Forbidden Desires

Monster?

My heart pounded directly into my stomach. Shock and sheer panic washed over me as I stood in the dark hallway. I couldn't just stand there anymore. The terror of the unknown was suffocating me, and I needed to stop this before it ruined everything.

I gripped the cold brass handle, pushed the heavy study door open, and stepped inside.

The wood gave a loud creak. Robert and Helen snapped their heads toward me instantly. Robert’s face turned completely pale, his eyes widening in utter disbelief as his hands gripped the edge of his desk. Helen, however, didn't flinch.

She adjusted her posture smoothly, fixing a calm, elegant smile on her face within a split second.

“What monster are you talking about?”I demanded, crossing my arms at my chest. My voice shook with a mixture of anger and raw fear, but I stood as straight as I could to face them. “Tell me…I want to know what you were talking about.”

The reality of my sudden entrance crashed down on the room. Robert took a sharp breath, looking desperately at me, completely stranded for words. For the first time in my life, the commanding man who owned my world looked terrified.

But Helen broke the silence. She let out a soft, mocking laugh that cut through the heavy tension. She walked slowly over to Robert and patted his shoulder in a relaxed, friendly way.

“Oh, sweetheart, you took me seriously?” Helen said, her voice dripping with smooth amusement as she looked at me.

“I was just pulling Robert’s legs. There is nothing to worry about, Dina.”

“I heard what you said, Helen,” I replied sharply, my hands clenching into fists at my sides. “You said you were going to show me his real face. You called him a monster. Don't you dare to lie to me.”

I turned to Robert, “Dad, are you going to tell me what's going on here?”

Helen smiled warmly, but her green eyes remained completely cold and calculating. “We were just arguing about an old business deal from years ago. Robert acted like a total, ruthless monster to win a corporate contract against me back then. It was a terrible professional fight, and I was just bringing up old drama to tease him on his birthday. It was a joke, and nothing more.”

Robert quickly nodded, his voice returning to its normal, smooth, reassuring tone as he stepped out from behind the desk.

“Yes, Dina. Helen just has a very dramatic way of speaking. We were letting old business frustrations get out of hand. There is no secret here, I swear.”

“Do you people think I am a fool? Illiterate? Or deaf?” My fist curled tight at my side. “I want to know the truth right now,” I said, looking at Robert. “Or else I am going to call the police right now.”

“No, doll,” Robert said. His voice was low and steady. “I am not lying, I swear. This was just our way of reuniting after a long time.”

I didn't know whether I should believe him or not. I don't know why this is happening to me. Robert was the only person who treated me right after my aunt Jane and Uncle Gabriel. The man who had been my life, my everything, is now becoming a deep secret that I need to search deeper to expose.

“Well, that is my cue to leave,” Helen murmured, smoothing down her green dress. She leaned in close to me as she walked past, her scent of expensive perfume filling my nose. “Happy birthday, Robert. Enjoy your day, darling.”

“Darling?” I think to myself. At the moment, I want to forget whatever was happening here and slap her hard on her face for calling Robert her darling, but I let it slip.

She stepped fully out of the room, leaving me alone with the man I thought I knew.

Robert immediately moved toward me, his arms reaching out to comfort me, trying to pull me to his chest just like he always did when I felt uneasy.

But as his hands guided my waist, a cold wave of shock hit my chest. For the first time in my life, his warmth made my skin crawl. It felt like an enemy territory.

“Are you okay, princess?” he whispered quietly against my ear.

“I'm fine,” I lied, my voice sounding hoarse. I stepped back, avoiding his touch entirely.

Robert froze, his green eyes darkening with a sudden, intense flash of confusion and worry. He left no room for argument usually, but the strange distance I put between us made him stop.

I forced a fake smile, claiming I was just exhausted from organizing the pool party, and quickly left the study before he could say another word.

He moved closer again. My heart was hammering against my ribs. I could feel his warmth again, but I refused to give in, I refused to follow my heart again till I knew the entire truth. He grabbed my waist again, and his lips landed on mine. But I pushed him slightly.

“I need to rest now,” I lied. I didn't want this to go too far, or else I would lose control and give in to his touch.

The rest of the birthday party flew by in a frantic, sweaty blur. I moved through the high-society guests like a ghost, completely unable to enjoy the music or the laughter.

Every time Robert looked at me from across the lawn, his gaze full of possessive concern, my heart hammered wildly against my ribs. I couldn't trust him anymore. The seed of doubt had been planted deeply into my mind.

Hours seeped together, and it was finally midnight. The house was completely dark and empty now, brightened only by the faint moonlight coming through the windows. With my mom still completely away on her trip across the globe, the huge estate felt wider and scarier than ever.

I couldn't sleep. Sleep felt like a distant country to me. I was tossing and turning, my mind racing faster than a horse.

I needed to know if Helen was telling the truth or not. I needed to know if they were truly hiding something from me. If Robert was truly a monster, as Helen said earlier.

I slipped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall on silent feet to Robert's private study room. I pushed open the door and was met with the coldest room I had ever experienced and an uneasy silence that felt unreal.

I crossed towards the large wooden desk and, trembling, opened the drawers to search for any old files or evidential notes I may find concerning Helen.

Everything seemed to be normal at first. It was just business contracts, financial records, and legal files. But as I checked the very bottom drawer, my fingers caught on a small panel.

A secret box popped open. My breath caught in my throat. I reached inside, expecting to find a hidden document or a file on Helen. Instead, my fingers wrapped around a heavy, cold metal object.

I pulled it out into the moonlight. It was a secondary, encrypted cell phone, completely different from the one Robert always carried. Just as I held it up, the screen lit up with a silent, incoming notification from an unsaved number.

The text preview read: “She heard everything already, Robert. And I don't think she believed the story I cooked. I am sure she will surely do something. We can't trust her; we need to do something.”

My eyes widened in utter horror, and a cold spike of adrenaline shot through my veins. Before I could read any further, a heavy floorboard creaked loudly right behind me in the dark doorway.