Their Secret Obsession by Pippa Moon

Chapter 0313

Kane's POV

I tore through Lottie's room like a man possessed, yanking open drawers and flinging their contents across the floor. Clothes, books, and trinkets scattered in disarray, but none held the answers I sought. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless beat matching the chaos in my mind. Desperation clawed at me.

Where is she?

I overturned the mattress, the bedsprings groaning in protest. Nothing. I ripped the curtains from their rods, moonlight slicing into the room and casting jagged shadows. Every fibre of my being was focused on finding some clue, any sign of where she'd gone-or who had taken her.

From the corner, Liam sat casually in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, observing my frenzy with an infuriatingly calm demeanour. His gaze followed my every move, eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and something else judgement.

"Tell me," he drawled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "are you throwing this hissy fit because Lottie is missing or because your brother hurt your feelings?"

"What?" I whipped around to glare at him, chest heaving.

"I am not throwing a hissy fit," I growled, seizing a bedside table and hurling it across the room. It crashed into the wall beside Liam, missing him by inches before splintering to the floor. He didn't even flinch. Instead, his smirk widened, eyes dancing with that infuriating amusement.

"You're not?" Liam taunted, arching an eyebrow. His relaxed posture only served to stoke the fire burning within me. The mocking tone of his voice sent a hot surge of anger coursing through my veins.

A low growl rumbled from deep in my chest as I began to cross the room toward him, each step measured and deliberate. I felt Rolo stir within me, mirroring my agitation. My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles white, nails digging into my palms. Liam watched me approach, utterly unperturbed, his gaze steady.

"You going to hit me?" he asked, a deep chuckle escaping his lips. The sound made me pause, a flicker of uncertainty disrupting my anger. "I am your only friend left. You really want to alienate me too?" His words caught me off guard, slicing through the haze of rage clouding my mind.

to pick up an overturned chair. My movements slowed, deliberately. The air between us shifted, the hostility giving way to a heavy silence. "Yes, friend, Kane," Liam repeated, his tone softer now. "I feel for you." I

don't need your pity," I snapped, though

the floor and tossed it at me. It struck

your dumb ass," he retorted. "I said I feel for you. I feel for how everything has fallen on your shoulders because your brother is a sulky child. I feel bad knowing I get to spend time with Lottie-I get to watch her grow, see her turn into a beautiful woman and mother-while you don't. I feel for you. But I do not pity

replaying his last sentence in my mind. *The deal you made.* A

I whispered

growled, the unease evident in his tone. I

My fists clenched again, the tension coiling tight

a nervous laugh escaping him. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably.

I snarled, taking a step toward him. "You said this was a consequence of my

maybe I misspoke," he

distance between us. "What do you know?" Liam's eyes flicked back to mine, mix of regret and apprehension swirling within them. Before he could respond, the door flew open with a resounding

unabashedly naked and exuding a wild intensity. His chest heaved with laboured breaths, every muscle taut beneath

with ash and streaked with blood. His eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and his hair was a dishevelled mess. The scent of smoke and

else-something otherworldly-clung to him.

his gaze darting frantically between

in his appearance. The raw desperation in

I know, and I know who has her," he announced, cutting me off. His declaration hung heavy in

stepping toward him. "How do you

explain," he insisted, wiping a grimy hand across his brow. The urgency in his voice ignited a spark of panic within me. I exchanged a glance with Liam, all previous tension was momentarily forgotten. "Who has

Chase replied, his eyes blazing with fury. "He is not working alone;