Chapter 205: 81 On The Mission

Theo.

I arrived at the house in Sunbridge and paid the cab driver, my heart pounding as I watched the vehicle drive away. Taking a few deep breaths, I tried to steady myself. I stood there for a moment, the weight of what I was about to do pressing down on me. Everything hinged on this—convincing Karolyn to trust me, manipulating her enough to get the information I needed. I sent a silent prayer to the goddess, pleading for her guidance and strength. It was now or never.

The door creaked as I stepped inside, and almost immediately, Karolyn appeared. Her soft voice called my name, “Theo,” and she rushed toward me. Her arms wrapped around me tightly, and for a brief moment, I froze. Her puffy, tear-streaked eyes might have touched me once, but I wasn’t that man anymore. The blind fool she had manipulated was gone. Now, I was here for one reason and one reason only.

“Why are your eyes puffy?” I asked her gently, trying to sound concerned. She rested her head against my chest, and I forced myself to stroke her hair in what I hoped seemed like a comforting gesture.

“You startled me when you said you got shot,” she said, her voice trembling slightly. “Are you sure it wasn’t Luca?”

Her words hit me like a slap, and I had to clench my fists to keep my temper in check. How dare she insinuate something so vile about my son? But I couldn’t let my emotions show. I stroked her hair again, forcing my voice to remain calm and even.

“Luca wouldn’t try to kill me, Karolyn,” I said carefully. I felt her hand pause for a moment, as if she were evaluating my reaction. “Yes, he cut me off, and yes, he’s spiteful sometimes. But he saved my life. For all his faults, he’s not capable of something like that.”

Her hand resumed its soft motion on my back, and she murmured, “I’m glad you’re here.”

She led me to the bedroom, where I sat on the edge of the bed, bowing my head in what I hoped appeared to be exhaustion and frustration. She sat beside me, rubbing my back in slow, soothing circles. I hated every second of it but knew I had to maintain the facade.

“I understand,” she said softly. “I’m glad you’re here.” She rested her head on my shoulder, and I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. This was the part where I had to act. If I were truly furious with Luca and Lacy, if I had truly given up on them, I would seek solace in Karolyn. I would let her pull me closer, let her touch me, and show her my vulnerability.

She leaned in, her lips brushing against mine. I kissed her back, trying to keep the bitterness from creeping into the gesture. Her hands moved to my shirt, tugging at it with a practiced ease. My instincts screamed at me to pull away, but I couldn’t. Not yet.

“What’s wrong, Theo?” she asked, her voice light but probing.

I hesitated, crafting my response carefully. “I’m done with Lacy and Luca,” I said, shaking my head. “But I can’t touch you, Karolyn. Not yet. You’re sick, and I need to focus on getting money for your treatment. I can’t let anything happen to you.”

She rested her head back on my shoulder, and for a moment, I thought I might have defused the situation. But then she spoke again, her tone shifting to something more insistent. “It’s late, Theo. I want you. We’ll talk in the morning, but I don’t want to waste any more time. When I heard you almost died, it terrified me. I thought I’d lost you.”

Her hand moved to my chest, her touch firm and possessive. “We agreed not to make love because of Lacy, but you’ve left her now. She’s out of the picture. You’re mine, Theo.”

Her words backed me into a corner, leaving me no choice but to play along. I forced a smile and leaned in to kiss her again, praying it would be over quickly. Each second felt like an eternity, my mind detached from my body as I carried out the act. I felt like a hollow shell, a man whore in the truest sense of the word, and I hated every moment of it.

As I moved through the motions, I whispered another silent prayer to the goddess, begging for this to end swiftly. The faster I got through this, the closer I would be to getting what I needed—and finally going back to the family I had left behind.

Morning came, and Karolyn brought breakfast to the bedroom. I sat up, blinking against the sunlight streaming through the windows, and noticed she had my phone in her hand. My stomach churned with disappointment. I had woken up in the middle of the night to hide the secure phone Luca had given me, but seeing her with the other one reminded me how precarious my position truly was.

“Good morning, love,” she said with a smile, handing me a glass of orange juice. I took it from her, watching her carefully as I drank.

“You seem to like my phone,” I said lightly, gesturing toward the device in her hand. “Did you answer any calls?”

She shook her head, her expression unreadable. “No one called,” she replied. I frowned but didn’t press her further. She was testing boundaries, which meant she was still trying to control the situation. I needed to stay ahead of her.

I went into the bathroom, showering quickly, and when I returned, she was still sitting there, smiling as if she didn’t have a care in the world. That smile—so deceptively sweet—grated on my nerves. Then I noticed a bloody tissue in her hand, her skin pale and sickly.

“Have you run out of your meds?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.

She nodded. “I’ll be out by tomorrow,” she said, her voice laced with subtle desperation. Under different circumstances, I might have been moved, scrambling to find money to help her. But now, I saw it for what it was—a ploy. She had mastered this act to manipulate me before, but not this time.

She threw the tissue away and smiled slyly. “You were a beast last night, Theo,” she said, her tone suggestive. “You weren’t careful or gentle at all. It was like you had so much bottled up, and I was your outlet. Glad to be of service.” She winked, and I forced a smile, though her words churned my stomach.

“I haven’t had orgasms that good in a while,” she added with a smirk. “Lacy is really missing out.”

I cringed inwardly but kept my expression neutral. Rising from the bed, I walked to the closet to select something to wear. She followed, wrapping her arms around me from behind, her hands roaming my chest.

“I’m not wearing panties,” she whispered into my ear. My skin crawled. It had been easier last night, under the cover of darkness, but now it was daylight, and everything felt too raw, too exposed. But I knew what was required of me. The more satisfied she was, the more comfortable she’d be, and the closer I’d get to the information I needed.