Chapter 71 Mixed Feelings

Chapter 71 Mixed Feelings
\[CASSIAN'S HOUSE\]
"Lissa!" Lance was the first to fly into Lalissa's arms the moment she walked in.
His arm curled tightly around hers, but he didn't hold her too tight.
He rested his head on her shoulder, and ran his hand through her hair.
"Don't scare us like this again."
Lalissa held his arm, smiling softly.
"I won't, I promise."
Sienna's sniffle made them break the hug.
"Are you crying?" Lalissa asked, surprised.
When it came to their friendship, Sienna has always been the strongest. She even had her favorite quote, 'Bitches don't cry'. So, seeing tears sliding down her cheeks, she didn't know when her own tears started—
They fell into each other's arms. "I'm fine. Don't cry."
"You have no idea how scared I was. What if..." Sienna trailed off, aiming to stop the tears.
"No what ifs. I'm back now, that's what matters."
Somebody cleared her throat making the both girls break the hug.
"Bella," Lalissa called, surprised. "You're here?"
"You don't see me as your friend?"
She came a few minutes after Cassian left. Luckily for them, she had something in her car that she used and opened the door. When the Goldsmith arrived, Dante asked him to change the knob to a new one. They were about to leave when they received a call from a strange number asking them to wait and not worry.
Lalissa shook her head. "You're the first person I talked to when I started at the office."
Bella patted her back, leaning close to her. "I know sir was the one that saved you."
"Lissa," Mrs. Nora came closer to them, and checked out her body. Her eyes caught Lalissa's cheeks. "Did the kidnappers—"
"Don't worry about that. I'm fine." Lalissa flashed her a smile.
"A welcome back session when the credit hasn't been given to the real hero."
They all turned to the direction of the door.
Ziggy had a silly smug on his face, as he noted the reactions on their faces.
Even his dressing alone was enough to raise questions.
"Who's he?" Bella whispered.
"He came with Cassian to save me," Lalissa explained.
That was when Dante decided to move from his spot. "Ziggy?"
"The one and only Ziggy. Cassian's trusted man."
"I knew something was off about Cassian," Lance said. "He keeps thugs as his friends!"
Dante ignored him. "Where's Cassian?"
Black sleek boots stepped inside the building. "I'm here."
All heads turned towards the direction of the voice.
There stood Cassian, hair fully messed, making him look like a dark demon. Trails of blood at the side of his face, and his black clothes had blood stains on them as well. He looked like demon, vampire, one ready for destruction. Even his eyes showed he was indeed ready to destroy the world. The only difference between him and a demon was the horn-free head he had, everything else, complete, angry demon.
Dante walked up to him. "Destroying the knob isn't cool. Who's behind it?"
Cassian looked at him. Since they were almost of the same height, they stared at each other's faces. "Who do you think?"
Dante's face fell, realization crawling in. "Natasha?"
Bella gasped, turning to Lalissa. "Natasha was behind it?"
Lalissa hummed. "She and Roman?"
"Never expected her to be this bitch," Bella mumbled under her breath.
"Natasha Beaumont?" Sienna asked.
"Girl's a bitch," Bella replied.
"Why are you stained with blood?" Lance asked suspiciously.
"This isn't the perfect time for this, Lance," Sienna said.
"No. I don't want to believe part of his mysterious nature is that he's a killer?"
"Lance!" Lalissa raised her tone. "What are you saying? He saved my life."
"He's not in the position to handle a gun! He came back with a—" he paused, dragging his gaze down Ziggy's whose already lit a cigarette. "Thug. He looks like a criminal, and now, he returns—"
"I brought Lalissa back. That's why you're staying here. The knob has been fixed. You aren't trapped in this killer's house. Say no more shit, or I wouldn't fail to make your latest assumption true," Cassian cut him off coldly, and walked past all of them, heading for the stairs.
Lance swallowed pinning his lips together. Their eyes traced after him until he disappeared behind the door.
Lalissa looked away from the door, her face flat. Throughout his time standing there, he didn't for once stare at her. She can't—
"Did something happen between you two?" Sienna whispered.
Lalissa shook her head negatively. Inwardly her mind was telling her the reason but she didn't want to believe it's because of that.
Mrs. Nora cleared her throat. "Lissa, you must be tired. Go and freshen up."
"Hmm."
Lalissa left.
"Now, that was a boring drama," Ziggy commented.
Bella looked at him, and shook her head.
