Chapter 19: Drunken Defiance

She understood that there was no turning back now.

Lily clutched the file folder tightly, steeling her resolve.

"Fine."

Biting her lip, she kept her gaze fixed on the floor, her mind a blank slate, refusing to dwell on anything.

Her hands slowly moved to the belt of her robe, his eyes boring into her with a raw, naked intensity that made her fingers tremble. She pressed her lips together in a tight, shameful line, afraid that she might burst into tears.

With shaking fingers, she untied the belt, letting the robe slip from her body and pool at her feet.

The chill of the room washed over her, and as Lily reached for her undergarments, Ethan's eyes darkened with a fierce, primal desire. He lunged at her...

Even after a two-hour shower, Lily still felt as though Ethan's vile essence clung to her skin, impossible to scrub away.