Chapter Seven

Rielle’s POV

I couldn’t feel my legs when I tried to move, they were weak and wobbled. He pulled out his cick and walked away without a single work to me like I was his whore. It stung.

Zayden fucking Wolf, he walked off like he hadn’t just shoved me against that same wall and wrecked every shred of composure I had left. Like his hands weren’t still imprinted on my hips, his voice wasn’t echoing in my head with every breath I took.

“Say my name.”

I adjusted my skirt with trembling fingers, buttoned up the blouse he’d nearly torn off and tried to steady my breathing. My lips were swollen, my body still humming. My pride? It was scattered on the floor along with the buttons.

It wasn’t just the sex, it was the way he did it. It was him proving that he could fuck me better and he wanted to fuck me into forgetting everything else even Dante’s Cock. I hated him.

I hated the way I let him use me like that. I hated that he had used me to get over his jealousy of Dante.

The second the name hit my brain, my stomach turned. Not from guilt but disgust. Because the worst part? I knew what I was doing.

He was trying to get to Zayden and he was using me to do it. The worst part was that I was letting him.

I had pushed the words out of my mouth on purpose. “Maybe he has”, “He asked nicely” I watched Zayden break and for a weird reason, I liked it.

The way his eyes changed when I said, “Maybe he has.”

I saw the crack underneath it, a small, brutal flicker of something real behind his anger and it scared the hell out of me. I didn’t know if he wanted to fuck me, destroy me, or keep me.

I didn’t want to be that girl again, the one who gave too much just to feel wanted but the second Zayden put his hands on me, I forgot how to be anything else.

I stumbled to the bathroom, locked the door, and leaned against the cool tile. Deep breath in. Deep breath out. You’re okay, you’re still you.

You’re not back in Dante’s apartment, wearing his stolen hoodie and pretending he didn’t cheat again. You’re not begging him to look at you, you’re not crying into your pillow while he parties with someone easier. You’re not her.

The ghosts didn’t care, they crept in anyway. I splashed cold water on my face, patted it dry, and stared at my reflection.

My lipstick was gone. My mascara was smudged. My eyes looked tired, it was not just from sex or from Zayden, it was the constant emotional whiplash of pretending I was fine when everything inside me screamed otherwise.

When I stepped out of the bathroom and returned to my desk, the office was quiet. He hadn’t called, hadn’t texted and hadn’t demanded more coffee just to make me miserable.

I should’ve been relieved but instead I felt hollow.

“Rielle.” I jolted. It was Lucas who stood in front of me, holding two cups of coffee, his soft smile a welcome contrast to the chaos I’d just endured.

“Thought you might need this,” he said gently, handing me his cup of coffee.

I took the cup with both hands. “Thanks.”

“You okay?” he asked softly.

I nodded. “Yeah.

He studied me, he had those eyes the kind that saw too much, too quickly.

Lucas didn’t push further and my phone buzzed. It was an Unknown Number.

You looked good today. He doesn’t deserve you.

– D.

I froze, the guilt dropped back into my stomach like a stone. What the hell did I get myself into?

I didn’t want to be in the middle of their pissing contest. I didn’t want to be the trophy, or the pawn, or the woman stuck between two men with enough childhood trauma to fuel a soap opera.

I powered off my phone and shoved it into my drawer like that could somehow erase the part of me that still felt something when Dante looked at me.

“Are you sure… you’re okay?” Lucas asked again, voice a little softer this time.

I nodded for the second time, tighter this time. It was not because I was fine but because I was done talking about it.

He looked like he wanted to say something else, but then the clock on the wall ticked loudly 6 p.m.

Thank God, it was finally time to leave. No more questions, no more watching eyes. No more soft concern that felt like it could unravel me.

I like Lucas genuinely, he was a kind man but I didn’t want calm. I also didn’t want to ruin his life, mine was a mess with tangled emotions. I like dark and dangerous and it always found a way to ruin me.

The last thing I needed was a misunderstanding, especially ith Zayden.

I started gathering my things grabbing my bag, powering off the office desktop, brushing loose strands of hair from my face like it could hide the mess I still felt inside.

“I’ll walk you out,” Lucas offered, standing as I reached for my bag.

I stopped, my voice gentler than before. “No… thank you. I think I just need a moment to myself.”

He paused, watching me like he knew there was more I wasn’t saying. Then he gave a small nod, respectful.

“Alright,” he said, offering a small smile. “But if you ever want to talk….”

“I know,” I cut in, forcing a smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Thank you, Lucas.”

He walked out after nodding and I stood there for a few seconds, letting the silence settle, breathing in like I was coming up for air. Like the quiet might somehow wash Zayden’s hands off my skin… even though I knew it wouldn’t.

Tonight would be a long one, my toys would be put to work.