We were now lying on our bed, resting from that intense lovemaking. The warmth of Killian’s body pressed against mine was a welcome contrast to the cool breeze drifting off the ocean. His hand traced lazy circles on my back, his touch gentle and soothing in the aftermath of our passion.I closed my eyes, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. My mind felt hazy, lulled by the steady rise and fall of his breathing and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. It was peaceful here, with him, in a way that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Like everything that had been chaotic in my life finally made sense when I was with Killian.But just as the calm began to settle deep within me, a familiar knot twisted in my stomach—a reminder of the memories I couldn’t reach, the pieces of my life that still felt so distant and broken. It was as if there were parts of me hidden behind a thick fog, moments I couldn’t quite touch, and that scared me m
I couldn’t shake the sense that something was off. Killian had been quieter than usual, his gaze distant even when we sat side by side. His words, when they came, felt like placeholders for thoughts he wouldn’t—or couldn’t—share. Every glance told me he was keeping something from me. I didn’t need to ask why there were men stationed outside our house, their figures half-hidden among the shadows of the trees. The last incident had rattled him. He was being careful, protective as always and I totally understand it.“Killian,” I murmured, my fingers brushing the cool surface of the window, “Can I go outside? Just for some air?”He looked up from his laptop, his eyes softening as they met mine. For a moment, his guard slipped, the edges of his face relaxing. “Alright,” he said, closing the laptop with a quiet snap.He stood from the couch, moving with the silent precision that had become his second nature. Killian always accompanied me now, shadowing my steps, his presence like an unspo
I took a deep breath and sighed nervously. my heart was rising too fast. I couldn’t shake the feeling of uneasiness. I could feel my hands getting cold, and it was shaking as I looked at my hands that were holding flowers. All I knew was that I didn’t want this. I hated this. If I could just run away from this... I would. The door slowly opened in front of me. I felt my heart was about to burst as I watched it unfold. Soft instrumental music played in the background, but the loudness of my heart dominated. I was immediately welcomed by unfamiliar people on each side of the aisle. I started walking down the aisle with a heavy heart and a messy mind. The back of my mind was telling me to just fucking turned my back and run away from all these unfamiliar gazes and fake smiles, but I knew that I couldn’t. This is the least I can do for my family. I don’t want to disappoint them. “You’re very beautiful, my daughter.” I looked at my side and saw my father. I almost forgot tha
“Dad, please!” “My decision is final, Cassandra!” he said in his strict voice. He looked done with this conversation. I shook my head. I couldn’t believe him! “I don’t know that man!” “You will know him once you two get married.” He sighed deeply and then his eyes softened. He held my hands. “You have to do this for our family, hija. You already reached 25 years old. It was already in the agreement of your grandfather with the Lannister family that you’ll get married to their only son.” Tears formed slowly around my eyes. I felt a pang in my chest knowing that I couldn’t do anything. “Dad, I’ll do a-anything, not just this one.” My voice was desperate. I looked at my father pleading. I couldn’t care less if I was trying to sound and look pity. “I’m sorry, hija, but this is final. I already talked to the Lannister family.” He looked at me apologetically. I felt betrayed. How could my own father do this? He didn’t even hear my side, if I wanted this or not. I was about
My stepmother raised her hand and was about to slap me when we heard a footstep. “What’s happening here?” It was my father. Was this some kind of drama? I was really tired and just wanted to rest, but here I was! Just great. I saw Vina crying as she ran to my father. She hugged him as if she was a kid who got her candy taken away from her and wanted someone to tell her about it. “Dad Cass doesn’t want me here. I can feel it!” Here we go with her nonsense statement again. What a great actress she is. My father looked at me disappointedly. My lips parted, I couldn’t believe him. I wanted to say a word and defend myself but I chose to shut my mouth instead. My father did change. It started when my mother died. “Vina will have your room now. Just sleep now in the guestroom. You’ll leave tomorrow morning since you’ll be preparing for your wedding.” His voice was serious and firm. Vina looked happy as if she just won. She even gave me an irritating look. I turned my back and d
Katrina did come back before lunch. We were now sitting on the couch. I guessed we were about to talk about the preparations for the wedding. “Let’s start with the venue of your wedding.” She looked at me attentively. “Where do you want it to be held?” “Uhh... wait. Am I just the only one who will decide for everything?” I couldn’t help but ask. I was curious as to why I was the only one here. “What about Killian?” She stopped for a moment before she sighed. “Mr. Lannister said that the decision about this will be left to you.” I chose to shut my mouth and didn’t ask further. Right, it was his money to spend. All I had to do was decide. “I only want my wedding at the church.” She nodded at me and started writing on the paper that she was holding. We still talked about some things like the styles and designs. I kept my focus on the conversation. “About the guest list. Just give me a list of those people you want to invite to your wedding.” I don’t have that many f
