The Damned Demon
chapter-674

Cecilia's eyes widened as she turned away sharply, her face flushed with embarrassment and disbelief.

She could hardly believe she had just been staring at that monstrous thing. Was he even human?

Mortified, she snatched up a loose sheet from the bed and, with a hasty motion, threw it over Ash's exposed body, covering him from her view, afraid she might look at it accidentally again.

She took a deep breath, clutching the sheet wrapped around her own body, and gingerly slid off the bed, her legs still trembling.

But just as her feet touched the cool floor, she froze at the sound of a low groan from behind her.

"You woke up?" Ash's voice, groggy and filled with a sleepy contentment, sent shivers down her spine.

Cecilia's breath hitched, her back still turned to him, her heart racing. How was she supposed to handle this situation? She couldn't remember a thing after getting drunk, and now here she was, naked, in bed with a man who wasn't her husband. Her mind was in a whirlwind of confusion and panic.

She had never spent a single intimate moment with any other man but her husband in her entire life.

But before she could gather her thoughts, she felt a pair of warm, muscular arms wrap around her from behind, supporting and lifting her heavy breasts wrapped by the sheet. His skin was hot against her own, his chest pressing into her back, and she felt something thick yet warm and soft snuggling itself in between her butt cheeks, making her legs go weak. His breath ghosted over her ear, "Last night was lovely, Cecilia," Asher murmured, his voice deep and filled with a lazy satisfaction.

Her heart pounded so hard it was deafening in her ears. For a moment, she was paralyzed, trapped in the heat of his embrace, his hot breath sending electric tingles through her. But then, as if snapping out of a spell, she jerked out of his arms, stumbling forward.

She spun around, clutching the sheet tightly to her chest as she faced him, her eyes wide with a mix of confusion and anger.

"Stop," she mumbled, her voice shaky, "Look, I… I don't know what's going on here. What did you do to me? L-Last I remember...I wanted to go home. So how did I end up here? Y-You better tell me the truth," she demanded, her voice trembling.

Ash's brow furrowed in genuine confusion, "I'm sorry, but I think there's some misunderstanding here. You don't remember what happened?"

Cecilia furrowed her brows, her eyes darting to and fro, trying hard to remember as she winced and said, "No…No I don't. My head still hurts."

Asher's expression became concerned, "Okay. Then let me try to jog your memories. You did want to go home, and I was about to help you back. But then you said you wanted to sleep in the hotel. I tried to tell you it wasn't a good idea, but you weren't budging, and I didn't want to make it look like I was forcing a lady. So I had to concede."

Cecilia stared at him, her grip on the sheet tightening as her mind raced to recall any memory, any hint that could validate his words. But all she found was a haze of fragmented thoughts, none of which explained why she would have wanted to stay, "I told you that?" she whispered, disbelief thick in her voice.

She felt like she was drowning, desperately clutching at any semblance of control she could find.

However, she once again got distracted by his naked body and said as she shut her eyes, "Can you first please put on something?" "Oh, sorry," Asher said as he grabbed a sheet and wrapped it around his waist.

He then added, "You did tell me that. And on the way to this room, you broke down in tears, talking about your past and how you were feeling like your wings were clipped in the life you are leading now. I tried to comfort you, but then… uh… things happened, and it ended up being one of the best nights I ever had. I was glad to be able to comfort you, even if it was just for a few hours. You seemed happy and it made me happy as well."

Few hours?? What in the name of the angels...

Cecilia felt as though the ground was slipping out from under her. Her legs trembled as his words crashed over her like a tidal wave, suffocating her. She stumbled back, her eyes wide and quivering, "E-Excuse me? No… Never would I…" she stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper, choked with disbelief and a growing sense of horror.

Ash looked at her with a sympathetic smile, as if trying to soothe her panic, "I know it's hard to believe, Cecilia. But sometimes, when we're in pain, we do things we normally wouldn't. I don't blame you for anything."

His words felt like needles piercing her skin, the insinuation that she had been the one to instigate whatever happened making her head spin.

She shook her head, taking a step back as if putting distance between them would somehow clear her mind, "No… no… I would never…" Her voice cracked, a sob bubbling up in her throat. She felt trapped, suffocated by guilt and confusion, her mind a chaotic mess of what-ifs and regrets.

