Chapter 46: Identity reveal

KRIS:

I felt a sense of Deja Vu.

He lifted his head, his dark eyes meeting mine. There was so much intensity in them, I gulped involuntarily.

My eyes wandered down and I swallowed. He was wearing a double pocket short sleeved button-down that hugged him tightly with the first three buttons undone, revealing his tattooed chest. The exposed part of his arms was also covered in tatts.

My gaze travelled back to his face. Strands of his hair were on his face. I licked my lips at the sight. His eyes never left me.

He was sinfully beautiful.

The towel covering my nudity loosened a bit. My hands flew up, holding it tightly to me.

I finally regained my sanity.

Not wanting to have a conversation with him half-naked, I ignored him and went into my closet to get clothes. Thereafter, I went to the bathroom to change. Cladded in shorts and t-shirt, I got out to see him in the same position I'd left him.

"How did you get into my house? Did you break in as usual?” I asked, resting on the wall opposite him, arms crossed around my torso.

His eyes flew to my chest making me drop my hands immediately.

I cursed silently.

I wasn't wearing a bra.

He raised a key, smirking.

"You stole my spare key?" I stared at him in disbelief, anger taking over.

"I own this apartment baby.”

"What do you mean you own it?” I yelled out in frustration.

"I bought it the moment you moved in.” He said casually like it was normal.

I was infuriated. I made a mental note to move out.

"If you move out I'll buy the next one you move into.” He said like he was reading my mind.

"I don't want to know why you're here. Just get out.”

"No.” He replied curtly.

"What more do you want from me? Haven't you done enough damage already?” I yelled out in frustration. Tears were threatening to fall down but I struggled to push them back.

I would never let him see my tears again.

"You. I want you.”

"I don't want you. I can never want you. You took away someone I loved so much.” The tears finally spilled out.

He stood up and tried reaching for me but I raised a hand, Stopping him.

I didn't want to be in the room with him so I left for the living room but he followed.

Ignoring him, I sat on a couch, knees drawn up to my chest with my head buried in them.

The couch dipped as his heavyweight slumped into it. Tired of arguing with him, I scooted to the far end.

Though I wasn't looking at him, I felt his eyes on me. After a while, he sighed.

"My real name is Lucian Quentin Ross.” His cold voice broke the silence.

I raised my head to look at him. Shock evident on my face.

"My dad is Damien Ross.” He continued.

A small gasp flew from my lips, my eyes widening in surprise.

I've heard of Damien Ross. He was one of America's biggest and most wanted drug lord.

Ignoring the look on my face, he continued.

"Val and I are his only children. He treated us with love until my mom died. She had an accident on her way back from our school where she'd gone to pick Val after they'd closed. I didn't attend school that day because I was sick. The accident was fatal." He exhaled before continuing with his story.

"I don't know how Val survived but my mom died from the hospital. Before she died, she pleaded with one of my father's most trusted men, Gio, to hide Val and spread the news of his death. Gio did as was asked and presented another body, dressed like Val for burial.

All of this happened when I was ten. After mom's death, my father changed. His loving demeanor faded and the cold one took over. He didn't let me grieve over her. Whenever he saw me crying, he'd order his men to beat me up mercilessly. I would get severely injured and he would call the family doctor to treat me. This went on till I learnt the message he was trying to pass on: crying is a sign of weakness.

Gradually, my heart became cold. I felt no emotions. My dad saw the changes and he was pleased. At some point, he remarried. Her name was Bianca. I never liked her but I had no choice. My dad loved and treated her like he did to my mom but she was cheating on him with one of his men. Your dad.”

My already large eyes grew to the size of saucers. I wanted to object but I also didn't want to interrupt him so I waited for him to finish.

"I knew she was cheating on him but I couldn't tell him. He wouldn't believe me so I let it go. When I was fourteen, my dad took me on a trip to one of his properties. It was different from the other ones he owned. It looked like a slave establishment but it wasn't. It was a building where he kept kidnapped girls who he sold to wealthy men as sex slaves. He wanted me to run his human trafficking business when I get to eighteen.

I hated him for it. I gathered evidence that would have been enough to nail him to justice but it was useless. He had friends in the FBI and other high positions who were loyal to him.

