The Devil at Home

Ivy's POV

“Let me go!” I gritted, glaring at the man with my gaze filled with venom.

He didn't, instead, he smirked.

His body frame towered over me, his gaze locked on mine.

Those dark blue eyes….those lips….

“Damn, Ivy! What the hell are you thinking?!” I scolded myself in my head.

“Who are you?” I asked, voice cracking.

“Someone who can't get you out of his head”

My stomach churned at his words, my head screaming at me to push him and run.

The voice sounded familiar, so strangely familiar.

Dangerous. This situation was dangerous.

Finally, he let go of me, raising his hands in surrender. “I mean no harm, baby”

“A night?”

My heart raced, knowing this man must have thought of me as a slut, seeing the way my friend had walked up to a random man and left with him.

I scoffed. “What?”

His gaze darkened. “That's a question, sweetheart.”

I gulped, gaze locked on him.

He was strikingly handsome, but there was no way I was saying yes to this. But my eyes said otherwise.

His hands trailed my face, fingers caressing my lips.

I said nothing. I couldn't.

I was too lost thinking about the different things this man would be capable of doing to me.

“I'll take that as a yes” Before I could process his words, he slammed his lips into mine, my eyes opening wide. I was supposed to stop him, push him off, but my body betrayed me. I kissed him back, my desires burning inside of me like flames.

I held his neck, moaning into the kiss. Moments later, the door flung open, making me break the kiss abruptly.

Erica stood in front of me, her eyes blinking in disbelief.

“Erica….” I croaked.

The man turned, like he was trying to save face. I would have scoffed if I could.

“Did I disrupt something?” She asked.

I rushed to her side. “Of course not” I led her out of the room, cheeks flushing red.

I glanced back at the room for a moment, our gazes locking for some seconds before I pulled away.

It was stupid of me to let the stranger kiss me. So stupid!

Erica smiled, staring at my face. “So you decided to drop the virgin card, huh?”

“Nothing like that, Erica,” I said, my words rushed.

She nodded. “Curse my feet for not entering when both of you are already tangled in the sheets”

“How….did you find me there?” I changed the topic.

“Well, the waitress told me,” she said, and her face widened like she had just remembered something important.

“Damn! Your Dad called!” She said.

My face widened in terror, my gaze asking if she didn't do the impossible. “Tell me you didn't pick up!”

“I didn't, but I think he already knows”

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

“Later, Erica. I'll ring you up” Seconds later, I was gone, completely out of sight.

When I got to the mansion, I hesitated.

Dad had been calling continuously, but I didn't pick up.

I twisted the doorknob, the door opening, but my heart slammed in my chest when I got in to see Dad seated on the chair, his angry look fixed on the door impatiently waiting for my arrival.

Mom sat on the three-seater, beside her was Dad's friend, Cassian. And on the two seater…...

My breath caught, eyes widening in terror.

My head spun, trying to wrap itself around the reason why he was sitting here.

The man I had kissed minutes ago, the stalker who had followed me to the club, was seated here in my parents’ home.

Panic rose in my chest as different thoughts ran through my head while I tried to process who he was, but Dad's voice brought me back to the room.

“Where were you, Ivy?” He asked, voice dripping with anger.

“I……” my words got caught in my throat.

This blue eyed man knows, he saw me at the club. He won't rat me out even if I lied, would he?

“I was with Erica,” I said.

Dad's gaze locked on mine, sending shivers down my spine.

Again, he asked. “WHERE WERE YOU, IVY?”

The words were gritted and I knew there was no escape, even if I lied, the lies would be discovered without much trouble.

I said nothing, just stood, trembling.

Dad stood up, taking threatening steps towards me as I staggered backwards.

“You lied about everything, Ivy,” Dad gritted, still moving close.

“I ran a background check on your friend today. Guess what I found out?” He said, making my heart jump.

“She works in no clinic, but in a bar. And you? You kept that a secret just to visit there in those revealing clothes for men to ogle” Dad slammed his hand on the wall, making me flinch.

“You move with trash when I didn't raise you among one!” He added.

My eyes flickered with rage, but it only lasted for a second.

“Don't call her that, Dad!” I spat.

“Defending her? That girl you call a friend is nothing but a slut! Trash that fits the gutter!” He gritted.

My nails dug into my palm until it nearly drew blood, tears stung my eyes, my breathing getting hard.

The next moment, he was pointing his hand at me.

“Not only that, Ivy. Now you visit nightclubs?”

“Dad, I….” I wanted to talk, even though I had no excuse but he cut me off.

“What? Want to lie? Cassian saw you himself!” Dad said.

Then I realized, it wasn't this man sitting here, rather, it was Dad's friend who had told on me.

My heart clenched.

“I raised you and your brother the same way. He's doing better, but you've decided to be nothing but disgrace”

The words hit, piercing through me like a knife. But what was more shocking and urgent was the person Dad had pointed to as my brother.

“The man seated on the two seater chair is…. Adrian?”

No way!

“You are my daughter, Ivy. And you will behave like one” Dad gritted.

“Next week, you will get engaged to Cassian Wolfe” Dad said, words like a bombshell.

“What?!” My voice rang through the room, cutting through the silence like a sharp blade.

“This is a joke right?” I laughed, but the tension in the room says otherwise.

My gaze darted to Cassian, then to my Dad.

Both of them stayed silent, gazes fixed on me like predators.

That's when I realized they had been planning this, and the club was just an excuse.

My stomach turned, the world spinning around me.

“No way. Over my dead body will I get engaged to your old friend!” I spat, but even my voice shook, barely convinced.