Zared stopped at the door of Lily's room. He contemplated whether to go in or not. His hand extended towards the handle of the door but stopped midway, he pulled his hands back to himself, took a deep breath and opened the door in one go. The lights of the room were out, he switched on the lights but when he glanced at the bed, Lily wasn't there, the bed was made like in the morning so she certainly wasn't in the room. He still wanted to check, he took his steps towards the washroom, knocked at it and then opened the door after a while. He peeked inside but no one was to be found. He got out of the room taking long strides, going downstairs, he searched the kitchen, the storeroom, another guestroom which was a bit behind the staircase but he didn't find her. His eyes darkened, his jaw tightened and his nails dug into his palms as he closed his fists tightly. He was furious, He rushed to the main door with the lights still off and went to the backyard, the garden, even the parking to
Zared's jaw tightened as he remembered last night's events, she was out with another guy and here he was holding his breath so she doesn't wake up. He got up and shaked Lily harshly in order to wake her up. He put his hands inside the pockets of the trousers he was wearing and looked at her sleeping figure which didn't even budge. He made his way towards the kitchen and came back with a glass full of water. He took a quick glance at her and didn't wait before splashing the water on Lily's face. It was like he was a whole different person a while ago. The person who was worried for her and the person who just splashed a glass full of cold water on her face to wake her up. Lily instantly sat up , wiping the water from her face and eyes while gasping. She looked down at her wet clothes and then looked up to see Zared standing, staring at her with his piercing gaze . She got up from the couch quickly while the water dripped from her chin and her clothes. "Looks like you slept very well,
"Oh..great"They walked towards the bench on the street and took a seat there. Zared didn't know where to start, how to say it. He couldn't understand what should he start with, how does he invite her. Ask her to be at Knightsbridge tonight? she would undoubtedly find out if he invited her to Knightsbridge, which of course she's not supposed to.'Do I tell her about me right now?...No, I can't do that out of the blue' he thought to himself. He was thinking what exactly he should tell her when she interrupted his thoughts. "You look tense, is everything alright?""Yeah,no-yeah, I'm alright" Zared sighed, he couldn't think of anything so he decided to just tell her where and when to be present tonight."I wanted to invite you""oh! where to? ""Knightsbridge"her eyes widened a bit and her brows drew together. "Knightsbridge? what for?" she chuckled"Just...be there tonight... at 8 pm, I'll text you the whole address. I hope you're not busy? ""No, no I am not but, I don't understan
After changing into a T shirt and a trouser, he got out of his room and reached at the end of the hallway to Lily's room, he raised his hand to knock on the door but paused midway and directly opened the door He saw Lily, sitting in front of the dressing table applying something on her hand. She turned back. "Z-Zared? " "What are you doing?""Nothing, I was just- nothing, when did you get home? I didn't hear the door""That is why I am asking, what were you so busy in? "Before Lily said anything, Zared made his way beside her to take a look at what she was doing. Lily was sitting with a wound ointment, applying it on the wound on her hand. His mouth opened at the realization, the blood on his hands, was not his but Lily's. It was from when he had gripped her hand tightly this morning, that caused her wound to bleed that stained his hand as well. He didn't know her hand was hurt, that she had a wound there. Zared decided to break the silence."Did I do this?""No!-no, it's the b
"You're what?!!" Riley shouted in shock. "Riley-""What the actual hell Zared?!!""Riley, listen to me-""Are you kidding me right now?! What do you take me for??!""Riley just listen to me for God's sake!" Zared raised his voice making Riley flinch. "It's not what you're thinking it is Riley, it's a contract marriage, both of us were forced in it and it's just on the papers and for the people to see, it's not real, I don't love her and I swear I haven't even touched her, ever. Believe me""What do you mean it's a contract marriage, Zared? it's for the people? which people, please tell me I would really like to know""Our business partners, the employees, the fans""Are you a celebrity or something? ""I own the 'The Williams'. ""What?"Zared nodded. "You.are.Zared Williams? You're the son of 'The Williams'?!"Zared nodded yet again. "Did you set me up or something?""Riley, please, try to believe me, It's not a set up""I need time, Zared. I'm sorry but this is too much for me t
Zared quickly turned off the shower, slipped into his pjs and took his steps towards Lily's room. He tore the door open and saw Lily lying down on the bed peacefully. He went to her and grabbed her up from the bed yanking her. "Look at you sleep shamelessly like this, it's all because of you, all of it! ""What-what are you talking about? " Lily was confused, she didn't know what was happening, wasn't he with his girl a while ago? Why is he so angry all of a sudden? these thoughts ran through Lily's mind. The next moment Lily's cheek met with a tight slap which she never expected right now. She looked up at Zared with red teary eyes and a cherry red cheek. "What are you doing? " Lily asked him in anguish, she wasn't angry, she was disappointed, she was in loss of hope. "This is what you deserve for ruining everything for me, first you ruin my peace and now my life, you must be enjoying it with a popcorn, am I right?! ""What are you talking about Zared? " she cried. "What happe
