Captivated by the Ruler of the Underworld
Chapter 145 The Trouble with Sweet Nothings

Lucas gave the desperate Flora a final, lingering look before walking away without another word.

Flora Harrison knelt on the floor, her hands clasped together as tears streamed down her cheeks.

She was only five when tragedy struck her maternal grandparents, the heart of her family. Overnight, her father, Lucas Harrison, gained control of the Moore family fortune. Not long after, her mother vanished without a trace, and in less than a month, her father remarried someone from the Chen family, starting a new chapter in his life.

To this day, there was no sign of her mother.

But Flora knew her father had to have the answers.

With no evidence and being so young at the time, what could she possibly have done?

Years had passed, and any possible evidence had surely been erased.

Then three years ago, when the Harrison family business began to decline, Lucas abruptly revealed that her mother was still alive. He dangled information about her whereabouts like a carrot on a stick, promising to reveal more if she secure the support of a wealthy suitor to rally funds and restore the Harrisons to their former glory.

Lucas had reduced her to a mere stepping stone in his ambitious climb.

Flora refused to believe her mother was dead. She'd tried using her own means to search, but all efforts led to dead ends.

Fear gripped her the fear that her father might have imprisoned her mother, that she might be languishing in some dark, forgotten place.

And yet, she also feared that defying her father would push him to an extreme, possibly ensuring she'd never see her mother again.

Her mother, who since childhood had always shielded her with tenderness-how she longed just to see her once more, even if just for a moment...

...

On the eve of the high-stakes Poker Championship, Sylvester Gomez, clad in loungewear, was busy whipping up breakfast for Cicery.

Ever since their return from the wildlife reserve, Cicery had been hankering for Sylvester's homemade dishes. Indulging her whims, Sylvester took charge of the kitchen whenever he had the chance.

As Cicery finished freshening up and made her way down, she caught sight of Sylvester at the kitchen counter, stirring away with a spoon in hand as steam rose from the bubbling soup.

Leaning against the kitchen doorway, Cicery's eyes twinkled with mirth at the sight of Sylvester's back. In moments like these, he seemed so gentle.

"Seen enough?" Sylvester had felt her presence before she even came down and knew she'd been watching him for some time.

Cicery approached and wrapped her arms around Sylvester's sturdy waist from behind, resting her head against his back, "What can I say? I can't get enough."

Sylvester Gomez set his spoon down, reached behind him, and hoisted Cicery onto the kitchen island, nestling between her thighs. He propped his hands beside her, locking eyes with her. "If you can't get enough, then take a good look," he said, his gaze intense.

Cicery cupped Sylvester's cheeks, her eyes brimming with emotion as she stared into his handsome face. "I still can't get enough."

A charming smile curved Sylvester's lips. "Honey, are you trying to sweet-talk me?"

Cicery's eyes went wide with playful challenge. "Sylvester Gomez, that's not how you sweet talk."

She was quickly becoming a natural.

Sylvester raised an eyebrow. "Then show me, how should sweet nothings be whispered?"

Gently holding his chiseled face, Cicery pulled him closer and kissed him, eagerly, even prying his lips open, her tongue entwining with his in a passionate embrace that soon turned to tender nips and kisses that spoke more of passion than of practice.

She really, really loved his taste.

Sylvester couldn't resist her flirtations and took the lead, one hand bracing on the kitchen island and the other cradling the back of her head.