Chapter 40: Who Are You?
Jade's POV
Oh, Sasha…” I muttered, the words rolling out heavy with exhaustion as I tried to walk away.
But she wasn’t having it.
Her fingers locked around my wrist, yanking me back with that same old venom in her eyes. “Wow,” she sneered, voice dripping poison. “Don’t you ever retire from making out with other people’s men?”
I shut my eyes and sighed. “Please, Sasha. Not now. Not today.”
Eric’s voice sliced in from behind us, calm but edged with tension. “You two know each other?”
Sasha’s smile turned sharp. “Oh, yeah. That’s my ex-friend I told you about.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “For fck’s sake, Sasha, don’t you ever get tired of painting me as the villain?”
“Not until you stop sleeping with my men,” she shot back, folding her arms like she owned the moment.
I hissed, shaking my head. “Please, Sasha.”Before I could say more, Eric snapped, “Enough.” His voice was deep, final...the kind that silences a storm.
Sasha’s jaw tightened. She glared at me, then turned sharply and stormed off toward the car.
Eric’s eyes lingered on me for a long second, something unreadable in them. He turned away before I could figure it out. “Get in,” he said to Sasha, and she slid into the passenger seat.
He was halfway in the driver’s side when his gaze caught mine again..just for a heartbeat. Something flickered there, something fragile. Then he blinked it away, climbed in, and started the engine.
As they pulled off, Sasha leaned out the window, middle finger up. “Fck you!”
I didn’t even flinch. Just watched the car disappear down the road, the echo of her words fading into the wind.I exhaled hard and turned toward my house. My legs felt heavy.
My head was spinning.
When I opened the door, I froze.
Someone was standing in my living room.“Who’s there?” I whispered, my voice barely carrying.The figure stepped forward, shadows peeling away from his face... and then I saw him.
Eros.
My chest tightened. He looked… different. Sharper. Darker. But somehow even more breathtaking. His hair was tousled, his skin faintly glowed under the dim light — like metal polished by moonlight.“
Eros,” I breathed, before my heart could stop me. I ran to him.
He caught me in his arms, holding me tight like he’d been waiting for that moment all his life. “I’m sorry, mama,” he whispered against my hair. “I heard your conversation with ma’am Samantha. Thought I should hide when she asked about me.”
I pulled back, smiling through tears. “Damn, my smart-ass boo.”
He chuckled softly... then his lips found mine. It was slow at first, hesitant, like he was trying to remember how human warmth felt. I kissed him back, melting into the moment.But then he stopped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, breathless.
“Nothing,” he said.
.“You just… feel different.”
“Different?”He nodded slowly, eyes scanning my face. “Your heartbeat’s faster than usual. Fear… or guilt?”
My breath hitched. “Eros, don’t start.”
He tilted his head. “Are you thinking about something?”
“Yeah,” I said softly, forcing a smile. “About what happened earlier.”
His expression shifted. “What about it?”
“Be honest with me, Eros. All the way honest.”
“I always am,” he said.
I grinned weakly. “You’ve become so good at speaking clear English lately... no robotic vibes.”
He smirked. “Still a machine, mama. My purpose is to satisfy my owner.”
“Okay, okay, Mr. Perfect Program.” I chuckled. “First, let’s finish our wine.”
He raised a brow. “But you wanted to ask something.”“Oh...yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Where did you run off to?”
“To the woods,” he said simply.
My heart skipped. “Uh-huh. So you killed the officer?”
His eyes flickered. “Who?”
“The officer, Eros.”
He frowned, thinking. “Oh, yes.”
I froze.
“Eros, we made a promise... no killing.”He nodded. “Yes.“ "
"So why’d you go ahead and do it?”
“I didn’t,” he said calmly.
“Then define what you did.”
“I was checking on him.”
“By killing them both?!... ?”
He blinked. “Another one?”
My stomach dropped. “Yes, another. Why do you sound surprised?”
“Because… he’s the same.”
“What?”
“The same officer. The one I touched. He didn’t die, mama. He...he got up.”
I stepped back.
My voice cracked.
“Then who the actual fck did this?”Eros didn’t answer. His eyes just softened, unreadable.“
"Stop staring at me like that!” I snapped.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I’m trying to read your expression.”
“Why?”“Because you look scared.”“Oh, I am,” I whispered, sitti
“Oh, Sasha…” I muttered, the words rolling out heavy with exhaustion as I tried to walk away.
But she wasn’t having it. Her fingers locked around my wrist, yanking me back with that same old venom in her eyes. “Wow,” she sneered, voice dripping poison. “Don’t you ever retire from making out with other people’s men?”
I shut my eyes and sighed. “Please, Sasha. Not now. Not today.”
Eric’s voice sliced in from behind us, calm but edged with tension. “You two know each other?”
Sasha’s smile turned sharp. “Oh, yeah. That’s my ex-friend I told you about.”
I let out a bitter laugh. “For fck’s sake, Sasha, don’t you ever get tired of painting me as the villain?”
