Odalisque - Chapter 112

“Ah!”

The moan she had been trying to stifle burst out involuntarily. The pressure on her neck vanished, replaced by a rough hand grabbing her chin.

Dimus twisted her face to the side and kissed her savagely, as if he wanted to devour her. The awkward position made it difficult to properly align their lips, but he relentlessly sucked and rubbed her skin.

Even at that moment, his lower body was repeatedly thrusting into her, unyielding. Each thrust pushed her back so much that her heels lifted off the floor, her thighs trembling. But Dimus showed no mercy.

His lips, which had been obsessively kissing her, moved from her cheek to her ear and down the side of her neck. The sound of his breathing, audible from this close, tickled Liv’s ears.

His breathing was heavy with arousal.

In the past, Dimus’ reactions had always made Liv’s heart pound whenever they were intimate, even making her feel a strange sense of satisfaction.

This man desired only her, losing control only before her.

It gave her a sense of superiority and hope that she could perhaps become closer to him. But how many times had she built up those feelings, only to have them shattered?

Even in her aroused state, resignation and helplessness resurfaced. Liv shook her head slightly, trying to dispel her feelings.

Did Dimus take that as a sign of rejection?

The hand gripping her waist tightened, and his member withdrew from her, flipping her body around in an instant. When she managed to lift her heavy eyelids, she saw his face, flushed with desire.

Dimus pulled her waist towards him as if to kiss her, but Liv turned her gaze down, struggling to avoid his lips.

“Ha.”

A cold sneer escaped Dimus’ lips.

Their bodies were still burning, the air was thick and humid, and their breathing was unsteady. But Dimus’ mocking laugh instantly brought a chill between them.

“Do you really think you can refuse me?”

Of course not. But her refusal carried no weight in this situation. Her reaction had no bearing on what would happen.

“No matter how I react, you’ll still take me until your anger subsides.”

Just as he had pinned her like an animal and taken her moments ago.

Dimus’ understanding of her unspoken words was unclear. Liv couldn’t muster the courage to meet his intense gaze, so she fixed her eyes on the floor, which was strewn with broken items and resembled the state of her heart.

“No matter how you react?”

Dimus’ murmur was barely audible, as if he were speaking to himself. Just from his tone, she could imagine his expression.

“Do you want to be treated like a whore that badly?”

Liv’s tightly pressed lips trembled.

“Despite the generosity I showed you, you stabbed me in the back so easily. Looks like this isn’t your first time acting like a whore.”

It would have been better to lose herself in pleasure, unable to think. Anything was better than being verbally torn apart. Liv bit her lower lip, trying to hold back her tears. Bowing her head deeply, Liv listened to his unfiltered insults.

“I heard that Eleonore brat helped you. Did you act the same way with him? He seemed like the type to give you his heart after one night.”

“I didn’t…”

“Looks like you found it easy. But if you’re a whore, you should at least cater to your clients’ preferences.”

Liv struggled to breathe as Dimus’ words continued.

“Or do I need to pay extra for you to swallow that useless pride of yours?”

Her jaw trembled under the tension. She had been with him countless times, but he had never been so cruel and cold towards her. Even in the most humiliating moments, though their relationship had been hard, she had never felt this trampled.

The moment she chose to flee from Dimus on her own, she had forfeited even the minimal respect he had once shown her.

Hopelessness pooled beneath her feet. Even the private emotions she had hidden beneath resignation and avoidance were forcibly dragged out and shattered.

“You talked so much before, but it seems you’re too guilty to speak now.”

Dimus grabbed her chin, lifting her face. He was about to continue with his cold, frozen expression when their eyes met, and he fell silent.

Her face was flushed and wet, an utter mess. Dimus could easily tell that it wasn’t just the aftermath of their earlier heated encounter.

Liv had no energy left to hide her emotions. The shattered fragments of her feelings tore her apart from the inside, and just enduring that pain was overwhelming.

“You…”

Dimus’ grip slackened slightly. His thumb brushed across her damp cheek.

“I don’t understand why you defy me when you’re so scared.”

He seemed genuinely confused, as if he couldn’t fathom her actions.

“Something you can’t even handle.”

