To Love A Villain-Chapter 195: Orenya

>>Amber

"Just stop," I pleaded, feeling tears prick at the corners of my eyes again. I tried to push him away, but he didn’t budge, his grip only tightening as he pulled me back into his embrace.

"Come on, let’s talk in a different place." Before I could protest, he gently but firmly took my hand and led me down the hallway. My heart raced with each step. I wanted to resist, to pull away, but there was something about his touch that made it hard to say no.

We entered a makeup room, and he locked the door behind us, shutting out the noise of the world outside. The room was softly lit, mirrors lining the walls with bright bulbs illuminating the space, casting a warm glow around us. I could see my reflection, hair disheveled and tear-streaked, a stark contrast to the calm façade I usually wore.

"Hael, what are you doing?" I asked, panic rising in my chest. "You can’t just lock me in here!"

"I’m sorry," He said, his voice earnest as he stepped closer. "I didn’t mean to tease you to this point. I didn’t think it would get you this emotional."

My heart twisted at his words, a mix of anger and something else I couldn’t quite identify. "You think this is funny?" I shot back, feeling the tension in the air thicken. "You think it’s a game?"

"No, it’s not a game!" He exclaimed, frustration seeping into his tone. "I just wanted to see how you’d react, to know what you were feeling in this world."

’What?" I shook my head, trying to wrap my mind around his reasoning. "You have no idea what you’ve put me through. You have no idea what it’s like to see someone you love so deeply act like a complete stranger!"

"I know it’s complicated, but I remember," He said, his eyes locking onto mine, the intensity of his gaze sending a jolt through me. "I remember everything,"

I froze

My breath hitched, and I felt the ground shift beneath me. "What do you mean you remember?" I asked, my heart pounding. "You... you remember me?"

He nodded slowly, a serious look on his face. "I do. I remember our life together, I remember everything."

I stared at him, shock coursing through my veins. "But... but how? How could you possibly remember?"I stared at Hael, skepticism knotting in my stomach. "You’re lying," I said, my voice trembling as I took a step back, trying to create some distance between us.

"I’m not,"

I shook my head, "I don’t even look like... how I did before."

But instead of letting go, he stepped closer, his gaze steady as he reached for me again, wrapping his arms around my waist. I pressed my palms against his chest, pushing him back, but he held firm, the warmth of his body almost overwhelming.

"Hael, stop," I warned, backing up until I hit the dressing table, the edge digging into my back. The vanity mirrors were bright, illuminating every shadow on my face and making me painfully aware of how disheveled I looked. "What are you doing?"

"Just watch," He said, his tone serious as he began to open the buttons of my shirt. My heart raced, and a wave of panic surged through me.

"What are you doing?" I tried to push him away again, but he held onto my wrists, pinning them against the table. "Hael, let me go!" I protested, but he continued, unbuttoning the second button, and I could feel my breath quickening.

"Watch," He urged softly, and despite my instinct to fight back, something in his voice made me hesitate. He then let my buttons go and his hand traveled to my hand. As he pulled my shirt back, revealing the area below my nape, I felt a shiver run down my spine. "Look," He said, his voice low and steady.

I glared at him but he waited.

I turned my head, eyes locking onto the mirror’s reflection, and my breath caught in my throat.

!!!

There it was, a black crescent moon tattoo mark etched into my skin, the same mark Hael had left on me in our past life.

My mouth hung open, "What... how?" I stammered, my heart racing as memories rushed back, each one sharper than the last. I felt the warmth of the mark against my skin, the lingering sense of connection that I had thought was lost.

"It’s real," He said, his voice softer now, filled with an earnestness that made me want to believe him, "Orenya," He called me by my pet name, "As if I would ever forget you."

My skin stood up and I felt a heavy shiver go down my spine.

I shot my head at him, still in disbelief.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, "This... this doesn’t make sense," I whispered, my heart still racing. "How can this be?"

He stepped closer, his eyes searching mine for understanding. "Because we’re bound together. Always have been. I’ve never forgotten you, not in this life or the last."

"How?" I looked at him, "Explain it to me right now!"

