog lover but didn¡¯t have a pet. She was a foodie, coffee lover, and disliked white chocte. Obviously, no boyfriend at this moment, but she¡¯d been on a date a couple of times. I wondered why it did not work, though. On the other hand, and as selfish as I was, I was pretty damn happy about it. A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts. ¡°Come in.¡± I kept my eyes glued to the screen of myptop, but I could feel her checking out of my office. Nothing too fancy about this room other than books on huge and tall shelves as a prop, the fern Anna gave me, a ck couch, and my desk. She didn¡¯t have to know that I had a secure man cave in this house with state-of-the-art surveince. When I told her I would keep her safe, I meant every word I said. After I moved in here three years ago, I hired apany specialized in building a panic room to do something for me in case of an emergency. That was how I had a high-end office equipped with bulletproof walls that were built to withstand intruders and even hurricanes. It had an ultra-resistant and imprable armored door with cutting-edge technology that included a biometric recognition opening. River had to gain my trust first to know that kind of ultra-secure sanctuary in this house existed, unless it was necessary, or her life could be in imminent danger. ¡°What is exactly the work you offered? Myst job was assistant¡ª¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°How?¡± I could sense her mping her mouth shut. Text ? owned by N?velDrama.Org. ¡°I did a background check on you.¡± One big fat lie. But she didn¡¯t have to know. ¡°You¡¯re a good girl. Not a single parking ticket? That''s impressive. I wondered if it has something to do with the cop¡¯s nephew?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s any¡ª¡± I rose my gaze, drilling into hers. ¡°Don¡¯t fuck with me, River. You screwed me once, and I won¡¯t let that happen again.¡± Asshole move, Krew. Jesus, how did I turn to be so presumptuous? Mom would not be so happy with me for how I acted toward a finedy. Her spine stiffened, face turned pale. She drew her bottom lip into her mouth. Damn, I¡¯d love to be the one to do that. Christ! I shifted my gaze off of her, or I wouldn¡¯t be able to drag it away any longer. River was like a Renaissance art. The more you kept it, the higher its value. Fuck. Now, I¡¯d fucked it up royally, and I could feel her slipping through my fingers, but I would not apologize for my action. Denying would only make a piece of shit. There was something about River the first time I looked at her picture like a warmth filling my chest¡ªa surge of protectiveness imbued inside me. It was always here somewhere deep down, until now. Now that River was here, I should have done something¡ªto impress her. Yet here I was, tragically failing. Instead, I was pissing her off for some stupid reasons¡ªmy little payback. Not that I could do anything about it--it was a human instinct, a defense mechanism. Forget trying to impress her, Krew. Shit. River was now my employee, and I would never fuck an employee. I had a code, and I had no intention of breaking it even if it was River lying naked in my bed. It was not that she wanted to or was willing to, she made it pretty clear the first time. Besides, she was here to hide from that asshole who was frightening her to death. ¡°My PI is already working on your case. I hope you don¡¯t mind me giving you the authority to search and watch your apartment if in case your boyfriend would appear. I can call someone to inform your friend if you wish to know that you¡¯re safe somewhere.¡± ¡°Thank you. He¡¯s not my boyfriend, and he didn¡¯t call. He just appeared out of nowhere¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now.¡± He wouldn¡¯t be any longer if he was. ¡°What matters is once we gather enough evidence to put your stalker in jail, you can have your life back, do things you want. As of now, everything you do is on my terms. You won¡¯t go out of this house without my permission. The security agency I hired is adding cameras to my property as we speak. Your safety is crucial to me. Among other things. I promised my sister to keep you safe, and this is what I¡¯m going to do whether you like it or not.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t afford¡ª¡± ¡°Not everything has a price tag, River,¡± I say drily. ¡°Contrary to your fucking beliefs.¡± She swallowed ufortably. ¡°I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Funny how three years of resentment had changed someone. You¡¯ve been apologizing a lot since you arrived.¡± ¡°I was about to say I¡¯m grateful.¡± A faint smile lifted the corner of her mouth. ¡°Whatever you say.¡± I lifted the bags from the floor and put them on top of the desk. ¡°These are for you.¡± I pulled out two boxes from my drawer. ¡°And these where you can start your job. You won¡¯t call anyone except Krys and me. Do you understand?¡± She nodded. ¡°I need more than that.¡± ¡°Yes, sir. I won¡¯t,¡± she replied quickly, almostical. ¡°No social media.¡± She was just like Krystyn, posting anything the camera could capture, until two weeks ago. ¡°I get it. No social media, no calls, email to friends, and whatnot. I kinda Wikihow to get rid of stalkers, but he still managed to find me.¡± ¡°Not anymore. Hopefully, if you follow what I told you. And knowing that your stalker is a police captain¡¯s nephew, it would be hard to get rid of him¡ª¡± ¡°Get rid of him?¡± 7. Charity Case 7. Charity Case RIVER Our dinner would have surprised me if he asked me a bunch of questions, but I was deeply grateful that he did not push the issue. We ate in peace. I couldn¡¯t live another day with another humiliation than I already had, so I limited my words to thank you and good night. I was not fishing for a I learn something about Krew that probably only a few people knew about it. He disliked pitch ck. His house was a showroom. I didn¡¯t have to wonder if he preferred lights on over lights off. Whoa! Where did thate from? Why did I have to think of something obscene? Utterly inappropriate for an employee. He also clearly detested mashed potatoes. He didn¡¯t drink anymore, and it was a real winner. He called it a night early, but for sure, he would go back to his boring office and work his ass off. I, on the other hand, went to my room after I helped to tidy up his spotless kitchen. Suddenly, nostalgia hit me in the butt¡ªmy life had drastically changed in a matter of a day when I decided to run away than facing my own nightmare as Krew would put it. I doubled check the windows and bathroom, drew the curtain close, and took a deep breath before I got into my new bed. I knew for a fact that I would not win against Briar. When I talked to the cops, they looked at me as if I was insane. Who would believe me anyway? I was a nobody. Considering what I had done to the Selik in the past, they must have heard about it, and they never took myint as a serious matter. Krew tightened his security systems, added cameras, and chose a room closer to his. I felt a lot safer around him than for the past few weeks of my life. I was grateful, despite what I had done to him, he gave me safety and security that anyone could never do. I checked the time on my new phone before I closed my eyes. It was only past ten. I ran and ran into the woods like a mortally wounded animal. It was dark. The icy breeze bristled against my skin, prickling me. The pine trees were thick, shadowing the light as I blindly ran through the path. The light seemed out of reach. I was running out of air, my lungs constricting. Under the new moon, a shadow kept following me. I could sense him¡ªhe was closer, so close that I could feel him behind me. I didn¡¯t know why I knew he was a man. It seemed that I knew him, but if there was one thing I was sure of, he was dangerous. I kept going. Something in my head told me to keep going, and that was what I did. Until I missed my step against the root protruded on the ground. I tripped, and he caught me. ¡°No!¡± ¡°Let go of me!¡± I was catching my breath, kicking, and hitting the muscr body that was holding me tight. Shockingly, he was warm against my cold skin, considering he was just chasing me, and he was real. The man was absolutely real, and the smell assaulting my nostrils was quite familiar. ¡°Hey, hey, hey. River, it¡¯s me.¡± The man pulled me closer to him, tighter that I could feel his own heartbeat. I could smell him. It was his smell¡ªpine, woodsy, andforting. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It was just a bad dream. Calm now. I would never let anything bad happen to you.¡± I was still shaking, crying, and terrified. I was also sweating, yet he was holding me tight, running his fingers through my hair. It was toote to realize that I was gripping him, hugging him back as if I found my haven in him¡ªwith Krew. Crap. I pulled away before I got too carried away. I was still grateful that he was here when I needed someone to hold on to. I wiped away the beads of sweat around my forehead and blinked away the embarrassment, but I didn¡¯t feel like it anymore as I saw the deep worry in his eyes. The light was already on. I woke Krew up, probably from screaming. I could feel my parch and aching throat as I swallowed. God, I can¡¯t do this. I couldn¡¯t keep doing this. ¡°I¡¯ll leave in the morning.¡± Those were the first words that came out of my mouth as I rubbed my eyes. ¡°What are you talking about? Why?¡± His brows knitted together, confused. ¡°I can¡¯t do this to you.¡± I pulled the nket up to my chest as things became more clearer now. ¡°Do what exactly? How long has it been, River? Have you seen a doctor? Have you talked to someone about this?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t discuss this with you.¡± I shook my head and pulled my knees, tucked my chin on. I felt ashamed. What was I thinkinging over to a stranger¡¯s home and asked for help? Clearly, I wasn¡¯t thinking straight. ¡°Why not? You¡¯re here with me now, in my home, and I can protect you if for once, you¡¯d be honest with me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be honest or you won¡¯t talk to me about it? Then how am I fucking going to help you?¡± His voice was firm. He rose from the bed, and I could feel he was vibrating with anger. ¡°Let me get you some water.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t involve you in my mess.¡± I rushed out my words. He paused and scoffed. ¡°Toote, don¡¯t you think? I already am the moment you stepped into my house. You have to trust me, River. If you want this stalking to be over, you need my help. Whether you¡¯d like to admit it or not, you need someone like me who has deep pockets and influence to help you against your stalker.¡± ¡°I know that. Why do you think I chose to go to Krystyn?¡± I spat out, though, I felt a surge of hope. ¡°Then let me help you. Talk to me. This isn¡¯t healthy anymore. You can¡¯t live like this, hiding from your predator while he is out there. You have to live a life free from distress, not always looking over your shoulder to make sure that no one is following you. Trust me, I¡¯ve seen my sister struggled. As long as you will allow me to help, I will. Now when did it start? Don¡¯t you ever think of lying to me again?¡± I met his ming eyes, then I remembered he did a background check on me. ¡°I dated him for over a month.¡± There was no use in lying anymore. ¡°Then he just appeared at my job without any calls. I did not remember telling him where I worked. One time, he was already in my apartment, cooking in the kitchen. Journey was really mad at me, telling me that I should have asked her first if I gave a key to someone. Which I never did, by the way.¡± ¡°I could tell that he knew a lot about you.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± Astounded, I stared at him. I realized Krew was right. Why didn¡¯t ite to my senses before? ¡°Then what happened next? Did he go physical? Did he force you?¡± His voice was raw, it stabbed me right into my gut. He was getting angrier. I could see how hard he tried not to, but blood was already rushing in his cheeks. I swallowed hard as I stared at him while he was impatiently waiting with tense and silence for my answer. ¡°No.¡± ¡°River.¡± He did not believe me. He red at me with distrustful eyes, his nose ring before he murmured something I wished I had a heightened hearing. ¡°I was attending an event with my boss, and he suddenly appeared uninvited. I almost got fired. Good thing my boss knew me better, that I would never lie when my job is at stake. She believed me. That¡¯s how I broke up with him. That¡¯s also how it started. I talked to him to stop seeing me, and he didn¡¯t take it pretty lightly. I changed my number, changed the lock in my apartment, but he still managed to get inside. I informed myndlord, but he did nothing. Then I talked to the police, but they couldn¡¯t move further for a temporary restraining order without any concrete evidence.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°Because he did not usually text or call me. I crashed at my co-workers for a few days, but I had to go back to my apartment one way or another. Thenst week, he found me, threatened to hurt Journey if I would inform the cops again.¡± ¡°That¡¯s pretty dire. I promise I would protect you as long as you stay with me. And obviously, you¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± I looked down. I didn¡¯t know how to thank him. ¡°Let me handle him.¡± Here we go again. ¡°What does that mean?¡± I couldn¡¯t let him do something drastic for me. I just wanted this stalking to end legally, not involving threats and blood. ¡°You just have to trust me, River.¡± I do. Far-fetched, but I did, even though he didn¡¯t believe me. I fell silent, staring wide-eyed up at Krew. ¡°Why? After what I did to you, why are you doing this?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not the first person I offered help.¡± Of course. Now, I was one of his charity cases. His answer was a punch to my gut. He did this out of kindness to help a helpless person. What else was there? He was a good samaritan¡ªthe good neighbor. ¡°I donated a huge amount of money to the advocates of abused victims in the country anonymously, so what a small money I could spend to help you lock up this psychopath before he makes another innocent life miserable.¡± He stormed out of the room and mmed the door. Great. 8. Protective 8. Protective KREW Before Kai made his decision, he knew the shitload of consequences if he took the bait our PR had put forward for the sake of thepany¡¯s future. Going ape was an understatement when I noticed Krystyn started to be irrationally suspicious. So I knew exactly how she felt when River went to her. The background check was bullshit. I made that up to get her attention, but I already knew many things about River more than I was willing to tell her. I contemted putting a camera inside her room, but it was a little bit too much. River would hate me if she found out I was willing to invade her privacy to keep her on tabs. So I came up with a better idea¡ª to transfer her into the room next to mine. That was how I heard her screaming. I went down to my office to check the feeds if she went out of her room after I left. It made me madder that she would choose to leave than epting my help. Why did shee all the way here if she would only give up because I found her horrified in a nightmare? Toote, didn¡¯t she ever think? And I knew she was notpletely honest with me. I might have to do digging on my own because I was almost certain she was not going to share the full details. It was five in the morning. I started working even if I wanted to get back to bed. Neither I was in the mood to work out. Before I could scroll with my email, my stomach grumbled, the door swung open at the same time. Good grace. River entered with a tray of steaming cups and a te of bagels. The smell of butter, sugar, and coffee filled my office, making me hungrier. And hungrier for something else. ¡°Sorry, I did it again.¡± She blushed crimson. Cute. I could watch her blush all day. ¡°Bad habits. I hope you don¡¯t mind me joining you for breakfast.¡± Oh, I don¡¯t mind at all. I ignored her apology. I rose from my seat, took the tray from her, and ced it down the coffee table. As I made myselffortable on the couch, I took a huge bite of bagel and grabbed the cup she offered. I realized it wasn¡¯t so bad to have herpany as long as she would keep her mouth shut and not minding my business. There was something about River that was so authentic¡ªshe had this genuity in everything she did, and I bet she did not even know it. But her presence and being extremely gorgeous were a distraction most of the time. It was harder to stay focused when I got a constant hard-on even if she was not around. ¡°You¡¯re hungry.¡± She settled beside me with a cup in her hand, clueless that I was thinking about her obscenely as frequently as possible. ¡°I used to wake up in the middle of the night for a cereal.¡± She looked surprised, staring at me with wide eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t see you a cereal guy.¡± ¡°What do you see me as a type of guy then?¡± I should not have asked her. My bad. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. She shrugged, sipping her coffee. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe you prefer a shot of bourbon instead.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t drink anymore. After¡ª¡± I gulped. I did not continue. I sipped my coffee instead. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize again.¡± I knew she still felt terrible. Although, it wasn¡¯t entirely our fault. It was Kai who made uplicated thingsplicated, but I had no n on telling her. ¡°Have you tried taking self-defense sses?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Great. Your ss will start in three hours.¡± ¡°What? I can¡¯t do that. I have a job to do, and I¡¯m kinda in a house arrest right now, remember?¡± ¡°Who said you have to get out of the house?¡± Her eyes grew bigger again. ¡°Oh? But I can¡¯t afford it right now, Krew. I¡¯m still¡ªbroke.¡± She shut her mouth. I sighed. She frustrated me sometimes. ¡°Why do you always have excuses for everything? I can¡¯t remember asking you to pay for anything, can you? I even gave you a job because that¡¯s what you want.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m grateful, but I can¡¯t just¡ª¡± ¡°I won¡¯t discuss this with you anymore. Take it or leave it.¡± Disappointed, I went back to my desk with my cup. Why couldn¡¯t she just say thank you or at least feel excited about the small things I did for her? She left without a word with the tray. Way to work with mymunication skills. Well, if she didn¡¯t want to talk, so did I. After hours of scrambling in the office, I went out. The entire house was dead silent. I wondered what was keeping her busy. It was Sunday and her day off. That was why I decided to call my instructor to give her self-defense lessons, but it seemed my effort just went through the window. I changed to shorts and shirt and headed to my mini gym, only to stop midway to see her and Aaren in a position that I wasn¡¯t exactly what I expected to see first thing in my gym. My blood rushed up from my neck to my face. My nose was already ring while watching Aaren behind River as he showed her the basic elbow strike and bear hug attack. The fact that Aaren was attractive, and women fell for his shits all the time, I felt something that I shouldn¡¯t. I should have just taught her myself. While I felt a terrible ache in my chest, I took the liberty to check her out. River was wearing yoga pants, showcasing her long legs. Her shirt was tied to the back, showing a good amount of her tone abs. I knew she was hot and incredibly sexy the first time I saw her, but her eyes had drawn to me the most like I was hypnotized every time our gazes met. Before I could say anything, she beamed at me. ¡°I took your advice.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± My response was not exactly pleasant, but she didn¡¯t seem to care. She turned back her attention to her lesson without replying. ¡°Hey, man,¡± Aaren noticed me. I trusted him, but I didn¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t do the same when it came to River. ¡°Wanna show River your moves?¡± His grey eyes glittered. Aaren knew he was better than me, but I learned a few moves and tricks. He was just around my age, but he had made quite a record, had won a lot of matches until he decided to be an MMA instructor. ¡°Sure.¡± I wouldn¡¯t say no, even if I ended up losing. We did warm-ups for a few minutes. ¡°Am I going to learn that too?¡± River was sitting on the floor, watching us with eyes filled with interest. ¡°In a few months,¡± Aaren replied. ¡°Why can¡¯t I do that in a few days? I¡¯m a fast learner, you know.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t about how fast you can learn,¡± I answered. After a few strikes, swings, kicks, and blocking, I never felt more alive, I countered attack Aaren¡¯s strikes. I was in a defensive move. Back in high school, I was helpless and weak. I was bullied and became the target of the jocks in the school. My family never knew what they had been doing to me until one night I didn¡¯t go home. I started to build my own world from now on. Knowing that someone was hurting River, I had this urge feeling inside me and the need to guard her with my life. I was confident she was safe in the house, but when I saw the horror in her eyes¡ªit was like a reflection of mine during that night. I needed to keep her safe. Maybe not only from that lunatic alone, maybe from any men who tried to hit on her. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine seeing her with another man. River is mine¡ª ¡°Hey, Krew!¡± Aaren knocked me down with a thud. Air trapped in my lungs. He locked me with his arms and legs until I could not move. ¡°You¡¯re distracted. You could have knocked me out.¡± I blinked and tapped my hand to the floor until he released me. ¡°What was that all about?¡± It was River. She was already towering over us, looking confused and terrified. ¡°Sometimes we both got carried away,¡± Aaren lied. ¡°Nothing to be worried about. We know what we¡¯re doing, but never do this to anyone. Self-control is important. Never show off what you got. Surprising your attacker is your best defense.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she replied, sounding unsure. Still catching my breath, I rose from the floor. River¡¯s face showed she did not buy it. ¡°You could have hurt him,¡± she said, following me as I grabbed the towel to wipe off my sweat. ¡°I didn¡¯t, did I? He does this for a living to not knock me out easily.¡± ¡°What if you did that to someone who didn¡¯t know anything about self-defense?¡± She was right. ¡°Your point?¡± What was wrong with me? I was losing my shit back there. River was doing something to me that made me reckless and irresponsible. ¡°Nothing.¡± It was not nothing. I could sense how scared she was. ¡°Tell me why would I hurt someone?¡± My tone was a little bit defensive. She gulped. Man, is there anything I did I didn¡¯t screw up? ¡°I¡¯m not gonna hurt you, River. If that¡¯s what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Now continue with your lesson.¡± I looked at Aaren. ¡°Go easy on her. It¡¯s her first day.¡± *** ¡°River?¡± I knocked on her door. When I heard no movement from the inside, I held the brass doorknob, pushed the door open as I helped myself in. Did she forget to lock the door? River was not in her room. I was quickly on alert mode, but nothing seemed out of ce. The window was still locked from the inside. ¡°River?¡± I called her name again. When she did not respond, I rushed toward the bathroom and froze at the same time. Toote to realize that the light in her room was on. Then she emerged from the door, looking wet and damn gorgeous with only a towel covering the delicate part of her creamy skin. Her hair was tied above her head in a messy bun. Her mile-long toned legs and her thighs were worth drooling over. There you go again¡ªthis stupid attraction crackled up like a fucking fire. ¡°What the hell?¡± She jumped, her eyes widened into circles, hands gripping the towel securely on her chest as if I was nning to snatch it from her. Well, that was a lovely idea, but not tonight. ¡°I-I.¡± I gulped like an idiot. ¡°I was looking for you.¡± I gulped again. My tongue thickened in my mouth no matter how I wanted to defend myself. I still haven¡¯t moved a muscle from where I was standing while I was gawking at her like a horny teenager just got his first yboy magazine. The more I stared at her, the more my pants tightened. Great. ¡°Can you turn around and let me get dressed? Or you can go now that you know I haven¡¯t broken my house arrest?¡± She was pissed at me. She had every right to. The more I pissed her off, the hotter she got though. Jesus, I was getting a little ufortable down there. I prayed in my head that she would not look down and notice something growing in my pants. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I called you twice. You should lock your door, River.¡± I turned around. ¡°I¡¯m safe in your house, right? And I remember locking the doorst night, yet you managed to get in.¡± ¡°This is my¡ª¡± I pursed my lips. Then I remembered why I was looking for her. I turned again, and the first thing I noticed when I was not drooling over her was the bruises on her arms. Jesus. ¡°Did that fucking lunatic do that to you?¡± 9. Quit 9. Quit RIVER ¡°Yet you told me there was no evidence. When I asked you if he ever hurt you, your answer was no. Why the fuck did you have to lie to me?¡± His voice was harsh and thick with anger, but something shed in his eyes that somehow surprised me¡ªguilt. Why would he feel guilty about something I lied about? Appalled, I wrapped my arms all over me with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. He¡¯d already seen the bruises, but it felt like I was protecting myself from deep scrutiny. ¡°No one would ever believe me.¡± ¡°I would if only you were straight and honest from the very beginning.¡± With eyes like razor des, he red at me. ¡°No one saw he did this to me.¡± I gulped as I broke my gaze. I knew he wanted to help, and that was the reason why I was here, yet I was the one who made this difficult for both of us. I felt ashamed, helpless, and weak that I had not felt like this in a long time. He let out a deep sigh. ¡°I will do anything in my power to put this to an end, River. You just have to trust me and help me to stop him. What he did to you is not something you should take for granted. He hurt you for fuck sake. What¡¯s with you and that lunatic that you¡¯re still protecting him? He might also need help. Don¡¯t wait until it bes his hobby; stalking and hurting women because you choose to keep your mouth shut.¡± Like always, he had a point. ¡°How would I even going to help you if you, the victim would not cooperate with me?¡± ¡°You have no idea how much I wanted to end this. I am haunted in my sleep. I lost my job, Krew. I left my friends, my life back there because I was terrified for Journey and myself. I am here with you, barging into your life when thest thing you wanted was our paths to cross again after what I did to you. I just...¡± I sighed exasperatingly. ¡°I don¡¯t know why the first person¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. I¡¯m here to help, and you¡¯re here with me. I mean, you¡¯re safe here in my house, Content ? N?velDrama.Org. but you can¡¯t hide from him for the rest of your life. You have to face him one way or another.¡± ¡°I know. I couldn''t be any grateful for doing this.¡± I smiled timidly as I looked at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t done anything yet.¡± ¡°Anyway, why are you looking for me?¡± He blinked away the emotion in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m going to see my brother.¡± ¡°And how I don¡¯t know anything about this?¡± ¡°Now you know. Just get dressed before you get colds. Meet me in the office.¡± He dashed out of the room. I felt a rush of warmth in my chest. I didn¡¯t know why. If I had not known he disliked me, I would have thought he cared about me, but on the other hand, he didn¡¯t want to add to his full te if I got sick. It¡¯s time to put my girl¡¯s pants on. I went to his office after I put on a shirt and shorts. I was about to say something when I noticed him in a white crisp shirt and dark pants. His hand was in his pocket as he talked to someone over the phone, and I got a chance to see his back, especially his pants-d thighs and his round ass. I shook that image away. ¡°You could hang a painting or two on your wall, you know.¡± Then I noticed his duffel on the couch. He was ready to leave. How about me? ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re leaving?¡± I slumped my ass to the couch. Crap! Now I sounded like a clingy wife. ¡°I told you I have to see my brother.¡± ¡°Is he okay?¡± ¡°Yeah. He said he needs to see me.¡± ¡°Is it about me being here?¡± He shook his head. ¡°No. It¡¯s personal.¡± ¡°I see.¡± I pursed my lips. ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± His dark brow arched as he nced at me. ¡°I mean, you hired me to be your assistant, yet I don¡¯t know your schedule. I didn¡¯t even arrange a flight for you. And when you leave, what should I do here at your house since my boss is too reticent to share his business meetings with me?¡± ¡°I said, it¡¯s personal. I¡¯ll be back as soon as I¡¯m finished dealing with my brother.¡± That¡¯s it? How long exactly? I rose from my seat. ¡°I know you woulde back, but¡ª¡± ¡°I will leave cash and my card with you. You can purchase anything online or order food. Use my name or fake name. Whatever.¡± I closed my eyes for a moment. Was I overthinking this or what? ¡°I don¡¯t need to purchase anything or order food, Krew. I¡¯m capable of feeding myself. I just feel like you don¡¯t really need me.¡± Crap. ¡°I mean, you don¡¯t really need my assistance. I¡¯ve never felt more useless than today.¡± ¡°Your job is to stay put. But on the other thought, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t need you.¡± Too stunned to think straight, I stared at him, perplexed, until everything clicked together. ¡°Call me if you need anything,¡± he added. I ignored the ache in my chest. ¡°Then why did you hire me?¡± ¡°Because you needed a job,¡± he answered without faltering. I crossed my arms over my chest. ¡°Then I quit.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± What the hell? I was expecting a little dismay, but I was the one who was disappointed. Clearly, he didn¡¯t need my service. ¡°I have to go. Call me if you need anything,¡± he repeated as he took his bag. He was going to leave me alone in this freaking massive house. My stomach did a nosedive. ¡°You can¡¯t leave me here. I¡¯ming with you.¡± As difficult as I already was, I stomped my feet and followed him towards the door. ¡°Krew!¡± ¡°What?¡± He stopped, his eyes zing with displeasure. ¡°I would bete, River. There¡¯s only one flight leaving for New York today, and I couldn¡¯t afford to miss it.¡± ¡°What about me?¡± ¡°You¡¯d be safe here, and you won¡¯t be alone. Garcia is gonna be here twenty-four seven until Ie back.¡± Who the hell is Garcia? ¡°Just let mee with you, please? I¡¯ll stay in the hotel while you¡¯re with your brother.¡± He groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. He breathed deeply before he looked at me. ¡°Look, woman. Don¡¯t test my patience. I did what my sister has asked me to do. I¡¯m doing my best to help you, but I can¡¯t babysit you for days. You¡¯re a grown-up, at least behave like one. Do whatever you want as long as you stay at home. Watch Netflix, do shopping, but no partying in my house, got it? You can paint your toenails, dye your hair, for all I care. When this is over, you can go back to your old life, but right now, anything you do is on my terms. While I am helping you, I still have works that need to be done. I have businesses and apany to run, I have meetings to attend. I have a family I need to see. If you can¡¯t stay here alone, then I can ask someone to help you with catching your ex. There are counselors and advocates to help you cope with this until I put your stalker in jail.¡± With wide eyes, I gulped. I started to get it now. He was struggling with my presence in this little sanctuary. I was the one who was invading his life, his privacy, and I was pushing him to his limit. I had not thought of how much I was a burden to him since I arrived until this moment. I was so dumb not to realize this sooner because I was the stupidest person who had ever lived. I had to bite my bottom lip to not burst in front of him when my chin started to tremble. ¡°This is the safest ce for you, River. I can¡¯t take you with me. I would be with Kai at the office all the time. It would just ruin my n of ending this stalking very soon if he sees us together.¡± I nodded even if it was hard. I wanted this to be over too. ¡°Good.¡± I followed him to the hallway until we reached the massive living room. ¡°Garcia, this is River Rouge. We discussed it over the phone earlier about the details. If anything urs while I¡¯m away, call me immediately.¡± He then faced me. ¡°River, Jonas Garcia. He will stay with you while I¡¯m in the city. Don¡¯t worry he¡¯s very much capable of keeping you safe. Just don¡¯t be a pain in the ass.¡± ¡°Hi, I won¡¯t give you a hard time. I promise.¡± I regarded Garcia with a tight smile. ¡°Miss Rouge.¡± He was in his forties, shorter a few inches than Krew, but he looked more dangerous in his dark suit and goatee, and he only gave me a small nod. *** After two hours with Aaren, I learned a few tricks. He also gave me pepper spray and a taser. I¡¯d like to think that was Krew¡¯s idea to give those to me. My body was sore, but everything he taught to me was worth the pain and sweat. Defeated and more pathetic than ever, I went back to my room and rethought what I did for the past four days. I hadn¡¯t done anything right. I knew that sometimes I had trouble making decisions, but for thest few days, I was worst. I just hoped this would be over soon so that I would be gone and out of his life for good. Is that really what I want? I had not thought that far. I must have slept longer than a nap. Someone was calling my name outside the room, which I recognized was Garcia. I got out of bed, still half asleep. ¡°Ms. Rouge, I just want to check up on you if you¡¯re okay,¡± he said followed by another knock. I opened the door, rubbing my eyes. ¡°Hi. I must have fallen asleep.¡± ¡°Dinner is ready. I reheat the meal Mr. Selik kept in the fridge.¡± ¡°Would you mind joining me?¡± ¡°I had dinner, Ms. Rouge. It¡¯s nine in the evening.¡± My eyes grew big. ¡°What? Are you sure your time is correct?¡± I picked up my phone on the nightstand. Garcia was right. ¡°Did I sleep that long?¡± ¡°See you down, Ms. Rouge.¡± A few minutester, I was eating alone at the long dining table. Honestly, I missed my rude and asshole boss. I was still hurt about what he said this morning, but he was right all this time. He had a life before I came, intruding into his life. He was just so upfront and rude sometimes. Okay, most of the time, but it hurt a lot like someone just pped the truth right to your face. ¡°Garcia, I¡¯m heading back to my room. You could use some rest, too. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night, Ms. Rouge.¡± I replied to Krys¡¯ message as soon as I got back to bed. River: Sorry for thete reply. I slept all day. Krys: I was with Krew earlier. He must have given you a hard time. Her words put a little smile on my lips. River: He¡¯s nothing but kind. If his rudeness was not counted. Krys: d that you two get along alright. But I know you would not tell me if he¡¯s driving you crazy. I know my brother. He¡¯s just been through a lot. Just give him some time. He¡¯lle around. River: What do you mean? Krys: Not my story to tell. He¡¯ll open up when he¡¯s ready. River: Sorry. NOMB. Krys: Just checking up on you. BIF no news on that creepy guy. River: Sure Krew is working on something. I wanted to ask her when Krew wasing back, but I held that urge when I remembered what he said to me earlier today. Krys: I¡¯m just a call away if you need anything. TTYL River: GIC. TFTT. Xoxo It became my pass time to double-check the doors and windows. I checked my pepper spray and taser under my pillow once again before I closed my eyes. My muscles were burning. I stirred. I was half-conscious when I felt as if someone was watching me. I froze. The hair on my nape rose as an icy sensation chilled my bones. Goosebumps crawled up all over my skin. My heart raced. My breathing quickened. I was too scared to open my eyes to see who would possibly be right in front of me, but my body betrayed me as I started to shiver uncontrobly. Whoever was watching me right now, he must have noticed that I was aware of his presence¡ªthat I was awake. 10. The Selik 10. The Selik KREW I developed a sick habit of checking my phone if River texted or emailed me, but I had not sent a message myself, so why the fuck would she do that after how I treated her? A man could hope, couldn¡¯t he? Well, at least as my employee or a housemate, she would care to ask if I arrived safely, but that did not happen. It pissed me off somehow. When Kai called me, I knew something did not add up, or he was up to something that he had to see T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. me personally. He didn¡¯t tell me anything other than he wanted to meet and could not wait till next week. His driver was already waiting for me in the airport to pick me up and send me to his office, or more likely, the driver he paid for me every time I came to visit. ¡°I¡¯m here. What¡¯s the emergency?¡± I didn¡¯t beat around the bushes. He was typing something on hisptop. The ss window of his office was the perfect view of skyscrapers. Either in a day or nighttime, they looked ster. ¡°You didn¡¯t do what I said.¡± He closed hisptop. ¡°You meant to say ordered? You maybe are my big brother, but you know my stubborn ass. Why¡¯d you even have to try?¡± His mood shifted from a businessman to a father-like. I knew he would y that card on me, but this time, I didn¡¯t give a damn. ¡°Should I do it myself?¡± Considering his gargantuan ego, ran a billion-dor empire, and lived in a skyscraper, he didn¡¯t even have to tell me. My stomach was in knots. ¡°Don¡¯t even try, Kai. I would always do what I thought was right. Try it sometimes. It feels good, you know. To do something off the book.¡± ¡°You¡¯re still ming me, aren¡¯t you? You did more than help. You gave something that she didn¡¯t deserve.¡± His voice was calm but enough to make every cell in my body vibrate. ¡°d you still remember what you did. And don¡¯t ever talk about it. Dad would have done the same thing if I was there in that bed.¡± My heart pounded like mad. I knew once we opened the topic about River would only reopen old wounds. This time I wouldn¡¯t back down. ¡°I was doing you a favor. For this family.¡± His voice sharpened. ¡°You did it for your own good. Don¡¯t use our family to cover your shit. Don¡¯t worry, I know how to keep a secret. Until now, she has no idea that you are the one who tried to pay her. Instead of resenting you, she¡¯s resented me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try pushing my button, Krew. You are my brother, but I¡¯m still older than you. And I have¡ª¡± ¡°You have what exactly that I don''t?¡± I cut him off, which he hated. ¡°You cut my connections, this and that, h h h because I can make my own decisions. And I chose to live a life away from the spotlight and your empire. Well, newssh, brother. I don''t give a shit. I am very much happy if you may ask.¡± I threw my hands in the air. ¡°What am I even doing here, Kai? If you could only be straight with your call, with your threat and warning, and told me to stop helping River because I did more than I already should, I could have just given you the answer right away. You should talk to your sister first. She was the one who led River to my house in the first ce.¡± ¡°Why her?¡± He rose from his chair, sat on the edge of his desk with his jaw locked. ¡°You won¡¯t believe a shit I say if you don¡¯t wanna see it right.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never forgiven me, have you?¡± He calmed a little bit, but he still didn¡¯t agree with what I was doing. ¡°Water under the bridge.¡± ¡°And after all these years, you still have a thing for her.¡± ¡°A thing? I don¡¯t have a thing for her,¡± I denied. ¡°She needs help, and that¡¯s what I do for my free time, helping people.¡± He inhaled a heavy breath, mocking me. ¡°I still don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°You should start seeing women from different perspectives, Kai. They¡¯re not the same. See, for instance, our sister. She didn¡¯t turn out to be like Mom.¡± I knew it was a sensitive topic, but I wanted him to see my point once and for all. ¡°Leave Krystyn out of this. She¡¯s our sister.¡± He tried to suppress his anger, but it was right there in his eyes. ¡°So as Mom. She¡¯s our mother, but have you forgiven her? Not all women are like your ex, Kai. It just happened that you met the wrong person at the wrong time. You deserved¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it,¡± he roared. ¡°Your mother¡ª¡± He was just about to burst into me. I knew my brother, but sometimes you had to let him see that everything was not ck and white. ¡°Is selfish? She made her decision to leave us, but did Dad do something and give her reasons to stay? No. He pushed her away instead. We all make bad and good decisions, but we can¡¯t exactly foresee the future. Mom did something she thought was right. And she¡¯s nothing like your ex. They have different reasons for leaving the people in their lives.¡± ¡°I said I don¡¯t wanna talk about them!¡± His voice thundered around the office, vibrating the surface that I thought it was a low-magnitude earthquake. Sometimes, he still intimidated me, but I couldn¡¯t let anything hold me from saying what I thought was right and voicing out my opinions, especially if it was about my family. ¡°And I don¡¯t wanna talk about River, either. As long as she¡¯s in my protection, she¡¯s off-limits. You won¡¯t touch her. Ever.