Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 26246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26246 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Was this really happening?
Lyrius was in front of her. Cupping her face with shaking hands while endless tears ran down her cheeks.
Was it really him? Or had she lost her mind? It couldn’t really be him, could it?
Lyrius could read her every thought now. That was just how love and truth worked together, and that was why it killed him...how it fucking killed him to know just how much she was suffering.
“I’m sorry,” he said hoarsely. “I’m sorry for not knowing...I’m sorry—”
“W-Why are you apologizing?” she asked shakily. “There’s nothing—”
“I love you, Kyara.”
The words stole her breath, her heart, and her soul.
“I’ve always loved you—”
And she wished, oh she wished she could give him the words, but she just couldn’t speak. Her heart was aching so, so much that all she could do was cry as he pulled her in his arms. Oh, Lyrius. Oh, Lyrius, I love you too. Please, please know I love you, too, but I just...can’t.
Because nothing had changed, and while she knew she had prayed for this, she still didn’t know how to protect him, and so for now...
Lyrius was no longer surprised when Kyara suddenly jerked against him. This was what happened last night. Kyara finding refuge in him...before remembering that evil existed. It had caught him off guard then. But not now. Not again. And that was why—
When she tried pulling away just like last night, he didn’t let her go.
When she begged him to free her, he only tightened his arms.
“Please,” she was saying against his shirt, “please, you don’t understand, he’ll—Lyrius, please, you don’t know what he’ll do, he’ll call his father, he’ll—”
“I know.”
W-What did he mean?
“I know everything, Kyara, and that’s why I need you to look at me...”
A part of her wanted to deny this, believing that all of this was pointless, and that they were just torturing themselves for nothing. But because she remembered to pray for this, and she had to believe that Cyrus couldn’t possibly be more powerful than God—
Kyara slowly mustered the courage to meet his gaze, and oh, what she saw—
“And now I need you to promise me you’ll trust me.”
It made her start crying again.
Because what she saw in his eyes was every answer to her prayer.
Chapter 15
CYRUS WAS STARTING to feel impatient. And uneasy. If he had to be honest, which thankfully he rarely had to be, he was more the latter than the former. For a change.
And the only person he had to blame for was her.
Where the hell was she?
Kyara should be back by now—
“Mr. Wallace?”
One of the guys working from H.R. seemed to pop out of nowhere as he came standing by his desk. “H.R. would like a word with you.”
“Sure.” Cyrus hid his anger behind an easy smile even though he took note of the name on the man’s ID.
Joey from Human Resources, you’ll pay for this. How dare this idiot cause a spectacle in his domain, make it seem like he’s made a mistake? Did this idiot not know who he was?
All eyes were on them as Cyrus followed behind Joey, but as soon as they were inside the elevator, he turned to the other guy, snarling, “You’ll be out of your job before this day is over.”
No answer.
“Did you hear me?” Cyrus yelled. “You’ll be out of a—”
The elevator doors had opened while he was yelling, and he quickly summoned a smile even though he was still red-faced with anger.
Everyone was staring at him as he walked down the hallway, with Joey in front of him like a fucking warden.
Cyrus took his phone out. Maybe it was time to call his dad. If he spun this the right way, his father would—
Ah, shit.
His steps crashed to a halt when he realized that Joey was opening the door not to just any H.R. office. This door led to the room...where people were either asked to leave quietly or face charges.
Shit.
Whatever this was, Cyrus knew he had to make a strong impression, not let anyone get the best of him. He had to go in strong and—
“Babycakes.”
This wasn’t good. No good. Not good at all. But he had to brazen this out. Bully her. Bully anyone.
He came close as if to kiss her, and just as she stiffened, he whispered into her ear, “Remember my threat.”
He leaned back, but instead of cowering like she usually did—
“He just threatened me again,” his ex-girlfriend blurted out.
What the—
Cyrus could no longer keep his temper. “You bitch—” He raised his hand, thinking to slap her—
“Don’t.”
Cyrus froze. What the—what was his dad doing here? “D-Da—”
“Just sit down, son, and let’s...let’s get this over with.”
Cyrus couldn’t remember hearing his dad sound so defeated. But then, he also couldn’t remember having so many people in one room look at him without approval. What the hell was happening? It was making him feel panicky, but he told himself he was overthinking things. All he had to do was pretend everything was fine, and sooner or later, it would be so. He always got his way in the end. Always.