"Remember that spell I was doing with your blood and mom’s?" He asked and I looked at him in disbelief, "This is what that spell was."

"No.." It sounded impossible.

"Yes," He smirked, "You and I are bound to be together in each lifetime." He seemed proud of himself as he leaned in towards me, "You can never escape me, Orenya. Whenever or wherever you are born, your soulmate will be me."

My pupils shook at his confession and he leaned in, pressing his lips onto mine. My heart was pounding in my chest as I still processed the information but I couldn’t dwell on it as he was capturing my lips with his in a rough, passionate kiss that sent a shockwave of electricity through my entire body. It was as if all the pain and confusion we’d experienced fell away in that moment, replaced by a fiery urgency that consumed us both.

My body might find it foreign, but my soul recognized his touch.

I gasped against his mouth, startled by the intensity of his touch, but he didn’t relent. Instead, he wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me effortlessly, placing me on the edge of the dressing table. The cool surface was a stark contrast to the heat radiating between us, but I hardly noticed as he deepened the kiss, his hands cradling my face as if he feared I might disappear.

The kiss was desperate, hungry, each movement a silent plea for connection and understanding. I felt his lips move against mine with a fervor I hadn’t anticipated, and my heart raced in response. My fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer, trying to close the gap that had lingered between us for too long.

His hands slid down my sides, tracing the curve of my hips, igniting a fire beneath my skin. I could feel the warmth of his body pressing against me, the raw power he exuded making me dizzy. It was reckless and intoxicating, the way he kissed me as if he were trying to reclaim every moment we had lost.

I pulled away for a breath, my heart pounding in my chest. "Hael," I murmured, searching his gaze for clarity, but all I found was a wild intensity that set my pulse racing.

"Just let me," He whispered, his voice low and husky, and before I could respond, he surged forward again, capturing my lips with a renewed urgency. This time, the kiss was more demanding, as if he were pouring every ounce of his feelings into that one, electrifying moment.

The world around us faded away; it was just him and me, tangled in a chaotic mix of emotions. I was lost in the taste of him—sweet yet smoky, familiar and new all at once. The way he held me, the way his fingers caressed my skin, made me forget everything else.

The kiss deepened, becoming more frantic. Hael’s hands gripped my waist tighter, and I could feel the muscles in his arms flexing as he held me against him.

***

>>Hestia

The sun was still too bright for my liking as I leaned back in my chair, scrolling through reports that came across my desk. The moment the studio called to tell me about the filming, I felt a mix of pride and dread. My son was an international sensation, and while it thrilled me, it also filled me with anxiety. As the CEO, I had a reputation to uphold, and Hael’s image was now tied to mine.

Just as I was about to dive deeper into a budget report, my secretary rushed into the room, her face pale and breathless. "B-boss!," She stammered, "I just heard something concerning."

I looked at her, "What is it?"

"Hael’s manager stormed off the stage during filming, and he ran after her." She took a deep breath, "People are all talking about it, and how Hael ran after like after she made a fuss. It made it look like something was going on between them."

"What do you mean stormed off?" I shot back, my heart racing. "What happened?"

"I don’t have all the details," She replied, biting her lip, "But the word is that there was some kind of confrontation between them. It sounded serious."

An unsettling sensation washed over me. I pushed my chair back and stood, determination coursing through my veins. "I need to see what’s happening. Take me to the studio."

***

The car ride was tense, each passing minute stretching my nerves thinner. My mind raced with possibilities. I had raised Hael to be respectful and professional, but the industry was cutthroat. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was out to ruin his reputation.

The corridors were filled with the usual hustle and bustle of a busy filming day, but I was focused only on what lay ahead. A staff member rushed up to me, holding out a set of keys.

"Ma’am, here are the keys to the makeup room where they were last seen," He said, concern etched across his features, "The room is locked but we waited for you to come and didn’t try opening it ourselves."

I snatched the keys from his hands, my heart thudding louder in my ears as I approached the door. With a swift motion, I unlocked it, pushed the door open, and stepped inside.

!!!

What I saw made my breath catch in my throat.