Chapter Seventeen
SERENITY VEYLOR-KORVEN
Why would I do that?”
“Because I told you to. Now do what I say.”
“I don’t work for you or for Konflict, Krash. I don’t have to listen to you.”
Their voices drifted toward me from far away, just as I struggled to open my eyes. My eyelids were heavy as hell and my head was pounding. Still, I forced myself to wake up. The light slammed into my eyes, too damn bright, making it twice as hard to adjust.
“Who do you think you’re talking to, Val? Sometimes I swear you forget who the hell I am, baby. You need me to remind you whose pussy this is?”
I heard him shove her against the wall.
“Krash…” Valery let out a sound in half protest, but it was cut off fast by what I knew had to be a kiss.
“Just because you got four years on me, you think you run this thing? Baby, both of us know when I touch you like this, your pussy starts singing my name. Look how wet you are, Mama. You want this dick, don’t you? Want me to fuck you right here against the wall before your boss wakes up?”
“Baby…” she whimpered again.
“You know the thought of you walking around this villa with my cum dripping down your thighs turns me on more than you can imagine?”
“Fuck... baby... We can’t. Serenity is right there…”
I heard my name and finally started to come back to myself. What. The. Fuck? Was that really Valery and Krash? Was my assistant fucking Konflict’s right hand?
I blinked, trying to snap back to reality. When my eyelids finally lifted all the way, I barely recognized where I was. My mind was hazy and for a second I thought I was hallucinating. This wasn’t my room, and it definitely wasn’t the room where I spent my nights with Knox at Vixen’s.
The bedroom was huge, luxury everywhere, giant windows flooding the place with light. The décor was all grays and whites, with expensive art on the walls, but the whole thing felt cold, like no one really lived here.
Where the hell was I? And what the fuck happened last night?
I racked my brain, but the headache was brutal and I had no clear memories from last night.
I remembered falling into the Marquette’s pool, the feeling when vertigo took me out.
I remembered the pain when my lungs started to fill with water, and I remembered making the choice to just stop fighting.
God. I drowned last night. And I saw Kate Korven—she told me to hold on, to fight. After that, nothing but black.
“Valery…” My throat was dry as sandpaper.
“Shit, she’s awake,” she blurted out, voice panicked.
I heard the scramble of clothes—a zipper yanked up, a belt buckled—then a few seconds later, Valery came into the room with Krash right behind her.
My brow furrowed the second I saw them.
“Oh my god, Serenity, you’re finally awake,” Valery rushed to my side, worry all over her face.
She hugged me tightly, checking me over, but my eyes never left Krash.
“What’s he doing here? Did Konflict send you?” I snapped.
Valery started to answer, but Krash cut her off, not giving her a chance.
“You’re at Konflict’s villa. We brought you here after you nearly drowned at the Marquette party. You’re in his bedroom.”
“What? Why the hell am I at Konflict’s place? Why aren’t we at the Korven estate?” My heart slammed in my chest.
“Because you were too weak for a trip across the city. The villa is closer to the Marquette’s. It made more sense to bring you here. I’ll tell the doctor you’re awake and call Konflict.” He left the room before I could say anything else.
I scanned the room again, taking it in. So this was where he slept since leaving the Korven estate to stay away from me. And this was the same bed where he probably fucked Eleana Sawyer and God knows how many other women.
Just the thought of lying in this bed made bile rise in my throat. I wanted to get up and leave.
“I don’t want to stay here,” I said, pushing myself upright. “Valery, we’re going back to the Korven estate. And then you’re going to tell me how long you’ve been fucking one of the enemy’s men.”
She turned pale, but she moved closer, trying to keep me in bed.
“No, you’re not moving until the doctor checks you out,” she said without meeting my eyes. “And… I didn’t know how to tell you. With Krash, things just… happened. It’s not serious. Just…”
“Just getting some dick?” I threw back, deadpan.
She looked up and I saw guilt written across her face.
“I swear, I never did anything with him that could compromise you.”
I let a small smile break through to ease the tension.
Valery had been by my side since I was a kid.
Eight years older than me, always more of a big sister than just an assistant.
As far back as I could remember, I’d never seen her with a man.
I’d always wondered if she even had a life outside of taking care of me.
So, as strange as it was that she ended up tangled with Konflict’s right hand, I couldn’t hold it against her.
