CHAPTER 35

"What are you doing here, Mrs. Collazo?"

I was frozen for a few seconds when I heard his voice. He was still looking out the bay window while smoking. With every drag and exhale from his cigarette, the smell reached my spot.

"I'm just looking around. What do you think I'm doing here?" I replied sarcastically.

I heard him chuckle softly at what I said. I walked towards Helios' spot like my feet had a mind of their own. If he tried to kill me, I could easily pull Saf from my hair and use it as a weapon against him.

"Hmm. I don't really know if you're just looking around here or if you're following me. Who knows, maybe your husband sent you to kill me." That's when I finally saw his face.

"You're here to kill me, aren't you? Maybe I'm right about that."

His serious, ash-grey eyes made it hard to tell what was running through his mind. But there was something strange about him—it seemed like he was both annoyed and sad, but I felt like it was just my imagination. On top of that, it was clear he wasn't in the mood, given how furrowed his brow was as he stared at me.

He walked toward me and passed by. I quickly pulled Saf from my hair, and my long hair fell freely. I slipped the ends of my two golden stiletto-style weapons into my fingers and hid them behind my back.

False rumors—but I guess I was wrong. How could I avoid them when the person who spread them is right in front of me? I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm down.

"I'm not his wife, okay—"

I stopped mid-sentence and turned to him. My eyes widened as I saw his right hand moving toward me, gripping a pocket knife, ready to stab. I quickly stepped back and grabbed his hand, twisting it until he dropped the knife.

I pulled his hand toward me, bringing his body closer. That's when I found the opportunity to punch his stomach. He quickly blocked the punch with his hand, then grabbed my foot and dragged me, making me fall onto the cold wooden floor. He continued to pull me across the floor.

"Not so fast, Hexia," he replied, as if he were joking with me.

I gasped in shock from what he did. I tried to kick him with the foot he wasn't holding, but he kept dragging me, moving me around the entire mini-living room on the second floor of Hyperion's library. He was treating me like a mop! I was becoming a rag because of what he was doing!

He knew exactly how to annoy me. He knew exactly how to boil my blood with anger. I thought only Oceanus could do that, but I was wrong. Now, he was the one leading.

"Stop it!" I screamed sharply. "I said fucking stop it, Helios," I said seriously. I raised myself until we were almost pressed against each other.

I didn't struggle since I could lift my own weight. At the same time, I trapped his hand that was gripping my foot, squeezing it between my thighs and pulling it toward me. Then, I shifted my full body weight onto his trapped hand, twisting in midair and bringing him down with me onto the wooden floor.

He was caught off guard by my move and didn't recover immediately. I pressed the small button on Saf, and I heard a faint click coming from the weapon in my hand, signaling that the cover had come off.

I straddled his chest while breathing heavily and attempted to stab him with one of the golden stiletto-type weapons I was holding.

My hand was trembling, and my chest was rising and falling rapidly as I felt like I was running out of breath. The playful expression on his face disappeared when our eyes met again. I felt like I was drowning in the way he looked at me.

I didn't know why, but why did it feel so different, like there was something strange in the way he looked at me? It was so familiar, as if I already knew him. I felt like I had been with him before because of the emotions surging inside me right now.

"You're beautiful."

My brow furrowed as if it had said something I couldn't quite hear.

"What did you say? I'm what?" I said sternly, my hand still poised, ready to strike.

"Why don't you just stab me with that thing you're holding, Hexia?" he challenged, ignoring my question. "You want me dead, right? Why won't you just plunge it into my chest and get your revenge?"

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding so loudly it drowned out everything else. Frustration burned inside me—not at him, but at myself. He had given me the perfect chance to finish him, yet I couldn't do it. Why? Something held me back, making my hand tremble even more.

It felt like I was battling myself over what I should do to him. But nothing happened because my own self stopped me from killing Helios. Neither of us wanted to break eye contact. I could clearly see how the darkness in Helios' ash-grey eyes grew. He looked like a black cat spotting its prey. The dark part of his gray eyes was so vast, and it felt like it was slowly pulling me toward him.

"I'll give you five seconds to leave, Hexia. This is your chance to escape, and if I still see you in front of me when I finish counting, you won't like what I'll do to you," he said seriously.

My heart was beating fast because of what he said. Along with the fear I was feeling, why was there also a sense of excitement? What was wrong with me!? Am I starting to like him, Is that why I feel this way?

"One."

I froze because of what I was thinking. No, it's impossible... I can't like him! It's like I've already betrayed Atlas... I'm starting to like the man I'm supposed to kill! It felt like I'd betrayed not just Atlas but even Rafael as well.

"Two."

There's nothing between Rafael and me, but I still feel like I've betrayed him. That's what I'm feeling right now. I must be crazy for thinking like this. I promised myself that my heart would only beat for him, but why is this happening? Why does it feel like my heart is slowly starting to beat for someone else and not for him?

"Three."

My heart was still pounding when I heard that he had already counted to three. Slowly, I stood up from sitting on his chest and tightly gripped Saf. I had to move quickly because he was counting—no, it wasn't just a matter of moving fast. I had to run, racing down the stairs and out of the library.

"Four."

But I didn't do that. Instead of speeding up my movements, I deliberately slowed down my pace. It felt like I was walking on the moon as I moved closer to the stairs. With each step I took, the beat of my heart quickened. It was as if my body had a mind of its own, deliberately slowing me down. Until I finally heard Helios' fifth and final count.

"Five."

I froze, my foot still hovering just above the stairs, when I heard him speak. I swallowed hard, not daring to look at him, instead waiting for what he would do next. The sound of his footsteps grew louder, and I knew he was coming for me.

