“I didn’t know you still remembered the way to this estate,” I said with nonchalance, my gaze holding his. “To what do I owe the honor?”
His stare burned hotter. “Can you explain to me what the fuck this letter is?” he asked, barely containing his fury. “What the hell did you send me, Serenity?”
I tilted my head. “I thought you knew how to read. Was there a word you did not understand?”
He stepped closer, close enough that I could see the tightness around his eyes, the way his chest rose with each sharp breath. “I understood every line. And that’s the problem. I want to hear you say what the fuck you meant by it.”
I let the silence stretch for a heartbeat, then another, then I sighed as if this were an inconvenience.
“All right, since you made the effort to visit the house you abandoned, I will do you the courtesy of explaining it as if you were a child who needs each sentence broken down.”
His jaw ticked but I kept going.
“You decided, from the moment our marriage started, that you would live like a single man.”
I uncrossed my legs and crossed them again, slower this time. His eyes followed the movement before he dragged them back to my face.
“So I made a decision of my own,” I continued. “There is one month left before this marriage dissolves. You’ve made it very clear your feelings for me begin and end with hate. I have no intention of leaving this world without giving myself every kind of pleasure I deserve. I want to be touched, taken, fucked like I deserve punishment.”
His throat moved, but he said nothing—either trying to process my words or too stunned to believe I could say all that withoutblinking.
“So here’s what’s going to happen,” I said, watching his jaw flex. “Starting tomorrow, I’m getting fucked. Every night. By a different man. I’m going to taste every kind of dick this city has to offer. Long ones that hit the back of my throat, thick ones that stretch this pussy wide open, veiny ones built to ruin a woman from the inside out, fat ones meant to make a pussy ache for hours.”
I leaned back in the chair, watching his breath shift.
“I want all of it. I want to be licked until my legs shake, eaten until I can’t remember my own damn name. I want to ride every size, feel every shape, take every stroke I’ve been denied for eleven months because my husband didn’t want this pussy.”
His eyes darkened, but I didn’t stop.
He took a step closer, the air between us tightening. “You really think I’m gonna sit the fuck still while you go out there letting random motherfuckers put their hands on you? While you carry the Korven name? Don’t play with me Serenity. You know how little it takes for me to kill. Try that shit and watch how fast this whole damn city burns.”
I lifted one shoulder. “Why does it bother you? Please don’t tell me you care about me now. You want to kill me when this marriage ends, so stick to that shit. Don’t start catching feelings out of nowhere. It’s too late for that. I hate you more than ever.”
His nostrils flared, and for a second I saw hurt in his eyes before he shut it down and went cold again. “This is not about caring, Serenity. This… this is about my name. You go out there fucking random motherfuckers and nobody will respect this house ever again. I won’t let you drag the Korven name through the dirt.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Your name? You mean the same name you dragged through whispers and scandal when you paraded another woman in front of the council? You haven’ttaken very good care of your image, Konflict. Forgive me if I do not feel obligated to protect it more than you already have.”
I leaned forward, letting him see the steel that had replaced whatever softness he thought he could crush. “I’m not asking for your permission. I told you so that when your men report where I went and who I smiled at, you don’t start painting the city in blood like you didn’t see it coming. I’m going to enjoy the nights I have left. And out of respect for yourpreciousname, I’ll be fucked discreetly. No one will ever know who I am. That way your reputation won’t get dragged any worse than you’ve already dragged it yourself.”
He said nothing, most likely because he was caught off guard.
I stood and smoothed my dress with a slow, sensual gesture. His eyes followed every movement. When I noticed his Adam’s apple move as he swallowed, a sly smile appeared on my lips.
Well, hello. Didn’t know I could make you feel like this. That’s right, go ahead and drool over me. Watch and want what you decided to deny yourself. And make sure you understand you’re not getting it anymore.
I stepped past him, close enough to breathe in his cologne. The strong scent teased my senses, almost inviting me to lean in and cling to his neck just to take in more. But I was stronger than that. Even if I could admit to myself that he unsettled me, nothing in the way I moved would ever show it. I didn’t let myself waver.
“I have things to do,”I said as I walked toward the doorway.“You know where the exit is.”
I didn’t look back. My heels carried me down the hall without a single tremor in my spine.
By the time I reached the Veylor casino, I could feel everyone’sattitude had completely changed toward me. Every staff member greeted me with softer voices and stiff posture, which felt a little strange.
“Good evening, Madame.”
“Welcome, Madame Korven.”
“How may we assist you, Madame?”
