A FORBIDDEN TRIANGLE

Lily’s POV

“You missed work today, ma’am?” Charles asked as he shut the door behind him. He walked into my room, holding the file I had requested earlier.

“I called in sick,” I replied, grabbing the file from his hands and opening it quickly. It contained detailed information about Adrian’s whereabouts and the recent calls he had made.

“Where is Damian?” I asked without looking up, my eyes still glued to the paper in my hands.

“He is in the guest room, ma’am.”

I nodded. “You may leave.”

He turned to walk out, but I immediately stopped him.

“Charles.”

He turned back, his attention once again on me.

“You did a good job with the farmland. Thank you.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome. I’ll be downstairs if you need me.”

I smiled back faintly before tossing the paper away. There was nothing useful in it. Nothing important. Only God knew what Adrian was really up to and how he kept managing to hide his evil deeds.

I stood up and made my way to the guest room. My head was everywhere at once, crowded with thoughts. Damian’s words from last night replayed in my mind over and over. I was stuck between two worlds, trapped in a situation where no decision seemed right. Neither option was perfect. But still, at the end of the day, I had to make a choice and this choice could be one that might stir up gossip, drama, and unnecessary attention.

“Kath,” Damian’s voice sounded soft when I walked into the room. He had a white towel tied around his waist.

My eyes widened the second they landed on his broad chest and hard abs. I froze, unable to hide my shock. Was this really what I rejected five years ago?

“Kath?” he repeated, pulling me back to reality.

I cleared my throat lightly, embarrassed at being caught staring.

“Umm…” I stuttered, fumbling over my words. “I… I…”

“Breathe, Kathryna,” he said softly, his hands lightly holding my arms as if he was mocking me. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I snapped quickly. “I… I came to have a word with you.”

“Okay. Do you want to wait until I’m out of the shower, or do you want to talk now?”

“Now,” I replied almost immediately.

“Fine.” He let out a breath, leaning back slightly. “I’m listening.”

I walked away from him and moved toward the window, fixing my eyes on the glass as if I was reading something written there.

“Yes,” I said finally.

He turned to me. “Yes, what?”

“Yes, to your proposal, Damian.”

He rushed toward me in an instant, his face lighting up with a smile so wide and contagious that it almost made me smile back. Almost. But then, reality hit again, and my smile quickly faded.

“I’m just worried about my sister and what people would say,” I muttered.

“People will say nothing, Kath. You don’t even look like Kathryna anymore.”

He was right. I looked like Lily now, but I couldn’t push away the guilt that clawed at me.

He grabbed my arms, swinging me around to face him. His grip was firm, his voice even firmer. “You don’t need to feel guilty, Kath. Clara would want you to be happy. She would be more at peace if it were with me.”

I sighed, my eyes finally locking with his. His gaze darted between my eyes and my lips, making my skin heat up. Maybe Damian was right. Maybe my sister wouldn’t have minded. Maybe it really was better with him than with Adrian. Maybe…

His lips crashed onto mine, sending a shiver down my spine. I felt the urge to push him away, but if I had already said yes to him, then pushing him away shouldn’t even cross my mind, right?

He kissed me deeply, forcing his tongue into my mouth. When he noticed I wasn’t responding enough, he moved to my neck. He knew about that weakness of mine when we first met, and he used it well. His lips trailed down my skin, kissing seductively until I couldn’t hold back anymore and until a moan escaped my mouth.

I breathed against his ear, my body finally melting under his touch. He kissed my lips again, and this time I kissed him back, my heart pounding as Adrian’s face flashed in my mind. I shut my eyes tightly, desperate to block it out. These feelings for Adrian had to die. The memories of our intimacy together had to stop haunting me. Falling for my parents’ killer was madness… unthinkable, disturbing, and shameful. If Damian ever discovered the truth, he would hate me forever. He would never speak to me again, let alone want to see me.

So I kissed Damian back hungrily, pretending I had made up my mind, pretending this was what I wanted. I was his girlfriend now, and I would focus only on having Adrian’s dead head at my feet.

He guided me to the bed, helping me out of my silky nightwear. I had felt so off today and tired that it was already 11 a.m., and I was still dressed in it. He tossed his towel aside, and soon we were both naked.

My eyes dropped to his shaft, thick and hard. My body grew hotter instantly. It looked impressive, yes, but not quite like Adrian’s. I had never seen Adrian’s fully, but I knew exactly how it felt inside me, and the comparison burned me with guilt. Damn it. Why was I even comparing right now?

Damian slid his fingers inside me, moving them in and out until my toes curled. I was dripping, begging without words, and he gave in, pushing his shaft inside me.

“You like that?” he whispered.

I nodded, whimpering. “Ye… yes.”

I gasped at the full stretch, my body trembling as he thrust in and out, steady at first, then harder. In. Out. In. Out. He went all in, blowing my little mind. The shagging rhythm shook through me until we both climaxed almost at the same time, our chest heaving.

We lay there afterward, our sweaty bodies still tangled together. But even in that closeness, I couldn’t lie to myself. I didn’t feel as good with him as I had with Adrian. Maybe with time, it would change. Maybe if I let myself, I would fall for Damian and actually enjoy this. Maybe it was just a gradual process.

“Are you okay, baby?” he asked, pulling my head onto his chest while stroking my hair.

Baby? That was fast.

I forced a nod, pretending I was alright.

“Good,” he said, pulling away from me and standing up. He headed to the bathroom. “I need a shower. I’ll be right back.”

I stayed on the bed, trying to convince myself I was making the right choice.

Then Damian’s phone chimed. My eyes shifted toward it. I reached out, finding it in the drawer by the bedside. But as I tried to grab it, something else caught my attention.

Something I never expected to see.

Something that only my father was supposed to have. Something that only the killer could have taken.

How the hell was it in Damian’s hands?

I bolted out of bed, panic rushing through me, but before I could even reach the bathroom, a heavy nausea got to me. The urge to vomit became overwhelming and it was hard to deal with.

I couldn’t make it far. I threw up right there in the room, my body giving out, and then everything went dark.