KASMINE.
I'd been looking everywhere for the new and only bikini I had bought last week. I only used them once, and I was sure I had kept them in my closet, but now I couldn't find them. I didn't come with the ones I had at home because Kester never liked them.
But last week, I told myself he could go fuck himself while I got myself a new pair. Although he hadn't seen it yet. Unless... No. He couldn't have found it. He wouldn't enter my room to search for and take my bikini without at least confronting me about it.
A swim would have surely gone a long way in calming the storming raging inside me.
Jake and Claire have been unreachable all day. My life was miserable! I was literally losing it.
I was bored to death. Kester had instructed his men not to let me out of their sight. The entire house was well guarded. I couldn't even sneak out if I wanted to.
I jumped out of bed angrily to confront the guards for the fifth time today to let me out. They opted to walk with me even when I told them I was going for a walk.
"Fuck you, Kester!" I breathed as I slammed my door shot, marching toward the stairs when something caught my attention.
Kester's door was open.
Kester Hamilton's door was open!
That was a miracle, I must say. He never ever left his door open, especially after that night I walked in on him taking his bath. After that, he never let such a mistake occur ever again.
His room was like his sacred sanctuary. No one enters. Not even when he was still at the pack house.
Maybe I had seen something to keep me occupied.
I pushed the door open and took in the whole ambiance of the room, biting my lip as a wave of nervousness washed over me.
The moment I stepped inside Kester's room, it felt like I'd entered another world. The air was thick with the scent of him—sandalwood and something darker, richer, uniquely Kester. The heavy, dark tones of the room matched his brooding personality perfectly.
I closed the door behind me, my pulse quickening at the thought of being in his forbidden space. It was pristine and organized, every item in its place. The bed was massive, with dark sheets neatly tucked, and the walls carried a distinct masculinity—minimalistic, powerful, commanding.
As my gaze wandered, it landed on the corner of the room, dimly lit and almost hidden by the shadows cast by the heavy curtains. There it was. The large picture frame I had noticed last time. Back then, he'd stormed in before I could even get close.
But now, he wasn't here. And the frame was still there.
My curiosity kicked in, and I slowly approached the corner. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for the frame, its size and weight making it a bit cumbersome to pull out. The closer I got, the clearer the image became, and the faint outline of a figure began to take form.
My breath caught in my throat.
No.
The frame was... It was a picture... of me. Naked.
I stumbled back, almost dropping it in shock, but my trembling hands managed to hold on. The air left my lungs in a violent rush as my knees threatened to give out beneath me.
My legs felt weak, and I forced myself to carry it to the bed, placing it gently on the dark sheets. My heart pounded as I sat beside it, staring at the image.
I recognized it instantly—the photograph I'd taken two years ago. It was supposed to be private, something I'd done on a whim during a photo shoot with a female photographer. It was tasteful, artistic even. A nude that captured my body in a soft, flattering light, my arms crossed strategically to conceal the most intimate parts of me. I had thought it beautiful, a celebration of myself.
I'd ensured absolute privacy during the shoot. I had stored the picture on my phone, hidden behind a secure password. No one else was supposed to see it. I'd never shared it. Never sent it to anyone. No one knew about it.
How the hell did Kester have it?
Why the fuck does he have a picture of my naked self?
Oh, Selene...
Tears blurred my vision as I stared at the image. Anger, confusion, and a sick feeling churned in my stomach. Kester? He was my brother, for fuck's sake.
What else does he have down here?
My heart raced, and my stomach twisted at the thought of finding more things that would make me question him even more.
My hands trembled as my gaze darted back to the corner where the frame had been. Something else caught my eye—a box partially hidden in the corner. It was slightly ajar, and the edge of a familiar fabric peeked out.
No.
I stumbled to my feet, my breathing uneven as I walked towards it. The closer I got, the more certain I became. My bikini. The one I'd been looking for all day. The one I thought I'd misplaced.
I reached for the box, pulling it fully into the light. It was heavier than I expected, and when I opened it, my jaw dropped, and my head felt so light.
Inside was a collection of items that made my stomach twist in knots. My bikini was neatly folded on top but beneath it…
"Oh, goddess…"
I yanked the box onto Kester's bed, my hands shaking as I began emptying its contents. One by one, they came out—pieces of my life, fragments of my privacy that I hadn't even realized were missing. A pair of lace panties I thought I'd left behind at the packhouse. My favorite bra. A bottle of perfume I'd sworn I'd packed but never found. Trinkets from my childhood—a small bracelet I'd outgrown, a ribbon I used to tie in my hair.
"What the fuck is this?" I whispered, my voice trembling as tears blurred my vision.