139Hunter stared at the mansion, standing the harsh beating of millions of raindrops falling down on it. His eyes stopped on the window of Claire's room. The curtains were drawn, the lights off. It wasn't so late in the night and everything that happened today wasn't simple enough to put it behind one's back and have an early night.He could imagine Claire sitting somewhere in the dim space with something bringing back memories and tears. He hated his mind for the picture but then it metamorphosed into Claire having blood all over her face, her eyes lifeless, and her chest unmoving. He was taken to that street on which his mother was said to have that close call with the car.Shaking his head agitatedly, Hunter gulped a long breath hungrily. Claire was fine. The car hadn't been able to harm her. But it didn't do anything good to relax his tangled nerves. Because then he remembered the car failure she had.It all made sense, and it affected his breathing."Your mom told me that the ca
140Claire sat in the living hall with a pillow in her lap. Her eyes were swollen and lips pouted in returning aggression. Once again she was made to look like a fool. Like a jealous person.She stared at her chipped nails as she tried to come out of that event. Alas, her mind was stuck in it. She had the evidence, she had the perfect chance to reveal Zara's face. But thanks to Caine's outburst. It almost looked like a spell was cast on him. Zara's bewitching spell.While she tried to not cry again, her head turned around. She blinked her eyes as they focused on a silhouette standing at the doorstep. It was very much like.... Hunter. Her wrath returned with a vengeance. Claire got up and stormed towards him.She wasn't a lover of darkness but this man catapulted her completely into it since he came back to her life after the divorce. So much so that she was forced to embrace it till she felt good. "What the hell are you doing here? The guards..." Her eyes became hard as she hissed un
141She watched with bated breaths as he combed his fingers through his hair. His bunched shoulders didn't make her feel good. They watered her eyes. Made her chest feel heavy.He hadn't come here to take those insults and then leave her alone, had he?Claire clenched her jaw to keep her whimpers in. She observed when he flexed his shoulders before stepping away. He didn't utter a word as he started treading towards the wide open door.With her fingers biting uneasily on the back of the couch, she twisted herself to look at him. Hunter stood there. He just stood there, looking out. Then his hands unzipped the jacket he was wearing. He reached in the inside pocket and pulled something out.Claire's eyes furrowed in disappointment and rising tension."Is that a packet of cigarettes?" She asked herself.Her doubt was confirmed when he lit it and put it to his mouth. Taking a heavy drag on his cigarette, he exhaled a cloud of smoke. Claire felt about to burst from rage. She got up on her c
142My love, When you almost said it in the morning that you want to give me another chance I was awestruck. I wasn't able to breathe because I know what I've done is irredeemable. And when Caine and others came, I became pale. I thought you wouldn't want to look at my face. But you, my love, always enchant me with your unforeseen actions. The fact that you considered giving me another chance is enough to fall at your feet and cry for my mistakes. I know I wasn't the most attentive or romantic partner, but I promise to do it all for you. My love for you is indestructible from now on. Even if you have changed your mind after the morning incident, I will not complain. I will never stop loving you. No matter what your decision is about us, I will always do these little gestures and try to bring a smile to your face. Even if you want to move on with someone else (I hope you don't because I will not let that happen), I will love you and you alone.I miss you in our house, baby. I am liv
143Claire's skin burned with goosebumps. Butterflies went crazy in her stomach. She grinned in the dark while an obvious pink tint colored her cheeks."What?!" She exclaimed."I... I mean..." It broke his trance of craving, causing him to look everywhere else around her face but her face. "I mean to say you are wet. Maybe I can help you wipe your legs. I didn't mean—""Is Hunter I'm-the-fearless MacIntyre flushed?" Claire prodded a finger in the hard plain of his chest."What, no! Why would you get that idea? I am not..." He heaved deeply, and it showed that he was nervous. "Flushed.""Yes, you are." Claire persisted.She closed the gap between them, and stood on the tip of her toes. Her free hand clutched his neck so she could bring his head a little downward as she whispered."You want me... But you're scared to admit it aloud."Hunter's heart raced at an inhumane rate. He took some deep breaths to control his physical reaction and closed his eyes."I do. There's no denying that.
