Page 102 of Ruthless God

I plug it in, waiting for it to turn on, a sense of unease curling in my gut. Cecely towels off beside me, sighing as she collapses onto the edge of the bed.

“You okay?” I ask, watching her.

She gives a small, satisfied smile. “Yeah. I just…” She exhales, stretching lazily. “I needed that.”

I almost smirk, but my phone vibrates, lighting up with a dozen missed notifications. Fuck. Guess it’s back to reality. I exhale, already dreading what’s waiting for me on the other side of that screen.

“You stay in here. Rest. I’m going to my office.” I hesitate, glancing at her. “Maybe bring some of your things in here.”

She bats her lashes at me, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. “Mr. Irons. Are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Yes.”

She freezes.

For the first time in days, I see her flustered. Her teasing expression falters, replaced by something softer, something real.

A slow flush creeps up her neck, warming her cheeks. And fuck me, I like the way she looks when she’s caught off guard.

I lean in, my lips brushing softly against hers, savoring the warmth, the closeness.

“Bring it all in here.”

Her breath hitches slightly, but she doesn’t hesitate.

“Okay.”

I smirk, tilting my head.

“Okay,” I echo, as if we’re making some kind of silent agreement. And maybe we are. I step back, watching her for a moment longer, memorizing the way she looks in my bed, in my space, like she belongs there.

It’s a dangerous thought.

But for once, it doesn’t feel like a risk.

I’m still smiling when I leave my room, feeling like a new man. For the first time in a long fucking time, the shadows of my past don’t feel so heavy. For once, they don’t own me. But that feeling lasts exactly four minutes.

Because the moment I step into my office, Agnes is already there, waiting. And one look at her face tells me whatever she’s about to say is going to ruin everything.

Her eyes meet mine, dark and unreadable, and the small shred of peace I had just minutes ago?

Gone.

I shut the door behind me, bracing myself. “What is it?”

She hesitates.

Not a good sign.

Agnes never hesitates.

I exhale sharply. “Just say it.”

“Mr. Blanc reached out. There’s been another attack.”

Agnes’ words land like a brick to the chest. Another attack?

I reach for my phone, scrolling fast, my pulse hammering as I take in the missed calls and messages. Sure enough, each of the Elite Members has tried reaching me over and over since I locked myself away with Cecely. I clench my jaw. Fuck.

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