CHAPTER THIRTEEN
LIANA’S POV
+25 BONUS
The morning after was never supposed to feel this awful. Not like this. Not with the shame and disgust wrapping around my
body, as if it were choking me slowly, making it hard for me to breathe.
I blinked up at the ceiling and for a second, I let myself pretend I wasn’t in his bed. Pretend that last night hadn’t happened.
But the ache between my legs told me otherwise. The scent of raw sex on the sheets was still strong. Way too strong.
God. What did I do?
My phone dinged from somewhere on the nightstand. I reached for it with trembling hands, hoping, praying, it was just
some spam text I could delete and forget.
It wasn’t.
Simon: Morning, baby. Surprise! I’m in your city today. Can’t wait to finally see you in
person. Pick me up?
I stared at the message like it would magically change if I blinked enough. But it didn’t. It just sat there on the screen,
taunting me. Mocking me.
Simon. My boyfriend. The man I’d been dating online for the past two months. The sweet guy who sent good morning texts and asked about Ryan like he already cared. The one who talked about flying down to meet me. The one I’d promised myself
I wouldn’t disappoint.
And yet here I was… naked under Killian’s shirt… used, ruined, and hollow all over again.
P
“Shit,” I whispered, sitting up slowly, trying not to stir the man beside me. My body ached in places I didn’t want to think about. I wrapped the blanket around myself, as if that could hide the damage. as if it could make any of this better.
I was almost off the bed when I felt it–a strong arm pulling me back in like a chain wrapped around my waist.
“Where are you going?” Killian’s voice was deep and rough, still thick with sleep.
I froze. Every part of me went still, as if maybe if I didn’t move, he’d let go.
He pressed his face into my shoulder. “Who’s Simon?”
I swallowed hard. “He’s my boyfriend.”
His entire body tensed behind me. The arm that had been resting gently on my waist was now STEEL.
“What?! You HAVE A BOYFRIEND?!” He barked.
“Yes I do,” I snapped.
He pulled me closer, his grip almost bruising. “Break up with him, NOW!”
1 jerked my head toward him, my eyes burning. “What?? You’re insane, Killian!”
“I said Break. The fuck up. With him!” he thundered
My chest heaved as I stared at him. “No I won’t. I love him!”
Killian let out a bitter laugh, sharp and cold as winter. “You love him? You love him but let another man fuck you all night?”
“No. I didn’t. You raped me Killian You forced yourself on me ”
1/3
+25 BONUS
He blinked. Once. Twice.
“What?” he whispered.
“You heard me,” I hissed. “You took me against my will. You forced yourself on me. You were supposed to be my
stepbrother!”
His expression turned to stone. His jaw clenched. Something flickered behind his eyes… pain? maybe regret. But I didn’t
care. I didn’t want to care.
I yanked the blanket tighter around me and climbed off the bed as fast as I could.
“Thanks for accommodating me and my son for the night,” I said stiffly even though I tried as much as possible
composed. “I’ll get my son and I a place today. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
to
sound
I didn’t wait for a response. I didn’t want to hear whatever twisted justification he might have. I walked out of the room
the little dignity I had left.
with
slipped into the guest room where Ryan had been sleeping. I kissed his forehead softly. He was still sound asleep. I crept
into the bathroom and showered quickly. When I came out of the room to wake him up, the bed was empty.
“Ryan?” I called out, panic rising in my throat as I rushed into the hallway with just my robe on. “Ryan?!”
Then I heard laughter downstairs.
I exhaled sharply and followed the sound, my bare feet silent against the floor.
There he was.
Sitting beside Killian on the living room couch and nibbling on a chocolate bar like it was the most natural thing in the
world.
“Ryan, come on. You’re going to be late for school. Go take your bath.”
He looked up at me, then back at Killian. “Mommy… Is Mr. Killian your friend?” he asked innocently.
Killian chuckled under his breath.
“No. He’s just my big brother,” I replied tightly. Killian threw me a hard glare, but I ignored it, refusing to let him bait me
again.
Ryan tilted his head. “But I don’t have any uncles. You never told me I have one. Isn’t he my uncle?”
I sighed. “No, baby.”
He frowned. “But my teacher said my mom’s brother is my uncle.”
I took in a deep breath and sighed loudly while Killian raised an eyebrow at me, clearly entertained.
“I’ll explain later, okay, baby? Now go take your bath, please.”
But Ryan wasn’t done.
“Did you sleep in the same room with him last night?”
I froze
“What are you saying, Ryan!?”
Killian laughed again, low and smug
2/3
+25 BONUS
“You were in his white shirt this morning when you entered my room. and I also looked for you at night but didn’t find you. But you were screaming inside his room.”
My face went hot.
“Okay… that’s enough,” I said quickly, grabbing his arm.
He kept trailing after me, not stopping for even a moment. “Did he beat you because you did something wrong?”
My chest tightened. “Ryan. Bath. Now.”
We got into the room and I locked the door behind us. I turned to him, trying to keep my expression calm but inside, I was
trembling.
He sat on the bed, watching me with those wide eyes that always saw too much.
“Mom… he looks so much like me,” Ryan said slowly. “He showed me his picture when he
like me.”
my age. and he looks so much
I stood still, my heart thudding in my chest.
“Is it because he’s your brother?” he asked. “Or… is Mr. Killian my daddy?”
Everything in me stopped.
My blood. My thoughts. My breath.
“Ryan…” I whispered.
His eyes was filled with curiosity.
“Is he?”
I didn’t know what to say. My mouth opened but no sound came out. That was the one question I had been running from for
six long years.
And now it was here.
Looking me dead in the face.
Waiting for an answer I wasn’t sure I could give.
