All Chapters of BEHIND THE MASK (DARK ROMANCE): Chapter 121 - Chapter 125

The car was still. I hadn't started it, too confused with the thoughts that spiraled in my head. I just sat still, stains of his release still covered my dress. The strap of my gown had slid down to reveal an almost red spot where he'd bit me. My nipples still ached from his mouth. My pussy still throbbed from his size and how good he'd made me feel. But somehow, those feelings weren't enough to settle me. The hotel behind me was still. Everything felt like they were holding their breath. Waiting..My phone screen lit up in my hand."Do you now know why you keep choosing me?"I didn’t answer. Because the question wasn’t about Darius anymore. It was about me. I thought I loved the freedom. I thought I wanted it. But I wasn't so sure anymore. How could I? When freedom was looking like it should?I started the engine. The road was empty at 12:20am. Lagos at night always felt like a secret. Like the city was holding its breath just for you.I drove without music. Just the sound of my bre

I didn’t sleep again. At 3am I had returned to Jessica's house and was on her couch with my laptop burning my thighs and a blanket I hadn’t touched."Show me," Jessica said, voice low. I hesitated, then turned the screen toward her.The forum was still up. Archived. My username from 4 years ago: m_hidden19 My last post: "What if the only way I feel free is if I’m not the one choosing?"Under it, 2 replies. The first was some troll. But the second was from a D_arkVisitor:"If you ever mean it, I’ll help you mean it. No judgment. No rescue. Just you, deciding."Jessica read it out loud. Then looked at me. "That phrasing," she said quietly. "Doesn't that sound like Darius's?"My stomach dropped at the statement. I clicked his profile, but it was deleted. But the site kept quote-replies. And there, buried under 4 years of threads, was my reply to him."You wouldn’t know how. You don’t know me."Sent: June 3rd, 2:14am. From an IP address I still used. It was from the first home James

I didn’t go home that night. I left Darius's hotel, but I didn't return home. I drove. No music. No destination. Just Lagos at 2am, empty roads and streetlights making long lines on the windshield. Lagos wasn't known to be quiet, not even at night. But somehow the night was silent. Like it knew I needed the quiet and it was respecting my wish. Darius’ words were still in my head: "I followed instructions. Yours."Instructions I wrote when I was 19 and terrified of my own wanting. Instructions I buried and then dug up and pretended I didn’t recognize.By 4am I was parked outside my house. James’ car was there. His light was on in the study. He was finally back. There was no excitement at the thought of his return. He was probably waiting. Or pretending not to.I sat in the car until the sky turned pale. Then I went inside.He looked up from his laptop. He looked tired. Older. "Where were you?" he asked. There was no anger. Just exhaustion. Like he had finally come to terms with th