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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Remember me naked: Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

264 Kabanata

Chapter 11 — Where the Masks Crack

LYRAI didn’t think I could still surprise him.And yet, when I stand up to deliver my presentation, I feel an almost imperceptible shiver sweep through the room. A held breath. As if someone, somewhere, was holding their breath.I don’t need to turn my head. I know he’s watching me.Alexandre is looking at me with something rarer, more raw.As if he is discovering me.I unfold my data, my figures, my forecasts. My voice is steady. My gaze does not waver. Inside, however, everything vibrates. No fear. No doubt. But a fierce anticipation: that he listens to me. That he sees me. Completely.And he gazes at me, fascinated.He is there, frozen, eyebrows furrowed, two fingers resting on his lips. He analyzes me, scrutinizes me. Like a man caught off guard.By what I am becoming before his eyes.I continue, I move on to restructuring, the poles, the synergies. I speak clearly, without seeking effect. I am selling nothing. I show what is, what can be. We look at each other, as if we are alon

Chapter 12 — Where the Truth Surfaces

CassandraI don't need him to say a word.I feel it. In his body. In his silence.In the way his eyes cling to her like a damn lifebuoy.LYRA!Her name twists my stomach.She hovers in the room like an obvious truth we refuse to acknowledge.But I see her. I see her all too well.She’s back, and everything trembles.Everything I’ve rebuilt since she bolted. Everything I keep at bay. Everything I hide.Alexandre... he’s not here anymore.He leans towards her without even realizing it.He looks at her like a memory he can no longer bury.And I stand tall. Impeccable. Magnificent.And I strike: I knock over the glass.Not a slip, not a clumsiness: a message.The water spills over her plans, her perfect schemes, her little control.I want her to lose her balance.But no...She wipes it up, without a word.And she stands up.— Thank you, it’s not necessary.Calm. Dignified. Untouchable.She exits.And him... he remains frozen. Like an idiot.As if he’s watching the only thing that still ma

Chapter 13 — Where the Mask Slips

LYRAI stand in front of the mirror, motionless for a moment. My breathing is calm, almost measured, but my mind is swirling like a swarm of bees in turmoil. Tonight's dinner is not just a simple business meeting; it is a piece on a chessboard where every move can destabilize fragile alliances.I choose my outfit carefully. A black dress, sleek, that hugs my curves without shouting, a slightly open neckline that hints, but never fully reveals. Nothing extravagant, just enough to command a presence. A light perfume, subtle and cool, that will serve as an invisible signature, discreet yet unforgettable. I run my fingers through my hair, smoothing it gently, gathering it into a low bun. Too much sophistication would betray tension; too much negligence, weakness.Before me, on the vanity, sits a small bottle of deep red lipstick. I touch it lightly, hesitate for a moment, then apply a fine, precise line, almost imperceptible. A mark, a trace. For him.I can’t help but think of him, of Ale

Chapter 14 — Where Certainties Shatter

ALEXANDRESomething doesn’t add up.And the longer the minutes pass, the more this feeling gnaws at my nerves. An invisible dissonance, but haunting. Like white noise in my head, incessant.I look at Lyra. I look at both of them.Their complicity disturbs me.It’s not displayed. It’s worse: fluid, instinctive. Too well-oiled to be merely the result of a recent collaboration. There’s a secret choreography in their gestures. In their silences. In the way he leans toward her without thinking. In the way she anticipates his words.And then there’s that gesture.Lyra grabs the carafe and, without even looking up, pours water into Lucas's glass.Simple, natural, intimate.Too intimate.An ordinary gesture, but revealing. Not one you do with a colleague. Rather, one you don’t even notice anymore, so often it’s repeated.I freeze.Why does it annoy me so much?Why do I have this stupid feeling of seeing something slipping away from me?— And you, Lucas, I said, my voice sharper than expected,

Chapter 15 — Where Secrets Thicken

LYRAI know nothing of the accident.Did he have an accident? How? When? Why did no one tell me anything?But already, I understand that I will not get an answer. Nothing.Lucas utters this phrase in a chilling tone, as if throwing a sharp truth on the table. A brutal glint, thrown in the middle of this too-silent dinner.The air around me changes. The room seems to shrink all at once.My fingers tighten on my napkin.My thoughts whirl.I stare at Alexandre.But he does not look at me.He lowers his gaze, as if he carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. His jaw tightens, his profile freezes in tension. A shadow crosses his face, and something whispers to me that this is not just an accident.— What accident?I ask, my voice choked, barely a whisper.A silence stretches. Dense. Suffocating.Suddenly, Cassandre's voice slices through the air like a cleaver.— Alexandre is doing very well. He is recovering quickly. That's all you need to know.She speaks quickly, too quickly, a

