“Thank you so much, Doctor.” Maria shook the doctor's hand, looking down at Kiara, silently sleeping on the bed. “I'm glad I could help.” She gave a small smile, looking back at the monitors. Her vitals were more calm than before. Initially, they were erratic, without telling if Kiara would be okay. Gradually, it began to reduce and all of a sudden, it went back to normal. “She should be thanking her lucky stars. We almost lost her ma'am.” The doctor said, shaking her head.“We had all hands on deck for her, doing everything we possibly could.” “What…what was found in her system, doctor?” Damian asked, his heart racing with each second.“Well, we aren't certain for now. The only thing we know for sure is that it was extremely deadly. It almost took her life, so let's just be thankful she survived.” The doctor explained.“Deadly?” Maria sniffled, resting her head on Damian's chest as he wrapped his arms around her comfortingly. He rubbed her up and down, kissing her forehead. “Yes
“I know what you did. If you think you’re fooling everyone, you’re definitely not fooling me!” Kiara said as she stood in front of Luca.3 days later, she was feeling perfectly fine.“You tried to kill my father! Are you really that crazy, Luca?” She yelled, placing a hand on her hip. She definitely couldn’t take it anymore. It felt all too real to her, and it hurt to know that the man she loved was the one behind this.“Well, that isn’t news, Kiara,” Luca said nonchalantly, leaning against the wall. He wasn’t remorseful, and he didn’t seem to care about Kiara. How often did he do this? He scared her.“You saw what happened, didn’t you?” He laughed, pushing her and she stumbled back shocked. “You told them and they didn’t even believe you! How are they supposed to take you seriously now?”“I’m always one step ahead of you, Luca.” Kiara retorted, hoping that she’d at least instill some fear in him.“You can’t be serious, Ki. You and I both know that you’re too scared to do anything.”“
Kiara’s face hardened, her eyes blazing with fury. "Poison! That was what the so-called sweetener was. Are you out of your mind? You could’ve killed me!" she yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of rage and disbelief. “How stupid can you be to be given a substance to add to someone’s food and you obliged?Gerald cowered under her gaze, stammering, “I swear! I didn’t know it was poison. He just said it was a harmless sweetener. Please, don’t tell the police!”“Oh, you bet I’m telling the police.” Kiara’s tone was ice-cold. She pulled out her phone, recording Gerald’s confession. "Now I want you to repeat everything you’ve said.” “Please, I didn’t know. I wouldn’t hurt anybody intentionally.” He continued to plead. Kiara wasn’t convinced Gerald didn’t know. And even if he truly wasn’t aware, he should pay for his stupidity. He was wrong on all sides. It’s against the ethics of his job—that she is sure of. The exact reason it is difficult for her to believe he really wasn’t aware.
She looked into the mirror again to be sure it wasn’t another random black sedan that just looked like the one from before. “Unbelievable,” she muttered, her pulse quickening. It wasn’t paranoia—someone was following her.Kiara decided to test the sedan again. This time, she made a series of unpredictable turns, weaving through side streets and back onto a busier road. The sedan kept up, maintaining the same steady distance.“This isn’t a coincidence,” she said, her hands trembling slightly. She tried to get her phone so she could call the police. The car hit her from behind, and the phone fell from her hand. It was no longer in sight, probably under the seat now. “What!” She looked around to get the fastest help available. That was when she realized that she had unconsciously taken a lonely road, as she could only see just her car and the one chasing her on the road. The next car was very far away. No one would hear her even if she screamed at the top of her voice. Her mind raced
Her heart was still pounding with residual adrenaline. The cool air inside did little to calm her. “Is that Miss Kiara?” The first officer to recognize her exclaimed. She approached the front desk, her voice steady despite her nerves.“I have with me evidence of attempted murder, and I want you to arrest the criminal with immediate effect.” The officer behind the desk raised an eyebrow but quickly motioned for her to sit while they summoned one of the detectives available. Coincidentally, he was the one in charge of the restaurant case. Within moments, Detective Harrison emerged—a tall, broad-shouldered man with a sharp gaze that missed nothing.“Miss Lux,” he said, his tone professional but curious. “I’m Detective Harrison. I’m already familiar with your father’s case. I believe that is why you’re here.”Kiara nodded. “The lawyer is sending a lawsuit later today; the reason we haven’t made any arrests. Mr. Lux wants the restaurant itself to take responsibility for what happened