"I'm not cheating on my wife- how do I explain it to you""There's no explaining to do-""No there is! Riley- Me- I am not in a consensual marriage, this is just a contract, there is nothing between me and her, there never was and there never will be, she's a damn goldigger and I despise her. It's all for the sake of money and nothing else, or else I would've never involved you in my life, I'm not that kind of a person either, please try to understand, you can even talk to her if you want to. I did everything for the sake of my parents and nothing else"Riley was quiet, she believed Zared but didn't want to. She knew he was speaking the truth but she was hesitating. She wanted the happy days back when she used to hang out with him without worrying about any of these things, she sighed and decided to let it go for she believed him and the miserable state he was in right now, but she was curious. "What's her name? ""Lily""Is she pretty? ""Not at all, she's the ugliest, I don't even
"Oh...is that so ?" Zared raised his eyebrows while continuing to smile. Gabriel nodded and took his leave. Riley's brows were knitted together as Zared turned to her. "I had to tell you were my frien-""I understand" she said with her lips pressed together with a slight smile. Both of them had their dinner and soon settled on the couch with blankets and N*****x on. Zared showed Riley to his room and asked her to be there for a few minutes while he settled and decorated the living room with fairy lights and candles laying down the snacks he brought earlier. He turned off the lights and brought Riley downstairs. Lily watched from upstairs, her hands resting on the grill, she watched them sit on the couch, smile at each other and hug each other as they watched the TV. She sighed and went back to her room. 'As long as he is happy' she thought and pressee her lips. Lily was the strongest when it came to hold on to hope and be happy in other's happiness. All she wanted was his love and
She didn’t know if she was more scared of the danger she was in or of the way Aaron was looking at her now. Was she finally a burden to him? Was he regretting keeping her and protecting her?Aaron disappeared into his study, closing the door behind him with a soft click. Inside the quiet space, the weight of the world seemed to settle onto his shoulders. His fingers hovered over the phone for a moment, his mind racing. He glanced at the door, ensuring no one could overhear, and then dialed the number.The call rang twice before someone picked up, their voice muffled but cold.“Got me, little boy??” the voice on the other end asked, unbothered, almost indifferent.Aaron’s voice was low, almost a growl. “You listen to me,” he began, his words sharp, each syllable laced with venom. “You stay the hell away from Lily. Don’t even think about coming near her again. You’ve pushed me too far this time.”There was a long pause on the other end, but Aaron wasn’t waiting for an apology or excuse.
The room was suffocatingly quiet. The storm had finally settled, but the weight of the previous events hung in the air like a thick fog. Lily stood by the window, watching the last few droplets of rain trace paths down the glass. Her heart still raced from the encounter-one that should never have happened. She felt the deep ache of vulnerability, her mind still haunted by the man’s cold grip.She hadn’t wanted to admit it, but the fear had taken root deep inside her. The world outside felt foreign now, dangerous and unpredictable. She wasn’t sure who she could trust anymore, not even herself.The door creaked open softly, and Lily’s pulse skipped. It was Aaron-though he wasn’t alone this time. His presence in the room seemed to fill every inch of space with tension. His suit was damp from the rain, his expression shadowed by the worry that clung to him like a second skin.Lily’s breath caught as their eyes met, but the softness she had once found in them was absent. His gaze was hard,
Aaron stepped inside Lily's room, his expression softened by the dim glow of her bedside light."Lily? What’s wrong?"She hesitated, her voice trembling. "Aaron... can I trust you? Truly? Completely?"Aaron froze for a moment from the direct and sudden question, his silver eyes searching her face. He stepped closer and knelt beside her bed. "Lily, I need you to trust me. Please. I promise... when the time is right, I'll tell you everything. But for now, you have to believe in me. I know you're confused, love, but trust me."His voice was low, steady, and for a moment, it anchored her fears. Lily nodded faintly, though the doubt still lingered at the edges of her mind.Aaron brushed a strand of hair from her face and stood. "Get some rest. I'll be outside if you need me,"As the door closed softly behind him, Lily lay back against her pillows, staring into the darkness, her thoughts still restless.Outside her window, the wind howled, carrying with it the promise of a storm already br
