บททั้งหมดของ The Devil You Know : บทที่ 31 - บทที่ 40

ANDRADE The door creaks open, and I step out of the bedroom, towel slung around my waist, hair still dripping onto my shoulders. The air is cooler out here, the contrast between heat and glass feels like a slap. I immediately notice him. Elijah. Sitting behind his desk like he owns the air he breathes. Fingers moving on the laptop, jaw tight, gaze locked on the screen as if the numbers on it could save him. He doesn’t look up. Not even once. That’s new. Usually, I get at least a nervous glance or that tiny flinch he tries to hide whenever I’m near. But now? Nothing. Just silence and the steady rhythm of his breathing. When did he even get here? I left without him because he overslept, didn’t bother to call, didn’t text. I had business to handle, and I don’t wait on anyone. I pour myself a glass of wine, letting the bottle clink softly against the glass. The sound echoes in the still room. He doesn’t even twitch. I lean against the table, sip, and just watch him. His s

ELIJAH Andrade is working from home today. Working from home meant I’d be orbiting him all day. That thought alone was enough to tie a knot somewhere behind my ribs. When I turned the corner, I froze. I adjusted the bucket in my grip, the glass clinking against the bottles of wine inside. Andrade’s wine. Always some specific brand, aged just so, imported at some absurd price. I wasn’t even sure he liked it; it was just what he drank. The sun hit hard that afternoon, burning against the stone tiles that framed the pool. The surface of the water shimmered like a lie, calm on top, chaos underneath. The pool opened up before me, a sheet of light and reflection, and there he was, Andrade, rising from the water like something carved from control itself. The water slicked down his chest, catching against his tattoos, dark lines disappearing into the waistband of his black swim shorts. He dragged a towel across his head once, then tossed it aside and sat down like h

ELIJAH The city was a blur of color and noise as I drove, but I barely noticed any of it. I just needed to get away. From the house. From Mila's face. From my own thoughts clawing at my brain like trapped animals. The wheel vibrated beneath my palms, but my grip only tightened. The silence inside the car wasn’t peaceful, it was suffocating. My chest felt heavy, like there was a stone lodged behind my ribs, pressing down harder with every breath. I didn’t know what the hell was wrong with me. The music was off, my phone on silent, and still, I could hear the echo of Mila's voice from earlier, her confusion, her hurt. Her asking for answers. Her accusing eyes. I hadn’t known what to tell her then. I still didn’t now. When the red neon of Nora’s Ink appeared in the distance, my breath caught with relief. Maybe, just maybe, she could help me make sense of this. Nora always listened. She didn’t try to fix people, didn’t throw judgment around like others did. She just… listene

ELIJAH The car engine finally went silent, and for a long moment I just sat there, watching the bar through the windshield. The neon sign buzzed faintly in the dark, the red letters bleeding into the damp night air. My hands were still trembling on the steering wheel, slick with sweat. I swallowed hard. This was the address Nora gave me. I stared at the scrap of paper again, as though maybe it would change, maybe I’d misread it. But no, same handwriting, same short message, same address. She said I'd find my answers here. Answers. I didn’t even know what question I was asking anymore. I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt over my head and glanced at my reflection in the mirror. The shadows helped, I almost looked like someone else. Someone braver. The hoodie and joggers Andrade got me made me feel even more conflicted, like I was carrying him here with me, wearing his scent, his memory, his presence against my skin. I shut my eyes and took a deep breath. If I fin

ELIJAH The silence between us thickened the air. Andrade’s eyes never left mine. Every second that passed stretched and snapped against the walls of my chest like a rubber band about to break. I didn’t even know what scared me more — being caught here or being seen by him. He tilted his head slightly, the kind of calm motion that could mean anything. “What are you doing here?” His tone was soft but sharp, a quiet threat wrapped in curiosity. “I…” I swallowed, my throat dry. “It was a mistake. I didn’t…” What the fuck should I say? His mouth curved into something between a smile and a sneer. “A mistake?” he repeated. He slowly stood up. “It’s not what you think.” My voice cracked, low and uneven. “I didn’t come here for—” “For what?” he cut in smoothly. “For men?” The word hit me like a slap. I took a step back, but he mirrored me instantly, one slow, deliberate step forward. “Andrade…” I managed, trying to find air. “Please.” A whisper. He didn’t listen. He kept cl