(Karis's pov) I didn't know what else to do but cry at my pathetic self. Xander stopped, and the funniest thing was that a part of me didn't want him to stop the part of me that was drawn to him so badly; no matter how I sang it like an anthem, he was my biggest enemy and poison, a part of me never agreed. He was truly the only man I loved in my entire life. That was why I completely lost it when he betrayed me. His eyes suddenly softened and he took a step back. "You can't bear me touching you, but you let him make you feel good, and yet you mention Emma every single time." He sounded hurt and it tore me. Why was I feeling hurt because of his hurt gaze? I gritted my teeth and clenched my fingers into a fist. "I hate you with every fibre in my body." I spat at him and he looked stunned but not agitated. He was not angry when I said I hated him. Instead, this heartless bastard smiled. He gave me a dazzling smile. Xander had truly lost his marbles. "Go ahead and say
(Karis's PoV)After leaving the bathroom I had to instruct the servants to arrange bath products for me to use in another bathroom. Everything was arranged and brought to me to use in the bathroom of a nearby vacant room. Then the idea struck me, ' what if I ask about sleeping in another room?' I thought, because sharing a room with Xander was going to be a serious issue.Not only could I not stand him, but there was a strong chance that if we slept on the same bed, my rebellious body that subconsciously craved his touch would betray me. The problem was not just my body but Xander, he was something else when it came to seduction. Every fibre of his body was made in a way that it drew any sane straight woman to him. That's just how gorgeous my husband was, and I was not an exception to his charms."The bathroom has been prepared." I heard Deborah inform me breaking my line of thoughts. She was the same maid that woke me up in the morning."That's perfect." I chimed at her, g
(Karis's pov)My throat went dry hearing Xander's words that set something in me a blaze. Weirdly, why was I excited by the thought of him punishing me? 'Get your thoughts together!' I snapped at myself to straighten up my crazy thoughts because why the hell was I feeling excited at the thought of getting punished?It seemed like I was discovering a part of me that I had no idea about because of this strange Xander in front of me. Was he behaving this way because I changed and was pushing him to the edge? He probably could not handle the fact that things were not going according to his wishes."Don't tell me you want to hit me." I sneered at him then to my greatest shock Xander smiled at me. It was a dark smile that sent chills down my spine. He bent down to the bed to crawl towards me, stopping just an inch away from me. I could feel his warm, fresh, minty breath on my face; he had just brushed his teeth."I had something else in mind, but now I think about it, hitting you doesn't so
(Karis's pov). The next morning I woke up from sleep and found the room empty. The other side was cold proving Xander never came back to bed last night. I glanced at the clock to check the time and found out it was already 9 am. I had overslept; it was Sunday morning. If my memory served me right, Xander had an event to attend in the late hours of today. I slipped out of bed and dragged my feet to the bathroom, yawning and stretching. My eyes were still sleepy despite sleeping for so long. I pushed the door open with my eyes half closed. I was very familiar with the room layout out so I knew how to get to the sink. My body suddenly hit something that made me stumble a few steps. I yelped, falling on the floor, but the fall I expected never happened because I was suddenly grabbed by the waist and pulled against the same thing that hit me. The familiar scent I have known forever hit my nose, and my eyes went wide to realize that my body was pressed against a bare
(Karis's pov) My mood that was already bitter, immediately dived down, seeing Emma smiling graciously near Xander. It brought back bad memories I never want to relive, but then again, I should not care if Xander is with her because, as far as I am concerned, this marriage is as good as over. "Good morning Emma. I was not expecting you to join us for breakfast." I chimed at Emma making my way to the table with a soft smile. I had to show them that none of what they are doing affects them in the least way. "I decided to visit you. I have been missing your presence at home." Emma replied, but her attention was glued to Xander, who was enjoying a cup of coffee. She misses Xander and definitely not me unless she got bored since there was no one for her to bully and call a country bumpkin. "You should have informed me ahead of time." I took a seat opposite Xander which was the farthest from him. It was a circular table so this had to do. Emma was seated at Xander's side
(Karis's pov) My heels clicked against the tiled floor; after leaving the garden, I stormed off to the grand stairs. No matter what I said or how I pretended not to have been affected by anything, it still enrages me to see how pretentious Emma was. The door slammed shut immediately after I entered my room; it was difficult to control my irrationality and now the poor door had become an outlet for my anger. My dress was completely ruined by Emma, and Xander didn't even comment and just let his lover wipe the corners of his lips. What was that all about? Were they trying to show off their love in front of me? That's just disgusting. A knock on the door distracted me and I moved towards the door to see who it was. Peeking out through the slightly ajar space I saw Deborah patiently waiting for me. "Good morning ma'am. I want to know if you prefer breakfast to be brought to your room or eaten in the dining area. I thought you might change your mind." Deborah blu
