The Sweetest Temptation
Chapter 288: Truth

Chapter 288: Truth

"Hey, look at me. It’s just you and me here," his words cut through the chaos, a lifeline grounding her in reality. "Tell me what’s going on, Stella. We’ll figure this out together."

A glimmer of recognition ignited in her eyes, and a tremor passed through her body as her defenses faltered. She allowed herself to be enveloped in his arms, her tears staining his dress shirt like a downpour on parched earth.

"Oh, Matteo, I never thought it’d come to this," she confessed, her voice quivering with a cocktail of relief, fear, and vulnerability. As her tears flowed, he lowered himself to the floor, enfolding her within his protective embrace, offering her solace amidst the storm that threatened to consume her.

"Tell me," His voice softened, coaxing her to open up. Stella sniffled, her emotions still raw, and began her hesitant narration.

"He made me do... terrible things," she admitted, the weight of her confession hanging heavy in the air. Matteo’s intuition instantly supplied the identity of the elusive ’he’—her ex-boyfriend. Under normal circumstances, a surge of jealousy might have coursed through him, but now his concern was focused on the depth of her suffering.

"What terrible things, Stella?" he probed gently, his curiosity tinged with a hint of apprehension. The possibilities swirled in his mind, but he needed to hear it from her.

Stella hesitated, her gaze locked on a distant memory. "He made me have sex..." The words hung between them, laden with an unspoken history. Matteo’s thoughts meandered down a familiar path—oh, the dark realm of sex videos, an age-old tool of blackmail that exploited vulnerability.

He contemplated the trajectory of the conversation, a brooding silence settling over him. As much as he aimed for a measured response, the idea of another man’s touch upon Stella ignited a surge of protectiveness that he struggled to conceal.

"He would... have me tied up against my will and do... nasty things to me," she continued, her voice laced with a haunting mixture of pain and bitterness. "I would eventually succumb, helpless against his control over my wants, my choices, over my life. It felt like being manipulated by a remote. I ran away when I had the chance, but the memories clung to me like a shadow. I lived with an overwhelming fear, a constant reminder through unbearable nightmares. But you came into my life, and I started to forget. Everything got better, until now. It’s all come back to haunt me."

Her torrent of words flowed like a confession, exposing her vulnerabilities and unraveling the layers of her pain. The way she recoiled from his touch, curling into a fragile ball, unveiled the depth of her suffering, revealing the profound scars etched onto her very being.

"I never wanted you to know about it because of what we already had," her voice wavered, carrying the weight of her past. "After we had sex, I sensed the shift, the distance you placed between us. I feared anything more would shatter us completely. So, if I had to fall before your eyes, I wanted it to be as a fraud—a deceitful mask rather than the image of a sex-depraved victim. I became selfish, and now I’m paying the price—to lose everything..."

Her self-blame hung heavy in the air, and Matteo’s frustration ignited into a fiery resolve. "No one is losing anything!" he retorted, his voice laced with an anger that demanded to be heard. The urge to confront the sadistic man who had pushed Stella to these depths gnawed at him. Yet, he knew he needed to quell his rage to strategically navigate this perilous situation.

"Give me a name," his words cut through the charged atmosphere like a blade through fog.

"Nolan," she whispered, her voice tinged with both fear and defiance.

In a voice, glacial with determination and intent to kill, Matteo declared. "I’m going to find that bastard and put an end to him."

Stella’s confession unraveled before Matteo like a delicate tapestry of pain and vulnerability. Without hesitation, he enfolded her in his arms, in the hopes of conveying a protective sanctuary amidst the storm. His office became a refuge, their presence cocooned within its walls like a secret garden where emotions could unfurl freely.

Throughout her revelation, Matteo’s longing to erase her suffering, to mend the fractures that marred her spirit, surged within him. He yearned to wipe away the shadows that clung to her, replacing them with a canvas painted in brighter hues. Yet, in that moment, he was confined to the role of an empathetic listener, absorbing her words with every fiber of his being.

With her past laid bare, her fears and dreams unveiled, the floodgates of his determination burst open. He resolved to be her anchor, to navigate the stormy seas of her memories, and steer her toward new horizons brimming with joy.

"When I set out for the office," her voice was a soft murmur, "I wished for you to be there. I knew your presence would halt any impending chaos. Thank you for finding me, Matteo." Her body curled instinctively, seeking refuge in his embrace.

"You shouldn’t keep things from me anymore, that was a very dangerous situation. I would not be able to bear it if something bad had happened." Matteo’s voice, a gentle admonishment, swirled like a caress through the air. His fingers, like empathetic whispers, traced delicate patterns along her back, soothing her frayed nerves.

"I’m okay now, thanks to you," Stella’s response, a soft admission, flowed in harmony, her head finding refuge on his chest as they sat nestled together.

In the cocoon of their shared vulnerability, an abrupt thought pierced the tranquility. Stella shot upright, her sudden movement jolting Matteo from his reverie. His concern radiated, a question dancing in his eyes.

"What’s the matter?" His words were a gentle prompt, a lifeline tossed to catch her wavering thoughts. The urgency in his inquiry lingered, matching the racing tempo of her pulse.

"The money..." Stella’s words hung heavy in the air, a palpable weight pressing against the room. A sigh of exasperation, tinged with resignation, escaped Matteo’s lips as he leaned against the settee’s backrest.

A/N: Hi guys so I have started Remo’s story as standalone book please I’m participating in a competition so add it your library and please vote for me.

Title: Contract Marriage: The Devil’s Bride.

thank you!