Chapter 187 - His Greed
Lina woke up in a cold sweat. She shot upright, her eyes shaking from the trauma. She was unable to speak. Her hands couldn't stop trembling. She reminded herself that it was just a dream. Just a nightmare. That was all.
With a quivering head, she turned to see the bed was empty.
Lina's heart fell. In her moment of weakness, all she wanted was warmth and comfort. But the other end of the bed was cold. She bit back her pain and tried to lay back down. Then, she heard it..
"...why would he need immortals?"
Lina shifted her gaze. In the darkness of the room, she saw him on the balcony. The moonlight watched over him. Its brightness added a melancholic hunch to his proud shoulders and framed his features perfectly. His face was hauntingly beautiful. He had the kind of sorrow that poets always wrote about and painters strived to draw.
"Screw his greed," Kaden growled into the phone.
Kaden ran a hand through his hair. He gritted his teeth. Should he just kill Atlantis? That would make things much easier. With no guard dog, how would the King of Wraith sniff out an immortal?
Kaden's jaw ticked. Damn him. Damn everything. Lina. Lina would care. She would weep over the dog, hold onto him and glare at him with accusing eyes. She'd look at Kaden and judge him to be a murderer. She'd hate him forever. Whoever the hell this Atlantis was, she cared for him.
Kaden was no fool. He saw the similarities that Lina didn't. Hell, even their names were similar. How could she not realize it? How could she be so blind?!
"I don't know how the King caught wind of us," Holten furiously said into the phone. "I suspect it was when you came to pick up Hazel with me at her school a few months back. You cracked a joke about it and some of her friends must've overheard."
"It's those royal brats," Kaden hissed. "I just know it. This is why I told you to transfer Hazel out of that school!"
Kaden harshly turned around, unable to look at the forest in the distance. It reminded him of when Lina tried to flee from him. During that rainy night, everything changed for the worst.
"Socializing with those royal brats won't do her any good—" Kaden paused.
Whatever Holten said was drowned out. Kaden saw her. She was on the verge of sobbing. He saw her look at him. His heart broke right then and there. A nightmare. He saw it all over her face. Her eyes were filled with anguish and her lips were in a wobbly line.
"I'll talk to you later," Kaden absentmindedly said.
"Wait, we have to finish discussing this—"
Kaden hung up.
Instantly, Kaden went back inside. He closed the balcony doors behind him and stood by them.
"Dove," Kaden murmured. "Are you alright?"
Lina sulked in the bed. She hugged the blankets to her chest and said nothing. She stared at the mattress and bit on her bottom lip. She felt like she was the cause of his problems. Didn't it all start with her?
"Talk to me, dove," Kaden coaxed.
Kaden approached the bedside. She remained glued to her spot. His gaze swept over her naked shoulders. She was shaking, but not from the cold. Immediately, he slid into the bed.
"Will you make room for me?" Kaden whispered.
Kaden stroked her face tenderly. Only then did she scoot over. He held back a soft laugh. Instantly, he slipped her onto his lap. She weighed nothing.
"Is it my fault?" Lina suddenly asked him.
Kaden didn't understand. He circled his arms around her. With great adoration, he kissed the side of her head. She deserved all the love in the world. His precious and sweet wife.
"What is your fault?" Kaden hummed.
Lina had never seen him this gentle. It only riddled her with even more guilt. She greedily wrapped her arms around his shoulders. He was clothed again, in nothing but a silk robe.
Kaden chuckled at her actions. She was straddling him now. He was fighting every urge in his body to harden. How could she be so cute? What was her secret?
"Atlantis," Lina mumbled.
Kaden froze. His face grew rigid. It was a good thing she buried her face into the crook of his neck. Or else she would've seen his murderous gaze. To keep himself sane, he rubbed up and down her back.
"What of him?" Kaden pressed.
Lina prided herself on how great her business tactics were. She used them on other people, but never him. The ball was in his court.
"I… I see his similarity to Atlan," Lina whispered. "I know you see it too."
Kaden didn't respond. He simply pressed his lips to her hair.
His kindness stabbed right through her heart. She felt like she was going to drown from the guilt.
