Chapter 176 - Cold Hearted

“Lira, you know I like you,” John sounded sincere.

In the club, the two were drinking after they finished the meeting with their clients.

“What?” Lira replied acting like having difficulty of hearing because of the loud music. She heard him but she was so surprised by his sudden confession.

“I said I like you!” John shouted loud while drawing himself to her.

“I’m sorry but the music is too loud. I can’t hear you!” Lira shouted too. She was not ready for John as her heart only belonged to one person.

That person was none other than Damien Lewis.

John drew himself closer. Lira was alarmed but didn’t make it obvious but suddenly John grabbed her and kiss her.

Lira was shocked and her eyes grew wider. She hurriedly pushed him. “John, you are drunk!” She said in a nice way but still in shock by his sudden attack. His kiss made her so uneasy.

“I like you, Lira.” He uttered again.

“John, I’ll go ahead,” Lira replied quickly and strode away without waiting for John’s reply.

When she got out of the club, cold air greeted her. She heaved a sigh of relief without John's presence.

“Lira, Wait!” John suddenly sounded behind her.

Lira was startled. She thought John stayed where she left him but he chased her outside.

“Lira!” John's voice sounded close. She turned around to face him.

“John.” She muttered.

“I’m sorry. I just can’t let you go tonight without you knowing what I really feel about you.” John said seriously. His expression was slightly drunk.

Lira was speechless with his aggressiveness. She didn’t want to hurt him but she didn’t know how to handle him either. Ever since John was good to him and he helped her settle in Capital Z. After that, he was always there for her assisting her in their work.

“Lira, I want you to be my girl,” John said walking closer.

Lira froze. She was rooted in her spot even though she tried to take steps away from him.

“John, I think you drank too much.” She smiled showing her cool but her lips shivered due to her uneasiness.

“No. I’m okay. I just need a bottle to get some courage for this confession.” John replied. His eyes were serious while he stopped a meter away.

“Look, John, I….” Lira wanted to choose her words carefully for him as she didn’t want to hurt him.

John’s expression was waiting for her words. His expression was hanging by the moment.

“John, I don’t know what to say,” Lira said with a problematic expression.

“Do you have a boyfriend?” John asked confused.

“No one,” Lira answered immediately.

“Then why do I feel you became aloof to me?” John’s expression was puzzled.

“I’m sorry. I just don’t want you to get hurt.” Lira answered quickly and sincerely.

“You are already hurting me now. Don’t you like me?” John strode closer.

“John… I like you but only as a friend.” Lira answered not wanting to give him any expectation.

“Why? You don’t have a boyfriend. Try me, Lira. I can be your lover too.” John sounded very eager.

“John. I can’t.” Lira quickly refuted.

“Why? We are good partners in work. We can be the best partner in life.” John held Lira’s arms.

“John, I can’t. I have already someone in my heart.” Lira had no choice but to spill it to John.

“Who?” John was puzzled as he frowned and his face became gloomy.

Lira couldn’t say it. John had known Damien as Arabella’s boyfriend before. How could she say his name?

“It’s not important. You don’t know him anyway.” Lira had to make an alibi.

“Lira, are you just making an excuse? Am I too bad?” John became agitated. He seemed to have no plan to stop the discussion.

“John, I need to go now. You need to go home too. It’s already late.” Lira wanted to avoid him already as their conversation was getting so intense and she could feel John was already acting odd.

“Lira. Please. I just want to… “John held Lira’s two arms to stop her.

“John, please,” Lira said uneasily.

“Lira, please.” John pleaded not letting her go.

“Let her go!” Suddenly, a deep voice sounded behind.

Lira and John were stunned by the sudden voice and they both turned around to face the person at the same time.

“Damien.” Lira was surprised.

“Why are you here?” John was also surprised.

“Let go of Lira.” Instead of answering John, Damien snatched Lira from him. His expression was angry as he ordered.