\--
\[CASSIAN'S ROOM\]
Cassian stood by the window only in his black sweatpants, no shirt, his room dimmed. A cigarette burnt aggressively between his fingers. Smoke circled around him, pouring dangerously out of his mouth and nose. Some also left his eyes when it became too much. He didn't mind stopping, rather he increased it each time his mind drifted back to the conversation he had with Lalissa.
\--
\[MERIDIAN FACTORY\]
Cassian came out of the factory with Lalissa, his eyes still deadly dark from the fact that Natasha and Roman escaped. His hold around Lalissa's wrist was still very tight like loosening his grip even for a bit would make her disappear from him again.
They reached his car, and he finally released her hand.
She pulled him into a deep hug. "Thank you."
Cassian held her shoulder, and slowly pulled her away. His eyes scanned her face, and the first thing he noticed was her broken lips.
Lalissa noticed the way his eyes darkened. She wanted to free herself but he held her tightly.
"What did they do to you?" He fumed.
"It's fine, Cass. You came to save me, that's what—"
"I want a detailed explanation."
Lalissa stared into his eyes, before her lips moved. "They tied me to a chair. Roman hit me. Natasha did the same. They were planning to marry me to Roman and send me far away..."
"And?"
"The thug he hired. They were about to force themselves on me. The ugly one ran his disgusting dick through my body, and—"
His hand dropped from her shoulders. "That's enough!" He snapped coldly, dark orbs appearing in his eyes.
Ziggy leaned on the car, obviously hearing everything she said.
Cassian looked at Ziggy. "Take her back to the house."
Lalissa held his hand. "Don't tell me you're planning to leave? Where are you going?"
"Go home, Lissa. He—"
"I'm not going anywhere! You need to take a shower. I've put you through too much stress, and I won't go home if you aren't coming with me."
"Don't act stubborn."
"It's in my nature."
\--
He put out the cigarette, and took another one. He picked a lighter from the tray, and wanted to light it when a hand held his hand.
"You can't vent by smoking." Lalissa's face mirrored his face.
Cassian didn't respond. He straightened himself up, and didn't bother to take the ashtray as he walked to his drawer.
Opening it, he took out a first aid box, and came back to her.
"Sit." His voice came out, cold and slightly hoarse.
Lalissa's arse met the chair before she could even stop herself. He stood between her legs. Her eyes didn't look away from his face as he started applying the ointment to her lips.
Throughout the application process, he didn't spare her a glance, and something broke in Lalissa's heart.
She couldn't even tell why he was giving her cold shoulder. She was the one that was kidnapped. Tied to a chair like a sacrificial lamb. Went through tortures. Got harassed by those idiots. Ironically, she should be the one angry. His friend and business associates were the ones responsible for everything, but here she is wondering the reason for his strange coldness.
She didn't realize when he finished with her lips, and moved to her cheek.
"Won't you talk to me?"
His eyes flickered to her once. "What should I say?"
"Anything. This silence is choking me," her voice dropped. "I know something is wrong with you. Tell me, did I do anything wrong?"
"You did nothing, Lissa." He switched to her other cheek. "I was busy at the event, then I went through a lot to look for you. It's natural to be exhausted. This is the early morning."
"You're lying to me." She shook her head, refusing to believe a word he said. "I've known you for long. Even when it's clear that you need rest, you overwork yourself. You never admit being tired, and now—"
He lowered his hand, and packed the first aid box. "You should go, and take a shower."
Her eyes met his own, his words rang twice in her ear.
He began going to the drawer.
She couldn't move from the chair, slow realization setting in. Her brain began processing the thing right from outside the factory, and how his mood changed so quickly.
Disgusted.
His mood only went down when she mentioned how Roman's men ran his dick through her body.
But, that wasn't enough reason for him to be disgusted by her. How could he when she didn't plan any of this?
She finally stood from the chair, staring at his shirtless back.
She wasn't the one at fault.
Cassian reached for the door knob when he felt a hand curl around his waist. "Don't go." She whispered.
His body went rigid. The usual feelings he got whenever she hugs him came flooding back, so much that his breath rose.
Crazy addiction, that's the perfect word for the thing she does to him. Hours, and he was already losing his mind. Now, he's standing like a log of wood getting wrapped by a piece of cloth, only that this cloth was shattering the hardness in the wood. This piece of cloth has warmth, scent, crazy qualities enough to drive him mad, and another bastard had the audacity to touch the only thing meant to soften the wood.
Her voice cut through the inner tension growing with him. Mixed tension of anger. Ownership. Hatred. Consumption. Claims. He exhaled once, sharp and loud to his own bewilderment.
"Are you feeling disgusted by me?"