¡± ¡°What is it in her that you can¡¯t stay away?¡± I tried hard not to roll my eyes. I locked my jaw hard not to remind him of what he did. ¡°I just want to help her. Krys had us when she had a stalker, while River had no one.¡± ¡°She has one, but there¡¯s more to it. Are you in love with her?¡± I shot him a ming stare. ¡°Why does it have to involve emotions when helping someone?¡± ¡°She ruined your life¡ª¡± ¡°You ruined hers! You tried to buy her silence for what? For the sake of your shitty publicity? You ruined Selik because of your own definition of extracurricr. You were womanizing, partying, and drinking to oblivion while Dad was working his ass off to put food on our tes. Then you ruined an innocent woman. You didn¡¯t even try to ask me what happened that night. You ruined her. She lost something that mattered to her because of what you did. And now she came to me, and I was trying to help her life back, and here you are wanting to get in our way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like her for you.¡± 11. Stun Gun 11. Stun Gun KREW ¡°You made your point the first time, Kai. Just stay away from her, or you will ruin our family for good.¡± I looked at him for a moment before I walked out of his office. I loved him and this family, but I couldn¡¯t keep him from destroying other¡¯s lives because of his grudge against the Rouges. I met my sister in the coffee shop after I left Kai. ¡°Looks like it didn¡¯t end well.¡± I sipped my coffee. ¡°You seem not so surprised.¡± ¡°I know my brothers.¡± I looked at her. ¡°You said you knew me, then you should know by now what I told Kai before I bolted out.¡± ¡°He told me to convince you to stop whatever nonsense you¡¯re doing. His words, by the way. He said that you¡¯d done too much for one woman.¡± ¡°Did he know that you were the one who sent River to me?¡± ¡°Yeah, but he didn¡¯t buy it. Can Ie with you?¡± ¡°Not now.¡± She stared at me as if she was trying to see something beyond what I assumed. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything stupid if that¡¯s what the meaning of that look is.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± She shot me a loaded nce. ¡°Because I was stupid once.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with doing something stupid once again?¡± I chuckled. A sly grin spread across my lips. ¡°You¡¯re not suggesting¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I am.¡± She beamed at me. ¡°I know you were affected by what happened three years ago. You liked her, and who wouldn¡¯t. River is like a priceless painting, but for painting, you just have to hang it on the wall for disy, and in her case, she needs certain care, touch, and connection. Ugh, do I need to exin?¡± ¡°She¡¯s too fragile right now.¡± ¡°You¡¯re dumb.¡± ¡°I just fired her.¡± ¡°What?¡± she yelled, which got customers¡¯ attention. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need her.¡± ¡°Are you crazy?¡± She narrowed her eyes at me. ¡°I don¡¯t need her to work for me. I want her to get the job she¡¯s passionate about.¡± ¡°You need to gain her trust, Weirdo. And firing her won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°I have something on my sleeves, you know.¡± ¡°What are those? Name one at least.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± ¡°Because you don¡¯t have any. Didn¡¯t I tell you earlier that I know you well?¡± She was right. I was just annoyed by River asking me too much that I didn¡¯t have time to exin. That was why I fired her. And for God¡¯s sake, she couldn¡¯t be my employee. ¡°Just wait and see,¡± I said confidently. A few moments had passed, Krystyn was still staring at me. ¡°Just say it, Krys.¡± ¡°I think she used to love music and art.¡± I looked at her for a few seconds. ¡°You¡¯re kidding, right? How did you know?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s stalking her for three years, and you didn¡¯t know crap about River?¡± She looked surprised. ¡°Four years. Maybe she didn¡¯t like art anymore.¡± ¡°The first thing that caught her attention was the grand piano. I noticed how River run her fingers on the keys. It was like, she was walking down memoryne. She also noticed the painting on my wall, and I could see it in her eyes, Krew. River said something like the painter has a hidden and unrequited desire towards the model.¡± *** Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. Garcia kept me posted every three hours. River had not gone out of her room. I felt terrible for snapping her out before I left. It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen that way, but my brother pissed me off. Now that I made things clear with Kai, I didn¡¯t give a damn about what he would possibly see between River and me. I was supposed to fly back tomorrow, but after I bought something, I took the early flight back home. It was four in the morning, and I had an hour to ready the room that I didn¡¯t use anymore. Then I went to check River once I was done. Since I had the key in case of emergency, I took the liberty to enter her room. I turned the light on her nightstand, settled, and waited on the sofa at the corner. A strange feeling settled in the pit of my belly as I looked at her in astonishment, still sleeping soundly in her bed, and she looked just like an angel. I kept my gaze pinned at her for a moment, deciding whether to join her in bed. I''d love to touch her, feel the softness of her creamy skin against my thumb, the silkiness of her hair against my fingers without waking her up, but I decided on the less creepy part, just watching her with my scorching gaze with an intensity of a thousand suns. She stirred and sharply stiffened as if her blood froze in her veins. I knew she was awake and must have noticed that she was not alone anymore. I did not realize that I was scaring her until it was too She quickly sat on the bed with a stun gun in her hand, pointing forward. I chuckled. ¡°How do you exactly do that to me when I am here at least two meters away from you?¡± ¡°It works for at least ten feet.¡± ¡°So you did your assignment. But I hate to break it to you, baby. What you have is a stun gun. It only works in a short-range. I believe taser is a brand name.¡± ¡°Whatever. Oh, god,¡± she said breathlessly. She sighed and rolled her eyes. ¡°Should I ask how did you get in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I scared you.¡± ¡°That¡¯s creepy, you know. How long have you been there, watching me asleep?¡± She paused. ¡°Wait. You¡¯re back!¡± Augh burst from her chest. I thought it was out of excitement. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her reaction. ¡°Missed me?¡± She rolled her eyes again. ¡°We didn¡¯t end on good terms yesterday. I still feel bad for being ungrateful.¡± ¡°Is that why I didn¡¯t receive a single hi from you the entire day?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure how would you feel about texting you.¡± She shrugged. ¡°And you chose to sleep the whole day.¡± ¡°Well, given that I didn¡¯t have a job for the first time, I really don¡¯t know what to do with my life aside from eating and sleeping.¡± She rose from her bed, wearing only a white shirt and shorts, and her nipples were poking against the thin fabric, causing a ball of electricity to zing along my nerve endings. I froze in my seat with my face ming. My heart was pounding. My sense of satisfaction came to an abrupt end the moment I sensed what wasing next. I felt it in my bones, or rather groin¡ªmy stupid cock just like what I saw. 12. Bark 12. Bark RIVER Something had shifted in the air. Krew seemed kinder, cool, calm, and collected¡ªnot that I was eyes as he pinned his gaze at me. I felt a sudden self-consciousness. The fact that my nipples were reacting to the way he looked at me, I wanted to squirm and dance a Kumbaya at the same time that he finally saw me¡ªnoticed me. He hadn¡¯t done anything to me, yet I was burning inside out. Those reactions I bottled up for years were just started uncorking. If I wouldn¡¯t do anything to suppress it, I might burst into a me. My face was probably crimson when I came to realize that opportunities like these didn¡¯t always drop at my doorstep. I was here for a reason--for his help, and not to satisfy whatever unsated needs I had. But let us be honest, I missed Krew even though he fired me. Now that I was jobless, homeless, dimeless, I badly needed him the most. So I had to agree to his own terms whatever it took. But then he left the room without a word before I could present my proposition. Or more likely, he bolted out. Did I just scare the big bad wolf? Interesting. After I freshened up, I knocked on his door, hoping I could talk out of him. Or my true intention was to see him shirtless. Jeez, since when did I be so desperate? But I knew the fact that Krew had a Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. body of a god, and he always smelled good as if there was a mind-alterponent in his cologne. Unfortunately, he was still in his clothes, now wearing a big bad wolf look. I swallowed down my self- dissatisfaction. ¡°Yeah,¡± he answered with disinterest. Wow. He was definitely back to his old self. Now I regretted knocking, and all I wanted was to dash out and disappear out of his sight. ¡°Um.¡± Think, River. ¡°I was thinking to make us breakfast.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t wanna get some rest?¡± No matter how hot he was, he also looked tired. ¡°Sure you could use a long nap.¡± I wanted to hit myself. I sounded so stupid. ¡°I have work to do.¡± Of course, he always had. ¡°Okay.¡± I left before I could blurt out something inappropriate. I made us smoky red pepper crispy egg toasts. Just the moment I putting them on the te, Krew emerged to this massive ssic kitchen with all his glory and chiseled features. I poured coffee into two cups while he sat on the stool, wearing a serious expression, still speechless. ¡°So you have no n on hiring me again?¡± Feigning innocent, I sat across him and took a huge bite of my breakfast. ¡°No. I have something else I want you to do.¡± He didn¡¯t even look at me, and I felt like losing my game. I was surprised by the disappointment I felt. I did my best to ignore it and focused back on my breakfast. ¡°Anything.¡± He groaned his disagreement. ¡°Don¡¯t just agree if you don¡¯t even know what I would be asking from you.¡± ¡°After what I did, look where I am right now. I think we were bound to meet again. It¡¯s like our fates loomed together, but I¡¯m still hoping I met you in different circumstances. At least you don¡¯t hate me, or there¡¯s no awkward reunion between us.¡± Gah, what did I just say? Desperate much, River? ¡°I mean, as long as there¡¯s no involvement in murdering someone, I¡¯m okay with that.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all in the past now. None of us could have foreseen it. And I don¡¯t hate you, River.¡± Well, that was a relief. But I was more surprised that he seemed okay with this arrangement after he came back to see his brother. What did they talk about anyway? ¡°What is it you¡¯re asking me to do?¡± I sipped my coffee. My face was on fire when he caught me staring at him. ¡°A lot.¡± I did my best to hide my shock. ¡°I said anything. So long as you can help me get a restraining order against Briar.¡± I breathed through my nose. ¡°Funny how I could still trust you and your family after what happened. But it doesn¡¯t matter now, right? As you said earlier, it¡¯s all in the past, and thest time I checked, I am the one who¡¯s in need.¡± He rose from his seat. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I was more confused, but I followed him to the hallway. He unlocked another door next to his office. ¡°What¡¯s in there?¡± I asked before he could flick the light. Wow. I was mesmerized to see what was before me. I didn¡¯t have any idea Krew could paint. The right question was, was there anything he could not do? I guessed he was right again. I didn¡¯t know anything about him at all. There were tools, paints, palettes, empty canvasses, smock, but they looked untouched. ¡°I want you to paint.¡± I was sure I heard him right. And it was an order. He was looking at me with those dark and burning eyes. ¡°What? Me? Why?" I blinked when he did not look like he was joking. "I-I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, you can. At least you did this before.¡± Of course, he knew. He mentioned a conducted background check. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± ¡°I have to pay my bills. I¡¯m not a professional, and I couldn¡¯t make it a living,¡± I told him half of the truth. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be a professional to paint, River. If it¡¯s your passion, it¡¯s still deep inside you, running in your veins. You can¡¯t just forget the things that you loved. Once you hold the brush, your heart, your mind will take you there.¡± Easier said than done. ¡°Sounds like from your experience.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t paint.¡± His voiceced with sadness. Krew was like a huge puzzle to me that I didn¡¯t even know where to begin solving. Something terrible must have happened to him. I could see it deep in those dark eyes. I just didn¡¯t how to crack him open. ¡°I will if you will tell me one thing about you. Per painting,¡± I traded. ¡°This is not up for negotiation, River.¡± Of course. My mouth dropped open before I spoke. ¡°Then I won¡¯t. You can¡¯t just order me around to paint when I stopped years ago.¡± ¡°You will, River.¡± He pressed his lips together. I suspected it was to stop blurting out something. I red at him. ¡°Or what? You won¡¯t help me? Then don¡¯t! I know helping me doesn¡¯t reallye in handy. Since I can¡¯t pay you, you¡¯re making me do something in return¡ªsomething difficult that I have to open old wounds.¡± ¡°And here I thought you would do anything!¡± We stared at each other for a few moments, then a long unnerving silence followed. ¡°Screw you and overbearing self, asshole. I¡¯m getting out of here.¡± I walked out of the room. Before I could go far, he had me in his grip. All air had left my lungs as I gasped. He loosened his touch to a featherlight, but every inch of my skin felt him. My pulse roared. My heart was in my throat as I saw the zing desire through his dark eyes. Oh, my god. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± His voice was thick and urgent. ¡°You still don¡¯t get it, do you?¡± ¡°Get what exactly? Because thest time I checked, I am not working for you anymore, so you don¡¯t have anymore the right to boss me around.¡± ¡°Why did you stop?¡± His question was dead serious while my brain couldn¡¯t think straight in shock of what I just found out. My bottom lip started to tremble as I tried to formte my reasons without breaking down, crying. I was aplete mess. My eyes stung as I fought hard not to show him my weakness. ¡°Do you really wanna hear it? Oh, yeah. Why don¡¯t you ask your freaking self?¡± Through my blurry vision, Krew stared at me for a moment. I didn¡¯t know exactly what he was up to-- why he had to remind me of my failure. He swallowed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. You should be celebrating. Your family did a pretty bang-up job in ruining my life, my career, my future, and my passion.¡± 13. Trapped 13. Trapped KREW Yeah, I¡¯m screwing it up. And so far, I have had no luck in unscrewing it. River was right. I ruined her life. I couldn¡¯t let her go when that asshole was still atrge. I needed to make things right with her. I needed to see the sparkles in her eyes just like the first time I met her. But I was running out of options. I stayed in my office, working the whole day when finally, maybe there was some good news. The family PI rang me up. ¡°Any luck?¡± ¡°Mr. Witley did this to a young woman back in high school. Unfortunately, that girl died of illness. I think he has unrequited feelings, and Ms. Rouge became his next target. I got an old photo of the girl. They happened to have a resemnce.¡± Son of a bitch. I locked my jaw hard not to curse. Now I got it. However they met, it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence. It was well-nned. He must have been stalking River before they went on a date. It was disturbing. Now I got another reason why I should keep River in my home. I saw how she paled, how her lips trembled, how she looked so powerless, and that caused such a strong surge of protectiveness to flood through me. I steadied myself before I spoke. ¡°Did he appear at River¡¯s apartment?¡± ¡°So far, he hasn¡¯t. He went to work every day like nothing¡¯s happened.¡± ¡°Then how do we get him caught? I want to stop this, Aeckley.¡± I scratched my growing stubble. This lunatic had not run out of luck just yet, but he would. I would make sure of that. ¡°I understand your frustration, Mr. Selik.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you do. Find something that we could use against him. If you have to take drastic measures, do it. I¡¯m willing to gamble as long as it won¡¯t be traced back to me.¡± ¡°I may have a suggestion.¡± Now I got his attention. ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡± ¡°You might not gonna like it¡ª¡± ¡°Just say it.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll use Ms. Rouge as bait.¡± ¡°The fuck we will. River just had a nightmare two nights ago, and I can tell that it has something to do with that asshole. I feel it in my bones that she¡¯s terrified. Otherwise, why would shee to me when thest person she should be approaching is me, who destroyed her future? She¡¯s jumpy and paranoid, and then you¡¯re suggesting to use her as bait.¡± ¡°Just listen to me first. This isn¡¯t that bad.¡± ¡°How is it not bad when putting her in danger?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only suggesting. I think it¡¯s best if you both show in public. Like, go out on a date to lure Mr. Witley out.¡± His idea was appealing, but I couldn¡¯t gamble River¡¯s life. The risk of her getting kidnapped by that psychopath was high. The problem would only get worse instead of ending it. ¡°It¡¯s not such a bad idea. Besides, Mr. Witley may change his feelings once he sees you both together.¡± ¡°May? Then what? He will look for another River lookalike? There could be another way without involving her as a mousetrap, Aeckley. Do something. You couldn¡¯t be working for my father for too long if you¡¯re not good at your job. I¡¯m sorry if I ask too much. I know this is not a part of your job anymore, but please, tell me you can help me.¡± I had huge respect for him, and he was the one who had been keeping tabs on River over the years. ¡°If you wanna make this easy and fast, think about it. While you do the act, I will inform the authority. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. This way, we can catch him in the act.¡± He had a point, but maybe there was another way to catch him. ¡°I still feel unease about the idea, but I¡¯ll think about it.¡± ¡°Sure, Mr. Selik.¡± Time flew fast. I was caught up in work. It was past dinner, and I hadn¡¯t eaten anything. Before I could rise from my seat, my heart jumped up to my throat as the lightning struck the sky, reflecting through the ss window. Darkness, roars of thunder, and the horrifying strikes of lightning frightened me to fucking ass. A cold snap of fear seeped through me before I could do something. Thest time it happened, I wasn¡¯t alone. My security team rushed to this office to put me in safety. This time, I was with someone who knew nothing about me, about my fear, and I was taking the risk to keep my secrets secret till she was gone. I breathed deeply and moistened my lips when I started to hyperventte, but it didn¡¯t help. My mouth went instantly dry. I squeezed my eyes shut to push that image out of my head, fighting not to panic, but the thunder roared unearthly, startling me in my seat. My heart pounded, and I felt a sudden chill. I opened my eyes, trying to keep my gaze focused on the wall, but strikes reflected from the ss windows again. My fear felt like there was acid eating down through my flesh, prating my bones. That horrible night started toe shing back in my head. Instantaneously, I was boneless and breathless as I felt the excruciating fear of a heartbeat at a time. I only had to turn around, punched a key, let my iris scan, but my legs already gave in. I slid down the chair as my sight started to fade to ckness. I breathed deeply, just like my therapist taught me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I scrambled to my knees, crawled blindly over to the bookshelf, but my head was spinning. I crashed down. I gave up, sat on the icy floor, coiled myself, and shuddered. I was sweat profusely. No, no, no. The unearthly roar startled me again. Something had vibrated on the top of my desk, diverting my attention to that judder beside my head. It was like a life-saver. With a trembling hand, I searched blindly for the phone. On the screen, River¡¯s name shed. She must have been scared like me. I squeezed my shut as I answered the call. After wrestling with my shaking bones, I tried my voice to steady. I didn¡¯t want her to think less of me, that a simple rain and thunder could make me piss off in my pants. ¡°Krew?¡± Oh, god, her voice. ¡°It¡¯s raining.¡± That was all I got before my voice cracked. A strangled noise rose from my throat before I could say another word. ¡°It is. Can you believe it?¡± How could I when I was not capable ofprehensible thought? ¡°I¡¯m at the window, looking outside. It looks lush green, a little bit dark, but I could still smell the earth and the rain through the locked window. When I was a kid, Mom always nagged me not to get out while raining. She believed that I could get colds. When I grew up, I didn¡¯t listen anymore. I loved scribbling something against the misty ss every time the rain poured. Weird, huh?¡± She continued babbling until I couldn¡¯t keep it up anymore. Still horrified, I kept my eyes closed as I listened to her. Though I grasped nothing, her voice seemed to calm me down and rxed my tight muscles. I thought back to the first time I took a glimpse of her at the coffee shop, and how beautiful she was when she looked deep into my eyes the first time we met face to face, and how passionate the kiss we shared was. ¡°Keep talking.¡± ¡°How about you? Do you have any unforgettable stories about the rain?¡± Fuck. Why did she have to ask about the fucking rain? Of all the things she wanted to know about me, why had something to do about frightening my ass? I could feel the sweat pouring from my head, and I was still shaking. I could feel the iciness seeping through my skin, creeping into my bones, making me shake further. I couldn¡¯t talk without stuttering, so I bit my bottom lip hard. Her face vanished. ¡°Krew, are you there?¡± ¡°Yeah. I don¡¯t¡ª¡± The thunder roared again, startling me. ¡°Fuck!¡± My chest heaved. ¡°I¡¯m so¡ª¡± Goddamnit. God! My fingers trembled. Everything shook. I dropped the phone down the floor. Please, don¡¯t do this to me. God, please. My shirt was soaking with sweat. I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡°Please, don¡¯t leave me here. Don¡¯t leave me alone. I¡¯m scared, please! I¡¯m scared. Please,e back ¡ª¡± ¡°Krew! Krew!¡± It was my name. Someone found me. Yes, she finds me. River finds me. ¡°Krew. Hey, are you okay? Look at me. Krew, look at me.¡± My exhtion was still heavy as I let my eyes fly open¡ªI met the gaze of the most beautiful woman I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay.¡± Her words were so calming. So I kept my focus on her eyes and voice. She must have noticed how terrified I was over the phone. She framed my face with her small warm hands, wiping off the sweat dripping from my head, swiping my hair away from my forehead. ¡°You¡¯re not alone. I¡¯m here. It¡¯s okay to be scared of thunder and lightning. Hey, look at me.¡± She forced me to focus on her eyes. What she didn¡¯t know was I could spend days looking at her blue eyes alone, adoring, losing deeper, and never get tired of them. ¡°Who wouldn¡¯t? It just roared so loud, grumbled, and shook the earth.¡± She chuckled, a faint smile curved the corner of her mouth. I just stared at her like a scared cat, while she looked so breathtaking like an angel. She then sat beside me, holding and squeezing my trembling hands. I finally realized that it wasn¡¯t the first thing she found out about me. ¡°H-how? What else did you figure out?¡± Despite the chill running through my veins, I felt my cheeks were burning. ¡°You don¡¯t like to be in the dark. Despite you being a big bad boss, being scared of something doesn¡¯t make you any less of a man. In fact, it¡¯s something that makes you you, wed, yet you have great qualities, and you should know that you¡¯re far more impable than any men I¡¯ve ever met.¡± 14. Trial and Error 14. Trial and Error RIVER Krew calmed down a little bit. His cold hands stopped from shaking, but I could still see the horror in his eyes that I wished I could take it away, but how would I if I didn¡¯t know the reason? Perhaps, a traumatic childhood? My heart ached for him. Poor boy. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine a boy Krew looked frightened. I wished he could just share it with me. I wanted to know him deeper, and I was willing to gamble and share something with him. I had hope that he would open up to me, but I knew sharing something that we wished didn¡¯t happen was difficult, especially to someone we barely knew. It was just unfair that he seemed to know a lot about me while I knew nothing about him. I wanted to trust him despite everything that had happened between us. I wanted to trust him with everything, but how? When he couldn¡¯t even consider me as his friend? ¡°You¡¯ll be okay.¡± I ran my thumb on his cheek as I kept my gaze on his beautiful terrified eyes. It was somewhat rming how I could easily see how vulnerable he was. I guessed he let me in this time. He let me in even for a moment like this. So I let my guard down. Courage pulsated through me. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to be scared. It can¡¯t hurt you. It can never hurt you, and I am here. I would never leave beside you,¡± I reassured him despite there was no guarantee. I still wanted to help him even in return, I earned nothing. ¡°I-I know.¡± He finally let go of a deep and long shuddering breath. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me, River.¡± I felt the grip loosening from him, and I let his hand go. He tentatively reached out to my face. ¡°I know you won¡¯t leave me.¡± His voice dropped to a whisper. He moistened his lips as he dropped his gaze down to my face, settling on my lips. Tension suddenly thickened in the air, filling the room. Then I felt that I knew what would happen next. I forced to suppress a shudder, but the anticipation had made my sense hypersensitive--his breaths sounded louder. My heart thudded against my chest as he ran his thumb on my cheek down to my lips. Heat radiated through my flesh as I watched his reaction¡ªhis pupils dted, darkened even more¡ª almost obsidian. His gaze darted back to my eyes, then dropped down to my lips again. He hadn¡¯t kissed me yet, but the anticipation of feeling and tasting those lips again was killing me. Oh, god. I was burning and melting inside. Just do it, Krew. He sighed heavily in relief, and he just killed my anticipation into the icy cold as he released his hands, looked out the dark window, and inspected if the rain had stopped. Buzzkill. I inwardly groaned and leaned against the desk. I now felt the cold of the floor against my skin. What was I thinking? He was drunk when he first kissed me, and right now, he wasn¡¯t. There was no way he would kiss me even if he was scared shitless. He hadn¡¯t said anything, and I couldn¡¯t say anything as well. My skin was still vibrating with our almost kiss encounter. I was in heat like a cat not a moment ago, and now I was chilling cold. I got the cue. When I got my courage back, and he seemed okay, I rose to my feet and walked out of the office before I could curse the hell out of him and break our arrangement. The worse part was, he didn¡¯t even stop me.Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I drew the curtain and got back to bed. A few momentster, before I put myself in slumber, I heard a soft knock on my door. ¡°You know you have a key, Krew. I¡¯mzy to get up,¡± I yelled enough for him to hear me. I was optimistic. I knew it was him. The light from the hallway entered the room, then his shadow hovered. ¡°You left,¡± he said. His voice was low and deep. ¡°You seemed okay back there.¡± I didn¡¯t make a move even if I could sense his closeness. I was not ready to let him see an ounce of my embarrassment. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, but I¡¯m an adult.¡± He flicked themp on the nightstand before the bed set deep. He must have taken the liberty to sit on my bed. ¡°And?¡± ¡°I almost pushed beyond my limit.¡± He sounded regretful. Is that how he called it now? Screw him and his self-control. ¡°And you¡¯re here because?¡± I still didn¡¯t turn to see his face. ¡°I regretted that I didn¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°You said it yourself that you were okay.¡± ¡°I was okay from the rain, but I wasn¡¯t okay for making a move then stopped myself.¡± I snorted. ¡°I should get used to it by now. It wasn¡¯t the first time.¡± He moved, the next thing I knew, his hand was draping around my waist. ¡°You know this won¡¯t work, right?¡± How stupid? This was exactly what I wanted, yet my brain was fighting against my lust and heart. ¡°A man could try.¡± Try harder. Maybe by then, I give in. ¡°Krew¡ª¡± ¡°Let me just stay here for tonight, River. I promise I won¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± Oh, please do more than stupid things like touching me, kissing the hell out of my stupidity, and this time, I won''t stop you. ¡°I keep myself out of the nket.¡± That did it. All my self-pity had vanished. I turned to face him and meet his eyes. ¡°Tell me what happened.¡± His face contorted. He pulled his hand and stared up at the ceiling. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± He became cagey again. ¡°Then you shouldn¡¯t be here. I can¡¯t just open up while you get your choice not to. Whatever those stupid things you wanted to do would only remain stupid. I could see it in your eyes that you wanted me, but if you won¡¯t trust me or share a portion of yourself with me, then I¡¯d rather be alone in this bed right now. You knew how your way in, I¡¯m sure you can find your way out.¡± I turned away from him and closed my eyes despite my racing heart and disappointment. When he knocked on my door, I was thinking of ending this eventful night more eventful. Haha, a girl could dream. Maybe we could cuddle till morning, but it turned out to be worse. ¡°Good night, River.¡± I felt he was leaving. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t trust me and won¡¯t ever trust me. Then there¡¯s nothing much to say.¡± ¡°I do trust you. After all this time, I felt like I more than trust you. You can see me through the dark, River. But if you would ask me to open something I kept buried deep, I can¡¯t. It¡¯s not easy.¡± ¡°You can, but you won¡¯t. I¡¯m not telling you to drop everything into me. You could just say, you¡¯re not ready, and I''m fine with it.¡± He sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m not ready.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not hard, is it?¡± I looked at him. He nodded. I patted the space on the bed. ¡°Help yourself before I change my mind.¡± Weid there in silence for a few moments. He got in the nket,id t on his back, and stared up at the ceiling again. I could sense that he was struggling with the thoughts in his head. The silence stretched further. All I could hear was our breaths until he spoke. ¡°I want to experiment.¡± I cocked my brow as I nced at him in confusion. ¡°Experiment?¡± ¡°I feel something when I¡¯m with you. The same feeling I had when I met you years ago. I like it. I want to explore further.¡± ¡°I like it too,¡± I admitted. ¡°How many times you¡¯ve tried it?¡± He gave me a side nce. ¡°I had a girlfriend back in college. Then she couldn¡¯t ept the idea of me not telling her my secrets. Since then, I have never dated anyone. Just casual, one-night stand.¡± ¡°When did thest one-night stand happen?¡± He shifted, his lips curved up. ¡°Tell me first something about you that I didn¡¯t know yet, then I will tell you.¡± ¡°I had two boyfriends if I wouldn¡¯t count my stalker. One in high school and one in college. I didn¡¯t have much luck going on a date since that thing happened.¡± His brows dropped. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I wouldn¡¯t be here lying next to you if I have someone.¡± He sighed. ¡°I guess that makes the two of us.¡± ¡°I feel the same way too, Krew. It felt like I was drawn to you every time I looked into your eyes. It felt like I could trust you.¡± ¡°No rush. We can make it casual. Let¡¯s get to know each other. We¡¯ll see where it goes when this stalker issue is over.¡± ¡°All right then.¡± ¡°Believe me, River. I trust you. It¡¯s just, it¡¯s hard for me to talk about it. But if you have patience in me, you would know everything about me in no time.¡± I filled the gap between us. ¡°Good thing I have all the time in the world.¡± 15. Kiss 15. Kiss KREW Something had pushed me to follow her, perhaps my feelings or the urge to kiss her when she seemed on board before she left without notice. I knew for a fact that once I entered her room, I left my restrictions outside, those walls that I built, and my secrets were floating up, ready to resurface, but were we there yet? Fuck no. I had a lot of rules I had to break and things that weren¡¯t ready for her to find out or someone would hate me. I also needed to know if whatever between us was not just some sexual tension, and if she was ever ready to ept me and what I had done in the past. Jesus, she was not here for a week, yet I was already ready to gamble. But the moment our lips crashed, I forgot my doubt, my restrictions, my promise, were reced by those feelings I kept inside me. Our lips moved in sync as if they precisely knew what to do as if they¡¯d done it before. It felt good¡ªsurreal, and the only thing I could think of¡ªwhen she offered me to take my chance, I took it. I couldn¡¯t take it for granted when it was offered to you on a silver tter by the person you dreamt of kissing for years. Right now, she made my night fantasiese true. My hand slid from her waist up to the back of her neck as I pulled her closer to me, she gasped, opened her mouth, inviting me in. My tongue found hers, and I started a slow dance, tangling with hers. She moans, sending vibration to my now unruly hard cock, still imprisoned in my jeans. I knew I had to hold it longer¡ªmaybe River wasn¡¯t ready for that. River kissed me with the same passion, her hand exploring my body that I knew had belonged to hers since our unfinished business that night. It had been long, but my body still knew her. She slid her hand up the edge of my shirt, dragging across the bare skin of my abdomen. She ran her fingers against the ripples of my muscles, hardening against her touch, and so as my cock. I could feel that she felt my hardness as she danced her body against mine, pressing, grinding, seeking relief from the aches we both felt. God, this woman was a seductress. She weakened my knees that no one had been capable of doing it to me. I moaned against our mouths as she dragged her hand down to the waistband of my jeans. I was dying in anticipation¡ªI panted, but something was stopping me, and so did she. She might have noticed me as I stiffened against her. I left her mouth and dragged mine across her face over her ear. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have you all over me, or my mouth all over you, but not tonight, baby.¡± I could hear her catching her own breath, shuddering as I licked the sensitive part on her neck up to her earlobe. She pulled her hand away from the waistband of my jeans, cing it on my face. ¡°You¡¯re right. Sorry, I got too carried away.¡± ¡°Never apologize for what you did. Unless it¡¯s not what you want.¡± I kissed her lips again. ¡°Our kiss is better than I have imagined in four years.¡± ¡°Three years.¡± I opened my eyes, and we stared at each other for a few seconds. There were no awkward moments between us other than the pools of liquid lust still brewing in her eyes. I was sure she saw the same thing in me, and there was no denying that was what we both wanted. ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± I didn¡¯t know why did I ask that question. On the other hand, I didn¡¯t think I could sleep right now. ¡°Are you?¡± ¡°No. I want you to do something for me.¡± Her brow arched, eyes glittered with wickedness. ¡°Does it involve touching and kissing?¡± ¡°Might be. If you seek to touch me.¡± I could feel my lips curve. ¡°What are you up for me to do?¡± ¡°y guitar for me.¡± She must have not expecting that from me, but I¡¯d been dying to watch and listen to her y. She gulped. ¡°Please?¡± I barely begged, but a man could hope, and I would be d to do so if, in the end, one of my dreams woulde true tonight. ¡°I haven¡¯t done it in a while.¡± ¡°I know. Is it too much?¡± She shook her head. ¡°No, but I¡¯m not a pro.¡± ¡°Just y a few keys.¡± ¡°Chords.¡± ¡°Chords.¡± I got up from bed in excitement once my cock softened a bit. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± It didn¡¯t take a few minutes. I was back with the guitar I bought. River was already sitting on the bed. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw what was in my grasp. ¡°It looks new, Krew. Did you buy it just for me to y?¡± she said half-jokingly. I joined her in bed. ¡°What if I did?¡± I pecked her on the lips while she was smiling at me, then I kissed her forehead. It was unexpected, and it felt affectionate as if we were already in a long-term rtionship. ¡°Damn. Lucky me.¡± Lucky me, and you still have no idea. I took the guitar off the sleeves and gave it to her. She did a few flicks, adjusted the tuners like a pro before she ced it on herp like she did a thousand times. ¡°That guitar is made for you.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You just wanna see me y.¡± ¡°Damn right, I''m dying. Please, do the honor.¡± I winked at her and sat across her, knees touching hers. I wanted to see her as she was drawn to what she loved to do. I wanted to see the smile on her face. I wanted to listen to her passion as she yed a song. ¡°Any request?¡± ¡°You choose for me, River.¡± She did a few riffs then the familiar melody came to life. After a few seconds, she changed it to a new song as if testing her fingers and her memory. Then she yed something I heard before, but the title may have slipped from my memory. My heart warmed. I could watch this woman all day, and I wouldn¡¯t get tired of it. Whatever drew us to be in this bed together, I knew it was more than just lust or a promise. It was more than something that we both wanted to figure out. When I saw her at the airport, my first thought was to run away, but at the same time, something deep inside me stopped me and drew me back close to her. I¡¯d never been more certain of anything in my life that what happened that night was not just a coincidence. Certainly not on my part. We were bound to meet. We were bound to experience certain things. We were bound to build beautiful things together. If it did not happen that night or today, I was sure it would happen tomorrow, after tomorrow, or in the future. Or maybe, it was already happening. Who knew? ¡°Krew?¡± I blinked at her voice. ¡°You¡¯re out for a moment.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always here, baby.¡± Fuck me. Did I just call her that? She smiled. Sweet baby Jesus. ¡°This chord is B#.¡± She strummed, her head nodded to the rhythm, and she was more radiant as she was drawn to the music she yed. ¡°I started ying when I was six. I used Ukulele my father bought for my birthday.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t y any instruments.¡± ¡°You yed a lot of hearts, though.¡± My brows knotted. ¡°No. I¡¯m not my brother.¡± ¡°So I¡¯ve heard,¡± she said with a smile as she continued picking. ¡°What¡¯s this song? Why does this sound so familiar?¡± ¡°ckbird,¡± we chorused. Her eyes grew big. ¡°Wow. I don¡¯t see you into ssic rock.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, but my father loved the Beatles.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t? So as my folks,¡± she said. I noticed a hint of sadness in her voice. Something in those words brought unsettling emotion in me that I wished I could share with her. ¡°Sing for me, baby.¡± Fuck me now. That was twice in less than ten minutes. Before I could add another word, she yed Tears in Heaven, and she did it effortlessly. All I could do at this moment was to listen with astonishment to her angelic voice while she sang her heart before me. Once she finished with the first chorus, she stopped. ¡°Why that song?¡± She shrugged. I knew there was more than to that shrug, but I didn¡¯t have to pry. I didn¡¯t want to ruin this beautiful moment. That must be her parents¡¯ favorite. It felt personal as if that song meant so much to her. My smile widened when she yed Jolene. ¡°Damn, I like that song. Forget that I asked you to paint. Just y this damn guitar, and you made me the luckiest fucking man on earth.¡± Well, couldn''t I be any Content ? N?velDrama.Org. cheesier than tonight? ¡°My dad loves Dolly Parton. I think you two would get along just fine.¡± ¡°Sorry about your mom, River.¡± God, I was a terrible person. My stomach knotted fiercely. ¡°Thank you. Now let¡¯s sing together.¡± ¡°Maybe, you¡¯re gonna be the one to save me.¡± I joined her even though I was out of tune. Her voice could calm the stormy sky. And I loved how she did her own version. ¡°You gonna be the one to save me. And after all, you are my Wonderwall.