"COME."
The rhythmic, dull sound of a drop falling made me open my eyes.
I found myself staring at a cracked ceiling.
A water stain spread from the edges.
"Where am I now?"
I thought, sitting up with difficulty.
I brought a hand to the back of my neck.
It throbbed.
As if someone had hit me there.
I couldn't be sure.
What was vivid in my mind was the name on the card.
"Sue Moore. Senior Analyst."
That wasn't the surprising part.
It was where she worked.
The Albatros Group.
The biggest competitor of HC & Associates.
Hugo's Company.
Something was starting to fit together.
Still blurry.
And the "invisible presence" was beginning to make sense.
I… was barely collateral damage.
Or maybe not.
It was then that I tried to stand up.
I placed my hands on the damp, earthy floor with disgust
and pushed myself up.
A rancid smell of disturbed soil dug into my fingers.
I made a face and wiped them on my clothes.
Then I saw where I was.
The room of mirrors.
That horrible, incomprehensible place.
Fuck.
Someone had brought me here.
I was certain of it.
I was also certain I had been hit.
And only then did I understand that my life was in danger.
That I could end up like Sue.
But no.
Because they would have already killed me.
So whatever they wanted from me, no one else had it.
That was the good news.
The bad news: I had no fucking idea what it was.
I moved, and one of the sheets covering the mirrors slid down with a dry, eerie whisper.
I didn't dare look.
Something inside me screamed to run.
And that's exactly what I did when the polished shard of glass began to grow.
I slammed the door shut and the feeling vanished.
I didn't stay to check. I blamed my imagination for trying to cope with the stress.
When I returned to the office, I saw the afternoon light creeping through the open windows.
"Impossible. It can't have been that long."
I wiped my face.
Several times.
Skeptical, I changed course.
Heading to my room.
I urgently needed a bath.
My hands were filthy.
Disgusting.
And I needed to think.
To recover.
But the moment I stepped inside, I stopped.
Everything seemed in order.
It wasn't.
The bed was a mess and…
The sound of running water reached my ears.
The scent of leather and Hugo's perfume enveloped me.
I frowned, taking slow steps, observing every detail.
I grabbed the pill bottle with my name on the dresser and swallowed one.
The bathroom door was slightly ajar and I heard the water even more clearly.
A breathing that wasn't mine.
I pushed the door a little and saw him.
Through the thick plastic curtain.
His darkened silhouette.
Imposing.
Motionless under the shower.
It smelled of vanilla and strawberries.
Steam rose in sensual curls toward the ceiling.
I stayed there, pressed against the wall.
Mesmerized.
My eyes fixed on his shadow.
My breathing ragged.
Something hot rose between my legs, forcing me to press my thighs together.
My panties grew wet as my thighs clenched.
My core trembled.
And I had to bite my lip to suppress the moan that rose in my throat.
I swallowed and brought a hand to my chest.
Afraid my frantic heartbeat would be heard.
I wanted to leave.
And at the same time, I didn't.
I had two options.
Remain dignified.
Or run into that shower and…
"Come."
I held my breath.
That single word floated in the humid space.
I shook my head.
I wasn't well.
I must have had a fever.
My head was boiling.
I moved slightly, ready to leave.
When it came again.
"Come."
This time firmer. Deeper. Urgent.
It didn't sound like a request.
It sounded like an order.
And in that instant I knew exactly what I was going to do.
YOU SWORE I IMAGINED IT.
I didn't even have to pull the curtain aside.
He did it.
And with one hand he pushed me inside.
The hot water soaked me instantly.
And I couldn't breathe.
I felt his firm hands tearing the fabric of my dress until it became wet shreds on the floor.
In that moment I looked at him.
He smiled.
Threatening. Destructive.
Like a hunter who knows his prey is trapped.
One hand grabbed my hair and spun me around with a push.
I pressed my palms and one cheek against the wall, panting.
From behind, he spread my legs with his knee and pressed himself against me.
His hard, wet cock settled between my ass cheeks and rubbed.
He leaned down to my ear and muttered something I couldn't understand.
He bit my neck.
My shoulder.
My nape.
I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling an orgasm slide down my spine and wrap around my pelvis.
Fuck. So soon?
I started to tremble.
Hugo wrapped his hand around my throat and entered me with a single thrust.
But he stayed still.
I could feel him pulsing inside me.
Filling me.
And I moaned loudly this time.
"Move…" My voice was a broken plea.
I tried to push my hips back but his body stopped me.
Then I exploded.
Just like that.
I came apart against his body and the tears came quickly.
My muffled moans mixed with the sound of the water.
Every contraction pushed me harder against him.
He remained perfectly still.
When I finally stopped, he breathed against my ear again.
And this time I understood every word perfectly.
"This… isn't happening… Isabella…"
"Yes… it is," I replied.
"No." His hands tightened on my hips.
His fingers dug into my skin like claws. "It isn't. Everything… is happening inside your head."
"Whatever," I moaned. "Do it… now."
He smiled darkly.
I didn't see it, but I could imagine it.
His fingers dug even deeper into my flesh.
And then he pulled out.
Almost.
I writhed without success.
"What… are you doing… you bastard?"
"Driving you crazy," he murmured, and this time he sucked on my neck.
He slid back inside me effortlessly.
I was so wet I barely felt the resistance.
Then he eased the pressure.
And began to thrust into me slowly, mercilessly.
I pushed back too.
The obscene sound of our bodies meeting filled the air.
I didn't stop.
Neither did he.
I clenched around him.
He sped up with low growls.
The rhythm increased.
Until it became unbearable.
His fingers rubbed my clit in fast circles.
I came again with a broken scream.
Without restraint.
One of his hands returned to my throat and squeezed.
"It's not… real…" he repeated like a mantra.
And he pulled out of me to come outside.
Controlled spurts that mixed with the water and disappeared down the drain.
While he panted.
I was going to turn around but he stopped me.
"Now…" he whispered, his voice hoarse and broken. "Just forget it. I swear you imagined it. Is that clear?"
"No…"
"Well, I'm not taking it back."
Then he let me go.
And a deafening silence fell.
The water kept falling.
But I was alone.
"Hugo?" No answer. "Seriously?"
I slammed my fists against the gray tiled wall.
It had happened.
When I felt ready, I reached out a still-trembling hand and turned off the faucet.
My wet body was still hot.
Trembling.
I placed my hands on my belly.
"It did happen," I murmured. "Even if you say it didn't. Even if you swore I imagined it."
His scent, his saliva, his marks on my skin… were proof.
A noise in the bedroom made me react.
And then his voice.
I smiled.
That was the definitive proof.
"Isabella?"
"I'm coming," I said, pulling back the curtain.
I grabbed a towel and wrapped it around myself.
But when I reached the bedroom, something else greeted me.