Chapter 37 Steve, are you jealous?
As Nora's hand neared his face, Steve quickly caught her delicate hand in his larger one.
He wore a synthetic mask that felt different from real skin—despite its high-quality craftsmanship that made it visually indistinguishable from the real thing.
Nora was already suspicious, and feeling the warmth-less texture of the mask would only heighten her doubts.
"Wait here for a moment," Steve whispered as he planted a gentle kiss on Nora's cheek before forcibly calming the surge of desire within him. Rolling out of the bed, he walked out of the bedroom.
Nora's eyes were heavy with confusion as she watched his retreating figure.
Why had Steve suddenly left?
Wasn't he under the influence, struggling to hold back?
Could it be because she mentioned he resembled Isaac, and that made him angry?
That seemed unlikely.
After all, he'd been used as a stand-in for Isaac by Katie; he should be used to it by now.
As she was lost in her thoughts, Steve returned to the room with a bottle of liquor in hand.
He approached the bed, tipping his head back to take a swig.
Then, he leaned in close, pressing his lips softly against her tender red ones.
The alcohol flowed slowly from his mouth into hers.
At the harsh taste, a pained whimper escaped Nora, muffled by his presence. She was unable to speak or push him away, leaving her no choice but to let him feed her the liquor.
Nora didn't have a high tolerance for alcohol.
With just one gulp, her head was already spinning.
When Steve finally pulled back, Nora seized her chance to speak.
"Why are you making me drink?" she asked.
Steve replied with a smile, "I was worried that if you were sober, you might feel pressured and burdened, thinking I'm like your ex-husband. If you’re drunk, you can let go completely, fully immerse in, and enjoy the moment."
His judgment was clouded by the drug he had taken.
He was afraid that he'd accidentally reveal himself in the midst of passion and that Nora would notice something off.
That was why he had thought to intoxicate her.
Her low tolerance meant a couple of sips would keep her inebriated all night.
With her thinking and observational abilities dulled by alcohol, even if he slipped up, she wouldn't notice.
And if she did, she'd attribute it to her drunken state.
Nora felt there was some sense in Steve's words.
Despite her desire to be intimate with Steve, to erase last night's memories, she still felt a bit of tension and discomfort with him.
Perhaps only through drunkenness could she rid herself of those feelings.
Steve took another drink and continued the mouth-to-mouth feeding.
After the second sip, Nora's world began to spin, her gaze growing hazy.
She wrapped her arms around Steve.
With the taste of liquor between them, Steve deepened their kiss.
The temperature in the room climbed steadily.
Finally, Steve surrendered to his desire as he held her close.
They were in for another long night.
It wasn't until dawn started to crack the sky that Steve finally wound down. Nora closed her eyes, exhausted. Within a mere three seconds, she was deep in a dreamless slumber. The lack of sleep and the demanding physical exertion from the night had left her thoroughly wiped out.
On the other hand, Steve still appeared to be brimming with energy. His deep-set eyes were alert and showed no sign of fatigue. He rolled out of bed, grabbed a warm towel from the bathroom, and gently wiped her down before taking a quick shower and quietly slipping away.
Back in his car, he pulled off the facade he'd been wearing all night, revealing his true face. He picked up his cell phone that had been left in the vehicle. Glancing at it, he saw hundreds of missed calls—all from Kalista. The thought of last night's events quickly darkened Isaac's expression, and a chill settled over him.
Just then, his phone rang again. It was still Kalista calling. Isaac stared coldly at the caller ID. The ringtone sounded persistent almost a dozen times before he chose to answer it, just shy of it going to voicemail.
"Isaac, you finally decided to pick up my call," came Kalista's choked and sobbing voice through the phone.
Isaac didn't soften at her tears. Instead, he asked icily, "What happened last night? How did you end up at the old mansion?"
The mere mention of the previous night flooded Kalista with shame, but she swallowed it and explained with a strained voice, "Last night, Grandpa told me to go there. The night before, Grandpa drugged you and Nora, locked you both in a room to get together. He made me stand outside your door all night just to humiliate me. He said even if you were drugged, you would only touch Nora. I didn't believe him, so he set up last night to prove it to me, and to my dismay, his words were true."
Kalista was telling Isaac the entire truth. There was simply no hiding this incident from him; one questioning of Edmund would reveal everything.
Lying about it would be pointless. The deed was done, and she was powerless to change the outcome.
Maybe honesty could recast her as a victim, perhaps earning her a shred of guilt from Isaac's conscience.
"Isaac, did you go see Nora last night?" Kalista asked solemnly, her heart aching.
"I didn't meet with her last night," Isaac denied promptly.
He hadn't sought out Nora last night as Isaac.
So, no, it wasn't a lie.
"Did you really not go see her?" Kalista was ecstatic.
The anxiety that had plagued her all evening vanished upon hearing his denial.
She would have preferred Isaac to see some other woman overseeing Nora!
"Where were you last night, then?" she followed up, her voice tinged with sorrow.
Even though given the choice between Nora and anyone else, she'd rather Isaac be with any other woman.
But she wouldn't let off any woman Isaac had been with!
She was determined to uncover who Isaac had been with last night.
And then deal with that woman accordingly.
Get rid of her before she could come out of the woodwork, challenging Kalista for her man.
Isaac brushed her off, "I was at the hospital."
Kalista felt completely relieved.
He hadn't touched her, but he hadn't been with anyone else either, which was the best possible outcome.
"Why would you prefer going to the hospital over being with me? Do you see me as that repulsive?" she asked.
"Isaac, tell me the truth. Are you still not over Nora? Are you still thinking about a reconciliation, and that's why you'd sleep with her under similar circumstances but refuse to touch me?" Kalista pressed on.
Although Isaac hadn't approached Nora last night,
It didn't change the fact that he'd been intimate with Nora but refused to lay a hand on her.
Just thinking about it filled her with rage.
A shadow passed over Isaac's eyes.
He couldn't let go of Nora?
Please, that woman had dropped him like a hot potato.
After their divorce, she immediately started dating a new guy and got cozy with Mortimer.
How could he not move on from a woman like that?
Even if the new boyfriend was just him in disguise.
Sure, she sought a replacement to mimic his presence.
But that didn't erase her betrayal!
With that thought, anger flared in Isaac's chest.
"Don't be ridiculous. The moment she betrayed me four years ago was the moment I let her go. I feel nothing but disgust for her," he spat out.
"The only reason I slept with her recently was to humiliate her—to show her she's nothing more than a tramp that anyone can have, no matter their status!"
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