(Karis's Pov) "Karis, Karis!!" Bertha called out multiple times because I suddenly went silent. My daze broke finally when she snapped at me. "Sorry about that. I was distracted by something." I immediately mentioned my voice sounding a bit distant. "Is everything fine back home? You don't sound like you are alright Karis." Bertha sounded very concerned. It made my heart feel fuzzy remembering that my best friend always had my back. "It's fine. Emma decided to visit me, more like visit my husband, and they were discussing the family business." I gave Bertha a half-hearted explanation, clicking my tongue. Why was I even bothered about those two? I had already made up my mind to leave this marriage, so whatever Xander was up to with my sister didn't matter. Bertha went silent for a while understanding how my relationship with Emma was and especially how she acted during my wedding reception. A sigh left her lips before she replied. "Don't bother yourself with you
(Karis's pov) I started cussing Bertha over and over in my head for my predicament that the witch didn't tell me Bambi and the Devil was not just a spicy romance book but also a dark romance. How was I going to get out of this situation now? Xander had the wrong idea. Then it struck me how the hell did Xander know about the content of the book. "How do you know about the book content?" I squinted my eyes at him, giving him a quizzical look. The corners of Xander's lips curved up into a sly smile. His head then crooked to my neck burying his face there. He was sniffing my hair and it made me feel a bit fuzzy. "That's a secret but I can tell you if you are ready to know at a price." He said in a very low tone, making his baritone voice have a bass base. God, the way he spoke made me excited, but then the image from earlier popped into my head, and all the excitement disappeared. "I will pass on that Mr De Marco. I am not interested in anything related to you, maybe Emma
(Karis's pov) I froze immediately Xander hugged me while he was on his knees. "Xander kneeling won't change a thing about how much you hurt me. Why did you cancel the charges on Emma? " I asked him. It hurts to know your husband was supporting someone that hurt you. Xander never stood up for me, it was Skyler who charged Emma to court in the first place. Xander didn't answer. He was kneeling down while he hugged me. It made me wonder if he was feeling guilty. "Tell me why you chose to help another woman instead of your wife. But it's fine I never expected much from you." I tried to pry away his hand from my waist but it only tightened. " If scandals about one of our investors were to surface to the public it would affect the shares negatively." Xander finally stated his reasons that were not justifiable. He was validating business over his wife. I was not move or let myself be swayed by his words. "I am done with your excuses. There is always one excuse after a
(Karis's pov) Xander snapped once again. I had successfully pushed him to the brink but he had no right to be angry when he was with Emma yesterday. "Karis," Xander said, stretching out his hand for me. His voice was calm, but I could sense a brewing storm. I nervously swallowed, refusing to take his hand; who knows what the hell he planned on doing? Skyler held my hand and pulled me behind to cover me from Xander's piercing gaze, which didn't go well with Xander. His eyes got darker with the room suffocating. "Stop scaring her Xander. It's not like she hasn't told you about the divorce before." Skyler sneered. Benjamin was stunned and looked equally angry, but his anger was not focused towards Skyler. "I was not talking to you but My wife." Xander's voice was seething with anger, prominent in every word sounding like Venom. I peeked my head from behind Skyler to look at Xander's expression. The angrier he looked, the happier he made me. Skyler held my hand pro
(Karis's pov) Xander was busy cooking while I stared blankly at him, lost for words. "Are you cooking for me?" I rubbed my eyes and then asked, because this had to be a dream, why the hell was he cooking for me? "Who else will I cook for aside from my wife? Well, unless we have a mini version of us, which is not a bad idea." Xander replied not taking his eyes off what he was doing. He switched off the cooker to drain the pasta. Then he started making the sauce. I had no idea he could cook, this was the first time. "This won't make me hate you any less." I retorted at him. If he thought cheap tricks like this could win me over he better think again. Xander glanced at me with a very dazzling smile that sparkled in his eyes and showed his dimples. "At least you didn't reject the idea of having children." He chimed, leaving me speechless. I hopped off the counter to head back to my room. No matter what, I was still mad at him, so this little kind act was only infuria
