CHAPTER 04

ELYSIA. 

Oh no! I shut my eyes immediately, my hands flew to my face to block what I just saw. "I-- I'm sorry," I stuttered. "I didn't mean to barge into your room, I'm just here on an errand, mom asked me to call you... for breakfast."

"What?"

"I mean, I didn't mean to see you naked--" my cheeks heated up. 

"Is that your wish?" He drawled lazily causing me to pause. 

"Huh?!"

"Do you wish to see me naked?" 

Now I was confused. "I-- aren't you--" I couldn't even place the words properly. 

"I'll be down in a few minutes, leave my room." But I was reluctant to take my hands off my face, until he added. "I'm not naked." 

Wasn't he? 

I pulled my hands away slowly, peeking through my fingers for confirmation. He had a black towel hanging dangerously below his waist. 

Water dripped from his hair, to his face; chiseled jawline, his muscular chest, and then his perfectly sculptured torso and-- hold on! Am I openly admiring this rude Zane's body? So shamelessly? 

My eyes moved from his body to his face, he was staring back, looking indifferent but slightly annoyed. 

"Do you want to fulfill your wish of seeing me naked?" He quirked a brow. 

Again, my cheeks heated up. "No... I'm sorry-- I'll leave now." I muttered and raced out of the room, almost tripping on his rug. 

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" I muttered inaudible curses to myself while walking down the stairs. 

I had just embarrassed myself, and it was in a way that would never be forgotten easily. "He said he'll be down in a few minutes," I announced with my head down once I got to the dining room. 

"What took you so long?" Mom asked with creased brows and squinted eyes. "Are you alright?" 

"Yeah." I nodded, giving her a strained smile. 

When Zane joined us, the air in the dining room shifted. His scent filled the air, just like his room. 

Breakfast was uncomfortable, especially when he was seated directly across from me. And I couldn't help my cheeks from going red. 

And to make everything worse, his half-naked body kept flashing in the back of my head. 

"Crap!" I let out an inaudible curse. 

*

"I'll miss you so much, sweetie." Mom said, pulling me into a tight hug, she leaned back slightly and whispered. "Be on your best behavior and be nice." 

What did she mean by being nice? That should be directed at Zane, not me. 

It was 7 pm and we were at the airport already. Mom had practically forced Zane and me to see them off at the airport. I had somewhere I was supposed to be in a few minutes, and I planned to go there from the airport. 

Mum hugged me again before finally waving. "You two have a good time." 

"Don't forget to call me when you get settled," I yelled. 

"I'll make sure of that." They both strolled into the terminal with the guards pulling their baggage behind them as they disappeared into the crowd.

I turned to Zane who was already headed towards the car. "Hey, I have somewhere to go right now so I won't be going home with you." 

He stopped. "Good, I wasn't going home either." He got into the car and drove out roughly.

"Asshole," I muttered under my breath. Even when I'm trying to be nice and civilized he still wants to be rude?

I flagged down a taxi and gave the driver the address. In twenty minutes, I was in front of my boyfriend's apartment. He should be home around this time, it was his day off. 

I raised my hand to press the doorbell but stopped and held the doorknob instead, with a soft twist, the door opened. 

"Oh." It was a confirmation that he was home. I pushed the door open gently and slipped into the slightly dark room. 

I could hear the shower running from the bathroom, his bedroom door was slightly ajar too. Why did he leave everywhere open-- 

I froze for a split second when I noticed clothes on the floor. I recognized the shirt to be Nick's, my boyfriend's. But the next clothing? It looked like a female's. 

I didn't want to believe what my mind was screaming, but I knew that was the case. It obviously was. 

The pieces of clothing on the floor traced into the bedroom where the shower was still running. But even with the loud sounds of the water dropping on the floor, I could still make out the loud sounds of moaning. 

It was loud. 

My breath was shaky and my entire body trembled in both shock and hurt as I made my way to the bathroom, like the other doors, this one was slightly open too, and as I peeked through the little space between the door, my heart stopped at the scene. 

I couldn't scream, I would speak, but I couldn't even move for more than a minute. And when I finally got pulled back to reality, when I got the strength to move, she turned and our eyes met. 

I recognized her. Nick had introduced her as his relative, a distant cousin as he had called her. What I was seeing now wasn't what cousins would do. 

She didn't speak, she didn't even let Nick know as he had her bent over the sink while pounding her from behind. Her moans became louder, she was doing it on purpose. 

My vision blurred for a split second and it cleared almost immediately, tears tickled my cheeks. 

I turned and rushed out of the house, my heart clenched in excruciating pain. It was nightfall already, the city lights brightened the dark night. 

I walked down the street, my head foggy and my brain replaying what I just witnessed over and over again. Nick? How long has this been happening? 

It didn't look like it was the first time they were doing this. 

The loud honk of a car made me jolt in shock. I stopped walking and turned sideways. I was still on the walkway, I hadn't swerved to the road subconsciously. 

Until the car window unwound, I wondered who it was and why the car was blaring so noisily. 

Zane's side profile came into view, he had his usual indifferent expression. "Get in." 

I blinked. "What?"

"Do you want to continue being the center of attention to everyone with those tears of yours? Get in, it's fucking getting late already." 

"Why do you care?" I snapped. 

"I'm responsible for you. And until they're back, you have to do as I say, except you want me to come down and carry you in here myself.”