It sounded like he was reprimanding her for her foolishness. Liv let out a weary sigh.

This man had the power to completely upend and destroy her life. She was sure that, eventually, she would willingly kneel before him and offer up everything she had. She was already heading in that direction.

She couldn’t win, so she ran. Avoidance was the only option. She had to run far away and hope that time would solve everything.

Had she made the wrong choice? Should she have stayed as his mistress, content with being one of his prized possessions?

Why, even in this state, was she so unwilling to accept that life?

“Don’t put a price on me.”

Her voice came out faintly between trembling lips. Damp and weak, her words were barely audible unless one listened carefully.

“I don’t need it.”

If there was no escape, then what could she do now?

“Besides, you wouldn’t be able to pay that price.”

His blue eyes darkened. Yet he didn’t respond with another cutting remark. Instead, he leaned down again. This time, she didn’t avoid his lips.

A whore would never consider unseen emotions as something of value. They would never understand.

Even if it was foolish, Liv couldn’t bring herself to beg Dimus for love.

***

She had lost track of time. Dimus took her whenever he wanted, making it difficult to keep up with the passing days.

They were the only two in the mansion, and without hesitation, they did it anywhere they pleased. When the parlor’s floor got dirty, they moved to the next room. When that room became a mess, they moved to another. Dimus never seemed to tire.

Eventually, Liv, unable to bear it any longer, tried to push him away irritably, but it was futile. Even when she collapsed in exhaustion and accidentally hit him in her sleep, it didn’t deter him. When he continued thrusting even after she slapped him, she thought he looked truly mad.

But he was only human, and no one could stay awake indefinitely for days on end.

Liv, who lay limp like someone who had been thoroughly beaten, blinked slowly. Dimus, who had clung to her all day, had finally fallen asleep, his breathing even.

Liv glanced at his sleeping form before quietly sitting up.

She removed his arm from her waist and slipped off the bed, her legs trembling. After barely taking a few steps, she leaned on a nearby chair, letting out a long sigh.

At first, she had feared the unknown, not knowing what would happen after their reunion. But now, her body felt too drained to experience fear. All she had eaten for the past several days was water, and the hunger gnawed at her. If she didn’t eat soon, she was sure she would collapse.

Despite clinging to each other like animals, they hardly exchanged any meaningful conversation, as if words were unnecessary, as if they were incapable of speaking.

As if all they could do was moan and pant.

After standing by the chair for a long time, Liv finally looked around. She wasn’t sure how long they had been in this bedroom, but like the other rooms, there wasn’t a single intact item left. A mantel clock, long since stopped, lay on the floor near the door.

Liv managed to find a robe to cover herself and cautiously stepped forward.

She carefully avoided the sharp shards and opened the door, revealing the silent corridor. It was just as chaotic as the rest of the mansion.

Liv forced her creaking body to move, wandering the disordered mansion. It soon became clear that the entire mansion had been sealed off. The few windows were all tightly fastened, and the front door seemed to be in a similar state.

Wandering in search of the kitchen, she found herself in the lobby—the very spot where she and Dimus had first intertwined.

Scattered across the thick carpet were pieces of cloth, stripped of their original form.

Among the torn clothes, Liv spotted a bulge. She struggled towards it and reached out.

It was a small handgun. She had used it only once to escape Jacques, and there were still bullets left in it.

Standing there, pale, Liv handled the handgun. Was it because she had held onto it as her only lifeline for so long? The feel of the gun in her hand was oddly familiar.

“You might as well give up on escaping.”

Liv’s head snapped up at the sound behind her.

Dimus stood there, watching her, completely nude. His eyes traveled to the gun in her hand. Unconsciously, Liv tightened her grip.

“If you’re really looking for a way.”

Dimus didn’t seem threatened in the least as he approached her. He even went as far as to take her hand, pulling the gun towards him.

Just like he had when he taught her how to shoot.

“Shoot.”

Liv looked into his unsteady gaze.

“There’s only one way for you to escape—kill me.”

Unlike before, the gun was loaded. Dimus seemed well aware of that, yet he pressed the barrel firmly against his stomach without hesitation.

If anything, he prevented her from pulling away, keeping her hand tightly in place.