I gasped sharply and spun around when he grabbed my wrist, pulling me towards him. His face was flushed, his neck slightly red, as if he were holding something back within himself. I couldn't move, the distance between us is now barely a foot.

"Your time is up, Hexia," he whispered softly, as though he were struggling with himself. "I gave you five seconds to leave, but what did you do? You didn't go. It's obvious that you did that on purpose.

It's true that I did it on purpose, but I don't know why I did that. That's what I want to say to him, but I chose to keep my mouth shut.

A chill ran down my spine as he moved closer to me until his face was almost against my ear.

"Do you know what I'm going to do to you?" he whispered to me.

"W-what?" I answered, my voice trembling from his question.

He didn't answer my question. Instead, I was startled when he pulled me toward one of the soft sofas and simply laid me down there. I dropped the weapon I was holding and continued to stare at him. My long, straight, chocolate-colored hair was spread out because of the way I was lying down.

"This is what I'm going to do to you, Hexia," he growled, his voice low and urgent.

Before I could react, he leaned in and captured my lips in a searing kiss. His kiss was demanding, almost desperate, as if he'd been starving for this moment. I was stunned, my body frozen in surprise.

My hands instinctively wrapped around Helios' neck as our bodies pressed together. Our lips moved in a hungry, desperate dance. He playfully nipped at my lower lip, and instead of pulling away, I gave in to the sensation.

A soft moan escaped my lips as he scooped me up and carried me to the sofa. He sat down, cradling me in his lap as our kiss deepened. Our chests pressed together, and I could feel his heart pounding against mine. His grip tightened around my waist, his body pressing into mine, hinting at something more beneath the dark fabric of his slacks.

Even without words, I understood. And with a newfound boldness, I began to move against him, our clothes doing little to dampen the growing heat between us.

There was a strange sensation coiling in my abdomen as I moved rhythmically against him. Our breaths mingled as we kissed, both of us panting.

"Faster," he murmured between kisses, his voice thick with desire.

My hand crept up to his now tousled hair, gently tugging at it as I felt him guide my hips to his preferred rhythm. One of his hands slowly traveled up my back, slipping inside the gown I was wearing to cup my breast.

I squeezed my eyes shut as his warm palm enveloped my breast. My breasts were of moderate size, neither too large nor too small. I felt my body heat up as he matched my movements. His fingers played endlessly with my nipple, sending shivers of delight through me.

"W-wait," I gasped, my voice barely a whisper.

He gently untied the silk halterneck, sending the fabric cascading down my body and revealing my breast. My nipples hardened into tight buds, their light brown hue contrasting sharply with the cool expanse of my skin.

The cold night air did nothing to chill the passion burning between us. As he took my breast into his mouth, I surrendered to the sensation, my body melting into his. I closed my eyes, lost in the moment, as a wave of pleasure washed over me.

He played with my breast, his touch sending shivers down my spine. He captured my lips in a kiss I eagerly returned. Our tongues met in a passionate dance, his gently biting my lower lip, inviting his tongue to explore the depths of my mouth.

A new wave of sensation washed over me as his tongue explored my mouth. Our kisses were frantic and desperate, as if we couldn't get enough of each other. I moved against him relentlessly, my body craving more. Under the soft fabric of his slacks, his growing hardness pressed against my lace underwear. With each hump, the friction sent a jolt of pleasure through me, and I couldn't help but moan.

"It feels good," I breathed, the sensation overwhelming. I'd never known I could feel like this.

"Hexia..." he whispered, his voice husky with desire.

Our breaths mingled, filling the air with a heated tension. Our eyes met, and time seemed to stand still. His gaze was both intense and inviting and was as familiar as the beat of my own heart.

I bit my lip and moved faster as I lost myself in the moment. His grip tightened around my waist as he met my every hump. A moan escaped my lips as an overwhelming sensation built within me. Gasping, I closed my eyes and clung to his shoulders, feeling the precipice of ecstasy.

My eyes flew open as a sharp ring pierced the air. My phone, tucked inside my clutch, was ringing so loud. I ignored it at first, but then I heard Atlas' voice through the earpiece, and I was jolted back to reality.

"Hexia? Where are you?"

"Atlas..." my eyes widened when I heard his voice on my earpiece. Good thing we have a special button on our earpiece that we press to hear the person we're talking to.

It was only then that I realized and stopped what I was doing. I let myself be overwhelmed by the heat of my body. I quickly got off Helios and almost fell when I felt my legs go weak. I hurriedly tied the fabric around my neck to raise the neckline of my long gown. I didn't bother to fix my gown and just grabbed my clutch purse and left Helios upstairs. With every step down the stairs, I felt even weaker because my knees were shaking.

I fixed my hair and just styled it into a bun. I pinned Saf on my hair so it wouldn't fall loose. I immediately opened the door to the library and rushed out of Hyperion's house.

From a distance, I could already tell that Atlas was by the side, near the car owned by Oceanus.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you since earlier," he asked me as I reached him.

"Just... around," I stammered, my voice barely audible. I was still catching my breath.

Atlas raised an eyebrow, his gaze lingering on me. I was a mess—sweaty, hair askew, and my dress was wrinkled at the hem.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice laced with concern.

I nodded quickly, trying to appear nonchalant.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go, I want to rest."

As I slipped into the passenger seat, I closed my eyes. The memory of what had happened in the library flooded my mind. I had crossed a line, and I was terrified of the consequences.

We did more than kiss earlier!

SHANGPU