บททั้งหมดของ Caged Pheonix : บทที่ 21 - บทที่ 30

After attending all her classes, Violet looked at Emma, who was stuffing things inside her backpack. Violet gulped hard before deciding to go near her. Emma saw her approaching and frowned in frustration, clearly showing the hatred on her face.“E-Emma, can we talk?”Emma continued doing what she was doing, as if Violet wasn’t even there.“I don’t think we have anything to talk about.”Violet gulped down, knowing she deserved her hate.“I want to ex-explain things and apologize for what I’ve done…”Emma scoffed. Her eyes turned red as tears welled up, thinking about the day Violet had ruined her life.“Isn’t it too late? What should I do with your apology now? Will it change anything? And why didn’t you apologize when I asked you to? Didn’t you say you did nothing wrong?”Seeing her pain, Violet felt so guilty for the stupid decisions she had made in the past. Her eyes swelled up with tears of guilt.“I-I didn’t know that ti—”“Save it. You can fool Ethan, not me.”Emma snapped before

She was not only embarrassed but also flabbergasted after learning why he was asking her to pack her bags. She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself like an ostrich. She thought he was kicking her out. Not only had she kissed him, but she had also tried to remove both his and her clothes.Ahhhhhhh!! Why am I so stupid!!! she screamed inside her head. Her face turned bright red, her skin burning with mortification. She looked like a cherry on fire and unfortunately, it only made her look more tempting to him.Ethan smirked again and placed both hands on the door, caging her in his arms, his gaze heavy with amusement and something else she couldn’t name.“What were you thinking?”He whispered just above her head, his breath warm against her skin, trying to make her look up. But she didn’t have the courage to face him after what she had just done. The weight of it all pressed down on her chest. She slowly shook her head and tried to push him away gently, hoping he’d understand.“Let me g

Violet was exhausted, physically, emotionally, and mentally. This constant back-and-forth fight was draining her spirit. If he didn’t want to believe her, then no matter what she said or did, it wouldn’t matter.Her throat tightened. There wasn’t much left to say.But since he asked her to prove herself… she could only guess what exactly he wanted her to do.Without a word, she began to take off her clothes, one layer at a time, taking small, hesitant steps toward him.Fuck.Ethan’s brain nearly short-circuited. Rage still boiled inside him, he didn’t understand her, didn’t know why she wanted to stay with him so badly, didn’t trust her because she's hiding something. All he wanted was a damn explanation. But now?His anger was clashing with a deeper, darker craving.The moment he saw her fingers slide off the blazer and let it fall in a soft thud to the floor, blood rushed straight to his lower body. Heat coiled in his gut. His fists clenched. She wasn’t just undressing, she was burn

He froze. The rhythm stilled, the air between them shifting in an instant. His grip loosened, and the fire in his eyes flickered into something else , concern. Wait… did Jacob and she never-?His thumb brushed her cheek as if she might shatter under his touch. “Violet…” His voice was low, hesitant. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?”Every movement slowed. The urgency that had been driving him moments ago melted into deliberate care. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked softly, his tone almost too gentle for the heat still burning between them.“Did I hurt you?”He was still inside her warmth, but the thought of her discomfort cut through the haze of desire like ice water. His eyes roamed over her face, tracing every flicker, every shadow of pain.If he’d known this was her first time, he would’ve… regret gnawed at him. I ruined it. I ruined her first. The way she bit back any sound, carrying the sting alone, only made him curse himself harder.“N-No… it’s j-” her breath shook, “--just my

They were having a peaceful breakfast, and Ethan noticed that Violet wasn’t giving him any attention. It wasn’t because she had finally realized her worth, but rather because she was ashamed to face him after everything he had said. She wasn’t the kind of shameless person who could ignore such words. It was true, she could do anything to protect her family and their interests, but she also had self respect. If it were possible, she would never have gone this far just to make him believe in her. In fact, after hearing those degrading words from him the moment she opened her eyes, all she wanted to do was run away. She had realized that no matter what she did, he would never believe her. The more she tried, the more he doubted her. So, she decided to keep her distance. In the bathroom, she promised herself she wouldn’t speak much around him, even though she rarely spoke in the first place. She would avoid places where he was present and avoid even looking at him, just so he wouldn’t