“You may now kiss the bride.” My heart was about to explode seeing him tilting his head and leaning closer to me. He held my waist and pulled me closer to him, making my palms land on his chest. I didn’t have the time to process everything that had happened because my mind went blank the moment that Killian’s lips landed on mine. It was just a simple kiss. I couldn’t read his expression as if kissing me was nothing to him. I shook off the feeling of disappointment and just forced myself to smile at the people in front of us. The reception was nice and the food was delicious. Everything around the area was screaming luxury, and even the people invited were a bunch of wealthy people who I know were invited by Killian. My lips were already tired from smiling. We kept on talking with different people, and mostly, it was Killian who they had a long conversation with. Killian arm was wrapped around my waist while he was talking with someone. I couldn’t leave because I didn’t want
I realized that I was just wearing my nighties and didn’t even have a brassiere inside. I immediately turned around and was about to walk away when I heard his voice. “Cassandra.” I stood still in my place when I heard his cold voice. I bit my lower lip before I turned around. I saw him looking at me intently; he was sitting on the stool chair. “What are you here downstairs?” he asked with his usual voice. “Have some milk.” My voice almost came out as a whisper. I felt really uncomfortable and embarrassed right now because of what I was wearing. “Then come here.” I nodded my head and entered the kitchen. After stirring my milk, I sat on the stool chair that was just beside him. I could feel the weight of his stare at me as I drank my milk. “Ouch!” I couldn’t help but shout in pain. I didn’t notice that the milk was still hot. Am I that distracted? “Careful,” he said in his deep voice and shook his head as if I did something stupid. “I think I burn my tongue.”
I couldn’t shake the sense that something was off. Killian had been quieter than usual, his gaze distant even when we sat side by side. His words, when they came, felt like placeholders for thoughts he wouldn’t—or couldn’t—share. Every glance told me he was keeping something from me. I didn’t need to ask why there were men stationed outside our house, their figures half-hidden among the shadows of the trees. The last incident had rattled him. He was being careful, protective as always and I totally understand it.“Killian,” I murmured, my fingers brushing the cool surface of the window, “Can I go outside? Just for some air?”He looked up from his laptop, his eyes softening as they met mine. For a moment, his guard slipped, the edges of his face relaxing. “Alright,” he said, closing the laptop with a quiet snap.He stood from the couch, moving with the silent precision that had become his second nature. Killian always accompanied me now, shadowing my steps, his presence like an unspo
We were now lying on our bed, resting from that intense lovemaking. The warmth of Killian’s body pressed against mine was a welcome contrast to the cool breeze drifting off the ocean. His hand traced lazy circles on my back, his touch gentle and soothing in the aftermath of our passion.I closed my eyes, resting my head against his chest, listening to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. My mind felt hazy, lulled by the steady rise and fall of his breathing and the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. It was peaceful here, with him, in a way that I hadn’t felt in a long time. Like everything that had been chaotic in my life finally made sense when I was with Killian.But just as the calm began to settle deep within me, a familiar knot twisted in my stomach—a reminder of the memories I couldn’t reach, the pieces of my life that still felt so distant and broken. It was as if there were parts of me hidden behind a thick fog, moments I couldn’t quite touch, and that scared me m
Killian’s hands were rough as they slid down my bare skin, his touch igniting fires wherever he grazed. The cool sea breeze against my heated body did little to calm the flames that roared to life under his grasp. His lips never left mine, devouring me with a hunger that matched the wild beat of my heart.Before I could catch my breath, he broke the kiss, leaving me gasping as his eyes raked over my body, dark and possessive. There was an intensity in his gaze that sent a tremor through me, making me feel both vulnerable and powerful all at once. He didn’t speak, but the way his eyes burned into mine told me everything—he was going to take his time with me, here, in the open, where the only witness was the sky and the sea.I tried to catch my breath, but he gave me no time to recover. In a swift motion, he knelt before me, gripping the back of my thighs as he spread my legs. My back pressed against the cool stone behind me, but the chill was a welcome contrast to the heat radiating be
