Chapter 79
The man above her was not the ‘River Ross’ she had known. She had known this in her mind, but perhaps she had been denying it in her heart. Only now did that reality sink in, agonizingly clear.
The hand that had been pinning her thighs slid down her calves to remove the shoes dangling from her toes. He pressed against her with his powerful frame, leaving no room for escape. He parted her lips, which felt as though they were being crushed, and his tongue slid inside to entangle with hers. He bound her in a stinging embrace, sucking so harshly that the papillae on her tongue felt raw.
“…Ngh.”
Her pale throat rippled with a groan she couldn’t fully swallow. Her previously injured lip split open, and a thin bead of blood welled up. The metallic tang spread through her mouth, gliding along the tip of her wet tongue.
The Duke was anxious, irritable, and relentless. When she closed her eyes and felt him, he seemed so desperate, yet when she opened them, the face of the man she met was merely beautiful and devoid of passion. Aside from the slight redness around his eyes, he was dry—cold, even.
The gap between the two sent a faint shiver down her spine.
“Mm….”
The sound of soft flesh rubbing together and growing wet was utterly lewd. When she instinctively twisted her heated waist, the man laughed against her lips. His body rubbed roughly against hers, which had become incredibly sensitive due to the pregnancy. Every sensation was overwhelmingly intense.
It was all the more so because she knew exactly how much pleasure this man could provide, and exactly how far he could push her….
“Ah, hng….”
She gasped and twisted her captured wrists. At that weak resistance, the man finally seemed to come to his senses. He slowly let go of her writhing body, their breaths tangled together. A long, thin thread of saliva snapped between them.
Vanessa looked up at him, her moist lips parted. She didn’t even realize her white skin was fully exposed through her blouse, which had been rummaged and unbuttoned. On her chest and neck, which rose and fell with her ragged breaths, the mottled bite marks from their last encounter still remained.
“…….”
Theodore watched her with darkened eyes before slowly pulling away. He stepped off the bed and stood tall on his straight legs. His movements were calm as he swept back the dark hair messy over his forehead and straightened his rumpled clothes.
“You should rest for today, Vanessa. Don’t make any hasty decisions. It’s been a long day for both of us.”
“…….”
“Think a little more about the new deal. Whatever you demand, you’ll be able to take exactly what you want.”
“How… can I trust you…?”
“You said you loved me.”
The look in the man’s eyes as he brushed the back of his hand against her cheek was quite gentle. Had she not known he was a terrible liar, she might have been enchanted.
The man, winding a strand of her golden hair around his finger as it spilled across the bed, smiled with a relaxed face.
“Then can’t you just… give in to me…?”
The man’s whisper was like a devil’s temptation. It was cruel, base, and soul-destroying. It was perhaps even more horrifying because it made her want to abandon her values and surrender.
She felt as if the dam she had been desperately holding up was crumbling. The strength slowly drained from her back and waist, which she had kept stiff to preserve her dignity and pride.
‘I’m so tired.’
Her heart had long since been torn to shreds. Her uncle was a murderer, the path ahead was daunting, and the moment she showed weakness, the world would swallow her whole.
So she had thought only of enduring. She chose action over grieving for the reality she faced. She couldn’t sit around forever just because it was painful and difficult. She had struggled, moving slowly but surely to reach this point. And yet….
Why can’t I stop here? Why can’t I long for this man’s embrace? Can’t I just close my eyes at this point and lose myself in the comfort and peace he offers? I love this man, even if… even if he deceived me….
Are you mad, Vanessa?
She snapped her eyes open, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Ten days. After that, we part ways cleanly.”
At those words, Theodore gave a somewhat fierce smile. He neither agreed nor disagreed.
“Then stay here for the time being. At least for those ten days.”
“…Here? In this hotel?”
“Tell me whenever you want to extend the contract.”
His attitude suggested there were no other options for negotiation. And so, she came to stay on the top floor of this massive hotel.
The car Wyatt had sent with her was immediately sent back on the Duke’s orders, and two maids summoned in haste from the Battenberg estate were stationed on the floor below. They came up only at set times to serve meals and attend to her before quietly returning.
Contrary to her expectation that they would be together all day, the Duke was generally very busy. He received endless reports, handled a flood of work via phone and documents, and occasionally left to meet people who came to the lobby.
When he wasn’t around, like now, this vast space felt much more hollow and empty. Especially those moments when their eyes would meet while he was on an urgent call, and he would give her a lazy smile….
— Child?
Vanessa, lost in a daze, snapped back to reality at the voice coming from the receiver.
“Ah… I’m sorry. How far did you get?”
— I’ve reviewed the documents you sent, and it seems they narrowly meet the requirements for court recognition.
The faint sound of paper being shuffled came through the phone.
— I plan to go to court tomorrow to finalize the application for the executor of the will. After that, the company will be inherited by you according to the procedure. Ten days. That should be about right.
“It’s faster than I thought. I’m worried about how they’ll react…. Please be careful.”
— You’re in more danger than I am. Are you staying somewhere safe?
Vanessa replied in a calm voice to reassure the lawyer.
“Don’t worry. I’m safe.”
— That’s a relief, then. But always be wary of your surroundings.
Mr. Dawson’s concern was natural in a way. They were planning to cross a gang. Since they couldn’t continue the legal battle while living in the same space as the murderer Wyatt, their plan included moving her out at the right moment. Conveniently, the ‘Duke’ had provided a perfect excuse to leave the castle without causing harm to the servants.
According to the plan, she had intended to find a safe place in Linden immediately after ending the relationship cleanly. But for things to turn out like this. Plans truly never go as intended.
‘Still, this is a good outcome.’
Currently, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the only place safer than this hotel in Ingram was the royal palace.
— I’ll let you know as soon as there are any changes. Contact me anytime if you feel you’re in danger.
“I will.”
Vanessa wrapped up the call with the lawyer and set the receiver down. The Duke still hadn’t returned. She hesitated for a moment before sitting back down in the office chair and picking up a clean sheet of paper and a fountain pen.
The novel she was serializing would be finished in two or three more chapters. After giving some of the payment to Mary and combining the rest with the savings she had tucked away, she would be able to afford at least a rented room.
With the income from the investment company and her thirty-thousand-pound annuity, there would be no problem sustaining her life. She would have to leave Gloucester since she could no longer live with her uncle, but that was unavoidable.
‘What if I settle down in a small country town?’
If she was lucky, she might find a position as a governess. If she wrote her novels diligently to supplement her income, she could probably afford a small house in a few years. After that….
Vanessa touched her still-flat lower stomach. By the time the child was old enough for school, she might be able to go to the university she had put off. Closing her thoughts with a faint smile, she filled the fountain pen with ink.
‘First, I’ll do what I can right now.’
Her pale hand, gripping the pen firmly, began to diligently write down each word on the paper.
Vanessa woke up groggily at the touch of a hand on her shoulder. She felt as though she had only closed her eyes for a moment, but the sun was already setting outside the room. A breeze blowing through the open window made the white curtains billow softly like waves.
She looked up at the man, blinking her eyelids slowly with lingering sleepiness. His black hair was damp, as if he had just washed. A moist sheen ran along the lines of his muscles visible through his parted robe.
“When did you get back?”
“Just now.”
The Duke replied casually as he scooped her up, supporting her deep under her knees. When she reflexively wrapped her arms around his neck, the man’s sharp gaze softened slightly.
