Chapter 45: Chapter 45

KAEL

I smiled, deducing what thoughts must be running through her mind at that moment, leaving her in that state.

“I think that's a wonderful suggestion.” I agreed, pleased that she wanted to be alone with me.

Without further delay, we were back in the helicopter, chatting amiably.

“I believe it was Ryan who arranged all the details for this trip,” Sarah commented, using an affectionate tone when talking about my assistant.

“Despite being quite impertinent, Ryan manages to do his job well too.”

Even though I didn't actually believe there could be anything beyond friendship between Ryan and Sarah, the way she referred to my assistant always left me with a discomfort in my chest, and I couldn't quite control the irony in my words.

“Ryan is wonderful,” Sarah said, making me clench my jaw at that sentiment-filled statement. “He's been a great friend.”

"Great friend, huh!" I thought with irritation and was about to make an unpleasant remark, but I managed to hold back what I was certain was just jealousy and simply looked out the window, pretending to be interested in the landscape that stretched around us.

I decided to maintain the pleasant atmosphere that had prevailed throughout the evening and make the most of the remaining time together. Fortunately, we were almost at the helipad of my building, and we had the prospect of doing more interesting things than talking about Ryan. When the pilot gave us permission to disembark from the helicopter, I helped Sarah down and didn't let go of her hand, even as we started descending the stairs toward the penthouse.

“How about we have another glass of wine?” I invited her, wanting to somehow prolong the time we had together before heading to the bedroom.

While having Sarah in my arms was the best way to savor our time, I didn't want it all to be just about that.

She looked at me with an undecided expression, as if she wanted to say something but was weighing her words. I waited in silence for her response, and when we reached the living room of the penthouse, she approached me, pressing her body against mine.

“I prefer to do something different,” Sarah spoke, a smile on her lips that exuded sensuality.

“And what would this "something different" be, then?” I asked, purely for teasing.

Her lips touched my chin in a delicate kiss, and without answering with words, her mouth repeated the gesture all over my neck, planting kisses and occasionally trailing her tongue after light nips.

“A little preview of what I want to do now,” Sarah said, her lips near my ear.

“I think I might need a slightly larger preview because I'm still unsure about what you really want from me, Sarah.” I tried to speak lightly, but my voice came out strained with desire.

“You already understand very well what I want, and I can prove it.” She challenged.

“And how are you planning to do that, you temptress?” I pretended seriousness, but I loved how at ease she seemed beside me now.

In response to my question, Sarah removed the hand that had been intertwined around my neck until then and moved it down my chest, reaching my waist, and did something completely unexpected, placing it over the bulge that had formed just below.

“I think this is proof enough,” Sarah said, gripping my erection through the fabric of my pants, which was already fully erect and ready for her, and began moving her hand even so.

“I think you might be right.” I agreed, smiling.

And, before she could anticipate it, I lifted her into my arms and carried her to my bedroom. Unlike the night before, there was no anger tonight, just a burning desire to be inside that teasing girl who drove me crazy with lust.

Rachel

Despite my strong desire to stay in Europe, I was forced to return home as all my money vanished in an unexpectedly short period, which seemed completely absurd to me. I had no choice but to come back to Seattle, where I planned to find Sarah and try to bring some sense to that empty head of hers.

Due to a twist of fate that I still can't quite comprehend, Sarah has Kael Graham wrapped around her finger, which is hard to believe. However, she doesn't seem to be properly exploiting this situation, especially now that we're in poverty. She should be controlling that arrogant man and extracting as much money from him as possible.

However, Saturday night isn't the right time for visits. I chose to make the most of the situation and went to the nightclub where Sarah and I saw Kael. My intention was to get information from Bruna and clarify the whole situation behind my father's fortune loss. There are clear indications that Kael is involved in this dark plot, and I need to understand the extent of his involvement.

Luck finally seemed to smile upon me when I spotted Shirley, my ex-friend who had betrayed me.

“Darling, what a surprise to find you here!” My expression overflowed with exuberance and excitement.

Shirley's reaction was simply hilarious, and I couldn't help but let out a cynical laugh.

“Rachel….”

“Exactly, darling.”

Deception could very well be my middle name. I didn't hesitate to embrace Shirley tightly, acting as if everything was fine between us. I needed to convince her that our relationship was good. She would undoubtedly be a valuable pawn for me, as it's clear that she collaborated with Kael to harm my life. Even though their efforts weren't entirely successful since I didn't lose the two million dollars. There was just a slight delay until the money reached my hands.

“You disappeared all of a sudden. You didn't answer my calls... I was genuinely worried about you, Shirley” I declared, adopting a dramatic approach.

“Things have been complicated lately, you know how it is.” She replied, trying to appear sincere, but I no longer trusted her.

“Of course, I understand. Life can throw us some curveballs, can't it?” I couldn't hide the irony in my words.

Shirley nodded in agreement, and then her expression became a bit more serious.

“And you, Rachel? What have you been up to lately?” Shirley asked.

“I've been exploring new horizons, traveling, and meeting incredible people. I continue to live intensely. You know me, I know how to make the most of every moment.”

“Yes, of course.” She agreed, but her expression betrayed the envy eating away at her. “Let's celebrate this reunion, then.”