Killian stood at the stove, his back a perfect canvas of lean muscle shifting with every subtle movement. The sight alone made heat coil in my belly. He wasn’t doing anything particularly provocative—just cooking—but there was something undeniably sexy about the way he moved. After what we’d done in the bedroom, hunger for food should’ve been the only thing on my mind, yet here I was, craving him all over again.I slipped off the stool, my bare feet silent on the cool floor as I approached him. Without a word, I slid my arms around his waist, pressing myself against his warm, solid body. The scent of him, a mixture of the sea and something uniquely Killian flooded my senses. My heart gave a telling lurch, a reminder that while parts of my memory were still missing, my body recognized him. This was my husband, the man I loved, even if I couldn’t remember every moment we’d shared.Killian hummed, a low, content sound vibrating through his chest as he leaned back slightly into my embrace
Killian’s lips found the sensitive skin of my neck, leaving a trail of heat in their wake as they traveled lower. Each kiss was slow and deliberate as if he was savoring the taste of my skin. My breath hitched when his mouth dipped to the valley between my breasts. The warmth of his tongue against my skin sent a ripple of electricity through me. I couldn’t stop the soft whimper that escaped me, my back arching as if my body instinctively sought more of his touch. My toes curled, the pleasure so sharp it felt like I was experiencing it for the first time. The way he moved—every kiss, every lick—left me trembling, desperate for more.“Killian…” His name came out in a breathless moan.His lips closed around my nipple, and I gasped, a jolt of pleasure mixed with the sharp sting of his teeth grazing the sensitive flesh. Pain and pleasure blurred together, sending shockwaves through me. My fingers dug into his hair, pulling him closer as if he could drown the ache that was building inside
I woke to a heaviness weighing down every part of me like my limbs were anchored to the bed. My skin felt too tight and burning hot, and my muscles throbbed with a dull ache that wouldn't let up. A groan escaped my lips as I blinked against the harsh light spilling through the room, trying to adjust to the brightness that stabbed at my eyes. Through the haze, I saw him—Killian—moving across the room with quiet grace, his hair damp from the shower, a wet towel in hand. He hadn’t noticed I was awake yet. I tried to speak, but my throat was raw like sandpaper had scraped against it.“Killian…” The word rasped out of me, barely audible. Even my own voice sounded foreign.At the sound of his name, his head snapped in my direction, concern clouding his dark eyes. He was at my side in an instant, gently easing me back onto the pillows when I tried to sit up. “You need to rest, darling,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing, like a warm blanket wrapping around me.I nodded weakly, too ti
The warm, salty breeze caressed my skin as I stepped out of the small house, my bare feet sinking into the soft sand. The sun was high in the sky, casting a golden hue over everything, and the rhythmic sound of the waves lapping at the shore provided a soothing backdrop to my thoughts.I still felt unsettled. Even though Killian had tried to explain his reasons for bringing me here, a nagging feeling lingered in the back of my mind. I couldn’t shake the sense of being trapped, of having no control over my own life.As I walked along the shoreline, letting the cool water kiss my ankles, I noticed a small boat anchored a little ways off the beach. A man stood beside it, pulling in a fishing net, his figure broad and lean, with tanned skin gleaming under the sun.Killian.He wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his muscles flexed with each pull of the net, droplets of water clinging to his skin. He was speaking with an older man, a fisherman by the looks of him, who appeared to be helping him hau
The soft murmur of waves and the distant cry of seagulls pulled me from sleep. The light filtering through the white curtains was warm, bathing the room in a golden glow. For a moment, I lay there, disoriented, the remnants of sleep still clinging to me.I wasn’t in the hospital anymore.Sitting up slowly, I looked around the unfamiliar room. The bed was large, covered in crisp, white sheets, and the wooden beams of the ceiling were high above me. The air was fresh, salty, with a gentle breeze rolling in from the open window. The room itself was simple yet elegant—polished wooden floors, a small seating area, and a door that likely led to a bathroom.Where am I?I swung my legs over the side of the bed, feeling the cool floor beneath my bare feet. My heart pounded in my chest as I walked toward the open window, my pulse quickening with each step. Pushing aside the gauzy curtains, I was greeted by a breathtaking view—a long stretch of white sand beach, crystal clear water, and the lush
The feeling started subtly—just a slight discomfort at first, like someone was watching me. It was easy to dismiss at first. Paris was a bustling city, after all. People were always around, rushing past on the busy streets, tourists snapping pictures, locals darting in and out of shops. But as the days wore on, the feeling intensified.Every time I left my apartment, I couldn’t shake the sensation of eyes on my back. A chill would creep down my spine, and I found myself glancing over my shoulder more than usual. There was never anyone there, of course—just the usual crowd, strangers passing by without a second glance. Yet, the unease lingered.I tried to tell myself it was just paranoia. After everything that had happened—leaving Killian, losing the baby, moving to Paris, starting a new life—it was only natural that I’d feel vulnerable. The memories of Seria’s cruel words still gnawed at me, and I was dealing with my own demons. But this was different. This wasn’t just in my head.Cla