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8. Unfinished Business
Last Updated:
2024-10-15 16:51:36Related chapters
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 9. A Kiss Too Deep
Ric’s gaze flickers, darkening slightly as he pulls back just enough to study my face. His hands hover at my hips, gripping me just tight enough to remind me of his presence, but not tight enough to keep me close. “What happened?” His voice is rougher, though his hands remain still.I let out a breath, feeling the tension coil between us. “My stylist will be mad if I don’t get a proper picture in this dress,” I say, forcing a light tone, but the weight of the moment presses on me.Ric’s lips twitch with the hint of a smirk, but he doesn’t fully relax. His thumb brushes my waist in a slow, deliberate motion. “Is that what you're worried about?” His voice is low, teasing. “A picture?”I shrug, though the closeness makes it impossible to keep my cool. “Yes. She worked on it for weeks. It was meant to be worn for Mike’s launch party,” My voice wavers slightly. “I promised her it wouldn’t go to waste.”“She might have to forgive you,” he murmurs, daring me to give in.But I manage a smile,
Last Updated : 2024-10-15The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 10. Lights, Camera, and Chaos
I step out of the greenroom, running my hands down the fabric of my gown, trying to fix my look. I can't look like I was about to get laid backstage. The distant hum of the event feels like white noise, almost soothing compared to the whirlwind of the last few minutes. For a second, I let myself breathe, steadying the rush in my chest. But it’s short-lived. The moment I spot Meera hurrying toward me, her face a mask of disbelief, I know my brief escape is over.“Nat?” Her voice is low, almost like she’s afraid I might disappear if she speaks too loudly. “Where the hell have you been? I’ve been calling you nonstop!” Her words are laced with both worry and frustration, but I can’t help the grin that tugs at my lips. She has no idea.“I threw my phone in the bin,” I reply with a casual shrug, as if it’s the most reasonable thing in the world. “Didn’t feel like dealing with Mike tonight.”Meera’s eyebrows shoot up as she stares at me, her eyes flicking down to the bouquet in my hands. Her
Last Updated : 2024-10-19The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 11. A Gaze That Burns
The second I step into the building, I spot Meera. Her eyes are wide, and for a moment, she looks like she’s about to faint. “Okay,” she says, shaking her head in disbelief. “I expected something loud and ugly. And while this wasn’t exactly that, it’s... somehow worse.” She pauses, but then her lips curve into a smirk. “Just don’t ruin your dress, alright? You look sexy when you’re pissed.”I let out a breathy laugh despite myself. Leave it to Meera to find the silver lining, however small. “Noted,” I mutter, brushing past her as I make my way into the main hall.The lights inside are dim, the soft chatter of guests filling the space as I weave through the tables. As I slip into my seat at the table, the low murmur of conversations and clinking glasses fills the room. I barely have a chance to take in my surroundings before my eyes land on a familiar face sitting across from me — the lead actor from my debut movie. Chris Matthews. It’s been seven years since we worked together on that
Last Updated : 2024-10-19The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 12. Ruin me, Ric
Ric doesn’t take his eyes off me—not for the next few seconds, not for the next few minutes. Every time I steal a glance in his direction, I find him staring, those dark eyes boring into me, filled with a possessive rage that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s not just a passing look, either. It’s intense, unyielding, and there’s a raw edge to it that shouldn’t tempt me, but it does. I can feel my pulse quicken every time our gazes lock, and I hate how much I’m affected by him, by this. I’m fighting a losing battle with myself, trying to suppress the heat pooling in my stomach.I can’t immerse myself in any conversation after that. Every time someone speaks to me, their words float past my ears, barely registering. I’m too caught up in the memory of Ric — his face inches from mine, the way his breath felt warm against my skin, teasing me, shredding every sense of control I have over my body. I keep thinking about how close I was to letting him cross that line, how I had almost given in
Last Updated : 2024-10-21The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 13. The Secrets We Hide