Once I turned fifteen, he began his plans of making me take over his illegal business. But your dad came to my rescue. He advised him that I was too young to take over such responsibilities. The psychopath listened to him. Diverting from his initial plan, he began training me as one of his men, sending me on missions with them.

I hated him so much that I wanted him dead. On my seventh birthday, I planned with your dad on how to eliminate him. I didn't like your dad but he was the right person since my dad trusted him wholeheartedly.

The plan was to kill him and let your dad take his wealth except one thing, Ross Inc. The company was for my mom's father. He'd given it to my dad when he married my mom as my mom was his only child. I couldn't give that out.

The plan was almost a success till I found out your dad and my stepmom had other plans. They wanted the company with every other thing. I'd overheard them discussing it. In blind rage, I interrupted them. I knew I shouldn't have trusted your dad but I thought he was better than that. In the heat of the chaos, he pulled out his gun to kill me. At that moment, I was grateful for everything I learnt from my dad.

I sent a blow to his loins, the pain making him release the gun. Without wasting time, I grabbed it and shot his legs. He fell, screaming in anguish. Taking that opportunity, I shot my stepmom, killing her instantly before sending a bullet to your dad's head.

When all this happened, my dad was away on a business trip. I couldn't handle everything. I needed help and Gio was the only person who could render it. He cleaned the mess, told me of Val and the secret trust fund my mom gave him access to before he died. I was elated to know Val never died. With newly found hope, I escaped with Val. That was when we changed our first name to Fox to avoid suspicions.”

He finished his story, exhaling loudly. I was stunned and speechless. I couldn't bring myself to utter any words.

"The first time I saw you was at your dad's funeral. Gio and I had attended but we hid from prying eyes. Seeing you cry, it pricked my heart. I felt the strong urge to console you even though I was the cause of your tears.” He confessed in a soft voice, eyes looking into mine.

At that moment, all I wanted was to hug him tight but I couldn't. There were questions I wanted answers to and his story was overwhelming.

"How I'm I supposed to believe you? You expect me to believe my dad was into such illegal business without my mom's awareness?” I asked.

"Whenever he said he was going on business trips, he always ended up at my house with my step-mom or he was on a mission with my dad.”

I wanted to believe but I just couldn't. He might be lying and my dad wasn't around to tell his own part of the story.

"If Gio took care of everything then how did I get the video?” I wanted answers to clear my doubts.

"Jake sent it.”

Huh...Jake was unknown?

My head was beginning to spin.

"H-how?"

"Gio had a son I didn't know of. I only found out it was Jake when he came to Queens high.”

"Wh-why would he send the video if he was Gio's son? I thought Gio was on your side from what you've told me?" My brows furrowed in confusion.

"The video wasn't destroyed. He stole it from Gio and he sent it to you to destroy my relationship with you because he wanted you.”

My brain couldn't comprehend everything. It was like everything he had said was floating in my head, waiting for me to understand them and make the right decision.

"How come you're now the owner of the company?"

"My dad is dead. After his death, I shut down his illegal businesses.”

I let out a breath, eyes moving down to my feet. I wanted to believe him but I needed time to process everything.

From where he was seated, he reached for my hand and held it, squeezing it gently.

I stared into his silver orbs. For once, they held a soft appearance like he was vulnerable.

"I don't know Lucian. It's overwhelming. I need time to process everything.” I stated in a small voice, eyes still on him.

Realizing my lips were dry, I licked them. His eyes followed the movement.

Next thing I knew, his lips were on mine. I didn't object or try to push him away. My body eased into it and kissed him back. He pulled me to straddle him, making the kiss deeper.

Out of habit, I flicked my tongue against his lip ring, eliciting a low growl from him, making butterflies erupt in my stomach.

The sound of warning bells clanking in my head wasn't enough to stop me. Ignoring all, I let myself drown in the kiss.

I felt myself grinding against his hard length that was pressed against my soaked and aching core. His tongue flicked mine and I released a moan.

Without breaking from the kiss, he stood up and I instinctively wrapped my legs around his waist, hands looped on his neck.

He moved us towards the room.