Chapter 64Katherine stood in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by ingredients she had laid out in anxiousness while getting ready to make dinner. After watching Riley’s effortless breakfast feat earlier that morning, Katherine had made up her mind. She quickly dismissed the chef after thorough reasoning and now that she was right here, she couldn’t back out now. She wasn’t going to sit back while Riley played the perfect housekeeper for Lucifer. It didn’t matter how long they’d known each other. She would cook tonight—show Lucifer that she wasn’t just the helpless, needy woman Riley seemed to think she was.With a deep breath, Katherine turned her attention to the stovetop. The chicken was sizzling in the pan already, and the smell of garlic and onions filled the air. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Lucifer coming down the stairs, to a delicious meal.But unluckily for her, things weren’t going according to plan.As the time passed by, Katherine felt a growing sen
Chapter 65Lucifer’s voice cut through the quiet like a sternly, making Katherine whip her head around. “What’s that in your hands?”Startled, Katherine stumbled against the wall as he stormed past her, his piercing gaze locked onto Riley. His tone was sharp enough to slice through the tension, and Katherine could feel the tension radiating off him like a storm. She gasped, steadying herself with one hand rested against the wall, her pulse racing as she tried to make sense of his sudden outburst.Riley, standing by the door with the package still resting in her hands, raised an eyebrow at him, unfazed by his aggression. “It’s the package,” she said, holding it up very obviously, so he could see it much more clearly. Her brow furrowed slightly. “I picked it up like you asked me to. Is there a problem?”Lucifer’s jaw ticked as he closed the distance between them. “That doesn’t look right,” he muttered, snatching the box from her hands with so much force that Riley almost toppled over. H
CHAPTER 66The door to Lucifer’s study creaked open loudly, revealing Riley standing smack dab in the middle of the dimly lit hallway. She stepped inside, her combat boots clicking softly against the polished floor as she closed the door behind her. The air between them was different, unusual, but still, Riley reminded herself that she shouldn’t act stupid in front of him.Lucifer was seated at his desk, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp as it followed her movements. The package from earlier was nowhere in sight, as it had been thrown out, but the unspoken tension of all the events that had unfolded earlier was still obvious, as clear as day.“So,” Riley began, crossing her arms as she leaned against the edge of the desk. “This is it.”Lucifer’s lips twitched into a wry smile. “It doesn’t have to be.”She rolled her eyes, though her bodily actions betrayed her emotions. “We both know it does. You’re sending me away for my safety, right? Or is it just because you don’t trust me an
Chapter 67Lucifer stood right outside the door to Katherine's bedroom, a small box in hand. It looked prim and proper, with a pink bow delicately laced at the top of the box. It was the morning after Riley had finally left the estate and even though it felt odd not having her around any more, he knew it was the best decision.Promptly after that, he decided to put together the little surprise that he had mentally plotted out for her. He wasn't quite sure of what to get or do, so he ended up sheepishly enlisting the help of Tricia.Now, thanks to her, everything was set. And all that was left was for him to show how he felt; something that wasnt his strong suit. He knocked on the big, oak door and stood in silence for a moment shoving his hand in his pocket. No reply came and he sucked his teeth, tightening his jaw. 'This is so stupid,' he thought to himself as he cleared his throat with a little sniffle. He knocked again, and no response came and it didn't take long before his min
ONEKatherine's head was spinning and her eyes were half closed as she went around the kitchen, trying to get dinner ready as quickly as possible so that she could go to bed. As she stirred the broth, her shoulders ached badly from all the cleaning and scrubbing and mowing she had been doing throughout the day for the rich family she worked for, and the noise coming from the living room did nothing to help her aching head.Her step-father, Ivan and her step brother, Wilson were arguing yet again over Wilson's recent fight that left him brutally wounded and almost arrested, and she forced herself not to listen to Ivan chiding his son for gambling away money that he had even stolen.She didn't feel strong enough to intervene and be the peacemaker this time but when she heard the crashing sound of wood and the banging of the front door, she knew she had no other choice.With a sigh, she turned off the stove and cleaned her hand on a napkin but when she turned towards the door, she gaspe
TWO Lucifer, adorned in an immaculate white shirt which was opened at the collar, sat at the edge of his desk with his legs crossed at his ankles, eyes dark and droopy, his presence alone oozing power.He twirled a large Havana cigar between his index finger and thumb as he watched Katherine's sleeping body. His eyes ran through her perfect body as she lay on the couch and he unconsciously imagined her tied to a bedpost.With a slight tilt of his head, he silently ordered the guard standing by the couch to wake her up which he did by splashing some water on her face.Katherine muttered something in her sleep and blinked many times as she slowly sat up.A corner of Lucifer's lip curled up in a smirk, displaying his dimpled left cheek, as he watched her childish reaction to the disturbance.Katherine rubbed her eyes and yawned as she tried to recall everything that had happened and why her room seemed so different, but when her eyes landed on the blurry figure of a tall man staring int
