All Chapters of CRUEL OBSESSION: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I barely made it two steps past the foyer before my mother’s sharp voice cut through the air.“Elena.”I froze, my fingers curling around the strap of my bag, nails digging into the expensive leather.Damn it.I’d seen Cameron’s car parked outside the mansion the moment my driver pulled in, and I knew exactly what that meant—trouble.For once, I’d planned to be smart. To avoid the headache, I took the back stairs and locked myself in my room. But of course, my mother was always one step ahead.With a slow inhale, I schooled my features into a neutral expression and turned toward the living room.Cameron sat on one of the velvet couches, looking every bit the perfect, polished man my parents adored. He was relaxed, legs crossed, arm thrown over the back of the couch like he belonged there. His hair was perfectly styled, his uniform pressed without a wrinkle in sight, and his smug little smirk told me he was enjoying this far too much.My father sat across from him, flipping through som

We barely made it back to the room the museum staff had provided before we were at each other again—hot, desperate, unable to stop.The air was thick with the scent of us, our bodies tangled in the dim light, sheets pushed to the floor as we devoured each other over and over. There was no hesitation, no second-guessing, only the raw need that kept us going until the early hours of the morning.When dawn finally crept in, spilling golden light through the windows, we lay in a breathless, tangled mess. My body ached in places I hadn’t even known could ache, and Noah looked just as wrecked, his lips swollen, his skin marked with the evidence of the night we had lost ourselves in.We didn't say much. There was no need to. The silence between us wasn’t awkward—it was something else. Something that felt dangerously close to contentment.With lazy movements, we reached for the extra uniforms we had brought, exchanging smirks as we realized the ones from last night were nothing but shredded r

I barely made it three steps out of the library before I heard my name, sharp and laced with accusation.“Elena.”I sighed, already knowing what was coming. Squaring my shoulders, I turned to find Tiffany standing a few feet away, arms crossed so tightly her nails pressed into her skin. Her eyes flicked over me—too observant for my liking—taking in my flushed cheeks, the slight mess in my hair, the way my blouse wasn’t as perfectly tucked as it had been before.Shit.She knew.“Care to explain what the hell is going on?” Her voice was clipped, her expression unreadable.I forced a smirk, tilting my head as if I had no idea what she was talking about. “What do you mean?”Tiffany scoffed, stepping closer. “Don’t play dumb, Elena. I saw you sneak off to the library, and I know exactly who was in there with you.”Noah.Of course, she knew. Tiffany missed nothing, and if I had been smarter, I would’ve been more careful. But I wasn’t thinking about Tiffany or anyone else when I was with him

My hands trembled as I smoothed down my skirt, my pulse still erratic. Every inch of my body was hyperaware of what had just happened—of his touch, his lips, the way he completely unraveled me.But I couldn’t afford to fall apart here.Not now. Not in front of him.I lifted my chin, forcing my expression into something cold, indifferent, as if my legs weren’t still weak beneath me. As if my heart wasn’t still racing.Noah leaned against the sink, arms crossed over his chest, watching me with that insufferable smirk.I hated that smirk.Mostly because I wanted to kiss it off his face.“You’re staring,” I snapped, keeping my voice sharp, unaffected.He shrugged, lazy and unbothered. “Hard not to, considering what just happened.”Heat scorched my skin, but I forced myself to glare instead. “That was a mistake.”He pushed off the sink, closing the distance between us in two slow steps.“Sure,” he murmured, voice dripping with disbelief.I clenched my fists. “I mean it.”Noah tilted his he

I wasn’t supposed to be here.I knew it the second I saw Elena walk through the library doors, her eyes full of something dangerous—something that made me feel both alive and completely powerless at the same time.She was trouble.She was chaos.And she was going to ruin me.But I couldn’t stop myself from watching her, from drinking in every detail—her clenched fists, the way she worried her bottom lip between her teeth, the way she looked like she was seconds away from falling apart.I’d seen Elena angry. I’d seen her arrogant, cruel, and reckless.But this?This was fear.She stopped a few feet away from me, crossing her arms like she was trying to put a barrier between us. “My father knows.”The words settled like lead in my stomach.I swallowed, forcing a smirk. “No surprise there. Cameron was practically foaming at the mouth.”Elena didn’t laugh. She didn’t even roll her eyes. She just took a step closer, her voice low. “You don’t understand, Noah. This isn’t just about keeping