Page 71 of His to Possess
Remy and Nolan exchanged a look I couldn't quite decipher. "Alright," Remy said after a moment. "But we're coming with you. You're in no state to drive."
I wanted to argue, to tell them I didn't need their help. But the room was still spinning, and deep down, I knew they were right. I nodded curtly, allowing them to lead me out of the club.
Chapter 24
Rex
I stepped into the penthouse, the familiar cold air settling around me like an unwanted embrace. The alcohol still buzzed in my veins, dulling the edges of my usually precise thoughts, but now it offered a sense of controlled chaos. I glanced over at Nolan and Remy, who followed silently, their expressions concerned but curious.
I led the way toward Laurel's room, a place filled with echoes of her presence. As I pushed open the door, I noticed the space was empty of all she had brought with her, as if she hadn't been here at all. Tendrils of anxiety spun in my stomach. The starkness of the room sliced through me, pulling at the threads of my heart that somehow began to unravel around her. A pit grew within my chest.
"Fuck!"
I moved further into the room, my eyes scanning every corner, searching for any trace of her. But there was nothing. No hintof her perfume, no stray book left on the nightstand, not even a forgotten hair tie.
"She really left," I said, more to myself than to the others. The reality of it hit me like a physical blow, and I sank onto the edge of the bed, my head in my hands.
Remy stepped forward, his voice uncharacteristically gentle. "Rex, maybe this isn't what it looks like. There could be an explanation."
I laughed bitterly, looking up at him. "What explanation could there possibly be? She's gone, Remy. I pushed her too far, and now she's gone."
Nolan moved to the closet, opening it to reveal all the clothing he had bought for her, all in place. "It's thorough, I'll give her that," he said, his tone carefully neutral.
I stood abruptly, anger flaring hot and bright within me. "This isn't right. She wouldn't just leave like this. Not without…" I trailed off, realizing how pathetic I sounded.
Not without saying goodbye? Since when did I care about goodbyes?
Remy's voice called from the hallway, shattering the silence. "Rex? Is it normal for your vault to be wide open?"
I felt the blood drain from my face as his words registered. My vault. Open. I moved before I even realized it, pushing past Remy and Nolan as I raced down the hallway.
The sight of the open vault door hit me like a physical blow. My fingers trembled as I checked the control panel, relief flooding through me when I saw Laurel's code had been used. Not an intrusion, then. But the relief was short-lived as I stepped inside, my eyes widening as I saw Laurel had opened the secret room.
"Fuck!" I took in the mess of albums scattered across the floor. The room, my most private sanctuary, lay exposed.
I knelt, picking up one of the albums. I flipped it open, seeing the carefully curated photos, notes, mementos. All the pieces of a life I had tried to control, to perfect.
Nolan followed me, remaining silent as he understood what he saw.
I ignored him, moving to another album. Sarah. Then Olivia. Each one was a testament to my obsession, my need to possess and shape these women into my ideal. And me succeeding, over and over again.
Shame and anger warred within me as I realized what Laurel must have seen. The truth of me, laid bare in these pages. Was this why she left? Did she see the monster lurking beneath my carefully constructed facade? The one she had refused to acknowledge?
"How did she even find this room?" I said, more to myself than the others. My mind raced, trying to piece together how Laurel could have discovered this hidden part of me.
The thought of her rifling through these albums, seeing the extent of my obsession, made my stomach churn. I wasn't ashamed of who I was. But now, with my darkest secrets exposed, I felt raw and vulnerable.
I gripped the edge of the shelf, my knuckles turning white as I tried to steady myself. The room spun, a kaleidoscope of memories and regrets. Nolan's voice cut through the chaos in my mind.
"Did Laurel leave any kind of message since you disappeared?" he asked, his tone laced with concern.
I raked a hand through my hair, frustration bubbling beneath the surface. "Call Shoji," I muttered, barely recognizing my own voice.
As Nolan pulled out his phone, I felt lost, like a jigsaw puzzle with missing pieces. Laurel's absence haunted me, twisting my heart while memories of our laughter ricocheted in my mind.The sound of her voice, the curve of her smile—it all felt so distant now, as if it had belonged to another life.
What had I done to her?
The question burned in my chest, a relentless ache that threatened to consume me. I had pushed people away before, molded them to fit my ideal, but this—this felt different. Laurel was never just another conquest, another name in an album. She was… more.
