Chapter 73

Liliana had never known Cedric could be so cruel. She hated herself for her weakness, for dropping her work to rush back here and take care of him. If he had genuinely been sick, it would have been one thing, but this was all a sham.

"Like hell I came back willingly!" she shot back through gritted teeth. "I came to get you to sign the divorce papers. You should have received them by now—ah!" *Demanding a signature in the middle of the night?* Who would believe that?

Cedric cut off her protests, flipping her over and pinning her beneath him. He reached over and dimmed the lights. He knew she would be angry about being tricked, even if she had come for him. He didn't want to see her cry. It was irritating. Sex was supposed to be a mutually enjoyable act; she got pleasure out of it too. Why did she always have to put on this reluctant performance?

He refused to believe she could keep up the act forever.

Liliana struggled, but her movements only succeeded in pushing her skirt up to her waist. She bit her lip, refusing to yield. When his lips brushed against the corner of her eye, he felt the wetness of a tear and paused. He tilted his head to look at her properly.

"Cedric, I can report you for rape!" Her voice trembled, and he could feel her whole body shaking against his. The tremor sent an unsettling shiver through him.

"We're not divorced yet," he countered, his voice low. "This is a husband's right." He cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. Her eyes were shimmering with tears, making her look fragile and broken. The sight made his own gaze darken. The alcohol had softened him, and a pang of something akin to pity mingled with his frustration.

His grip on her jaw loosened, and his voice softened almost instantly. "Liliana, don't you miss me?"

His voice was a deep, hoarse murmur, like the rich notes of a cello. It sent a tremor through Liliana's very core. Her gaze, which had been distant, slowly refocused on him. His eyes were hazy, filled with a tenderness she had never seen before- a gentleness that seemed to soothe the raw wounds that had been festering within her. She couldn't understand how the man who had been so aggressive just moments ago could suddenly be so soft.

Just as she couldn't understand how a man who had Sylvia in his heart could make love to her night after night.

Cedric's warm, wet kisses trailed

from the tip of her nose to her lips. He tasted her sweetness for a moment before moving lower, his movements growing urgent and rough A cool breeze drifted in through the slightly open window, clearing the haze from Liliana's eyes and snapping her back to reality.

She gripped the bedsheets, her voice a soft, reedy whisper. "I don't miss you."

Cedric's body tensed above her. The next second, his mouth captured hers again, swallowing her protests. She was unwilling, and it annoyed him, but he had already tried being gentle. He had spoken softly tried to seduce her if she was still going to be so difficult, then he couldn't be blamed for not considering her feelings.

*Her tears were just part of the act, right?* A housewife, dressed like that, showing

up in his bedroom? It was a classic seduction ploy.

With each rationalization, the fire inside him burned hotter, more desperate for release. Liliana's dignity, her last line of defense, was torn away. The disparity in their strength made her resistance futile.

He took what he wanted, his satisfaction complete. The sight of her, wanting to fight back but unable to move, filled him with a dark sense of fulfillment.