Chapter 16: Shattered Truth and the Bloody Kiss
"They weren't your parents," Luca roared, his face inches from hers. "They were your uncle and aunt. Your real parents died in a fire when you were two. They never told you. They raised you like a burden. They hated you!"
Janet's eyes widened in disbelief. Her voice broke. "You're lying…"
"I'm not!" Luca shouted, tears brimming in his bloodshot eyes. "They were working with Asher to sell you. Then they planned to kill you. I heard them. I saw it all. I didn't kill them out of hate, Janet—I killed them because they were going to kill you!"
"I did it because you mean the whole world to me," he said, sobbing now. "You're the only reason I exist. The only reason I became this. And I can't… I can't resist you anymore, even seeing you like this."
Before she could react, his hands shot up, grabbing her face tightly. His lips crashed onto hers in a forceful, desperate kiss. Janet struggled, gasping for air, but he didn't let go. His kiss was long, bruising, and uncontrolled. When he bit down on her bottom lip, she cried out—blood mixed with heat.
She shoved him with all her strength. Luca stumbled back, breathing heavily. Janet collapsed to the ground, sobbing, her lip bleeding, her chest heaving. She curled up, tears soaking her towel .
Luca stared at her in silence—guilt, anger, love all clashing in his eyes—then turned and left the room without a word.
Janet lay there, broken and bloodied, weeping into the silence until sleep finally stole her pain.