¡± 16. Suppressed 16. Suppressed RIVER It had been years since Ist yed guitar, and it felt good to hold it again. As soon as I started picking a few chords, it felt like I had never stopped¡ªthose chords, the feelings, the thrill of listening to my voice and melody. When I enjoyed ying and singing for him, Krew had decided to call it a night¡ªhe cut the fun. I couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t argue with him when he said he had a lot of things to do tomorrow. It wasn¡¯t a surprise. He always had, considering he was running a billion-dor empire on his own. Since I was not anymore his employee, it was a disadvantage on my end¡ªI had no more idea about his schedules, and I couldn¡¯t exploit his hospitality than I already had. I met his gaze and was about to say something when he already shook his head as if he just read my mind. ¡°You¡¯ll get paid. You will receive the same amount you signed in your paycheck.¡± ¡°This is not the job I want. I mean, don¡¯t get me wrong, I love ying, but I want a proper job. It feels like I¡¯m cheating if I receive my paycheck for doing nothing and just for singing and ying for you. I T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. could do this for free. All you have to do is ask.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll do more than that.¡± He winked at me. I thought I just died. I couldn¡¯t believe I felt like a teenager when Krew was around. ¡°I just don¡¯t want you to be jobless while you¡¯re here, waiting for this issue to be over.¡± ¡°Any news?¡± I wanted to know the progress. Since he fired me, I hadn¡¯t heard any updates from him. ¡°It will be over soon.¡± He rose from the bed, staring at me with those unreadable dark eyes again. He rebuilt his walls up. Just like that, as if he had his own switch. ¡°Can¡¯t wait to get out of here?¡± More likely, I don¡¯t know what our rtionship holds when this thing ends? Does this thing between us have to end as well? Whatever is there. ¡°It¡¯s not like that, but I missed Journey, and I was so excited to help her n her wedding before this happened. I missed my job and my life outside your kingdom. I can¡¯t stay here for too long and be your burden.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pretend that I did not hear that.¡± ¡°About our kingdom part?¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°You would never be a burden, River. Don¡¯t worry I have a n on how to end this quickly. I received news from our family PI yesterday, but I can¡¯t tell you the details until he got concrete evidence to put your ex in jail or issue him a restraining order.¡± I sighed and nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to. d to help, and I want to prove to you that you reached out to the right person.¡± He had to say that, and it melted my heart into butter in a hot pan. ¡°Now get some rest.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t stay?¡± Oops. Why did I have to ask? Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to stay. We may kiss, but it didn¡¯t mean we were dating. Experimenting, remember? It was just a kiss between two consenting adults who enjoyed each other very much. Gah, who could I have fooled? Only myself. ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± ¡°I get it. That kiss is just a kiss, and it won¡¯t happen again.¡± He sighed, smiled warmly at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t regret kissing you. I enjoyed it, and I knew you felt something too, but once I stay here¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t continue and make me more embarrassed.¡± I rubbed my face with my hands as I felt the burn on my cheeks. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel that way. I¡¯d like to kiss you again. In fact, I¡¯m nning on doing it before I walk out of this room.¡± He drew a deep sigh and crawled back to bed. ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you into something before we discuss this.¡± Now I perceived something that I might not be going to like, or I was not ready to deal with it. ¡°I was only asking. I didn¡¯t mean to rush something. I¡¯m not that kind of woman, you know. It doesn¡¯t mean we kissed, we can do something else, duh.¡± Oh, god. I should really stop talking right now. ¡°We talked about it earlier, River, and I haven¡¯t changed my mind, but I¡¯d like to talk to you about us before move forward.¡± He joined me inside the nket and slid his left arm under my head. With his bicep supporting my neck, he stretched out behind me and tucked his leg above mine. His right arm rested on my waist. Closing my eyes, I listened to the thundering of my heartbeat for a few minutes. How could I get some sleep like this when I knew Krew was here with me, our bodies pressed together, generating so much heat between us. ¡°Get some sleep now, River.¡± It was an order. His breathing stirred my hair, his nose nuzzling against the bare nape of my neck. I released a shaky sigh and bit my bottom lip. I almost moaned out a load of how it felt so good to be cuddled in his arms. I pulled out my hand inside the nket, cing it above his. Behind me, Krew stiffened, did a groan as I inteced my fingers with his, but neither he pulled away. ¡°Good night,¡± I murmured. ¡°Night.¡± I tried not to make his presence a big deal. Besides, this was what I wanted, but my heart hadn¡¯t been normal a bit, and it wasn¡¯t mine the only thing I felt¡ªI could feel his own heartbeat against my back, and so as his crotch¡ªhis growing erection poking my butt. Shamelessly, I flexed my back, grinding, searching for a little friction. Krew stiffened again, squeezing my hand with his long fingers. ¡°River,¡± he warned roughly into my ear. His warm breaths fanned over the sensitive skin on my neck, lighting fire all over my nerves, causing a moan to slip from my lips. ¡°You¡¯re not making it easy for me.¡± ¡°Krew.¡± I pushed my ass back, gaining a thundering roar from his chest. ¡°Not tonight, baby.¡± He just denied me. My face and my skin got even hotter. At this time, I was embarrassed. I sighed desperately. I had no idea what came into me when I was the one who said that I was not the kind of woman. I guessed it would be beyond awkward after we fucked each other, we stayed on the safe roof and pretended it never happened. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m not usually like this.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m not usually like this either. Suppressing my needs, I mean.¡± My mouth was dry as the desert. ¡°If it makes you feel better. It is the first time I initiated sex.¡± ¡°Then I make sure I would be thest you could initiate sex. But tonight is not the right time, River. The next opportunity I got, I would be the one to seduce you into bed with me. I make sure you¡¯d never forget our first time together. Don¡¯t ever feel bad about showing me what you want.¡± ¡°You made me already feel better.¡± I turn over, slipped my arm around his waist, tucked my head under his chin as I snuggled against his solid body. He was wearing a shirt, but I could feel the heat radiating from him. I could feel the restraint vibrating deep from him. His heart was a jackhammer. I still felt relief that we both felt the same. I would say I was impressed. I¡¯d never met a man who denied himself what he wanted. Or maybe I wasn¡¯t what he wanted. No, he wanted me. I could feel it. He said it himself. He only had self-control stronger than the Great Wall. ¡°River, don¡¯t overthink.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± I inhaled deeply, keeping his scent in my lungs until I couldn¡¯t hold it any longer. Krew was not huge and bulky but ripped with muscles and strength, and I couldn¡¯t feel an ounce of fat in his body. He felt delicious, hot, and pure maleness wrapped all around me. And he smelled so good, so addicting, so mind-altering. I could stay in his arms forever. 17. Terms 17. Terms KREW What was I thinking? I should be walking out of her room. I should be putting a distance from her. Instead, I was falling under her spell. Isn¡¯t it what you want, asshole? Isn¡¯t it the reason why you¡¯d been stalking her for years aside from the promise you made? She knew she saw and felt that I wanted her. I would never deny that fact, but it didn¡¯t change a thing that I didn¡¯t do rtionships, at least, not anymore, and worse, I couldn¡¯t do it with her. Before I knew River, it was already hard, and I didn¡¯t want to answer and exin to every woman I slept with about my own demons. It was just that I didn¡¯t want to see that look in their eyes¡ªthe judgment or the pity when I told them what I¡¯d been through, but I didn¡¯t see those judgments when River managed to get through my walls, but still, I was only helping her, and the tremendous fact that I had to keep away from her. When this thing was over, she was going to walk out of my life. Would I allow her to walk away? I hadn¡¯t thought about it. When she fell asleep in my arms, I gently pulled away from her even if it was harder than I thought. I couldn¡¯t and shouldn¡¯t get used to this emotion. I couldn¡¯t gamble my heart. I knew for a fact that I would hurt myself in return, yet here I was, taking all the risk. River was the only woman who made me feel vulnerable, weak, and strong at the same time. I watched her for a moment as I sat on the sofa in the corner of the room. She slept soundly. Before I could turn into a creepy stalker, I walked out of the room and never looked back. *** The sun rose, and I¡¯d never woke up thiste in the morning. I always had been an early riser, but I felt different. I felt some weight had lifted off my shoulders for some unknown reason. Faint voices from the kitchen that I recognized were Anna and River. Yeah, I missed visiting Anna because of the weather, and she often came to my ce to bring me some of her harvests and goods. ¡°Good morning, Krew,¡± Anna greeted me with a full smile on her face. ¡°Morning, Anna, River.¡± They were both sitting on the stools with cups of coffee and a te of freshly baked pastries. ¡°Sorry if I missed it yesterday.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t suggest youe and visit me yesterday with that weather, dear,¡± Anna said sweetly. ¡°I won¡¯t miss it next time.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, honey.¡± Something in her smile that I may find odd before she raised her brows, gesturing to the woman beside her. ¡°Take River with you.¡± I shook my head slowly. I knew precisely what she was doing. I poured myself a cup of coffee when River was about to slide from the stool. ¡°I got this. Every time I visited Anna, I made a point not to treat her like a visitor. Besides, this is my home, my rule.¡± ¡°What he meant today, darling, is, he may have deep pockets, but he is not like someone who got what he wanted in a snap of his fingers. That¡¯s what I love about him. This man has a heart of pure gold.¡± ¡°Oh,mon, Anna. You didn¡¯t see me like that when you first met me.¡± I sipped my coffee, grabbed a baked good from the te, and took a huge bite. Her own version of Southern biscuits was a lot better with kyyers, buttery, and with tender crumbs, and it was pure delight in my mouth. ¡°You¡¯re right. That¡¯s what I exactly told River earlier before you appeared.¡± So they were like old buddies now. Thest time I checked, she looked at River with disapproval. ¡°It¡¯s not a secret the people looked at me more intimidating with their first impression, but what they didn¡¯t know was that I was a softie inside.¡± I grinned at her. At my peripheral vision, River bit her bottom lip as if she remembered something. ¡°I second to that,¡± River agreed with a chuckle. ¡°Anyway, I have to get back.¡± Anna slid from her stool. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Well, I have a lounge to run. I have a few visitorsing over. Just checking on my favorite person in the world.¡± She walked closer to me to kiss my cheek, and she had to tiptoe to reach my face. She was a short old fe, but I loved her like my own mother. ¡°She¡¯s a keeper,¡± she whispered before she stepped back. ¡°Let me walk you out.¡± We walked side by side after she bid goodbye to River. ¡°Tell me about her?¡± she asked when we reached the living room. ¡°What to tell you? I don¡¯t know much about her aside from the fact that I am helping her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I saw when she talked about you as if you two have known each other for a long time.¡± ¡°I met her once. We had a short conversation. Thenst week she came to my sister, asking for my help.¡± ¡°You missed the vital information, Krew. Why did shee to your sister when you only met her once?¡± She stopped and looked me in the eye, squinting to see what she missed out on. ¡°It¡¯s kind of a long story.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to tell me. I¡¯m not up for gossips. What I wanted to say is, there¡¯s something more between you two than River wanted to bed or you to bed her.¡± What the fuck is she talking about? What else did River tell her about me? My cheeks burned. Are we these opened books? My brows knitted together. I was about to tell Anna that she misread everything, but did she though? I mped my mouth shut again. ¡°I could feel the sexual tension in the air the moment you came to the kitchen. There must be unsated desire left hangingst night.¡± Oh, fuck me now. ¡°Okay, old woman. Enough about me and River. Nothing¡¯s gonna happen between her and me. I¡¯m not up for a rtionship at this moment, and she, on the other hand, is not into one-night stands. So, don¡¯t make your hopes high. Now that I made things clear, stop looking at me like I just lost my sanity.¡± ¡°Oh, you noticed it on my face?¡± She hit me on my arm. ¡°See? That¡¯s exactly how obvious her reaction was when she saw you. And you have to believe me, Krew. True lovees only once. Don¡¯t miss the opportunity because you don¡¯t do a rtionship.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Kids nowadays. Who invented that one-night crap?¡± I ended up bursting outughing with her one-night crap. Once we reached the gate, she looked at me with concern in her eyes. ¡°Whatever demon you¡¯re keeping deep inside you, you have to let it out somehow. If she still sees you the same person as you are, there¡¯s no reason she¡¯s not worthy of a rule to break. Trust me, Krew, I know when it¡¯s real, or if she¡¯s just after what¡¯s in your pocket.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. Take care, Anna. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡± When I came back to the main door, River was already leaning against the wall. I looked around to make sure no one was watching us. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°I went out with you once, and nothing happened.¡± ¡°You¡¯re stalker might have traced yourst whereabouts. You don¡¯t wanna validate it to that lunatic that you¡¯re here with me.¡± ¡°Is it about your secretir or the possibility of the paparazzi would find you with a stranger at your house?¡± ¡°Nothing of some sort, River. I don¡¯t care about them anymore. I only care about your safety.¡± ¡°I thought this is the safest ce in the world for me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna gamble your safety over your stubbornness. Now, let¡¯s get inside.¡± I gestured for her to enter the house. She red at me before she got in. ¡°We need to talk.¡± I wanted to ignore my heart that started to beat wildly, but I had to face the fact that she might turn down the offer and wouldn¡¯t talk to me again, aside from the other reasons and something had up my sleeve. Jesus, I wished I could pull this off without getting any of us hurt. ¡°Sure. Been waiting all day.¡± I didn¡¯t miss the hint of sarcasm in her voice as she followed me. I unlocked my office door, gesturing for her to enter. ¡°You left.¡± ¡°I know, but not until you fell asleep.¡± ¡°Do you always do that?¡± I locked the door and faced her. I had to tell her the truth and be honest with her whether she liked it or not. ¡°Yes. I always left after I had sex. I don¡¯t intend to cuddle or pillow talk when my intention is pretty clear. To have sex, nothing more.¡± She gulped. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me. ¡°And this is what I wanted to talk to you about before we can continue what we leftst night.¡± Was I an asshole? Yes. Was I trying to make my point clear? Absolutely. She gulped again and licked her lips. ¡°Can we just have sex and don¡¯t make it awkward between us?¡± You absolutely have no fucking idea how much I wanted to do you in every corner of this house. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna make thingsplicated between us, River. We like each other. I can see that. Even blind people can feel the tension between us, but that¡¯s it. Just sex.¡± ¡°So your assurance is nothing but a lie.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you about that. Nothing has changed.¡± ¡°But?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°On my own terms.¡± ¡°Then no!¡± I held her arm before she could grab the doorknob. ¡°Hear me out first.¡± ¡°No. Do I look like a woman who follows terms just to have sex with a guy who I wanted to sleep with for over three years? Even if you¡¯re thest man on earth and humanity depends on us, I won¡¯t do that. I¡¯m not that desperate. Sex as you call it and maybe just sex to you, but it still has to have emotions to share and feel between two people. I can¡¯t just have sex with you and be like a stone. So no.¡± That¡¯s it. She walked out, mming the door in my face. Great. I pulled out my phone and dialed the number on my speed dial. Before I could press it against my ear, it answered from the other line. ¡°We need to talk.¡± 18. The Worlds Biggest J 18. The World''s Biggest J RIVER Jerk. ¡°Jerk!¡± What the hell was he thinking? That I was this desperate to sleep with him? Why did ite with the terms to bed Krew Selik¡ªthe world¡¯s biggest jerk? Why did he make sex soplicated? Who started this freaking mindset? Because he knows you¡¯re not into one-night stands, idiot! My anger was still all over the ce, clinging in the air as I paced back and forth in the room. Oh, god, I felt like cheap, a whore! I was going insane. There was a lot more to that term under the surface, though that I didn¡¯t think I would figure it out anymore because of how atrociously I reacted¡ªI jumped to the conclusion as if it was a damn federal crime. Once this stalking issue was over, I could go back to that life I left, and I could have sex with any men I liked that I didn¡¯t have to deal with the consequence. I sighed helplessly. Who could I fool? I was exaggerating this. I must have hit my head pretty hard that I confused myself. Hmm. On the other thought, maybe for a change. Besides thest rtionship I had, it didn¡¯t end pretty well. I ended up being stalked. Great, River. Now what? It was Krew Selik¡ªthe jerk we¡¯re talking about. I liked him a lot to not involve my emotions during sex. I, for one, if it was just sex, I couldn¡¯t fall for him, T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. but it was impossible. So I refused to give myself dissatisfaction, and it was much safer to inquire to my reliable source. I grabbed my phone and dialed Krystyn. ¡°Hey, girl. How¡¯s my favorite person in the world?¡± She was always gleeful¡ªone thing I liked about Krystyn. ¡°Liar. Least favorite you mean?¡± Herugh resounded from the end of the line. ¡°Okay, my brothers will kill me if I put you on my number one. Should I say the third favorite?¡± ¡°That would do.¡± I bit my bottom lip. Was I really going to ask her? ¡°What is it, River? I can hear the wheeling of your brain from here.¡± I blew a huge breath before I answered. ¡°Does your brother into some kind of a sex contract?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± She burst intoughter. I tried hard not to be unaffected because, honestly, herugh was contagious. ¡°Please?¡± ¡°Are you sure we are talking about the same person? My brother, Krew Cassiel Selik? No way! Why? What do you mean?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in knowing about Kai¡¯s sex life, Krys. But are you sure?¡± Oh god. Oh, god. Please, say no? ¡°Yeah. I would have known about it, you know. I mean, we share secrets. Wait, do they have to share it with their baby sister? But I¡¯m sure I would know about it. They¡¯re my brothers after all.¡± God, this is getting so damn awkward. Then what if he was not into that kind of arrangement? God, I¡¯m not ready to hear it. ¡°Why does he stay here and not in one of your properties or any penthouses in the city?¡± "Ah. Krew is different. He''s Kai''s counterpart, and he takes his privacy pretty seriously. He loves serenity than city noises and pollution. I can¡¯t me him. After that incident, he despised attention. He shut down all his social media ounts and started living in his house. Despite being the major shareholder of Selik Enterprises, he chose to work behind the desk and built his ownpany. Cassiel Holdings was built. Why¡¯d you asked? Did he offer you a contract?¡± After all her seriousness, she giggled in the end. ¡°No. I feel like he¡¯s holding something, a deal, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Krew never had a rtionship in years. Thest time he had, I knew it was college days. Unlike my brother Kai, his rtionships are quite known to the public, you know that. I think you should ask Krew himself. I¡¯m sure he has no reasons to lie.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°So, you two never had sex in days?¡± Oh, god. Not again. Anna happened to ask me if I was in a rtionship with Krew. ¡°No. Why? Did you expect me and your brother would--you know?¡± ¡°Are you kidding me? I was expecting it on the first day.¡± Oh, god. Kill me now. I shut my eyes close. ¡°Silly. Doesn¡¯t it feel awkward to talk about your brother¡¯s sex life?¡± ¡°Nope. They¡¯re grownups, and it¡¯s normal to have sex as long as they¡¯re responsible.¡± ¡°I guess so. I never had siblings, so how would I know?¡± I rolled my eyes while I felt like Krystyn had an ear-to-ear smile. ¡°Good for you because if you have one Selik in your family, you¡¯re doomed, girl.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Thank you for telling me and for your honesty.¡± ¡°Go ahead, girl. Talk to your man.¡± ¡°God, this is weird.¡± Sheughed again. ¡°You made it weird, silly.¡± *** I stayed the whole morning in my room. I yed guitar and sang. I wished Krew was here as my audience, but he never followed me to exin what the fuss was all about. But then, it was my fault that I didn¡¯t even give him a chance to exin. Now, my sexual life in this house was over. I had to wait to be out of here to get a man to blow my brains out. I soft knock stopped me from ying. I grinned like an idiot that it finally came to his senses to give it another try. Then to my disappointment, it wasn¡¯t him. ¡°Aaren?¡± My eyes grew wide. ¡°We have a lesson today. Did it slip in your mind?¡± I gave him a guilty look. ¡°Kinda. Give me a minute to change. I¡¯ll be down in a minute.¡± ¡°Sure. Take your time.¡± I sighed in dismay as soon as he left. We started our lesson as soon as I finished running on a treadmill. We practiced what I learnedst week. Though I still managed to forget some tricks, in due time, I could master them. ¡°Focus, River. What I taught you are like dance steps. It needs physical strength, energy, and concentration so that you won¡¯t miss a step.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± I blew a huge breath. ¡°Let¡¯s try it again.¡± We wrapped up the session with the eighth self-defense move, and I was physically exhausted while he looked like he didn¡¯t even sweat. ¡°That¡¯s all for today. Hope to see you next weekend if you¡¯re still here.¡± He smiled at me. My brows knitted. ¡°What made you think I wouldn¡¯t be here next weekend?¡± Uh, Krew must have told him. ¡°Never mind. Thanks for today. Appreciate your patience.¡± I grabbed the towel from the floor and wiped my sweat off. ¡°Do you wanna stay for lunch?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Why not? I thought you and Krew are closed,¡± I pried, and it was clear I was fishing for some information about Krew¡¯s extracurricr activities. ¡°We knew each other for a few years, but he¡¯s a private person, and nothing¡¯s happened in here is gonnae out, or I lost my job.¡± The way he said it, it felt like something or someone was threatening him, or he probably signed a non-disclosure. ¡°How so?¡± ¡°Look, River. I don¡¯t wanna mess with Krew. If you wanna know something, ask directly to the source. Krew may haven¡¯t talked a lot about his life, but he¡¯s a good guy. Trust me, you should know the reason by now why you¡¯re here.¡± My brows knotted further in confusion. What¡¯s that supposed to mean? ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re smart enough to understand¡ª¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s enough!¡± Someone roared behind me that made me jump. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two alone.¡± Aaren gave me a tight smile. ¡°See you next week, man.¡± ¡°Thanks for today.¡± My voice barely came out, and I felt like my entire physique just shivered. I wanted to face Krew, but my body had just turned into stone. All I could hear was Aaren¡¯s footsteps fading as he walked out of the mini gym. ¡°Go to your room and pack your things up. The driver is already waiting for you in the living room. You¡¯re leaving today.¡± 19. Welcome Back, River 19. Wee Back, River RIVER ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m leaving? Did they catch him? Is he in police custody right now?¡± I was torn between celebrating and feeling down at the same time. It would only mean one thing that I wouldn¡¯t get a chance to see Krew again, but he seemed okay with it, though. I was drenched with sweat while he looked all mighty in his dark blue suit with a crisp white shirt, his hands in his pockets like he was born to bark around. Of course, it was. Who am I kidding? He was the big bad wolf. ¡°You¡¯re leaving, and not yet.¡± ¡°Then how could you just throw me out if he''s still atrge?¡± My anger brewed in my blood quicker than I thought. I was throwing him an incinerating stare, fuming with anger while he didn¡¯t seem to give a This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. damn at my outburst. ¡°Is this because you failed to convince me to ept your offer? And that I didn''t fall for your devious ns?¡± ¡°No. It has nothing to do with that. You¡¯re not interested then I was only respecting your decision. I arranged something else for you back in the city. You¡¯d be safe there, and you''d have a chance to see your friend. You¡¯re gonna like¡ª¡± ¡°What do you know what I like? You don¡¯t even know me to know what I like, but then this is all but an arrangement. I should be grateful, right? Well, you got it. Thank you very much for your help.¡± I stomped away from him out of the mini gym. I was an ungrateful bitch, but my fury had gotten over me. After I took the quickest shower, I changed into a crop top, jeans, and sneakers. Whatever his n was, I made sure I had my own. Just in case I needed it. I took the phone he gave me, and that was it. I was leaving this house for good. Before I walked out of the room, I looked at the guitar one more time and let all those good things that happened in here go. The driver was indeed waiting for me. He followed me outside the house, opened the door of the ck SUV, and I entered silently. When I thought Krew was still willing to have a word with me before I left, I was wrong. The vehicle started, drove to the driveway of his home out of the gate. I regretted right away that I didn¡¯t talk to him, thanked him for keeping me safe for the past few days. My eyes watered, and my stomach knotted. It felt like there was an enormous hollow inside my chest that I left like that with unsettled arguments. I stared outside the window and let those lush greenery passed by like a blur with those chances. I paid no attention to the man at the airport who introduced himself as Conner. He said he would be the one to send me to the ce Krew had arranged for me. ¡°Do you have luggage, Ms. Rouge?¡± He was not older than his early thirties, but I was not in a mood to have a delightful conversation right now. It was ridiculous¡ªwhat I felt. The moment I was happy, then it turned me to the dark ce¡ªI was suddenly sad. I felt terrible, unsafe again in spite that this man was hired to protect me. ¡°I take that as a no.¡± Once I found out about our flight, I texted Journey. I hadn¡¯t said a word other than no thank you throughout the flight. Conner was sitting next to me had shut his mouth for good when I only answered was a re. I sighed in relief as soon as the pilot announced that we were about tond. I still felt sorry. I had this unsettling feeling in the pit of my belly that I left angry. I took note to myself to send him a text that I arrived safe and thank him for your hospitality. But that would be too much, plus, he didn¡¯t give me much of a choice other than barking at me that I would be leaving his house today. Fuck him. I didn¡¯t want someone like him to scratch my itch. There were a lot of men who could respect me and give me what I wanted, and certainly not someone like Krew Selik. As soon as the seat belt sign was off, I unbuckled mine. Conner did the same thing. The passengers rushed to the aisle, grabbed their belongings from the overhead bins while I forced myself to find a way out. I knew without a doubt that Conner would follow me. ¡°I need to use the restroom. I hated doing it on the ne. The space is too small,¡± I told Conner once we were on the jet bridge. ¡°Sure. Anyway, I have to inform the boss that we justnded.¡± Of course. I forced myself not to roll my eyes. Instead, I smiled tightly. ¡°Great. Thanks.¡± Saved by the ring. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I knew it was from Journey. After how Krew threw me out of his castle, there was no way in hell I would receive a message from him. Conner was still with me as I followed the sign towards the nearestdies'' room. ¡°It would be quick,¡± I assured him. ¡°Take your time, Miss Rouge.¡± I quickly saw Journey in the bathroom. Her bluish-green eyes widened in shock to see me walking closer to her. ¡°Oh, my god. Oh, my god. I thought I just lost my maid of honor. Where the hell have you been?¡± She inspected me from head to toe and shrugged as if disappointed ¡°You look just fine.¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± ¡°Well, I got a visit from a man in a blue suit telling me that you were somewhere. That¡¯s all he said, and nothing else even how many times I grilled him with questions, he didn¡¯t budge as if I was taking years of his life he answered me. Al? he said was it¡¯s for our own safety. What did he mean by that?¡± She looked angry and shoved to me the stroller she carried with her. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Ri? I¡¯m your best friend for God¡¯s sake, yet I knew nothing about your life for these past months.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I will tell you everything, I promise.¡± ¡°Sure you will, or I will rece you with someone else. You¡¯re my best friend, River, but I feel like you¡¯re turning into a stranger.¡± ¡°Not here, Journey. Please?¡± ¡°Okay then. Go ahead and change. Don''t worry, I¡¯ll be right here waiting for your long exnation. And you¡¯ll have to pay for the ticket if I can¡¯t refund it.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Before I entered the toilet, I asked, ¡°Have you heard from Briartely?¡± ¡°I thought you two broke up.¡± She looked at me with a confused look. ¡°We did.¡± ¡°Is it true that he crashed my engagement party?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll exin itter, too.¡± I quickly changed into a cheap skirt, blouse, and coat to disguise myself as a flight attendant. It was a good thing Journey had ess to the wardrobe where she worked as a production assistant in one of the film studios in the city. My heart kept on thumping violently as I walked out of thedies room, dragging the stroller with me. I asked Journey to take a few steps ahead of me the moment I saw Conner. He has pretty upied with his phone. Thank God he did not notice me as I passed by in front of him. I let out the breath that I held for too long as soon as I reached Journey¡¯s car. ring, she grabbed the stroller from me before I climbed into her passenger seat. Once she pulled out of the parking area toward the busy street, I turned off my phone and pulled out my wig. ¡°Now that we¡¯re here, you better start talking, River.¡± I took a deep breath before I started. I told her everything from the very beginning on how I met Briar to our breakup. She knew the detail about my issue with the Selik. I met Krew because of saving her job in the first ce. ¡°Why the hell did you not tell me that that psycho has been harassing you, Ri?¡± She shook her head in disappointment. I would feel the same if the situation reversed. ¡°You¡¯re happy with August, and thest thing I want before my best friend gets married is to drag you into my mess. I want you to be happy and free from any trouble before you enter the marriage life, Journey. Just keep it that way.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just watch you get harassed, Ri. You know me better than that. And why did you escape from that Conner guy if Krew is doing something to catch Briar?¡± ¡°I told you¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s more to it that you¡¯re not telling me, Ri. But I want you to know that you can trust me with everything.¡± ¡°I know, but I was hurt. I mean my ego.¡± My cheeks burned. ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a way to end this without Krew¡¯s involvement. Since you''re at August''s, I want you to stay there with him and neveres to visit me. Just until this matter is over.¡± Sheughed. ¡°Wow! So that you can have the best time of your life with Krew alone? Go ahead, Ri. I won''te to see you unannounced. Bang him hard and make him feel what he missed in the world.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t see Krew again. I¡¯ve got enough humiliation that couldst light-years.¡± ¡°Oh, you would bang him. Trust me. The Selik has a good specimen. You would miss the best sex of your life if you won¡¯t bang one of them.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious, Journey. I¡¯m afraid that Briar might pay a visit once he knows that I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll dial 911 as soon as he appears. I can¡¯t live like this, always looking over my shoulders. My paranoia is getting worse every day, and I''m sick and tired of running away. He has to be locked up if he won¡¯t want to follow the restraining order if I got him issued.¡± ¡°I¡¯m always here for you, Ri.¡± She squeezed my hand before she parked the car in front of the apartment building. ¡°If you need anything, all you have to do is call, okay?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I breathed before I pulled her into a hug. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be okay here alone? Should I inform Krew Selik, or do you need a gun and shoot that piece of crap on his junk?¡± ¡°No.¡± I widened my eyes at her. ¡°He can¡¯t know that I''m here. And as if he even cares. No gun either. I don¡¯t wanna be locked up in jail for murder.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She rolled her eyes and tucked her blonde hair behind her ear. ¡°Call me if you need anything.¡± I climbed out of her car and waved goodbye. As paranoid as I was, I looked around to make sure that no one was watching me. I did the same before I unlocked the door of my apartment and before I shut the door behind me. It seemed everything was in the right ces before I left. Journey was a neat freak, and the apartment was spotless even if she was already with her fiance. I went directly to my room, locked the door, doubled check the windows and bathroom to make sure no one was hiding there. I settled for instant noodles and a can of soda. Once I finished, I got back to my room and changed into somethingfy. I tucked myself into my nket, and I instantly went into a deep slumber. *** I woke to the light assaulting my pupils. I jolted up. My heart leaped up to my throat when I remembered that I turned it off before I slept. Goose flesh erupted on my skin, and I instantly felt that someone was watching me. A surge of fear flooded through me. For the first time, I felt the real horror. It only proved one thing--I was hostage by my own fear. With my hand on my chest, I gasped while I felt the color had drained on my face. In one quick shift, I felt my back hit the headboard. Unblinking, I froze in ce as if I turned to stone while I stared in horror at the man in front of me. 20. The Greatest Escape 20. The Greatest Escape KREW I threw all curses known to humans for the reason that I couldn¡¯t just fire him. His wife just gave birth to their firstborn. I was a little bit impressed if I was being honest. And I should have known that River would escape. I didn''t see she had that in her. I guessed she was right. I didn¡¯t know anything about River. I gave her credit for doing what she thought was the best for her. All I wanted was what was best for her despite declining my offer. I had not told her anything, yet she was already running away. I should have been careful with my approach, but she didn¡¯t even give me a chance to exin what I truly wanted and what secrets I had been keeping from her that either could change or jeopardize our rtionship. Now she was gone. Before she left to get her things, I could see the pain and disappointment in her eyes. That was why I decided to let her go, for now. Maybe she could think when she was far from me. When she was not carried away by our feelings. There were a lot of maybes. I regretted it, though. I regretted that I didn¡¯t say goodbye to her, but I knew in my bones that it was far from over. For the second time, my phone buzzed in less than thirty minutes. I knew the call was from Conner. I arrived just an hour after them with thepany jet. ¡°Mr. Selik, the light in her apartment is still on. I couldn¡¯t confirm if it was her or not.¡± ¡°Stay where you are until I get there.¡± I hung up the call and instructed my driver to send me to River¡¯s apartment. I knew the building owner and thendlord. I had someone talked to them about River¡¯s case, and they made sure to inform me if Briar appeared at the front door. In less than an hour, my driver parked the car in front of the building. I was instantly approached by Conner, looking guilty that a woman outsmarted him. ¡°The lights were off after my call, but she did not go out.¡± ¡°Go home. I can take it from here,¡± I dismissed him. ¡°Lake, go home. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± My driver happened to be my bodyguard when I was not sulking in my home. My brother made sure he hired someone who could protect me even from those women who wanted to throw themselves at me. Kai¡¯s words, not mine. ¡°Are you sure, Mr. Selik?¡± He did not look happy with my decision. ¡°Yeah. I might stay until morning. Go ahead. I¡¯ll ring up if I need you.¡± I climbed out of the car before he could say something like protocol or details shit like that. Thendlord and the guard walked in my direction as I entered the lobby. ¡°Good evening, Mr. Selik. Good to see you this fine evening.¡± ¡°You know the reason why I am here. You talked to one of my men days ago.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Selik. Miss Rouge has arrived this afternoon with her roommate. And she didn''t have any visitors so far. Let me assist you in her apartment.¡± I raised my hand. ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡± He handed me the key. ¡°Eighth floor, apartment 808.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no deadbolt in her door, is there?¡± ¡°No sir.¡± ¡°So my PI is right. How about your fire exit?¡± ¡°It¡¯s functional, sir. The building has passed its inspection, and we just renewed our permit six months ago.¡± ¡°Just make sure to inform me when that asshole shows his ass into the premises.¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± I entered the elevator and pressed button number eight. I was still on edge for not telling her my n, and she thought that I was just throwing her out off the curb because I didn¡¯t get what I wanted. And it hurt like fuck. On the other thought, I was excited to see those beautiful eyes again, and I wasn¡¯t sure how she would react upon seeing me again. In her room. She was paranoid and terrified enough that I might give her a heart attack. So I unlocked the door and entered, making sure I didn¡¯t create any noise. Once I was in, I went towards her room. It wasn¡¯t that I was here before, but my PI sent me a few photographs of the apartment with the floor n. I happened to call her friend Journey earlier the moment Conner informed me that River managed to escape on his watch. Luckily, Journey was d to help me for the sake of her friend. I unlocked the door of her room, slowly squeezed the doorknob, and opened it enough that I could fit in. River liked to sleep in the dark while I chose to keep the lights on. I tiptoed like a thief and flicked the She sounded asleep on the right side of the bed. The space was calling me. She managed to sleep like dead while I was still wide awake worried about her well-being and safety. I sat on the sofa and watched her asleep like the fucking creep I was. I silenced my phone and slipped it back into my coat after I texted her friend. I could watch her sleep all night, and I wouldn¡¯t get tired of looking at how beautiful and peaceful her face was. She was like a calm current in the sea, so unpredictable. She looked like she could barely This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. hurt a fly when asleep, but she could break and hurt even just through her words. A few hourster, I yawned. I took off my jacket and ced it on the armchair of the sofa. I stretched my legs and arms. When River stirred, I froze and prayed she would not wake up. Toote. She must have felt someone¡¯s presence. I knew that feeling¡ªthe feeling of being watched. She stopped, froze, jolted to sit on the bed with a horror look on her face. River stared at me for a few seconds, didn¡¯t move nor blink. Her beautiful blue eyes were enormous. I tried hard to hold into my sanity not to crawl to her to bed, kiss her senseless, and tell her it¡¯s just me. She denied me, and as much as I wanted to kiss her and fuck her all night, I wouldn¡¯t do that. I had no problem with my self-control even she would dance naked in front of me. Thetter wasn¡¯t entirely true. Finally, she gulped and pulled the nket up her neck. ¡°What the hell are you doing here? And how did you get into my apartment, into my freaking room?