THREE"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Lucifer roared, already storming out of his room.The elevator seemed to take too long to get him up to his office and he fought hard to keep still."We just saw the…"He hung up before Antonio could finish his statement, knowing fully well that the elevator would not be able to contain him and his ferocious anger if Antonio said anything more.Red and boiling with rage, he flung the door of the room open to see three of his men staring in his direction like confused idiots. There was a flicker of fear in their eyes as he advanced closer.Lucifer looked around the room and put the pieces together within seconds; it was obvious that she had removed the curtain from the window and pulled the bedsheets off, tied them together to form a long strong rope and then tied one end of it to the immovable legs of the bed.Lucifer's anger grew as he traced the makeshift rope to the window where she had escaped down from."How the hell did this happen
FOURBeing gone for about two months now, Katherine now felt safe enough and did not have that alarmed look in her eyes anymore.She was constantly searching the faces of the men on the train she usually took back to the ghetto where she was now squatting in with a girl around her age who had offered to house her as long as she brought back food daily from the cafe where she now worked.Even though the manager of the cafe had initially refused to hire her due to her frail stature, Katherine pleaded to be given two weeks trial after which she was hired due to good reviews from the customers.She had dyed her blonde hair jet black and had even cut it to her nape length to avoid being easily recognized.But as the days went by, her strength seemed to slip.She was constantly losing her grip on objects like trays and glasses and her eyes swirled without warning every now and then, yet she forced herself to work extra hours to provide for her basic needs.She strongly believed that if Luci
Chapter 67Lucifer stood right outside the door to Katherine's bedroom, a small box in hand. It looked prim and proper, with a pink bow delicately laced at the top of the box. It was the morning after Riley had finally left the estate and even though it felt odd not having her around any more, he knew it was the best decision.Promptly after that, he decided to put together the little surprise that he had mentally plotted out for her. He wasn't quite sure of what to get or do, so he ended up sheepishly enlisting the help of Tricia.Now, thanks to her, everything was set. And all that was left was for him to show how he felt; something that wasnt his strong suit. He knocked on the big, oak door and stood in silence for a moment shoving his hand in his pocket. No reply came and he sucked his teeth, tightening his jaw. 'This is so stupid,' he thought to himself as he cleared his throat with a little sniffle. He knocked again, and no response came and it didn't take long before his min
CHAPTER 66The door to Lucifer’s study creaked open loudly, revealing Riley standing smack dab in the middle of the dimly lit hallway. She stepped inside, her combat boots clicking softly against the polished floor as she closed the door behind her. The air between them was different, unusual, but still, Riley reminded herself that she shouldn’t act stupid in front of him.Lucifer was seated at his desk, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp as it followed her movements. The package from earlier was nowhere in sight, as it had been thrown out, but the unspoken tension of all the events that had unfolded earlier was still obvious, as clear as day.“So,” Riley began, crossing her arms as she leaned against the edge of the desk. “This is it.”Lucifer’s lips twitched into a wry smile. “It doesn’t have to be.”She rolled her eyes, though her bodily actions betrayed her emotions. “We both know it does. You’re sending me away for my safety, right? Or is it just because you don’t trust me an
Chapter 65Lucifer’s voice cut through the quiet like a sternly, making Katherine whip her head around. “What’s that in your hands?”Startled, Katherine stumbled against the wall as he stormed past her, his piercing gaze locked onto Riley. His tone was sharp enough to slice through the tension, and Katherine could feel the tension radiating off him like a storm. She gasped, steadying herself with one hand rested against the wall, her pulse racing as she tried to make sense of his sudden outburst.Riley, standing by the door with the package still resting in her hands, raised an eyebrow at him, unfazed by his aggression. “It’s the package,” she said, holding it up very obviously, so he could see it much more clearly. Her brow furrowed slightly. “I picked it up like you asked me to. Is there a problem?”Lucifer’s jaw ticked as he closed the distance between them. “That doesn’t look right,” he muttered, snatching the box from her hands with so much force that Riley almost toppled over. H