144A series of slow, shivery kisses began from under her ear lobe down to her collar bone. Hunter licked her skin as his hands cupped her breasts tightly. He kneaded them softly, squeezing them in his palms and lightly stroking around her areola. Claire bit onto her bottom lip while her eyelids came down. Her head fell back on his shoulder as strong pleasure ran through her bloodstream. She moaned into him, her hands going around his. She gripped the back of his hands and pressed them on her bosoms. The heat of his palm felt good, almost velvety on her aching nipples. She undid his hands so she could guide his fingers to touch her pebbled nipples. To her disappointment, Hunter spun her around. He breathed heavily against her mouth as his hands cupped her ass. He squeezed her flesh in an agonizing hold, causing her to open her mouth on a ragged breath. "I did that to your ass many times. And..." He finally took hold of her nipples and twisted them without a hint of mercy."Aah!" Sh
145"What?" Claire raised a demanding eyebrow while feigning oblivion. "Why are you gazing at me like that?" It was Hunter's turn to raise an eyebrow, except that it was more to tease her. "Gazing at you like what?" Her cheeks flamed a surprisingly lovely shade of red as she softly answered, "You're gazing at me like the bird that gazes at the moon all night in memories of its partner.”"Oh, that's how I am gazing at you? I thought it's more like a predatory gaze after..." He took a deliberate pause to elevate her excitement and pleasurable fear. "After what we did on the stairs."Claire's stomach recoiled in sweet pleasure. Her core thrummed, compelling her to clench her thighs together to keep them from shuddering. After their hot, unforeseen makeout on the staircase, she got changed into an atrociously short nightgown. It ended just above her hips and on the front, just enough to hide them from his eyes. Not that it was useful because it was thin— like tissue-thin, and one which
146Although her heart warned her not to take this any further, the influence of the devil made her mind bloom with an evil idea. She offered him a wicked smirk and cócked her brows."Do you really want to know?""I've never been more eager to know something!" He was quick with his response.Claire lifted her shoulders in an indifferent shrug, "Okay, if you're so eager then let me tell you."She excused herself to go upstairs to her room. Hunter's heart danced with a reckless abandon. He crossed his fingers and prayed for it to be a souvenir or something like that that she preserved. It could be a rose he gave her— not that he recalled giving her one willingly— that she put in her diary. Or a handkerchief— Which again, he did not remember giving her ever— with dried blood patch, that he may have offered to tie around her bleeding palm.His lips thinned and the feeling of excitement diminished to the one of regret and self-loathing. There was not even a single good thing he recalled doi
203"Mr. Argent, it's very important for me to see your daughter. Allow me this one time, please. It's about our future." Hunter said ignoring Andrea as he addressed Dominic. Feeling insulted, Andrea spoke with disdain, "What future? My daughter's future is better off without you. You left her when she needed you the most. Now that we are trying to set her up with a far better match, you want to waltz back in her life. Dream on, Hunter. It's not happening. Her parents are standing in between her and you. We will never let you get to her again.""Did you really think you could slink back into Claire's life after your ex's true nature was exposed? You're delusional if you think that's possible."Hunter gave her a stoic look, although his red eyes showed his turmoil."And do you think I'm coming back only because Zara's arrested now? It's you who's dreaming, Mrs. Argent. Claire and I've never parted ways even after the divorce. Our separation brought us closer— me actually.""I realized
202"SCOTT, NO!" They exclaimed in unison, but Scott was already charging towards Hunter like a madman.Claire, who had been sobbing against her father's chest, snapped her head up at Hunter's mention. Color drained from her face witnessing Hunter at the doorstep with crimson-rimmed eyes. Their gazes locked, and everything he had said to her came flooding back to her in an overwhelming wave. Despite the look of pleading on his face and apology in his eyes, she remained hard-hearted. However, the part that loved her once... The part that basked in the sight of him being praised and respected by her family became distressed. Scott was a decade younger to Hunter, and even though the latter treated her like a doormat wife with zero worth in his life, he was still related to her. Ex-husband... But still they had a past. Claire stepped out of her father's arms as Scott dashed towards Hunter, driven by instincts. "Hunter MacIntyre, you've hurt my sister enough. Time to pay back!" Her hea
201Outside the Argent Villa,Scott and Shawn met each other outside the former's house. Their faces were dull with worry and in the rain storm, they stood soaking wet."Did you find anything about your brother?" Scott asked as he wiped a hand on his face to clear his vision."Yeah, he's at a pub.... With a woman." Shawn uttered the last three words between clenching teeth.Scott wasn't surprised. He was aware of his best friend's elder brother's way to avoid media attention concerning his personal life. He was just slightly affected that Tyler lied to go to pub to find a random chick to click with, so he could post fake dating news with her, instead of attending a dinner with his family.They've been waiting so restlessly to have him at home. The look of sorrow on Andrea's face was pitiful. Scott recalled that expression and exhaled a sigh. His mother had been overly excited to have Tyler at home. She had prepared so many dishes for him, which they had to eat alone and in silence. Cl
200"This is all, but I swear, I haven't seen any other woman since that encounter with that wench. It was after that incident I started noticing you. The second year of our marriage consists of me observing everything you did. That's how I learned your favorites, although I never let it show until now."Hunter tried to close the gap between them with small steps, hoping that when he was standing before her, Claire wouldn't push him away. After all, he had a huge list of extra marital relations. "When I started learning things about you, it slowly came to my understanding that you were exactly how I would have preferred my life partner to be. You were firm with a touch of boldness. You could be extremely caring at times and extensively outraged if annoyed. You didn't hesitate to make me pay for my ignorance and then you also came to show your love to me when you felt that I wasn't going to do it. You held the torch in our relationship and lives, and radiated it with your resilience."