¡± Her voice was shaky. Poor girl, Ipletely frightened her. ¡°Don¡¯t tell you bought this building or bribed the guard down.¡± ¡°I¡¯m hurt that you even have to ask. I have resources, ess, money, and power, River. But no. I didn''t buy or pay anyone. I did a little chitchat with the owner of the building and yourndlord, though. I can be a little persuasive when I wanted something,¡± I told her the truth. ¡°Stop doing this, Krew. I could have died in a heart attack.¡± I sighed. I needed to calm down. ¡°There should be a deadbolt in each of the doors, River.¡± ¡°You did not answer my question? And that something, what¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You managed to escape from Conner. Why did you do that? And why did youe back here when you know that the first thing your ex would be looking for you is here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not under your protection program anymore. The moment you threw me out of your house like a rag, I had nothing to do with you anymore. And I don¡¯t care if hees to haunt me. I will dial 911 the moment he appears at my door. I should have done that first thing before I ran to you asking for help. Obviously,ing to you was a mistake.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t throw you out. If you only followed Conner, you would understand why I asked you to go with him.¡± ¡°You did not ask me. You ordered. No. Youmanded me to pack my things because I¡¯m leaving. Those are your words, not mine.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was upset about how my proposal has ended. Then I watched how you and Aaren interacted pretty well.¡± ¡°And? We worked together as an instructor and a student. What¡¯s wrong with being polite? You should try it sometimes and not just bark around like a rabid dog.¡± ¡°And he also wanted to fuck you the first time he saw you,¡± I grunted. I would lose my sanity and developed a brain stroke if I stayed calm. She scoffed, eyes round like marbles. ¡°You¡¯ve misread Aaren, dumbass. And so what if he wanted to fuck me? At least he acted upon his wants.¡± I hesitated for a moment if I should say something out of my anger or I should keep it to myself, but I chose what my guts told me. ¡°So if I do what I want right now, would it please you?¡± My nose red. Dangerous adrenaline began to work up through my blood, making me feel like to control of this situation. She gulped and licked her lips. She must have noticed my change of mood into lethal and feral like an animal to its prey. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Breaking my gaze, I breathed deeply and raked my fingers through my hair. ¡°To take you home.¡± 21. First Taste 21. First Taste RIVER Shock is an understatement. Home. He made it sound so pleasing. Damn him and his arrogant bastard handsome face. Home. It rang in my ears again. Did he just say home after he kicked me out of his freaking house? Well, he didn¡¯t know me if he thought I woulde with him willingly. I stared at him, and he looked so cool and almighty. Then something surfaced in his eyes¡ªan emotion I couldn¡¯t identify. Then it smoldered quickly as fast as it flowed. If I didn¡¯t know better, I thought he cared. ¡°Just leave.¡± Iid back on my side, leaving him there. But I had a bad feeling he was not going anywhere. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without you.¡± See? That¡¯s what I thought. ¡°Then you¡¯re not going anywhere because I have no n on going with you.¡± Trembling, I closed my eyes, hoping he would still be here when I woke up. Honestly, I was terrified. Thest encounter I had with Briar, had left me bruises. ¡°You¡¯re being irrational and difficult, River.¡± ¡°And you¡¯re insane. After you kissed me, you gave me hope, then denied me and changed your mind. I can feel that you are struggling internally, Krew. You should have that emotion checked up. I was willing to wait for you to open up, and you suddenly became so unpredictable. I get it you don¡¯t do rtionships, and what we did was scaring you. And that¡¯s exactly the reason why we should stop doing this. I would be fine here. Clear it now in your conscience. You know your way out.¡± For a few moments, the silence was killing me. Krew must have been battling whether to stay or leave. Then I heard rustling and clinking. What the hell was he doing? I was scared to move and look at him that I might like what I would see and forget my brewing anger. Then the mattress had shifted. Blood throbbed in my neck. Crap. When I couldn¡¯t take it anymore, I turned. My eyes were surely as big as the tribal tattoos and the ming phoenix on his back, its head just below his scap. It rose from its ashes on his spine, head below his scap. I couldn¡¯t move. My lips had gone dry, yet my fingers itched to trace those lines of beautiful ink in his skin. Krew was typing something on his phone. I finally realized that he was only on his ck boxers, and hIis back, man. This man was beautiful from any angle. My body erupted in quivers, and I couldn¡¯t keep my throat from making inappropriate noises. Hair had no feelings, right? But I swore I felt the electricity shot through my scalp into my entire being as my fingertips started tracing the ink on his skin, making every muscle in my body tighten. He stiffened against my touch, the muscles on his back contracted, and he let out a guttural groan. ¡°Beautiful.¡± I thought it was my voice, murmuring. He then shifted and ced the phone on the nightstand. Now I realized what he was doing. ¡°What¡ªwhat do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t rested for almost a day, thinking and worrying about your damn stubbornness.¡± He joined me in the nket without hesitation, turning to face me. ¡°Can we sleep without an argument?¡± He looked tired, but I felt his hand on my waist before he slipped his arm under my pillow, pulled me against his body, and held me tight. My breath held in my lungs, stiffening as I stared at him in shock. ¡°Krew¡ª¡± I gasped again as his fingers raked through my hair, fisted, and pinned my head against his grasp. ¡°This is¡ª¡± ¡°Fucking insane,¡± he finished my words with a growl and kissed me. It was a deep, hot, toe-curling, punishing, and desperate kind of kiss. I pushed him against his chest, but he was too strong, and I felt melting in his arms as he snaked his arm around my waist, fingers curled possessively against my skin, pulling me even closer. I was hopeless. My pulse doubled, my body vibrated, heated, and melted with needs. I ached everywhere¡ªached for him. He kissed me as if his life depended on it. His mouth was demanding and hot, and I was too weak to resist. So I kissed him back with the same urgency. I was not a damn damsel in distress. I was strong, but no strong woman could resist how he kissed me, how he made me feel, and I would not deny it. He was the only man who could make me feel like this through a single kiss. He pulled his mouth from mine for a brief moment only to say in a low rough voice, ¡°I couldn¡¯t fight it any longer.¡± My eyes flew open, meeting his wild hungry incinerating gaze. My skin was covered with goosebumps to the way he looked at me, and I felt unhinged. Still breathing ruggedly, I tried to pick through a thousand chaotic thoughts to find something to say, but I remained speechless. I was furious, intoxicated, and turned on at the same time. My chest filled with so many emotions, I could burst into mes. ¡°You can¡¯t just kiss me and make me feel I am special.¡± ¡°Damn it, River! Why do you have to be so stubborn?¡± ¡°I need a guarantee.¡± I didn¡¯t exactly know what I was saying. I just follow the beat of my heart. God, I felt so desperate. ¡°For what? Isn¡¯t it obvious what I¡¯ve been doing all this time?¡± I slightly shook my head. ¡°No.¡± This man I liked so much, and I couldn¡¯t decide. I couldn¡¯t think straight when he was with me. His presence was overpowering my emotions, my senses¡ªeverything. ¡°This wouldn¡¯t be a one-night stand with you, River. I think one night with you would never be enough. There¡¯s just something I did in the past that wouldplicate¡ª¡± ¡°I think I don¡¯t care.¡± I kissed him again. Whatever happened after this, I just wanted to stop this ache right now, these needs that drove me insane. I didn¡¯t give a damn if he left me after this. I wanted him, and I would take what he could give me tonight. I threw the nket covering us. As if on cue, Krew broke the kiss, and I pulled my shirt off my head, then his mouth was back on mine, his hands exploring and squeezing the curve of my waist down to my ass. Then he cupped my breasts, giving them both an equal squeeze. Oh, god. I was on fire. My clit throbbed. I was drenched. He pinched my hard nipples, rolling between his fingers. I moaned into our mouths, arching into him. Krew left my mouth, scraping my jaw with his teeth, my vicle, and sucked my neck. I thought it would draw blood. His lips and tongue moved down to the path between my breasts, and I arched my back. He nuzzled his nose in the valley, inhaling deeply before he put his mouth around my nipple and sucked them hard without mercy. I screamed. My other breast had no escape from him. He pinched and rolled the peak bud with his fingers while I writhed in both pleasure and pain. ¡°Oh, god. Krew, please?¡± His mouth was gone, and my skin chilled with his loss. When I opened my eyes and looked down, he was staring back at me. ¡°If I¡¯m gonna fuck you, it¡¯s gonna be hard and fast. I¡¯ve waited too long. Four or three years are too long, River, and I will do it over and over again that I don¡¯t think I can control myself to take you slow.¡± My mouth gaped. Now I debated myself if I wanted him to go slow or fuck me until I couldn¡¯t walk. Before I could say something, he was back to what he left, sucking me hard, and abruptly ended it as if he knew my body very well, leaving me aching and panting. He reared back onto his knees, ripping my panties in one swift. My gasp of shock filled the room as I stared down at my nakedness. He stared wildly at me while I shivered and felt exposed. He didn¡¯t give me a chance to recover. He bent my knees and spread my thighs wide, so vulnerable and exposed. Then he positioned himself, his face between my legs, shoved his nose into my wetness This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. before he reced it with his tongue. I cried out. My back flew up, clenching my fingers into the sheet. He made a hum of satisfaction that reverberated through me. His fingers dug into the skin of my ass as he made me still before he fucked me with his tongue, in and out. I moaned desperately. My fingers found his hair, nails digging into his scalp as I rocked my hips against his face. He reached up, tweaking my aching nipples. He then pinched my swollen clit, then he started to stroke with his thumb, moving circles as his tongue went in out of my entrance. Oh, my god. It feels so freaking good. Pleasure rippled out of my core in waves, sending throughout my body as he ate me hungrily. He moved his mouth to my clit, sucking it hard it pulsed so wildly against his tongue. I screamed as his thick finger slid inside me and begun to finger-fuck me. With his one hand on my nipple, pinching roughly, he scraped my clit with his teeth. That¡¯s it. I came so hard with a scream that wed its way out of my throat like a wild animal. My body contracted so violently, ripped within me like a detonating bomb. With pleasure exploded through me, I writhed on the bed, my fingers dug into his skin as throbs of satisfaction came out slowly until I copsed back against the bed, sobbing in relief. 22. Home 22. Home KREW She¡¯s fucking amazing. I could still taste her on my tongue, and the way she came, it was the most beautiful thing I ever gave her. I could give her the pleasure she wanted, and I would never get tired of it. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± I rose from her body when her breathing slowed down, releasing my hair from her grip. ¡°Where¡ªwhere you going?¡± Her voice slightly shook. ¡°Just a minute.¡± It was ufortable enough to walk when my dick was in full mast in my boxers, more so when I could feel her gaze between my thighs. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± I went ahead to her bathroom. Once I was inside, I did deep breathing exercises to calm my raging hard-on, and it was difficult to control when images of River naked and writhing as I ate her were still fresh in my head. I switched the faucet cold and ced my cock underwater. ¡°Fuck.¡± I shivered. That wasn¡¯t exactly my intention, though. I never regretted what I did to her. Lately, things didn¡¯t go as I always nned. Maybe it was time for a change. Thank fuck, my cock softened. I grabbed a towel and soaked it, then I went out of the bathroom and grabbed panties from the drawer. I knew where River kept her underwear. I started to think that I was creepier than her stalker. When I returned to bed, she was already covered with a nket from neck to toe, covering her gorgeous body. She was staring at the ceiling with a deep frown on her face. ¡°You never listened, and you always have to defy me, haven¡¯t you?¡± I pulled the nket off. She put her shirt back on, but still naked down. The most beautiful post-orgasmic bliss I saw earlier had been reced by a frown. She quickly covered her exposed pussy while ring at me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I held her hand, but she refused, clutching her thighs together instead. ¡°Spread your thighs.¡± ¡°I think we¡¯re done here.¡± I sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t make me forcefully pull your hand off your pussy, River.¡± Thankfully, she didn¡¯t resist anymore because I knew I would get what I wanted. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do that. I didn¡¯t even return the favor.¡± I stared at her, forced myself not to burst intoughter, but what I failed to do so was the smile I tried to hold. ¡°What are we? Teenagers? Did I ever ask anything in return?¡± When she spread her thighs, I wiped her pussy clean with a clenched jaw. I could still smell her arousal. Cleaning her must turn her on. I, on the other hand, started to throb again. I wanted to shove my dick deep into her heat and feel her mping around me unsheathed. I had to fight that urge, and I shook the thoughts of spreading her wide and fucking till we were drained. Once I finished, I put down the wet towel on the floor and took her panties. Before I could help her wear her underwear, she stole it from me.. ¡°I can manage just right.¡± With a little daze look and flushed, she put it on quickly as if it vanished in a second. Ignoring the hint that she was turned on, I crawled back to her bed,id beside her, and covered ourselves. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°What happened to the leaving after sex?¡± I gathered her into my arms, draped my leg over hers while she was throwing daggers. ¡°We didn¡¯t have sex. And you¡¯re still mad at me after I gave you an orgasm?¡± ¡°It was okay.¡± A smile curved at the corner of my lips. ¡°Really? Just okay? I think I can live with that, considering that I haven¡¯t fucked you with my dick yet.¡± ¡°Your ego needs a check. And you have such a dirtiest mouth.¡± Her voice was quiet and had softened. She rxed in my arms as she draped her arm on my abdomen, tracing her fingers on the waistband of my boxers. I knew exactly what she was doing¡ªtorturing me., ¡°I haven¡¯t done any dirty things to you, River.¡± I ran my fingers through her soft and silky hair as she hid her face in the crook of my neck. ¡°You can go now. You don¡¯t have to watch me till I fall asleep. I will be fine.¡± ¡°Do you think I would go once I tasted the woman I¡¯ve ever wanted? I¡¯m not going anywhere. Since I joined you in bed, you are mine now to pleasure, to make you happy, and give you everything I can. And don¡¯t darein if you would see me every day, take you where ever and whenever I want. That¡¯s the price you would pay for being with me. Do you think you can handle that?¡± She looked at me with a shock in her eyes. ¡°You should handle me, ept my ws, my darkness, what I¡¯ve done before you came to my life, and who I really am that you¡¯re about to find out.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Her voice shook in the end. ¡°Don¡¯t be scared of me. I would never hurt you. I would rather kill myself than raise a hand on you.¡± I felt the long deep breath she let go. I scared her. Now she realized the price of being my woman. ¡°Now, get some sleep. It¡¯ste. I have work tomorrow.¡± I kissed the top of her head. ¡°I like your tattoo,¡± she murmured. ¡°Sleep.¡± *** I woke up with no idea where I was. For a moment, my mind was nk, then something stirred beside me, and I felt the weight of an arm wrapped around my waist, so warm and soft. It was River, still sleeping soundly beside me. I slowly lifted her arm and pulled myself out of her carefully to not wake her up. I rose just the rm on my phone about to go off. I went to her bathroom and found a new toothbrush in her medicine cab. I did the quickest shower. When I went to her living room, my suit was already there. I had work today, a meeting, and I had to finalize the n. I checked her one more time before I left. She was in the same position as I closed the door behind me. ¡°Take care of her, or you started searching for a job,¡± I warned Conner before I climbed into my waiting car to send me to the Selik Tower. ¡°I will, sir.¡± I met my brother in the conference room. We were thirty minutes early for the meeting today. ¡°I heard you¡¯re staying in your penthouse.¡± There was no hint of anger and irritation in his voice anymore, which surprised me. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Good for you, bro. This would mean that I would see you more often?¡± ¡°Something like that.¡± ¡°When can I meet her?¡± I lifted my gaze from the screen of my phone, eyeing him suspiciously. ¡°What do you want, Kai?¡± Augh erupted from him, filling up the room. His eyes glittered, which didn¡¯t happen often. ¡°Why does it have to have an ulterior motive if I want to meet the woman who makes my brother swoon?¡± ¡°This is not you.¡± I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s not who you are?¡± ¡°I met a guy Krys was dating, and I did not punch his nose. Seriously, I will arrange a family dinner this weekend, and I want you to bring River as your plus one.¡± ¡°River now, huh? Last week, you couldn¡¯t even remember her name that your hatred over her ran so deep in your veins. That seems rather convenient. What exactly do you want from me, Kai?¡± What a shocking turned of events, he was still smiling, and it started to piss me off. ¡°I swear, I want to meet her officially. She¡¯s the only woman who brought my brother closer to me. What else could I ask? I didn¡¯t have to travel for hours or to set an appointment to see you. Who else would want another woman for you when she literally changed you in only a few days? I might as well prepare my sorry speech for her.¡± Before I could reply, the door swung open. Save by the meeting. Thank fuck. While my brother was still waiting for my response, I rose from my seat and weed the gentlemen who just walked in. The meetingsted only for an hour¡ªjust the quick briefing of the second quarter issues and concerns since my brother¡¯s womanizing matter was not on the list of the topic for today. My brother dismissed the meeting quickly, but he stayed in the room with me. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any other meetings to attend to?¡± I rose from my seat, and so did he, stepping closer to me. ¡°I¡¯m still waiting for your answer.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t wait. I¡¯ll let you know when she¡¯s ready.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said quietly, and sincere enough that got my attention. ¡°For what?¡± ¡°For being hard on you.¡± I scoffed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be the man I am today if you weren¡¯t a jackass most of the time, brother.¡± I pped his back before I walked out. *** I texted Aekley once I got in the car. He replied quickly with a word ok. Then I dialed River. ¡°Hi,¡± she answered with a single word, and she didn¡¯t sound excited like what I expected after what happened to usst night. Her reaction stirred something inside me. ¡°Where are you?¡± ¡°Away.¡± ¡°Away, where?¡± ¡°I¡¯m busy, Krew.¡± ¡°River, don¡¯t make me track you down and throw you over my shoulder because I would do it in a heartbeat.¡± I was getting pissed. My exhtion was heavy and filled with worry. ¡°Jeez, what¡¯s with the neanderthal act? I didn¡¯t sign up for this, Selik.¡± T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You didn¡¯t exactly sign up for anything,¡± I replied drily. ¡°After what we didst night, we have a mutual agreement, Rouge. A pact, an oath, a bond. We pledged¡ª¡± ¡°I know what mutual agreement means, dumbass.¡± ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t tell me.¡± I hang up the call. My driver knew what to do. He was already heading to her location. She was in the coffee shop closer to her old work office. ¡°Any idea what she¡¯s doing here?¡± ¡°Meeting a friend, an officemate?¡± Lake replied before I got out of the car. I entered the coffee shop, and I realized I hadn¡¯t had eaten my lunch. River¡¯s mouth gaped in shock to see me standing in front of her. There was a hint of excitement that surfaced from those big gorgeous blue eyes. Did she ever think she could run away or hide from me? ¡°Meeting an old me?¡± I leaned over to kiss her on her nose before I upied the empty seat across hers. She cleared her throat. ¡°Yeah. I was supposed to meet my fuck buddy for a quickie until you arrived, ruining my n.¡± She looked around, cowering herself in the chair. My neck and cheeks burned. My nose red as I red at her for tense moments until she realized she had angered me. ¡°I was kidding. Jeez, I went to see my ex-boss, hoping I could get my job back, but she already found my recement.¡± I sighed. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± I only noticed an empty cup on the table. ¡°Lunch? No. But I read your message.¡± She smiled. ¡°And you didn¡¯t reply.¡± ¡°I thought I didn¡¯t have to.¡± I rose to my feet, pulled twenty bucks from my pocket, and tossed it on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Home.¡± 23. Forced. Almost 23. Forced. Almost RIVER I had no job, no savings, and I had bills to pay. I was broke as a homeless. The only good things in my life right now were Journey and well, Krew. But being with a billionaire had consequences, and at the same time, had perks. I wanted to shrink, wishing a ck hole would appear on the floor and swallowed me down. Krew hung up on me not a moment ago, and now he was sitting across me while his arrival had filled the entire premises. Then he just barked at me that we were going home. It was the third time he mentioned home. Until now, I was still puzzled. ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said again. This time he offered his hand. I took it without a word, grasping as we headed out of the coffee shop. His driver was already waiting outside the shiny ck sedan. ¡°Ms. Rouge.¡± He gave a curt nod, opening a door for me. ¡°Thanks.¡± I climbed in, feeling a little nervous. Krew followed. His smell alone was intoxicating, and he looked delicious in his designer suit that fit perfectly in his athletic body. Once the door was closed after us, I folded my arms over myp. ¡°You¡¯ll gonna find a job, River.¡± He squeezed my thigh, causing me to stiffen. Heat radiated through the pants I was wearing. ¡°How did you know I¡¯m worried?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look happy.¡± He took his phone from his suit pocket and started typing something. I held his arm. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna pull strings to get me a job, Krew.¡± He showed me the screen of his phone. ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m gonna do it? You¡¯re a smart and talented woman. You can find the right job for you, better than thest one you had.¡± He was typing a message to a named Ally. Whoever she was, I didn¡¯t want to know. And it wasn¡¯t too personal. He wouldn¡¯t have shown it to me if he was flirting with another woman, would he? ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I muttered, heat crept on my cheeks. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I hope you don¡¯t mind that I ordered uste lunch.¡± He looked at me, a look that could melt me inside. I shook my head. ¡°As long as no ms.¡± ¡°Duly noted.¡± He leaned over. Before I could grasp what he was about to do, his lips smashed to mine, grabbed the back of my head as he deepened the kiss. I framed his face with my hands, kissing him with the same intensity. Krew probed his tongue and saught for an entrance. I opened my mouth to wee him, his tongue dueling with mine. His other hand roamed my thigh, squeezing, seeking for its way to where I ached and was sensitive the most. He rubbed his palm against the pants covering my core, wishing I was wearing something easily essible. I moaned aloud as he found my heat. He moved his mouth down to my jaw, to my neck, sucking, nibbling, biting, then licking the skin, causing me to shudder. God, what¡¯s wrong with me? I wasn¡¯t this irresponsible, but when I was with him, he made me do things I never did. I forgot we were still the car in the middle of the road in broad daylight. ¡°Krew.¡± I pushed him away. He stared at me with pain and lust brewing in his eyes. ¡°What?" I swallowed hard. ¡°Stop this.¡± I took a look at the driver, which I couldn¡¯t see anymore. He must have closed the partition, and the windows were tinted. I might burst into mes with embarrassment. ¡°Did you ever think I would do something with you without our privacy? That I would humiliate you? Or share you with them? No one can see us from the outside, and Lake was a professional. He knew when to give privacy to his client.¡± ¡°Client?¡± I looked at him in shock. ¡°He¡¯s not only my driver. He previously worked with high-profile politicians.¡± ¡°He¡¯s also your bodyguard.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ll continue in your home since I already ruined the moment.¡± I smiled shyly. ¡°Looking forward to it.¡± He reassured me through a squeeze on my thigh. A few minutester, the car stopped, then his driver-sh bodyguard opened the door just like earlier. Krew climbed out and offered his hand to me. ¡°Thanks.¡± I gratefully gripped his hand. Once I was outside, I looked around. There were at least eight sports cars parked, a ck SUV, and the most beautiful bike I¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Wow! Who owns that beauty?¡± I was exuberant as I walked toward the bike to take a closer look at it. ¡°The owner wouldn¡¯t mind if I touch this, right?¡± I wasn¡¯t aware Krew was behind me. ¡°Krew, I¡¯m sure you can afford one of these. I wouldn¡¯t mind riding with you with this gorgeous.¡± I lightly touch the body as if it would burn me. Or it might trigger an rm if someone would touch it. His eyes lit up as he smiled down at me. ¡°That¡¯s MTT Turbine Streetfighter with 320 horsepower connected to its elerator. They only make five units per year.¡± Then I realized something. He knew a lot of things about this bike. I chuckled. ¡°This is yours.¡± He grinned, his dimples showing. ¡°Noted.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That you wouldn¡¯t mind riding with me with Ste.¡± I frown. ¡°Who¡¯s Ste?¡± ¡°She¡¯s my Ste.¡± ¡°And you also own these.¡± I pointed at the sports cars well aligned. He answered me with a shrug. We walked towards the elevator. His driver was already there waiting for us, holding the elevator door. ¡°Forget that I ever asked. This building is yours too.¡± ¡°Selik owns it.¡± ¡°I see. What Selik doesn¡¯t own yet, Krew?¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°You know the answer to that.¡± I looked at him before he gestured me to the empty elevator. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Call me if you need anything, Krew.¡± His bodyguard stepped aside. ¡°Thank you, Lake.¡± The doors slid in front of us, and we were now alone as we silently rode up to wherever this hoist would take us. My pulse started to race in anticipation. Then I noticed the KC button. ¡°KC?¡± ¡°My floor,¡± he simply answered. ¡°Krew Cassiel. Sounds like possessive and a saint.¡± The moment those words left my mouth, I found my back against the elevator wall. ¡°I¡¯m far from a saint. You should know that by now.¡± His hard chest pressed against mine, his arms against the wall, caging me. While his jaw was tight, his gaze had turned fire, scorching straight through me. He kissed me with his hot and demanding mouth, taking his im. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to have you,¡± he murmured against our lips. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to taste you again. You¡¯re now my favorite vor since ¡°I can¡¯t wait to return the favor.¡± I smiled against our mouths. I felt a sting on my nipple. He just pinched me against my shirt. ¡°That¡¯s for being silly while I¡¯m suffering from a raging hard-on.¡± His voice was a low rasp. He kissed me hard one more time before he let me go, fixing the front of his pants. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I¡¯m also wet for you.¡± ¡°Fuck.¡± He groaned loudly beside me, squeezing his eyes shut as he blew deep breaths. ¡°You¡¯re not helping.¡± Thankfully before we fucked each other in the elevator, we reached floor KC. He punched a few keys and slid a card, then it unlocked. I was mesmerized by his penthouse. The living room was way more expansive than my whole apartment, with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcased the skyscrapers surrounding the building. ¡°Krew, I¡¯m about to leave,¡± says the woman in a sophisticated white dress that I didn¡¯t notice how she suddenly appeared in front of us. I instantly felt self-conscious and insecure. Her straight hair was tied above her head, and her cheekbones were so prominent as those makeup models. ¡°Ally.¡± Krew smiled. The Ally? What was she doing here? Then the woman looked at me from head to toe, really looked at me before she turned back her attention to Krew. I couldn¡¯t see any malicious or lust in her eyes, though. That was a good thing, right? ¡°Perfect. Good to finally meet you, River.¡± She held her hand out. Finally? She knows my name. What the hell was going on? I shook her hand firmly. ¡°Nice to meet you, too.¡± ¡°Anyway, I have to go. You know my number whenever you need me. I¡¯m just a call away. Hope you like everything, River.¡± I felt a hand on my waist. ¡°Thanks, Ally.¡± ¡°Anytime!¡± When the door shut behind us, I stared at Krew. ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Later.¡± That was all I got before Krew lifted me from the floor like I weigh nothing. I yelped in surprise and clung to his shoulders. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The lights and chandelier rotated in my sight as he carried me upstairs. ¡°Put me down, Selik. I mean it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll shut your mouthter, woman.¡± We entered the door. I bet it was in his bedroom. Again, it was sofas in a sitting area near the window. The color was very masculine, suited perfectly with his bossy personality. Then air was trapped in my lungs when he threw me to bed. I bounced twice, and he didn¡¯t mind watching me as I stared at him in horror. I wanted to scream, but he would be more amused than what was shown on his face right now as he took off his suit, loosened his tie, then unbuttoned his shirt and dropped it on the floor. ¡°I won¡¯t fuck you, ever, if that¡¯s how you treat me.¡± I red at him, but the more I did it, the deeper he was amused, and his eyes darkened as if he thought of me with so many obscenities. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± The next thing piled on the floor was his belt, then his pants, leaving him only his boxers with his well, his enormous bulge. I gulped, feeling my throat run dry in hunger. I slowly dragged myself back, trying to escape. Where would I go anyway? But he couldn¡¯t force me, right? I didn¡¯t sign up for this. I eyed the door, and he must have read my mind. The next thing I knew, I was pressed against the duvet with his hard body, my wrists pinned over my head while he settled his delicious erection right where I throbbed the most. Oh, god. My heart raced, beating a thousand a mile. God, is this really happening right now? I was thinking of something more romantic, like how he undressed me, kissed me, touched me, ran his fingers against my skin after our candlelit dinner. Not like this, but then this was Krew Selik with dark secrets. I was helpless, furious, and turned on at the same time. ¡°Let me go. This is not fun anymore.¡± He must have seen my struggles and the anger brewing in my eyes. He let my wrists go and rolled over, breathing harshly before he rose from the bed. 24. Rough, Yet Delicious 24. Rough, Yet Delicious KREW Fuck! That was why I was up against all of this. When I wanted to give everything and be totally on board, things would getplicated. She was still fighting. I stood there for I didn¡¯t know long. My mind went nk while my dick was damn hard. I wanted to This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. scream to let out my frustration, but then it wouldn¡¯t help my trouble. Damn it. I wished I could just call Alexa or Siri and tell me what to do, but damn, River was a pain in the ass. I heard movements and shuffling. She was ready to go and leave me. As seconds passed by, I could feel her closer to me. The heat, the connection between us resurfaced. ¡°Fine. We fuck.¡± I almost jumped in excitement. My cock revved to life. My heart jackhammered. When I turned around, the least I was expecting happened¡ª she waspletely naked. I tried not to widen my eyes, but they did eventually. ¡°Fuck me.¡± I traced her peaked nipple with my thumb, and she reacted right away, letting go of those broken pants. ¡°You¡¯re so sensitive, responsive, and gorgeous. You always take my breath away, River Rouge.¡± I looked at her lust-brewing eyes. Her pupils darkened like a stormy sea. I closed the gap between us, wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her to my body before I imed her mouth with a punishing kiss. She moaned against my mouth, and I plunged my tongue inside, tangling with hers, fighting for dominance. Her arms snaked up my back, digging her fingers against my skin as I flexed my hips, rubbing my throbbing erections into her lower belly. I broke the kiss, leaned down to capture her nipple, scraping the tiny bud between my teeth. She threw her head back, biting her bottom lip. She looked so beautiful when she was writhing with pleasure, and I couldn¡¯t wait to see her as I filled her with my cum. I did the same to the other nipple, then released it with a pop. I kissed her once again before I looked at her. ¡°Go to bed. Spread those legs wide for me. I wanna see my drenched pretty pussy again.¡± She gasped breathlessly, staring wildly at me as she stepped back until finally, her legs hit the bed. She liked it when I talked dirty. I knew it--it turned her on. She crawled up in bed without protest, showing me the perfect round of her ass, her glistening pussy, and the tiny hole I wanted to lick and stretched it with my cock. Jesus, she didn¡¯t know what it did to me, did she? I nearly came in my boxers. I pulled down the only thing left in my body. Her mouth gaped as she watched me stroke my eager cock. She dragged her hand between her thighs, settling there. It would be insanely hot, watching her pleasure herself. Tempting, but no. ¡°Don¡¯t touch yourself.¡± She bit her bottom lip and pulled her hand away. ¡°Good woman. My woman.¡± I climbed to bed, held her knees, and spread them apart before I settled on top of her. ¡°You would never touch yourself without my permission. I would pleasure you anytime you wanted. I would never deny your wants and needs. All you have to do is say a word.¡± I positioned my rigid cock. ¡°I need a word, River.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± she said breathlessly as I stroke my crown up and down on her soaked folds, coating it with her wetness. ¡°Fuck. Wrapped your legs around my waist,¡± I said through gritted teeth, groaning loudly, making her back arch forward. I wasn''t inside her yet, but I already felt I was losing control. ¡°I¡¯m clean¡ª¡± With one forceful thrust, I plunged my cock inside her. Deep. ¡°God!¡± she screamed, shuddered, dug her fingers into my skin. It stung. God. She was tight, hot, and drenched. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not a virgin?¡± I stared at her. Her eyes were squeezed shut. ¡°You¡¯re huge. Damn. Huge.¡± She bit her bottom lip as if she got her strength from it. ¡°Open your eyes. Look at me.¡± She obeyed. ¡°If you could see yourself right now. You¡¯re the most beautiful thing in the world, and you¡¯re here with me, River.¡± I pulled outpletely and plunged deep again. ¡°Oh, god.¡± I stretched her, and I loved how her pussy gripped my cock. She felt heaven. Divine. Perfect. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I bnced my weight with my elbows, grabbed her head, and kissed her furiously without warning. I devoured her before she could answer. She tightened her legs wrapped around my waist as well as deepened her w in my skin. I started to fuck her hard, fast, deep, my hips pistoning until she moaned with pleasure. I slipped my tongue inside her mouth. I fucked her with my cock and my tongue in tandem. Her moan of pleasure rang in my ears. Her smell¡ªsweet and seductive was all over me. I could feel her everywhere¡ªin my sight, my skin, my feelings, my taste. River dominated my senses. I moaned deliriously, battling with my pleasure. ¡°God!¡± I cried in ecstasy, buried my face in the crook of her neck as I felt I was falling apart. With each thrust, I felt her. With each thrust, I loosened something. Each thrust, I surrendered. I fucked her. Mercilessly. ¡°Krew,¡± she moaned my name, shuddering. ¡°That¡¯s it, baby,¡± I murmured against her neck. My hips were pistoning. My heart wildly was thumping. I was losing control. Then a small cry slipped her mouth. ¡°Oh, god.¡± She writhed underneath me, and she was so drenched. I knew she was close. I was close, too. She bucked her hips violently, sucking my shoulder hard. My dick swelled, pulsing inside her. I thought I came undone. I slowed my rhythm, grinding against her. ¡°I can feel you, baby.¡± I rocked my hips, and she backed hers to meet me in the middle. That¡¯s it. She cried out loud, shook beneath me, eyes rolled back her head as she convulsed and milked all around me. My skin was misted with sweat as my hunger grew. My blood flowed south every time I plunged in deep. River was so hot. The release of her heat flowed all around me. My sensation made me like a feral animal. I craved her. I shoved my dick deeper, harder. She made me crazy. Four years was torture. Now that she was with me, I couldn¡¯t let her go. She was mine now. She¡¯s mine. I touched her clit, pinched it, and rubbed it in circles. She writhed and moaned loudly in a broken cry, ready toe again. I felt it. Her clit pulsed against my thumb. Her wet folds were swollen around my cock. ¡°I can¡¯t¡ªoh, god!¡± ¡°Give it to me, River. Come around me. Lose with me.¡± She sucked in a deep breath, pulled my hair out, and bit her lower lip. I stroke her clit faster until she fell apart. Watching her lost in pleasure given by me unlocked something deep inside me. ¡°Krew.¡± She was breathless as she continued writhing, convulsing, jerking, and clenching around my cock as she came one more time. That¡¯s it. I lost myself. I started to buck, drive hard deeper, and a broken groan broke through me. I caught my breath and roared high as I erupted in a violent jerk, spilling inside her. My cock jerked, throbbed, twitched with an intense pleasure I¡¯d never felt before. Beneath me, she was still panting, her face flushed, body glistened with sweat. I dropped my face between her breasts. Her arms came snaking around me, tracing her fingers on my back. ¡°River?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I need more than hmm.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make this awkward between us.¡± ¡°Never. Never, baby,¡± I assured her. She breathed deep and long. ¡°I nevere twice in one round.¡± ¡°Then you slept with the wrong man.¡± I raised my head and looked at her. ¡°Your confidence is flowing in your veins right now, Mr. Selik.¡± ¡°That wasn¡¯t the n, but since I met you a few days ago, things always didn¡¯t go as I¡¯d hoped. I guess I need to get used to it now.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your n exactly?¡± I pulled my cock out before I changed my mind and fucked her again. I moved myself away and propped my arm under my head. ¡°To feed you, then we talk, and fuckter.¡± She smiled. ¡°So what happened is reversed. Now tell me who¡¯s that woman?¡± I looked at her. There was a trace of jealousy in those hypnotic eyes. My heart swelled. ¡°Personal stylist. I always called her if I need a personal shopper. That¡¯s why I was texting her earlier, asking if how long would it take to finish the job because I wanted to have you all by myself.¡± ¡°Hmm. Rich people.¡± ¡°Hungry?