Chapter 292

The tension between us crackled like a live wire. The air in the penthouse felt thick, suffocating, as Victor stood before me, his gaze dark and unreadable. I could still taste the lingering intensity of our last conversation, the weight of his words pressing against my chest like an invisible force.

"You should know by now, Clara," he murmured, voice low and lethal. "I don’t lose."

The way he said it sent a shiver down my spine. I wanted to push him away, to demand answers, but my body betrayed me. His presence was overwhelming, his dominance absolute, and the worst part? A part of me liked it. I hated how easily he affected me, how a single glance could unravel my carefully built defenses.

But I couldn’t forget what she had said. The woman—her smug smirk, the warning laced in her voice. He always moves on. You’re just another piece in his game.

I pulled away from Victor’s grip, forcing distance between us. "I need to know the truth," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "Who is she to you, really?"

His jaw tightened, a muscle ticking. "She’s no one."

"No one doesn’t look at you like that. No one doesn’t act like she already won."

Victor exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "She’s someone from my past. Someone who thinks she still has a place in my life. But she doesn’t."

I searched his face, trying to find the cracks in his carefully constructed facade. "And you expect me to just believe that? After everything?"

His eyes flashed with something dark. "I expect you to trust me."

Trust. That was the problem, wasn’t it? How could I trust him when every time I got too close, he pulled away? When secrets wrapped around him like armor, making it impossible to tell where the truth ended and the lies began?

I shook my head. "I can’t keep doing this, Victor. I can’t keep wondering if I’m just another name on your list."

His expression hardened. "You’re not."

"Then prove it."

For a long moment, he said nothing. The silence stretched between us, heavy, suffocating. Then, finally, he moved. His hand reached out, fingers brushing against my cheek in a touch so gentle it made my heart ache.

"You drive me insane, Clara," he murmured, his thumb tracing the curve of my jaw. "You think I’d go through all this if you were just another name? You think I’d let anyone question what you mean to me?"

I held my breath as he leaned in, his lips hovering just above mine. "But you do let them question it," I whispered. "Every time you shut me out. Every time you keep secrets."

Victor closed his eyes for a brief second, as if collecting himself. When he opened them again, something in them had shifted. Determination. Possessiveness. An edge of desperation that sent my pulse skyrocketing.

"Then let me make this clear," he said, voice a dark promise. "There is no one else. There won’t be. You’re mine, Clara. And anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool."

Before I could respond, his lips crashed against mine. It wasn’t soft. It wasn’t gentle. It was a claiming—a silent vow, an undeniable force that pulled me under. My hands fisted into his shirt, torn between pushing him away and pulling him closer.

His grip on my waist tightened, pressing me flush against him. "You think I’d ever let you go?" he murmured against my lips. "You think I’d let her win?" His hands slid to the small of my back, possessive, unyielding. "I don’t share, Clara. Not you. Not anything that belongs to me."

I wanted to resist, to fight back, but God, it was so easy to drown in him. So easy to believe his words when he kissed me like I was the only thing that mattered.

But the doubt still lingered, a whisper in the back of my mind.

The sound of my phone vibrating against the counter snapped me back to reality. I pulled away, breathless, my heart hammering against my ribs. Victor’s grip tightened for a fraction of a second before he let me go.

I turned to grab my phone, my stomach twisting when I saw the name flashing on the screen.

Her.

Victor’s gaze darkened when he saw it. "Don’t answer."

I met his eyes, challenging. "Why?"

"Because she’s playing a game, and I won’t let her use you as a pawn."

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "Clara," her voice purred through the speaker, sickly sweet. "I thought you might want to hear something interesting."

I gripped the phone tighter. "What do you want?"

She laughed, the sound grating. "To help you, of course. I know you don’t trust him. I know you wonder if he’s lying to you. So why don’t we stop pretending? Why don’t you come meet me and find out the truth for yourself?"

Victor took a step closer, his expression thunderous. "End the call, Clara."

But I couldn’t. Because as much as I wanted to trust him, as much as I wanted to believe his words, a small, dangerous part of me needed to know. Needed to hear whatever she had to say.

"Where?" I asked, my voice steady.

Victor’s eyes burned with fury, but I held my ground.

She chuckled. "Smart girl. Meet me at The Ivy, tomorrow at noon. Don’t be late."

The call ended before I could respond. I let the phone fall to my side, my pulse roaring in my ears.

Victor exhaled slowly, his hands braced against the counter. "You can’t go."

I crossed my arms. "You can’t stop me."

His jaw clenched. "She’s manipulating you."

"Maybe. But if you want me to trust you, I need to see for myself."

For the first time, Victor looked... unsettled. Like he was losing control of a game he was used to winning.

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair before pinning me with a look so intense it sent a shiver down my spine. "Fine. But I’m coming with you."

I hesitated. "Alone. If you show up, she won’t talk."

His eyes darkened. "Clara."

"Please," I whispered. "I need this."

A long pause. Then, finally, he let out a curse and turned away, muscles taut with tension.

"You’re playing with fire, Clara."

I swallowed hard. "Then let’s hope I don’t get burned."

And with that, I walked away, the weight of what I had just set in motion pressing against my chest like a warning.