Chapter 2: Disappointment Isn’t an Option Here
The two escorts stood frozen, tension rolling off them in waves. The weight of Caspian Vale’s presence bore down on them, and the mere mention of his name had already sent shivers up their spines.
Selene, her head bowed slightly, felt anger swell inside her like a tide, but she masked it behind a serene smile. Lifting her gaze, she fixed the men with an expectant look, her voice laced with mockery.
“You heard him, didn’t you?” she said smoothly. “Since Mr. Vale has taken an interest, I suggest you put on your best performance. After all, disappointment isn’t an option here.”
A playful gleam flickered in her eyes as she turned to Caspian, tossing him a flirtatious wink. “Mr. Vale, consider this a rare opportunity to learn. You treat the bed like a battlefield—unforgiving, brutal. My companions, on the other hand, know how to make a woman feel cherished. We aren’t your soldiers, you know. While I can endure your roughness, imagine your beloved. She’s far too delicate for such treatment, don’t you think?”
Caspian’s only response was a cold, unreadable stare. Leaning back against the sofa, he struck a match with a practiced flick and brought a cigarette to his lips. The smoke curled around him like a phantom, concealing any hint of emotion.
Selene’s irritation spiked. That expression—so detached, so indifferent. Yet something about it was different tonight. A flicker of something deeper, something she couldn’t quite place.
Her patience snapped. She turned sharply to the escorts. “What are you waiting for? Mr. Vale has given you his permission. Show him what you’ve got.”
With deliberate defiance, she slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders, letting the fabric slide down tantalizingly.
The two men tensed, their instincts warring between obedience and self-preservation. Their eyes darted toward Caspian—an unconscious reaction, as if seeking mercy.
His gaze, however, was like ice. Unforgiving. Merciless.
The escorts panicked. One took a hesitant step back. “Uh, Ms. Carter… maybe we should go.”
As they bent to grab their scattered clothes, Selene’s voice cut through the air like a blade.
“I told you already,” she said coolly. “Disappointment isn’t an option here.”
Before she could move further, something unexpected happened. A sudden shift in the air—something powerful, something inevitable.
In one swift motion, Caspian’s camouflage jacket flew through the air, landing squarely over her, shielding her from view. Before she could push it off, two strong hands gripped her waist.
“Caspian! What the hell—!” she shrieked as she was effortlessly lifted.
Blinded by the fabric draped over her, she could only feel the sheer force of his presence. He hoisted her over his shoulder, moving as if she weighed nothing.
Then, without warning, a sharp yelp tore through the air.
The acrid scent of burning flesh filled the room as Caspian wordlessly pressed the end of his cigarette into the back of one escort’s shoulder. The other barely had time to react before Caspian’s boot connected with his knee, sending him crumpling to the floor with a strangled groan.
By the doorway, Orion Draven—who had been trying to remain invisible—gasped in horror. He stumbled forward, hands raised in a placating gesture. “Mr. Vale, please! Let’s not escalate this—”
Caspian turned his head slightly, his voice like distant thunder. “Move.”
Orion went rigid, his courage crumbling in an instant. He stepped aside, helplessly watching as Caspian strode out, carrying Selene like a prize claimed in war.
The night air hit them as the jeep’s engine roared to life. The streets blurred past as the vehicle surged forward, the reckless speed mirroring the storm inside the man behind the wheel.
Selene lay sprawled in the back, her breath uneven. The alcohol had long since faded, replaced by a cold, biting clarity.
Her eyes flickered open, focusing on the space around her.
The master bedroom.
A place neither of them had set foot in since their wedding night. The untouched bed—an emblem of a marriage that had never truly been whole—mocked her.
Their union wasn’t devoid of intimacy. Whenever Caspian returned from duty, their nights were intense, raw, fueled by something neither of them could name. But those moments never lasted. They always returned to their separate rooms, to their separate lives.
But tonight was different.
Caspian had dragged her here. His space. Their bed.
The door slammed shut behind them.
She barely had time to push herself up before he loomed over her, his shadow swallowing her whole. His eyes were wild, rimmed red with something untamed.
“Caspian, what the hell are you thinking?” she whispered.
His response was a low, guttural growl. “Get ready, because I’m going to fuck you until you’re begging for more.”
A sharp gasp escaped her as his fingers found the straps of her dress, tearing them apart as though they were nothing.
“So, I was too rough before?” His breath was hot against her ear, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin in a tormenting caress. “Let’s fix that. Tonight, I’ll make sure you feel everything.”
Her breath hitched. She twisted beneath him, but her struggles only pressed them closer together. The heat of him, the sheer weight of his presence, was overwhelming.
And then—
A sharp, piercing ringtone shattered the air.
Caspian froze.
The phone buzzed again, an insistent interruption to the moment.
He exhaled harshly, frustration evident as he reached for his pocket. But the second he glanced at the screen, something shifted in his face.
Selene followed his gaze.
And there it was.
Lyra Wren.
The name flashed across the screen like a cruel joke.
Selene let out a slow, bitter laugh. Of course.
Before Caspian could react, she snatched the phone from his grip.
“Hello, Lyra,” she said smoothly.
There was a stunned pause on the other end.
“Selene?” Lyra’s voice wavered. “Hi… is Caspian there?”
Selene didn’t even hesitate.
With a smirk, she sank back into the pillows, letting her voice drop into something sultry, something poisonous.
“Sorry, but Caspian and I are a little busy right now,” she purred. “You know how it is—when a husband and wife reunite after time apart. It’s like a craving that needs to be satisfied.”
She let the silence stretch before delivering the final blow.
“He’s got his mouth all over me right now,” she whispered, savoring the sharp inhale on the other end. “So I doubt he’ll be answering his phone anytime soon.”
