His Ruthless Possession

Chris stood there for a moment, adjusting his glasses as he tried to make sense of what was unfolding. He had expected to find a familiar face in a crowd, but not this one. Not Liora. It felt like an eerie coincidence that they should meet like this, after so many years. His mind struggled to piece together the memories that felt both distant and vivid, like fragments of a forgotten dream.

Liora, in contrast, seemed unshaken. The years hadn't dulled her spark. Her voice cut through his thoughts, as she broke into a smile, though there was a tinge of surprise in her eyes. "It's me! What a coincidence! I didn't recognize you this morning!" Her words, light and apologetic, seemed to disarm him, but the sudden rush of emotions left him temporarily speechless.

Chris ran a hand through his hair, a mixture of regret and amusement on his face. "I didn't recognize you either. It's been ten years since we last met!" The admission felt strange—too much time had passed. He had always thought of Liora as a part of his past, a fleeting moment in his youth. But now, as he stood in front of her, the distance between them seemed insurmountable.

She let out a laugh, a sound that felt like music to his ears, stirring memories he had buried. "I remember when I climbed over the wall and ran to your villa, you were sitting on the green grass reading a book, and when you saw me jump in, you were so scared that your glasses fell off…" Her eyes shone with mischief, and the old warmth between them seemed to flicker back to life.

For a brief moment, Chris almost allowed himself to relive those carefree days, but then the sharp sound of Kieran's voice broke through, freezing the moment in its tracks. "Can you two go somewhere else to reminisce about the past?"

Kieran's tone was icy, his cold presence a stark contrast to the warmth Liora brought. Chris raised an eyebrow but didn't let the tension rattle him. He was used to Kieran's abrasive nature. After all, his brother had never been the sentimental type. "Relax, Kieran. We're just catching up," Chris replied nonchalantly.

Turning back to Liora, Chris softened. "Are you free tonight? Let's meet at the Crimson Bar." The question was casual, but something in his voice betrayed a hint of nervousness, the kind that only someone with a long history could understand. There was more than just a simple invitation in his words—there was a desire to reconnect, to see if the past could still be salvaged.

Liora hesitated for a moment, but her smile didn't fade. "In the evening? That should be fine!" she said. The words felt like a promise, one that neither of them could afford to break.

"Then... will you come?" Chris asked, his voice lower now, almost uncertain.

"Of course!" Liora answered simply, her tone firm, as if she had no doubts. "I'll see you then." With a final wave, she turned and began to walk away.

Chris watched her go, a smile creeping onto his face. The idea of seeing her again, of rekindling something from the past, filled him with a sense of anticipation he hadn't expected. He hadn't realized just how much he missed her until that very moment.

But then, just as she was about to disappear into the crowd, Liora turned back, catching him off guard. "By the way! Chris, what is the degree of your lenses?" She asked, her voice light and teasing.

Chris's heart skipped a beat at the familiar tone. "One thousand for the left eye, eight hundred for the right," he answered without thinking. It was a response so automatic, so ingrained in him, that it felt like nothing had changed.

Liora frowned slightly, muttering to herself, "So high!"

Chris chuckled, watching her as she walked away, a strange mixture of warmth and sadness in his chest. He hadn't realized how much he had missed those little moments—the way her eyes crinkled when she smiled, the teasing words that always left him feeling like they shared some unspoken bond.

As soon as Liora was out of earshot, Kieran snorted, his voice dripping with disdain. "You're so eager to do it. When did your taste become so perverted?" he asked, clearly annoyed by Chris's enthusiasm.

Chris didn't flinch. Instead, he grinned broadly, his mood unshaken. "I was a little worried that you might like her. Since you still have no feelings for her, I naturally have no scruples!"

Kieran narrowed his eyes, clearly trying to piece together something he hadn't understood. "Aren't you always cold to her?" he asked.

Chris's expression faltered for a moment as he thought back to the times he had ignored Liora, the moments when he had purposefully distanced himself. He had never been able to explain why he had done it, but now, looking back, it felt like the right question. Why had he pushed her away? What had changed between them?

Chris sighed, his voice tinged with regret. "Brother, don't you understand? How could I selfishly approach her when my body was like that?" His words were soft, but there was an undeniable weight to them. It wasn't just about the physical distance—it was the emotional one that had been created, the wall he had built between himself and the people he cared about.

Kieran stood there, stunned. He hadn't expected such depth from Chris, especially regarding Liora. It was clear now that Chris's feelings for her were far more complicated than he had ever imagined.

There was an unsettling shift in the air, something that Kieran could feel but couldn't quite name. Why did it suddenly feel like he had something to fear?

"Brother, you and your wife should come over tonight! I have a few classmates who have returned from the United States, and they will be there. It'll be more lively with more people," Chris suggested eagerly, as though the excitement of reconnecting with Liora had brought him back to life. It was as if he had shed the layers of bitterness that had covered him for so long, and now he was alive with possibility.

"Yeah," Kieran replied absentmindedly, though his mind was far away.

"By the way, did you meet this morning?" Kieran asked casually, flipping through some papers as if the weight of the earlier conversation had never existed.

"Yeah! She rushed out in a hurry and bumped into me! She seemed to be crying at the time. Brother, do you know what happened?" Chris's tone was light, but there was an edge of concern in it. He was no fool—he had noticed something was off about Liora this morning.

Seeing Kieran's gloomy expression, Chris couldn't help but joke, "Did you bully her again?"

Kieran's voice darkened, and he answered, his words carrying a weight he hadn't intended. "I kissed her forcefully."

The room fell into silence. Chris blinked, his amusement replaced with a moment of tension. The dynamics between them had just shifted once again, and Chris was beginning to realize that nothing, not even the past, was as simple as it seemed.