Selena's breath caught in her throat. The sheet clutched against her chest felt useless, flimsy—like paper against fire.
Clara stepped fully into the room, her heels clicking softly against the hardwood floor. She moved with practiced elegance, her perfume sharp and invasive, filling every corner of the space.
Her eyes, cold and assessing, lingered on Selena for a beat before sliding back to Nolan.
"You didn't answer my calls," Clara said, her voice smooth as silk but laced with venom. "So I thought I'd come see you myself."
Nolan's face hardened. "You shouldn't be here."
Clara tilted her head, feigning innocence. "Why not? You never had a problem with it before."
The words stabbed through Selena's chest. She flinched, every insecurity roaring to the surface.
Nolan stepped forward, shielding Selena with his body. His voice was steel. "That was before. I told you it's over, Clara. You need to move on."
Clara's smile didn't waver, but her eyes sharpened. "Move on? From you? After everything?" She laughed softly, the sound chilling. "You think you can just erase me like that?"
Selena gripped the sheet tighter, torn between anger and fear. She wanted to scream at Clara, to demand the truth, but her voice felt trapped in her throat.
"Clara, leave," Nolan said firmly. "This is between me and Selena now. You have no place here."
At that, Clara's gaze snapped back to Selena. Her smile curved, cruel and deliberate.
"Selena," she said slowly, savoring the name. "Do you really think you're special? Do you know how many women Nolan has whispered those same words to? How many times he's said you're the only one?"
Selena's heart thundered, her hands trembling. Doubt seeped through every pore, clawing at the fragile trust she had begun to build.
"Enough!" Nolan barked. He stepped closer to Clara, his tone dangerous. "Don't twist this. Not here. Not with her."
For a moment, Clara's mask slipped, bitterness flashing in her eyes. Then she turned sharply, her heels clicking against the floor as she moved toward the door.
But before leaving, she glanced back, her smile returning like a blade.
"He'll break you," she whispered to Selena. "Just like he broke me."
The door slammed behind her, leaving the air heavy with her poison.
---
Silence.
Selena sat frozen, the sheet clutched to her chest, her mind spinning. Clara's words replayed like echoes in a cavern.
Nolan turned to her, his eyes pleading. "Selena—"
"Don't," she whispered, her voice breaking.
He crouched in front of her, his hands reaching for hers, but she pulled back.
"Is it true?" she asked, her tears spilling freely now. "Were there others? Did you tell them the same things you've told me?"
Nolan's expression crumbled. He grasped her hands anyway, holding them tight even as she tried to pull away. "Yes," he admitted, his voice hoarse. "There were others. I was lost, Selena. I didn't know what I wanted. I filled the emptiness with meaningless faces, meaningless bodies."
Her sob escaped, raw and sharp.
"But then I met you," he continued, his grip tightening as though she might disappear. "And it wasn't meaningless anymore. For the first time, it was real. You are real."
Selena shook her head, torn between wanting to believe him and wanting to run.
"I'm not perfect," Nolan said, his eyes glassy. "I've made mistakes I'll regret forever. But if I lose you, Selena, that will be the biggest one of all."
Her tears blurred her vision. She wanted to hate him, wanted to push him away, but when he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers, the familiar warmth of him unraveled her resolve.
"Don't let her win," he whispered. "Don't let my past ruin what we're building."
Her breath hitched. "And what exactly are we building, Nolan? Lust? Illusion?"
"No." His lips brushed hers, gentle despite the desperation in his voice. "We're building us. And I'll spend every day proving it to you, if you let me."
Her body trembled, her mind at war with her heart. But when his mouth claimed hers again, the fight inside her crumbled. She kissed him back, fiercely, hungrily, tears mixing with passion.
Clothes were abandoned once more, desperation fueling every touch. This wasn't soft or slow—it was raw, urgent, as though both of them were clinging to something that might shatter at any second.
"Selena," Nolan groaned, thrusting into her with abandon, his hands gripping her hips as if anchoring her to him. "You're mine. Only mine."
Her cries filled the room, pleasure and anguish entwined. She clung to him, nails digging into his back, her body yielding despite the storm raging inside.
When release finally tore through them, it was like drowning and breathing all at once.
They collapsed together, tangled in sheets and sweat, their bodies exhausted but unwilling to part.
Selena pressed her face against his chest, listening to the frantic rhythm of his heart. Her tears soaked his skin, but his arms only tightened around her.
She didn't know if she could trust him fully. She didn't know if love could outlast the shadows of his past.
But for now—for tonight—she chose desire.
🔥 Chapter 15 was the emotional climax of this arc. Clara finally showed herself, injecting poison and truth into Nolan and Selena's fragile bond. Selena's choice wasn't easy, but she stayed—for now.
NisotWrites
Clara may have left the room, but she hasn't left their lives. Her presence lingers like a shadow, and Nolan's past isn't done haunting him—or Selena.