All Chapters of Kiss Me Like No Other : Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The villa settled into an uneasy quiet after dinner.Mr. and Mrs. Alexandrescu had retired early, but their presence still filled the halls. Sam remained downstairs longer than usual, performing the role of the corrected son. I went to my room, changed into a simple sleep shirt, and sat on the edge of the bed with the lights off. Sleep did not come. The way his parents had spoken about the slap-like a logistics problem-kept turning over in my mind. No one had asked if I was hurt. No one had looked at me as if I mattered beyond the surface I was required to keep clean.I needed air. I needed to feel alive.I slipped out barefoot and went down to the open terrace that faced the water. The night was warm and salt-heavy. I stood at the railing for a long time, arms wrapped around myself, trying to breathe past the tight feeling in my chest.I did not hear him at first.Ben stepped out from the deeper shadow near the wall. He kept a careful distance, as if waiting to see whether I would br

I stayed in my room after I walked away from him.His last words followed me like a hand around my throat. *You do know you are my wife right? And if I really want to have you, I will have all of you.*We already had our agreement. He clearly just wants me to be miserable.The afternoon light had shifted across the floor when the door opened without a knock. It wouldn't hurt him to knock, but his damned soul wouldn't let him."You need to learn how to knock" I said.Sam stepped inside and closed it quietly behind him. His expression was calm, almost pleasant. He walked past me to the closet and began sliding hangers aside one by one."I chose most of these," he said, as if we were having an ordinary conversation about my fashion sense. "You should wear them. Or I can put them on you myself."He paused on a set of maroon lingerie, lifting it slightly with two fingers."This color was my decision. It suits you better than the black or that rubbish mismatch you wore while sneaking aroun

The door was meant to be open. This was supposed to be an "ok" honeymoon but how much longer should I let this feeling define me?I stayed in my room while the house prepared for his departure.Late evening bulb lights slanted across the floor. From behind the closed door I heard the low roll of a suitcase, staff voices, Sam speaking in the clipped tone he used when he wanted things done quickly. I did not go out. I stood near the window instead and watched the black car appear at the end of the path. Ben walked toward it with a bag in one hand. He did not look up at the house. A moment later the car door shut, the engine started, and the vehicle disappeared down the narrow coastal road.The sound of it faded.The villa changed as soon as he was gone. The air felt wider and emptier at the same time. Every corridor seemed longer. The quiet that settled was not peaceful; it was attentive, as if the walls themselves were waiting to see what would happen next.Fuck my life! I should have

**Katherine's POV**"Married? Who cares. When is it true love it lasts forever. Better than any flash marriage" For me? It doesn't need to have a neon sign or post colors but I knew it was for me.I had not meant to open the apps.The villa was too quiet after Ben left. The silence pressed against the walls until even my own breathing felt loud. Late at night I unlocked my phone for the first time in days and let the old internet spill back in.John and Susan were the first thing I saw.A rooftop photo. His arm around her. Both of them smiling like the past had never happened. They had tagged the account I no longer used. The caption was carelessly stupid."Married? Who cares. When is it true love it lasts forever. Better than any flash marriage" I chuckled as I read it again. Was she jealous about this marriage? Honestly, I wish her someone like Sam. Because for Susan, my best friend to really rubbed my demise all over my face, that bitch deserves hell. I stared at it until the i

The headache started minutes after I had freshened up. My plan was to go to the studio and get myself busy but my body seemed to have other plans.That persistant dull pressure behind my eyes that made the quiet of the house feel louder than it was.Wonderful.I pulled on a sweater and went downstairs for coffee, moving carefully so the pain would not sharpen. The kitchen was set, workers preparing something or just standing. I had just reached for a mug when Sam's voice came from the doorway."You're up early."I turned. He was dressed for the office, cufflinks already in place. For a moment he only looked at me. Then he glanced past my shoulder toward the hallway where one of the staff had appeared with the morning papers.He crossed the kitchen, took the mug from my hand, and set it aside. Before I could step back he slid his fingers along my jaw, tipped my face up, and kissed me.It was not gentle. It was deliberate and public-the kind of kiss meant to be seen. His mouth pressed f