CHAPTER 60 – The Forbidden Thirst
The curtains in Andre's room were drawn half-shut, slanting stripes of afternoon light across the floor. Dust floated lazily in the beams, the kind of stillness that weighed down the air. Outside the window, Z City was alive with its noise and movement, but inside the small apartment, silence reigned.
Andre sat on the edge of his bed, hands loose on his knees, eyes unfocused. His roommate Ge Lin was somewhere in the living room, the faint sound of the television drifting through the thin wall. But in Andre's mind, the world beyond these four walls barely existed.
His body was still sore. His muscles ached from the tension of last night, his skin remembering every desperate touch, every clash, every surrender. It was carved into him, not something that could be erased by sleep or distance.
Last night.
The memory came like a rush of fire, filling his chest until his breath caught. He had thought—no, he had convinced himself—that one taste would be enough. That if he gave in, if he seized what he had craved for so long, he would be satisfied, his obsession burned out in the violence of the act.
But he had been wrong. So wrong.
Andre dragged a hand over his face, laughing under his breath, though there was no humor in the sound. Satisfied? No. He felt like a man lost in the desert, lips cracked, throat parched, finally taking a sip of water only to find himself thirstier than before.
He wanted more.
Not in the vague, distant way he had yearned before, not in stolen glances and quiet fantasies. No, now it was sharp, consuming. He wanted Yichen under him again—helpless, trembling, pride shattered. He wanted to see those cold eyes darken, to hear that controlled voice break into whimpers.
The image made his pulse race. He clenched his fists to steady himself, nails digging into his palms.
Last night had not been a dream. Yichen had resisted with words, but his body… his body had betrayed him. And Andre had seen it, felt it, claimed it. That contradiction—the fierce denial and the undeniable surrender—was more intoxicating than any wine.
And Andre loved it. He loved that he was the first, that beneath all of Yichen's untouchable power, he had been the one to break through. The thought alone made his chest swell, half with pride, half with a wild, feverish hunger.
He's mine. Whether he admits it or not, whether he hates me for it or not, he's mine.
Andre leaned back against the wall, eyes slipping shut, replaying every moment. The sound of Yichen's breath hitching. The way his body arched against him despite the words of refusal. The look in his eyes when the pride finally cracked.
He could never forget it.
And he didn't regret it.
Not even when the night had ended with truths too heavy to ignore—the revelation of the fake marriage, the lie that had tied their families together. Some might call it shameful, disastrous even, but to Andre, it felt like a door opening. The false ties had snapped. The illusion was broken.
In its place was something raw, dangerous, real.
Andre turned his head toward the faint light seeping in through the curtains, his lips curling into a smile that held no innocence. So what if it was forbidden? So what if I've stepped into the dark?
He had tasted the forbidden fruit. He had already bitten into the sweetness, already stained himself with its juice. And now, there was no going back.
He didn't want to go back.
But a shadow crept into his thoughts. His mother.
What if, now that the marriage was revealed for what it was, she decided to leave Z City? What if she asked them to return to Italy, cutting this thread before it had even fully tangled?
The thought made his stomach twist. No. He couldn't accept that. Not now. Not after this.
He shook his head sharply, strands of hair falling into his eyes. I won't leave. Not now. Not now. If she wants to go, fine. Let her. But me? I stay.
The decision formed with terrifying clarity.
He had found what he wanted. He had finally touched what he had craved in secret for so long. To leave now would be to rip open his own veins and drain himself dry. He couldn't do it. He wouldn't.
If it came to it, he would fight.
His studies. Yes, that was the key. University tied him here. His education, his future, his independence—they were the perfect reason, the perfect weapon to wield against his mother's wishes. If she pressed him to leave, he would refuse. He could stay behind under the shield of his studies, untouchable by her demands.
It wasn't just an excuse. It was a lifeline.
Andre exhaled slowly, leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The plan steadied him, anchoring the storm inside. He didn't know how long he had before his mother acted, but he knew what he had to do.
He would remain in Z City. Whatever it took.
And Yichen…
His smile returned, faint but dangerous. He would have him again. Not by chance, not by mistake. He would make it happen. He had crossed the threshold already—why stop?
The hunger in his chest was not fading. It was deepening. The more he thought of Yichen, the more he wanted, until the wanting itself was a living thing inside him, gnawing, whispering, demanding.
He pressed his fingers against his lips, as though sealing a secret there. Ge Lin's laugh echoed faintly from the other room, grounding him briefly in the present. Andre blinked, the ordinary sound almost jarring after the intensity of his thoughts.
His roommate knew nothing. No one did. And no one would.
This was his truth alone—his darkness, his forbidden thirst, his curse.
Andre lay back on the bed, his silver eyes tracing the cracks in the ceiling, a strange calm spreading over him. His body was tired, but his mind was alive, burning with images and plans.
For the first time in years, he felt like he had a direction, even if it led him deeper into shadow.
Yes. He had eaten the forbidden fruit. He had walked into the darkness.
And he was not yet tired.
A.N: I'll be releasing a bonus chapter tonight as an apology for my inconsistency in updating. Thank you for your patience and support. Pls leave a comment and review