Chapter 5: A Step Too Far

AMAYA'S POV

The moment my lips landed on his, realization hit me like a slap. I kissed Logan! I kissed the devil. Slowly, I moved away from him as my mind whirled back to when Erica said a kiss is the best way to seduce a man. I had been thinking about that, but I never thought I’d be foolish enough to actually do it.

I glanced at Logan. His evil smirk made me quiver in fear. There’s no way he won’t punish me for this, and I’m ready for any punishment—I was the stupid one. Why the heck did I kiss him? Why? Maybe it was the memory of his strawberry taste on our wedding day. I must have been eager to kiss him again, and now here I am, having kissed him and implicated myself.

Gazing at the ground, my heartbeat increased. His silence was killing me. He should say something already. It was as if he heard my thoughts.

“You really kissed me,” he muttered, his voice low and cruel.

I already knew I was in trouble, but the tension building up shattered when the door creaked open. My eyes flickered toward the door, and my brows furrowed at the sight of a young lady in a short black gown. She bowed briefly and started walking inside. Who is this? His sister? I wondered as my gaze followed her movement, eventually landing back on Logan. She was walking toward him.

Logan’s gaze met mine, and we stared at each other. His piercing, cold eyes held not a hint of mercy. The lady broke the silence, making Logan shift his gaze from me, and I was silently thankful for that.

“Boss, Mr. Kaylan already got back to us,” she informed.

“What about the invoice?” Logan asked as he started walking toward the stairs. My resolve shattered as I watched him leave the living room. I could finally breathe. I barely exhaled when he glided back to me, his head lowered to my ear.

“Get ready for your punishment,” he whispered in his usual venomous tone.

My heart skipped a beat as my gaze shifted to his face. The smirk etched on it was terrifying. Why is he smirking? I wondered. He moved away, turning to ascend the stairs with his secretary—or whoever she was.

I released a deep sigh. Even if I was going to be punished, I should at least be able to breathe. After regaining my senses—yes, I’d been senseless before—I cursed myself for kissing Logan. And here I was, expecting punishment for that moment of foolishness.

I glanced at Nova, who was still standing. The shock was still evident on her face. I guess Logan has that effect on everyone. I strode to Nova’s side and placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Miss Nova,” I called softly, jolting her out of her thoughts.

She glanced at me and sighed. “The boss was mad,” she muttered as she bent down, picking up the broken glasses. I joined her, wanting to keep the conversation going. For some reason, I wanted to talk to her. I wanted her to tell me more about Logan. Since she had been here for a long time, she must know a lot about him.

“Is that how he usually acts?” I asked. Nova replied simply, “Yes.”

After packing up the glasses, we trashed them, and Nova started preparing to cook. I knew her reply was indirectly telling me she wasn’t interested in the conversation, but she’d started it.

“Why are you so scared of your boss?” I asked, staring intently at Nova. I expected her to narrate some event, maybe when Logan killed someone. I was certain that man must have ended someone’s life.

Nova stopped cutting the vegetables and stared at me for a moment. “Madam Amaya, you are a young girl. The only advice I can give you is to ignore everything you see here. Don’t confuse yourself with the boss’s life,” she expressed, her eyes filled with concern.

I bit my lower lip. She was trying to make me forget about Logan. Strangely, her words only made me more interested in him. Why did she advise me not to confuse myself because of Logan? What was she hiding? The questions swirled in my mind as I stared at her side profile.

As my lips parted to speak, the piercing sound of Nova’s phone filled the air. I stopped myself and watched as Nova answered with only, “Okay, sir.” She hung up.

She glanced at me, noticing my curious gaze. “The boss wanted some water,” she explained, thinking I was curious about her call. I was curious about her boss, and she wouldn’t talk about him.

She gently placed a cup and a bottle of water on a tray. As I watched her, I suddenly felt the urge to get closer to her. If we became close, she might open up to me.

“I’ll take it upstairs. You can continue cooking,” I mumbled, trying to collect the tray from her.

“No, madam...”

I interrupted her, “Insist! I want to help you.”

“Thank you, madam. His library is opposite your room.” She smiled and handed the tray to me.

As I carried the tray, I realized the gravity of what I was doing. To get closer to Nova, I was volunteering to see the devil. Why the heck do I keep doing things without thinking? I glanced back at Nova, who was engrossed in cooking. I couldn’t call her back and tell her I wouldn’t do it anymore.

Taking a deep breath, I began climbing the stairs, each step echoing like a warning bell, reminding me I was heading to the lion’s den. My heart beat increased as I finally reached the door. Leaning against it, I strained to catch snippets of Logan’s conversation with his worker, but I couldn't hear anything, but they were inside. Why weren’t they communicating?

I stood properly, keeping the tray balanced on my hand, before knocking on the door and waiting patiently for a response, but I never got one. I groaned, frustration bubbling up. Why weren’t they answering? Should I just drop the tray here? No... He’d think Nova did that, and he would punish her for it.

Sighing, I twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open. As I stepped into the library, the darkness made me wonder if I was still in the same house. Outside was so bright, contrasting with the gloomy atmosphere set in the library. A dim bulb hung in the center, with a long plush couch under it, the light  faintly illuminating the shelves of books surrounding the spacious room.

“Your water,” I mumbled, straining my eyes to catch the scene in front of me. That’s when I noticed nobody was sitting on the couch, it was a clothe.  He asked for water, why isn’t he here? My inner mind questioned.

Confused, I placed the tray down and walked deeper into the library, my fingers grazing the spines of the books. So, he’s a book addict—unlike me. I could barely read the compulsory stories recommended by teachers in school. What’s so fun about reading, anyway?

Then I decided to take one. My hand reached for a red book titled Forever in Darkness. My curiosity piqued. What’s the book about? I wondered.

As I flipped to the first page, the darkness in the library was suddenly replaced by an illuminating brightness that nearly blinded me. I closed my eyes at the sudden intensity, my vision weakened.

Finally, I opened them, and they landed on Logan, who was staring at me, his leg crossed over the other. He wasn’t smirking now. He looked furious.

As I stared back at him, one thing became crystal clear—he was angry and I am the reason behind the anger, which means  I am dead. His next words confirmed it.

“Since you love crossing lines. Do you want me to show you what happens when you take a step too far?”