¡± Her stomach grumbled, making her giggle. ¡°I take that as a yes. How does Butternut squash ravioli with seared chicken, Grilled cumin-rubbed steak with smashed peas, and grilled bread sound? White or red?¡± ¡°Delicious. Red.¡± ¡°Good choice.¡± I rose from the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t wear pants. Just blouse and no need panties either.¡± I picked up her blouse and gave it to her. ¡°You may need panties after all, or I end up eating you instead of our lunch.¡± ¡°Wait. What¡¯s white or red? Wine?¡± She put on her blouse and her panties. ¡°Yeah.¡± I framed her face with my big hands and kissed her quickly. ¡°I was rough, was I? I always lost myself when I¡¯m with you. You''re just so fucking gorgeous. But it doesn''t give me the right to ravish your body. For that, I''m so sorry.¡± She darted me with that sated gaze. ¡°I would haveined if you were easy on me as if I was a china doll. I don¡¯t wanna stroke your already huge ego, Selik, but that was amazing.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have lunch then before I change my mind.¡± 25. His Sweetest Side 25. His Sweetest Side RIVER What the hell did I get myself in? When I came with him to his penthouse, I had no idea my life would be moreplicated than it already did. Now my life had changed drastically. I was frowning all the time, wishing I could take back what I said. I barely ate my food even if it was delicious. We talked about how my life would be the moment I came with him. But it was what he wanted for me¡ªthat kind of talk that he had already decided what was best for me. I barely shared my opinion, even though I knew it would be useless. I didn¡¯t even get a chance to tell him what I wanted my life would be if this arrangement would continue. It was like a one-way trip¡ªnoing back. Once I disagreed with his terms, then we were done. It was what he had been trying to talk to me about, or something more. I could feel it. He was still holding up something. Or maybe I wasn¡¯t there yet¡ªto know whatever it was. After our lunch, he went out for a business meeting. He said he wanted to buy apany that was settling for a nasty divorce. He left me alone with one sentence. Text me what you don¡¯t like about what''s in your room. That¡¯s it. He¡¯s gone. So we just fucked, then we went separate ways after that. If we fucked on the couch, Krew went to his room after, and I would go to mine. What kind of rtionship was that? He was like my fuck buddy, for the time being, then when this was over, I was all alone. I stared at the key in my hand, berating myself not to get tempted to check what was in the room, but then I had to sleep, shower, and eventually change to something before he came back. I took a deep breath, inserted the key into the keyhole, then I pushed the door open as if there was a ready prank inside. I flicked the light. To my surprise, it was not what I was expecting. What was in front of me was beyond my imagination. The room was as big as his, but it was a mix of European modern and ssic style inspired by Victorian, Greek, and Roman designed with a touch of minimalist color of off white, grayish, and beige with sleek and neutral surfaces. Oh, my. The guitar. He brought it with him. The furniture was less carving, and undoubtedly, they ditched the knick-knack and used the art mounted on the wall. A modern balloons-like chandelier hanging from the ceiling was exquisite. There T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. were posh sofas, but what caught my attention the most was the extra-king-sized bed with grey velvet headboard. Ignored the tingles on my skin when I thought of many ideas about how to make use of that very inviting bed. I stepped closer to the door than I thought the walk-in closet. ¡°What the hell?¡± The frown on my forehead deepened. There were tons of women''s clothes hanging in the closet. From dresses, casual wear, formal, you named it, and still had tags. My curiosity kicked in more. I opened every drawer, and I found lingerie, essories, bags, belts, jewelry, and shoes. Oh, my god, these shoes. I wished I could afford to buy one. Everything in here was designers, and I would age seventy, I was still not done paying for all of these. I closed all doors and walked out of the room. ¡°Wait a sec. They¡¯re my size.¡± I shook that thought off. That must be Krys¡¯ or his previous fuck buddies. Or he used to spoil women to lure them to bed by offering that room. I scrunched my nose. ¡°Ew! Ew, ew. Just ew.¡± I shivered at the thought of sharing garments with his former partners. I felt a twist in my gut. I settled in the entertainment area, turned the tv on, scrolled down some movies on Netflix, and let them y. My mind went back to Briar. I wanted to end this so that I could start searching for a permanent job. Ipletely agreed with Krew on one thing¡ªto end whatever Briar was trying to do to me. I nned on meeting him in public to convince him to stop stalking me. What if he would get hysterical? The movie I yed didn¡¯t interest me anymore. Iid down on the couch and grabbed my phone. I texted Journey before I closed my eyes. ¡°Bored?¡± A squeezed on my leg jolted me up. My heart was in my throat as I stared at the most handsome man in a suit looking down on me. ¡°You surprised me. How did the meeting go?¡± Wow! It sounded so natural asking him. It even surprised me. A small smile curved up his lips. ¡°We¡¯re still negotiating.¡± He leaned over to kiss me on my lips. ¡°I missed you,¡± he said between kisses. Should I respond? I kissed him back instead. ¡°How¡¯s your day?¡± he asked, already standing with his hands in his pockets. He looked more powerful when he did that. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound good.¡± ¡°Better than looking over my shoulders or frightened all the time in my apartment. Are you still nning on going out?¡± ¡°Do you wanna go out?¡± ¡°Not up for anything, but you may. I think I stay.¡± I sat straight, wrapped my arms around my knees, and tucked my chin over. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, River?¡± He must have noticed my not-so-lively voice. Could he me me? ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Let me change my clothes. I¡¯ll be right back. We need to talk.¡± He climbed upstairs. I watched him stop in the middle. ¡°River, did you check your room?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And? Would you like some changes?¡± ¡°I think it was too much for my style.¡± I met his gaze. I couldn¡¯t exactly read his expression, but he nodded anyway. ¡°I¡¯ll be right back.¡± A few minutester, he came from behind, hands on my shoulders, massaging me. God, I loved it. I almost moaned when he found my tense muscles. Keep going. Keep going. ¡°I¡¯ll book a spa for you. Journey can join if you want.¡± He kissed the top of my head. I wasn¡¯t aware he had this sweet side in him. ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± He sat beside me, grabbed me, pulled me into him, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed me hard. My mouth was already opened from shock, giving him a chance to push his tongue inside. He tasted like mint with a hint of smokiness. A moan slipped my throat, and it was his cue to deepen the kiss. I crept my arms around his neck and straddled on hisp. My core was already aching, and his cock was already. I ground into his hardness, riding him slowly and precisely. ¡°Fuck.¡± He pulled his mouth from mine and stared at me with those dark dreamy lust eyes. ¡°I want you, but not until you tell me what¡¯s going on in the head of yours. Communication is crucial to me, River. I¡¯m not good at voicing out my feelings, and I want this to work.¡± Dismay, I slid out to sit on the floor while I was aching for him. He slid himself to lie down, taking all the space of the couch. ¡°Come here.¡± He held my arm.¡± Lie on top of me. I want to feel you.¡± I want you to fuck me, dumbass. I didn¡¯t voice it out loud, but I did as he said. I rested myself on top of him, my head on his chest, and I could hear the strong and fast beating of his heart while his erection was deliciously and rigidly poking against my thighs. ¡°Mind telling me now.¡± Everything he did was delicious. I loved the feeling of him, making me my hair, down to my back. ¡°River. Talk.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love to spend some time with Journey. Does the spa offer still stand?¡± ¡°Whenever you¡¯re ready. I know just the right spa. Krys used to go there.¡± ¡°She can join us if she likes.¡± ¡°She would love it. Can I borrow your phone? I left mine in the room.¡± I grabbed it from the coffee table and handed it to him. ¡°Passcode.¡± He gave it back to me. ¡°Krew is hot. No space. All in caps.¡± Laughter erupted in his chest, sending vibrations into me. ¡°So sure about that, huh?¡± ¡°544670.¡± I heard him typing then he slid my phone back to the coffee table. ¡°All set. Tomorrow afternoon. I texted Krys, too.¡± ¡°That fast?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic, River.¡± ¡°Your heart is beating so fast. Is that even normal?¡± ¡°Ask my unruly dick why it¡¯s always hard around you. Now, what¡¯s bothering you?¡± ¡°How many were they have used that room?¡± He chuckled, and I wanted to punch him hard on the chest. ¡°That bothers you so much?¡± ¡°Just answer me.¡± I tried to be calm, but my voice betrayed me. ¡°River, look at me.¡± I raised my head and met his gaze. ¡°No one. I don¡¯t bring women over here. Ever. Not my style. I¡¯m not selfish or something. I¡¯m a phnthropist and have donated millions of dors, but I never spoiled women to take them to my bed. That room is reserved for my woman alone. I knew that it meant to be yours. Does that answer your doubt?¡± I shut up and rested my head back on his chest. I fought back the urge to grin, but my stupid heart did a little leap. ¡°What else do you want to clear things up?¡± I shook my head against his chest. ¡°You¡¯re not a prisoner here. You can go wherever you go. Do whatever you do.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Conner will drive you, and he will stay close to you all time. Your safety is important to me, River. I can¡¯t risk it. It would kill me if heid a hand on you.¡± ¡°So I have a room on my own.¡± ¡°I thought you want privacy. My door is open. I don¡¯t intend to lock it, knowing you are only a wall away. I don¡¯t want to overwhelm you, River. That¡¯s why I provided you a room on your own.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Now can we fuck?¡± 26. Addiction 26. Addiction KREW My mind was with River the whole time I was in the meeting. She had those surprised and excited look on her face when she looked at me. I could get used to seeing those big eyes every time I arrived at my penthouse. I always wanted her, and the anticipation she showed me made my dick even harder, and it had been throbbing in my pants, demanding release. While she yanked her clothes off, I was already undoing my own. Fuck yeah, I¡¯m going to fuck her on my couch. The moment thest thing hit the floor, I cupped her head and imed her mouth. Damn, she kissed me back with the same urge and intensity. She hooked her arms around my neck, straddling herself on myp. I trailed my way to her breast, rolling her little nub between my fingers. I knew she liked it as she moaned against our mouths. Then I did the same to the other while she threaded her fingers through my hair, pushing my head down. ¡°Do you want me to suck your nipple?¡± She answered me with a moan. ¡°I need a word, River. Remembermunication.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes, I want you to suck my nipple. But screwmunication. I can''t think straight while you''re doing this to me.¡± ¡°Good girl.¡± I chuckled before I captured her nipple with my mouth, nipping the tiny bud between my teeth, then licking around her pink are in circles. She rocked her hips towards my cock, rubbed her core against my length, and coated it with her wetness. I moved to the other to give the same attention, nipping it until she squirmed like crazy. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Oh, my god. God, I want you now.¡± ¡°Whatever you want, baby.¡± I moved my hand downward, tracing my fingers between her thighs. She was dripping wet, her wetness all over her folds down to her anus. I entered my finger into her swollen slit, finger-fucking her. I wanted her more than anything. My cock was throbbing to feel her mping around me, but I enjoyed more watching her lose herself in her own ecstasy. She let go of a long moan. Her throat bubbled. ¡°Please, don¡¯t stop. Don¡¯t stop.¡± I added another finger, thumb pressed against her clit. She contracted around my fingers, her juice dripping down. I kissed her again, thrusting my tongue in her mouth as I continued finger-fucking her. When I felt she was close to flying, I broke the kiss with a loud smack. ¡°Come around my fingers, baby.¡± That was her only cue. She let go a broken cry, shuddered, clenched her walls, and milked all over my fingers as she reached her climax. I pulled my fingers out, coating my shaft with her milk, and positioned my cock into her swollen folds. Then I licked my fingers dry while she was watching me. It took me by surprise when she took my hand, tasting herself. I thought I came right here right now before I could take her. That was the hottest thing she ever did to me. I lifted her and set her down my thick cock. ¡°Jesus, River.¡± I threw my head back. My eyes rolled back. ¡°Fuck. You¡¯re squeezing me.¡± I could feel every ridge inside her. She felt so tight, hot, and wet, and so fucking amazing. ¡°God, so good.¡± She started rocking her hips to me. I held her tight and dragged myself down so that I could fuck her well. I met her hips, and I was all deep inside her, reaching her end. She screamed. ¡°Kiss me, baby. Bite me, suck me, I need to feel you in my senses.¡± She did as I said, kissing me, licking me, sucking me, biting my lip, my neck that I could feel it drew blood. I¡¯d never been so hungry for a woman in my life that I wanted her to brand me, to im me, but here I was, asking her to mark me while I fucked her on the couch. ¡°Krew, I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°I know, baby. I know. I¡¯m close too.¡± I gripped her ass, holding it still as I bucked my hips, thrusting deep into her. My balls were pping against her ass. That didn¡¯t take long. She shuddered, gasping as her climax shot through her. It took me by surprise as she mped around me, slumping her body down. ¡°Ah!¡± I jerked inside her, filling her. And for the second time, we did not use condoms. *** Last night, I ended up joining her in her bed while she was coiling herself in a fetal position. The moment she felt it was me, she turned to me and fell asleep in my arms. That was one of the best things I had in my life. I could probably have anything I wanted in this world, but what I had right now was more than what I had in my bank ounts. Money couldn''t buy my happiness. River was precious and priceless. We woke up and shared a shower. Then there was a walk-in closet fucking. I fucked her there, spread her on the ind, and feasted her before I went to work. Sadly, I couldn¡¯t join her for lunch. I informed my sister to meet River early, and she was beyond happy to see her again. Later on, I received a text from my woman informing me that she was going out. I knew Conner would protect her with his life, so I was able to work all day knowing that River was in good hands. At five, Journey sent me a picture with a caption, thanks for sharing your girls with me. Something strange just happened. I was grinning like an idiot in front of my brother. Before I shut my grin off, Kai snatched my phone from my grip. ¡°What the fuck?¡± He hummed as he looked at the picture on my phone. ¡°Who¡¯s the other girl?¡± ¡°Journey. River¡¯s friend.¡± Kai looked amused and surprised at the same time. ¡°They¡¯ve grown so close already.¡± ¡°What were you expecting then?¡± ¡°Enough of this chitchat.¡± He shut myptop close. ¡°We¡¯re joining them for dinner. Call your sister about the restaurant.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not doing it.¡± I scowled. River would not appreciate an ambush dinner with my brother.¡± He rose from his seat. ¡°Please? I¡¯m looking forward to meeting her all week, Krew. If she won¡¯t be I didn¡¯t know exactly what he was up to, but I could protect River just fine. If Kai would do something that would upset her, I was not going to wait until she walked out. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°We ride in one car.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna ditch you, brother. I¡¯m a man of my word. But fine by me.¡± I texted Krys on our way. She replied with the details. River had no problem paying the bills because she had my card, but I was not sure if she would use it. I then received a text from River, and I found my brother gazing down at my phone. ¡°Privacy, bro.¡± ¡°You two are not sexting, right?¡± ¡°None of your business.¡± I typed my reply. River was asking me about my dinner n. ¡°Since when did you be secretive?¡± ¡°Since my brother wanted to mind my personal life. You should try not to be a manwhore all the time, brother. It¡¯s good to have someone who looks at you more than just a dor bill sign on your forehead. Trust me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, but I¡¯m busy. I have a billion-dor enterprise to run¡ª¡± ¡°Than to give a little time to the woman you care about? I was only with River for a short period of time, and so far, she had not gotten in between my work. She had not asked anything from me, demanded something, and didn¡¯t make me forget that I also ran a billion-dorpany. In fact, she reminds me to work hard because I have to show her that I¡¯m not just a billionaire by birthright who fucks around, throws a party, showers her with gifts, and travels around because that¡¯s what money can buy. I want her to see me and ept me for who I really am.¡± ¡°Nice speech, brother.¡± We arrived at the restaurant. The manager knew my brother, and he weed us and took us to our sister¡¯s table. I had not told River that Kai was joining us tonight, and I felt terrible for keeping it from her. Her eye twinkled the moment she spotted me. She was smiling from ear to ear as we approached, then it all vanished when she noticed that I did note alone. I left Kai behind as soon as River stood up. I kissed her on her forehead and squeezed her hands so cold as ice. I¡¯m gonna punch my brother for doing this to her. ¡°He begged to join. I don¡¯t wanna make you feel ufortable around him. We can leave right now if you want to. That would be fine by me.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± She squeezed my hands back. ¡°Are you sure?¡± I looked at her. The pain was there in her eyes, but so was the excitement. ¡°Yeah. I''m not gonna break down in front of your brother. Aaren thought me a few tricks. Maybe I could give a little demonstration to your brother if he''s not gonna behave.¡± ¡°Hey, bro.¡± Krys pulled me into a hug. ¡°Good job.¡± ¡°Hi, sis. Nice to see you again, Journey.¡± I shook her hand. ¡°Me too, Krew. You don¡¯t mind me calling you Krew, right?¡± ¡°Please. It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± I gave my attention back to River. ¡°d you could join us, Mr. Selik.¡± It was my woman, shaking hands with my brother. ¡°Just Kai, please. And I¡¯d love to call you River if you wouldn¡¯t mind.¡± ¡°Thest time I checked, that was my first name. You even asked me the first time we met if where my name came from. But I doubt if you still remember that moment when you threatened me. Where was that? Oh, in the cafeteria.¡± ¡°What the fuck?¡± 27. Kai Selik 27. Kai Selik RIVER Shock? Not so much. I knew one of these days the notorious yboy CEO Kai Selik and I would cross paths, but I did not expect it would be tonight when I just had the best spa of my life, thanks to the most handsome man beside me. No doubt, this was going to be an awkward reunion. Krew just threw out curses, narrowing his maic eyes at his brother. Wait a sec, Krew didn¡¯t know? He didn¡¯t know that his brother paid me a visit and threatened me? ¡°You went to see her and threaten her? When did it happen? Before or after she went to the tower?¡± he asked Kai, sitting across us beside Krystyn. Krystyn rolled her eyes. ¡°Are we gonna¡ª¡± Kai and Krew raised hands, causing Kystyn to give them another eye roll. Kai looked apologetic as he admitted. Deep regrets shed in his eyes. ¡°Yeah. I talked to her, but that¡¯s the reason why I am here.¡± ¡°What did you exactly say to her?¡± Krew pressed. ¡°Guys, now it¡¯s not the time. We¡¯re about to have dinner, and this is not the right ce for a little family argument. Look around you.¡± Kystyn widened her eyes as she looked around who was watching the banter between her brothers. ¡°No. I need to know now, or I and River walk out this restaurant.¡± Krew was damn stubborn. ¡°Make it the three of us. Sorry, Krystyn,¡± Journey said before she leaned to my side and whispered, ¡°They¡¯re even hotter when they¡¯re pissed.¡± I chuckled. ¡°Are they? Piss, I mean.¡± Journey pressed her lips together to hide her smile while the two continued arguing. ¡°You mean your man is not yet pissed, but he looked like he was about to blow fire at Kai? How hot is he in bed?¡± ¡°Your voice,¡± I whispered through greeted teeth and elbowed her. ¡°You changed since you met him again, you little bitch. You don¡¯t share any deets with me anymore, Ri. One of these days, I¡¯m gonna corner you to spill everything to me.¡± I covered my mouth with my hand. ¡°Nothing to spill, silly.¡± ¡°Care to share what the two of you are whispering about?¡± It was Krew, gripping my thigh under the table. I straightened in my seat, curling my toes when he moved his hand up and stopped just right an inch to my panties. He squeezed me again, causing me to bite my lip. I could feel my skin burning. My cheeks were definitely crimson right now. ¡°River?¡± he called me. ¡°Are you two done?¡± I asked instead of giving him what he wanted. I looked at him, then to Kai, and back to him with an arched brow. ¡°Damn. I wish I first knew her.¡± I knew Kai was messing with Krew, and my man¡¯s jaw clenched instantly, and if looks could kill, Kai was definitely dead right here, right now. ¡°Sorry to break it to you, casanova, but you¡¯re not my type.¡± ¡°Oops. Let me guess, it doesn''t happen often, does it? Being turned down by a woman.¡± A rich Southern ent tinged withughter as she lifted her chin towards Kai. ¡°Are you ready to order?¡± Krystyn broke the tension between her brothers and Journey. ¡°Please, you may brawl when you¡¯re not in front of us.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m starving,¡± I announced even though I wasn¡¯t. Because of the tension upon Kai''s arrival, I felt like I couldn¡¯t even swallow anymore. It wasn¡¯t that he intimidated me, but I was not ready to face him even if I was dating his baby brother. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten lunch?¡± Krew asked me. Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. I opened my mouth, but no wordsing out. ¡°We had. I fed your girlfriend, but it¡¯s dinner, Krew,¡± Krystyn interjected. The word girlfriend was still new to my ears, and I didn¡¯t even know what level we had yet. ¡°We should eat,¡± Krew called the waiter waiting for us. It seemed that Selik might be VIPs in this restaurant. I let Krew take care of my order while Kai chose the wine. ¡°Journey, you should try their specialties. You would love it. Trust me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go with your choice.¡± Journey and Krystyn got along quickly. Krystyn might be an heiress, but she was down to earth and jolly. I took a deep breath as I grabbed the ss of wine and sipped it before I started, ¡°Kai visited me before I found twowyers knocking on my door. He introduced himself and told me that I took quite a shine on Krew and took me as a challenge. His own words. Hisst words before he left. Stay away from my brother. You don¡¯t wanna cross a Selik, girl.¡± I bit my lip after I said thest word. It still affected me. I was not going to lie about it. Krystyn stared at his brother as if he just turned into a monster. ¡°Tell me you did not say that.¡± Kai dropped his gaze and nodded slowly. ¡°I did.¡± Krew cursed silently beside me. I could feel his anger rushing through his system. I held his hand under the table and rubbed tiny circles around his thumb. ¡°Krystyn met me once.¡± Her brothers stared at Krystyn, piercing her with their gazes. ¡°We only talked. Jeez. I¡¯m the one who said that we couldn¡¯t be friends. Then before she left, she told me that if I need anything, like anything, I know where to find her. That was why I went to her. Okay? Now stop burning holes into her head.¡± Krew and Kai sighed in unison. ¡°I¡¯m d you went to see me,¡± Krystyn said to me. ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry for what I did. The pressure was on me. I was dealing with loss,pany pressured, the position that I wasn¡¯t near ready for, and then my lifestyle had drastically changed. I had a big shoe to fill. I was warned and on the boards¡¯ radar that if I wouldn¡¯t change my reputation, the position would be taken over by my uncle, and I couldn¡¯t let that happen. My father would not be happy with it. That¡¯s his legacy. He worked hard to build thepany. His sweat and blood. That was why I want Krew to focus on the business. Thest thing I wanted from my brother was a distraction, and his te-clean reputation would bring thepany up. If I lost the position, Krew would be ready to take it. At least the ¡°I understood, Kai. You love your brother, and what you did was what you think for his own good.¡± ¡°But you went too far,¡± Journey added. ¡°I know, and I would do anything to help you build up your career, River. Look, for what it''s worth, I now see the aftermath of what I did, and I''m truly sorry. ¡± Krew chuckled. ¡°Good luck with that, brother.¡± He then sipped his wine. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Thest thing I want is another Selik helping me.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Krystyn asked. ¡°I¡¯d love to do it on my own.¡± I rose from my seat. ¡°Excuse me. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Krew managed to hold my hand before I could walk away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To a ce called a powder room, and you¡¯re noting with me.¡± I gave him a warning look. ¡°Oh, good. Not again,¡± Journey seconded. ¡°Fine.¡± Krew finally gave in. I entered thedies'' room and let go a few shuddering breaths. Thanked, god. It felt good to let go of those feelings. I felt relieved at this moment. I washed my hands while looking at my reflection in the mirror. I saw a matured version of me, a woman who found her voice again. I dried my hands. Before I could walk out, the door swung open. Then a man entered. My eyes were enormous. A rush of fear chilled my bones, and I couldn¡¯t make my feet move. ¡°Hello, River.¡± There was something in his voice, so cold and terrifying no matter how calm it was. I stared transfixed, gulping, but my throat clogged. I was too terrified that I couldn¡¯t even find my voice to speak. ¡°I just wanna talk to you.¡± He looked different than thest time I saw him. Right now, all I could see was the mncholic and miserable Briar. ¡°I just wanna apologize for what I did. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He stepped forward, and we were only a meter apart. I prayed in my head that someone would walk in. I managed to step back. ¡°Briar, you shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± ¡°I saw you came in. I just wanna say sorry. I won¡¯t do that again, I promise. Please, give me another chance. We were so good together. We are perfect for each other, River. You know that.¡± We were merely a step apart. I could see the desperation in his eyes, and there was something more, but it was gone in an instant. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡± Calm down, River. Don¡¯t show him how terrified you are, but I passed beyond that. ¡°Why not? I know you still love me, River. I can see it, and I can feel it.¡± He held my shaking and cold hand, gripping it. When did I say I love him? He was delusional. He was insane. I pulled my hand back. Thankfully, Briar let it go. ¡°I should go.¡± ¡°No!¡± His voice echoed. It was like a deja vu. I jumped before I heard a splitting scream. I barely recognized my own voice. In a split second, I was on the floor. My head was in excruciating pain. ¡°Freeze! Hands above your head. Briar Witley, you¡¯re under arrest for assault and stalking. You have the right to remain silent¡­¡± 28. Its Over 28. It''s Over KREW This wasn¡¯t supposed to end like this. Watching River curling on the floor of thedies'' room, whining in excruciating pain, broke my heart. I couldn¡¯t just ignore the image of her getting hurt on my watch. It was all my fault. I let her go alone. Now disturbing things happened. As rage called urgently in my veins, I dashed in and scooped her into my arms. She was shaking and crying from fear. River hastily coiled her arms around my neck. As she gripped my suit, I felt as if her fear was pulling her away into the dark abyss. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m here now. I would never let you out of my sight again.¡± My voice came out as a weak and pitiful whisper because I knew, and I felt I had failed her. I just broke a promise. I pulled her into my arms in a tight hug as I tried to calm her sob. I was scared for her, but it had to happen. I knew if she ever found out about this, she would never forgive me. She would hate me for the rest of my life. She would despise me, and I might not be able to recover when the moment came that I had to face her, look into her eyes as I watched those deep pain, T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. ming anger, and fear reflected right back at me. ¡°I-I was so scared.¡± She just twisted the knife in my heart with her words. My throat choked up. ¡°It¡¯s over now. It¡¯s over now, baby.¡± I cupped her face. ¡°Look at me.¡± Her eyes were still shut. ¡°I know you¡¯re scared, so do I. All the time when I was not with you. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you if you were safe or if you were terrified at that certain moment.¡± She finally opened her eyes and fucked me now, hurt wouldn¡¯t cover how much I felt right now. Those bright blue eyes were swimming with tears. I had to look down. My gut twisted sickly with so much guilt for putting her in this horrible situation. I wished I could take it back. I wished I could, but her nightmare was over now. Jesus Christ. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to the hospital. Are you hurt? Did he touch you?¡± What stupid questions? ¡°I think I¡¯m fine. I don¡¯t know. It happened so fast.¡± She sobbed again. ¡°I still have to take you to the hospital.¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to go. I just wanna go home.¡± ¡°I have to make sure you¡¯re okay, baby. Not only physically, but mentally and emotionally.¡± ¡°I tried to step back when he was about tounch toward me. Then I might have tripped off. I can''t remember how it happened. Thest thing I knew, I was on the floor, and my head hurt.¡± I scooped her up, carrying her bridal style. I wasn¡¯t aware, Kai, Krys, and Journey were already inside. ¡°Let¡¯s head out. Take the back exit. The car is ready for you. Krys and Journey will ride with me,¡± Kai said and looked down at the terrified River. ¡°We just have to continue our interrupted dinner next time. Get better, okay?¡± River nodded against the crook of my neck. Before I could reach the way to the exit door, my brother took off his suit and used it to cover River. I knew what he was doing. We got a little bit of attention in and out of the restaurant. Thankfully, there was no crowd at the back of the premises, except for my driver, Conner, and one of the cops who arrested Briar. ¡°She won¡¯t give a statement right now. I need to make sure first she¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Krew. I can give a statement.¡± ¡°No. You need to clear your head first.¡± We were soon on the road. Detached, River hadn¡¯t said a word, wrapped herself in my brother¡¯s suit. With eyes closed, I knew she was in deep thoughts as she leaned against the window. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I swiped some strands off her forehead. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t wanna go to the hospital?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. I just wanna make sure he stays in jail. I¡¯m not just gonna sit here and pretend this is over. This is far from over. If I know, he might have been released on his way.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t.¡± I looked away, worried she would sense something I was not ready to tell. ¡°How are you so sure?¡± I found myself swallowing ufortably. My stomach clenched tight as she stared bleakly at me as if trying to put two and two together before she looked away. ¡°River¡ª¡± She raised her hand. The awkward silence became unnerving, and it was killing me. ¡°That was part of your n, was it? You lured him to that restaurant. You used me as bait?¡± She looked at me, eyes burning holes with anger and hurt. I slowly nodded to confirm. ¡°And you didn¡¯t care if he hurt me. All you want is to end this because that¡¯s what you promised me. Well, congrattions on the job well done, Krew! You just won an Academy Award for the best actor.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t supposed¡ª¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter!¡± she screamed at the top of her lungs, piercing me with her re. ¡°I trusted you. So this sleeping with me, luring me into your castle, showering me with gifts, showing me the part of who you are are just a part of the n?¡± My heart stopped dead. ¡°That¡¯s not true.¡± My voice came out low and shaking. I was angry and sad at the same time. My emotions were getting through my head. I couldn¡¯t think straight. ¡°Oh, please,¡± she scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re good at pretending to like me. You did a bang-up job. I give you credit for that.¡± Her voice broke. ¡°It felt like real. And as stupid as I was, I fell for that.¡± Her words were sharper than a de, cutting my heart to shred. ¡°I almost¡ª¡± She wiped her face. She just ripped my heart off my chest after it stopped beating. ¡°God¡ª¡± ¡°That was all real. These are all real. You and me. You know it.¡± ¡°Please, spare me.¡± She wiped her tears on her cheeks and scoffed. ¡°None of these are real, Krew. For you, a rtionship is just a game that you need to y very well. When you felt like you¡¯re losing the game, you leave it there and move on.¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t know shit about me. And you¡¯re not giving me a chance to show you who I am.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this enough if I have to know who you are who you said you are? You know what? It doesn¡¯t matter anymore because I know your real expertise is. Avoiding real intimacy, personal entanglement, that¡¯s why you chose to stay out of the people who care about you. Let¡¯s stop this stupidity before I hit bottom.¡± I felt like my world pulled off under my feet. I was losing my shit. I was losing her, and I didn¡¯t know how to make her understand. That was not easy for me. That this¡ªeverything about us was new to me, and it was extraordinarily overwhelming and challenging at the same time. ¡°I didn¡¯t stay away to avoid intimacy. And I¡¯ve shown you the real me, River. The guy who shared his feelings with you is a real person¡ªthe same person you only met a few days ago. That¡¯s the real me. I¡¯m not such a lost cause because I¡¯m not ready to face something terrifying. I¡¯m away because I just don¡¯t like attention. I only want attention from the people who truly care about me. And I¡¯m the kind of guy who would like to keep the past where it was because it still hurts, raw, and doesn¡¯t heal fast. I¡¯m not ready to open up to you because it still terrifies me.¡± ¡°That was a nice speech. But you don¡¯t have the right to make that call of using me as bait.¡± God, if I could only tell her the other reasons, but she wasn¡¯t ready for that either. ¡°I just did what I thought was right. I did that for you, River.¡± A glimmer of emotional warmth in those icy cold blue eyes, but it subsided quicker than lightning. ¡°Stop the car, Lake, or send to the precinct instead.¡± ¡°You need to rest.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need you to order me around. I¡¯m an adult, not an invalid. I can take care of myself now. Thanks for your courageous effort. Now that this is over, what else is there to say? I don¡¯t wanna say anything anymore that I can¡¯t take it back. You know for a fact that this has an ending. I don¡¯t wanna make things awkward and hard than it is right now.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s it? Because he¡¯s now in police custody, we¡¯re over?¡± I tried to read her, but she blinked a few times, trying to get rid of those raw feelings she felt towards me. I stared at her, waiting for the answer, shivering as reality slowly started to kick in. We were through. ¡°It¡¯s nothing to start with. You know that.¡± Exasperated, I ran my fingers through my hair as I scoffed. ¡°Now who¡¯s lying?¡± She met my gaze. ¡°Am I? I needed you. I just did what I thought could keep me safe. Call it, drastic actions.¡± My mouth gaped. I wasn¡¯t hearing this. The car had stopped, the door opened. When I tried to hold her, she already slipped off of my fingers. She left. River was gone. And she and I were over. 29. Just Sing it Out 29. Just Sing it Out RIVER After the disaster dinner, I felt like I was losing my mind. I didn¡¯t know what to do with my life. What Briar did to me was unforgivable, but so did Krew. I couldn¡¯t believe he used me. He made me think that what we had was real. It turned out it was only a part of the plot he was orchestrating. Yeah, it was to save my ass, but he could have just told me about his grand n, and I was willing to do my part to end that terrible chapter of my life. Now, I didn¡¯t have a job. I lost two people I started to care for. My bills kepting, my rent was due, and here I was, slurping instant noodles from a cup. Great, my life just turned upside down because I was addicted to his extraordinaire cock. Although I was starting to build back my life from the ground¡ªwho am I kidding? For the past three days, I did nothing other than slept and be a total loser. I checked jobs online, though, but there was no luck. I still did not get my phone back since they needed it for evidence. I used myptop to watch some shows and chat with Krys and Journey to keep my sanity in check. My fork hung in the air when my doorbell went off. I was a hundred percent sure it wasn¡¯t what I thought it was. Fine, it¡¯s not Krew. He apologized through text, though, but that was it. I hadn¡¯t heard anything from him since then. I peeped before I opened the door. ¡°What can I do for you, almighty Kai? Thest person I expect to show up at my front door. Well, not for too long.¡± ¡°Why? Are you going somewhere?¡± ¡°Possibly, since my rent is overdue.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Krys give you the keycard to his penthouse? You have all the ess you can get. Why don¡¯t you go ruin his penthouse to get rid of that anguish and pain in your chest.¡± I stared at him in disbelief. Was this the same man I met at dinner? ¡°No freaking way. Would it help? No. I¡¯d rather do my own way of getting rid of this anguish.¡± I quoted in the air. ¡°But since I don¡¯t have luck finding a job, and I¡¯m alone paying the entire apartment, I¡¯m gonna see myself on the street soon. That¡¯s all to sum it up. Good thing there¡¯s a ce for the homeless¡ªGod! I¡¯m babbling.¡± I groaned louder, causing him tough. And he found it funny to see someone who was struggling in life. It was so unfair. I watched him help himself inside without an invitation. He was carrying stic bags, and it smelled amazing. My stomach grumbled despite I just ate instant noodles. He went straight to the kitchen, ced down the stic bags on the counter, opened some cupboards, took everything that he was looking for. ¡°Why are you here? Did he send you? I can''t see hisckeys anymore, watching me from across the street.¡± He prepared the food on the te, and I literally drooled. ¡°I owed you a dinner. Even if I don¡¯t, I was still nning on checking up on you. Krys said that you¡¯re still alive, chatting with her.¡± That was all. He didn¡¯t mention his brother. I sat on the stool and dug the most delicious dinner I¡¯d ever tasted. Well, I was poor and hungry. Of course, I could tell this was delicious. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Let me offer you a job.¡± He also started eating. ¡°No, thank you. Thest time I asked for help from Selik, I screwed up. So, no thank you.¡± ¡°At least let me rmend you before thendlord would throw you out of your apartment, River. Even though I know my brother would not let it happen. The least I could do after what terrible things I did to you is to help. Please?¡± I shook my head stubbornly. ¡°Don¡¯t make me throw this food into your thousand-dor suit.¡± What I didn¡¯t expect from him was to smile. ¡°No wonder he¡¯s fond of you.¡± I rolled my eyes, trying to ignore the pain in my chest. ¡°Because he¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything from him since that night, and I¡¯m started to get worried.¡± I could feel the worry and frustration in his voice. I rose my gaze from the te to Kai and thought for a while. He must be kidding, right? ¡°You have every man in your payroll if he¡¯s gone missing. Unless he intends not to be found. You know where to find him. Thest ce you should search is here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I am here, to look for my brother. You two had a few misunderstandings that need to sort out. You¡¯re hurt, he¡¯s hurt. Think about the oue. And I¡¯m not here to defend my brother even though I love that pain in the ass so much. But I saw what I saw and what you two have wouldn¡¯t just disappear with one mistake. He¡¯d been watching you for years, River, and that¡¯s something you should value. I didn¡¯t tell him that I went to see you and warn you because I could lose him, but I did that because I¡¯d like to clear things up with you since I saw how happy he was when you came to his life.