Liana's POV I still couldn't believe it. I never actually thought that I was bad luck, but with the series of events that had been happening straight in a row, I wasn't sure what to think anymore. Slowly, but surely, it was beginning to look like I'd been cursed, and what other way to prove it thank Kieran's last statement. Starting tonight, you'll be sleeping in my room . His words echoed in my ears. It's the only place safe enough in the entire palace. I wanted to scream, yell at the top of my voice that I would rather die than share a room with him, but I couldn't. Even though I didn't exactly remember the details, I couldn't deny the fact that he had saved me last night. What would've happened had be not shown up in time? I told myself I wasn't going to think about it, but it only made me lean into his proposal all the more. If he had come out there to save me, then I didn't have to worry if he said this was the only place I could be safe, right? Right. I hoped. I'd
Liana's POV Time seemed to slow to a halt as I stood rooted in my spot. No matter how hard I tried to convince myself that it wasn't real, the thoughts just didn't budge, why? Because they were real. Goosebumps appeared at the back of my skin, and I fought the urge to shudder. He was yet to say anything, but I felt his eyes roam over my body, drinking me in. I didn't want to be overly dramatic, but I could swear he had every bit of my body mapped out in his mind right now. Shit. I stood there for even more longer before something clicked in my head. I hadn't moved, but neither had Kieran. He was still staring at me, like….“You.” I quickly picked up my wet dress, before slamming it over my body. A wave of cold rushed through my veins, but I sucked it all up, before turning to Kieran. “What the hell do you think you're doing?”“Standing?” If he was flustered, he didn't show it one bit. Instead, he followed his hands across his chest, like he'd just walked in on something really
Liana's POV For the next couple of seconds, I couldn't believe my eyes. I'd heard of instances when one would be so shocked to the extent that you wouldn't be able to move, nor get your brain to function, but I wasn't sure I'd ever experienced that. In fact, I had a track record of saying things like that didn't exactly exist. They were just excuses given by people who were too lazy to act or too dumb to do the right thing and at the right time. That was what I always told myself, and I'd stuck to it for the longest time, until now. My body was frozen, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't bring myself to move. I was rooted to my spot, my line of vision connecting with a badly injured Kieran, just sprawled on the floor. No, scratch that. He wasn't badly injured, he was dying. A gash lined his forehead, and I didn't miss the drag wave of blood trickling down. His eyes were bruised, and I just knew they would be swollen beyond recognition if I didn't so something immed
Liana's POV The wind rushed past my hair as Kieran continued to tug me towards one of the hallways. I had no idea where we were going, and honestly, I didn't even want to know. Whenever he was ready, he was going to let me go and leave me the fuck alone. Kieran didn't say anything else, and neither did I, but I knew very well that he was fuming inside. When I'd left his question hanging, I didn't miss how his face had darkened. I knew that should spell trouble for me, but I couldn't bring myself to care. If he was going to always be an asshole, then I would gladly follow in his footsteps. I felt my heart drop a little when we took another sharp turn. We'd been walking aimlessly and quietly for the last five minutes, and I would be lying if I said my legs weren't aching. Red hot pain flared through my calves, and I was this tempted to complain, so he would let me go. But if I so much as gave him a reaction, that would only break my streak of not giving him any attention. I ca
Liana's POV I knew I was in trouble. From the moment Kieran's hold on me tightened, I just knew I had gotten myself into more than I'd bargained for, and you know the worst part of it all? I wasnt scared. Not at all. In fact, I was intrigued. I was excited. A shudder raced down my spine. I was still very aware of the way Kieran's fingers pressed into my side. His scent wafted through my nostrils, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't intoxicating. He smelled like clean soap, with a mix of dirt and sweat, and while that was an oddly specific and weird combo, I found myself wanting more. A tiny part of me wanted to gobble him all up. Right now. It wasn't even going to be a bad idea. We were out in the open where no one could walk in or even…..“Stop it, Liana.” I scolded myself mentally. If it wasn't already clear, this was the reason why I avoided being alone with Kieran. His presence did things to my body, and I'd be damned if he ever found out the kind of influence he
Kieran's POV My fingers grazed the slightly sharp tips of the blades of grass in the field, and if I was being honest, it felt amazing. Soothing even. It felt like the best thing to take my mind off the many thoughts that threatened to drive me to Insanity. No matter how hard I tried to get rid of them, they always came back, harder than the last. I was fucked. Literally. I heaved out loud, and I watched my breath dance in front of me for a couple of seconds, before disappearing into thin air. It would be cold soon, and even though I didn't bring a jacket, I wouldn't say I was particularly bothered about it. I was sure that if I thought too hard or pressured myself too much, my head would literally catch fire, and that would repel every ounce of cold in the air. A small groan slid past my lips as I scrubbed my face with my hands. I was doing everything I could to distract myself and not focus on the pressing issues at hand. But no matter what I did, I found myself spiralin