I pace around the living room, my eyes constantly flicking to the front door in the hopes that I'll hear the bell ring any second. The penthouse feels too big, too quiet, making it hard to breathe. Ric’s going to be here any minute, and I can barely keep my thoughts together. I straighten the pillows on the couch for the hundredth time, then smooth down my dress, wondering if I should’ve changed into something else. But the knot in my stomach tells me it won’t matter.The bell rings, and my heart leaps into my throat. I take a deep breath and walk to the door. When I open it, there he is. Ric. Those dark eyes lock onto mine immediately, and it feels like everything else falls away.He steps inside without saying a word, closing the door behind him. His hand brushes my arm as he passes, a small, almost innocent touch, but it sends a wave of heat through me.“Did you think about me?” His voice is low, smooth, the kind of tone that could melt steel.I swallow hard, barely able to find m
Last Updated : 2024-10-22The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 14. A Game of Expectations
I stare at the small plastic stick on the bathroom counter, waiting. The instructions said to wait three minutes, but I’ve been here for over five, anxiously hoping for two lines that still haven’t appeared. I let out a loud breath, my shoulders sagging in disappointment.There’s nothing. Not even a faint shadow of a second line.“Of course, there’s nothing,” I whisper to myself, a harsh laugh escaping my lips. “Why did I even bother?”I know I can’t be pregnant. There’s been no missed period, or sex that could have led to this. I haven’t been with Mike in months, and Ric... well, Ric and I haven’t gotten that far, even if my mind has wandered there. So why did I even take the test?I scoff, tossing the stick into the trash can. “Stupid,” I mutter under my breath, wiping my hands on a towel before glancing in the mirror. My eyes are glassy, and I blink back the tears that have formed.Was it because of Mike? His stupid confession about Hayley — his mistress — being pregnant... It had s
Last Updated : 2024-10-23The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 15. Risking It All
I lean back in the car seat, my fingers tapping against my thigh, trying to distract myself from the gnawing feeling in my chest. The city flashes by in a blur, but I’m too distracted by my own thoughts to really notice. Next to me, Meera huffs for the third time in as many minutes, clearly annoyed. I glance at her, raising an eyebrow, waiting for her to spill whatever is on her mind. She doesn’t disappoint.“You know, I've had to take all your calls since you literally threw your phone away,” she finally complains, her voice tinged with annoyance. “And I mean all of them.”I give a small shrug, not particularly moved by her annoyance. "All those calls are professional, Meera. You’re paid to handle them. It’s part of your job."She stares at me with a scowl. "You can’t be serious, Nat. Professional calls are one thing, but what about your personal life? You can’t just ghost the world, pretending it doesn’t exist."I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "What personal life? Who do I
Last Updated : 2024-10-25The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 16. Every Inch
I approach the front desk with a small smile, feeling every ounce of confidence in the way my heels click against the polished marble floors before meeting the receptionist's gaze as she greets me with professional politeness.“I’d like to see Richard Steward,” I say, keeping my tone smooth, almost casual.The receptionist blinks, clearly taken aback by the request, though she masks her surprise quickly. “Richard Steward?” she asks, as if confirming she heard right. “The CEO?”“That’s right,” I nod, giving her a faint smile that I know conveys I won’t take no for an answer.There’s a brief pause as she processes this, then she asks, “And may I tell him who’s asking?”“Tell him it’s Elliot Jones’ daughter,” I reply, watching her reaction closely. There’s a flicker of recognition and maybe a hint of intrigue in her eyes, but she keeps her expression neutral. She picks up the phone and makes a quick call, her voice low and professional. When she hangs up, she meets my gaze with a practis
Last Updated : 2024-10-26
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The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 61. Where the Answers Lie