199"I was mentally dead. Although I married you, I didn't feel the excitement as that of a married man because you weren't the woman I want. So, I just spent my time at the club with Cole and other friends.""Even if you weren't the bride I saw myself saying 'I do' for, I was determined to never stray. But that night, that night something got into. I was not heavily drunk but I kissed a woman who sat in my life. I groped her even though Cole and my friends warned me of having a wife. I didn't know what I was doing."Claire's stare became painful. She internally lamented as her heart yelled from the pain of his treachery. His confession now hurt like a third degree burn. She didn't know when she started sobbing, but that was the only sound she heard. She felt as though she’d suddenly jumped off a cliff. What she was feeling was beyond anyone's imagination. Accepting Hunter's infidelity before marriage was bearable. But thinking of him doing the same in the first week after he was dec
198"It happened a few days after Zara left me. I was heartbroken and mentally disturbed. The blaring music of the club became my companion as I found solace in alcohol. I would spend the days at office and my nights at the club." Hunter began. Now that she asked him to be honest, he was not going to skip anything. She also warned him to share it even it's hurtful, so he would do that too. As long as it convinced her to stay and be with him, he would do anything. Although that's not what he thought he would be compelled to do when he left his house to find Claire, he had no other choice. Hunter's heart raced in his chest. He was making mistake after mistake recently. One action he took to soothe his nerves ended up causing a ripple effect of consequences. Hence, he wasn't going to make another mistake by skipping any detail of his infidelity. The air was cool, and yet he sweated profusely while his face remained as white as the moon. "But I was never alone. Cole was there with me.
197A thunder clapped in the sky with lightning, illuminating their faces for a nanosecond. Hunter was panicked by her words and the expression he caught in the light from her face made his blood rush to his head. He moved closer. He pulled her to his chest and leaned his face near hers. Claire squirmed and wriggled like a fish taken out of water. But she calmed down the minute he pinned her to the tree and rested his forehead against hers, his mouth aligned with hers while his thrumming heart synced with her own. The air seemed to turn colder as darkness increased. They couldn't see each other. But in the back of their minds, they pictured each other's expressions and emotions as they breathed heavily in sync. "You are a jerk... And I hate you." Claire sobbed. Her body was shaking in misery. She was crying because of his disappearance and caressed her back. He moved his mouth to her jaw and trailed a line of kisses along her jaw to her neck as he whispered sorry to hers. Claire
196Claire dashed a hand over her cheeks to wipe her tears. She didn't know where else to go— where she could cry without being interuptted by her loved ones or well-wishers— so she came to the only place she thought would offer her the privacy and quiet she needed during this phase of her life... The lake.The same lake that was her companion during her teenage years. The same lake around which she touched herself for the first time while imagining Hunter. The same lake that soothed her heart and brought delight to her face whenever she came here in the past.However, she felt cold in her heart tonight when she came here. Her eyes stung from tears that build up. Stopping near a tree, Claire slumped down. She was tired of feeling disappointed at how her life was unfolding.Twists and turns aggravated her. It was like every month her life took a turn. While one month she was all gloomy and struggling to focus in life, the other month she was too exhilarated to contain it. The changing
195There was silence on the line from both sides. They contemplated where their siblings would go at this hour of night. A thunder roared outside and they both returned back to their senses. "It's completely okay for Tyler to stay out at this hour of night. It's not the first time. But Claire..." Shawn trailed off. "This isn't like Claire. Something's wrong." "We have to find them. Now. I'm coming to your place, Scott. I'll pick you up and we'll go together." Shawn announced."Let's go find them. I need to know what's going on. Claire would never disappear without a word." ***At Hunter's Mansion, Cole sat on the patio, his weary figure slumped in a chair. He was smoking while scrolling through his face. His face was grim while his lips twisted at the posts he came across on his feed. Tyler and Claire were trending. Some stupid social media manipulator started a rumor and it was going awfully viral now. Although Cole understood that it was fake, it sparked widespread frenzy. Us