I narrow my eyes. “You want me to help Iselyn construct that hell?”
“Sure, if you want me to help, Avi.” He clicks his tongue, mock sympathy in his tone. “I’m feeling bad for you, man.”
“Fuck you.”
“By the way, how’s the public pity feeling?”
I smile.
Avira
When I reach downstairs for dinner, I find Wen, Ma, and Pa in front of the TV, watching the news. Ma and Pa are sitting on the couch, Wen standing behind them. That’s very rare, no one in our family ever watches news channels, they’re completely fake.
I join them and stand beside Wen. The content on the screen makes my eyes widen instantly. There are images of Zoan. My eyes water before I can stop them.
There are photos of him where he had been found, so weak that every bone is visible beneath his skin. My chest tightens, a mix of grief, anger, and helplessness rising within me.
Wen rubs my arm gently. “Don’t be sad. It’s in the past.”
“How did it even get in the news?” I ask.
“Someone leaked the footage yesterday evening,” she explains, leaning closer. “They said it was Zloban Bennett before Alexander saved him. Then the media dug deeper and found out everything. Now all the channels are talking about it. But… how did you not find out sooner?”
I purse my lips. “I’ve stopped stalking him.”
Pa turns off the TV. “It’s not a big deal. Otherwise, Alex and Zo would’ve taken down the news by now.”
“But now everyone knows he’s adopted,” Ma sighs heavily.
Wen and I exchange a glance, our expressions mirroring each other.
Ma rises from the couch. “All right, everyone, let’s eat. We’re already late for dinner.”
We usually have dinner at 7 p.m., but whenever it’s Wen’s performance evening, we tend to run late.
After dinner, we played cards. Around ten, I head straight to my room, then to the bathroom for a long, relaxing shower. Wrapping myself in a towel afterward, I move toward my closet, but recalling my earlier conversation with Zoan, I turn toward the bed instead.
I remove the towel and drape it over a chair.
Being naked in a room where God knows how many cameras are watching me is… daring. But the thought of him watching me through those lenses is intoxicating.
I lay down on my bed and close my eyes, replaying that night when I was tied to the headboard. My hands wander to my breasts, fingers tracing the curve, pinching the one he’d sucked. His half-lidded blue eyes appear behind my closed eyelids, vivid and consuming.
I move my hand downward, shivering as my fingers brush my clit. I press gently, a small moan escaping my mouth.
He force-fed me the erotic visuals that night, the images of his tongue sliding inside me, his lips sucking on my clit. I slide one finger inside myself. The fullness feels new, strange, unfamiliar. I start moving it, but it doesn’t feel particularly interesting. I pull it out and focus on the sensitive bud of nerves instead, it’s infinitely more interesting.
I rub it with two fingers, feeling the pressure building inside me slowly, steadily. The visuals from my memory dance vividly in my mind, and in no time, my orgasmcrashes over me, shooting through the back of my head, taking the images with it.
After collecting my breath, I rise from the bed and walk to the bathroom to wash my hands, my body still humming fromthe intensity.
chapter 31
Avira
Wen throws her Kindle onto the bed. “This is bizarre.”
“What?” I ask, turning the page of my book.
