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.

I moved past him, the tension in my shoulders easing ever so slightly as I bent 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 set the chair upright, my back

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

up a small pillow that had fallen to the floor and tossed it at me. It struck my shoulder lightly before landing at my

on your shoulders because your brother is a sulky child. I feel bad knowing I get to spend time with Lottie-I get to

the air like a dense fog. I froze, replaying his last sentence in my mind. *The deal you made.* A

that?" I whispered internally to

unease evident in his tone. I turned slowly to face Liam, my

dangerously low. My fists clenched again, the tension coiling tight within me. Liam's

swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably. "I don't know what

this was a consequence of my actions and the deal I made. What deal?" He

misspoke," he stammered.

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

bursting into the room, unabashedly naked and exuding a wild intensity. His chest heaved with laboured breaths, every

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

else-something otherworldly-clung to him.

gaze darting

words caught in my throat as I took in his appearance. The raw desperation in his voice sent a jolt of unease through

has her," he announced, cutting me off. His declaration hung heavy in the air, silencing any questions I might have had for

about?" I demanded, stepping toward him.

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

replied, his eyes blazing with fury. "He is not