Chapter 6 Cracks and Calculations

The walls trembled with a series of stifled moans and breathless gasps.

Talia's nails clawed into the sheets as Jason thrust into her with rhythmic intensity. Her back arched off the bed as she screamed his name like a chant-delirious, high, drunk on lust.

"Jason..." she moaned, her voice coated with desire and something darker-satisfaction, maybe even triumph.

Jason's jaw clenched. Sweat dripped from his brow, his breath ragged, body moving with force, but his eyes remained distant-glazed, unfocused. He wasn't fully there.

The sound of skin slapping against skin echoed like a cruel drumbeat. The air was thick with heat, tension, and a strange emptiness that hung in the corners of the room.

With a final groan, Jason buried himself into her and released. His whole body tensed, then collapsed forward. He lay on top of her for a brief moment, their chests rising and falling in uneven unison.

Talia giggled breathlessly, her fingers stroking his damp back. "That... was incredible."

Jason didn't respond.

Instead, he slowly rolled off her, his expression unreadable, and rose from the bed without a word. Talia's smile wavered as he walked across the room, entering the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

The sound of running water followed seconds later.

Alone on the bed, Talia stared at the ceiling, her amusement quickly curdling into frustration. She clutched the sheets and gritted her teeth. It always ended this way. No matter how much pleasure she gave him, he never stayed. Never spoke after. Never held her the way he used to hold Elira.

-

A series of shallow breaths echoed off the tiled walls as steam coiled through the bathroom. Jason leaned against the marble sink, the edge biting into his palms. His gaze locked onto the fogged-up mirror, where his own blurred reflection looked just as fractured as he felt.

Talia stood behind him in nothing but a towel. Her hair clung damply to her shoulders, and her eyes flickered with uncertainty as she stared at his bare back.

"Jason," she said softly, her voice barely audible over the dripping faucet. "I didn't mean to ruin the plan. I just missed you."

Jason's eyes narrowed at his reflection. He didn't turn to face her yet.

"You missed me?" His voice was low, almost dangerous. "You missed me enough to sabotage everything we've worked for?"

Her fingers reached for his back again, but this time, he stepped away. The contact was too much. Too fake.

"I thought we were in this together," Talia whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "You said she was just a stepping stone."

He turned, eyes sharp. "She was never just a stepping stone. She built MonroeTech from scratch. You and I... we used her."

"Oh..." Talia's jaw tightened. "Don't act like you're suddenly the victim. You slept with me behind her back several times, Jason. We planned this together."

"I know what we did," he snapped. "But that doesn't mean I don't feel like shit about it."

The silence that followed was thick.

Talia's voice dropped, laced with something venomous. "Don't tell me you're catching feelings for her now. After everything? You are seriously regretting?"

Jason didn't answer. That silence was louder than any words.

Talia scoffed, stepping closer, the towel slipping slightly to reveal more of her skin. "You don't get to feel bad now. Not after all we've done. We've bought ten percent of the shares. MonroeTech is already tilting in our favor."

Jason looked away. "It's not about the shares."

"Then what is it?" she hissed, suddenly angry. "You said you didn't love her. That it was just strategy. Don't tell me you're regretting this now-when we're so close."

His gaze lifted slowly, and the pain in his eyes caught her off guard. "You didn't see her face, Talia. When she caught us. It wasn't just betrayal... it was heartbreak."

Talia flinched as though slapped.

Jason shook his head and stepped past her, grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist.

"She gave me everything," he murmured. "Time. Love. Loyalty. And I crushed it."

Talia's voice trembled. "So what now? Are you going to go crawling back to her? You're gonna leave me? Huh?"

Jason didn't reply.

Meanwhile...

Kieran leaned back on the leather couch in his office, shirtless, muscles flexing beneath smooth skin. He watched the woman across from him as she fastened her bra with shaky fingers, her cheeks flushed - from exertion or embarrassment, he couldn't tell. Nor did he care.

The blank cheque lay on the table between them, untouched.

She smiled nervously and trailed her manicured finger down his back. "Wouldn't you want to make this... something more?"

The room went still.

Kieran's eyes flicked to her with lethal coldness. His entire energy shifted, the casual air gone in an instant.

"What exactly are you implying?" he asked, voice low and dangerous.

She gulped. "I- I just meant-maybe we could start a relationship? We have chemistry..."

Kieran stood in one fluid, predatory motion.

"Get out," he said simply.

Her eyes widened. "W- Wait-what? Why? Did I say something wrong?"

He stepped closer, eyes narrowed, nose twitching with disdain. "You did everything wrong the moment you opened your mouth and said relationship. You think this was more than a transaction?"

She backed up, her heel catching on the rug.

Kieran grabbed her forearm roughly. "If you ever breathe the same air as me again, I'll make sure you regret your existence."

Her face crumpled as tears fell. Without another word, she yanked her arm free and fled the office, sobbing.

Kieran sighed, unbothered. The scent of sweat and lust still hung in the air. Disgusting.

With lazy elegance, he reached for his trousers, slipped them on, and pressed a hidden button on his desk. Within three minutes, a petite cleaning staff member rushed in, bowing her head. She didn't speak. She'd been trained not to.

Kieran walked past her into the hidden door behind the bookshelves - a private bathroom few knew existed.

Under the hot spray of the shower, Kieran closed his eyes and let the water cascade over his body.

But oddly, it wasn't the woman he'd just kicked out that came to mind.

It was Elira.

Her face. Her voice. Her stubborn fire.

A slow, dangerous smile curved on his lips as he leaned his head back.

"How would she look? he wondered darkly. Beneath me... whimpering, shaking, mine?" The thought aroused something primal in him. But unlike the quick, shallow releases he indulged in with others, this was different. This wasn't just lust.

It was possession.

He wanted to ruin her. Own her. Break her - and then make her beg for him to fix it.

Kieran chuckled lowly.

"She'll be mine soon enough."