Page 38 of Venomous Desires

I swallowed.

“Maybe I don’t, okay?” Did I ever really know him? Or maybe I was too ignorant to see what lay behind the mask, or maybe, just like Judas said, I was too desperate to make friends, I ignored the warning signs. Maybe I was the one who got myself into this situation.

“Last night, when I dropped you off, I waited for you to get into the dorms. That’s when I noticed someone following you.” His voice was steady, too steady. “I panicked and immediately started following you when someone knocked me down.”

“What?” My heart pounded in my chest, and my eyes immediately raked over his body. He didn’t look like someone who had been hit. No bruises, no signs of a struggle. Or maybe he was good at hiding it. Maybe he was just that strong.

He sighed and stepped closer, and despite my resilience, I couldn’t step back. It was as though someone had immobilised my limbs, and I was still processing whatever he was saying.

His hand hovered over my face, and I flinched when he caressed my ear. My body reacted, and I felt my cheeks burning. His eyes bore into mine. Careful and concerned. “It was definitely not the man following you, but someone else. I think there’s more than one person.” My breath hitched, and I opened my mouth to draw in a breath, but I couldn’t. My head was foggy, my thoughts in a haze.

I didn’t see anyone else.

Ivan’s hand moved from my ear to my cheek. He took another careful step towards me until I was breathing in his perfume, so The scent was so strong it made my nostrils sting.

“I told you I come from a wealthy family. Things like this happen more often than you’d think.” He forced a smile that never reached his eyes. “I’m always on the verge of becoming a liability to my family. That’s why I wanted a normal life. It’s... exhausting.”

I gave a distracted nod.

My gaze had already wandered past him, settling on the black sedan parked across the lot. It hadn’t been there a minute ago.

And I would’ve missed it if I wasn’t too focused. I narrowed my eyes, trying to see if I had just imagined it or if wasthere someone really sitting in the car. But before I could, Ivan blocked my sight, and his hand cupped my jaw, forcing me to gaze at him.

“I don’t know what it is, but...I think I like you, Sera. More than I can admit.” My whole body stilled. Everything around me did, and his voice reached the recesses of my head.

I felt my cheeks burning, and I stared at him with wide eyes. Feeling tongue-tied for a moment.

“I—” His thumb ran over my lower lip, hushing me.

“You don’t have to say it back. I understand, and I respect whatever you choose. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Why do you think I’ll get hurt?” My voice wavered.

Ivan sighed, his tall frame invading my personal space. “About that guy from last night...” he said. “He didn’t strike me as some street criminal.”

So, he also noticed. “And?”

“Rumours are going around about a serial killer on the loose. Gutting people and selling their organs.” His eyes darkened. “Maybe you were there at the wrong time and you could be his next victim.”

I swallowed.

“I can help you.” He muttered his thumb on my lips, pressed painfully. “But there’s one thing you need to do for me in return.”

“What...is it?” My voice trembled. What does he want from me?

“Let me protect you,” he said, almost tenderly. “I can pick you up and drop you off; you don’t have to walk alone late at night. That way I can keep your stalker away from you.”

“That’s—I’ll think about it.” My mind was racing. His smile felt like a mask; everything did. I glanced around again, my eyes lingering on the matte black car. My pulse quickened. This whole situation felt wrong, but I couldn’t put my finger on why. Ivan’scharm had always been captivating, but now it felt like a web tightening around me.

“Take your time, meanwhile I’ll do everything to protect you.” His smile returned, but it no longer felt reassuring. “You’re powerless, and I can be your power, Sera. Lean on me, and let me be your hero.”

I swallowed and when I realised his face was too close to mine, I stepped back and then took another back till I was away from his reach. His lips twisted, and displeasure was there, but he masked it with another smile. He let me get away. It took everything in me to not cower in fear as I glanced around and muttered.

“I’ll think about it,” I repeated again, and this time his smile widened into a grin.

“I’ll wait.”

Without looking back, I turned around and rushed to the gate. My heart was pounding in fear, and sweat accumulated on the back of my neck, dripping down my spine and chilling my bones. Strangely, it was not Ivan who scared me, but the eyes I couldn’t see but feel. Feel them peeling my skin and settling into my bones. I knew the man from last night was watching us; he was here. I could feel him, feel his ominous presence. Like a predator in the shadows, waiting and waiting.