From the outside, Hayley’s family home looks like any other middle-income house. The lawn is modest, edged with flower beds that have seen better days. The curtains are drawn, casting a somber shadow over the brick facade. It’s the kind of place that holds echoes of laughter, birthdays, and quiet evenings spent together. A happy home, or at least, it was.Today, it holds grief, heavy and suffocating.The street is a circus. Paparazzi crowd the sidewalks, their lenses glinting in the gray light. The air buzzes with the hum of whispered speculation and the rapid clicks of cameras. Their presence here is insulting, but I acknowledge that they could do worse, and have done worse. I step out of the car, the sound of my heels on the pavement sharp. Immediately, the crowd shifts, a swarm of bodies struggling for a better angle. Questions are shouted, their voices slicing through the air, but I don’t acknowledge them.I don’t smile. I don’t wave.This isn’t the red carpet.Anya walks beside
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 60. I Want You, Now
I expect to hear something from my father, having signed the deal, but there’s not much to be disappointed about. At one point, I could have laughed like an evil maniac after this achievement — despite knowing this win wouldn’t have been possible without Ric’s help — but now it’s just meh. Thank you, next. Meera, however, wants to celebrate with pizza. When she sees my confused face, she tells me I deserve it for just what a joke my life has become. She’s not wrong. And then she casually slips to me that I got the role in Haymitch’s movie.I almost choke on the piece of pizza I’m chewing. “When did that happen?”“Oh, the call came when you were in the meeting. Anya was thrilled, believe it or not,” says Meera. The mention of Anya takes away any bit of appetite I had. “She was?”“Yeah,” Meera agrees with a mouthful. A bit of sauce oozes out of her mouth and begins to drip down her mouth, but before I can say anything, Matt wipes it off with a tissue. I pretend to not notice the exc
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 59. Anything, Natalie. Anything
I leave my penthouse with Meera by my side, the world outside feeling too bright, too loud, for the space I’ve been hiding in. The air feels sharp against my skin as if it knows what I’ve been up to these past few days. I slip on sunglasses, trying to disappear into the back seat of the car, but Meera’s voice keeps pulling me back to reality.“You ready for this?” she asks, flipping through something on her tablet, probably the calendar she’s micromanaged for me since forever.“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I mutter, staring out at the blur of buildings passing by.Am I ready though? I don’t know. My mind drifts to the last time I stood in my father’s office, barely escaping the scrutiny that was hurled at me. No preparation, no defense — I’d walked into that room a girl playing dress-up. I still remember the way those boardroom vultures had smirked, like they couldn’t wait to watch me fail.I haven’t heard from my father, Elliot Jones, in weeks. Not a call, not a message, not even a col
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 58. The Price of a Kiss
Between kisses that leave me breathless and stolen touches that make me forget the world outside, Ric and I pore over the details of my presentation for the rest of the day. It’s a strange bubble we’ve created, a space where nothing else exists — no expectations, no consequences. Just the steady rhythm of our work and the occasional hum of desire pulling us back into each other’s arms.But the bubble was always bound to burst.The next morning, as sunlight creeps through the floor-to-ceiling windows, reality rears its ugly head. My phone buzzes once, twice, three times. I don’t bother checking it, knowing exactly who’s on the other end. The knocks come next, sharp and demanding, echoing through the penthouse like an alarm bell. I freeze, my breath catching in my throat.“Who is it?” Ric’s voice is low, groggy from sleep, but his body is already tense beside me.“Anya,” I whisper, dread curling in my stomach. She always ignores the bell, and knocks instead whenever she’s fuming.He sits
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 57. A Web of Lovers and Lies
I call Maisie and tell her not to come in today. No cooking, no cleaning. I tell her I need space, a day to myself. It’s a lie, of course, but she doesn’t press. When Meera calls asking if she can swing by, I cut her off with another lie. “I’m binge-watching some mindless show,” I tell her, feigning a lazy yawn. “Having you here would just remind me of the tragedy from yesterday. Let’s catch up later?” Anya’s call comes next. She wants to go over interview questions, her usual no-nonsense approach taking precedence over everything. “I can’t,” I say, forcing a hoarse rasp into my voice. “I think I’m coming down with something. Maybe tomorrow?” One lie after another. I weave them effortlessly, piling them up like bricks to fortify my cocoon. Because the truth is, I don’t want to see anyone. I don’t want to do anything except stay locked up in my penthouse with Ric. Ric, whose lips are currently tracing a path of fire down my thighs. My fingers knot in his hair, pulling and ho
