Chapter Ten: Longing
1546 Words
Soon after the twins had finally dozed off, Nate strolled casually into Desire’s room. He didn’t knock — Nate never knocked. He simply leaned against the door as it clicked shut behind him, grinning.
“Hey,” he said with a teasing tilt in his voice.
“You came home finally,” Desire muttered, half under her breath, already curled up on the bed.
“I missed you too,” Nate replied with exaggerated affection as he flopped down beside her like an overgrown puppy. “So… what have you and your boss been up to?”
Desire turned slowly to look at him, unimpressed. “You miss him.”
Nate smirked like he had been waiting for that accusation. “Nah. You miss him.”
She rolled her eyes. “We’re just friends. And it’s been two months since we went on that dinner. I was just asking if you two were too busy to keep in touch.”
Nate snorted knowingly. “He’s been swamped lately. Honestly, the guy barely even sleeps. He’s always chasing deadlines. Sometimes I wake up at 3 a.m. and find him working like it’s noon. I think he’s dealing with insomnia. His sleep cycle’s completely wrecked.”
Desire didn’t respond immediately. She just stared at the ceiling, absorbing that.
“Other than that,” Nate continued, “we’ve both been knee-deep in work. Stress is eating him alive.”
“Wait,” she said, turning to face him, “just the both of you?”
Nate nodded. " yeah. It’s just us two, he can do it by himself but, he trusts me to handle the sensitive parts.”
Desire’s brows creased with reluctant concern, but she stayed quiet.
“I could give you his address,” Nate offered casually. “Maybe you could check in on him.”
“Nope. Thank you.” Desire said, pulling the duvet up like a barrier.
“What a bad friend you are,” Nate teased, yanking the duvet off her dramatically.
“Go to your room, you big pest!” she laughed, giving him a playful shove that sent him tumbling off the bed.
From the floor, Nate shouted, “You’re wicked!” and scrambled up, mock-offended as he headed out. “No wonder you’re still single!”
Desire laughed softly after him, then curled back into bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, wondering if she should check on Rylo. But eventually, sleep won.
---
Meanwhile...
Across the city, at a private clinic hidden behind vines and brick, Lila and Brian sat in a discreet waiting room. Lila had just paid the doctor a hefty sum under the table for a prescription — one that would drastically increase her chances of conceiving quickly.
She stared at the slip in her hand and smiled darkly. “Only by getting pregnant can I seal this deal. Once I’m carrying Miles’s child, I’ll threaten that b***h before Rylo finds out the truth about those two brats”
Lila turned to Brian with a cold glint in her eyes. “But first, how exactly did Desire end up in Rylo’s room that night? What was she doing there? I need details. I need to know.”
Brian looked uneasy but nodded. “I’ll find out.”
Lila brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and turned her gaze toward the window. “I have work to do. With Miles first.”
---
The Setup
Knowing Brooke’s nature — shallow, snobbish, and greedy — Lila had introduced herself as Lila Nile, daughter of Lugard Nile, the wealthiest man in Norbridge, a small but booming European principality known for its wine, precious stone exports, and elite banking secrecy.
Brooke, blinded by the sparkle of money and names, didn’t bother with a background check. After all, Lila wore designer labels, carried a rare edition Birkin, and had "Summer's admiration."
Brooke had been fully bought — emotionally and financially.
And Sawyer, her husband? He was merely a puppet. Everyone in their circle knew he did whatever Brooke said. Brooke said jump; Sawyer asked, how high?
Lila smirked, scrolling through her phone until she reached Tyro’s contact.
She pressed call.
Her voice, soft and sugary, poured into the receiver. “Hi, darling. Are you home? I was thinking... maybe we could spend a little time together. Just us. I missed you.”
She paused dramatically, then added with a smile, “I got a little surprise for you...”
Her hand tightened around the prescription in her lap as the plan clicked into motion.
