Chapter 55

Caden “I said you should strip.” I said, my tone was void of any excitement or whatsoever. I watched her from across the room, forcing myself to see her not as an obstacle or even a woman, but as a means to an end. She was here for one purpose, yet my mind kept straying back to Lila, refusing to accept the reality in front of me. Lila had imprinted herself in my thoughts, making every interaction feel pointless, like an illusion I couldn’t hold onto. She moved toward me, slowly, her expression deliberately seductive. As her fingers drifted over her shirt, loosening each button one by one, her gaze stayed on me. I waited for the usual spark of interest, some hint of desire, but there was…nothing. Only the cold logic that this was what I had to do, and the frustration that it felt impossible. With each piece of clothing she removed, I couldn’t stop myself from comparing every inch of her to Lila. Lila, with her wry smile and her effortlessly captivating allure. This woman before me had a