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 56. In the Devil's Arms
We fall asleep on the couch that night, tangled together in a mess of bad decisions and fleeting comfort. Ric’s arms remain firm around my waist, and my head rests on his chest, rising and falling with his steady breaths. The nightmares don’t come, and I wonder if it’s the warmth of his embrace or the devil’s presence itself keeping them at bay.I’ve killed people, Natalie.The words echo in my head as the first rays of sunlight filter through the floor-to-ceiling windows, bathing us in soft, golden light. My cheek is pressed against his chest, his heartbeat steady and strong beneath me. For a while, I just lie there, letting the rhythm soothe me in ways I don’t understand, in ways it shouldn’t.His arms don’t budge, even as I lift my head to study his face. The man who held me so tenderly last night. The man who kisses like he’s burning but pulls away like he’s drowning. The man who has killed people.I trace my finger along the lines of his face, memorizing the edges as if they could
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 55. A Monster
I laugh bitterly, the sound harsh even to my own ears. “Yourself? That’s what this is about? You think you’re some kind of monster I can’t handle? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds, Ric?”His eyes darken, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “You don’t understand, Natalie. I’ve done things… things that would make you look at me differently. Things that would make you run.”“Then explain,” I challenge, my hands tightening on his face. “Stop assuming I can’t handle it.”He hesitates, his throat bobbing as he swallows hard. When he finally speaks, his words are raw and jagged, like they’re being ripped from his soul. “I’ve killed people, Natalie.”Suddenly I can’t breathe. All the air around us seems to have vanished. I blink, my hands slipping from his face as his confession settles between us like a bomb.“What?” My voice is barely audible, but it’s the only word I can manage.He doesn’t look away, his gaze piercing. “I’ve killed people. It’s not something I can take back, and it
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 54. Stop Torturing Me
I can’t tell if it’s the adrenaline coursing through me or the way his dark eyes hold mine, as if he’s searching for something he’s terrified to find.“Try,” I say again, my voice shaky. It’s a plea, a desperate attempt to save this. Save us. Whatever we are, I know it’s worth saving. I don’t know what thoughts are swirling behind those dark eyes, what decisions they’re weighing, what explanation he’s trying to weave into coherent words. All I know is that — whatever it is, I’ll take it. God, I hate him for making me feel like this — so exposed, so vulnerable. But I hate myself more for still wanting him, for needing him, even now.And when his eyes return to me it’s all I can do to not run to him and wrap my arms around him. A part of my brain tries to remind me of the way he dismissed me, disregarding all the time we spent together, all the kisses. But he did just say that he couldn’t keep pretending I didn’t matter, right? “Ric,” I prompt, unable to keep my patience any longer. “I
The Man I Shouldn't Want: A Game of Seduction & Lies 53. When the Mask Slips
You may not have even realised.Those words follow me for the rest of the evening, haunting my every waking moment. I didn’t realise, no. Not until just a few hours ago when it seemed like a possibility. The possibility of being pregnant with Ric’s child. I don’t know what I was expecting to hear, until the very last second before the doctor reentered with the results. But miscarriage had never struck my mind. It seems so bizarre now. A cruel joke, almost. Here’s a problem, but wait there’s a solution. And I’m not satisfied with either. The doctor said there had to be some more tests that needed to be done because she found something suspicious. I was too dazed to be concerned, but Meera stepped forward and asked if it was something to worry about. A lost child.I don’t think anything can take your attention away from that. A child you didn’t even realise you were carrying. On the way back, Meera tries to uplift my sullen mood by saying that it wasn’t quite a baby — just a bunch
