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23.

Penulis: Nee Nee
last update Terakhir Diperbarui: 2025-05-14 20:43:56

~LIAM.

Three hours.

Scarlett had been gone for three damn hours.

Pacing the length of the suite, my gaze shifted between the door and the clock above the entrance. Each tick grated against my nerves.

She'd bolted the second she woke up, without any explanations. Just a frantic rush to meet some Lily I'd never heard of. What kind of friend had Green Eyes ditching without brushing her hair or looking back?

The thought ate at me. I'd planned today to blow her mind, to pull Jake from her thoughts entirely. After yesterday's little escapade, she deserved it. A slow grin tugged at my lips as I remembered her chained to the bed, breathless and hazy from the rush.

Raking a hand through my hair, I was growing beyond frustrated. What if Jake had found her? What if she was in trouble and didn't think to call me?

Screw waiting around.

I strode to the door just as it swung open, only to see Scarlett standing there with a tense face, and eyes darting away like s
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  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   35.

    ~SCARLETT. I could hear voices, but they were distant and muffled as if I had been submerged underwater. My head throbbed, and my body felt torn apart—every muscle sore, every joint stiff. I could barely open my eyes, and a sharp sting in my throat reminded me how dry it was. "She wandered off into the woods! We had no idea…" The voices started coming in clearer. "That's not good enough," another voice got through the drumbeat echoing in my skull. "You were responsible for these women. For her. I should've never let her come here in the first place." I recognized that voice. It was Liam. "Calm down, man," a gentler voice intervened. " Not now. We should be thankful she was found before it got worse." Then I heard a familiar and heartbreaking sob. Lily. "You didn't see her," she cried. "You should've seen her. The state she was in… God, this is all my fault. I should've never let her out of my sight—" "Shhh," the gentler voice murmured, trying

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   34.

    ~SCARLETT. Branches scraped at my skin as I stumbled through the dark forest, the cold air failing to dampen the fire surging through my veins. My breath came in sharp gasps, as if I couldn't inhale enough air to cool the heat consuming me. Each step felt like a battle against my own body. I didn't know where I was going. All I knew was I had to get away: from the noise, the firelight, from everyone. From myself. My lungs burned, struggling to keep pace with my frantic movements. A blistering ache spread low in my stomach. I tried to push it down, to reason with myself, but my body refused to listen. Coming to a stop, I pressed my forehead against the rough bark of a tree, my hand gripping its trunk as I tried to pull myself together. But the heat only grew stronger. My thighs squeezed together, fighting the throbbing pulse inside me. I felt suffocated by the very skin I was in. Something was wrong. Had I been drugged? The thought flashed through my mind befo

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   33.

    ~SCARLETT. Stopping at the edge of the dense trees, my pulse raced, adrenaline still coursing through me. I peered past the thick trunks, holding my breath—nothing. No movement. No sign of anyone or anything. Just an unsettling silence that made the hair on my arms stand on end. I frowned. Something felt off. "There's nothing," I muttered under my breath, more to myself than to Lily. She huffed a small, nervous laugh beside me. "Well… that was creepy." I glanced back at her, unease still lingering in my gut. "Maybe our minds are playing tricks on us." "Or we're officially losing it," she said, a teasing tone in her voice that didn't quite mask her nerves. I shot her a dry look before shaking my head. "Either way, we should head back. We've got what we need." She didn't argue. Together, we grabbed the supplies we'd gathered and made our way out of the forest. By the time we stepped back into the clearing, we were greeted by an unexpected sight.

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   32.

    ~SCARLETT. I watched in horror as she lost her balance, tumbling down the slope. "Shit!" My heart lurched. Without a second thought, I sprinted forward, Lily right on my heels. Gasps and exclamations echoed from the group, and my mind went into overdrive. "Stay where you are," Sasha called out firmly. Ignoring her, I reached the edge of the slope and scanned below. The woman lay sprawled on the ground, tangled in shrubs, her glasses askew on her face. She groaned, shifting slightly. Lily exhaled in relief. "She's alive." I crouched. "Hey! Are you okay?" The woman winced, her timid brown eyes darting around like a startled deer. "I-I think so…" A rustle from above made me glance back, a knot forming in my stomach. Natalie and her entourage stood at the top of the slope, peering down with utter disinterest. No apology. No concern. Just pure, unbothered indifference. Lily seethed. "Are you fucking kidding me?" It was the second time in as many minutes she'd said i

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   31.