(Karis's pov) I stayed in my room the entire evening avoiding anything that would make me see Emma. It was better to avoid useless fights. I spent my time looking into some of my Father's businesses and particularly mum's investment. It didn't come as a surprise that most of my mother's shops were managed by Emma and Miranda. How was I able to look past this fact in my past life? There was a knocking sound on the door. "Good evening ma'am. May I come in?" It was Deborah. I allowed her to enter the room. Soon the brunette dressed in a maid outfit entered the room. Her hands were clammy, she was nervous for an unknown reason. "Are you alright?" I asked her purely out of concern. She quickly straightened up and then cleared her throat. "Sorry if my behaviour was off. I am here to invite you for dinner. Mr De Marco is expecting you since you have been indoors all day." So he missed his little wife he loves bullying. I scoffed. "Is Emma still around?" I asked strai
(Karis's pov) I thought the madness ended that unfortunate night but I had no idea what was waiting for me online. The next morning the entire X was flooded with images of Skyler and me together. There was this particular one that seemed like we were kissing. Who had taken these pictures I wondered? It kept me on my toes the entire day. Xander was pissed, that was one thing for sure. I didn't even catch a glimpse of him when I got out of bed this morning which was great. It would only remind me of my shamelessness. As he had promised, I was indeed prohibited from leaving the estate without protection, he said, but it seemed more like he was caging me. My hands clenched to the side when I saw Xander's car drive into the estate. I was peeking through the window of my bedroom. Xander got out of the car, and his eyes were drawn to my direction as if he sensed my gaze. I was unsure if he saw me or if he was just glancing at the prison cell where he kept his wife. Xander averte
**** Trigger notice dark scenes ahead**** (Karis's pov) The mansion was dark because it was probably very late in the night; flashes of lights showed around whenever lightning struck the sky. It was very eerie, and I was being trapped by a devil, but yet I felt excited about a very strange reason. Yes, I had lost my nuts at that point. My plans during this second chance were to push Xander to the edge, but seeing how he reacted concerning Skyler, struck terror in me. "This is absurd. You can't force me to stay with you, Xander. Why are you so adamant about tormenting yourself with my presence when you can have Emma or even Benita?" My voice came out sharply at first but broke into a cry. My emotions were a mess as a mixture of terror and excitement ran through my veins. "As much as I love hearing your voice, dear wifey, I love it better when you don't talk. You just love pushing my buttons. Don't you?" He said, wiping my tears away with his thumb; he then reached out to kiss
*** Trigger notice, dark scenes ahead****(Karis's pov) I was shaken to the core; in front of his large frame in the middle of nowhere, I felt so vulnerable. I hated this feeling more than anything in the world, but in front of him, I felt powerless. I was not weak by any means, but I was never given the chance to grow. My second chance was for me to grow and get back at them, but his very existence was my curse that made all my efforts seem useless. Xander was just too powerful, and the worst thing was that my body was drawn to him. I should hate him, but there was a part of me that couldn't hate him. Xander's hand was still on my mouth, stopping me from talking further. He crooked his face on my hair. My hands pressed against his chest to push him away, but he was an immovable wall. The sky rumbled, followed by the bright lighting flash that made Xander look more intimidating. I was trying my best not to fall on my knee. " Why do you keep on lying to yours
****Trigger warning, you can skip this chapter. The scenes might seem dark to some readers****(Karis's pov) Xander became creative with his punishments, but I had no idea why I was being punished. The pit pattern sound of raindrops on the soil echoed throughout the woods. It was dark, and I was lost in the woods. This was an acre of land that had been passed down for generations. I was always scared of this area, so I had never ventured into the woods. Chills and shivers crept up my skin; my entire body was soaked with my clothes clinging to my body. I could not run any deeper into the woods because I had no idea what might be hiding in the eerie place. My heart was beating fast, thudding in my chest with my breath haggard. A twig snapped close to me, and my eyes shot out. He was close. I pressed my body close to the tree trunk hoping he would walk by because running would expose my location. Xander's movements were nibbled and cautious. He was like a
(Karis's pov) The entire ride back home I had this feeling something was off. My mind was plagued by a lot of thought at the moment, making it hard to figure out what the problem was. I packed my car in front of the house and gave the keys to Sam to pack it properly. Immediately, I alighted from the car; a piercing gaze was locked on me, which gave me goosebumps. My eyes glanced up in a particular direction and it caught the sight of a tall figure blended in the darkness dressed in all black. I recognized it to be Xander immediately; he was standing on the balcony that led to our room smoking. The lit cigarette was between his lips while his hand held a glass containing alcohol.' was he waiting for me?' I swallowed hard because fear twisted my stomach for a strange reason it seemed Xander was mad at me. This was the second time, I had seen Xander smoke, he was not a chain smoker and I had a gut feeling he only smokes when he is pissed off. His eyes briefly lo