The Day I Walked Away My Empire Began novel Chapter 213

Elio jolted, heart pounding, and tried to shove her away. He kept his voice low but urgent. “Are you out of your mind? Get back to your room, now.”

June ignored him, her breath quick and ragged as she clung to him, kissing him in a wild, desperate way. “What are you so scared of? It’s not like we haven’t done this before. We hooked up so many times—what’s one more?”

Elio’s adrenaline spiked. The last thing he needed was for Lucie to wake up and find them like this. “Get off me. I mean it,” he hissed.

They used to be together. Back then, it had been different. But that was ages ago. And after she’d slept with his best friend, he’d never touched her again.

“Elio,” June pleaded, her voice dropping, “I still think about you, you know. After all these years, you’re the only guy who ever really did it for me. Please. I need this. Lucie’s out cold. She’ll never know.”

She wrapped herself around him even tighter, like she was never letting go. Elio’s mind went blank with frustration. He stood up so fast she tumbled onto the couch.

“Elio, just this once? Please?” she begged.

“Get out!” Elio snapped, pissed and panicked, and stormed toward his room.

June scrambled after him, practically tackling him. Her tiny tank top and shorts were barely hanging on after all the grabbing and pulling, leaving her almost completely exposed.

“Why are you acting like I’m toxic? It’s just one night. Why are you making such a big deal?” she demanded.

“You’re insane. Let go. Seriously, let go,” Elio said, voice strained.

“No way. Not until you give me what I want. You’re not getting away from me,” June shot back, latching onto him even tighter.

She started moaning his name, doing her best to sound cute and needy. “Elio, I need you…”

Elio froze, slapped a hand over her mouth, and glared. “Shut up. Don’t wake up Lucie. I’m warning you, June.”

She just giggled, tightening her legs around his waist like she was glued to him. “So you’re in? Great, let’s do it on the balcony. Lucie won’t hear anything out there.”

Elio was fuming, but the thought of Lucie waking up made him give in. He picked June up and carried her toward the balcony, gritting his teeth.

Her voice was so loud it woke Lucie, who stumbled out of her room, rubbing her eyes, still half asleep.

She paused in the hallway, taking in the scene: June, hair a mess, barefoot, pounding on Elio’s door in the middle of the night.

“June? Why aren’t you asleep yet?” Lucie asked, confused.

June spun around, forcing a smile. “It’s nothing, really. Just go back to bed. I need to talk to Elio about something.”

Lucie frowned. “What are you two doing, arguing at this hour?”

Just then, Elio opened the door, looking frazzled. “June, enough. Go back to your room. Lucie, nothing happened, I swear.”

June rolled her eyes and grabbed Elio’s pajama shirt, not letting go. “I just wanted to talk to you, that’s all! Why are you acting so weird? Nothing happened, so what’s your problem? Why are you even explaining yourself? Are you afraid she’ll get mad? It’s not like we haven’t hooked up before. Why are you pretending to be all innocent now?”