Master of Lust

Chapter - 276

Rick stirred awake, roused by the soft sound of restrained sobbing. As his eyes blinked open, the first light of morning filtered through the window, casting a warm glow across the room, and he felt its gentle warmth hit his face.

Groggy and disoriented, he tried to make sense of the scene around him. In the blurry haze of his half-awake state, he saw Jemimah standing by the bed, her back turned, shoulders trembling ever so slightly.

As he became more alert, he noticed she was holding his phone, her knuckles white as she clutched it tightly. Her shoulders tensed before she silently placed the phone back down on the bed and hurried out of the room, a hand over her mouth as if to hold back her tears.

Still groggy, Rick watched her retreating figure, confusion thick in his mind. Why was she upset? He tried to think what had happened, his mind not fully grasping the situation, until his gaze fell upon his phone lying innocently on the bed. Picking it up, he suddenly felt a pang of worry that quickly replaced his sleepiness.

"Did she saw something bad? Did she read something she should not have? Did someone call why I was asleep; did she receive a call about dad from the hospital?"

Rick checked the phone and saw that Annie had responded to his last night's angry. Message.

"Wow, so she's got you wrapped around her little finger too, huh? You really believe all that about memory loss and amnesia? Or is she 'remembering everything' now that her precious past has started creeping back in? I don't know what she's told you, but let me set the record straight.

"My brother, Robert, didn't deserve any of this. He was innocent, pure, and he loved Nadia since he was a kid. She knew exactly how he felt, exactly how sweet and kind he was. But did that stop her? No."

"She used her charm and devilish beauty to manipulate him, just like she's manipulated everyone else in her life. She slept with him, giving him hope, making him believe she wanted him too. And after all that—after he'd told our family, our friends, after he even picked out the ring—she just rejected him, like it was nothing."

"She broke my brother's heart, shattered him completely, all for her twisted fun. And you believe her, Rick? You think I'm the villain here? She's nothing but a—well, I don't need to spell it out for you."

"She's ruined more lives than you can imagine, just by bouncing from one guy to another like it's all a game. And my brother… Robert was too good, too trusting for a backstabber like her. She put a knife in his heart without a second thought. But go ahead, believe her lies."

And another message had followed:

"Tell me, Rick, are you happy now? Happy knowing that your 'girlfriend'—or whatever you think she is to you—is nothing more than a massive slut, the kind who's slept with so many men she probably lost track ages ago."

"She didn't just break hearts; she left them shattered, used, and forgotten. Do you really think you're special to her? That she'll treat you any differently than all the others she's trampled on?

Look, here's a little something to clear up any illusions. This is Jack's final note. Maybe it'll show you who she really is, or maybe you'll just keep ignoring it, I don't care. He was just another one of her victims, Rick. Just another guy she approached, gave hope to, then destroyed without a second thought."

Rick scrolled down, and his pulse quickened as he saw the attached image: Jack's suicide note.

"When Nadia finally came into my life, it was like the moment I'd been waiting for, all these years of emptiness and loneliness just vanishing in an instant. I've known her since we were kids—watched her laugh, grow, change."

"Through all of it, I always felt this connection, this unexplainable pull, like she was the one person who could make me feel whole. Even through high school, when I was nothing more than a shadow, when no one cared or noticed me… she was the one I thought of, my one hope."

"For years, I watched her move on with her life, hoping one day she'd see me differently. When she came up to me, I thought that day had finally come. I felt… special. She saw me. I wasn't invisible to her anymore; I wasn't just a guy on the side lines, hoping and waiting. She was right there, and it felt like everything I'd ever dreamed of."

"She even seemed to understand me—like she could see through me, into all the empty spaces I had carried for so long. It was the miracle I had needed, the one thing I thought could make me happy."

"But… it was all just my own illusion. When she turned me down, it was like the ground fell out from beneath me. It hurt, more than anything I could ever put into words. I realized then that maybe I was meant to be alone, that the hope I held onto was just my own foolishness. I can't keep going like this, carrying this emptiness. There's no one left for me, no one who will ever care. So… I'll just fade away."

Rick muttered under his breath, "Damn it, she got the wrong idea." His mind raced, realizing Jemimah had read Annie's message. A sudden wave of fear washed over him—what if she blamed herself for Jack's death? What if, in her distress, she did something drastic?

He quickly leapt out of bed, rushing down the hall to her room. As he reached her door, he could hear faint, stifled sobs from inside, each one cutting into him like a blade.

Rick knocked gently, his voice calm but pleading. "Jemimah, please, open the door. You've got it all wrong. That message—it's not what it seems."

Silence from within, only broken by her quiet sobs.

"Jemimah," he tried again, a little louder this time, hoping to reach through to her, "I know how it sounds, but believe me, it's not the truth. Just... open the door, and I'll explain everything."

Still, no response.

Rick knocked a little harder, desperation in his voice now. "Come on, Jemimah. Please don't shut me out like this. I swear, you haven't done anything wrong. Just talk to me."

But from behind the door, he was met with only silence.

[Ding!]

The system popped up with a light blue screen.

[System notification:

Good morning, Boss! Looks like you could use a hand here. Why not whip up a nice breakfast for her? Girls tend to appreciate it when someone puts in the thought and care to make something special, and let's be honest—you could use a good meal yourself.

]

Rick hurried into the kitchen, ready to put his plan into action, but he soon hit a snag—he had no idea what Jemimah would like to eat. He paused, thinking he could simply go and ask her what she'd like for breakfast, but with her current state, that didn't feel right.

The last thing she needed was him bothering her with questions. Instead, he decided he'd try to make something thoughtful on his own. Surprising her with a warm meal, made with care, seemed like the best way to show her he was there for her, no matter what.

Rick swung open the kitchen cabinets, thinking he'd go with the flow and see what ingredients inspired him. But as he scanned the shelves, it hit him: he didn't actually know much about cooking. He briefly considered placing a breakfast order, but that idea felt wrong. It would be too easy and too impersonal. Jemimah deserved more than that.

Then he remembered the one thing he could make well—banana pancakes. A little smile crept onto his face. Pancakes weren't fancy, but he was confident he could make them perfectly. He grabbed the flour, sugar, eggs, milk, and, of course, a few ripe bananas.

He cracked the eggs into a bowl, added some sugar, and whisked them together until they formed a smooth, pale-yellow mixture. Next, he mashed the bananas carefully with a fork, folding them in with the egg mixture.

He sifted in the flour, then poured in just the right amount of milk, mixing until he had a creamy batter with flecks of banana throughout. As the batter thickened, he poured a ladleful onto the hot, buttered skillet, watching it sizzle and bubble as the edges turned golden. He flipped it with a practiced flick of his wrist, pleased to see a perfect golden-brown pancake emerge.

One by one, he stacked the pancakes, letting the aroma fill the kitchen as he prepared to surprise Jemimah with a little comfort on a plate.

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Author's Note: While you are enjoying this story, do check out my new stories as well.

1. My Harem Will Help Me Get My Revenge

2. From Beauties to Treasures: I will own then All

]