Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon novel Chapter 313

Kane's POV

I tore through Lottie's room like a man possessed, yanking open drawers and flinging their contents across the floor. Clothes, books, and trinkets scattered in disarray, but none held the answers I sought. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless beat matching the chaos in my mind. Desperation clawed at me.

Where is she?

I overturned the mattress, the bedsprings groaning in protest. Nothing. I ripped the curtains from their rods, moonlight slicing into the room and casting jagged shadows. Every fibre of my being was focused on finding some clue, any sign of where she'd gone—or who had taken her.

From the corner, Liam sat casually in a chair, one leg crossed over the other, observing my frenzy with an infuriatingly calm demeanour. His gaze followed my every move, eyes gleaming with a mix of amusement and something else—judgement.

"Tell me," he drawled, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, "are you throwing this hissy fit because Lottie is missing or because your brother hurt your feelings?"

"What?" I whipped around to glare at him, chest heaving.

"I am not throwing a hissy fit," I growled, seizing a bedside table and hurling it across the room. It crashed into the wall beside Liam, missing him by inches before splintering to the floor. He didn't even flinch. Instead, his smirk widened, eyes dancing with that infuriating amusement.

"You're not?" Liam taunted, arching an eyebrow. His relaxed posture only served to stoke the fire burning within me. The mocking tone of his voice sent a hot surge of anger coursing through my veins.

A low growl rumbled from deep in my chest as I began to cross the room toward him, each step measured and deliberate. I felt Rolo stir within me, mirroring my agitation. My fists clenched at my sides, knuckles white, nails digging into my palms. Liam watched me approach, utterly unperturbed, his gaze steady.

"You going to hit me?" he asked, a deep chuckle escaping his lips. The sound made me pause, a flicker of uncertainty disrupting my anger. "I am your only friend left. You really want to alienate me too?" His words caught me off guard, slicing through the haze of rage clouding my mind.

"Friend?" I scoffed, the word bitter on my tongue. I moved past him, the tension in my shoulders easing ever so slightly as I bent to pick up an overturned chair. My movements slowed, deliberately. The air between us shifted, the hostility giving way to a heavy silence.

"Yes, friend, Kane," Liam repeated, his tone softer now. "I feel for you." I set the chair upright, my back to him.

"I don't need your pity," I snapped, though the venom had drained from my voice.

He picked up a small pillow that had fallen to the floor and tossed it at me. It struck my shoulder lightly before landing at my feet.

"I do not pity your dumb ass," he retorted. "I said I feel for you. I feel for how everything has fallen on your shoulders because your brother is a sulky child. I feel bad knowing I get to spend time with Lottie—I get to watch her grow, see her turn into a beautiful woman and mother—while you don't. I feel for you. But I do not pity you, because although I feel bad for you, this is a consequence of your actions and the deal you made."

His words hung in the air like a dense fog. I froze, replaying his last sentence in my mind. *The deal you made.* A cold chill ran down my spine.

"Did you hear that?" I whispered internally to Rolo.

"Yes," Rolo growled, the unease evident in his tone. I turned slowly to face Liam, my eyes narrowing.

"What deal?" I asked, my voice dangerously low. My fists clenched again, the tension coiling tight within me. Liam's confident façade faltered for the briefest moment.

"Huh?" he replied, a nervous laugh escaping him. He swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing noticeably. "I don't know what you're talking about."