¡± ¡°I was surprised as he was.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not telling you to forgive him. You would do it at the right time.¡± ¡°What happened to him?¡± I searched for something in his eyes, and I saw a deep sadness resurfaced. He put down the fork and dabbed his lips with the napkin. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for sympathy, and I don¡¯t just tell it to anyone, but you managed to get through his walls. I hope it won¡¯t change anything to the way you look at him.¡± ¡°T-that bad?¡± I stuttered in shock. ¡°Yeah. There was a high school trip. Forest conservation program. Krew is too skinny when we were growing up. He¡¯s like ate bloomer who wears sses, so his ssmates made fun of him, but I didn¡¯t know it went too far until it was toote. During their trip to the forest for the whole afternoon, one of the jocks had a girlfriend, and this dude saw his girl talking to Krew. The four jocks lured Krew deeper into the woods while everyone was busy with the project, nting trees and all that.¡± I watched Kai struggled to continue. I found myself holding his hand that was so cold. I squeezed it. My eyes were filled with unshed tears. ¡°You don¡¯t have to continue. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m ready to hear it.¡± ¡°They hit him in the head, gagged his mouth, tied him, and hid him behind the rock.¡± I gasped. My tears fell. This exined everything why he was so terrified in the dark. ¡°Then it rained.¡± ¡°Yeah. We were not like this at that time. I mean, we didn¡¯t have connections. We found him the next morning, full of mud, chilling, barely alive. That¡¯s why I¡¯m too overprotective of him.¡± ¡°What happened to them?¡± ¡°They got arrested, went to juvie. Krew saw a therapist for a while. He did immersion therapy. Before they could finish the process, he stopped going when he went to college. He¡¯s still having an attack, is he?¡± I gulped. ¡°Yeah. It happened when I was there. How did he survive that, scared alone? Oh, my god. He must be so terrified.¡± I sniffled, wiping my tears away. I realized it wasn¡¯t the betrayal that hurt me the most. It was Krew. I cared a lot about him. So much it hurt. ¡°Why? Why does he have to stay there alone?¡± Kai chuckled. ¡°Should I pay for him apanion? A mistress or a fake wife?¡± I gave him an annoyed look. ¡°He loves that ce. He finds it peaceful there and considers that his sanctuary. My brother is weird sometimes.¡± *** I met Krys and Journey in the bar when they threatened me toe over to my apartment and dragged me out if I wouldn¡¯t show up. So here I was, trying to enjoy the conversation while I still finding it hard to wrap thest chat with Kai around my head. ¡°Earth to River.¡± Krys nudged me. The boos from the audience caught our attention. I started to have a headache since we sat at the bar an hour ago. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t wanna reply to Krew, then just suck it up.¡± Journey red at me. ¡°Leave your heartbreak at home. We are supposed to have fun tonight. Get drunk, honey.¡± One of the audience went upstage. The band started ying a song by Kurt Cobain, and the guy started singing. I listened for a while, trying to lose in the song, but it did not work. When the song ended, I said it out loud, ¡°He¡¯s done helping me. I said thank you. He apologized, so the story ended there. It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°Pfft. You could have fooled me if I didn¡¯t see those fires in your eyes.¡± ¡°What fire?¡± I pretended I didn¡¯t know what Krys was talking about. ¡°I still want to see my brother happy. If you¡¯re done with him, then I should start setting him up a date.¡± My face fell. I downed my martini. Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, I slid from the stool and left my friends in the bar. I heard Krys asked Journey where I was going, but I didn¡¯t look back. I went straight backstage and asked one of the staff if who would be next on the stage. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. When he asked if I wanted to perform, he gave me a go. When thest performer finished his song, I walked to the center of the stage. The effect of Martini started to make my cheeks burn. The audience went silent, making me more nervous. What I needed was to move on, but not to forget. I just wished he could see this. I grabbed the acoustic guitar from the stand and swung the strap around my shoulder. I was shaking. Thest time I performed with more than one audience was in high school. I could see the shock in Krys and Journey¡¯s faces, but then they cheered up for me. I blew a deep breath, and my heart was beating a million a mile. ¡°Good evening. I hope everyone is doing fine. I¡¯d like to dedicate this song to my friends over there.¡± I pointed to the bar. I shut my eyes close for a moment before I started strumming chords of These Hard Times. I started singing, and one of the band members joined me with his Cajon. It turned out to be a perfect rhythm. I hit thest note and opened my eyes. ¡°Thank you.¡± Before I could take off, the Cajon yer asked me if I could y one more song. ¡°Are you sure? I didn¡¯t practice,¡± I say nervously. ¡°You didn¡¯t practice with that performance?¡± He beamed at me. A group of the audience yelled for another song. When I looked back at the man, he only shrugged. ¡°Okay.¡± I went back to the mic. ¡°This song is very special to me. It¡¯s called Wonderwall by Oasis.¡± I strummed and sang my own rendition, a little slower, gentler than Noel Gagher¡¯s acoustic version. ¡°I said maybe, you''re gonna be the one that saves me¡­ And after all, you¡¯re my Wonderwall.¡± 30. Fearless 30. Fearless KREW I couldn¡¯t sleep. I wanted to smash every single piece of furniture in sight right now. I paced back and forth. My mind was still whirling. I was just so furious, hurt, enraged that River left like as easy as that¡ª she didn¡¯t care. What she said might be right after all. Why would she care anyway? It was me who concocted and considered the idea of making her bait to that motherfucker. My phone rang. It was Conner. ¡°Where is she?¡± My greeting was a bark. ¡°She went thermonuclear. I swear your woman is scary when she¡¯s pissed.¡± Heughed, outraged, and admired her at the same time. River never ceased to amaze me. I knew she could be scarier when she wanted to. I was a fucking bulldozer, but she¡¯d never been intimidated by me. ¡°Where is she now?¡± My voice was thick when I asked again. Calling River my woman made me feel proud, but I knew the reality¡ª she left me. ¡°I sent her to her apartment. I¡¯m still waiting here down for your heads up.¡± ¡°Is she okay?¡± It took considerable self-control not to go to her apartment and ask for forgiveness so that we could have make-up sex, but I knew River. The way she just left me, she would make everything extraordinarily fucking difficult for me. ¡°I¡¯m gonna be honest with you, boss. She¡¯s spitting fire, but physically, she¡¯s okay. For someone who had been in a long-term rtionship, I would advise you to give her some space.¡± ¡°She¡¯s still terrified.¡± My voice hardened. ¡°You didn¡¯t see her curling on the fucking floor. I let it happen.¡± ¡°She would realize that what you did was for her own good. If it makes you feel any better, she cares a lot about you. I know a woman when bes enraged, turns into a firestorm because she cares.¡± I squeezed my eyes shut, rubbed my temples as I tried to let myself believe that River cared about me. On the other hand, maybe Conner was right. She was still mad at me. ¡°Just stay down for a while, then you can go.¡± There were a lot of questions I wanted to ask, but I let it go for now. ¡°Got it, boss.¡± I disconnected the call and slumped myself to the couch where we fucked each other. This ce reminded me of her. In every corner of this penthouse, she was everywhere, and it was driving me insane. I knew myself. I had known it in my bone that I was stupidly, madly, and tragically in love with her. *** ¡°Hello? Who¡¯s there?¡± A voice of a man interrupted me from starting a fire. I turned around. It was an old man in his fifties or so. ¡°Yeah?¡± When he got closer, I realized I knew him from years ago. ¡°Wait. Sheriff Ward? Is that you?¡± He stopped a meter away from me, trying to remember me, I guessed. ¡°Retired, son. Selik kid?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s me, Krew.¡± I held out my hand. ¡°How have you been? It¡¯s been like eight years?¡± He was one of those people who believed in me. He also testified during the trials. He shook my hand firmly. ¡°So, what are you doing here in the middle of the forest.¡± His expressions suddenly changed, sympathetic. ¡°I remember this ce. Here where it happened, Krew.¡± I grabbed two tin cups and poured us coffee as we sat on the old log. ¡°It¡¯s kinda a long story.¡± I had been here for two days. Kai and Krys didn¡¯t know where I went, except for my bodyguard to inform my family if I wouldn¡¯t be back in a week. I had been camping here all by myself. Only the darkness of the forest full of wonder, insects, and animals were mypanion for thest forty-eight hours. ¡°I have all the time, son.¡± I relived that night I met River. ¡°So, I met this incredible woman three years ago, but something happened before we even became something. A few weeks ago, I met her again. And that was one of the happiest days of my life. But since that incident happened to me, I developed this fear of the rain and darkness, and she knew it. I realized I couldn¡¯t be with someone if I would pee in my pants when it rained or during bad weather. Considering New York had that season, it would be difficult for us to start a rtionship. But she did not judge me or pity me when she saw me fighting my own nightmare.¡± ¡°So how long have you been camping here?¡± He looked around. The grass smudged with mud. I built a tent and created a pit fire on my own. ¡°Two days.¡± He looked surprised. ¡°It was rainingst night.¡± I smiled proudly. ¡°Damn. I was terrified. Believe me. I wanted to bolt out when the sun started to set, but I had to face my fear. When the rain started tapping against the roof of my tent, I almost peed in my pants. I only had a chargeablemp inside while it was thundering, the lightning struck the sky, and the rain was pouring so hard. I kept telling myself about what she told me that it couldn¡¯t hurt me. It was just mother earth nurturing the ground, but I was still sweating, and I almost copsed. Then I just felt better. I slept wellst night.¡± There were moments that I thought to run out of here, but something was stopping me¡ªmy determination, and River. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, Krew.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± I smiled despite my heart was still hurting. I, myself was proud. I passed a certain huge trial of my life. ¡°So, this incredible woman. What happened then?¡± ¡°I did a terrible thing to protect her. She left me.¡± I looked down, guilt knotted in my chest. ¡°At my age, pursuing a girl always do the tricks. Show her how determined and sincere you are to have her in your life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the n. As soon as I¡¯m outta here.¡± *** ¡°Where the fuck have you been? Lake would never crack, and the only thing he assured us was that you¡¯re okay. Alive somewhere.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t get a day off?¡± I sighed deeply as I joined them on the couch. When my gazended on Krys, walking in, I knew something huge happened while I was away for nearly two weeks. After my fear- fighting camping, I went to see those guys who put in that terrible fear. Then I went to see someone very dear to me. ¡°I missed you.¡± Krys pulled me into a tight hug. I missed her, but I promised not to contact them while I was in my little retreat. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. ¡°Missed you, too.¡± I couldn¡¯t meet her in the eye, but I felt the burning gaze my brother had been shooting at me. ¡°Just say it, Kai. Did mypany went down?¡± He was not amused. He looked like he could break my head in a snap. ¡°You forget that you left something unsolved before you went to your little getaway.¡± ¡°I¡¯m back, ain¡¯t I? What is the fuss? I thought you would be happy to see me but I¡¯m wrong.¡± ¡°Where did you hide for thirteen days, Krew?¡± It was Krys who asked. ¡°And I have something for you.¡± Her smile was pure wicked, waggling her brows as if it would pique my interest. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna buy me a brand new Hermes scarf.¡± ¡°When did you be penniless?¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s called a gift, brother. Jeez. I promise you¡¯re gonna like it.¡± ¡°Have you talked to her?¡± My head snapped back to Kai. When I didn¡¯t say a thing, he knew the answer. ¡°You¡¯re a good brother, but you¡¯re full of shit.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on it, and I don¡¯t wanna fuck up for the second time. Cut me some cks.¡± ¡°How is it working for you? Running away isn¡¯t working on it, you dickbag.¡± ¡°I went back to that ce¡ª¡± ¡°Why? Why in the hell would you torture yourself going back there on your own?¡± Krys was so shocked, her eyes enormous. She knew how that ce changed my whole life. ¡°What the fuck, Krew? Have you lost your mind? Why did you have to go back to that terrible ce?¡± It was Kai. He could be overprotective, but he¡¯d been my anchor since our father passed away. ¡°I had to face it to move forward, to move on. I have to face my fear. I couldn¡¯t be with her while I am curling under my desk.¡± ¡°She knew?¡± Krys asked, horrified. ¡°Yeah. It was raining so suddenly, pouring so hard. I was terrified, sweating my ass, and I nearly copsed if she hadn¡¯t found me. She found it out that I was afraid of the dark the first day at my house.¡± ¡°In-fucking-pressive,¡± Kai said with pride. ¡°How¡¯s she?¡± I asked quietly. ¡°She¡¯ll live,¡± Krys replied. ¡°Moved on.¡± I snapped my gaze at her. My stomach lurched. ¡°What? She¡¯s single,¡± she added with a shrug. ¡°Stop it. You¡¯re giving him a heart attack,¡± Kai said with pure amusement. ¡°What did I miss?¡± ¡°Hermes scarf and a bag.¡± She offered her hand. ¡°Card now.¡± Kai wasughing. My brows met, trying to catch up on what I missed, but Krys didn¡¯t budge until she got what she wanted from me. ¡°You¡¯re gonna love it. If you won¡¯t, I¡¯ll pay the half.¡± ¡°I could just go to Journey.¡± ¡°Journey hates you.¡± I swallowed ufortably. ¡°Of course, she does.¡± ¡°Jeez, kidding.¡± She hit me on my arm, offered me her phone with a video clip ready. ¡°Kai hadn¡¯t seen that.¡± ¡°Sent this to me.¡± I knew it was a video of River, but about what. I was about to figure it out. ¡°These. And no. Not until I got my bag and scarf.¡± ¡°Deal.¡± The first video started ying. My eyes went wide. My heart started beating again. The audio wasn¡¯t clear, but I knew River was on the stage in a red dress, ying guitar, singing. My lips slowly formed a smile. I was beyond happy. I didn¡¯t realize Kai was already behind us, had joined to watch the entire video. ¡°She¡¯s incredible, trust me. She found a gig. She sings three times a week in a bar, and she has one tonight.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know she can sing, let alone y guitar. River is full of surprises, bro,¡± Kai said. ¡°So, Wonderwall, huh?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡± 31. Under the Rain 31. Under the Rain RIVER Krystyn and Journey had been very supportive of my bar gig. Last week, I started my YouTube channel ¡ªit was their idea. Since Krystyn had hundred of thousands of followers on her Instagram, it was a huge help. I uploaded another cover yesterday, and I started to get a couple of thousands of views and hundreds ofments. ¡°You¡¯re getting famous around here, youngdy,¡± the bar owner Ben said in the dressing room. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if you¡¯re leaving the stage so soon.¡± He was in his seventies. His children were all sessful because of Staple Bar, and it had been here for four decades. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere. I just started two weeks ago. You¡¯re very optimistic, Ben, but thanks.¡± I sipped my ginger ale. In five minutes, I would be on the stage for myst performance for this week. ¡°I don¡¯t know you know the Selik.¡± I guessed the Selik siblings had quite a reputation other than the fact that they were running a billion-dor enterprise. ¡°I met one of the Selik back then. Then I got in touched with them a few weeks ago. They¡¯re decent people.¡± ¡°I met their old man before he became a billionaire. Koby Selik never changed despite that he was one of the most notable people in this city.¡± He nodded. ¡°If you get a record deal, I would be proud of you, River. Break a leg tonight.¡± I smiled. Ben was one of those people who could inspire someone with his words. ¡°Thanks.¡± Tonight I would have a few songs line up. Some were requested from myst performance, and I had a duet with the band vocalist. My eyes grew wide when I walked on the stage. The ce was crowded. It tripled from the usual customers we had in thest few days. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked the vocalist, Emil. ¡°Surprise too. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s do it.¡± Tonight, I ditched the guitar. We started with trending songs. So far, the audience was liking it. They sang along with us. Then after a short break, I did a solo with blues by a well-known ssic singer. ¡°Ourst song for tonight. Tennessee Whiskey by Chris Stapleton.¡± The crowd went crazy. ¡°Take this home with you. I hope you¡¯ll like it.¡± When the melody started, that was it. I gave all my heart. It was my dad¡¯s favorite. Emil sang the first line. I did the second. We made a few arrangements during our practice, and it went perfectly well. The crowd roared up when I did my own runs. They joined us, hands in the air, and the best crowd so far. I felt all emotional that I had to close my eyes to enjoy these feelings. ¡°Thank you.¡± The waiter gave me a note. It was written on the order slip ¡®Meet me¡¯. My heart raced when the initial was K. Selik, even though I knew it was impossible to be him. But the cursive penmanship was from a guy. It must be Kai. It was absolutely Casanova. I found Kai on the table with his two goons. ¡°What brought you to a bar like this, Kai?¡± He did his signature smile before he hugged me. ¡°I missed you too, the infamous River Rouge.¡± ¡°Really, why are you here? Krys wouldn¡¯t make it, and so as Journey. Seems pretty convenient, right? But d to see a familiar face around here.¡± Whatever happened in the past, I had to learn to forget and forget. I learned to like Kai despite our differences. And honestly, he was not that bad. ¡°And I¡¯m d that you turned down my offer. I just wanna say that I¡¯m happy that you did not give up your passion. The stage suits you, River. You blow me away.¡± I tipped my ear to him. ¡°Did I just hearpliments? Did Kai Selik, the yboy CEO of Selik Enterprise Heughed out loud and took something from his suit pocket. It was his phone. ¡°Come here, River.¡± He wrapped his arm around my shoulder. ¡°Smile to the camera.¡± ¡°Wait. I¡¯m not ready.¡± He raised his phone, angling at us. ¡°Guess what, guys? I just watched this gorgeous woman performed on the stage tonight. And let me tell you, she¡¯s amazing. Don¡¯t worry, guys, she¡¯s not mine. Though I wish she is because she¡¯s not only beautiful, she¡¯s also smart and talented, but she¡¯s taken.¡± He shrugged as if disappointed, which made me smile. ¡°This is River Rouge. Catch her performance at the Staple Bar three times a week.¡± He ended the video. ¡°I will post this on my Instagram.¡± ¡°Oh, my god. Did you just say those¡ª?¡± I covered my mouth. My eyes widened. ¡°So what? That¡¯s the truth.¡± He busied himself with his phone. ¡°Anyway, thanks.¡± ¡°River?¡± someone called me from behind. When I turned around, I met a guy around my age with shoulder dark blonde hair smiling at me. ¡°Adam Stance.¡± He held out his hand. ¡°He¡¯s taken, man. Sorry.¡± It was Kai. I wanted to roll my eyes. I shook Adam¡¯s hand. ¡°River Rouge.¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯d been watching you perform for two days. You¡¯re talented, and I like your voice. I watched your covers on YouTube, too.¡± ¡°Thank you. That means a lot.¡± I genuinely smiled at him. ¡°I¡¯m also a YouTuber. I do covers and invite a few guests over.¡± He gave me his card. ¡°Check me out, and I¡¯d love to cover Whiskey Tennessee with you for my next video.¡± I took the card shakily. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think¡ªno, I¡¯m sure five million views would be easy in a week.¡± My eyes widened. Wow. Who was this guy? ¡°Call me if you¡¯re interested. Nice to meet you up close. Mr. Selik,¡± he regarded. I wasn¡¯t aware Kai was still standing beside me. ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Kai. ¡°You wanna grow viewership? I think that¡¯s a pretty idea. Just check some legalities before you jump into opportunities. I¡¯ll let one of mywyers help you out with that.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten anything, Kai.¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna need it very soon, River. Trust me.¡± His confidence boosted my self-esteem. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Anything for our girl.¡± My smile broke out. Our girl. I felt special even though his brother left me for good. I hadn¡¯t heard anything from him anymore. I still met Conner once in a while, checking up on me. The rest was just history. *** I wasn¡¯t aware the rain was pouring heavily outside, which reminded me of him. I didn¡¯t even bring an umbre with me. I took off my coat and used it over my head as I ran towards my car in the parking area. I shivered as the wind breeze gushed through me almost knocked me off. My coat flew like a kite. Thankfully, I had it in my grip. Once I reached my car, I unlocked it. I shivered again, goosebumps erupted on my skin, but it wasn¡¯t from the cold and rain. The hair stood up on my nape as I felt like someone was watching me. I quickly entered and locked my car. I was soaking wet, but I managed to enter the key to the keyhole in one take. ¡°God!¡± I jumped inside before I could start the ignition. My heart jackhammered to the knock on my window. I squeezed my eyes shut and mentally prayed. No. Not him again. Another knock. I opened my eyes and looked out of the window. My jaw dropped. I tried not to widen my eyes, but I failed. I gulped. I wasn¡¯t aware I was already rolling my window down until the gush of wind hit my face. ¡°My god,¡± it was my shaking voice. At least I thought it came from me. ¡°Krew?¡± He was soaking wet. Water dripping from his head down to his neck. I ventured my gaze down to his white shirt was sticking to his ripped biceps and chest. He looked like in a photoshoot for a shirt brand He leaned over the window, and he was smiling, but there was something in his smile that made my heart race wild, my inner muscles clench, and there were excitement, longing, and admiration brewing in those eyes. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± It required a great deal of thought to say something. Hepletely surprised me and caught me off guard by showing up with that smile. ¡°I was around the neighborhood.¡± He swallowed. Oh, he¡¯d been here. For how long? But he never came to visit me. He scratched his head. ¡°Fine. I came to see you perform. I-I just¡ª¡± The thunder roared. The lightning strike. ¡°Oh, my god! It¡¯s raining.¡± I rushed to unlock my car and pushed the door opened. Crap. It should be the passenger seat, but I was cramming and clumsy. ¡°Get in.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m wet. I can¡¯t soak your car seat.¡± He seemed calm, still smiling down at me. ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. I couldn¡¯t care less about my freaking old car. It¡¯s raining, Krew. Please? Before you¡ª¡± I stopped and stared at him. I found myself pushing the car door, climbing outside. He was not scared anymore. My gaze was still meeting his. ¡°Krew?¡± ¡°You¡¯re gonna be wet.¡± ¡°Screw the wet. I mean the¡ªOh, my god.¡± Iunched myself into him, wrapping my arms around him as I squeezed him into the tightest hug I¡¯d ever given to someone. I pressed my face against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. I closed my eyes when he wrapped his arm around me, kissing my hair. ¡°You¡¯re okay. You¡¯re not scared anymore.¡± ¡°You made me.¡± I pulled away before I got too carried away. I looked at him again, because honestly, this was the most unrealistic way to meet him. It might sound so cliche and romantic, but we were both started to shiver. ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna get inside the car. You should stay out of the rain before you get sick.¡± ¡°Um, River.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± The anticipation was killing me. ¡°Would you like to have dinner with me?¡± My heart stopped beating. ¡°What?¡± I was so stupid. ¡°Do you have any n tomorrow night?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Oh. I see.¡± His face fell, swallowing ufortably. I smiled. ¡°I mean, I heard you the first time. And yes, I¡¯d love to have dinner with you. And no, I don¡¯t have any n tomorrow night, but now I guess I already have a n.¡± Iughed out loud at my babbling and stupidity. ¡°I should stop talking, really.¡±Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. 32. Office Remedy 32. Office Remedy RIVER He asked me out. Yes! Now, I was going crazy, scrambling through my dresses, and I found nothing good enough. It was past noon, and I still had not chosen anything to wear. If only I could go to his penthouse and take one dress, that would be awesome, but he was staying there. And I had not heard from him about our date. Was he changing his mind? God, I was overthinking it. I was startled when my phone rang. It was Krew. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°River, it¡¯s me.¡± ¡°I know. I still got your number saved on my phone.¡± ¡°About our date.¡± Why I had a bad feeling that this call wasn¡¯t good news? ¡°We have to put this on hold.¡± I slumped back to bed. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Don¡¯t sweat it.¡± I might have sighed at the end. ¡°Hey, I really wanted to take you out on a dinner date.¡± ¡°Come on, Krew. Let¡¯s not fool ourselves¡ª¡± A sneeze cut me off, then another one followed. Oh, my God. ¡°Krew?¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Are you sick?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know standing under the rain could get me sick. I think my body isn¡¯t used to it yet. I spent days in the woods, but I was fine.¡± ¡°You spent days in the woods? Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡ª¡± Sneeze. ¡°Hey, get some rest. Have you seen a doctor?¡± ¡°Yeah. Our family doctor came over here earlier today and gave me something for colds.¡± ¡°Good. Now take some rest. See you soon.¡± I hung up. I just hung up on him. Jeez, what¡¯s wrong with me? *** A few hourster, here I was, in his penthouse with my grandma¡¯s famous chicken noodle soup. How ssic and very original. ¡°Krew?¡± I called out when the ce was so silent. I went directly to his kitchen and checked his food. His fridge was full, but there were no leftovers. I checked him in his room. Thankfully, it was not locked. My heart melted. He was sleeping. I found soiled tissue on the floor and over-the-counter flu meds. I checked his forehead and neck with the back of my and. He stirred. ¡°You¡¯ll gonna be okay.¡± I started collecting soiled tissues on the floor and went to his bathroom to wash my hands. When I came back, he was already sitting, seemed shocked, Searching for something. ¡°Did I wake you up?¡± ¡°River?¡± ¡°Hi. Sorry toe over unannounced.¡± ¡°I thought it was you. I felt you.¡± He looked so sick as he rubbed his eyes. His voice was deep and groggy. ¡°God, I can¡¯t remember catching colds. It feels terrible.¡± ¡°No matter how rich you are, there¡¯s no excuse for you not to get flu. Are you hungry? I bought my grandma¡¯s chicken noodle soup.¡± ¡°Really?¡± His eyes lit up. ¡°Yeah.¡± He rushed to get up from bed toward the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a minute.¡± ¡°Easy there, tiger. The soup won¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll be in the kitchen.¡± The soup was still hot in the thermal container. I made sure not to overcook it. The noodles were not saggy, and it smelled incredible. A steaming bowl was ready when he appeared with his hair disheveled with his sses on. If men would still look hot despite having colds, damn, they were lucky. I ignored the tingles on my skin and grabbed him a bottle of room-temperature water. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°Passed six. Bon appetite.¡± ¡°How about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have a sandwich. Would you mind if¡ª¡± ¡°You have the key, River. You know what does it mean.¡± He started scooping. ¡°Hmm. I thought my taste bud is gone, but this is so good.¡± ¡°d you like it.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t remember thest time someone brought me a home-cooked meal.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not even considered a meal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s still delicious. Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡± I prepared my sandwich. ¡°So, where have you been?¡± ¡°Fought some demons.¡± I stopped. ¡°Since when did you get a badge to be a demon hunter?¡± ¡°You offered it to me, and I used it sparingly.¡± ¡°How did your demon-hunting go?¡± ¡°Exhrating and sessful.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± I took a seat across his and started digging my sandwich. ¡°Would you like some?¡± I offered a slice. ¡°I want your soup.¡± He stopped me when I rose from the chair. ¡°I got this.¡± *** The curtain was withdrawn to both sides, and I could see the scintiting city lights from the floor-to- ceiling window, and it was ster. I left Krew alone when he went to his room. I started strumming a song Iposed when he came over. ¡°That¡¯s pretty good.¡± I tilted my head. ¡°You think so? I mean, I want your honest opinion.¡± ¡°Is it yours?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Yeah. I think my hurt and anger changed me and made my mind grill for some tones and words.¡± He sat beside me. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to get colds as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m vinated.¡± ¡°y it for me.¡± I yed and sang a few lines. ¡°It¡¯s not done.¡± ¡°You should finish that. Kai told me that someone wants to coborate with you.¡± I looked at him. ¡°For a cover, yeah. I haven¡¯t responded yet.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because I want your opinion.¡± Content (C) N?v/elDra/ma.Org. ¡°I¡¯m honored.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± ¡°River.¡± God, he looked so handsome even in his vulnerability. His eyes darted from mine to my mouth back to my eyes. ¡°We can¡¯t keep hanging on to our pasts. We have to move on.¡± ¡°Memoryne isn¡¯t always a fan to visit. I screwed up big time, but I¡¯m willing to start telling you¡ª¡± I pressed my finger to his lips. The anticipation was killing me. My body¡ªmy nerves, my skin, my muscles were screaming to feel and taste these lips again. I suddenly became bolder as I traced my finger on his bottom lip. ¡°We all live in disappointments, mistakes because that¡¯s what makes us humans. Sometimes, we keep our pasts there where they belonged because they protect us. If I learned something since you were gone for two weeks, is that there¡¯s always a fine line between pleasure and pain, sorrow and happiness. And I was in between when I was with you. You can¡¯t promise someone to stay happy and in pleasure. That¡¯s what makes us us, vulnerable while living.¡± ¡°I¡¯m still sorry for what I did.¡± ¡°I know.¡± I didn¡¯t give him a chance to talk again. I pressed my lips against his own, and it felt just perfect, even his own gasp of surprise. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re not gonna get¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a shield from anything when I¡¯m with you,¡± I said through our mouths. Krew reached for my face and stroke my cheeks with his thumbs as we deepened the kiss. Right now, I didn¡¯t want to think of our pasts. All I wanted was what right before me. He ced a kiss on my jaw, and I gave him full ess to my neck. When he sucked my earlobe, it reminded me of how good we were together, in bed, his mouth between my legs. God. I bit my bottom lip. Then he stopped. ¡°I still don¡¯t wanna take any chances. It feels really bad to have flu.¡± He stood up and fixed the front of his pants. ¡°Can I help to take care of that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be fine.¡± He smiled before he walked away. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°Office.¡± ¡°God, you¡¯re so damn stubborn than I am. It can wait, Krew. You need to get some rest.¡± He shut the door behind me, ignoring my advice. A few minutester, I left the room. I need to make him sleep. He was working on hisptop when I entered his office. ¡°I think I just know a way to keep you away from that stupid work of yours for a few hours, Selik.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t require much effort¡ª¡± I swung his chair for him to face me. ¡°You¡¯re a hardheaded SOB. And you left me there to be here, for what?¡± I forcefully grabbed his hands and pinned them at the back of his chair. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t wanna get you sick, River. You need to take care of your voice¡ª¡± He looked confused as I unbuttoned his jeans and zipped down the fly. ¡°What the¡ª?¡± I kept my gaze locked with his as I slipped my hand inside his jeans and licked my lips. His eyes darkened. His mouth gaped, and he started panting when I started stroking his cock. ¡°River.¡± ¡°Just shut up.¡± I knelt in front of him and slid his engorged shaft into my mouth all the way down my throat without warning. He sucked in a hard breath and threw out curses. ¡°Fuck!¡± He threw his head back against the chair. ¡°God, your mouth is heaven, velvety soft, hot, and greedy tongue¡ª¡± His words cut short when I circled my tongue around his crown as I held the base of his full erect length, stroking while I took it all in my mouth. I could feel the pulse-pounding on his swelling cock as I sucked it hard. I moaned deliriously, swallowing the sound every time I sucked him in, every time I breathed in through my nose. I didn¡¯t have a lot of experience in deep-throating. I found it dirty and too intimate, but with Krew, it felt wild and thrilling. My lips stretched tight around his girth as he thrust up into my mouth. ¡°Baby, I want to touch you.¡± He groaned and moaned as I shook my head and groaned against his cock. One long sucked, he was groaning my name, his cock throbbing, his body jerking as he spilled himself into my throat. 33. Claimed 33. imed KREW I was delirious. It took a while for me to register what happened until it came to my senses that I came in her mouth. I lost control. Who could me me? She just gave me the best blowjob of all the blowjobs and swallowed every drop of me. I stared perplexed at the ceiling as I tried to catch my breath. ¡°Now get some freaking sleep. No sex until you feel better.¡± A great orgasm in her mouthes with T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. great consequences. Now, I¡¯m gonna pay for it. I was about to say something when the door shut behind her, leaving me alone. Iid down on the couch when my lids felt heavy until I couldn¡¯t fight it anymore. I gave in. I fell asleep, and I didn¡¯t know for how long until another cold hand touched me, making me moan. ¡°River?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m right here.¡± She must have sat down on the floor. I was forced to crack my eyes open. She was scribbling something on the note. For a second, I had no doubt she would be a good songwriter. ¡°Can you y that for me?¡± She turned to me, gaze scorching right into mine, the same way I met her years ago. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°I love the feeling of your hand against my skin.¡± When she touched my neck to check my temperature, I closed my eyes and buried my face in her palm. Thank fuck, she still cared about me after what I did to her. ¡°You don¡¯t have a fever anymore, and your voice was back. Here. Drink this.¡± She offered a ss of juice or something. ¡°Lemon with honey.¡± I sat straight and drunk the content. ¡°Thanks. How long did I pass out? This isn¡¯t how I imagined my first date with you. I was thinking of a romantic dinner date with candlelit, a delicious meal, and then we danced after that.¡± She smiled. ¡°We can still have our second date. What do you think?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll have more dates toe anywhere in the world.¡± ¡°Sounds fun. You should answer your call. It has been ringing for two hours. Could be urgent.¡± I grabbed it from the sofa and checked the missed calls. ¡°It¡¯s Krys.¡± My brows furrowed. She also sent me a couple of messages. I dialed her. Krystyn answered with her first bark. ¡°Where the hell have you been? I know you¡¯re with River. Where is she?¡± She then lowered her voice. ¡°You¡¯re not¡ªI mean, I¡¯m not disturbing, right?¡± ¡°Thanks for the concern, but you¡¯re calling me to look for River? You didn¡¯t even ask if I¡¯m okay after the rain?¡± She tsked. ¡°Don¡¯t be such a baby. Where¡¯s she?¡± ¡°My girlfriend is busy, okay?¡± I ignored the sudden rigidness of River¡¯s body between my legs. I didn¡¯t know if I had the right to call her my girlfriend, but I had no n on it back. ¡°Go find someone else to bother. She¡¯s writing some songs.¡± ¡°Wow! I¡¯m so happy for her. So, you two are like an item now?¡± ¡°Why so suddenly nosy, Krys?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s her phone?¡± I touched River¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Krys is asking about your phone.¡± She looked up at me with those big blue eyes, smiling. ¡°In my bag. Why?¡± ¡°Why?¡± I asked Krys. ¡°She should check it. Her phone might be blowing with notifications right now.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I missed telling you that she started her vlog on YouTube. Can you please, big brother, put it on loudspeaker so that I don¡¯t have to repeat my words?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± I did as she asked. ¡°She¡¯s listening.¡± ¡°Kai posted a clip on Instagram, introducing River. Since our big brother has 2m followers, they all went crazy asking, who¡¯s the lucky girl. Before you¡¯d go apecrap, Kai mentioned that she¡¯s taken, so shut that scowl before you shift into your wolf form.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not scowling. Even if dear brother¡¯s rep precedes him, I trust him with River.¡± ¡°Great. Now they¡¯ve been following River nonstop on her IG and subs on YouTube. You should check it out, Krew.¡± ¡°Wow,¡± that¡¯s all River had managed to say. ¡°Isn¡¯t it crazy?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll call you back. Let us check it.¡± I went to my IG, which was in private, but I was following River already. ¡°Come here, baby.¡± I pulled her into myp. ¡°Holy fuck! I just followed you yesterday. You only have one-thousand plus followers.¡± ¡°Oh, my god. What just happened? How did I get ten thousand followers in one day? This is insane .¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check out your channel.¡± I went to my YouTube app and typed her name. ¡°I guess, you just be instant fame, baby. You have¡ª¡± ¡°Fifteen thousand followers from two hundred! I-I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± She had this stunned-looked that I loved. ¡°You should say yes to that guy who wants to cob with you.¡± ¡°Yeah. I think I should. Let me take my phone.¡± She went to take her phone. When she came back, she was just staring down at her phone for a full minute. ¡°Say something, River. What¡¯s wrong? I mean, what is it?¡± ¡°I got a message from my IG, offering me cash to use their product and post three images with captions and tags.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Then, reply. But don¡¯t take it right away until they increase their offer. That¡¯s how to get a good deal.¡± She sat beside me, seemingly in deep thoughts. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s gonna be okay. It can be shocking, but I¡¯m here. Kai, Krys, and Journey. We¡¯re gonna be here for you. If you need anything, just kiss and tell me.¡± She looked at me and smiled. ¡°Kiss you before I tell you?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I smiled back. ¡°Like this.¡± I kissed her. ¡°So, what are we now?¡± I clenched my jaw and looked away. My heart ached. ¡°It slipped.¡± ¡°So you¡¯ve got a n on taking it back?¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked at her. ¡°No. I just thought¡ªI mean, I was a little bit egotistic, I guess.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, boyfriend.¡± She cupped my face. ¡°I¡¯d love to be your girlfriend, boyfriend.¡± She kissed me with a loud smack. She stayed on myp as she scrolled somements on Kai¡¯s post. ¡°It¡¯s funny how these women are crazy over your brother, knowing his rep. This angeliceyes said. I could take your ce, bitch.¡± Sheughed. ¡°What the heck? Did Krys just reply to her? Hey, bitch. That¡¯s my BFF you¡¯re talking to, #doublebitch, and she¡¯s my brother¡¯s. Wow.¡± ¡°My brother loves attention. I¡¯m good with one attentioning from the woman I care about,¡± I replied. ¡°Aw. You have every attention you need. I¡¯m here.¡± She kissed me on my head. I thought it was sweet. ¡°They wanted to know even the lipstick I used, my mascara and dress.