They gave me a room right across from Hunter\u2019s room. I wanted the one that was the farthest away from his. but they insisted that I should take this one. I had no other choice but to agree. It\u2019s either this or I\u2019ll share a room with Hunter. Beggars can\u2019t be choosers, right?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I\u2019m still pissed. And I\u2019m not sure why. His sudden coldness towards me caught me off guard. It triggered unknown feelings inside me that I couldn\u2019t explain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
It seems like he was pissed with the thought that my ex\u2013husband still has some effect on me. But why would he be? We only just met a few days ago. However, there\u2019s something about his actions that says that wasn\u2019t the\u00a0<\/p>\n
case.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I tried to think about it so hard, but no matter what I did, I couldn\u2019t find him in my memory.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was in the middle of my deep thoughts when I heard a soft knock coming from the door. I stumped my way towards the door, thinking it was Hunter. But I was surprised to find a woman outside wearing a maid\u2019s uniform.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMiss Dylan, Mr. De Marco asked me to bring you some clothes. We\u2019re sorry that these are the only ones we can find,\u201d she said as she handed me a few pieces of clothing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I forced a smile, hiding my disappointment. \u201cThis would be fine. Thank you,\u201d I replied as I accepted the clothes from her. After that, she immediately left.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I closed the door behind me, familiarizing myself with the unknown feelings creeping inside me. Now that Hunter was gone, I suddenly had an urge to see him. I know, he was just right around the corner of this huge mansion, but not being close to him sends some emptiness into my being.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Why did I feel this way?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now that he wasn\u2019t in the room, I felt this tug, this maddening pull, as though part of me had gone with him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I pressed my fingers against my lips, still remembering the heat of his touch, the way his gaze burned straight through me. Was it possible to feel more alive when he was near and more lost when he was gone?\u00a0<\/p>\n
What was this man doing to me?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sat on the edge of the bed, the soft clothes slipping from my arms onto my lap. I wasn\u2019t sure if it was the mansion\u2019s walls that were closing in on me\u2013or the truth I was too scared to admit.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I wanted to see him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I blew out a long, tired sigh and raked my fingers through my hair before giving my head a firm shake, as if 1 could physically toss out the mess of thoughts swirling inside it. Thoughts of him. Thoughts I shouldn\u2019t be having. They clung like cobwebs, stubborn and unwelcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cUgh, I need a long bath,\u201d I muttered to myself, hoping the water might do what my willpower couldn\u2019t\u2014wash him out of my system, at least for a little while.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:32 Thu, Dec 25 M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
93\u00a0<\/p>\n
I padded across the room and pushed open the bathroom door. The sight that greeted me made me stop in my tracks.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Soft, ambient lighting glowed from hidden fixtures along the marble walls, casting a golden hue over everything. A freestanding bathtub sat like a centerpiece in the middle of the room, its porcelain curves gleaming under the soft light. Beside it, silver fixtures sparkled like jewelry, and beside those\u2013a tray of neatly arranged oils, salts, and soaps that smelled like lavender, vanilla, and something luxuriously foreign.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes widened as I took in the sheer size of it all. There was a rainfall shower enclosed by glass so clear it was nearly invisible. Fluffy white towels were folded on a gold rack. A chaise lounge upholstered in velvet sat near the vanity\u2013who even puts a lounge chair in a bathroom?\u00a0<\/p>\n
But as soon as my eyes landed on that couch, lewd thoughts about me and Hunter flashed right before my eyes. Hunter and I were sitting on that couch as our bodies wrapped around each other. Our bodies glistened in sweat as we moved in unison while soft moans filled every corner of the bathroom.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My cheeks were burning as soon as I realized what I was fantasizing. Am I that sex\u2013deprived that I was having lewd thoughts in my head?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I aggressively shook my head, trying to get it all out of my head. I think I\u2019m going insane for fantasizing about a man who I met a few days ago.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Isn\u2019t it too late for that, Dylan? Didn\u2019t he make you cum in his car?\u00a0<\/p>\n