Chapter 64Katherine stood in the middle of the kitchen, surrounded by ingredients she had laid out in anxiousness while getting ready to make dinner. After watching Riley’s effortless breakfast feat earlier that morning, Katherine had made up her mind. She quickly dismissed the chef after thorough reasoning and now that she was right here, she couldn’t back out now. She wasn’t going to sit back while Riley played the perfect housekeeper for Lucifer. It didn’t matter how long they’d known each other. She would cook tonight—show Lucifer that she wasn’t just the helpless, needy woman Riley seemed to think she was.With a deep breath, Katherine turned her attention to the stovetop. The chicken was sizzling in the pan already, and the smell of garlic and onions filled the air. She couldn’t help but smile at the thought of Lucifer coming down the stairs, to a delicious meal.But unluckily for her, things weren’t going according to plan.As the time passed by, Katherine felt a growing sen
Chapter 63Katherine tossed and turned in bed lousily. She could feel the sunrays hitting her exposed skin and when she tumbled over, she almost rolled and fell down from the bed. Her body jolted awake and her eyes fluttered open. Yesterday was completely hectic and her mind immediately circled back to the last conversation that she had with Lucifer before they went to bed. He seemed to be very nonchalant about the whole thing, but she didn’t know. How would she know anything at all? She was new—a stranger— to Lucifer Cain’s life, and although she wasn’t expecting much it hurt. The way he had replied left him feeling almost unsettled and she tried to brush it off, but she couldn’t seem to.She remembered exactly what happened as clear as day:Lucifer’s lips curled into a slow, predatory smirk, his sharp gaze pinning Katherine in place. He leaned back against the cushions, his uninjured arm draped lazily over the edge of the couch."I can see right through you, Katherine, and jealous
Chapter 62“How do you feel now?” Riley asked, standing beside where Lucifer sat. He popped open the sachet of medicine, and spilled it into his outstretched palm, before downing it with some water. As she watched him gulp the prescribed medicine down, he nodded. He let out a deep sigh after taking the medicine, “Better than before. I can’t believe these pills work so fast.” He said, relaxing back into his seat. He had skipped his medication and the pain from the explosion had resumed, and this time, tremendously. It was late in the evening, and soon they’d all have dinner. The pain throughout the day was too much for Lucifer, and even though Riley asked if he needed anything, he ended up brushing it off with a shake of his head. But, she could easily see through him. Of course, she’d known him for years, so it was only normal. “My shoulder just feels a bit sore.” He said after a short while, scratching the back of his neck. Without saying a word, she moved behind the seat, and pl
Chapter 61“Riley, what are you talking about?” Lucifer sat up quickly, his heart rate skyrocketing all of a sudden. There was a part of him that oddly didn’t want Katherine to hear, but at the same time, he didn’t mind.“You know what I’m talking about, Lucifer,” She pushed him by the shoulder with her pointer finger, biting her bottom lip mischievously. “Or have you forgotten so quickly?” She said, her voice low and breathy as her doe eyes looked up at him. His blue orbs bore almost into her soul, yet she couldn’t seem to look away from those mesmerizing eyes.“Maybe I have…” He trailed off, breaking the eye contact finally. His breath hitched for a moment when he felt her hand on his shoulder, “You can’t do this though, Riley.” He cautioned, his breathy voice betraying him.It’d been a while since he was laid and it didn’t help him much in this situation. “What?” She whined, laughing it off. “So, you don’t remember running from Mrs. Verna’s class,” She trailed a finger down his c
CHAPTER 60"Riley is that really you?" Lucifer asked looking at the girl in front of him. The lights had suddenly turned back on, and there in the center of the room was a lady about Katherine’s age, standing there, hands looped behind her. There was a little gift bag on the table, filled to the brim and stuffed with wrapping paper, and beside it were helium balloons and a get well soon card propped up right beside it.Katherine's bag had slipped out of her grip; a result of her reeling shock. But no one seemed to notice the soft thump of the leather bag against the floor.“Yes, it's me, Lucifer!” Riley sighed, quickly running up towards him and pulling him in for a tight, warm embrace.“It's been so long, Where have you been?” Lucifer asked still dumb struck by the fact that Riley was actually here. The hug felt familiar, but odd since he hadnt received one in so long. Witnessing what was happening right in front of her eyes, Katherine blinked once, then twice, unable to believe h
CHAPTER 59After spending a week in the hospital, Lucifer was still feeling all sore, but he was more than happy to leave Hawaii as it had given him a feeling of bad omen. “Are you all set?” Lucifer asked turning around. “Just give me one second, I can't find my bikini bottoms!” Katherine responded, leaping from one spot in the room to another. She just didn't know where she placed her bottoms and those were her favourite pair. “Have you checked the couch cushions?” Lucifer rolled his eyes, watching as she scurried about. Katherine's head snapped up to meet his eyes, and her eyes sparkled with astonishment, “Oh my goodness. You're right, I totally forgot!” She yelled, dashing towards the two-seater.Lo and behold, there it was, wedged between two cushions. “I wonder how you made your way over here,” she murmured under her breath, picking it up and tossing it into her luggage bag, before zipping back up. Exasperated, she dragged her two, much heavier bags to the front of the room