¡± I typed something on my brother¡¯s post. Hey bro, thanks for the caption and the intro. #mygirl #mywoman #myriver @riverrouge. My phone vibrated in my hand. It was Kai. ¡°Hey. Sup?¡± ¡°Did you just im her?¡± Heughed from the other line. ¡°Yeah. You started it, and I¡¯m only giving them my confirmation.¡± ¡°Really? Congrats, bro.¡± River caught my attention while videoing herself. ¡°Hey guys, I¡¯ll be posting my next cover in a few days. Watch out for another video and a possible cob with an awesome singer. I have to go, for now, because I¡¯m here giving TLC to my man. Bye.¡± ¡°Krew?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I offered River a legal adviser if she needs one. She would definitely need it very soon. You can talk her out to ept our help for once.¡± ¡°Sure. I also told her about it.¡± ¡°Good. Anyway, I¡¯m happy for you.¡± ¡°Tell Kai. Thank you.¡± ¡°Hear that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, River. You¡¯re part of our family now.¡± ¡°Thanks. d you¡¯re not a bulldozer and a viin brother anymore.¡± ¡°Did she just say that I''m the viin of her story?¡± ¡°You were. She¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Fine. Got to go. Don¡¯t screw this up, brother. She¡¯s a keeper.¡± ¡°Thanks for keep on reminding me. I won¡¯t let you down.¡± I ended the call. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°You heard what I said earlier.¡± ¡°Oh, that. I don¡¯t mind at all.¡± I checked her IG. She got a hundred likes in less than an hour. I sent myment on her post. Getting better quicker. Thanks to #mygirl. I pulled her into my arms. ¡°You¡¯re the best thing that ever happened to me. You made me strong, made me the best version of myself in a long time. I am and will always be proud to show the world that you are my woman, River.¡± 34. When Trouble Comes to Paradise 34. When Trouble Comes to Paradise RIVER There was no question that our no-sex rule till he got better would not stick until the end of the night. Couples did have sex when their partners were sick. Let us face the fact here. We made love, and I slept in his arms. We craved each other, no doubt. ¡°You went to that ce where it happened, alone?¡± My eyes were wide with horror. ¡°Why did you do that? And what about that stunt you pulled out, standing in the pouring rain? Was it a part of your conquering your fear list?¡± ¡°I think I was over with that,¡± he said coolly, even if I was already ring at him. ¡°For days? You could have gotten hurt, gotten sick, had a nervous breakdown, or gone insane alone, Krew. You don¡¯t have to prove it to yourself.¡± ¡°I was not trying to prove anything. For years, I¡¯ve been hiding from my own demons. Something This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. triggered me, has lightened me up. You showed me something that what I had been doing was not going anywhere. It can¡¯t be cure by letting the fear pulled me into it. I realized that I couldn¡¯t live in that fear forever. That¡¯s why I had to go there.¡± ¡°How did it go? I mean, I noticed that there¡¯s a lot of improvements in you.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t easy. Running back and giving up had crossed my mind many times, but when I thought of not seeing you again, it gave me strength.¡± I ced my palm on his chest. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest man I know. But don¡¯t pull that again alone. You¡¯re giving me an early heart attack, Krew. And you ended up catching the flu instead. What if it happened when you were in the middle of the forest? What would you do? I¡¯m sure there¡¯s no cell service in there?¡± ¡°I went there prepared.¡± He grinned. ¡°Somehow, you managed to cheat your little retreat, huh?¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t call that cheating. I just brought essentials if in case.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Whatever.¡± I pressed my lips to his. ¡°Now, let¡¯s make up for the lost days.¡± ¡°Thought you¡¯d never say that.¡± I stroke his length, and it instantly hardened against my palm. ¡°I always like this effect on you.¡± ¡°You have the magic hand, baby.¡± He kissed me passionately, and I instantly moaned as he traced his fingers between my thighs, slipped them between my folds, stroking my now sensitive clit. I moaned against our mouths, rocking my hips against his fingers. ¡°I want you now.¡± ¡°All you have to do is say the magic word, River.¡± When I opened my eyes, he had a cocky grin on his face. He was making fun of me because he knew me too well. He knew how to turn me on quickly. I squeezed his cock. ¡°On the other thought, I have a lot of things to catch up.¡± In one fluid motion, he had me pinned under him before I could even drag myself out of bed. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere until I made youe. Twice.¡± ¡°So confident SOB.¡± ¡°Because I know your body pretty well, beautiful.¡± He kissed me roughly before he slid in, contradicted to his slow thrust, inch by inch till I felt him all in. ¡°How could I let you go when I know how it felt to be inside you. Unfuckingbelievable, River.¡± *** I thought I just fell in love with Krew. I stared in disbelief at the sleeping, handsome Krew. Sometimes, he took my breath away, surprised me, and annoyed me with his bark and controlling attitude. He also saved my life, saved my sanity¡ªhe was my real-life hero. I watched him closely and resisted the urge to run my fingers on my face. Last night we slept with lights off even if I told him it was okay with me to keep the nightstandmp on. As much as I wanted to spoon with him all day, I had a lot of things line up to do. After three hours, I was with Krys in her penthouse. Journey also arrived earlier than I. It was very luxurious, modern, and really represented Krys¡¯ personality. ¡°It¡¯s just an Instagram post. It doesn¡¯t have to be like these with props, hair, and makeup, and dress like I¡¯m a socialite,¡± Iined. It was the tenth shots she did. I brought a few dresses with me from the wardrobe at Krew¡¯s penthouse. Krys¡¯ makeup artist did my makeup and hair, and she was the one who chose what I should wear. Now, I was on her modern ent lounge chair taking poses. ¡°Hey, smile. I want to capture those shining blue eyes my brother¡¯s been crazy over.¡± She was annoyed. ¡°Fine because I looked ridiculous, and I want this to be over.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re endorsing the mascara, silly. So you have to make sure the viewers would see it.¡± ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s get it over with.¡± Journey was grinning with thumbs up. ¡°I totally agreed with Krys.¡± A half an hourter, we finished with a couple of shots. Then I changed into a baggy winter sweater with my legs exposed. This time I was holding my guitar while looking outside the window. Our props were a mug of coffee, cookies on top of the wooden coffee table. It was a little bit country with a modern vibe. Thank God! We were done with all the shots for three posts on Instagram. After I sent the contract to Kai for review, he gave me a go, plus he checked the advertisement agent who messaged me, and she was legit. After a few choices of pictures, I posted the picture. I was surprised to see my followers boosted up to forty thousand, thanks to Kai. ¡°You¡¯re getting a lot of likes andments, River. You should reply to some of these.¡± I did per Krys¡¯ request before my phone vibrated. It was my man. ¡°Gorgeous,¡± his first word. ¡°Thank you.¡± I grinned like a schoolgirl. Krys and Journey were smiling and giggling back at me. ¡°You left.¡± ¡°For a few hours.¡± ¡°Would you be here for dinner?¡± ¡°Sure. Anyway, I asked Kai to look over the contract. I signed it, and I just had my first picture posted on Instagram.¡± ¡°You asked Kai. I could have done it for you, River.¡± I heard a hint of anger and jealousy in his tone. ¡°You were sleeping, and I didn¡¯t wanna wake you up. You need some rest, Krew.¡± ¡°I was okay when we fuckedst night.¡± ¡°So, is that how we called it now? Well, I hate to break it to you, but Kai was the first to offer me a legal adviser while¡ªwhere were you? Oh, you were camping in the middle of nowhere! So cut me some cks if I just followed who was there for me when I needed someone to help me pull my shits together!¡± ¡°You left me, remember?¡± ¡°You used me as bait, Krew!¡± ¡°That was for your own good, and thest time I checked, I had that piece of shit locked up, thanks to my perilous idea!¡± ¡°You are the most insolent and insensitive jerk I¡¯ve ever known!¡± ¡°Thank you so much. That means a loting from the same person who pushed herself to get what she wanted.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you just said that to me.¡± Dear God, I couldn¡¯t believe he just said that to me. ¡°Well, should I remind you those words you threw to me before you left?¡± ¡°You¡¯re unbelievable!¡± ¡°I think you just fucked the wrong guy, River.¡± ¡°Fuck you too!¡± I hung up on him as I stared at the screen of my phone, shaking with anger, and I thought I just broke my heart. I couldn¡¯t believe it just happened. ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡± Krys soft voice lifted my gaze to her. ¡°I think we just broke up.¡± ¡°What? Why?¡± Journey asked, wearing a confused look on her face. ¡°He was so rude. I don¡¯t want that kind of man who doesn¡¯t know how to respect me. Can¡¯t you believe that he just shoved it to my face that I used myself to ask for his help?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound the kind of brother I knew, River. He might be a pain in the ass and doesn¡¯t filter sometimes, but he would never disrespect someone he loves like that. Unless something is going on that pushed his limits.¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t love me.¡± I rolled my eyes even though it sounds bettering from Krys, but maybe, she didn¡¯t know her brother after all. ¡°He got upset when I told him that I let Kai review the contract, then he said something, and I guessed you heard my response.¡± ¡°You two need to cool off. I¡¯m sure Krew will apologize when he realizes he was way out of line,¡± Krys said. ¡°I hope so. You two look good together, and you both could light up the whole stadium with those so freakingly in-love-look.¡± I red at Journey. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯ve been best friends since high school. I¡¯ve never seen you look like that to a man. You love him, River. And don¡¯t you ever dare try to deny it because you were terrible at lying in any way.¡± 35. Photographs 35. Photographs RIVER It hurts. Finally, I felt excruciating pain. I didn¡¯t feel numb anymore. I was hurt, and it was clear that Krew didn¡¯t care about me, in contrast to how he said those sweet words when we were together. I thought I was terrible with men. I gave up. Thankfully, my girls were the best. For the past three days, I managed to divert my attention from my stupid broken heart to what I loved doing. I managed to adjust my time. I did my gigs at Staple Bar at night, then in the afternoon, I did covers and posted them on my growing subs YouTube channel. Right now, it was my recording for Whiskey Tennessee cover with Adam with his vast ten million subscribers. I hit fifty thousand subs yesterday and just posted myst endorsement picture a few minutes ago to my twenty-five thousand Ig followers. Sadly, I hadn¡¯t heard anything from Krew since that day. I let myself focus on the blessings I had. After six hours, we wrapped up the recording. ¡°This only needs editing. Then tomorrow, it would be live on YouTube. Are you excited?¡± Adam asked me as he offered me a cocktail. ¡°Thrilled. Can¡¯t wait. Thank you for believing in me.¡± I smiled, even though my heart was bleeding deep inside. But life must go on, and if I had to live my life without Krew, then I had to learn to live it that way. ¡°You¡¯re an amazing singer with an amazing voice, River. Why haven¡¯t you done this before?¡± ¡°I um, I stopped when my mother passed away. When my dad became a recluse. I stopped listening to music, stopped ying. It was the darkest day of my life. I felt like everything fell apart. My world became ck and white. Then I had an issue with a powerful man. It ruined me in the end. Two months ago, I met this man again. He taught me a lot of things and pulled me out of that dark life I¡¯d been in for years. He made me y songs. That¡¯s how it started.¡± ¡°You have an amazing talent that you should not keep to yourself. Share it with everyone who loves to hear it. Music changes people''s lives, River. You inspired a lot of people, even if you have no idea. I didn¡¯t just do covers and posted them to earn money. I do this because I feel like I¡¯m making people happy.¡± ¡°You¡¯re amazing, Adam. Thank you.¡± ¡°Thanks for the trust. Have you tried writing your own?¡± I paused for a while, staring at him. He did believe in me. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just like a personal diary. The lyrics need a lot of polishing.¡± ¡°Every songwriter starts with a crappy love story or life story, River. y it for me. I wanna hear it.¡± I shook my head,ughing. ¡°No way. It¡¯s terrible.¡± ¡°I still believe in you. We could work it out together. I don¡¯t need credit. I just want to help you. The first time I heard you sang, I knew at that moment that you have a future in this industry. Your parents would be proud of you, River. Never take for granted the opportunity handed to you. Whatever you''re dealing with right now, note that the storm will pass. You have to be strong to face trials on your own.¡± ¡°How did you be a man full of wisdom?¡± ¡°So can I buy you a drink? We need to celebrate our awesome cover.¡± I looked down. ¡°I-I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not asking you out. Just a celebration between a good partnership and a good friendship. I know about you and Krew Selik.¡± ¡°What?¡± I tried my best not to look hurt and shock. ¡°It¡¯s all over the social media.¡± ¡°Oh? Yeah. But we''re kinda in need of some space right now.¡± Why couldn¡¯t I say that we broke up? I guessed because I was stupid and still hoping there was still a chance for us. He offered me a guitar. ¡°y a few lines of your song.¡± I scrunched my nose. ¡°It¡¯s terrible. I¡¯m ashamed to even y for you.¡± ¡°Just do it. I won¡¯t judge because it¡¯s still raw. Maybe I could help. Come on, pretty girl.¡± I might need his help. ¡°I¡¯m stuck with the second paragraph. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the lyrics or the melody.¡± I strummed and sang nervously. When he stared at me, my cheeks burned. ¡°That bad, huh? I think I stick to covers.¡± I put down the guitar. ¡°Try changing D to C minor. For some people, the piano made it easier. Do you y?¡± ¡°Not that good. But I¡¯ll try to change it. Thank you. Raincheck for the drink? You can always buy me at the Staple.¡± I hugged him. ***Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. Even if there was no chance for Krew and me, I still met Krys. I warned her not to talk about her brother if she didn¡¯t want me to walk out. She respected my decisions. She knew I was hurting, and she apologized a couple of times even though she had nothing to do with it. Kai also called me three days ago and told me that he had a huge fight with Krew. Other than that, I didn¡¯t know what happened to him. I had a feeling that Krew wouldn¡¯t be here in his penthouse, or else I shouldn¡¯te over to take the things I left before we broke up. He must be back to his sanctuary. I searched for hisments on my post, on his siblings, but it came out nothing as if he just blocked everything out of his life. He made me worry, but I knew he was tough and could take care of himself just right even before I came into his life. I left my notebook where I wrote my lyrics in his office. I tiptoed inside his massive living room, only to skid to a halt. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked a woman as old as my mother. ¡°You must be Ms. River.¡± ¡°Yeah, and you are?¡± ¡°Cynthia. I just did groceries for Mr. Selik.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± ¡°You¡¯re dating him. Should you not know where he is?¡± I wanted to punch her in her nose right now. ¡°How did you get in?¡± ¡°His bodyguard Lake sent me.¡± ¡°Okay. I just want to get my notebook. I¡¯ll be outta here in a jiffy.¡± ¡°You can leave the key on the table on your way out.¡± I red at her. My anger was brewing. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Mr. Selik has never been scarier since I worked for him. You must have upset him so much. Did you cheat on him? It¡¯s not that any of my business, but he is nothing but a good employer. He¡¯s a nice man and not to mention generous, too." ¡°I think you should know your ce, old woman. You don¡¯t have the right to tell me what to do. Just do your job, okay? When you¡¯re done, you know your way out.¡± She flinched. ¡°Okay. No wonder Mr. Selik looked like could snap someone¡¯s neck in a heartbeat.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°You¡¯re scarier.¡± I red, and I might have growled in anger. I walked away before I could wring her little neck. I entered the office and searched for my note where I remembered I left it, but the sitting area was clean. I checked the firece. Maybe Krew burned it, or the cleaning crew threw it already. Oh, my god. I hope not. I checked it in the bin. It wasn¡¯t there. There were a few papers, but that was not my notes. I opened some unlocked drawers, searched under the desk, table, and chairs, I found no luck finding it. ¡°Where the hell are you?¡± I was berating myself whether to check on the drawer chest. I might be invading his privacy. There could be important documents that I didn¡¯t want to touch. I went back to the door and looked around to make sure that no one was watching me. I sure as hell there was no hidden camera in his office, or I would be damned for what I did to him on his chair. I cringed and blushed at the same time. I looked at the door and counted my steps toward his drawer. I pulled the first drawer. I was right. Valuable documents werebeled withpany names. I tried not to read them as I pushed the drawer close. Then I moved to the second one, they were in the same arrangements, folders of files, then the third, and I still did not find my notes. Thest drawer was the heaviest one. Thanked, God. I found my notes, but something caught my eye ¡ªman envelopesbeled in dates. I grabbed a few out. A few dated four months ago. My curiosity took it to the next level as I grabbed another stack of envelopes that datedst year. Every envelope was specified by month. It wasn¡¯t bulky, but I was sure something was inside. I knew I wasn¡¯t supposed to be sneaking around other people¡¯s business, but there was something in this that got me itching to check this out. I carefully peeled off the seal and poured out the contents. My brows furrowed in confusion. They were images taken from a distance. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± I asked myself. My heart started racing for some unknown reasons. Goosebumps erupted all over my skin, and I felt like someone just threw a bucket of cold water over my head. As I looked at the pictures one by one, I noticed the ce was familiar to me. ¡°T-this can¡¯t be. No way. He didn¡¯t do this.¡± It just confirmed my suspicions when I saw a familiar physique in one of the photographs. I gasped as I stared in horror. ¡°He¡¯d been watching me?¡± I grabbed all the envelopes, spilled the contents out, and spread them all over the floor. I was already crying, but it didn¡¯t stop me from spreading these images. It all came to my sense. These pictures were in me there, taken from a distance in all the ces I went, including my apartment. He¡¯d been there all this time, all these months and years. Four years. He¡¯d been stalking me. Krew has been stalking me. He¡¯s also my stalker? I found myself kneeling, surrounded by these photographs, and I looked at them as horrified with thousands of images of me. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to see that.¡± 36. Misery 36. Misery KREW Fuck. This is a fucking disaster. It suffocates me. She wasn¡¯t supposed to be here. What do I do now? It was fucking hard to watch her crying, surrounded by her photographs. I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I think I¡¯m gonna die. It must have slipped my mind to lock the drawer after I kept her notes. ¡°You are not supposed to see that.¡± I was supposed to burn these photographs before I would confess, but it was toote now. She was startled by my voice. She did not notice me as I entered my office. I was shocked to find her here too. I just came back from my home when I realized what I did. I screwed up. No. I fucking screwed up again. She had this way of solving my mysteries. But she shouldn¡¯t have found it this way. She deserved an exnation. Right now, I didn''t know where or how to start. She met me with those ssy, dazed, and horror-filled gaze. ¡°What are these? Why do you have these? Please, don¡¯t tell me this is what I think it is?¡± I pressed my lips. I blinked when my eyes started to blur and sting. I drew a deep breath and gathered all my strength, hoping my words woulde out strong. ¡°That¡¯s what exactly it is.¡± ¡°Why?¡± She slumped back down. ¡°For how long?¡± ¡°After what my brother did. I wanted to know if you¡¯re okay.¡± I couldn¡¯t tell her everything just yet. ¡°If I was okay? Do you really think I would believe that? Why would you watch me or check me if I was okay?¡± ¡°You became my obsession.¡± That one was true. She gasped. Her mouth hung open. Her eyes widened, filled with fear. ¡°You¡¯ve been stalking me?¡± ¡°No.¡± I shut my eyes, biting my bottom lip when my chin trembled. Jesus Christ, I was losing my shit. I shook my head. ¡°I couldn¡¯t call it stalking. I just¡ª¡± ¡°I heard you the first time, Krew. You wanted to know if I was okay. Do you think I would be okay with these?¡± She gestured to the photographs around her. ¡°This is not okay. This is an invasion of my privacy. This is the work of a mentally disturbed person.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not crazy, River,¡± I defended myself, but there was no way she would believe me right now. ¡°Then why I¡¯m finding it hard to believe? Tell me one freaking reason why did you do what you did? I might be able to forgive you for doing this to me for years.¡± She gasped again. ¡°You went to my apartment, did you?¡± ¡°No. I never came that close. I swear. I just¡ª¡± I swallowed ufortably. ¡°I just like you so much, and I felt bad for what my brother did to you, but you made it pretty clear that I shouldn¡¯te closer to you, and you hate my family.¡± I was saying another shit. ¡°Imagine my surprise when you called my name. I had not turned around, but I knew in my heart that it was you. That was the best thing that happened in my life for a long time.¡± ¡°Do you know that someone had been stalking me?¡± It was the sincerest question she asked. ¡°No. Not until you talked.¡± She scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re lying to me, Krew. It takes a stalker to know a stalker.¡± ¡°I told you. I just paid someone to take pictures of you, then sent them to me.¡± ¡°How did you feel when you found out that someone was stalking your sister?¡± ¡°That was a different story, River. You know that. I didn¡¯t go to your apartment and steal your belongings. I made sure to keep myself away from you. Look at these pictures, are there any had taken in close shots? None. I knew you went out on a few dates. I know you applied for jobs. I also know that you had never been to see your father. You visited your mom once a year. Things like that.¡± She stared at me with those pain and anger-filled eyes. ¡°So the background check you told me was not true?¡± ¡°No.¡± I swallowed hard. I almost couldn¡¯t meet her in the eye. ¡°This is ridiculously insane!¡± She stood up, wiping her tears. ¡°Please, stay away from me, Krew. This time, it would be for good. Don¡¯t freaking ask someone to stalk me or to look after me, or I will destroy you, do you understand me? You hated Briar for stalking me, but you know for a fact that you¡¯ve been doing the same. You did worst. You did all of this to feed your obsession with me. You should have let yourself checked. You¡¯re worse than him.¡± She looked up as she wiped her tears with the back of her hand. ¡°River, I need to tell you something¡ª¡± ¡°Toote, don¡¯t you think? I am not interested in listening to your lies.¡± She scoffed. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I just fell in love with you that I thought you were the most wonderful man I knew, but the truth is, I know nothing about you at all. You¡¯re just as dark as the dark you feared about.¡± I gasped as she finally admitted her feelings, but then it broke my heart that everything was toote to fix it up. And it was all in the past tense. She walked and stopped in front of me. I clenched my jaw for the inevitable. I wished she would just p me, hit me in my balls, scream into my face, but it didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Stay away from me.¡± ¡°No.¡± She froze. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°What are you nning to do to me then?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Kidnap me? Hurt me? Tied me up or hang me on the wall and be your new collection?¡± ¡°I would never hurt you. You know that.¡± Sheughed out loud. ¡°Three days ago, you threw the worse touches of sarcasm and hurtful words at me. Now I found out that you¡¯ve been stalking me for years. What worse could be the next on your list? You¡¯re a sick son of a bitch!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t diagnose me, River. I¡¯ve seen doctors, and they¡¯d never seen me having psychopathic tendencies. I am sure as hell had nothing to do with sickness. Maybe I¡¯m mad or obsessed with you, but it¡¯s because I couldn¡¯t get you out of my mind the first time I saw you. The first time I kissed you. I have no bad intention of being your stalker. I might have been feeling guilty because of what I did, my family ruined your life, and I couldn¡¯t do something to help you or get closer to you. And that¡¯s not all. If you don¡¯t believe in love at first sight, it¡¯s okay, but I believe in destiny or fate. And it has proven that after what my family did to you, you still end up here, here with me. I admit that I shouldn¡¯t have done what I did, but I won¡¯t take it back. My love for you just had gone too deep that I couldn¡¯t get out of it no matter how hard I tried.¡± ¡°Stop talking.¡± She shook to cry, and I wished I could pull her into my arms and made her pain stop, but I knew this would only happen in my dream, considering how she hated me right now. ¡°Stay out of my life.¡± Even if I held her arm, she jerked it off my grip. I was losing her. This time, for good. *** I ended up in the bar where she performed. My bad, she was off today. Instead of going home, I spilled my guts out to the bar owner. And I was in the worse heartbreak human could possibly feel. ¡°River is a sweet young woman. You made a terrible mistake, but nothing a good talk and groveling would do the tricks.¡± I gulped another shot of whiskey. ¡°I think it would not work. She told me repeatedly to stay away from her.¡± I rubbed my tired eyes. I was going to have an alcohol intoxication if I would keep drinking. I stopped drinking any kind of alcohol three years ago, and I might have shocked my system. I felt my world started spinning, and my gut was clenching. ¡°Sleep it over, son. When you¡¯re in the right mind, that¡¯s the time we will have this conversation. I might be able to help. She¡¯s a good woman. You¡¯d be lucky to have someone like her if you wouldn¡¯t keep on messing this up. Look, I don¡¯t know you personally, but you seem to care about her¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m in love with her. I love her so fucking much that I¡¯d rather go to a fuckinga right now than T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. letting her slip off my fingers for the second fucking¡ªno third fucking time.¡± I even raced my hands to count. I was a fucking mess. ¡°Yeah. You''re right, I¡¯m an asshole. A big fucking time douche, but I love her with all my senses. Can¡¯t you believe that? Of course, you can¡¯t, but I love her so fucking much it hurts.¡± I cupped my face. ¡°Oh, man. My father would not be so happy with me cursing the old man. I just want you to know that I love River.¡± ¡°I think that¡¯s enough.¡± I thought it was Kai. When I turned to the voice, it was indeed him. ¡°Great. Hello to the infamous brother of the year. The reason why I lost River for the first time, the second time, and the third time. He always wanted to keep everything in his fucking grasp. He wanted to control me. He thinks everything revolves around him, and he thinks he¡¯s perfect that he knows what¡¯s good for me, where in fact, all he cares about is nothing but his fucking cock!¡± ¡°Krew, that¡¯s enough! You¡¯re drunk.¡± ¡°Or what? You would take everything away from me? Well, guess what? I lost everything the moment River walked out of my pathetic life. Are you happy now? You made me believe that you were truly sorry for what you did to her, then you got in the middle of our rtionship because I was happy. And you could not stand the thought that my life was getting back together, and I was happy with the woman I¡¯d been longing to have for fucking four years! Because you¡¯re so jealous of me that someone who epts me as who I am, and not just my fucking fortune, you can''t stand it. You should try it sometimes so that you won¡¯t be alone in your miserable and pathetic life.¡± My face just snapped to its side with the strongest blow from my brother¡¯s fist. I thought I saw stars. He just punched me. 37. Old Mans POV 37. Old Man''s POV RIVER I think I¡¯m gonna be sick. I have to get out of here. I bolted out of the penthouse. A cry of horror escaped my lips as I sprinted inside the elevator. I punched the L button with shaky fingers and slid my body against the wall as it brought me down. Once I reached the lobby, I ran towards my car and unlocked the door. I finally got inside, mmed the door shut, and revved the engine. Through the rearview mirror, I watched Lake standing there until he vanished from my sight. I couldn¡¯t remember how I got off there safe and not getting into any kind of ident. I parked my car in front of my apartment building, and I had no idea what to do next. I cried over there for I didn¡¯t know how long. I screamed out of frustration and heartache. I bellowed my stupidity until I had no tears left to cry. When I calmed down a little bit, I took my phone and stared at the contact list. I couldn¡¯t decide which one to call first¡ª Journey, Krys, or Kai. Then I hit the one that I had not talked to in a long time. He picked up right away as if he was waiting for someone¡¯s call. ¡°Hello?¡± I shut my eyes close as I said hoarsely, ¡°Hi, Dad. It¡¯s me, River.¡± ¡°I know, honey. I happen only to have a daughter. I missed you so much, honey. When can I see you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ming home.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful news. I¡¯ll text you the address. I can¡¯t wait to see you, honey. It¡¯s been more than four years, and I¡¯ve been longing to have my daughter back.¡± ¡°I still know the address, Dad.¡± Iughed in between sobs. ¡°I don¡¯t live there anymore.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± My eyes widened in horror. ¡°What happened to your house?¡± ¡°We can talk about this when you¡¯re here. I¡¯ll text you the address.¡± After three hours, I was standing at my dad¡¯s new home. It was a two-story modern farmhouse. The old family car parked in front just confirmed that my father did live here. I stood frozen when he walked out. I was torn between running andunching into him or running away instead. My eyes started to get blurry as he took a few steps and then stop merely an arm''s length. My knees gave out. ¡°River,¡± that was all he said before he pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly. ¡°Dad.¡± I felt a sob working its way up my throat. My body shook as I wrapped my arms around him. When we pulled apart, all I could do was stared at him in disbelief while he was smiling at me. He looked old, might have lost a few pounds, with graying hair at the sides of his head, but I still remembered the same face I left years ago. ¡°You look beautiful, honey. Just like your mom. I watched your videos, and I was so happy that you got to hold an instrument again.¡± ¡°Thank you. Can we talk inside?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. I gulped as I entered the living room with decent furniture. I sat on one of the sofas. I noticed pictures of me, Mom, and him when I was still a teenager. ¡°You live alone here?¡± ¡°Yeah. Can I get you something? Are you hungry?¡± He upied the loveseat across me. ¡°I¡¯m fine. What happened to your old house?¡± ¡°I sold it.¡± ¡°Why? It¡¯s yours and Mom¡¯s.¡± I started to get weepy again. I had to choke it down to continue this long- overdue conversation. ¡°I got sick, and the treatment was expensive. I used all the savings I had, but it wasn¡¯t enough.¡± Tears finally fell from my eyes. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°You cut me off, River. You also were not doing well with yourst job. I don¡¯t wanna be a burden. And you went away because of my alcohol problem.¡± ¡°Burden? Dad, I¡¯m still your daughter. Your family left. You could have just called me. I would be here in a heartbeat. You needed me, Dad. How did you get through all of that alone?¡± I started crying again. I couldn¡¯t even begin to imagine him being sick alone. God, I was a terrible daughter. ¡°I had a few help, from old friends, John¡ª¡± ¡°Your bandmate?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I thought he¡¯s a lost cause.¡± ¡°Not financially.¡± I stood up and sat beside him. I held his hand tight, and I could feel the strong knot of guilt in my belly as I looked at his pale blue eyes. ¡°What happened?¡± It was more than four years since I stopped seeing my father. My mother and his band made him an alcoholic. I gave up trying to help him cope with his loss. He stopped drinking, then was tempted until he almost hit me with the bottle when I tried to take it away from him. We agreed to stay away from each other¡¯s for a while until I ended up working in the city. ¡°I had alcohol-rted liver disease. Thankfully, there¡¯s this young man who helped and found a donor for me.¡± ¡°You had a liver transnt?¡± ¡°Yes. Three years ago. Three years and six months to be exact.¡± ¡°Who?¡± I gulped and almost shivered as I looked at Dad. ¡°Who is this young man?¡± ¡°I even told him to look after you while I¡¯m in the operating room and while recovering.¡± I shivered as I wiped my tears. Why did I feel I knew this young man he was talking about? ¡°Is he¡ªoh, god.¡± I wasn¡¯t able to continue talking. I covered my face as I shook to cry. ¡°It¡¯s okay, River. I¡¯m in good health right now.¡± ¡°Dad, who¡¯s he?¡± I looked at him, hoping he would give me a direct answer. ¡°Dad, is it Krew Selik?¡± ¡°Yes. He¡¯s a wonderful young man.¡± He looked way. There was something in his gesture that he hid from me. Then he looked at me again. ¡°I¡¯d never met a young man who has a good heart, River.¡± ¡°You met him four years ago? I pushed you out of my life when you came to me, and you were already sick at that time?¡± ¡°It¡¯s his father¡¯s liver that saved my life. Mr. Selik was an organ donor. Luckily, I waspatible, and his liver was as good as new. Koby was brought to the same hospital where I was admitted. He died on the operating table. His organs would onlyst for a few hours. I think things happen for a reason. We both T¨ºxt ? N?velDrama.Org. meant to be there in that hospital at the same time. Krew visited me in my ward. He looked like he was carrying the world over his shoulders. I wasn¡¯t aware they just brought his dad who had his second heart attack. Then he asked me if what¡¯s my problem. When I told him the whole story, how I lost my wife, my band, my daughter because of my addiction, he made me swear not to hold a bottle again. He promised he would help me. Then he did what he promised.¡± ¡°How about this house?¡± ¡°He paid the house provided that I would work in one of his cause. Cassiel Foundation. At first, I work in maintenance. Then I became a motivational speaker. Sometimes, I performed during therapy. I never drunk since before my surgery.¡± ¡°Then why did you not contact me?¡± ¡°I felt guilty and ashamed for what I did, River.¡± I could see it through his eyes. How he felt guilty and how he regretted everything he did. But so did I. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I lost my patience with you. I should have let someone help you, Dad, and not abandoning you. I was the shittiest daughter, and it won¡¯t happen again.¡± I hugged him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m here now. I would never leave you alone.¡± I had so many questions to ask, but my brain was in a pretzel. All I could do was be grateful that my father was still alive because of him. Did he know me before we met that night? Did he know that I would be there when I was in that fundraising g? Did Kai know that my father was the recipient of his dad¡¯s liver? Is that why he hated me? Was Krew stalking me, or he was only looking after me? Oh, my God! I used him of something terrible, but why couldn¡¯t he just tell me the truth? We had dinner together. My father was a good cook than my mom, which was a trait I didn¡¯t inherit. ¡°So, wanna tell me what troubles you?¡± Surprisingly, the house came up with a full package, even the coffee machine to his dishwasher. ¡°What made you think something¡¯s troubling me, Dad?¡± I ced thest te into the dishwasher before I looked at him over my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m your old man, and I can still read you like an open book, honey.¡± ¡°So you know me of being a bad judge of characters?¡± ¡°Apparently, yes.¡± He chuckled. It felt good to have my father¡¯s back. ¡°Then I must have misjudged someone after all.¡± I sighed and looked down at my foot. ¡°I think I messed it up, Dad. But in my defense, I didn¡¯t know anything at all.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too cryptic, honey. Is it heart problems?¡± I slumped my shoulders as I met his worried gaze. ¡°I¡¯ll live. Can I stay here for a few days?¡± ¡°You can stay here for as long as you want. I still keep your mom¡¯s guitar. I thought you might like it.¡± ¡°Oh, my god. Really?¡± It was the first time I gushed since I arrived. ¡°Yes. Give me your car key. I¡¯ll park it in my garage.¡± ¡°It¡¯s on the coffee table. Thank you, Dad.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wee, honey. You can borrow some of your mom¡¯s old clothes. It looks like you have no clothes with you, have you?" ¡°Yeah. I wasn¡¯t nning on going somewhere until I thought of you.¡± ¡°Go upstairs. Your room is in thest to the left. The guitar is there too.¡± He paused. ¡°I hope you¡¯d learn how to share your feelings, River. It helps a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡± I smiled genuinely. After an hour in the shower, I changed into my mom¡¯s old jammies. It smelled mothballs and detergent, but I had no choice. I walked downstairs to make ginger tea when I heard Dad whispering in the kitchen. ¡°Dad?¡± ¡°I¡¯m here, honey.¡± ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± I froze. My heart was in my throat. Astonished, I could hardly form coherent words. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± 38. Redeemed 38. Redeemed RIVER ¡°Krew.¡± I barely heard myself saying his name. I was still processing that Krew helped my father got his life back, and now he was here chatting as if they were closed, making my brain cells dry. ¡°River,¡± he addressed me as if I was just a regr woman he met years ago. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± My throat constricted, making my voicee out small. I had so many questions I still wanted to ask him and Dad, but I doubted if I could get answers from him now that I was staring at him. I didn¡¯t see any warmth other than endless dark through those gorgeous eyes. ¡°He always came to visit me at least once or twice a month,¡± it was Dad answered. My jaw dropped. ¡°I go to go, Brad. I have a flight to catch,¡± he said to my father. ¡°Your tux will be delivered to you tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.¡± ¡°Wait. Can we talk?¡± I told Krew when he fixed the knitted scarf around his neck. His exhtion was heavy. ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Alone, please?¡± He briefly closed his eyes before he stared at me. ¡°You can say it with your dad around. I didn¡¯t usually keep anything about you from him.¡± Oh, god. I wanted to pull my hair out. It all now came together. And Krew was mad at me, but I was sure he would not answer to satisfy my curiosity if I would not have this chance. ¡°Did you ever try telling me about my dad?¡± ¡°No. I thought it didn¡¯t matter to you. He¡¯s your dad. You were supposed to take care of him or knew if he needed your help. I would trade for anything to have my father back just for a minute to tell him how much I love him. Yet you gave up on him. I don¡¯t me you. Sometimes we made bad decisions. But good to know that it came now to your senses that you still have a family who dearly cares about you despite that you abandoned him.¡± I felt like someone just pped me in the face that my cheek burned so deep. ¡°Why did you not tell me about those pictures?¡± ¡°I thought you trusted me, but for the second time, I ended up disappointed.¡± ¡°I trusted you.¡± ¡°No. You never did, River.¡± He watched me closely for a moment before he nodded at my father. Then he left me alone with scattered thoughts, broken hearts, purely humiliated. ¡°Krew!¡± I called out his name. Not a secondter, the door shut close. ¡±Give him some time,¡± my dad said. ¡°No. It was all my mistakes. I need to make this right.