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CHAPTER TWENTY ONE - ELENA
Last Updated:
2025-03-27 14:16:06
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CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 22 - ELENA
I should have seen it coming. The moment my history teacher started talking about an extra-credit project, I should have known fate was about to take another swing at me. But nothing—absolutely nothing—could have prepared me for what came next."You’ll be paired up," Mr. Langley announced, adjusting his glasses. "And since we’re low on slots, some of you will be sent in pairs to the same location."I barely paid attention until I heard my name."Elena Kensington and Noah Carter. You’ll be working together on the Renaissance exhibit at the Halloran Museum. It’s an overnight trip. You leave tomorrow after school."I blinked. Surely, I had misheard.Noah scoffed. Low. Dismissive. Like he’d rather swallow glass than spend a weekend anywhere near me.I didn’t blame him.Still, my stomach twisted. This was the last thing I needed. Being forced into close quarters with Noah Carter, of all people, was nothing short of cruel punishment.I glanced at him from the corner of my eye. His jaw was t
Last Updated : 2025-03-27CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 23 - ELENA
We barely made it back to the room the museum staff had provided before we were at each other again—hot, desperate, unable to stop.The air was thick with the scent of us, our bodies tangled in the dim light, sheets pushed to the floor as we devoured each other over and over. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing, only the raw need that kept us going until the early hours of the morning.When dawn finally crept in, spilling golden light through the windows, we lay in a breathless, tangled mess. My body ached in places I hadn’t even known could ache, and Noah looked just as wrecked, his lips swollen, his skin marked with the evidence of the night we had lost ourselves in.We didn't say much. There was no need to. The silence between us wasn’t awkward—it was something else. Something that felt dangerously close to contentment.With lazy movements, we reached for the extra uniforms we had brought, exchanging smirks as we realized the ones from last night were nothing but shredded r
Last Updated : 2025-03-27CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 24 - ELENA
The bus rolled to a stop in front of the school, the familiar brick facade looming ahead like nothing had changed. But everything had.Noah and I weren’t the same people who had stepped onto this bus yesterday.I could still feel the ghost of his hands on me, the lingering heat where his touch had burned itself into my skin. My pulse was still too fast, my breaths still too shallow, and the way Noah looked at me—as if he was barely holding himself back—only made it worse.I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to focus. The last thing we needed was to walk into school looking as wrecked as we felt.Noah stood first, stretching like he hadn’t just been seconds away from completely unraveling in the back of the bus. His gaze flicked down to me, amused, heated. "Are you coming?"I shot him a look. "You’re asking that now?"His lips twitched, but he said nothing as he stepped past me, moving toward the exit.I followed, smoothing my uniform and running my fingers through my hair in an attempt
Last Updated : 2025-03-27CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 25 - ELENA
I barely made it three steps out of the library before I heard my name, sharp and laced with accusation.“Elena.”I sighed, already knowing what was coming. Squaring my shoulders, I turned to find Tiffany standing a few feet away, arms crossed so tightly her nails pressed into her skin. Her eyes flicked over me—too observant for my liking—taking in my flushed cheeks, the slight mess in my hair, the way my blouse wasn’t as perfectly tucked as it had been before.Shit.She knew.“Care to explain what the hell is going on?” Her voice was clipped, her expression unreadable.I forced a smirk, tilting my head as if I had no idea what she was talking about. “What do you mean?”Tiffany scoffed, stepping closer. “Don’t play dumb, Elena. I saw you sneak off to the library, and I know exactly who was in there with you.”Noah.Of course, she knew. Tiffany missed nothing, and if I had been smarter, I would’ve been more careful. But I wasn’t thinking about Tiffany or anyone else when I was with him
Last Updated : 2025-03-28CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 26 - ELENA
The next day at school started out as a disaster, and it only got worse.I sat with Cameron and Tiffany in the cafeteria, feigning interest in whatever mindless conversation they were having when my gaze landed on him.Noah.And Aria.She was laughing, her eyes bright, head tilted just enough to show she was comfortable with him. Too comfortable.I clenched my fork so hard my knuckles turned white.Why was he with her again?I tried to ignore it. I really did. But the way he leaned toward her, the way her hand brushed his arm—it was like a spark igniting in my chest, scorching through my veins.Cameron’s voice barely registered in my ears. Tiffany said something about my "weird mood," but I couldn’t focus on anything except the rage and possessiveness boiling inside me.Aria laughed at something he said, her hand barely brushing his arm. He didn’t move away.I clenched my jaw, gripping my drink so hard that I nearly cracked the plastic cup in my hand. I couldn’t go to him, not while I
Last Updated : 2025-03-29CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 27 - ELENA
