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Chapter 29: Fear Beneath the Flame-2
“Thank you, Ms. Janice. I don’t know what I’d do without you. Please… take care. Get some
rest, okay?”
The door clicked shut behind them, leaving a heavy silence that pressed down on her.
Alone with the echo of Beckett’s words-sharp, poisonous, clawing at her from the dark.
“You were so easy. I told you it was goodbye-and you believed me. God, you even smiled! Hahaha… you sweet, tired little fool. All I had to do was turn on the AC. You didn’t even notice.”
I’m such a fucking idiot. Every move I make just drags me down. I’m a mess. A goddamn
burden.
His voice slithered back:
“You don’t have to pretend anymore, Maya. None of it matters now. I’ll erase every trace of his touch from your body. And you’ll crave only mine.”
And then the sickest memory:
“What did you two do during those times, huh? Did he fuck you hard in the break room? Bend you over that fancy desk? Or maybe…. you rode him hard inside the conference room after hours?”
Heat flushed her cheeks, burning deep and unwanted. Her mind betrayed her, drifting to the worst places-the twisted “what ifs.”
What if it’s true? What if Damien did touch me that way? What would it feel like? His hands, his mouth, his body pressed into mine-rough, commanding, consuming. His voice low and fierce in my ear, whispering my name, fucking me hard until I’m trembling, gasping.
A rush of warmth spread in places that should have stayed cold. She bit her lip to stop a shudder.
She shook her head, desperate to stop the flood of thoughts, but the ache tightened her
chest.
This pull toward Damien-how her heart slammed when she thought of him, how every memory of his rare, quiet kindness made her skin crawl and tingle at the same time.
But it wasn’t right.
They were worlds apart.
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He was danger incarnate-unreachable, wild, impossible. And her? Broken. Scared. Barely held together by thread. Invisible to someone like him. +25 Points She swallowed hard, tasting the bitterness rising in her throat, biting back tears that burned too hot to fall. He wouldn’t look twice at someone like me, she thought, raw and cruel. Her hands trembled as they gripped the thin hospital sheet, knuckles white. Still, a flicker of desperate hope flickered inside her-maybe she deserves more. Maybe she deserves to be wanted, held, fought for. Maybe… just maybe, he would spare her a glance. Maybe it wouldn’t be just a fantasy. Maybe it could be real-being wanted, protected, loved, craved. But fear screamed louder. Fear of rejection. Fear of being nothing but a liability. A weight. A burden. Maya closed her eyes tightly, wishing, begging for the storm inside to settle – just for a moment. She must have drifted off at some point -she wasn’t sure when. The pain, the exhaustion… they’d finally pulled her under. But it didn’t last. She woke to the faint sound of voices. Muffled. Low. Her eyes fluttered open, hazy with sleep. The soft hum of machines filled the room-but something felt… different. She blinked, her gaze shooting to the chair beside her bed. Empty. Jamie was gone. Her breath caught. 2/3 Chapter 29: Fear Beneath the Flame-2 425 Pos Panic surged through her chest like ice. She sat up too fast, heart racing, eyes scanning the room. “Jamie?” she rasped, voice breaking. She tried to swing her legs off the bed, tried to move, get up, find him-anything-until a low, deep voice cut through the silence like a blade. “Ms. Thompson.” She froze. That voice. It couldn’t be. Her head snapped toward the sound. And her breath left her. Cedella Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.