Chapter 16 — The Past That Returns

LyraThe car drove silently toward home. Outside, night had settled in some time ago, and the city lights had faded behind us. The journey felt longer than usual, as if the silence stretched it even more.Beside me, Lucas occasionally glanced in my direction, not saying a word. I could feel his concern, palpable. He said nothing, but his presence was enough to ground me. I kept my hands clenched on my knees, my gaze fixed straight ahead, lost in the darkness.— Are you okay? he finally asked, in a soft voice.I slowly turned my head toward him, as if pulled from a daydream.— I...The words caught in my throat. I didn't know how to articulate everything I was feeling.— You don't have to keep everything to yourself, he said, lowering his voice a bit. I'm here, you know.I took a deep breath, unable to calm what was inside me.— It's just... hard to talk about, that's all.He nodded, respecting my silence. He briefly turned his eyes toward the driver, still focused on the road. Then he

Chapter 17 — Where Shadows Embrace

CASSANDRAThe night has fallen, heavy and tense, like my mood.Alexandre stands by the window, arms crossed, his gaze fixed outside. He doesn’t speak. He hardly moves. He barely breathes.I’ve been staring at him for a good ten minutes. And I know exactly what he’s thinking.Not about me. About her.Always Lyra. That girl is poisoning his mind. She has disappeared, she has betrayed, and yet she still lives here, between us. In his silences, his sighs, his absences.And I refuse to lose.I approach gently. I place a hand on his arm. He doesn’t react.— Alex…He finally turns his head. His gaze is hard. Cold. Tired.— What do you want, Cassandra?— You. I whisper. Just you.Let me help you forget all this. Just tonight.My hands glide over his chest, sliding under his t-shirt. But he gently, firmly pushes me away.— You’re pregnant. I can’t, not like this.I smile, slow, deliberate.— So what? It’s not a disease. I’m still here. Whole. You’ve already slept with me, Alex. You can do it a

Chapter 18 — Where the Fire Tears

LYRAI go to bed late, my body exhausted but my mind unable to stop. The day has been long, full of exchanged glances, revived memories, and silences too heavy to ignore. Yet, despite everything that troubles me, it is his image that returns, over and over.I fall asleep without even realizing it, and very quickly, everything becomes more intense, more real, as if my own body decided to forget what reason strives to control.In my dream, Alexandre is there. He looks at me without fleeing, without distance, without a mask. His gaze is burning, and this time he doesn’t try to hide his desire. He approaches, confident, and his body presses against mine with an almost animalistic certainty.I feel his hand glide slowly along my arm, then on my hip, and when he pulls me against him, I think of nothing. Neither the past nor what separates us. He kisses me without waiting, his mouth finds mine with an urgency that I recognize, that overwhelms me.His body is warm, firm, full of restrained te

Chapter 19 — Where Dawn Soothes

LYRAWhen I open my eyes, the day is already bright. My heart is still beating a bit too fast. I stay there for a few moments, staring at the ceiling as if to rid myself of this dream, this guilty warmth that still clings to my skin.I get up, put on a sweater, and tiptoe downstairs. Lucas is already in the kitchen, as always, a cup of coffee in hand and the radio playing softly in the background.— You're up early, he says without looking up.— I didn't sleep well, I reply as I sit at the table. Strange dreams.He gives me a sidelong glance, a smirk on his lips.— The nightmare kind? Or the… hot kind?— Lucas! I protest, feigning indignation, tossing him a piece of bread.He laughs, then places a steaming cup of coffee in front of me.— Don't worry, I'm just teasing you. But if you need to talk about it…I shrug. He can't understand. Not this kind of dream. Not this feeling of having been touched for real. And by him.— No, it's fine. I just need to focus on something else. Work, for

Chapter 20 — Where Wills Clash

AlexandreMy phone vibrated on the desk, interrupting my reading of the latest financial reports. Lucas. I picked up, curious about what could be prompting him to call me at this hour.— Alexandre, good news! His voice was cheerful. The foreign partner has confirmed our meeting. We're leaving in three days.I absentmindedly tapped my pen against the desk.— Good. I'll take care of the preparations.There was a slight hesitation in his voice before he added:— Lyra will be joining us. She knows their culture well, it could be useful to us.My hand froze.— Lyra? The question escaped me before I could hold it back.— Yes, well... if you're okay with it, of course. She has worked with them before.I straightened up in my chair.— We'll talk about it. I need to check my schedule first.After hanging up, I remained still for a moment, contemplating the urban landscape through the large window. This trip suddenly took on a whole new dimension.When I came home, I found Cassandre sitting on

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