Liana POV A small groan slid past my lips as I slowly came around. My eyes were closed, and I made a move to open them, I didn't miss the blinding pain that echoed around my eye sockets. The pain burned, forcing me to press my eyes shut again. They watered, and if I wasn't sure if I was still alive or not, then I guess this was all the proof I needed. I tried to stretch, but even that was futile. Panic shot up my skin the moment I realized I couldn't move. Apparently, my hands had been bound behind what seemed to be a metal chair, its icy cold metal sides causing jolts of cold to race up my spine. The seat wasn't even comfortable either. It pressed against my butt and I felt each of my legs being tied to one of the legs of the chair. What the hell was going on here? And where the hell was I? I tilted my head to the side, willing my brain and mind to come up with something regarding how I'd gotten here. My memory was still hazy, but I was sure if I thought about it long and ha
Liana's POV My body was numb, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't get myself to feel something. I pinched my arm, but I got nothing in return. My feet stomped against the cold hard ground, but I could barely feel it. I wanted to panic, but I knew it was to be expected, at least for the next couple of minutes. I'd been tied up for God knows how long, and I was sure that had stopped blood circulation, even for a tiny bit. Hopefully, I would be back to feeling my legs and hands in a little while. I hoped. “Are you sure you're okay?” Someone's voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I blinked back, just to come face to face with Kieran. He had a worried expression on his face, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. “Did they do anything to you? Are you sure they didn't touch you or ..”“They didn't.” I cut him off. I'd lost count of the number of times he'd asked me that particular question, and I would be lying if I said it wasn't becoming slightly infuriating. “How many
Liana's POV I pressed my back against the leather seats of the car, and relaxed immediately. The cushion was soft against my skin, and for the quickest moment, I found myself leaning into it a little bit more. In fact, I basked in his soft it was, until something pulled my attention to the issue at hand. Today was the day we were leaving the hotel. I'd known that since yesterday, but a part of me has almost wished that today would never come. Before I went to bed last night, I'd muttered a groggy prayer to the moon goddess. I'd whispered that if she delayed our stay by at least one day, I was going to do whatever she asked of me. I knew it was childlike to place all of my hope in her for a ridiculous prayer, but I'd still hoped, and what did she do? She'd smashed every bit of faith I had in her. Way to go moon goddess. Way to freaking go. I looked back at the hotel, and I couldn't help the small smile that made its way to my lips. When we'd first arrived, I was skeptical abo
Chapter 46 Liana's POV I leaned against the glass balcony of our room, the warm breeze brushing over my skin. I took in the scene in front of me, and I wouldn't be exaggerating if I said I wanted to stay here forever. I had the picture perfect view of the beach crashing down on the rocks that lined the sea. The greenery was breathtaking, and the variety of flowers that adorned the place was literally the cherry on top if you asked me. The wind tousled my hair here and there, and if I wanted, all I needed to do was change out of my robe and into a picture worthy dress, and take the most magical pictures in the universe. I had barely taken in the scene to my heart's content when a thought crossed my mind. The moment it hit me, a small frown made its way to my lips. Today was our last day here.Something tugged at my chest, and I easily recognized it as a mix of bittersweet emotions. We'd had fun here, despite the many things that went wrong, and even though I knew it was only r
Liana's POV Time seemed to slow to a halt as I took in the man in front of me. I stared at him, unable to move, unable to breathe. Perhaps it had to do with the shock of actually seeing someone come to my rescue.Up until a couple of minutes ago, I had totally resigned to my fate. That I was going to die behind a buried wall, and I would most likely never be found. Maybe my body would eventually crumble with the building, or perhaps I would have decayed by the time I was found. Its not like anyone would miss me though. My family had ostracized me, and if news of my death did reach their eyes, I could bet my life that would be more ecstatic than sad. The only people who might be affected, would be Serena and Kieran. The same Kieran who was standing in front of me, I'm flesh and blood too. I wanted to reach out to him, to touch his face and feel his stubble, just to confirm I wasn't hallucinating , but I couldn't, even if I tried. “Liana!” Kieran's panicked voice hit my ears imm
