Dear Wife, I Hate You (by Josephine Mbanefo) novel Chapter 32

Nolan’s Pov

Zoey’s story didn’t exactly bother me. I’ve heard worse. I’ve seen people go through hell and still come out smiling. But what hit me was the fact that she couldn’t tell me. She didn’t trust me enough. That part stung. Still, it didn’t matter anymore. I just had to get to the root of it all and clean up the mess. That’s what I do best.

After we got back from going out, Zoey told me she had somewhere to be. She was always going somewhere. And Killian left too. So, it was just Lilith in the house. Just her. Even the thought of it made me smile.

I’d been watching her for a while. Quietly. From a distance. Watching her walk around the house, smiling to herself, touching things like she belonged here. She was so fucking beautiful. I don’t think I’d ever seen beauty like hers. So tiny and fragile–looking, but somehow she still carried this fire around her like a second skin.

When she finally stepped outside, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to place the camera in her room.

As I was heading there, I ran into Rose. She greeted me with that irritatingly sweet voice, and I gave her a nod, hoping she’d walk away. But no. She had to ask, “Are you looking for someone?”

I replied, “No, I just need to grab something from my brother’s room.”

“Killian’s room is that way,” she said, pointing in the opposite direction.

“I was thinking of something else,” I muttered and turned around.

Nosy. She couldn’t just mind her fucking business.

Once she left and I was alone again, I slipped quietly into Lilith’s room. I placed the camera–tiny, and almost invisible. It looked more like a bug than tech. No one with normal eyes would even notice it. Perfect.

I checked the feed on my phone. The camera worked. I could see everything. Every little detail.

“Don’t get me wrong,” I whispered to myself. “This is just to make sure she’s okay. To know if she’s safe… if she’s crying herself to sleep again.”

There was nothing wrong with that. I had to believe that.

Then I looked out the window.

And fuck.

She was in the water. In nothing but her panties and a bra. Just the sight of her–her body glistening under the fading sun, her hair wet and clinging to her skin–made me want to come.

I’m not a bad person. I’m not some creep jerking off to his brother’s wife. But damn… she was so beautiful. Everything about her pulled me in like a drug I couldn’t quit. I didn’t just want her–I wanted to protect her. To take her away from this world and keep her somewhere only I could see her. Only I could touch her.

And yeah… my cock responded to that. Immediately. It got hard just from looking at her. Thick and throbbing in my pants, like it couldn’t wait another second. She made me want her so much, too much.

I had to see her properly. Not from a distance. I wanted to be close.

I walked downstairs. I knew she’d freak out when she saw me, and I was ready for that. But when I got to her, she didn’t even notice me at first. She was pressed against the side of the pool, looking like a goddess who didn’t know the power she had.

My cock was still hard, and I had to wait a bit before getting closer. I couldn’t walk up to her like that. I stood there, letting the rush of cold air settle it. And thank God, it softened. I actually thanked my cock for behaving.

Then I moved in.

The moment she saw me, she gasped, startled, and scrambled to cover herself. “What the fuck-?”

I held up my hands. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know you weren’t covered.”

Of course, I knew. I just didn’t care.

But I turned away anyway, pretending to give her privacy.

She was my brother’s wife, but in my head, in my world, she was already mine.

I turned away, letting her get dressed. I heard the soft splash of water as she climbed out of the pool and the faint rustle of fabric as she pulled her dress over her damp skin. My eyes stayed fixed on the wall in front of me, but my mind was racing. The image of her soaked, delicate frame was burned into my brain like a permanent tattoo.

“Are you done?” I asked, my voice calm, collected–too calm for the chaos running through me.

“Yes,” she replied softly.

I turned back around, doing my best to appear apologetic. “I’m really sorry, Lilith. I didn’t mean to catch you like that. I thought you were deeper in the water… really.”

She gave me a small nod. “It’s okay.”

She always brushed things off so quickly. Maybe she was used to people invading her space. Or maybe… she just didn’t want to talk about how uncomfortable it made her.

“What are you doing back here?” she asked, drying her hair with her hand, curious now. “Have you contacted the person?”

“I forgot something,” I lied smoothly. “So I came back to collect it. I was just about to call the guy.” I paused, shifting slightly. “I also wanted to tell you that if you ever feel bored, you can come pick a book from the library. If you’re into reading.”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up a little.

“Yeah,” I said. “You can come anytime. Maybe you can even join me now, pick a few to keep yourself busy while Killian is in the office.”

She tilted her head, that innocent curiosity again. “Why are you never in the office?”

I chuckled. “I’m the boss, Lilith. I can control everything from here. I only go in once in a while to check things out, make sure it’s all running smoothly.”

“Okay… I’m coming to collect the books now,” she said. “I can’t just collect one, though. That way I won’t keep disturbing you again and again.”

“I don’t mind you disturbing me,” I said before I could stop myself. Then I quickly added, “I mean, yeah… it’s better to get many.”

She smiled. “Okay. Please wait for me while I go change. My clothes are wet.”

“Yeah, I’ll wait. Go ahead. I’ll just make the call now.”

She dashed off, running upstairs like a kid who didn’t want to miss a cartoon. It made me smile. She was so damn beautiful, and she didn’t even know it. She didn’t know how much she stood out in this dark, violent world.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number from contact. The one person you don’t call unless you’re serious.

Alessio Rossi.

An assassin. An underworld ghost. No one sees him unless they need someone found… or erased. Killian and I, we didn’t get our hands dirty–we had people like Alessio for that.

The call was short.

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