If anything, it almost reassured me to know she wouldn’t be alone once I was gone.
After tomorrow, everything would be different.
I was glad she had someone to share her life with when I wasn’t here anymore.
“It’s nothing. I’m happy for you. Everybody needs some good dick now and then,” I said, giving her a little smile. “And honestly, it sounded pretty heated between you two, if what I heard is anything to go by.”
“Oh God, I’m going to kill him,” she groaned, embarrassed.
“But seriously, how are you feeling? You know you scared the hell out of me when Krash told me what happened? You can’t do that to me.
What the hell happened? The cameras showed you by the pool and then next thing, you lost your balance and you were on the bottom. ”
I squinted, trying to piece together the memory. “I don’t know. I was walking by the pool and then got hit with this crazy vertigo. Everything spun so hard I couldn’t stand up straight. Then it all went blurry. I don’t even remember how I got out of the pool.”
Realizing I had no idea who pulled me out, I turned to Valery. “Who got me out of the water?”
“Krash told me it was Konflict. He heard your screams and dove in after you. Did CPR, chest compressions, everything… you weren’t breathing. Damn, Serenity, you scared me so bad.”
Konflict pulled me out?
My heart started racing. A part of me was almost…
glad he saved me, like some broken kid hoping for a hero.
God, he rescued me again, just like he did nineteen years ago.
And I was a damn fool for letting that mean anything, for feeling something when I knew he wasn’t the boy I remembered.
He wasn’t the man I loved. I needed to get it together.
“Why?” I asked, frowning.
None of it made any sense. Why would he save me when he plans to kill me tomorrow?
I couldn’t believe he’d given up on revenge.
That would be insane. He hated me, hated my name.
He hated being married to me so much he exiled himself to this villa just to avoid me.
He never even consummated our marriage, just so it would dissolve clean. Why the hell would he jump in after me?
“Why what?” Valery asked.
“Why save me when he plans to finish me off tomorrow?”
Valery’s eyes met mine. They were sad and soft, protective like always.
“I don’t know. Maybe he changed his mind? Maybe he doesn’t want revenge anymore and saving you was his way of proving it? I don’t know, Serenity. I hope he changed his mind. You don’t deserve to die just because of your father’s name.”
“No, you’re dreaming. Konflict will never stop wanting the Veylor’s erased from this city. He’s exactly as cruel as he looks. There’s nothing deeper to it.”
She shook her head, “Then maybe it’s because you still carry his name.
As long as you’re a Korven, he has a duty to protect you.
Everyone knows how much Konflict values reputation and honor.
He’s made it clear throughout this whole marriage, nobody tarnishes the Korven name without paying for it.
It wouldn’t look good at all for the head of the family to let his wife drown.
That’s not a story he’d want on his record. ”
That sounded exactly like Konflict. Her theory stung, but it was too true to ignore.
Everyone in this city knew Konflict Korven would fight for anyone carrying his name, up until they didn’t anymore.
If he’d saved me after the dissolution, maybe I could’ve seen him in a new light.
But that wasn’t the case. He was still the same bastard he’d been since day one.
“You’re right,” I said, voice tight. “So where is he now?”
“He left early this morning. Urgent business, or so Krash said.”
I nodded, hiding the disappointment that crept in. He didn’t even cancel his meetings to wait for me to wake up. Just more proof all of this was out of obligation.
Drifting back into my thoughts, a familiar sensation clawed its way in.
I felt like I’d been close to someone I knew, like I’d spent the night wrapped in arms that felt safe.
Why did it feel like I’d been held against his body all night?
Maybe because I dreamed about his tattoo, over and over.
I could almost swear I touched it. The comfort of Knox’s arms, his warmth, his scent—I could have sworn I felt it all in my sleep.
But that was impossible. Knox couldn’t have been here.
Unless… No, I had to be dreaming.
Just thinking about him must’ve tricked my senses into feeling that tattoo, that body, those lips against mine.
I tried to convince myself, but some desperate part of me started building an impossible theory—the one where my husband held me all night, kissed me slow and deep, so real I couldn’t forget it even in this foggy, half-waking state.
Shit, I knew it was impossible, but I had to ask.
“Did he come see me in this room? Did he sleep in this bed with me?” My heart pounded so hard it hurt.