    ~SCARLETT. My fingers tightened around the handle of my duffel bag as I forced my expression into something neutral. "Who said I've been avoiding you?" Liam's gaze darkened. "It's been obvious. You sneak out to eat, shower when I'm asleep…" His voice faded into the background because my focus had betrayed me, tracing the sharp lines of his face, the broad stretch of his shoulders beneath his shirt. His arms were thick, tanned, powerful… No. Get it together, Scarlett. Swallowing hard, I spun away from him, hoping that not seeing his ridiculously tempting self would clear my head. But my thoughts mocked me anyway. Did I just call him tempting? Jesus. This was exactly why I needed space. Three days away from him would fix this mess in my head. Behind me, I heard him exhale. "It's gotten this bad, huh?" I barely registered his words because my gaze had fallen on the bed, and my stupid, traitorous mind went back to that day. Th

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   30.

    ~SCARLETT. "What do you mean you left?" Lily's fork, speared with a piece of bacon, froze midair. Her brows shot up in disbelief as she stared at me. Sighing, I stabbed my pancake with unnecessary force. "Exactly that. I left." We sat at one of the resort's outdoor restaurants, the ocean stretching endlessly before us. The salty breeze tangled with the scent of fresh coffee, but none of it soothed the restless heat still simmering beneath my skin. I replayed the night over and over: the way my body betrayed me, craving more. It had been too much, so I ran. Her lips twitched before she erupted into laughter, her head tilting back as she let out a loud cackle, drawing curious glances from the nearby tables. Scowling, I stuffed a piece of pancake into my mouth. "It's not funny," I grumbled, my words muffled around the food. "No, no… it's fucking hilarious," She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "Scarlett, you sat there watching a

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   29.

    ~SCARLETT. Slowly, he stepped forward, halting in front of the kneeling woman. His gloved fingers grazed her shoulder, making her shudder. "Submission is a gift," he murmured richly. "Control is an art." He let the words sink in, his fingers lingering a moment longer before pulling away. His gaze shifted to the man behind her, a silent exchange passing between them. Then, with care, the blindfold was lifted. She blinked, disoriented by the dim light, and I felt my pulse hammering in my ears. Wearing a blank expression, he held the blindfold in front of her. "Permission is everything. Trust is given, never taken." The woman nodded. "Yes." A long pause stretched between them. Then, his tone turned colder. "Not like that." Leaning in, just enough to make her tremble, he spoke again. "You will call me Master. And him"—he cocked his head slightly toward the man behind her—"you will refer to as

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   28.

    ~SCARLETT. *~FLASHBACK~* AT THE CAFE. I stared at the black card on the table, until I noticed the gold-embossed initials: LCR. My fingers brushed over them, but the true impact of the card sank in when I spotted the subtle engraving of two intertwined keys below. A strange sensation curled in my stomach, making me swallow hard. "What is this?" My voice was barely above a whisper. Lily tilted her head slightly, watching me with those sharp silver-gray eyes. "Pick it up." Something in her tone unsettled me, but I obeyed. "That," she leaned forward, "is your ticket." Frowning, I turned the card over, searching for meaning. "Ticket to what?" A smirk played at her lips, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. "You remember what I told you about the hidden world in Le Casa Rosa?" I nodded slowly, tightening my grip on the card. “The gathering you saw last night?" She tapped a manicured finger against the table. "That was the i

  • SECRETS AND SEDUCTIONS   27.

    ~SCARLETT. My gaze moved between his outstretched hand and his face. The music swelled in the background into a slow, seductive hum. But that wasn't what stole my breath. It was the way he looked at me. What the hell are you doing? The question formed in my mind, but I couldn't voice it. Not with him standing there, shadows stretching over his sharp features. His hazel eyes sparkled under the dim glow, holding me captive until everything else faded away. Still, I hesitated. I couldn't dance. Not for shit. And stepping into his world now, in front of all these people, meant exposing myself in a way I wasn't ready for. I saw his lips curve, not his usual smirk, not teasing or arrogant. This was different. A real smile. "Trust me," he murmured, just for me. Something turned in my chest, and yet, despite every logical part of me screaming not to, my fingers twitched. Finally, as if my body had decided for me, I took a slow breath and slipped my hand into his. His

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