Damian burst through the front door, his tie loosened and his usually composed demeanor frayed. Behind him stood Luca, his expression carefully curated to show concern. Maria, still flustered, hurried to greet her husband.“She’s home, Damian,” Maria said, wringing her hands. “She came back in a police car, and her car is gone. She won’t say anything.”“Where is she?” Damian asked, scanning the room urgently.“She has been in her room since she returned. She wouldn’t open the door. Amor, something is wrong with our baby girl.” Maria cried out in despair. “I will get her,” Damian responded. Before he could take another step, Kiara emerged from her room, her eyes locking onto Luca like a hawk spotting its prey. Her face twisted with a mix of disbelief and fury. “What is he doing here?” She demanded, her voice sharp.“What is who doing here?” Damian responded nonchalantly. “Are you alright? What happened to you? You look like you have been to hell and back. Talk to me.” “What is that
“What is it? What happened?” Maria asked, concerned, as Damian rose to his feet. “I need to get to the office. Eric just gave me a piece of information that should not be true.” “What did he say, dad?” Kiara asked but didn’t get a response. Damian dashed out of the house, grabbing his car keys on the table on his way out. He rushed to the office, his mind racing as he tried to process everything that had unfolded that evening. The weight of Kiara’s accusations against Luca, the police intervention, and now this—the missing money and documents—threatened to crush him. He arrived at the building, his heart pounding. Eric, the new accountant, was already waiting in his office, his face pale and nervous.“Eric!” Damian barked, slamming the door behind him. “What the hell is going on? Start talking, now.”Eric jumped at the sound of Damian’s voice, fumbling with the files in his hands. “Sir, I—I noticed it during the end-of-day reconciliation. A significant amount of money has been tr
Damian entered the dimly lit visitation room of the police station, his footsteps echoing in the stillness. Sitting at the table, his hands cuffed, was Luca Ettore. Luca’s eyes lit up with relief and desperation as Damian stepped in, though his composed demeanor cracked only slightly.“Damian,” Luca said, his voice tinged with a mix of weariness and disbelief. “Thank God you’re here. You have to believe me—I had nothing to do with this.”Damian pulled out the chair opposite Luca and sat down heavily, rubbing his temples. "Luca, you're in deep trouble. The police have recordings, confessions... everything points to you. The restaurant worker claimed you gave the poison to him to put inside my food.”Luca leaned forward, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “I’m being framed, Damian! You know me. I would never hurt you or your family. Why would I poison Kiara? Why would I target you?”Damian met Luca’s gaze, his own expression filled with conflict. “That’s what I can’t understand.
“Do you realize what you’ve done?” Damian’s voice rose, his frustration boiling over. “You let him walk free! A man who’s been under investigation for attempted murder and possible fraud and likely has ties to this mess!”“Dad, you don’t understand,” Kiara said weakly, her voice shaking. “Luca—he’s not what you think.”“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Damian snapped. “You’ve been manipulated. Or worse, you’re willingly working with him. Which is it, Kiara? Are you naive, or are you complicit?”“Neither!” Kiara shouted, her voice breaking under the weight of her emotions. Tears streamed down her face as she stepped forward, her fists clenched at her sides. “I didn’t have a choice!”Before Damian could respond to Kiara’s outburst, his phone buzzed again. The vibration felt like a sharp interruption in the thick tension of the room. He exhaled sharply, snatching it up from the table.“It’s the office,” he muttered, his brows furrowing. Kiara took a shaky step back, her chest rising and fall
“Kiara!” Damian’s yell caught Maria by surprise and sure sent Kiara over the edge. Kiara stumbled into the living room, her legs trembling beneath her. The hollow echo of her own steps on the tiled floor sounded deafening in the quiet house. Her father’s voice cut through her thoughts like a knife.She was still shaken by the events that took place at Luca’s house but never expected to get home to her father yelling at her. “Where the hell have you been?” Maria hurried to her side, holding her arm. “Your father is really mad at you. What did you do?” Damian’s voice thundered from the hallway, into the living room, freezing her in place. “Kiara!” She looked up to find him standing, his posture rigid, his face a mask of fury. Her mother was just standing by, her face etched with worry, her hands clutching tightly at a tissue.“Dad…” Kiara started, but Damian held up a hand to stop her.“Save it,” he said, his tone colder than she had ever heard. “I’ve been patient with you, Kiara.