Lira was startled by the sudden presence of Damien.

“Damien. Bro, you may be lost. Your girlfriend is not here.” John said with a pale smile.

Damien didn’t answer him. His sharp eyes were buried to Lira who was obviously uneasy on his side.

“Let’s go,” Damien said to her dragging her wrist.

Lira simply nodded.

They both turned around.

“Wait! What’s going on here?” John stopped them shouting. His face was very confused and urged them for an explanation.

Damien stopped. He turned around to face John.

“Go home, John. Lira already belongs to someone.” Damien said with controlled irritation.

John was shocked as well as Lira.

Damien then dragged Lira to his car and swiftly drove away leaving John in awe.

Inside the car, the air was filled with silence and awkward tension.

On the passenger seat, Lira was sneaking into the man who was seriously driving.

“Lira already belongs to someone.” She then remembered Damien’s words then she suddenly smiled.

“Are you okay?” Damien asked.

Lira quickly pulled off her smile and she blushed. She wanted to choke herself for making it so obvious. She couldn’t just help to feel so happy with his words.

“Hmmm,” Damien muttered. “Lira about earlier,” He looked at her.

Hearing him, Lira felt a sudden nervous. She looked at him too and their eyes met.

“What about it?” She asked controlling herself to feel overwhelmed.

“It’s ….” Damien answered. His eyes were serious. “It’s nothing.” He finished his sentence.

Lira smiled. She tried her best to put on a smile even she was already feeling pain. What was she expecting? Damien loves Arabella and no one else.

“I know.” She said smiling but her heart was already bleeding.

“Good,” Damien answered then averted his eyes to the road. “I was in the place. I didn’t expect to see you there.” Damien continued.

“Thank you for saving me there.” Lira had no choice but to thank him. He still saved her for tonight.

“Hmmm… That’s nothing.” Damien answered plainly.

Lira averted her gaze outside.

‘He’s not yours Lira.’

‘He belongs to someone and he loves only one.’

‘What happened before was nothing to him. It was just a mistake he said so do not expect anything from him.’

Lira was caught in her thoughts. She had to uplift and kept reminding herself to erase any expectations from him. Shen felt that she had to double up and tried her very best to erase Damien in her heart. But what he had done now made her heart pump unsteadily again.

“Lira.” Suddenly Damien sounded after a long silence.

“Yes?” Lira looked at him.

“Do you want to go to my place?” Damien asked seriously.

Lira was stunned again. Her heart thumped too fast. She wanted to say yes quickly but her mind opposed it. ‘Lira get hold of yourself.’ She reminded herself repetitively.

“What are we going to do there?” She asked naively.

“Hmmm… hang out,” Damien answered lazily.

‘Lira, don’t! You should avoid Damien. You will get hurt if you do this. You clearly know that he only loves Arabella.’ She reminded herself again fidgeting.

“Lira?” Damien said frowning. He was obviously waiting for her answer.

“Hmmm…” Lira muttered uneasily. “I….” She continued. “I can’t.” “I still have something to do tonight.” Lira made an alibi as she had to resist him otherwise, she could not refuse him anymore.

Hearing her, Damien smirked. He was a bit unsatisfied with her answer. “Okay.” Then he answered.

They arrived at Lira’s apartment quickly.

Lira quickly unbuckled her seatbelt. She really wanted to get out of his car or else she might regret begging off his offer earlier.

“Thank you for saving and dropping me.” She plainly uttered quickly as she avoided his eyes. When she was about to open the door, “Lira.” Damien sounded with a hoarse voice beside her.

She stopped. Her heart suddenly pumped very fast again. She slowly moved her head to face him. Damien was staring at her seriously. Silence and cold filled the air for a little while then suddenly Damien held her face with his two hands and he kissed her.

His lips were warm. Lira wanted to push him away but her heart found its contentment. Her heart was longing for him every day but her mind wanted him to disappear from her life.

‘It’s not right!’