My hands trembled as I smoothed down my skirt, my pulse still erratic. Every inch of my body was hyperaware of what had just happened—of his touch, his lips, the way he completely unraveled me.But I couldn’t afford to fall apart here.Not now. Not in front of him.I lifted my chin, forcing my expression into something cold, indifferent, as if my legs weren’t still weak beneath me. As if my heart wasn’t still racing.Noah leaned against the sink, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with that insufferable smirk.I hated that smirk.Mostly because I wanted to kiss it off his face.“You’re staring,” I snapped, keeping my voice sharp, unaffected.He shrugged, lazy and unbothered. “Hard not to, considering what just happened.”Heat scorched my skin, but I forced myself to glare instead. “That was a mistake.”He pushed off the sink, closing the distance between us in two slow steps.“Sure,” he murmured, voice dripping with disbelief.I clenched my fists. “I mean it.”Noah tilted his he
Last Updated : 2025-03-29CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 28 - ELENA
The ride home was silent. Tense.Cameron didn’t say another word, but I could feel the frustration rolling off him in waves. His grip on the steering wheel was tight, his jaw locked, and I knew whatever was going through his mind wasn’t good.When we finally pulled up to my house, he didn’t even look at me before unbuckling his seatbelt and stepping out.I frowned. “Where are you going?”He slammed the car door shut, exhaling sharply before turning to me. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes… His eyes burned with something cold and determined.“I need to talk to your father.”My stomach dropped.I shot out of the car, my pulse spiking as I grabbed his arm. “Cameron, don’t.”His gaze snapped to mine, and for a moment, I thought I saw hesitation. But it was gone as quickly as it came.“This has gone too far, Elena.” His voice was sharp and clipped. “Your father needs to know what’s happening before you make a mistake you can’t fix.”My blood ran cold.Before I make a mistake?I f
Last Updated : 2025-03-29CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 29 - NOAH
I wasn’t supposed to be here.I knew it the second I saw Elena walk through the library doors, her eyes full of something dangerous—something that made me feel both alive and completely powerless at the same time.She was trouble.She was chaos.And she was going to ruin me.But I couldn’t stop myself from watching her, from drinking in every detail—her clenched fists, the way she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, the way she looked like she was seconds away from falling apart.I’d seen Elena angry. I’d seen her arrogant, cruel, and reckless.But this?This was fear.She stopped a few feet away from me, crossing her arms like she was trying to put a barrier between us. “My father knows.”The words settled like lead in my stomach.I swallowed, forcing a smirk. “No surprise there. Cameron was practically foaming at the mouth.”Elena didn’t laugh. She didn’t even roll her eyes. She just took a step closer, her voice low. “You don’t understand, Noah. This isn’t just about keeping
Last Updated : 2025-03-29
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CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 44 - ELENA
The Bentley rolled to a stop in front of my house, its glossy black finish practically shimmering in the late afternoon sun. I swear, Cameron could make even a car look like it was designed for royalty—if royalty was obsessed with appearances and deeply in love with his own reflection.I pasted on my best “I’m-so-happy-to-see-you” smile, the one I used when I had to pretend everything was fine. Walking toward the car, I made a big show of admiring the roses climbing up the stone pillars by our gate. I didn’t actually care about the roses, but they looked good for show. Like everything else in my life.Cameron was perched on the hood of the Bentley, looking like he was the king of the world. His dark eyes narrowed against the sun, and for a moment, I almost forgot how much I couldn’t stand how predictable he was. Perfect suit. Perfectly styled hair. The guy could probably make a paper bag look like high fashion. And me? Well, I was just stuck here with him, the guy I was supposed to m
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 43 - ELENA
The air between us was thick with something unspoken, something electric. My heart pounded as Noah took a step closer, his hand hesitating midair before brushing against my damp cheek. His touch was feather light, but it sent a jolt through me nonetheless.His dark eyes burned into mine, intense and searching.“Elena,” he whispered.And then, he kissed me.It started slow, hesitant, like he was testing the waters. His lips barely brushed against mine, soft and cautious. My brain screamed at me to stop—to think, to remember why this was a bad idea—but my body had other plans. Before I knew it, I was kissing him back, my fingers gripping the front of his shirt like it was the only thing keeping me tethered to reality.The kiss deepened, turning urgent. His hands slid to my waist, pulling me closer until there was nothing between us but heat and the scent of rain. The cold, the dampness, the fact that we were still standing outside the school—it all faded into irrelevance. There was only
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 42 - ELENA
The fluorescent lights of Blackwood Academy buzzed with a frantic intensity, a jittery hum that matched the absolute chaos inside me.I kept my distance from Noah. It was deliberate, painful, and a complete failure because my eyes kept betraying me. Noah was a gravitational force, and I was some weak celestial object being yanked into his orbit, no matter how hard I fought it.Across the crowded cafeteria, beyond the endless chatter of teenagers and the questionable-looking pizza, I caught glimpses of him. His dark, unruly hair, the way he leaned back in his chair, laughing at something Liam said. His smile—ugh, his stupid, unfair, heart-wrecking smile. It wasn’t my fault I kept looking. My eyes had their own agenda.Kissing him yesterday after three painfully long weeks had been like taking a sip of forbidden nectar. No, scratch that—it was like rewarding myself with an entire chocolate cake after dieting for months. And then what had I done? Told him we couldn’t do it again. Idiot.