I heard a tiny voice inside my head. As much as I want to deny it, that tiny voice inside my head was spot on. There\u2019s no point in rejecting him when I already surrendered myself to him the moment I laid my eyes on him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And with all that\u2019s happening right now, it makes me question myself whether I truly love Beckett or it was nothing but a mere obsession. I was a brat who got used to getting everything I wanted. And seeing my best friend getting what I thought back then was love makes me jealous. I wanted that for myself as well. I didn\u2019t care if I\u2019d be hurting those people around me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now I know it better. I owe Sarah and Beckett a lot. Divorcing Beckett was the right thing to do. I truly wished that they could continue the love I once shattered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I filled the bath with warm water. Steam filled the bathroom as the tub filled up. I dipped my fingers in the water to check the temperature. It was perfect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Without thinking twice, I slipped out of my clothes and stepped into the bath. A long sigh escaped me as the heat touched my skin, soaking into my tired body. My muscles slowly relaxed, the stress in my shoulders starting to fade. I leaned back against the cool edge of the tub, letting the water hold me like it understood how heavy everything felt.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t realize how exhausted I was until I had the longest bath in my entire life. I lost track of time. I didn\u2019t know how long I\u2019d stayed in the tub before I finally decided to call it a night. I washed all the soap off under the shower before drying myself with the white towel neatly folded on top of the countertop.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Once all dried up, I slipped into the clothes the maid handed me a while ago. It was a gold satin nightgown. I was glad that I wasn\u2019t sharing a room with Hunter. I don\u2019t think I\u2019d be able to wear this thin fabric to bed with Hunter beside me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:32 Thu, Dec 25\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
I dried my hair with a blow dryer before I finally decided to go to bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
1931\u00a0<\/p>\n
But just as I lay down on the bed, I was startled upon hearing a loud bang. I\u2019m not an expert, but I\u2019m pretty sure that was the sound of a gun. I jolted up from the bed, grabbed a robe, and ran outside the room to check what it was.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Upon exiting the room, 1 bumped into one of the maids and immediately asked her what\u2019s going on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was nothing, miss. Please go back to your room,\u201d she replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a gunshot, wasn\u2019t it?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was nothing to be alarmed about, miss. Please go back to your room,\u201d she urged me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I was about to do what she said when I suddenly heard another gunshot, followed by one more. Fear ran down my spine. I thought about Hunter and what might have happened to him. I couldn\u2019t go back to my room without knowing what was going on.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So instead of returning to my room like she suggested, I followed the direction the sound was coming from.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The gunshots led me to the garden. As soon as I stepped out of the mansion, I saw Hunter\u2019s men lined up behind him. He stood in front of them, holding a gun in one hand and a glass of liquor in the other. He looked drunk, struggling to keep his balance.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stepped closer, and my eyes widened in panic when I saw another man standing a few meters away, a bottle balanced on top of his head. He stood there like a living target.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I squinted, trying to get a better look\u2013and realized it was the same man I\u2019d seen earlier with a bruised face. The one Hunter said had failed to protect me.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I jumped in panic as another gunshot rang out. Hunter had pulled the trigger\u2013and somehow, he hit the bottle cleanly off the top of the man\u2019s head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBullseye!\u201d he shouted like a child. \u201cYou! Go on, get me another bottle,\u201d he ordered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat the hell is wrong with you people!\u201d I shouted just when I decided to intervene. The men behind Hunter quickly turned towards me and bowed their heads. But no one dared to stop Hunter with his madness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you waiting for? Do you want to die? I said, Get me another bottle!\u201d Hunter shouted. It seems like he hadn\u2019t noticed my presence. He waved his gun around them, but no one dared to dodge it, as if they were all ready to die in his hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Tsk, so much for loyalty.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI said that\u2019s enough! Give me that-\u201d I exclaimed. With all the courage I have, I snatched the gun from his\u00a0<\/p>\n
hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But despite being so drunk, I still couldn\u2019t manage to steal the gun away from his hand. Instead, he grabbed my waist and pulled me against his body.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I held my breath when I felt the cold tip of his gun pressing against my temple.\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:32 Thu, Dec 25 M\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 29\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSir!\u201d They all shouted in unison, trying to stop him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
GD\u00a0<\/p>\n
I didn\u2019t know where I managed to get all the courage, but I looked him straight in the eyes with all my might, ignoring the fact that there\u2019s a gun pointing at my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re drunk. Put the gun down now,\u201d I ordered him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes were barely open. He smirked with a hint of satisfaction before he lowered the gun. It didn\u2019t take long after that he eventually collapsed in my arms.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 29 They gave me a room right across from Hunter\u2019s room. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24380","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24380"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24380\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24380"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24380"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24380"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}