CH.97

The bright morning sunlight was filtering in through bedroom window's gauzy curtains the next time Serena opened her eyes again.

Everything felt utterly perfect and at peace in the world for one blissful moment. And then the dull throbbing behind her temples and the acidic taste of liquor coating her tongue kicked in, swiftly shattering that illusion.

Serena groaned pitifully as she slowly became aware of her undoubted disheveled state.

She was sure to still be wearing the rumpled cocktail attire from the night before, her hair a tangled rat's nest, and her makeup leaving unsightly smudges on the pristine ivory pillowcase beneath her cheek.

Clearly, Killian must have managed to get her home and into bed at some point after their raucous night of debauchery, though she had zero recollection of how she ended up here.

Serena cautiously pushed herself into an upright position.

Her head felt like it was trapped in a tight grip and every tiny movement sent a fresh wave of nausea roiling through her gut.

What she wouldn't give to be able to go back in time and slap that first tequila shot right out of her own hand before things had devolved into such a sloppy, drunken shitshow.

Just as Serena was contemplating whether she could make it to the en-suite bathroom without puking all over her sumptuous bedding, she suddenly noticed the strong arm that was circled around her waist.

Her gaze drifted down to the tattooed hand that was clasping her possessively.

The intricate black ink of letters and dreadful animal designs swirled in mesmerizing patterns across his tanned skin.

Serena noticed she wasn't on donning a soft cotton nightgown that grazed her upper thighs instead of her dress from last night.

The fabric felt cool and soothing against her smooth skin.

She stared at the man lying next to her - the same man who had shattered her heart into a million pieces just days ago. The one person who had been haunting her every waking thought and fitful dream since he walked out without so much as a care for her.

A roiling storm of conflicting emotions battered Serena from the inside out, threatening to tear her apart. Although a part of her felt an overwhelming sense of relief and elation to be wrapped up in his familiar warmth and scent again after days of aching for his presence.

She had missed the way their bodies seemed to instinctively mold together, like two perfectly matched puzzle pieces finally reunited.

The steady rise and fall of his chest, the faint stubble on his jaw, the way his eyelashes fluttered slightly - all of it felt like coming home after a long, treacherous journey.

But that fleeting feeling of contentment was quickly overshadowed by a searing wave of anger, betrayal, and hurt that crashed over her with the force of a tsunami.

Where had he been the past couple of days?

Had he been shacked up with his sordid mistress, reveling in her embrace while she cried herself to sleep each night? Or had he already moved on to a new flavor of the week to warm his bed, discarding both her and his alleged mistress like yesterday's garbage?

The mere thought of Knox being intimate with another woman made Serena's heart contort painfully, like it was being slowly crushed in the grip of torture device.

She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms, the sharp sting helping to ground her in the swirling vortex of her emotions.

Serena wriggled herself free from Knox's arm and sat upright.

Her gaze once again stared down at his peaceful, sleeping face, half-obscured by the black mask he always wore, even to bed - yet another frustrating quirk she could never get answers about.

The mask was just one more wall between them, one more secret he kept locked away from her.

A blind rage took over Serena like a powerful intoxicant flooding her veins. It clouded her judgment and drowned out the tiny voice of reason in the back of her mind.

Without a second's hesitation, she arched her knee and delivered a forceful kick straight to Knox's midsection, putting every ounce of her pent-up anger and frustration into it.

The impact sent Knox flying off the bed to crash onto the marble floor in a tangled heap with a bone-jarring thud that reverberated through the room.

Knox was awake and alert in an instant. His eyes flew open as he scrambled to pull himself up into a seated position.

His gaze was blazing with the intensity of a raging wildfire initially with his lips curled back in a feral snarl as his instincts took over. But the scorching flames immediately dimmed and were replaced with confusion and resignation when he saw Serena glaring at him with murderous intent from her perch on the bed.

He sighed heavily, dragging a weary hand down his face as he took in her defensive body language. Her arms were crossed over her chest, her jaw set in a tense line and her eyes were glittering with unshed tears of fury.

She had misunderstood the situation and jumped to the worst possible conclusions, he realized. Not that he could really blame her, given his perpetually shady behavior and chronic lack of explanations.

It was obvious to him now that Serena had been out drinking and partying last night before she came to rouse him from his slumber, which she clearly has no recollection of.

She reeked of alcohol.

Her makeup was smeared into raccoon-like circles around her eyes, and her hair was a tangled rat's nest that would take hours to sort out.

Under normal circumstances, he would have simply ordered a maid to clean her up before putting to bed and let her sleep off her drunken state in peace. However, so much had happened over the course of a single night...

The memories came rushing back in a torrent, each one more painful than the last.

He had spent every minute with Meredith and Enzo, discussing how to move forward with their plan.

That vile woman had dared to take something far more precious and profound from both of them - something that should have been the greatest joy of their lives in just a short while.

That damn power seeker had made sure to snuff out the beautiful little spark of potential before it ever had a chance to take its first breath.

A profound, soul-crushing sense of loss and grief washed over Knox anew, the weight of it making his shoulders sag heavily.

He sank down on the edge of the bed, cradling his head in his hands as he struggled to process the emotions crashing over him.

Should he tell Serena what happened? Or would that just make things exponentially worse between them right now?

Piling more trauma on top of current state seemed unforgivably cruel. Yet keeping such a monumental secret from her felt equally wrong.

Serena was staring Knox down with a complicated storm of emotions roiling inside her like a violently shaken snow globe while he contemplated his next move.

He looked pale and sickly, much more so than the last time she had seen him.

His usual sun-kissed skin seemed ashen and dull, as if he were seriously ill or something.

His hair was disheveled, sticking up at odd angles, and there was a haunted look in his eyes that she had never seen before.

‘What happened to him these days?’ Serena pondered. ‘Not that I cared about his wellbeing at this moment,’ she reminded herself sternly.

She was too consumed by the scorching flames of anger and hurt licking at her insides to feel any sympathy for whatever he might be going through.

"Are you alright?"

Her muddled thoughts were interrupted by Knox’s gravelly and exhausted tone.