Ash sighed, stepping closer to her, his hand reaching out as if to comfort her, but he stopped short, his eyes soft with understanding, "It's okay, Cecilia. We were both caught up in the moment. But I don't regret what happened. I still feel sad to see how down you were yesterday. All I wanted was to help you feel better."

His words, meant to reassure, only deepened the ache in her chest. She turned away from him, her hand clutching at her messy bob hair as she tried to pull herself together, trying to make sense of the storm inside her.

But all she could feel was the crushing weight of what she had done, the betrayal she had unknowingly committed.

"I-I need to leave," she whispered, more to herself than to him. Her voice was small, broken, as if she were afraid that saying it out loud would shatter the fragile hold she had on her sanity, "I need to get out of here."

Cecilia's heart pounded in her chest as she frantically looked around the room for her clothes.

Her mind was racing, her hands trembling as she searched for any semblance of normalcy in the chaos that had enveloped her.

But just as she spotted her gown crumpled on a chair, the door to the room suddenly swung open.

She froze, her breath caught in her throat, and her eyes widened in shock as she saw Rachel standing at the door.

Rachel's eyes went wide, and she gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth. Her face turned pale as she took in the scene before her—the disheveled bed, her naked mother clutching a sheet around herself, and Asher standing there, half-covered in a sheet.

"M-Mom..." Rachel stammered, her voice trembling as her gaze darted between Cecilia and Asher. Her face flushed with embarrassment and shock, she turned and fled, shutting the door with a sharp click.

"R-Rachel..." Cecilia's voice cracked, barely more than a whisper as she took a shaky step forward, reaching out as if she could pull her daughter back. Panic and fear gripped her heart, her mind spiraling with thoughts of what Rachel must be thinking.

She felt like the ground was falling away beneath her feet. What if Rachel believed she had betrayed her father? What if she thought... Cecilia's chest tightened with the unbearable weight of guilt and shame.

"Oh no... What do I do..." she mumbled, her voice breaking as her entire body tensed. She felt lost, helpless, desperate to explain but not knowing how. How could she explain something she herself couldn't comprehend?

"You don't have to worry. I will talk to her," Asher said in a calm, reassuring tone, stepping closer to her with her blue bra, panties and gown in his hand, "Here are your clothes."

Cecilia looked at him with wide, glistening eyes, her face flushed with a mix of emotions—shame, embarrassment, guilt. She quickly snatched her underwear and gown from his hand, unable to meet his gaze, "Don't… don't bother yourself with it," she said, her voice shaking, "I will talk to my daughter, and it goes without saying that you can't mention this to anyone. Am I clear?" Cecilia asked with a firm look despite the turmoil she was feeling.

"Of course. You know me," Asher said as a matter of fact, easing Cecilia's anxiety somewhat after remembering how he was tight-lipped.

Without another word, she hurried out of the bedroom, her heart racing as she rushed down the hallway. Behind her, Asher watched her leave, his lips curling into a slow, satisfied smile as he turned back to the room and thought, 'The torment you are feeling now is nothing to what you have inflicted on others. This is just the beginning.'

Cecilia's hands trembled as she put on her dress, her mind still reeling from everything that had happened. She didn't want to believe it, couldn't believe it.

Even if Ash said it happened, even if everything pointed to it being true, her heart refused to accept that she had done something so reckless, so unforgivable.

The best thing would be to have her mind scanned and sort through her memories. But it was not as if she could ask any Mindforce expert to look through her mind. What if they see...

She felt as though she was trapped in a nightmare, one she couldn't wake up from.

Once dressed, she took a deep breath, steadying herself as best as she could. Her heart still thundered in her chest as she carefully opened the door to the suite, after making sure the corridor was empty using her heightened senses. She couldn't believe she was sneaking around as if she had really committed adultery.

But was she guilty? The question gnawed at her, tearing at her conscience. She felt torn apart, her thoughts a jumbled mess. She didn't know what to believe anymore.

She forced herself to move, her steps hurried and light as she rushed down the stairs. Her only thought was to find Rachel, to explain somehow, to make her daughter understand before this misunderstanding grew any worse.