Chapter 148

Lucas's POV

The click of her heels against the parking garage floor echoed through my mind like gunshots. Each step taking her further away, each second ticking down to what felt like an end I couldn't accept. Serena's silhouette moved toward the elevator.

I moved before conscious thought could intervene. My legs carried me forward in long, urgent strides, my heart thundering against my ribs. The distance between us collapsed as the elevator doors began to slide shut.

"WAIT." The word tore from my throat, rough and desperate. My arm shot out, catching the closing doors. I collided with the elevator door, the impact producing a deep rumble. The motion sensor forced them back open with a soft mechanical whir.

Serena's eyes met mine, a flash of something - fear? anger? - crossing her features. "Let me go, Lucas."

Instead, I stepped into the elevator, my presence forcing her to retreat into the corner. The doors closed with a quiet finality, sealing us in this private battlefield of emotions. The confined space seemed to amplify every breath, every subtle movement.

My kiss was an act of desperation, anger, and longing all tangled into something brutal. Her small frame collided with the elevator wall as I pressed forward, tasting the salt of her tears mixing with the metallic tang of blood where she'd bitten my lip. The pain barely registered - nothing could compare to the agony of watching her walk away.

I felt her struggling against me, her hands pushing at my chest, but I couldn't stop. Wouldn't stop. Every fiber of my being screamed to make her understand that this wasn't just about desire, that she meant more to me than a single night of passion could ever express.

I felt her fists slowly unclench against my chest, her resistance fading into resignation. The fight drained from her body, replaced by something worse - acceptance. Not the warm, willing acceptance I'd dreamed of, but a numb surrender that made my heart twist.

She simply endured, passive and distant, as if she'd retreated somewhere I couldn't reach. The realization was like ice water in my veins.

Then I tasted salt.

Tears.

Her tears.

The shock of it froze me in place. I pulled back slowly, the sight of her tear-streaked face hit me like a physical blow. Reality crashed in as I stared at her face, really seeing what I'd done for the first time. My body went rigid with horror.

*Dear god. What had I become?*

"I'm sorry, I just..." The words felt inadequate, broken. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached up to brush away her tears, hating myself for causing them.

"It's fine." Her voice was empty, devoid of any emotion, and that emptiness cut deeper than anger ever could.

I watched, frozen in growing horror, as she began methodically unbuttoning her blazer. It fell to the floor with a soft whisper of expensive fabric. Her fingers moved to her white blouse next, each button coming undone with deliberate slowness, revealing the pale blue lace beneath.

"Serena!" I grabbed her hands, halting their movement. My voice was rough with emotion. "Stop."

Her laugh was bitter, cutting. "Wasn't the first time good enough? Is that why you're here? Unfinished business?"

The words hit like shards of glass, each one drawing blood. My vision blurred red with fury - not at her, but at myself, at whatever I'd done to make her think this was all I wanted from her.

"How many times would it take?" she continued, her voice eerily calm. "Tell me a number, Lucas. We can get it out of your system, and then you'll let me go, right?"

"Is that what you think of me?" My voice was barely recognizable, raw with emotion. "That all I want is your body? That I chased you down here, stopped this elevator, because I'm looking for a quick fuck?"

Her eyes met mine, and for a moment, I saw past the cold mask to the hurt beneath. "What else could you want? We both know how this ends, Lucas. The powerful CEO always gets bored eventually. At least this way, we set the terms."

Her words struck like acid, burning through every shred of my control. The accusation that I only wanted her body, that this was just about sex - it ignited a fury I couldn't contain. Before I could stop myself, my fist slammed into the elevator wall beside her head, the impact sending shockwaves of pain up my arm.

I saw her flinch, saw the momentary flash of shock in her eyes. The realization that I'd frightened her - that she might actually believe I could hurt her - made me sick to my stomach.

DING.

The sound cut through the tension like a knife. The doors slid open with a soft mechanical whir.