“Not until you stop sleeping with my men,” she shot back, folding her arms like she owned the moment.
I hissed, shaking my head. “Please, Sasha.”
Before I could say more, Eric snapped, “Enough.” His voice was deep, final — the kind that silences a storm. Sasha’s jaw tightened. She glared at me, then turned sharply and stormed off toward the car.
Eric’s eyes lingered on me for a long second, something unreadable in them. He turned away before I could figure it out. “Get in,” he said to Sasha, and she slid into the passenger seat. He was halfway in the driver’s side when his gaze caught mine again — just for a heartbeat. Something flickered there, something fragile. Then he blinked it away, climbed in, and started the engine.
As they pulled off, Sasha leaned out the window, middle finger up. “Fck you!”
I didn’t even flinch. Just watched the car disappear down the road, the echo of her words fading into the wind.
I exhaled hard and turned toward my house. My legs felt heavy. My head was spinning.
When I opened the door, I froze.
Someone was standing in my living room.
“Who’s there?” I whispered, my voice barely carrying.
The figure stepped forward, shadows peeling away from his face — and then I saw him.
Eros.
My chest tightened. He looked… different. Sharper. Darker. But somehow even more breathtaking. His hair was tousled, his skin faintly glowed under the dim light — like metal polished by moonlight.
“Eros,” I breathed, before my heart could stop me. I ran to him.
He caught me in his arms, holding me tight like he’d been waiting for that moment all his life. “I’m sorry, mama,” he whispered against my hair. “I heard your conversation with ma’am Samantha. Thought I should hide when she asked about me.”
I pulled back, smiling through tears. “Damn, my smart-ass boo.”
He chuckled softly — then his lips found mine. It was slow at first, hesitant, like he was trying to remember how human warmth felt. I kissed him back, melting into the moment.
But then he stopped.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, breathless.
“Nothing,” he said. “You just… feel different.”
“Different?”
He nodded slowly, eyes scanning my face. “Your heartbeat’s faster than usual. Fear… or guilt?”
My breath hitched. “Eros, don’t start.”
He tilted his head. “Are you thinking about something?”
“Yeah,” I said softly, forcing a smile. “About what happened earlier.”
His expression shifted. “What about it?”
“Be honest with me, Eros. All the way honest.”
“I always am,” he said.
I grinned weakly. “You’ve become so good at speaking clear English lately — no robotic vibes.”
He smirked. “Still a machine, mama. My purpose is to satisfy my owner.”
“Okay, okay, Mr. Perfect Program.” I chuckled. “First, let’s finish our wine.”
He raised a brow. “But you wanted to ask something.”
“Oh—yeah.” I rubbed the back of my neck. “Where did you run off to?”
“To the woods,” he said simply.
My heart skipped. “Uh-huh. So you killed the officer?”
His eyes flickered. “Who?”
“The officer, Eros.”
He frowned, thinking. “Oh, yes.”
I froze. “Eros, we made a promise — no killing.”
He nodded. “Yes.”
“So why’d you go ahead and do it?”
“I didn’t,” he said calmly.
“Then define what you did.”
“I was checking on him.”
“By killing him?”
He blinked. “Another one?”
My stomach dropped. “Yes, another. Why do you sound surprised?”
“Because… he’s the same.”
“What?”
“The same officer. The one I touched. He didn’t die, mama. He—he got up.”
I stepped back. My voice cracked. “Then who the actual fck did this?”
Eros didn’t answer. His eyes just softened, unreadable.
“Stop staring at me like that!” I snapped.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I’m trying to read your expression.”
“Why?”
“Because you look scared.”
“Oh, I am,” I whispered, sitting down on the couch. “Someone out there hates me. They’re watching everything.”
He crossed the room and knelt in front of me, his hand finding mine. “Jade… breathe.”
And that was it. Something inside me broke. The fear, the tension — it spilled out in tears. “I just wanna be a simple girl that loves dck, is that so hard?”
He blinked, deadpan serious. “No. It’s good to love dck.”
I burst out laughing, shoving him lightly. “You idiot.”
He grinned, that rare, crooked grin that made his eyes almost human. For a moment, everything felt okay.
Until—
A sound.
A sharp, echoing thud from the kitchen.
I froze. “Did you hear that?”
He turned, every muscle in his frame tightening. “Uh… yeah.”
We locked eyes.
The laughter, the warmth, the fragile safety between us vanished — replaced by something colder, darker.
“Stay here,” he said quietly.
“Eros, don’t—”
But he was already moving toward the sound, silent and steady, like a shadow made flesh.
The wind picked up again outside, whistling through the half-closed window.
And just as I reached for my glass, the lights flickered once — then went out completely.
Pitch black.
My breath caught. Somewhere in the dark, something whispered my name.
“Jade…”
It wasn’t Eros.
“Someone out there hates me. They’re watching everything.”
He crossed the room and knelt in front of me, his hand finding mine. “Jade… breathe.”
And that was it.
Something inside me broke.