Master of Lust

Chapter - 252

[Flashback continues]

The truck driver sat slouched at the bar, smoke curling lazily from his cigarette as he nursed a half-empty glass of whiskey. His eyes flickered to the door as a man entered. The truck driver straightened, tapping ash into a nearby tray.

The man approached without a word, sliding into the seat beside him. He pulled out a photo and laid it on the counter. The truck driver's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the image of Rick. He gave a brief nod, his face hardening.

The man leaned in close, his voice low and indecipherable, but the intent was clear. The truck driver's lips twisted into a cold smirk as he listened, exhaling a stream of smoke. After a moment, the man placed a thick envelope on the counter—fat with cash, the kind that answered all questions and quieted any lingering doubts.

Without hesitation, the truck driver snatched the envelope, stuffing it into his jacket. His smirk grew wider as if satisfied with the deal.

The man turned to leave, the dim, smoky light of the bar finally revealing his face—Rick's father, with a twisted, evil smile on his lips. His eyes glinted with something dark, something vile, as he walked away, leaving the truck driver behind with his instructions.

[Flashback ends]

Rick woke up from his sleep, breathless, his heart pounding in his chest. Cold sweat clung to his skin as the vivid images raced through his mind. The realization hit him like a sledgehammer to the gut. His father was the one who paid the driver to run over him, not the Warners like he thought.

His breath came in short bursts as the weight of it settled on him. Rick's hands clenched into tight fists, trembling with rage. His knuckles turned white, the fury coursing through him like wildfire. He had tried to rationalise it before—tried to convince himself that maybe the poisoning had been a momentary lapse in judgment, a mistake born of jealousy and he must be regretting it. But this? This was no mistake. This was a calculated, deliberate move to end his life.

Rick's chest tightened, his heart thudding painfully in his ears. The betrayal ran deeper than he could have ever imagined.

He knew from Rick that he was going to pick up Olivia and Emily from the hospital. He knew which way he should be travelling and he gave all the instruction to the truck driver along with the order to kill him. And he did not even care that Olivia and Emily would be in the car, he didn't care that they might be killed along with Rick. He wanted to end his own son, at any cost. He seemed unhinged.

The system's suggestion echoed in his mind, the cold, clinical voice that had told him what needed to be done.

"Take care of him." Your next read is at empire

He had resisted it at first, recoiling at the thought of ending his father's life, of crossing that line. But now? After this? Could he afford to ignore the truth any longer? His father was out of control, willing to kill, to destroy lives, all for his own selfish desires.

Rick's jaw tightened as he fought to rein in his emotions. Killing his father seemed impossible, something he couldn't bring himself to do, no matter the circumstances. But ignoring the issue entirely? Pretending like this was just another mistake, just another lapse in judgement? That wasn't an option anymore. He couldn't avoid the issue, couldn't push it aside. It was time to face it head-on. He had to deal with his father—before his father dealt with him.

Rick stirred awake, the morning light barely filtering through the window, casting a soft glow on the living room. His mind was still hazy from the disturbing realization about his father, and he groaned, feeling the weight of everything pressing on him. Just as he was about to get up, his phone began ringing, shattering the brief moment of quiet.

He squinted at the unknown number flashing on the screen, wondering who could possibly be calling him this early. Sighing, he picked it up, bringing the phone to his ear.

"Who is it?" he asked, his voice rough from sleep.

A clear female voice responded from the other side. "This is Yumi Marcels, Traffic Inspector. I am calling regarding the accident you were involved in last evening."

Rick blinked, his face suddenly had a frown on his face as he realized what this was about. He stayed silent for a moment, trying to compose himself. "Accident?" he replied, feigning ignorance, keeping his tone light. "I am not sure what you are talking about."

Inspector Marcels didn't miss a beat. "We have reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby camera at the sight of the accident. It clearly shows the truck driving in the wrong direction clearly trying to kill you. We gave also identified your vehicle from the footage. So, I will ask again, Mr. Rick, why didn't you report the incident?"

Since there was no use lying, Rick leaned back, running a hand through his hair spoke, "Look, all the passengers in my car are fine," he replied, keeping his voice casual. "I have had bad experiences with this kind of stuff in the past, so I just wanted to avoid any unnecessary legal hassles. That's why I didn't stick around."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line, followed by a slight grunt of annoyance. Inspector Marcels' voice took on a sharper edge. "Mr. Rick, that's not how things work. You were nearly involved in a serious accident, and you left the scene without reporting it. Whether anyone was hurt or not, it's important that this is handled through the proper channels."

Rick sighed heavily, rubbing his temples. He could sense the inspector's frustration but didn't want to make things worse. Before he could respond, she continued.

"You need to come down to the station and give a formal statement. We take this kind of thing seriously, and you're required to cooperate."

Realising he couldn't dodge this one, Rick resigned himself to the inevitable. "Alright, I'll be there," he muttered.

"Good. We'll be expecting you," Yumi replied curtly before hanging up.

Rick let out a long breath, staring at the phone in his hand.

Rick's stomach growled, a sharp reminder of how long it had been since he'd had a proper meal. Breakfast at his father's, if he could even call it that with the poisoned watermelon juice, was the last thing he ate. After that, the day had spiraled out of control, and aside from a few beers and some slices of pizza late at night, he hadn't eaten much.

His body felt sluggish now that the adrenaline had finally worn off. He sighed, rubbing his face, feeling the weight of everything that had happened. It was time to get something in his stomach.

He quickly splashed cold water on his face, ran a hand through his dishevelled hair, and stepped out of the bathroom. His hunger was gnawing at him, and he knew he needed to eat before he could even think about dealing with the day ahead.

Rick headed towards the kitchen, hoping to find something that would satisfy the gnawing void in his stomach.

As Rick entered the kitchen, he was greeted by an unexpectedly beautiful scene. Olivia stood at the stove, her hair still damps from a recent bath, wrapped loosely in a fluffy towel that clung to her neck. She had a few stray droplets of water glistening on her skin, which caught the soft morning light streaming in through the kitchen window.

She was dressed in a simple semi-transparent purple gown, a soft pastel fabric that clung gently to her figure and offered view to her under wears. It fell just above her knees, revealing her shapely legs, while the loose fit around her waist highlighted the soft curve of her hips. The low neckline of the dress offered a subtle glimpse of her cleavage.

As she moved about the kitchen, the dress shifted with her, drawing attention to the natural grace in her movements.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Rick's eyes lingered on her. By each passing moment she seemed more and more inviting. Last night she ignored him, maybe Rick can try his luck again now?

To his pleasure the system popped up offering him exactly what he wanted.

[

Go and take Olivia in your arms (Temptation +10)

Ask Olivia what she is doing for breakfast (Temptation +0)

Tell Oliva that you are leaving (Temptation -10)

]

Rick quickly decided to go after the first option. He slowly moved behind her and took her in his arms.

"What are you doing?", Olivia tried to protest as she struggled to get out of Rick's embrace.

But her protest and her struggle were just suggesting Rick to take charge as she could have easily got out of his loose arms by just moving, yet she stayed there, hinting her heart, her body also wanted Rick.