Chapter 198

Robert’s POV

Her ragged breaths were hitting my chest, and I could feel her small hands shaking against my back, her nails digging into my skin like a drowning woman clinging to life. Every time I pushed myself slow into that lethal tightness of hers, I was watching her face.

I saw her eyes well up, her lips trembling as she tried to swallow the scream of pain tearing at her throat.

Goddamn it. I felt like I was breaking her. Even though my dick was screaming for more, even though I was right on the edge of exploding inside the warmth of her pussy which was squeezing me with a grip that made my mind go blank seeing her in pain killed the fire in my gut. It replaced my lust with a bitter lump in my throat.

I couldn’t finish. I didn’t want her first memory of me to be nothing but this agony.

With everything I had, using a willpower I didn’t even know I possessed, I pulled myself out of her real slow. I felt the cold blood rush through my veins hearing that faint whimper as I left her. I looked down and saw the blood staining her thighs, staining the head of my engorged dick.

It was a sight that silenced the beast inside me and woke up a man I didn’t recognize.

My dick was still aching, pulsing with a desire that hadn’t been satisfied, but I ignored the screaming need to come. I leaned over and kissed her eyes, trying to catch the tear sliding down her cheek. "It’s over now," I rasped.

She looked at me, completely stunned, and whispered, "Over?!"

I laid down beside her fast and pulled her small frame against my chest, wrapping my massive arms around her to stop her from shaking.

"That’s enough, Julie... enough for today," I whispered into her hair, my own breath coming hard, trying to settle the wild pounding of my heart against my ribs.

She looked up, still trying to catch her breath. "But when you were with Sarah... it went on for a real long time."

"You and Sarah aren’t the same thing, Julie. Not even close," I said, dead serious.

"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously.

I tightened my grip on her. "You’re a virgin, Julie. This shouldn’t go on too long. I don’t want you hurting anymore."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"Don’t mention it," I grunted.

She started tracing my chest with her trembling fingers, her voice sounding small and apologetic. "I’m sorry."

I knitted my brows. "For what?"

"For making things harder... because I’m a virgin."

"Don’t worry about that right now," I said firmly.

I didn’t reach my peak. I didn’t empty my heat inside her like I’d been dreaming about all night. But feeling her protectively burrowing her head into my chest, searching for safety, gave me a different kind of satisfaction. It wasn’t the satisfaction of controlling her body; it was the satisfaction of controlling my own brutality for her sake.

In that moment, I realized I’d rather burn in my own desire a thousand times over than see one look of brokenness in her eyes.

---------------------------

Julie’s POV

When he pulled me against his chest and wrapped those massive arms around me, a strange sense of safety started seeping into my heart. I buried my face in his bare chest, breathing in his scent a mix of expensive cologne, oud, and raw masculinity.

His body was radiating heat, and I could feel the hardness of his dick pressing against my thigh, a constant reminder that he was still burning with desire. Yet, he just stroked my hair, calm and steady.

In that moment, every single one of my defenses just crumbled. I realized that this killer, this mafia boss everyone feared, had bowed down before my weakness. As much as the penetration had hurt, his tenderness now was even more overwhelming. "Robert..." I whispered his name.

I felt a sudden urge to cry not from the lingering physical pain, but from the way he was treating me, and from this sudden wave of affection he was drowning me in.

"What?" he asked, his voice deep and resonant, not moving an inch.

"I want to tell you something," I said, my heart hammering against my ribs. I couldn’t see his face because my head was tucked under his broad chin, right where I could hear his heartbeat. I continued with a shaky breath, "I love you."

The second those words left my mouth, I felt his chest stop moving. It was like his breath just hitched or froze solid in his lungs. I waited for him to say something anything but he stayed as still as a rock. I started kicking myself immediately.

I shouldn’t have rushed it. It’s my first night with him and I’m dropping the L-word? What the hell was I expecting? Maybe he just wanted to get laid and be done with it.

"I don’t expect anything in return," I said, keeping my head down because the shame and embarrassment were so thick I wanted to vanish into the sheets. "I just... I just said it. Just act like I didn’t say anything." Damn it, Julie! Why did you have to open your mouth?

"I don’t want anyone to know about this," he finally said, his grip tightening on my shoulder. "I mean, what happened between us."

A lump formed in my throat. "Fine," I whispered weakly. "Whatever you want."

Was he regretting it? Did he feel like he made a mistake sleeping with me? Dark thoughts were flooding my head, squeezing the life out of my heart.

"I don’t want you getting hurt," he said suddenly, like he was reading my mind. "I got enemies. They’ll use this against me."

My eyes widened against his chest. So, he was worried about me! And I thought he was just ashamed of being seen with me.

But then a thought crawled back in, bringing the doubt with it: Sarah. Everyone knows he goes to her room. Why didn’t he hide his thing with her? Was he playing me for a fool?

"But Sarah..." I started, my voice laced with bitterness.

"Stop bringing up Sarah every damn time, Julie!" he snapped, his voice sharp and stern.

I went dead silent, my body stiffening in his arms. I couldn’t push him any further. I lay there, trembling slightly, my eyes drifting down to his erect dick still stained with the blood of my virginity. It was a sight that combined pure pain with an eternal, unbreakable bond.

"Wanna take a shower together?" he asked, moving slowly to look me in the eye.

-------------------------------

Author’s Note

Dear Readers,

I can only imagine the journey you’ve been through since the very first Chapter. You have witnessed Julie’s paralyzing fear and her desperate struggle to protect herself amidst Robert’s darkness and absolute power.

You’ve seen how Robert, despite his tyranny, grew to respect Julie’s intellect and a brand of rebellion he had never encountered in any other woman.

If we look back at the long road we’ve traveled leading up to this moment between Julie and Robert, it has been a vast distance.

I intentionally placed their first physical encounter in Chapter 197. This is a rarity in stories that rush through plot points, but my goal was to build a legendary epic for you not just a fleeting encounter that expires once the lust fades.

A girl like Julie, with her immense pride and spirit, would never fall for a man who imprisoned her and tried to sell her so easily. And Robert, the hardened mafia don, would never fall for a young girl he viewed as a mere "commodity" in the blink of an eye. That is why I took my time; I wanted you to live every detail of their evolution how it started, how it grew, and how each of them fought their feelings in their own complex way.

You saw Robert chasing her while she fled in terror, only for the tables to turn as Julie began chasing him, while he retreated in fear of his own vulnerabilities.

In the end, when she surrendered her body to him, it was merely the final step to bind them physically, long after their emotional bond had already taken root and flourished. I chose to show you a testament to true love, not just raw lust.

Finally, I want to tell you that you’ve only just crossed the introduction of this story. If you think we are nearing the end, you are deeply mistaken. There are more shocking surprises to come, and the road ahead for Julie and Robert is still very, very long.