¡± I sprinted toward the door. I couldn¡¯t let him go without apologizing. I knew I screwed everything up between us, but at least I had a n on admitting my own fault in front of him. I caught him in front of his car with Lake. ¡°Give me a minute, Krew.¡± He stopped with a groan before he turned around. Krew had all his magnificent glory, looking like a god with a face carved out of marble while I looked like crap. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m truly sorry. I know there¡¯s nothing to pick up what we left off, but I should have trusted you. And thank you for taking care of my father. I wish I could do something to pay you back, but I know what you did to him. There¡¯s possibly nothing I could do than be grateful and take care of my father instead.¡± He slipped his hands in his coat pockets and looked at the house before he gave back his attention to me. His expression and posture were frightening. I wished I could read his thoughts, but if I knew one thing, it was that he didn¡¯t want to deal with me anymore. ¡°I let my people watch over you because of what I promised to your father. When it came to your personal life and intimacy, they were out of the equation. I would never let them cross that line. I knew you¡¯ve dated, but that¡¯s all. I have no idea what happened in your bedroom or your rtionships. I only asked my men to take pictures of you every week to send it to your father, and that put a smile on his face every time he knew you were okay.¡± ¡°You could have just said it to me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t usually exin to people who have lost their trust and patience in me, River. When I got obsessed with you, my brother warned me. He wasn¡¯t happy about the organ donation in the first ce. I started printing every copy for myself before I sent them to your father. But I stopped it when you came to me. I still came to see your father because I felt that he was my responsibility since he was living alone, and I felt that there was a connection between him and me. It''s hard to exin. I felt like God has given me another father figure in him.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you did all these when it was supposed to be me.¡± My tears kept pouring, even if I tried hard to hold my emotions. It didn¡¯t just work out for me anymore. ¡°Your father knew that you came to me, asking for help and that I¡¯ve been dating you, even the truth that I used you as bait. I asked for forgiveness for that because I saw how terrified he was.¡± I covered my mouth when I shook to cry. There were a lot of things going on while I was trying to forget the past. I was a terrible person. I knew that now. Krew might have a weird way of showing how passionate he was about helping people, but I couldn¡¯t repay what he did to my father. ¡°I feel horrible right now.¡± ¡°There¡¯s the only way you could repay me, River. And I knew you might not gonna like it.¡± My eyes filled with tears as I met his gaze with hope. ¡°Anything.¡± ¡°You might be right this time. I should stay away from you for good.¡± Hisst words echoed in my head, stabbed my chest, and turned into ice pricking every cell in my body. *** After my breakfast with Dad, I told him that I would be out for a few hours. He looked sad when he saw my eye bags. Last night, all I could think was Krew¡¯sst words. I couldn¡¯t me him. A rtionship should be built with trust before you started to learn to love your partner, but that was not what happened to us. I fell in love with him. Maybe it all started with severe attraction, or I was longing for an intimate connection, attention, and he was there to provide those things I was seeking. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. I thought after thought of my decision right now. When I entered the lounge, I knew there was no backing out. I sat on the empty chair before Briar walked in escorted by prison security. As he took a seat across mine, he must have noticed my difort. ¡°I can¡¯t hurt you, River.¡± I cleared my throat. ¡°I know. I know I shouldn¡¯t ask this, but how are you?¡± ¡°Other than the fact that I¡¯m locked up, I deserved it, but I¡¯m good. How about you? Why are you here, River? Alone. Does yourwyer know you woulde to see me?¡± ¡°No. No one knows. But I want to ask something from you before your hearing starts, and I want you to promise me that you will do it.¡± His brows furrowed in confusion. ¡°I¡¯m locked up, you know that. What could I possibly do there, River? What is it that you want me to do?¡± I breathed deeply. I hoped I would not regret this. ¡°I¡¯m dropping all the charges for you on two conditions.¡± I watched his eyes light up with hope. ¡°Are you sure about this? Shouldn¡¯t you be consulting your ¡°You want to be locked up for years, and the prison would take years of your life?¡± ¡°Of course not, but I harassed you and hurt you. That''s the fact. I have to pay for those actions.¡± ¡°Not if you promise me to see a psychologist and move to another state. Nevere to see me again. I will forgive you for what you did to me. I still believe that there¡¯s good in your heart, Briar. You just let your obsession ce it in the wrong person or things. I want you to have a life, get a job, date a beautiful girl. I can¡¯t let you stay in jail because of your obsession. Put it in photography, or help other people like you.¡± ¡°Why a sudden change of heart?¡± ¡°I lost patience in my father. I missed years creating wonderful memories with him. I missed the fact that he almost died because of what I had decided. I left him instead of getting him some help. Then someone took that role from me. It was a p, a mock that hurt my ego, my feelings. It broke my heart, and I¡¯d never felt so terrible in my entire life that I couldn¡¯t even look directly at this person who once treated me that I was the kindest person while I looked at him like a monster. I can¡¯t want to take this opportunity from you. You still have a mother. I want you to treat her with kindness. Stay close to her, Briar. Can you do that?¡± I didn¡¯t have to hear his answer as I stood up and smiled at him. 39. Jealous 39. Jealous KREW ¡°I just received a call from Atty. Sanders, and guess fucking what?¡± My brother arched a brow. ¡°Early in the morning, you greet with a curse. What is it that pissed you off again?¡± I briefly closed my eyes. My jaw was still clenching. ¡°River dropped the case.¡± ¡°And why the fuck did she do that without consulting us? I know you two fought, but I couldn¡¯t think of any reasons to free that asshole.¡± ¡°I have one.¡± ¡°Care to share with the ss.¡± I groaned at the voice of my sister behind me. ¡°Because I couldn¡¯t believe she shut me out. I should have been there with her at a time like this. What is it that you do that made her stay away from her friends? Where is she right now anyway?¡± I slumped my ass to the chair in front of my brother. ¡°I told her to stay away from me.¡± I wasn¡¯t expecting the reaction of my brother would beughing his ass at me. ¡°You¡¯re the dumbest man I¡¯ve ever met, Krew. I may not have the longest rtionship like yours, but man¡ª¡± ¡°Consider telling you¡¯ve never been in the rtionship, Kai,¡± Krys cut him. ¡°Fine. And how in the hell did it help you?¡± I looked out of the massive ss window. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna talk about it.¡± ¡°This is certainly the right time to talk about everything, brother,¡± Krys demanded. I huffed a breath. ¡°I have to go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere.¡± It was Krys¡¯ demanding voice. ¡°Oh, please, try to stop me.¡± Krys kicked me in the shin with her stilettos. ¡°Christ! Why did you do that?¡± I groaned in pain, rubbing my shin. ¡°Look, Krew. I may not be on board with your obsession over River, but I think no one could control your feelings over her or any situation. I learned to like her, and she¡¯s a wonderful person. I love to see you happy. That¡¯s what our father would do in the first ce, for us¡ªto see his children happy and sessful. Let us help you.¡± I gave him an uninterested look. ¡°You missed the point. I told you that I already told her that I didn¡¯t wanna see her again.¡± ¡°Do you really expect me to believe that it came from your heart? You¡¯ve been in love with her for years. And going to see her father is not something or someone should do to help the old man other than the fact that he has my dad¡¯s liver. You did it because you¡¯re in love with his daughter. I mean, I admire yourpassion. You have the kindest heart that Selik would be proud of, but you went there because of River as well. Did he approve of your rtionship with his daughter?¡± ¡°Thanks for the peep talk, Kai, but we¡¯re over. There¡¯s nothing left to pick up. Consider this conversation did not happen.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong. I just learned from Ally that you redo another room in your penthouse.¡± I closed my eyes in irritation. ¡°I just asked her for a piece of advice. She¡¯s a personal shopper and not an interior designer. And that was before we broke up.¡± ¡°Ouch. Did you catch that flinch, Kai?¡± Krys gave a knowing look at my brother. ¡°I think I just did,¡± Kai was enjoying my not-sofortable situation. ¡°I hate you both right now.¡± ¡°I want you to talk to River to reconsider what she did.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. She signed the settlement. It¡¯s only possible to reopen the case when Briar came to harass her again. I mean, the hearing didn¡¯t even start, so Briar is free like a bird.¡± ¡°Damn it!¡± I rose from my chair, pacing back and forth. ¡°You still care about her.¡± ¡°Of course I do.¡± I pointed out. How could I not? It was impossible to forget and hate her. ¡°You still love her,¡± Krys said. ¡°Of course¡ª¡± ¡°You still do. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t feel this so desperate and frustrated. There¡¯s nothing to be ashamed of. My best friend is awesome and gorgeous, and I am jealous of her eyes.¡± ¡°I better go if you two won¡¯t help me.¡± ¡°And where are you exactly going?¡± Kai asked. ¡°To your sanctuary?¡± ¡°Nope. Down to my office.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s first.¡± Krys grinned. ¡°I love you, brother.¡± ¡°I love you, too.¡± Before I could hold the doorknob, Kai called my name. ¡°Where¡¯s River?¡± ¡°In her father¡¯s home.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget the fundraising tonight, Krew.¡± ¡°I know. My assistant just reminded me,¡± I answered irritably. ¡°Good.¡± *** I was a little bit nervous about the fundraising event tonight with the possibility that River might be the plus one of her father. But this is my life now. I should be there because ourte father was the founder of this organization. ¡°You look good, Mr. Selik.¡± I fixed my bow tie one more time and looked at my assistant through the mirror. ¡°Not bad yourself.¡± I hired her because she didn¡¯t look at me like she wanted to fuck me. She was a decent woman with pretty good credentials. ¡°Thank you, sir. We should go.¡± ¡°Give me a minute, and the event is held just next door.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been fidgeting. What¡¯s wrong? Can¡¯t see you this nervous for just fundraising.¡± I sighed deeply. ¡°I might bump into my ex.¡± The word ex fucking hurt. I even winced. ¡°Oh.¡± She widened her eyes with interest. ¡°Ms. River Rouge. I¡¯m a fan of hers. I thought she¡¯s beautiful and her voice is so angelic. She reminds me of my mom¡¯s favorite singer.¡± I eyed her with intensity. ¡°And you know all about me her. How?¡± ¡°I researched before I applied for the job, Mr. Selik. And you and Ms. Rouge are not exactly a secret considering Mr. Kai Selik is all over the social media circus.¡± ¡°Whatever. And no fangirling tonight.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She pursed her lips. ¡°And do you know that Ms. Rouge¡ª¡± ¡°Please. No more talk about River.¡± ¡°Of course, sir. I can be as professional as I can be.¡± ¡°And stay by my side all the time.¡± ¡°Sure. I can do that.¡± We entered the ballroom hall, and it was packed with businessmen, politicians, and even social media influencers and celebrities. I greeted a few guests before I joined my brother. ¡°d you made it.¡± ¡°I told you I would be here,¡± I said irritably. ¡°How are you doing, Everest? You look great.¡± My assistant blushed crimson beside me. ¡°I¡¯m good, Mr. Selik. Thank you. You cleaned up pretty well, too,¡± she said politely. ¡°I like her. She doesn¡¯t flirt.¡± ¡°And stay away from her,¡± I warned Kai. ¡°Jeez, brother.¡± He snatched a flute of Champagne. ¡°It¡¯s my cue.¡± Kai emptied the ss before he walked to the stage. ¡°Good evening,dies and gentlemen. My family and I are happy that you could make it here tonight and to see familiar faces. My father always said that helping people in need doesn¡¯t have to give you praise. The best help you can give is to someone who can never repay you. He once said that the purpose of his life is to be useful, honorable, to make difference. To bepassionate. That¡¯s why he built this foundation. Before we get ourselves drunk tonight, get your phone, log in to your ount on Selik Foundation and make a difference. While doing so, I¡¯d like to call a very dear friend of mine. She¡¯s This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. a wonderful person and closes to my heart to entertain us¡­¡± The voice of my brother disappeared. All I could hear was my own heartbeat and pulse thumping in my ears. How did I miss these details? ¡°Please, help me weed, River Rouge.¡± ¡°Fuck me.¡± She walked to the stage in front of the mini-orchestra in a red floor-length dress. Her hair was curled, flowing down her shoulders. She looked so gorgeous with that makeup that made her eyes stand out. Her red lips spread wide as she smiled at the crowd. ¡°Breath,¡± Everest jarred me out. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been holding your breath for too long.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t she lovely?¡± It was Krys, joining us, but I couldn¡¯t break my gaze away from River as she acknowledged Selik Foundation. ¡°That word doesn¡¯t do any justice.¡± Fuck. Did I just say that? My sister giggled. ¡°I bet it doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Everest?¡± ¡°Yes, sir?¡± ¡°Did you intend not to inform me about this detail?¡± ¡°Your brother threatened to fire me.¡± I red down at her. ¡°Am I writing your paycheck or him?¡± She grinned sheepishly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I want to meet her in person. And you can¡¯t exactly back out. This is Selik''s event.¡± She leaned closer and whispered, ¡°You just have to suck it up.¡± River¡¯s gaze briefly met mine before she looked at my right side. I would be lying if I didn¡¯t notice a pain glittered in those eyes. She still cared. She was jealous. ¡°River, that was beautiful.¡± Krys pulled her into a hug. ¡°Thanks. I thought it was your father¡¯s favorite song.¡± ¡°It is. Good job, brother,¡± sheplimented Kai. ¡°Meet your number one fan, Everest,¡± Kai introduced my assistant to her. ¡°Oh, do I have now?¡± ¡°Pleasure to meet you, Ms. Rouge.¡± ¡°Please, I sound older. Call me River.¡± She shook Everest¡¯s hand briefly and was very professional while I received nothing as I stood there like a statue¡ªno hi no hello from her. Just great. ¡°I have to go to my dad. He¡¯s alone and probably needs mypany. Good to see you all. Congrattions on the sess.¡± She smiled, and that was all. She walked away. ¡°Really?¡± Krys said through gritted teeth. ¡°Oh, my god. I will knee you on your balls right now.¡± Fuck. I blew a shaky breath before I followed River. She was busy entertaining our guests. ¡°River,¡± I called out her name. I didn¡¯t miss the sudden rigidity in her posture. I managed to hold her arm and felt the clenching of her muscles against my palm. ¡°You already have a date.¡± 40. Take Back 40. Take Back RIVER It hurts. It was freaking hard to sing a happy and beautiful song when your ex was watching. I had to close my eyes and think of a happy memory I had with him to finish the song without shedding a tear. He¡¯d moved on. That fast, and I hated that fact. I had to make an excuse to walk away before I could re that woman to shred. God, I hated this feeling. I wished I was those women who could pretend they felt nothing in front of their exes, but I was one of those few who couldn¡¯t hide the pain. I mentally cursed myself that I couldn¡¯t ignore him calling my name behind me. And I swore further when my feet developed a brain on their own. Then my stupid body reacted to his innocent touch. Damn, could this night be any worst? I shouldn¡¯t have canceled the invitation, but I already received the initial fee, so I had to suck it up and face my ex. ¡°You have already date.¡± Man, that was so dumb. That was exactly what I had in my mind, but I wasn¡¯t supposed to say it out loud. His wonderful thick dark brows met together. ¡°What?¡± I wanted to roll my eyes. ¡°My work here is done. I have to go.¡± ¡°River, we need to talk.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. I should stay away from you, remember? Then this is what exactly I am doing, honoring your wish. Go back to your date.¡± She was just pretty and innocent, but she was still dating my ex. ¡°That¡¯s Everest.¡± Of course, she is. She even pretended to be my freaking fan. How awesome was that? I chuckled annoyingly. ¡°Who¡¯s gonna be next, Krew? Mountain, Hills, a freakinggoon?¡± ¡°I¡¯m enjoying this situation, River. The fact that you¡¯re still jealous.¡± He smirked. He just freaking smirked at me. ¡°I am not.¡± I red. ¡°We broke up, remember?¡± ¡°You broke up with me.¡± ¡°You told me to stay away from you.¡± He looked around. ¡°Can we talk a little more private?¡± ¡°No.¡± I bolted away before I fell on his smirk and jumped into him. To my surprise, he was still following me. When I reached the door, he helped me out. We ended up in the hallway, and I didn¡¯t know where to go. Both sides were probably the exit, so I pulled my gown up so that I could walk fast. A yelp escaped my mouth. What I wasn¡¯t expecting to happen was him catching me on my waist, lifting me up as if I weighed nothing. I was kicking in protest, but it didn¡¯t do any help. ¡°Put me down, asshole, or I will scream a freaking murder.¡± ¡°Not a fucking chance. Not until I¡¯m done talking with you.¡± ¡°I could have just kicked your ass right now. Aaren taught me self-defense, remember?¡± ¡°For a few sessions, River. I did years with him.¡± We entered the restroom. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll talk. You¡¯re squeezing my tummy, and it hurts, asshole!¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll put you down and lock that door. If you¡¯re nning on escaping, don¡¯t even try.¡± He put me down to my shaky feet. I kneed him on his balls, but he blocked me with his hand before my knee reached his crotch. ¡°Good try, River. But don¡¯t do that again. Not on my crotch where my balls and cock that you love set.¡± I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs, but I wouldn¡¯t give him a chance to show more of his smug face. He was way having fun of this situation. ¡°Start talking.¡± He smoothed the wrinkles on my forehead, gently stroking my furrow away. ¡°I¡¯m not dating Everest. My brother had been asking me to hire an assistant. I hired Everest because I know you wouldn¡¯t get jealous of her¡ª¡± ¡°How convenient? But why the hell would I even care?¡± I red further, but it hurt to know that he was right. ¡°See that reaction earlier? Everest is not interested in me other than doing her job. She did not bat her eyshes at me when she came for an interview. And her resume was outstanding.¡± I pretended to be doubtful, pursing my lips. ¡°So?¡± ¡°You worried me.¡± His voice dropped. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± I knew exactly what he was talking about. ¡°Did what?¡± ¡°Dropped the case without asking for a second opinion.¡± ¡°You might be right this time. I should stay away from you. Does that ring a bell? So I just did what you asked.¡± ¡°I take it back.¡± His face broke into a smile. I kept up the ruse, even though my inner self was literally jumping for joy. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t give a shit.¡± ¡°Really? You won¡¯t forgive me?¡± He stared at me, a stare that could weaken my knees in a second. ¡°You¡¯re literally caged in right now.¡± I stepped back, hitting the marble counter. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna force me with your charm.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that.¡± He simply leaned down and stopped just an inch his lips touched mine. I could feel his breaths--his smell intoxicated my senses. My heart thumped wildly, and I was afraid he could hear it. My inner muscles clenched everywhere while I was still holding my breath. ¡°Krew,¡± My lids finally gave out, fluttering close before I said his name. He pressed his lips against mine for a few moments, and I was immobile to respond, added to the fact that I loved the feeling of our lips pressed together. When he didn¡¯t get any response, he pulled back. The gap between us made me feel hollow, even if I knew he was still close to me. I opened my eyes to find Krew gazing down at me, his eyes shining with sad emotion. ¡°I can see it now.¡± He chuckled sadly. What was he talking about? ¡°You¡¯re the one who doesn¡¯t want to be with me anymore.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Oh,e on.¡± I held him on his hips harder enough that I caught him off guard. A gasp escaped his lips when I swung, pushed him against the counter, and kissed him hard. My hands dug deep into his skin, my mouth demanding him to respond. So he did, kissed with the same demand, taking control, thrusting his tongue inside, pressed his hips against mine as he made a point with his growing erection. My knees wobbled. He wrapped his arms around me, tracing the slit of the dress at my back with his fingers down to my ass, squeezing the globe so tight that I whined in pain. I pulled away and red. ¡°What was that for?¡± He smiled¡ªthe kind of smile that made me slowly burn with needs. God, I missed him. I licked my lips. I could still feel his taste, and the way he made me feel, his smell, everything about him made me feel woozy. He didn¡¯t answer, instead, he pulled me into his arms and pressed a kiss to my hair. ¡°I couldn¡¯t go through that again, or I would lose my mind. It fucking hurts, seeing those eyes judging me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry if I made you feel that way. I felt like I was missing the point at that time. I promised myself to get to know you, to peel youyer byyer until I get to know the real you. You were right when you said that I might not see you the same way when you showed me who you are. But I still don¡¯t have the right to judge, you know. But the truth is, I was way worse than you are.¡± He cupped my face. ¡°You could never change the feelings I have for you because of a bad decision you chose. You have my heart the moment I kissed you that night.¡± ¡°You knew me before we met.¡± He pressed his lips and nodded. ¡°Nah. Kinda. Unofficially.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s all you can think about?¡± ¡°When you¡¯re pressing your body to my growing greedy cock, I intent not to think of anything other than This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. feeling myself inside you.¡± I scrunched my nose. ¡°Jeez. Hold that thought. My father is just behind this wall.¡± He pressed his lips on my forehead and murmured, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful. You¡¯re eyes. God, your eyes, so stunning.¡± ¡°You two, get the fuck out!¡± It was Kai. His voice and knock vibrated against the wall. ¡°Fuck you, brother!¡± Krew yelled, fixing his front pants the moment I pulled myself away. ¡°You can open the door. Kai won¡¯t go anywhere unless he sees us not fucking against this counter.¡± I looked at my reflection in the mirror. I was flushed, pupils dted. ¡°Fine, but you¡¯re not going home with your dad.¡± ¡°Actually, I stayed in my apartment today.¡± I pulled the lipstick from the attached cup in my dress. ¡°What else you got there?¡± He sounded amused. ¡°Taser, pocket knife, condom.¡± I re-coated my lips when Kai entered. ¡°Really? You got them fit all in there?¡± Krew asked. ¡°You two didn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± I looked at him in the mirror. ¡°Had sex? Don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t do it a million times.¡± He inspected his brother while I ran my fingers through my hair. ¡°My brother isn¡¯t like me. You two didn¡¯t do it, did you?¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t know him at all.¡± ¡°Whatever. You two need to show up for a couple of minutes.¡± Krew snaked his arm around my waist. ¡°I think we¡¯re done here. River will say goodbye to her father. Then we¡¯re out of here in a jiffy.¡± 41. Love is not Enough 41. Love is not Enough KREW We barely managed to get out of the elevator. I stayed at the corner of the limousine and while we were inside the elevator because if I got to smell her, I might not be able to hold my urge, and I would take her right here and there. The moment the door closed behind her, I kissed her hard on her lips. ¡°Wrap your legs around me.¡± I climbed upstairs, two steps at a time. Iid her on the bed. ¡°I want you naked now,¡± I said as I stripped off my clothes hastily while I kept my gaze pinned at her. She got off the bed, slowly slid down the strap on her shoulder, making me groan. Then she did the same to the other one letting the dress dropped to her ankles, giving me a show of her pink nipples. Then she kicked off her high heels. ¡°How is it now?¡± I strolled my eyes from her face down to her elegant shoulders to her pert breasts to her t stomach, then to the tiny piece of fabric covering her pussy. ¡°Turn around. I want to see that gorgeous ass.¡± She did as I said, like a ramp model. ¡°Beautiful. Now get back to bed.¡± I was already stroking my cock, and she dly watched me with her bottom lip between her teeth. ¡°I want you now, Krew.¡± She weed me with open arms. ¡°dly, baby.¡± I thrust into her with a grateful groan. She sighed, arched into me as she crossed her ankles behind my back to take me deeper. It amazed me how I felt like I was home¡ªshe was my home. I was impatient, greedy, and rough. When I slow my pace, River demanded me with her urge. Unquestionably, I knew what she wanted. And who I was to deny it to the one I loved? Yes, I loved her with all my heart and soul. She made me whole again. And by that, I would give her everything in this world, every piece of me just to make her happy. I kissed her hard, sucked her neck, my hands were everywhere as I roughly thrust into her as I could get. She came with my name on her lips. ¡°Baby. River.¡± I growled against her lips. My heart was pounding. I wanted to say those words at the tip of my tongue, but I held them for a moment. When I opened my eyes, she was staring at me, and she flexed her hips. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She cupped my face and kissed me hard. I thrust intensely even my spine started to tingle, vibrating everywhere, sending it down to balls. ¡°Oh, god.¡± She was building for another climax. I worked on my hips with groans as I tried hard to meet her orgasm. As I ground into her, she tipped her head back. My body was on fire and tensed. I sucked her nipple hard, and I heard the most beautiful melody as she sang my name. I got there quickly, throbbing, and jerking inside her. The contraction was so powerful, leaving me breathless. I fell on top of her, gasping for air. ¡°God, baby.¡± Her heart pounded so hard against my ear, making me so damn lucky. Sated, I pulled her into my arms, wrapping my legs around hers. ¡°You¡¯re so turning into a possessive and handsome stalker,¡± she said between giggles. I looked down at her with half-lowered lids. I tried hard to hide my grins. ¡°That¡¯s the quality you have to ept because there¡¯s no chance it will disappear sooner.¡± ¡°I get that now. It might grow fast on me, anyway.¡± Her smile was halfzy. ¡°Hungry?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯d rather have you for my midnight snacks.¡± ¡°Happy to offer.¡± I kissed her again. I couldn¡¯t get enough of her. ¡°I couldn¡¯t starve you, and I need to show you something.¡± Her gaze flew up to me, excitement brewing in her eyes. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°A surprise, baby.¡± She quickly got out of the bed, took my shirt, and put it on. ¡°You don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°Anything you want.¡± I put my boxers on and held her hand. ¡°Wow. I haven¡¯t been here.¡± ¡°I hope you¡¯ll like what I did.¡± We entered my walk-in closet and opened another door that led to another closet¡ªhers that connected to her room. ¡°You did this?¡± ¡°Not the one who did, but my idea. I couldn¡¯t stand the thought that you¡¯re here but sleeping in the other room. What kind of man would I be if I let my girlfriend not sleep in my bed?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± She smiled. ¡°Move in with me. Take your time to think about it. I know we¡¯ve just started, but I couldn¡¯t wait to see you every time I wake up and before going to sleep. I wanna feel you in my arms every day¡ª¡± ¡°Consider it done.¡± I grinned. ¡°Really? Even you¡¯re about to see the best part of my surprise?¡± ¡°Is there something else?¡± I pushed the door open, leading us to the best part. Her hand slipped from mine, flying up to cover her mouth. ¡°You turn this into a music room? Wouldn¡¯t it disrupt your sleep?¡± ¡°I made sure this is soundproof.¡± ¡°Oh, my god. This is the best thing someone had done for me. No, I take it back. The second, because the first one is what you did to Dad.¡± I cupped her face. ¡°I know, baby. I¡¯m awesome.¡± ¡°Ego runs in your family.¡± She rolled her eyes andughed. Her rich voice rang into my ears. ¡°Do you like it?¡± She answered me with a kiss. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Anything for the woman I love.¡± She stared at me, tears gathering in her eyes. ¡°You mean that?¡± ¡°I love you so much, River. So much it fucking hurts.¡± I held her tight as she sobbed in my arms. ¡°I love you too.¡± *** ¡°You¡¯re full of surprises, Krew.¡± I held a chair for her in the dining room. I prepared simple food for our morning date because it was four in the morning. ¡°If you still remember that I asked you out on a date. So here I am, taking you on our morning date. I hope you like veal cutlets in herbs.¡± Content protected by N?v/el(D)rama.Org. ¡°Thank you. I forgot I that haven¡¯t eaten anything after lunch,¡± she admitted. ¡°Me too. That¡¯s why I prepared desserts too.¡± I sat to her left. ¡°How did you do all these?¡± ¡°Nothing is impossible when my woman is hungry. Your stomach kept grumbling in your sleep.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Her cheeks turned crimson. ¡°I waszy to get up when you¡¯re all in caveman mood.¡± I poured her red wine into her ss. ¡°Bon appetite, baby. So how¡¯s your channel?¡± ¡°Awesome. I reached half-mil subs.¡± ¡°Wow! Congrats. It¡¯s a milestone and another reason to celebrate.¡± ¡°Thanks. Thanks to your brother, you, Krys, and Journey for being so supportive, and endorsement too. And my cob with Adam did a huge help. Thements were mostly positive.¡± Once we finished with the main, I went to the kitchen to get the dessert. When I came back, River met me with the most dashing smile. ¡°Let¡¯s have this dessert on the couch. There¡¯s nothing special, baby. Just a cannoli crepes with ricotta. I drizzled it with lemon syrup and sprinkled it with pistachio.¡± ¡°Good idea. And everything about you is always special, handsome.¡± We spooned on the couch. I fed her with a tiny slice of crepes. ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± She was chewing with squinty eyes. Then she licked her lips. ¡°It¡¯s really good. I¡¯ve been dying to ask the first time you cook in Anna¡¯s kitchen. How did you learn how to cook?¡± ¡°Dad did cook. He loved cooking.¡± ¡°I heard he once worked in the restaurant.¡± ¡°Dad was supporting himself while in college. He did a waitstaff before he became close to one of the chefs. He even borrowed some cash from the chef to pay for his tuition. Later on, he married his daughter.¡± ¡°What? Wow.¡± She looked surprised and astonished. ¡°Yeah. Then they separated. That¡¯s the worst day of our lives. Kai struggled so bad. Krys and I, too. But Kai did it all bad. That¡¯s why he doesn¡¯t do rtionships. It hit him pretty bad and kept the idea in his head that rtionship destroys people. He was in love with a woman once. Then she only wanted something from him.¡± ¡°I feel sorry for him. Kai is a good guy with a bad experience in rtionships.¡± I shoved another forkful into her mouth. ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± ¡°You always said that.¡± She blushed. ¡°Because you are.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have any idea how you affect me, do you? I thought you always took my breath away, made me forget things every time I looked into your eyes.¡± ¡°And into my lips, my abs, and my cock.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the most aggravating, the most handsome man I¡¯ve ever met, yet I want to spend my time with you.¡± She did a dreamy sigh. ¡°God, I love you, Krew.¡± Epilogue Epilogue KREW Three monthster¡­ I kept my astonished gaze train on her as she watched the bride and groom exchange their vows. Three months felt like it was just yesterday when we were back together and lived under the same roof. When people thought that our lives were perfect, it was indeed. It was not about no fights, no arguments, or we didn¡¯t have problems, it was how we faced and valued lives and time. She pped, looked in my direction, and smiled when the couple kissed. Journey and August looked great, but the love of my life had never ceased to amaze me with her lemon-y gown. At the ballroom hall of the Selik building for the reception, I kept a low profile. I just kept an eye on my woman. They gave speeches, including my sister. She happened to be one of the bridesmaids. Had I imagined myself to be in August¡¯s position someday? My answer was yes. Many times. I loved River with my cells and soul. I always wanted to have a family on my own. Having River in my life was the happiest. I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than to proudly call her my wife. ¡°Shut that grin off your face. You look like an idiot.¡± ¡°Any luck of finding a woman to bang tonight?¡± I didn¡¯t bother looking at my brother, upying the seat that was supposed to be for River. ¡°That¡¯s the thing I don¡¯t do. Not at the wedding receptions?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because there¡¯s this thing that most people who met at weddings ended up together.¡± My brow arched. I finally faced Kai. ¡°And how is it a bad thing? And you believe in that crap?¡± Kai shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m a businessman¡ª¡± ¡°I know, Kai. Believe me. But you need to get a life out of the business world. You can¡¯t be alone forever.¡± ¡°I get it, man. You¡¯re happy, and River is lovely. She loves you. And I¡¯m happy for you. Truly.¡± There he went again. Kai was gone. ¡°Good evening, everyone. I¡¯m River. Please, a round of apuse for the first dance of the newlyweds as husband and wife.¡± The music yed. I knew what song she was going to sing because she practiced it in her studio. It was an original soundtrack of a box-office movie. Her vlog had reached 700k subs. The first original song she uploaded has reached one million views in less than a week. I was so proud of my woman. The couple walked into the center and started their first dance together. I wished I could dance with River, but being the entertainer of tonight, it would be impossible. I winked when she met my gaze. Her smile widened. River became my center and my light. *** As soon as the newlyweds left for their honeymoon, River and I went to our waiting car. We also had a flight to catch for our first vacation. This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?. We met Brad in the parking area. Brad and River became closer, and it was heartwarming to see both of them spending time together sharing the same passion. Brad yed guitar on one of River¡¯s covers. The fans went crazy when River introduced him to who Brad was. I shook Brad¡¯s hand. ¡°We¡¯ll be back soon. If you need anything, call Everest or Conner. He won¡¯t be going with us. Lake is.¡± ¡°Son, don¡¯t think about me. I know River is looking forward to this trip. Just enjoy, and I¡¯ll be fine.¡± River hugged her dad and kissed him on the cheek. ¡°Take care, Dad. Call me if¡ª¡± He tsked. ¡°Go. You need this.¡± ¡°I love you, Dad.¡± She gripped my arm. ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the car.¡± Once we were alone, Brad smiled, and I could see the pride and happiness in his eyes. ¡°You will take care of her for me.¡± ¡°You know you don¡¯t have to tell me that, Brad.¡± ¡°I know. My daughter loves you, and you be the center of her world. As much as it pains me to admit that she has another man in her life now, but I can see how much you care for her, and I know you how much you make her happy.¡± I scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s not true. Her passion is.¡± ¡°You¡¯re wrong, son. You inspired her. She started ying and singing because of you. She¡¯s happy because of you. And I know she¡¯s in good hands.¡± ¡°We¡¯re not getting married today.¡± ¡°You already have my blessings. Congrattions in advance because there¡¯s no reason that River would say no to you.¡± ¡°Thank you. That means a lot.¡± When I joined River in the limousine, she eyed me suspiciously. ¡°What did you two talk about?¡± ¡°Nosy?¡± ¡°Really? You know I don¡¯t keep secret from you even the passwords of my ounts.¡± ¡°And have I kept anything from you? He¡¯s just trying to be a father.¡± ¡°Okay then.¡± She sat straight, still wearing the yellow gown. When I met her gaze, she widened her eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°A ripe pineapple.¡± We burst intoughter as the limousine pulled out of the parking area toward the busy street. ¡°You¡¯ll see what riper and sweeter when I take this thing off.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t start. I can¡¯t rip that off of you here.¡± I fixed my seat and thought of something horrible like that shit. We arrived at the airport, and she started taking a selfie, showing the Selik private jet. I knew she had been looking forward to seeing this jet, and as an amazing boyfriend, I wanted to see those big eyes astonished all over again. ¡°I know what you¡¯re thinking, Krew.¡± ¡°Champagne?¡± ¡°Yes, please, but let me out of this pineapple dress. I¡¯ll be right back. I need to charge my phone too.¡± ¡°I told you to have a smartwatch.¡± I followed her inside the suite. ¡°Unzip this for me. I¡¯m not a watch girl. I don¡¯t know, I just feel like an idiot talking to a watch.¡± I couldn¡¯t help butugh while unzipping her dress. ¡°A beautiful idiot. You don¡¯t have to talk to it. Trust me. It makes your life easier.¡± ¡°Now you sound like a salesman.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a businessman, and I¡¯m good at what I do.¡± I took off my suit jacket, uncuffed the links, and rolled the sleeves up to my elbows. ¡°You¡¯re good at many things.¡± ¡°I know. I could name one or two,¡± I whispered in her ear, causing her to gasp and shiver. ¡°Put some clothes on before I spread you wide and use one of my many talents right here right now.¡± I walked out of the suite before I changed my mind and ate her instead. Before I could sip the Champagne, she peeped her head out and called my name. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°I forgot to tell Krys not to post that video. Can I borrow your phone? Please, just ten seconds. I need the clip for my Instagram.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t it wait until you¡¯re dressed?¡± ¡°Please? I know Krys. She must have been posting right now.¡± I could sense the urgency in her voice. ¡°Okay.¡± I searched for my phone, and I remembered where it was. ¡°It¡¯s in my suit pocket.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± She knew my passcode, and her face ID was saved on my phone. Fuck. My heartbeat went haywire. I strode back to the suite, and I was doomed. My n was over. I stood frozen, and I was still at the door when I heard a gasp. When I entered, she jumped, turned around, her hands hidden behind her back. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she swallowed. ¡°What is it? I¡¯m sure as hell I don¡¯t have nude photos saved in my phone.¡± ¡°Can I call Krys, please? Give me a moment.¡± She stepped back when I stepped forward. ¡°You found it, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Found what?¡± ¡°Come on, baby. The one in your hand right now. You¡¯re hiding behind your back.¡± I gestured at her. ¡°Sorry.¡± She grinned sheepishly. ¡°I swear I didn¡¯t open it.¡± It was now or never. I went on bent knee in front of her, causing another gasp to escape from her lips. ¡°You¡¯re my world, River. My life is closed to perfect, and seeing you so happy in front of your friends getting married, I know I made the right choice. I want to be your husband, baby. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?¡± Heree those damn tears again. Only this time, they were tears of happiness. ¡°Yes. Of course, yes!¡± Finally, she showed me her hands with the ck velvet box. I cupped her face, wiping those tears away. I kissed her forehead and her lips. ¡°I love you, River Solen Rouge.¡± I opened the box and slid the ring into her ring finger. Perfect. It fit just right. The timing is always perfect. I pulled her and cinched her into a warm embrace. There was always a light at the end of the tunnel. I found my light in River. Now my life was finally ¡°I love you so much, Krew. More than the word love itself.¡± *** The End The Novel will be updated first on this website. 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