The thump of bass-heavy music vibrated through the marble walls of Connor’s Club, one of the most elite spots in the city. Neon lights blinked in rhythm with the sound, casting vibrant hues of blue and purple over the crowd. The dancefloor pulsed with energy—bodies grinding, heels clicking, drinks spilling, and laughter echoing through the haze of cigar smoke and perfume.
At the back of the building, past the private staircase and beneath a crystal chandelier imported from Milan, sat the VIP Lounge. Shielded by velvet ropes and guarded by silent men in black, it was a whole different world—darker, richer, more dangerous.
Inside, Miles Braylor lounged on a plush leather couch, half-listening to Connor's banter. A shapely brunette sat on his lap, her manicured fingers tracing his jaw while he stared blankly ahead, sipping from his glass of whiskey. Beside him, Leo Edmund was already halfway into his second blunt, eyes half-lidded and smirking at nothing in particular.
Connor William, club owner and heir to a shipping fortune, leaned in with a mischievous grin.
“Man, you look miserable. Even with all these girls?” he laughed, motioning to the array of models and socialites draped around them like ornaments.
Miles gave a weak smile. “Maybe I just need something stronger.”
He reached for a tiny packet handed to him by Leo—something to numb his thoughts. But even as the room filled with laughter and smoke, only Desire’s voice echoed in his head. Her laugh. Her eyes. The feel of her silence.
That was when Lila appeared.
She pushed through the beaded curtains like she owned the air in the room, dressed in a tight red gown that hugged every curve. The gown was strapless, the slit running so high up her thigh it turned heads immediately. Her long legs shimmered under the club lights, and her ruby heels clicked authoritatively.
The brunette on Miles’s lap barely had time to blink before Lila was in front of her.
“Move,” Lila said flatly, not even looking at her. The girl stuttered but quickly got up and vanished.
Lila tossed her hair back and climbed onto Miles's lap like she’d never been gone. She smelled of roses and danger. Her fingers ran down his chest as she kissed his jaw slowly, then whispered in his ear,
“I came prepared tonight.”
She patted her purse—the hospital prescription hidden neatly inside. to increase the rate to conceive, this was her moment.
Miles, high and confused, didn’t resist. Not tonight.
Lila smiled against his skin, trailing kisses and fingers, rubbing herself against him. Connor hooted in the background while Leo kept snorting lines of coke, barely blinking.
Then, as the music shifted to a pounding Latin rhythm, Lila stood and began to dance.
It wasn’t casual.
She performed.
Her hips moved with practiced precision, seductive and intentional. Her body was a weapon, and the way she moved made it clear—this wasn’t for fun. It was a show, and Miles was her only audience.
He snapped.
Drunk, high, aching to forget Desire for just one second—he stood up, grabbed her waist, and led her out of the room.
The beaded curtain swung shut behind them.
Sunlight streamed into the modest apartment Desire shared with her twins. The smell of toast and warm milk filled the air, and the cartoon channel hummed in the background. There was a quiet joy in the air—a kind of celebration.
Desire was brushing Shine’s hair while Snow packed up his bag, humming to himself. She had no idea of the night Miles just had—or the storm quietly building behind her back.
“Mummy, guess what?!” Snow beamed suddenly.
Desire turned, smiling. “Snow? What’s that?”
Shine exchanged a dramatic wink with his twin before whispering loudly,
“We’ve prepared a surprise for you on presentation day.”
“A surprise?” Desire raised an eyebrow. “I hope it’s not mischief.”
Snow placed a hand on his chest. “Mummy, I promise. No mischief. We practiced like... super hard!”
Shine added seriously, “We’re serious, mummy. We even made something with glitter. Lots of glitter.”
“Oh dear,” Desire muttered with a laugh, “just don’t blow up the school with your glitter.”
The twins giggled as they zipped up their backpacks. There was pride in their little faces—the kind only a mother could see.
Desire knelt down and kissed their cheeks.
“I can’t wait to see what my babies have planned. I’m already proud of you.”
- Writer