“What do you think?” Luca asked, grinning. “Where is this?” Kiara asked again, still looking around the room. “BDSM?”“It’s exactly what you think it is, ki.” The room has every implement one could imagine, with an assortment of bondage equipment to keep the victim perfectly still. At that moment, nothing else mattered; no one else mattered. They were the only two people on earth; they were alone in a place where they could let all their inhibitions go and Luca could make Kiara fulfill her submissive purpose in life. Kiara wanted to talk, but Luca stopped her from saying another word. “We’re here already. Only one thing should be on your mind. And that’s to feel every moment you have here because there’s no going back anymore. For your own sake.” He added in a very scary tone. Kiara understood the threat. She became calm and obedient. Luca walked closer to her and whispered into her ears. “I am going to use my toy hard, use it until we both lose track of time and reality, where
It’s finally time. Kiara stood outside Luca’s house, her heart pounding against her ribcage. It was exactly 7 p.m., and the air carried a crisp coolness that heightened her awareness of every sound, every sensation. She took a deep breath, adjusting her scarf as she stepped forward and rang the doorbell. She was hoping that Sam and Katie would run into her embrace the moment the door opened. Although she wished not. Almost instantly, the door opened to reveal Luca, dressed sharply in a fitted black shirt and dark jeans. His smirk was as disarming as ever, his piercing blue eyes scanning her face with unspoken intent."Right on time," he said, his voice low and velvety. "Come in, baby."Kiara sighed. The warmth of the house enveloped her as she stepped inside. The entrance was lined with a trail of crimson rose petals that led to the dining area. Soft ambient lighting bathed the room in a golden glow, while faint classical music played in the background. The table was set for two, co
Harrison approached Kiara as she stood in the station lobby, still trying to make sense of what she had just done. His brow furrowed in thought as he held a file in his hand, the same file he had been working on earlier.“Miss Kiara,” he called gently, his voice calm but firm.Kiara turned to him, her eyes narrowing. “Detective, I don’t want to hear it.”Harrison frowned, confused. “You don’t even know why I’m here. I came to share some findings with you—”“Don’t bother,” she interrupted sharply. “I know you’re going to try and convince me that I’m making a mistake by posting Luca’s bail. But it’s done. I’ve made my decision, and I don’t need your opinion.”Harrison paused, taken aback by the hostility in her tone. “That’s not why I came,” he said carefully. “This isn’t about Luca. It’s about the driver who saved you during the car chase. We’ve uncovered some information—”Kiara cut him off again, her frustration bubbling over. “I don’t care! Just close the case, detective. Stop all i
“Buzz…buzz” The sound of the alarm clock woke Kiara up. She stretched to switch it off. It wasn’t up to two hours before she was finally able to sleep. She kept thinking about Luca and her sexual fantasies. Even when she eventually made peace with sleep, she found herself dreaming about sex with Luca. Thanks to the alarm, she couldn’t reach orgasm—in her dream sex. After switching off the alarm, she was going to go back to sleep but the sound of the knock on her door made her groan. “Darling, it’s me.” Damian spoke, loud enough for her to hear.There was no response, so he continued. “I was hoping we could talk before I leave for work. You were asleep when I returned last night.” That was the lie Kiara told just to remain in her room when she was informed about Damian’s arrival the previous night. “This early?” Kiara groaned under her breath, pulling the covers over her head. She needed more time to gather herself before facing anyone, let alone her father.Damian’s voice came a
Kiara got back home and rushed into her bedroom and sat down silently at her dressing table. Her red-hot sex was still being fueled by a no less guilty delight, but her face was still burning with intense humiliation and guilt. “How could I fall for that? How could I let him get into my head?” She questioned herself. The well-earned kiss she had this morning left a burning, blistering sensation across her body; she wanted more. She couldn't focus on anything other than how her body reacted. “You’ll never find someone who understands you the way I do. Who loves you the way I do.” His words echoed in her head. That’s true, though. He knows her body chemistry more than she does herself. Kiara began to picture the kiss again, and gradually the feeling became a deeper, duller crimson, while her as yet unrelieved arousal rendered her hidden flower benumbed but still swollen. The state she was in, Kiara thought she was going crazy. How could all these intense feelings remain for so lon
Kiara’s stomach churned at Luca’s words. She felt the air in the room grow heavier, suffocating, as if his confession carried a tangible weight. Her fists clenched under the table, her nails digging into her palms.“You want me?” She repeated, her voice cold and disbelieving. “You think you can ruin my life and then sit here and talk about want, like it will erase everything you’ve done? You tried to kill me. You poisoned your friend’s food.”Luca leaned forward, his gaze never leaving hers. “Ruin your life?” he echoed, his tone soft, almost incredulous. “Kiara, everything I’ve done—every single thing—was for us. For you. Because I love you.”Her laugh was bitter and sharp. “Love? You don’t even know what that word means. Manipulation, lies, poison—that’s what you call love?”Luca exhaled, his expression shifting to one of practiced remorse. “I won’t deny it. I’ve done terrible things. I’ve lied, I’ve pushed beyond boundaries, and I’ve taken risks that I shouldn’t have. But Kiara, eve
Kiara’s heart skipped a beat. She froze, her hand hovering over the remote. Her mind raced, her father’s words echoing in her ears.He knows.Slowly, Kiara got out of bed and approached the door, her hands trembling. She cracked it open just enough to see Damian’s face, his expression a mix of concern and determination.“What do you mean by my relationship with Luca?” She whispered, her voice barely audible.“I think you know what I’m talking about,” Damian said gently. “This isn’t just about what’s happening now, is it? There’s more to this—something you haven’t told me.”Kiara’s grip on the door tightened. For a moment, she considered slamming it shut and pretending this conversation never happened. But the look in her father’s eyes stopped her. He wasn’t accusing her; he was worried.She opened the door fully and stepped aside, motioning for him to enter. Damian walked in, his eyes scanning the room as if it might hold answers. Kiara closed the door behind him and leaned against it