The Devil's obsession with the Heiress

[Music recommendation: Adele - Lovesong]

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The front door of a luxury mansion unlocked, and two figures stepped inside. One walked in leisurely, while the other followed with hesitant steps.

"Welcome to the demon’s lair. Make yourself comfortable," Cillian said casually, heading toward the sleek bar in the corner of the open living space. "Can I get you a drink?"

Jade lingered near the entrance, her eyes sweeping over the grand architecture before she met his gaze. "Just water is fine, thanks."

Cillian retrieved a chilled bottle from the under-counter fridge and walked back toward her. As she reached out to take it, her fingers brushed against his, making her breathing hitch slightly.

"Thank you," she murmured quietly and turned her head to take a sip.

Cillian watched as her throat worked, a stray droplet of water slipping over the very lips he had tasted not too long ago. He could still recall their softness against his own, the delicate feel of her hand framing his face. Despite knowing better, he found himself craving more.

Cillian was a risk-taker by nature, rarely pausing to consider the fallout of his actions.

Yet when it came to Jade, he felt an unfamiliar impulse to be careful. It wasn’t just because she was Aliana’s best friend and hurting her meant facing his sister-in-law’s wrath. It was because he wanted to tread lightly himself, fully aware that even if he wanted to... they could never have a normal relationship.

Once Jade finished drinking, she capped the bottle and took a calming breath. "Thank you... for letting me crash here for the night."

"It’s no trouble at all," Cillian replied, offering her a small smile as he held her gaze.

Jade felt a flicker of nervousness.

Despite her past experience with men, Cillian’s presence always managed to get under her skin.

The tension between them hadn’t died down in the slightest after their wild kiss in the car, though it had been momentarily doused when she spotted her father’s men standing outside her apartment building. She knew they were there to escort her back to the Ross mansion, a place she had no desire to return to.

She had asked Cillian to drop her off at a hotel, but with her bank accounts frozen, she was met with another frustrating financial dilemma. She could have borrowed money from Cillian and paid him back later, but before she could ask, he had suggested she stay at his mansion instead.

He had reasoned that even if she stayed at a hotel, there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t tip her father off to her location, given that her family was in the real estate business and everyone in the industry knew her father.

So here she was, standing under the roof of the very man she had warned herself to stay away from.

She looked around the quiet space before asking softly, "Do you... live here alone?"

"Yes," Cillian replied.

Jade nodded, shifting her weight nervously. "What about your parents?"

"They are currently out of the country. Even when they return, they stay at our other family estate," Cillian answered calmly, watching her intently.

"Right... of course." Jade cleared her throat and a breathless laugh escaped her lips as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I’m sorry for dragging you into the middle of my family drama. I honestly didn’t think my father would go to such extreme lengths just to force my hand. You must be thinking what an absolute headache I am-"

"Jade," Cillian interrupted softly.

She jumped slightly when he called her name so suddenly and looked up at him. "Y-Yes?"

Cillian looked at her with a seriousness she had rarely seen from him and she braced herself.

"You don’t have to be so nervous around me. I won’t do anything you don’t want me to," he began. "Although I invited you to stay at my place for the night, I need you to know that I don’t have any hidden motive behind my offer... even if..." He tilted his head slightly, his gaze dropping to her lips before returning to her eyes. "...all I want to do is gobble you up like the treat you are."

Colour rushed to Jade’s face so fast her cheeks burned, but Cillian continued without a trace of shame.

"Still, I respect your boundaries, and I have no intention of ever forcing myself on anyone. What happened in the car was something I believe we were both curious about. And even if I want to explore that further with you, you deserve to know that I don’t do relationships. Whenever I get involved with a woman, there are clear rules, and it stays strictly no-strings-attached. If that’s something you aren’t comfortable with, we can forget everything that happened in that car, and I will never cross the line with you again."

Jade’s eyes widened as she heard him state his terms so directly.

’No strings attached, huh?’ she repeated in her mind, locking eyes with him.

It wasn’t as if she had expected anything different in the first place.

His words only confirmed what she had always suspected about him... Cillian was not someone to get serious with, and she had been right to stay wary of him all along.

Yet, even with a comfortable distance between them, she couldn’t deny the magnetic pulse pulling her toward him.

Looking back at her own dating history, Jade could say with total confidence that she preferred no-strings-attached arrangements herself. She had never enjoyed the emotional drama or the heavy baggage that came with commitment, so Cillian’s terms didn’t sound foreign to her at all.

Besides, it wasn’t like she was in love with him. Whatever attraction she felt toward him was purely physical, bolstered by a comfortable sense of familiarity built over the time they had spent together.

The only question now was how far she was willing to go. He had given her a clear choice... explore this spark between them, or walk away cleanly.

Before she could form an answer, Cillian spoke again. "You don’t have to answer right away. It’s been a long night, and you must be exhausted. Let me show you to your room, and you can give me your answer whenever you’re ready."

As Cillian turned toward the stairs, Jade’s eyes locked onto his broad, muscular back.

A sudden, wicked thought crossed her mind, as she imagined those tight shoulders completely bare beneath her fingertips.

Right on cue, Cillian paused, turning his head to look back at her. Her heart slammed against her ribs when his chocolate-brown eyes caught her staring. "Are you coming?"

"I-I am... lead the way," she stammered, flushing bright red as a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

He led her upstairs to a guest room located just down the hall from his own.

"Here we are." He pushed the door open, adding, "If you need anything-"

"Where is your room?" Jade asked, cutting him off mid-sentence.

Cillian turned to look at her in surprise, finding that the woman who had been a nervous wreck moments ago was now staring at him with an unwavering gaze.

He blinked, genuinely confused by the sudden shift in her demeanour.

"Come again?" he asked.

"I agree," Jade declared, taking a daring step toward him.

Cillian raised an eyebrow. "You agree?"

Jade took another step, closing the distance between them until they were only inches apart. Her hands curled tightly around his collar as she met his eyes without fear.

"Fuck it," she whispered. "I don’t like living with regrets anyway."

Before he could respond, she yanked his collar down and crashed her lips against his.

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