Chapter 41: Her swollen bottom lip

Chapter 41: Her swollen bottom lip "What do you mean by this, Rick?" Orabela screamed, her voice shaking with disbelief. "Why are you breaking up with me? You proposed to me just a few days ago!" She couldn’t grasp how everything had changed so suddenly, how the man she thought she would spend her life with could say such things. Her hands trembled as she ran her fingers through her hair, standing in the middle of a vast, empty field. It was early in the morning, and Roderick had asked her to meet him in this isolated spot, but she never expected their conversation to go this way. "Because you forced me to drink that night," Roderick said coldly, his eyes distant. "I have no intention of staying involved with you. I never wanted to marry you. You’re good in bed, but you’re not wife material." Orabela’s heart felt like it shattered in that moment. "What did you just say?" she bellowed, her voice growing louder as she stepped closer and grabbed him by the collar. "You think I’m just your mistress, don’t you? You can’t get rid of me like this! We’ve been together for six months, Rick. How can you forget everything we’ve been through? All the moments we shared?" Tears welled up in her eyes, but they weren’t just from heartbreak—they were from the rage boiling inside her. She had given so much of herself to him, only to be discarded so callously. "Hey, you’re forgetting why we even got together!" Roderick retorted, his voice cold and detached. "You were the one who clung to me every weekend at the bar, seducing me into bed. I told you I was committed to Layla, but you told me to think of it as an ’extra service,’ remember?" Orabela’s face hardened, her anger mixing with desperation. "So what? You couldn’t keep your pants shut either! And I’m not Layla, Rick. I won’t just walk away. If you don’t marry me, I’ll make sure you regret it. Your mother knows about us, while Layla? You never even had the guts to tell her." Her voice softened as she took his hands, hoping to sway him. "Rick, please, don’t do this. I love you. We’ve been through so much together. You can’t just discard me like this." Roderick’s expression remained unmoved. "But I don’t love you," he stated bluntly, pushing her away. He roughly removed the engagement ring from her finger, the cold metal slipping away as easily as his promises. Without another word, he turned and began to walk off. "Rick! Rick!" Orabela screamed, chasing after him. But he didn’t look back. He got into his car and sped off, leaving her standing there, abandoned and broken in the middle of the empty field. "How could he do this to me?" she whispered, rubbing her tear-filled eyes before running her fingers through her hair in frustration. Her breath came out ragged, her chest heaving with anger. "And he still likes Layla! That bitch! She’s ruining my life even when she’s not around!" Orabela’s fists clenched tightly as a dark, sinister thought began to form in her mind, twisting her anger into something far more dangerous. "I’ll kill you, Layla," Orabela muttered. ~~~~ Layla’s woke up from the sleep quite late and found she was the only one on the bed. Her head ached and surprisingly, she didn’t remember anything from the last night. "What kind of drink that was?" Layla mumbled while rubbing her forehead. She decided to freshen up and headed to the washroom. After washing her face and brushing her teeth, she came to the room to take the clothes she would wear today when the door flung open and Lucius walked in. "Good morning, Layla." He greeted her with a smile. "Morning. Why did you not wake me up? I over–" Her words ceased in her mouth as Lucius captured her mouth for a kiss what he had promised last night. Layla was taken aback by his sudden gesture and got the glimpse from the last night, where she took a promise from him for a kiss in the morning. However, unlike the former times, she didn’t push him away and returned the kiss with equal passion. She felt Lucius sat before her. He tilted her neck, wanting to take a perfect angle for the kiss as his long fingers cradled her neck and even had some hair entangled around them. She found her feet moving toward the bed on its own while her arms clung around him. When did she become so open to him? But what she liked was that Lucius never used to take advantage of her in any situation. Her heart thumped loudly against her chest and she could hear the beats of it even in her ears. ’Why? Why does Lucius affect me so much?’ she thought in her mind. She was now on the bed, their kiss didn’t stop even at this moment. "Ahh..." Layla let out a low cry when he nipped her bottom lip, seeking entrance to her mouth. Her lips parted within seconds, not realizing what would come next. Layla’s breath hitched as Lucius deepened the kiss, his tongue exploring her mouth with fervor she had never experienced before. Her mind spun, caught between the intensity of the moment and the confusing emotions flooding her. Lucius’ gentle yet firm hold on her waist grounded her as her heart raced uncontrollably. Every part of her body felt on fire, like she was discovering new sensations she never knew existed. Her hands tightened around him, pulling him closer as their kiss continued to escalate. Lucius’ knee between her legs made her body more aware of the proximity, the heat between them building rapidly. But even in the midst of their passion, she felt the restraint in him—he wasn’t pushing her, wasn’t forcing anything more than what she was ready to give. Lucius finally pulled back, his breathing uneven as he looked down at her with a dark, intense gaze. His thumb brushed against her swollen bottom lip, and Layla felt her heart thump even harder. "Layla, you got the kiss which you demanded last night," Lucius said while breathing hard. "What will you give me in return?" His eyes hooded with desire, which didn’t go unnoticed from Layla’s eyes. "Maybe I’ll cook a delicious breakfast for you," Layla replied.