Chapter 102
Chapter 102:
Devin stepped squarely into his path with a flat, irritated look. “The police are on their way. Why don’t you stay here and explain things to them first p>
Back at home, Kyson set Kailey carefully on the sofa. She was still caught in a haze, her reddened eyes wide and unfocused—like a frightened animal that hadn’t yet registered it was safe.
“Kailey.” Pain tightened in his chest as he cupped her face between both hands. “You’re safe now. Look at me. It’s Kyson p>
Slowly, her eyes drifted until they found his, and her voice came out barely above a whisper. “Kyson p>
“I’m here,” he said, releasing a slow, ragged breath. “I’m sorry. This happened because of me p>
𝗧h𝘦 𝗆𝗼𝘀t 𝗉𝗼р𝘂𝗹𝗮r 𝗇𝗈𝘷𝖾𝗹𝘴 𝗈𝗻
For a moment, she was quiet. Then soft sobs broke free.
“He kept trying to take my clothes off and wouldn’t let me leave. I told him no. I wanted to come home.” Her voice fractured as she spoke, tears sliding down her cheeks without stopping. “But Dana said the partnership mattered. I just joined the company. If I ruin a deal p>
Her words fell apart entirely.
Kyson reached for a tissue and gently wiped the tears from her face. “None of this is on you. You handled it well. Kent is the problem. So is Dana p>
Guilt pressed heavily on his conscience. He had never imagined that trying to put Dana in her place would end up pulling Kailey into something this dangerous.
Kailey looked at him through wet, unsteady eyes, as if the tears might spill again at any second. “Really p>
Her hands curled into fists against her lap, her body drawing inward. “I feel filthy, Kyson. I feel dirty p>
Earlier in the night, Kent had tried to force a kiss on her. She had managed to turn her face away in time, but his hands had still touched her, and the memory alone sent a wave of revulsion through her body.
Kyson studied her expression with quiet, steadying tenderness. With careful fingers, he smoothed loose strands of hair behind her ear, and then spoke with unhurried certainty.
“You’re not dirty. Not even a little.” He paused, his gaze holding hers. “Can I kiss you? Let me replace that memory with something clean p>
At his words, Kailey’s breath caught. Her attention locked onto his face as it slowly drew nearer, and everything else fell away entirely.
The brief kiss ended almost as soon as it began, leaving Kailey with the unreal sensation of having slipped into a dream. Every sense she had was centered on the gentle warmth of Kyson’s lips, and the feeling lingered beautifully.
Worried about pushing her too far, Kyson reined himself in and drew back after that short moment. Rather than kissing her again, he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.
“Try not to carry unnecessary weight. If something like this ever happens again, you are allowed to say no at any time. Do you understand p>