MasukChapter 49Elowen The drive was beautiful, all winding roads and glimpses of the sea and the warm Italian sun beating down, and with every kilometer between me and the villa I felt like I could breathe a little easier, like weight was lifting off my chest one piece at a time.The driver dropped me in the town center, a charming area with cobblestone streets and small shops and cafes spilling out onto sidewalks, tourists and locals mixing together in the afternoon heat.I paid him and stepped out into the crowd, letting myself be swallowed by the noise and movement, letting myself be anonymous and invisible in the best possible way.My first stop was a small eatery tucked down a side street, the kind of place that only locals seemed to know about, with checkered tablecloths and the scent of fresh bread and garlic heavy in the air.I ordered pasta in halting Italian and sat at a table by the window, watching people pass by while I ate slowly and tried to remember what it felt like to j
Chapter 48ElowenI wanted to refuse, wanted to go hide in my room and lick my wounds in private, but the concern in Matteo's eyes was genuine and I was so starved for actual kindness that I found myself nodding even though every instinct screamed at me to run."Of course," I said quietly, letting him guide me away from the terrace toward a quieter corner near the pool where we couldn't be overheard.When we were alone Matteo turned to face me, his dark eyes searching mine with that careful attention that made me feel exposed. "Are you okay, cara? You seem... different this morning.""I'm fine," I said automatically, the lie coming easily after years of practice."Are you sure?" Matteo pressed gently, reaching out like he might touch my arm before thinking better of it. "Because you've barely eaten, you look exhausted, and you're avoiding looking at Kian like your life depends on it."Something hot and sharp twisted in my chest, rage mixed with hurt mixed with exhaustion mixed with ev
Chapter 47ElowenI woke to sunlight streaming through my bedroom window and for one blissful second I forgot everything, forgot where I was and what had happened and why my body ached in ways that had nothing to do with sleep.Then memory crashed back like a wave and I squeezed my eyes shut against it, against the images that flooded my mind unbidden and unwanted and devastatingly clear.Kian pressing me against the bathroom wall.His hands on my body.His voice in my ear commanding me to tell the truth.The way I'd broken apart in his arms and admitted things I had no business admitting.The words echoed in my head on repeat like a confession I couldn't take back, like evidence of my own destruction.And worse than the memory of what we'd done was the memory of what he'd said after, the casual mention of Sofia waiting for him, the easy way he'd walked away like what had just happened between us was nothing more than scratching an itch.I rolled over and pressed my face into my pillo
Chapter 46Elowen His fingers found my clit and I nearly sobbed at the sensation, at the dual stimulation of him inside me and his fingers working that bundle of nerves with expert precision."Tell me the truth," Kian commanded, his rhythm becoming punishing now, fucking me so hard I had to brace both hands against the wall to keep from being driven into it. "Tell me you want this, tell me you're not doing this for Adrian.""I can't," I gasped out, my voice breaking. "I can't say that, I can't....""You can," he insisted, his fingers moving faster on my clit. "You will, because I'm not letting you come until you admit it, until you stop lying, until you give me the truth." Why can't they just stop asking me to say the truth.Not like they cared why I was doing this.He brought me right to the edge, right to where I was about to tip over into orgasm, and then his fingers stopped moving, his thrusts slowed to an agonizing pace, and I wanted to cry from frustration."No," I whimpered fr
Chapter 45ElowenI let out a laugh that was bitter and sharp, a sound that didn't belong to me, a sound that came from somewhere dark and broken inside my chest. "Jealous? Why would I be jealous, Kian?"I took a step toward him instead of away, my exhaustion transforming into fury, into something hot and reckless that felt better than the hollow numbness I'd been carrying. "Have the few nights we spent together made you forget who I am? Do I need to spell it out for you?"My voice was rising now, each word cutting and deliberate. "I'm Adrian's wife, just like I told your girlfriend, and I love him and would do anything for him, anything to make him happy."I moved closer still, getting in his space, making him see the anger in my eyes. "So whatever was going on these few days, whatever you think happened between us, was because I wanted to please my husband, I was doing it for love, do you understand that?"I didn't wait for his response, couldn't bear to see whatever expression wou
Chapter 44ElowenMy eyes snapped to my husband and I couldn't hide the confusion that must have been written all over my face, couldn't understand why he would invite Kian's fiancée here when the whole point of this trip was supposedly for me to satisfy his friends.Adrian caught my look and smiled, that pleasant satisfied smile that made my skin crawl. "I thought Kian seemed a bit bored, so I invited Sophia to join us for a few days. It seemed only fair that he have some to spend the day with."The words landed like blows and I understood immediately what he was doing, understood this was another layer of his twisted game, understood he'd brought Sophia here specifically to hurt me while pretending to be considerate of Kian."That was very thoughtful of you, darling," I said, and I stood up on legs that felt like water and moved around the table to where he sat.I leaned down and kissed him, pressed my lips against his in what probably looked like affection to everyone watching, whe