Liana's POV My heart thundered madly in my chest, so hard I thought the vital organ was going to burst through the chest and onto the pavement. It sounded gruesome, but in a way, maybe it wasn't going to be all that bad. At least, that way these men would scurry away and leave me alone. I hoped. I had no idea who they were, I could swear that I hadn't seen them before in my entire life, and honestly, I'd wished it remained like that. If the looks on their faces meant anything, it was the fact that they were thirsty for trouble, and it didn't even help that they recognized me too. Why would they? I was new in the area, hell I'd only accompanied Kieran on this visit and I had no idea where the fuck we were, so how could someone recognize me, and from a picture on their phone too?Shit, this was messed up. I fidgeted, while slowly waiting to see what the men were going to do next. Apparently, they had just recognized me and weren't doing anything yet. Maybe, just maybe, I could
Liana's POV If someone had told me this was how my night was going to end, then best believe I would have laughed hysterically in their face and told them to go jump in the river or something if they were that bored. My life had been turning out great, and by my life, I really meant the past couple of days with Kieran in the hotel, and never in a million years did I think that anything would go horribly wrong. Over the past couple of weeks and probably months, I'd forced myself to push back memories of my previous life. They obviously didn't care about me, so why was I supposed to keep them anywhere near my mind? I'd always told myself that they were going to regret loosing me, it was what kept me going, but apparently, all I needed to break that thought and every sense of being attached to it, was Samantha's friend showing up. I hadn't expected it, and best believe I wasn't going to be forgetting it anytime soon. My plan for tonight had been to come back to the hotel room, get
Liana's POV I blinked back a couple of times, but it did nothing to rid the sight in front of me. I stood wide eyed, with a wave of fear and anxiety creeping up my chest. The ugly emotion curled itself around my chest, its sharp tendrils digging into my vital organs. It was a miracle how I was still standing, because I felt numb all over, and even the world seemed to swirl from time to time. It might not make a lot of sense, but if I were to be given a choice, I would much rather prefer to faint, than have to face the lady in front of me. Her face held no trace of being friendly, and I wondered how someone could hold such a smug look for so long. Her hands were folded across her bosom, and with one of her eyebrows raised, she looked nothing short of a villain from one of the princess movies I used to watch when I was a little girl. I snuck a glance at her. She hadn't changed, not even a bit. I wasn't close with Samantha's friends, but it didn't mean I didn't see them around. I
Liana's POV A good thirty minutes had passed, and Kieran had still refused to drop the book. Instead, he flipped through the pages with so much dexterity that there was no way I could come to any other conclusion except one. He was reading the book, and taking his time too. I fought back a groan as I scrubbed at my face with my hands. The sleepiness that had had a chokehold on me when I'd first woken up was nowhere to be found anymore. How could it, when all I wanted was to be able to pry that book from his grip. I wanted to do it so bad, but I knew it was next to impossible, unless if Kieran let me win, and there was only one way he would be able to do that. Call me crazy or whatever, but as he flipped through the pages I'd already read myself, I couldn't help but picture me and Kieran in those positions written out. I would be lying to myself if I said it wasn't fun when I'd been reading earlier. And to top it all off, I had mentally checked and made a list of positions I
Liana's POV No matter how hard I tried, nothing seemed to shake off the eerie feeling that seemed to trail after me. Goosebumps littered the surface of my skin and even after rubbing it down, it didn't disappear. My feet were cold, and I felt moisture seeping into my shoes. I wasn't sure I'd ever felt like this, and even though I didn't exactly know what it meant, I hated it. The feeling of me being watched seemed to die down a bit when we walked into the reception. Whether it had anything to do with the homey vibe of the place, or the fact that it was filled with people, I wasn't sure. Whatever it was though, I was glad the idea of me being followed had snaked to the back of my mind. “Hello.” The receptionist, a young petite lady greeted Kieran and I with a smile. “Welcome to Hotel Bay paradise. How may I help you today?” “We would like to check in please.” Kieran let out slowly. “I already have a reservation booked under the name; Liana.”“You booked our reservation under m
Liana's POV A small groan slid past my lips as I roused to consciousness. My body felt heavy, and I didn't miss the sore feeling in between my legs. That wasn't the worst part though. The fact that I remembered everything that had caused it had my cheeks burning bright. Memories flooded my mind, and if I was being honest, I definitely didn't mind reliving that moment again.If I could go back in time just to experience that moment, I would definitely take it. Over and over again. I still had my eyes closed, but it didn't shake off the feeling of being watched, so I slowly peeled my eyes open, just to come face to face with the last person I expected to see. “Kieran?” I muttered underneath my breath, and I didn't need a mirror to tell that my cheeks were definitely redder than before. It was strange seeing him so relaxed with his gaze on me, why? In the last couple of days, I'd forced myself to get used to waking up without him. He'd made it a habit of disappearing without a wor