All Chapters of An Illicit Obsession : Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

When I finally woke up, my eyelids were heavy, making it difficult to open them. My mouth felt dry as I swallowed, and when I tried to move, the covers seemed too heavy over me. Something soft and warm caressed my forehead—it took me a moment to register that they were lips. Slowly, memories crashed into me as I fought to open my eyes. "Kil...lian," I murmured when I finally managed to look up. "You're awake?" His lips moved, and then I met his dark eyes. I tried to speak, but instead, I coughed. Killian hurriedly got up, reaching for something behind him. Helping me sit up and lean back, he placed a glass against my lips, and I swallowed a few gulps of water. I pushed the glass away as my vision cleared. I was lying in a comfortable king-sized bed with white covers draped over me. Killian sat beside me, leaning his back against the headboard. He set the glass aside, and only then did I notice that he was shirtless, his shoulder wound exposed. The wound he got a we

I sent an email to everyone at KJM while I thought about how to break the news to them—what I had decided. The whole night, I tossed and turned. This was the only way. It seemed like the right way, without any collateral damage. “I’m done,” I said, getting up from his seat and packing my laptop into the bag. Killian stared at me the whole time I was writing the email, sitting across the table. We were in his office at the headquarters—the room we slept in was attached to this office. That’s why there were no windows. We were still underground. The moment I figured that out, it somehow started to feel more suffocating. Killian didn’t stop looking at me with that critical expression. “If you want to say something, say something. Don’t stare at me like this,” I said. “This is a bad idea. Don’t do it.” “I’ve decided. I’m not continuing this. And you said you’d respect my decision.” “Tommen Anderson and the Mengs—they’re after you. And now we have Christen Meng.

“You can't be alone in a moment like this.” “I believe I have to be,” I said. “This is unwise,” he said, his eyes hardened—not hostile, but the disappointment was clear. My heart squeezed in my chest and I looked away, unable to hold his gaze. He moved toward me and I stepped back until I hit the table, clutching my hands at the edge of it. I cannot go with him. “I thought we were coming to the stage of acceptance,” he said in a low, intense voice. “Acceptance of what, exactly? I don't expect from you what you want me to accept.” He narrowed his eyes at me and I watched as his jaw tightened. He leaned in, and I leaned back, trying to put some distance between us, but my heart raced as his thick scent—coffee and rain—washed over me. I swallowed. “Why don't you…” He seemed to take a deep breath. “…ask for the things you want? Why don't you tell me?” “I am not in the habit of asking for things that don't seem to be mine!” I hi

I frowned. “Who?” I asked. It was Misha, sitting on the couch, tapping his foot impatiently. “Are you serious about this?” He stood up the moment he saw me, looking thoroughly agitated. “What’s wrong?” I asked. Killian came up and stood next to me. Misha looked at him for a second, then composed himself. “I understand your reason to want to take a break, but this…” He threw his head back in frustration. “Tell me you’re really not planning to leave KJM.” “I already explained everything to Jina,” I said. “M…” Misha gritted his teeth. “Maybe you should ask your guest to sit. Perhaps he’d like some refreshment,” Killian offered, one eyebrow raised, but the cold edge in his tone made it very clear: Misha needed to behave. Misha looked at him with a hard expression. I saw the wariness in his eyes, but he masked it well. “I’m not scared of you,” he said. Killian folded his arms leisurely ove

This is going to be a hassle.“Three.”“Five at the least.”“Killian, no one is going to invade NYU. I don’t need an army to protect me,” I argued.“Three aren’t nearly enough.” He shook his head, showing no signs of budging.We arrived at headquarters, and he led me to the training area—which, to my surprise, wasn’t what I imagined. Everyone here was over the age of consent and looked like they could easily blend into a college setting. Eva, whom I’d already met, was among them.I was handed their profiles—career history, previous jobs, missions completed. All of them had been shortlisted to be my ‘guard.’ Killian’s original plan involved seven people. Ridiculous. We’d been debating this for over an hour, and while he had agreed to bring it down to five, even that felt like too much.“I’ll come and go in a car. And don’t tell me the driver won’t be trained—that’s already four people involved,” I pointed out. “Eva will be the only one by my side on campus