"Now he has come back, as an immortal hunter…" Lina trailed off. "I won't let him hurt you, Kaden. I—"
"You think that boy can hurt me?" Kaden echoed in a dark tone.
"No," Lina instantly said, but too quickly. "I am worried he'd do something to you."
Kaden let out a harsh laugh.
Immediately, Lina felt her insides twist with anxiety. She tightened her grip on him. His body was made of muscles hard as steel. Yet, when she touched him, his skin was soft and warm.
"He has treated you well again in this lifetime. I will acknowledge that," Kaden told her. "Whatever transpired between you two can't be forgotten, but it can be stopped."
"He protected me," Lina told him. "From—"
"I'll protect you from now on," Kaden said.
Lina said nothing of it. "I've already told him we're married. I told him to stop calling me by my nickname."
Kaden didn't reply. Instead, he stroked her small back. Up and down. He could feel her nerves on the edge. She wasn't herself tonight. She was frantic and afraid.
"Enough of him," Kaden finally responded.
Lina's body grew tense. Kaden pulled back to carefully study her. He gripped her chin, his thumb stroking the spot.
"What frightened you, dove?" Kaden worriedly asked.
Kaden could see the jitteriness in her eyes. He felt it in her tense muscles. The fear was there. She held back a sob, but it still came out. Lowering her head, she clamped her mouth shut.
Kaden could only be patient with her. It was difficult to share a traumatic childhood; everyone always wanted to appear perfect.
"However long it takes," Kaden slowly said. "However long you need, I am willing to wait. Take until the end of dawn, if you need it. I will always wait for you."
Lina did what she couldn't express in words. She kissed him. His lips were warm. She sought adoration from them. Her arms slid around his shoulders. He let her take the lead. He allowed her to do as she pleased.
Only when she was dizzy from the kiss, did he pull away.
Kaden's breathing was hard. His eyes were ignited. Even so, he controlled his urges. He fondly stroked her hair.
"I had a nightmare," Lina finally said in a small voice. "I-it must've started because I saw them again. My ex-bullies."
"Who are they?" Kaden asked her in a chillingly calm tone.
Lina suddenly wished he was the violent kind. Maybe then, his anger would be more predictable. She didn't know what his next moves were. There was no man more frightening than the kind with silent wrath.
"In the nightmare, they're taunting me again," Lina rushed out. "T-they're calling me names. P-piggie, they'd tell me. And then, when I tried to speak, they'd oink."
Kaden's face turned cold like death. So they were courting death.
"It's horrible," Lina said to him. "A-and when I woke up, you weren't here. After what we did, I thought you'd be here to hold me, I—"
"I'm sorry dove," Kaden instantly told her. "I won't do it again. I'll hold you all night long. Starting from now."
Kaden shifted their bodies into the bed. They laid on their sides. He hugged her like a ferocious mate. His arms were tight around her body, pressing her to him.
"Are you cold? Uncomfortable? How are you feeling?" Kaden tenderly asked her. He kept his voice low, so he didn't disturb her.
Lina was in her most vulnerable position right now. She woke up from a nightmare in an empty bed. He knew he should've allowed the topic of Atlantis to continue. It must've ridden her with guilt. It was what he wanted her to feel. Now, he was beginning to regret it. He had forgotten she was a child when she had first met Atlantis. At that time, she didn't know Atlantis was Atlan. At that time, she had no one but him.
"Do you want something? Water? A hot towel? New blankets?" Kaden continued.
"Nothing," Lina mumbled. "I want nothing from you, except for you to hold me."
Kaden's heart was painfully squeezed. He would give her everything. All the riches in the world. All the power she wished. Everything she needed, he would give. Money was no problem for him. Reputation came easily.
Kaden was wealthy in every aspect. But she wanted something from him that didn't require money. Didn't require power. Or prestige. It required what he already had.
"Of course, dove," Kaden stated.
Kaden knew he could never love another. He couldn't even fathom the thought. What she asked of him was so simple that it shattered his soul. Her request tore his heart into pieces. She wanted something that anyone could give her, but she only wanted it from him.
So, he held her. He'd hold her for the rest of eternity if she wished for it. He'd hold her even until death. They could die in this position and he would not mind.
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