‘It’s another mistake!’

‘Lira. Stop this nonsense!’

Her mind was already shouting stopping her to cooperate with Damien’s scorching kiss. She could feel his lips were missing her too. The warmth and passion were there. It was so enticing and addicting that she couldn’t stop cooperating.

It was very hard to stop!

Lira was already carried away. They shared the kiss passionately inside the car.

Damien broke the kiss panting.

He looked at Lira then went outside. In just a quick second, Lira’s door opened. Damien held her and carried her in a bridal style.

“Damien,” Lira muttered in shock.

“Shhh...” He muttered too. “If you can’t come to my place, let’s do it in your place then,” Damien said in a low voice. He was serious and she could see the desire in his eyes. Lira was lost for words. She knew what Damien wanted.

“But…” Lira wanted to go against it but her body wanted him. She was dying to be with him. What could she do? It was very hard to fight it when only your mind was against it.

“Shhh… I promise. I would be gentle.” Damien softly said while walking towards the apartment.

“This is a mistake, Damien.” She finally got the courage to say it.

Damien looked at her. When they reached the door, he put her down but his body was pressing her against the wall. She could feel his hard down there and her arousal surged up. “It’s gonna be a mistake if we control our bodies. You see, they missed each other.” Damien whispered lustfully. His lips were brushing her earlobe.

Lira was so aroused by his actions. The words of reminders for herself slipped away so quickly. She hated herself but she couldn’t refuse him anymore.

She wanted him tonight.

She wanted him every day.

Lira unlocked her apartment and Damien quickly pushed her to the sofa. They shared a passionate night in Lira’s apartment. They didn’t stop until they reach each other’s satisfaction.

At Bill’s residence.

The intimacy was suddenly disrupted by a sudden knock. Bill’s face became furious obviously because of the disturbance.

Arabella quickly took the chance to escape from him. “Coming!” She hurriedly said smirking at Bill.

She then quickly opened the door.

“Good morning, mommy!” Adam greeted her with a very pleasant smile. “I thought you left me.” He whispered hugging her.

Arabella’s heart was overwhelmed with her son. “No baby. I am not gonna leave you.” She whispered back with a sincere promise.

Bill sat on the bed and observed the mother and child who were lovingly hugged each other. His anger faded away quickly as he found a sudden calm in his heart that he couldn’t explain.

“Daddy, Good morning.” Seeing his father was quiet, Adam sneaked at Bill.

“Good morning,” Bill answered Adam. It was a plain greeting. No such emotions, unlike his mother.

Arabella couldn’t imagine how Adam’s life living alone with Bill. Bill had lots of money and there’s no question about Adam living a very luxurious life but what she was afraid of was Adam to be like his father.

A cold-hearted person.

She would be a failure mother if she allowed that to happen.

They had their breakfast together for the first time as a family.

Bill was reading a newspaper while sipping his coffee. Arabella was observing Bill all the time while also attaining Adam’s needs. She could not help but to get irritated with him. How dare this person get Adam just to live boringly in his house? If she’s not there, Adam would be eating alone with a father whose attention was in the newspaper. Thinking about this, Arabella rolled her eyes on him.

“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” Bill asked frowning and with controlled irritation traced in his voice.

Arabella didn’t answer and smirked mockingly. She didn't expect Bill would see it.

“Adam, I need to borrow your mom. I have to show her something.” Bill then strode towards Arabella and grabbed her.

“No. I will stay here.” Arabella quickly refuted while holding the armrest of the chair. Judging from his angry expression, she knew danger was coming.

“Mom? Dad? Are you two fighting?” Adam sounded confused.

“No!” They both answered at the same time.

Hearing and seeing their reactions, Adam smiled. His parents were both naturally stubborn.

“Bill! What’s the meaning of this?” Suddenly, a thunderous voice resonated in the room.

Angry and hysterical.

Kelly Sky.

She had already arrived.