The day remained overcast, heavy clouds looming low over the building, casting everything in a muted gray light. Lily sat by one of the bay windows in the library, a thick knitted blanket wrapped around her shoulders as she absentmindedly flipped through the pages of a novel. But no matter how hard she tried to focus, the words seemed to blur together. Her mind kept drifting back to the night before-to Aaron's intense gaze, Damian's cryptic questions, and the feeling that something monumental was being kept from her. The way they kept exchanging glances.Downstairs, in one of the smaller meeting rooms, Aaron and Damian stood facing each other. The air between them was heavy with unspoken tension. A map was spread across the table, scattered with marked locations and hastily scribbled notes."The man near the gates might've been a decoy," Damian said, his voice low. "But someone left a footprint near the east perimeter-fresh. Someone else was there."Aaron's brow furrowed as he studied
The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and soft lavender as the sun dipped below the horizon. The grounds were cast in long shadows, and the air carried a biting chill. Lily stood by one of the grand windows in the drawing room, her arms wrapped around herself as she gazed out at the vast expanse of the building's gardens. There was something unsettling about the way the shadows seemed to move tonight.Aaron was seated on the edge of one of the leather armchairs, a phone in his hand as he spoke quietly to someone on the other end. His voice was low and clipped, his usual calm edge fraying slightly with each passing moment. Damian leaned against the mantelpiece, his sharp gaze fixed on Aaron as if trying to glean information from the one-sided conversation.When Aaron finally ended the call, he exhaled sharply and rubbed a hand over his face. "The man we caught lurking near the gates last night? He had nothing on him. No ID, no phone, nothing that could give us a lead."Damian cro
Downstairs, Damian stood by one of the large windows overlooking the front gates. His arms were crossed over his chest, his sharp gaze locked on a car parked just beyond the building's boundary. Its engine was off, headlights dark, but Damian knew someone was inside, watching. Clara approached quietly, her slippers muffled against the polished floor. "It’s been there for hours, hasn’t it?" Damian gave a curt nod. "They’re getting bolder." Clara crossed her arms, a shiver running down her spine. "Should we wake Aaron?" "No," Damian said firmly. "Let him stay with Ms. Lily. I’ll handle this." Clara hesitated before nodding and stepping back into the shadows of the hallway. Damian’s focus returned to the car. His expression was cold, calculated, and dangerous. Moments later, when Aaron was returning to his room, he caught a sight of Damian and Clara by the window, approaching them, he hauled his steps just when he was about to reach them, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pu
He stepped forward, making Lily step backward until the cold wall hit her back, Aaron lowered her head towards her and rested his hand on the wall beside Lily."Are you playing dumb, love?" he asked, his voice raspy and deep.No words escaped Lily's throat."I just..I would like a direct answer, please." she finally said, almost like ordering a coffee.“No. I wasn’t jealous of a mere bodyguard-but if you’re asking me…yes, I envied whatever he said that managed to pull even the faintest smile from you. But it’s more than that, Lily. I’m jealous of every single breath you take because it’s unshared. I can’t feel it, can’t claim even a fragment of it. That’s why I stay close, why I hover around you more than I should-because it’s the only way I can steal even a sliver of your world.” He pushed a strand of her hair away from her eyes."Was that direct enough, love?" He asked looking into her hazel eyes.Without responding Lily pushed him-not too hard, and fled from there as fast as she
"I guess, I'm smarter than all of them then." Lily replied earning a shrug from Damian.Damian had picked up a book from the library. Their conversation carried on in between-about his experience in the Navy and several other curious questions from Lily.They weren’t talking loudly, their voices hushed, but there was an easiness to their interaction.Aaron stepped into the library, his sharp silver eyes immediately spotting them. His gaze lingered on Lily’s faint smile and the relaxed way she leaned slightly toward Damian as he spoke. Something cold and sharp twisted in his chest.His polished shoes clicked against the wooden floor as he strode over. Both Lily and Damian looked up at the same time.“Mr. Knight,” Damian greeted, his voice neutral.Aaron’s gaze flicked between them before locking onto Damian. “Don’t you have something better to do than sit here chatting, Damian?”The words cut through the quiet air, laced with authority and something sharper-something possessive.Damian
Lily took her own cup, her hands trembling slightly as she lifted it to her lips.Clara sat beside her again, her voice soft. “Sweetheart, I know this is hard. But you'll be safe. Trust me, I know Aaron, he wont let anything happen to you. Ever."Lily nodded, though the fear gnawed at the edges of her mind. No matter how many cameras or precautions they set up, she couldn’t shake the feeling that danger was already here, lurking just beyond their walls.Aaron’s voice broke the silence. “We’ll handle this. We’ll find out who they are and stop them before they can come any closer.”His words were firm, resolute. But as the night settled around them and shadows stretched across the floor, Lily couldn’t help but wonder if it would be enough.The night stretched on, heavy and silent. The faint ticking of the clock on the wall was the only sound breaking the stillness of the apartment. Lily sat cross-legged on her bed, her knees drawn close to her chest as she stared at the faint gl