"This can't be possible."
The words were a breathless curse, a forbidden prayer. My knuckles ached, the skin stretched taut and white over bone as I stared across the polished table, my gaze never leaving his.
Neil?
He was a vision in crushed crimson velvet, a suit that clung to every lean line and subtle curve of his body like a second skin. His hair, the color of dark honey, was cut short but perfectly, artfully messy. But it was his eyes that unraveled me completely—wide, intelligent, a mesmerizing shade of hazel that seemed to see right through the hardened shell I presented to the world.
They saw the man beneath the monster, and that was a vulnerability I could not afford.
"Ah, here he is, my son, Neil," Calico announced, his voice distant, muffled by the sudden, deafening roar in my ears.
Son?
My eyes snapped back to Neil's.
His gaze met mine, steady, unflinching, as he took the empty seat opposite me. A faint, knowing smile touched his lips.
He didn't look like a pawn in his father's game; he looked like a prince calmly awaiting his tribute.
Pedro, leaned toward me, his voice a low, gravelly whisper meant for my ears alone. "Calico has agreed to a merger, and this," he said, gesturing vaguely between Neil and me with a cigar-smelling hand, "seals it. You will be cordial, you will be grateful to me. And you will fuck his son until he forgets his own name. It's the only part of this deal I expect you to enjoy. Do not disappoint me."
The crude command revolted me, a fresh wave of bile rising in my throat. And in that moment, any lingering hope shattered. This wasn't a gift, It was a punishment.
A weapon placed directly into my hands.
The men resumed their talking, their conversation about shipments and territories fading into a dull, insignificant hum. The only thing that existed in the universe was the charged space between Neil and me. The tension was political, a cold war of syndicates, and it was violently, undeniably carnal.
After an eternity, Pedro stood, and Calico followed. "We have details to discuss elsewhere, Kai, the penthouse suite is yours for the evening. Do well to entertain our guest," Pedro said, his words a final, unsubtle command.
The two men exited, the heavy door clicking shut with a sound of terrifying finality.
We were now alone.
The silence was thicker than the table between us. I watched his chest rise and fall in a rhythm that was just a fraction too quick.
"When did you become Calico's son!?" I asked, my voice dangerously soft, as I rose slowly from my chair, my movements siphoned directly from the jungle—sleek, predatory.
I circled him, taking in the elegant line of his neck, the confident set of his shoulders that was clearly a facade. "So… you're the peace offering."
He turned in his seat to face me, his eyes tracking my every move. "He adopted me, Kai. It's a long Story"
I stopped moving abruptly, directly behind him. "And you knew about all of this, right?" I let the question hang, sharp and lethal in the air.
I saw the struggle then,
The subtle tremor in his hands, the slight tightening around his mouth. He was trying so hard to be bold, to be strong, but I knew him. I knew the coward that lived beneath that pretty veneer.
"How dare you show your face to me, after all I warned you, Neil?" I took slow, deliberate strides toward him, each step a hammer blow on the fragile ground between us.
He shivered, his eyes rising to meet mine, wide with a fear that sent a dark thrill through me. "I… I know nothing about this, Kai. We just have to forget about what happened back then and focus on now," he said, the words rushing out in a hurried, panicked stream.
I slammed my palms down on the table on either side of him, caging him in. The sound was a gunshot in the quiet room. He flinched, a full-body jolt of pure terror that was exquisite.
"Don't you dare say a fucking word," I growled, my face inches from his. My eyes bored into his, letting him see the storm he'd unleashed. "Or I might decide to snap your pretty neck."
He bowed his head, his fingers twisting together in his lap. A defeated gesture. "Kai…" he began, his voice trembling. "All that happened back then… it wasn't my fault."
I chuckled, at this, I didn't know why I found it funny, but I knew it wasn't, I wanted to know why he did what he did.
I wanted to know why he betrayed me,
I wanted to know why he cheated on me!
"Do you think I came here to talk about what happened then?" I leaned closer, my lips brushing the shell of his ear.
I inhaled his scent—sandalwood and something uniquely mint. "No! I'm standing here to tell you, that this marriage won't take be possible!"I dropped the bombshell.
His eyes snapped open. "But...but Kai, why?"He asked, his voice cracking up.
"Why what?"I asked.
"Why are you refusing to do this, you and I know, we both need this, Calico is gonna ruin me if this fails,"Neil said, as he stood up from the chair.
"If you're still furious about before, then I'm sorry Kai..., I... I still care about you Kai"Neil Stuttered but deep down, I knew it was one of his stupid games.
And I wasn't gonna fall for it anymore, never again!
Slowly, I took strides towards him, till his legs met with the table, till he was finally stuck.
"Neil... I won't do this!"I stated to his face.
"Kai...,"He whispered, his low voice replied, his deep blue eyes staring deeply at me. "I can still make this work, you and know what happened back then, wasn't entirely my fault. I was deceived, and felt threatened, that was why all of this happened,"Neil whispered, his hands finding it's way to my face, as he caress my face.
For a few moment, l lost count, I lost control, his touch send waves of shivers down my spine, as I nurtured the feelings.
But suddenly I found myself, I retraced my memories, his betrayal, hitting a dark spot in my heart, as I dropped his hands off my face. " I can bet my whole
life on this, Neil, Even if it means killing the pretty bride, which is You!." I growled.