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 41 - NOAH
My brain was still short-circuiting from her lips, from the way she was way too close, from the fact that she smelled like vanilla and something dangerously addictive.I cleared my throat, trying to regain some sort of sanity."Elena," I started, but my voice cracked like a damn idiot. Great. Real smooth.She grinned like she knew exactly what she was doing to me. Spoiler: she did."What?" she asked innocently, tilting her head, her fingers still playing with the hair at the nape of my neck.I narrowed my eyes. "You can’t just… ambush me in the library and—" I gestured between us, still trying to breathe normally.She smirked. "Why not?""Because—" I hesitated. Shit. Good question.Because I was supposed to be staying away. Because she was engaged. Because her boyfriend could literally end me.But instead of saying any of that, I just exhaled. "Because I wasn’t prepared for that."Her smirk softened into something smugger—if that was even possible. "Good."I blinked. "Good?"She stepp
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 40 - NOAH
Elena walked away, and suddenly, the cafeteria noise surged back into my ears—a chaotic blend of chatter, laughter, and clattering trays. I hadn’t even noticed it had faded when she was here.My gaze followed her across the room. Cameron’s arm was already slung over her shoulders like he owned her. Asshole. He shot me a look—possessive, smug, a silent warning.I took a sip of the drink she’d brought me, the sweetness sticking to my tongue, but it didn’t cut through the bitterness in my mouth. Stupid move, Elena.Bringing me a drink in front of the whole school? In front of her boyfriend?A mistake. A reckless, impulsive mistake.And yet, my fingers tingled where hers had brushed mine.I’d imagined that touch too many times. Too damn many. I missed the softness of her skin, the heat of her body pressed against mine. I missed the way she shivered under my hands, the way her lips parted when I—Stop."Idiot," I muttered under my breath."Talking to yourself again, Noah?"Liam dropped int
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 39 - ELENA
Lying in bed that night, I stared at my phone, my fingers hovering over the screen. I shouldn’t have been doing this. I didn’t even know why I cared.But the image of Noah’s exhaustion lingered in my mind—the quiet weight in his eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the way he barely reacted when I handed him that coffee earlier.Before I could second-guess myself, I typed out the message.Are you okay?I hit send and immediately regretted it.Seconds passed. Then minutes.Nothing.I exhaled sharply, tossing my phone onto the bed beside me. Maybe he wouldn’t reply. Maybe he was asleep. Or maybe he just didn’t care.I rolled onto my side, trying to push the thought of him away, but my mind refused to settle.And then, just as my eyes were drifting shut—Buzz.My breath caught as I grabbed my phone, my heart pounding for reasons I refused to acknowledge.I hadn’t expected a response.But he answered.Noah: No.A simple word. Just two letters. Yet, something about it made my chest tighten.
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 38 - ELENA
The rest of the day passed by in a blur. I barely heard anything my teachers said or noticed the stares I got from some of my classmates. My mind was stuck on two people—Noah, who walked away, and Cameron, who left me with a warning.By the time the final bell rang, I was drained, but instead of heading straight home, I found myself lingering in the hallway. Noah was nowhere in sight. I hadn’t seen him in any of my classes after lunch.I chewed the inside of my cheek, debating whether to go looking for him. Again.Why do you care?I didn’t have a clear answer. Maybe it was because I’d seen that flicker of something in his eyes before he turned his back on me—like he wanted to say something but didn’t. Maybe it was the exhaustion on his face, the way his shoulders sagged when he thought no one was watching.Or maybe I was just being stupid.I sighed, gripping the strap of my bag tighter before turning toward the exit. I didn’t make it two steps before someone grabbed my wrist.“Elena.”
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 37 - ELENA
I wasn’t supposed to care.Noah had made it clear—painfully clear—that he wanted nothing to do with me. And yet, I found myself watching him the next day at school, my eyes drawn to him no matter how hard I tried to focus on something else.He looked different. Exhausted. Frustrated. Like the weight of the world was pressing down on him, and he had no one to share the burden with. His shoulders were tense, his movements sharp and restrained, like he was barely holding himself together.I shouldn’t care.But I did.I didn’t know why. But I felt for him; he looked so tired and I just wanted to take a little bit of the burden off his shoulders.I wanted to help.But I didn’t know how.And for once, I didn’t know how to feel about that.The day dragged on, but my mind remained stuck on Noah. Even when I was surrounded by my friends, laughing at jokes I barely heard, my attention kept drifting back to him.He moved through the halls like a ghost, detached from everything around him. He did
CRUEL OBSESSION CHAPTER 36 - NOAH
I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white. The walls of our cramped apartment felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating me with the weight of my father’s presence.“You think you’re too good for your own blood now?” His voice was slurred, thick with the cheap whiskey he had been drinking since morning. “You’re just like your mother. Always looking for an escape.”I swallowed the fury burning in my chest and exhaled slowly. “I told you—I’m done giving you money.” My voice was calm, but my pulse thundered in my ears.His lip curled. “You think I need your damn charity?” He let out a dry, humorless laugh. “You owe me, boy. If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t be here.”If it weren’t for him, my mother would still be alive.I didn’t say it out loud. There was no point.Instead, I grabbed my bag and shoved past him. “I won’t be here much longer,” I muttered under my breath.I stepped outside before he could respond, sucking in the cool night air like I had been drowning. M
