Morticia got home an hour later. She hadn’t spent much time with Nolan, and their conversation over dinner had been strictly about work and she felt guilty about it.
It didn’t feel like a date at all. Klaus was still on her mind, no matter how hard she tried to ignore the feelings stirring inside her.
The sound of warm, running water echoed in the bathroom as Morticia stood naked under the shower, letting the stream cascade over her skin, easing her tense muscles. She ran her fingers through her hair, tilting her face up with her eyes closed.
A memory struck her-Klaus pinning her against the wall, his lips crashing onto hers, his rough hands roaming over her body.
“So wet. So ready. Just for me… I love the way your body submits to me, Bunnie… Every part of it.”
Morticia’s eyes flew open as Klaus’s voice echoed in her mind. She stared at the tiled wall, recalling the torment of his sweet touch.
She sighed, trying to shake the memory, but the harder she tried, the more vivid it became. His kiss, his touch, his words-they all came flooding back to her.
Before she realized it, her hand drifted down her body.
A soft moan escaped her lips as her fingers slipped into her wet core. She bit her lip, but then realization struck, jolting her out of the trance.
She slid down to the floor, resting her back against the cold wall, burying her head between her knees.
Klaus.
She pressed her lips together, her emotions in turmoil.
It’s been four years since he broke you, Morticia. Why the hell do you still crave him?
–
The next day, Morticia entered the Scarlett Building, her hips swaying as she held her head high. Heads turned, and people stole second glances.
Her presence was commanding. She was stunning, with a refined, feminine physique. There was an air of authority about her that made her seem like the owner of the company.
She quickened her pace, catching the elevator just as the doors were about to close. Stepping inside, her eyes met Wyatt’s, and they exchanged polite nods.
Morticia pressed her floor number and fixed her gaze on the elevator doors. Silence filled the small space until Wyatt broke it.
“President Sinclair went back to New York to handle some business. He should return soon,” Wyatt said. Morticia’s expression remained indifferent.
“I didn’t ask,” she replied flatly. She was well aware that “Sinclair” was Klaus’s mother’s maiden name. The fact that Klaus had chosen to use it instead of “Banard” didn’t made her suspicious when she first encountered the name at Scarlett Holdings.
“I just thought you’d want to know, Miss Addams,” Wyatt said calmly, unfazed by her curt response.
Then he added, “I’ve often wondered what you’re like in person, Miss… Bunnie.”
Morticia glanced at him sharply. “Don’t tell me your president has been spying on me.”
“I wouldn’t call it spying,” Wyatt replied smoothly. “He gave me a strict instruction to check whether you’re fine or not. Not details attached and I kept doing that for four years after he became president. He never missed a day asking of you””
Morticia’s eyes narrowed, not expecting such a reply. “And what do you tell him?”
Wyatt’s gaze softened, though it held a depth Morticia couldn’t decipher.
“I lied to him,” he admitted. “I always told him you were fine, even though you weren’t. You might have looked fine on the outside, but inside, you were falling apart-just like him. I saw it, Miss Addams. The late nights you worked to avoid being alone, the way you drowned yourself in work to escape the memories. But he didn’t need to know that. He didn’t deserve to.”
Morticia’s lips tightened. “Why would you lie for me? What’s in it for you?”
“I didn’t do it for you,” Wyatt said, his voice calm but laced with a hint of emotion. “I did it for him. Knowing you were suffering because of him would have destroyed him. Leaving you was already his greatest regret. I thought I was protecting you both in my own way.”
Morticia opened her mouth to reply but found no words.
“Answers?” Wyatt said quietly. “You should get those from him. Deep down, you know what you want, Miss Addams. Go for it.”
The elevator doors slid open, and Wyatt stepped out, leaving Morticia alone with her thoughts.
***
Katie’s breathing was ragged, her clothes torn as she remained seated on the dirty floor. Her bones felt like water, her head throbbed, and her eyes felt heavy, seeking the sleep that refused to come.
It had been three days since Klaus had instructed his men not to give her food or water. She was so hungry, her throat so dry she could trade anything for a glass of water.
The gate creaked open, and she heard footsteps echoing through the cold cell. She didn’t have the strength to look up at the person, but when her eyes met his, she whimpered.
The devil was back.
Klaus.
Almost two years of intense torture-stabbed, then treated. Electrocuted, starved, and so much more. Every day was a nightmare, and she badly wished she hadn’t crossed this man. She wished she had killed him when she was still Void.
Or perhaps, she wished Klaus were like Vincent, who killed his enemies without wasting a moment on them.
“Did you miss me?” Klaus asked with a creepy grin. She noticed the blood on his face and some on his shirt but was too afraid to ask.
“Just kill me,” she croaked, her voice so low Klaus almost didn’t hear her.
“I will,” Klaus whispered, and before Katie could process his words, a gunshot echoed. The bullet pierced her thigh.
Her screams echoed through the four corners of the cell, veins bulging on her neck and forehead. Her throat felt as though it might break completely at any moment.
Klaus let her finish screaming before speaking again.
“I saw Bunnie,” he said, and Katie let out a low, bitter chuckle. Now she understood why Klaus was so mad.
“What’s with her?” Katie snickered, clutching the wound on her lap. “Has she moved on? Does she have kids with another man?”
Klaus remained quiet for a while, his eyes darkening. “That would have been better. But she didn’t,” he said, locking eyes with her. “She has been suffering for what I did to her. She hates me, and that was my biggest fear.”
Katie frowned, surprised that Morticia hadn’t moved on after all these years.
“But deep down, I’m glad she hadn’t moved on. Crazy,” Klaus muttered, his voice low and dangerous. “I’ve missed so many years to care for her… All because of you.”
Another gunshot rang out, the bullet piercing her hand and lap simultaneously.
Klaus chuckled as her scream mingled with his laughter. “Does that hurt?”
Klaus answered his own question. “Not as much as you hurt me.”
“I’m sorry…” she cried, her voice shaking. “Just please let me go.”
“Your son is dead.”
Katie’s movements stopped abruptly, her lips trembling as her eyes snapped to Klaus.
“No,” she whispered, groaning at the pain that shot through her when she tried to move.
“He worked with you, didn’t he?” Klaus asked, his voice firm. “He was the one who sneaked into the hospital and injected my mother with something to kill her.”
She turned quiet, wondering how he had found out. She wanted to keep Gideon away from this, just for him to survive… But it was too late.
Katie watched Klaus rise to his feet. Her body instantly felt weaker, knowing he wasn’t bluffing.
With no emotion, Klaus aimed the gun at her forehead. He whispered, “It’s time to end the music.”
Katie let out a small, bitter laugh, seeing the monster she had created about to kill her. It was surreal-she had lost everything, even her only son.
The look on her face wasn’t satisfying for Klaus, but knowing she was still alive drove him mad, and he wanted to end it.
Klaus pulled the trigger, the bullet piercing her forehead. Blood splattered on the wall as Katie’s head slammed against it from the impact. She went limp, her eyes remaining open.
With that, Klaus left the cell, leaving Katie’s body for his men to clear. He headed to his personal suite to clear his head.
He stood on the balcony, overlooking the large city before him. The cool breeze hitting his skin eased his tense state a little.