CAPTURING REDEMPTION

CHAPTER 15: APOLOGIES WERE NEVER DEVIL'S FORTE

The walls of Yevgeny Bogdanov's bathroom bore witness to the loud moans and the lewd scene that unfolded in the dead of night, as soon as the large figure entered, clad only in a towel. It was the third time that night—whimpering as the grip around his girth loosened, moving back and forth with increasing urgency. His mind kept reverting to the image of that familiar brown face positioned between his legs, ready to indulge him in ways he had never imagined.

The lukewarm water drizzled over his pale back, cascading down and disappearing into the small drain carved into the tiled floor. His muscles flexed; his arm pressed firmly against the wall trembling alongside his entire body. Slow, guttural sounds filled the bathroom, echoing in the confined space as his hyper-aroused state drove him to come against the cool tiled wall. Sweat mingled with the water, his breath laboured as if he was living out his most forbidden fantasies—except now, those fantasies revolved around that brown man, much to his own disbelief.

It was not only impossible, but also unbelievable.

Once calm and collected, he studied the traces of himself on the wall, his mind grappling with the reality sinking in. The one who had hungered for power had been overpowered instead. Kwon Taekjoo was as twisted as ever. It dawned on Yevgeny that that twisted man had not changed much—he was still sadistic and painfully mischievous, reminiscent of their past at Moorim High.

His frustration boiled over, and he found himself shouting in fury as his fist collided with the unforgiving concrete wall. The impact sent shockwaves of pain up his arm, but he hardly noticed. His face contorted with anger, losing all traces of the pleasure he had been craving and accepting since he returned from the his house. The betrayal cut deep, reminding him that beneath the veneer of desire lay a cruel game of manipulation and humiliation orchestrated by Kwon Taekjoo.

And this was not an easy game.

And Kwon Taekjoo had not changed.

If anything, it just fuelled the fire within the Russian reporter even more.

By the time Yevgeny had finished cleaning up after himself and settled into bed, the soft light of dawn was filtering through his curtains. Despite his exhaustion, sleep evaded him completely. Restlessly, he reached for his laptop, intending to distract himself with the latest news about the celebrity whose life had unexpectedly intertwined with his own, once again.

Weirdly enough, there were pictures of Kwon Taekjoo and him from the company building, nevertheless, Yevgeny's face was heavily distorted. It was as if there was some sort of cryptic message meant to be circulating around. The headlines read: "South Korea's most controversial celebrity—Kwon Taekjoo has a new beau." There were many speculations about his sexuality and their photos already stamped a seal on those speculations.

Frustrated, he made a call to the devil. The other line picked up the call as though he was waiting for Yevgeny. He chuckled, "it hasn't been a day and you're already missing me?"

"Missing you? Kwon Taekjoo! What's all these articles about? I thought—"

"You thought? Mr. Bogdanov, you're not allowed to take pictures of me or write articles, but I cannot stop others from doing that. You should have known this when you professed you love."

"First of all, stop saying that word. You don't think I am serious, and that's fine and we're done. I got that! But using me like that? What are you planning to do?"

"I am planning nothing. If anything, aren't you the one who wanted to play around with me? Pretend to love me and get some controversial news from me and use it to further your career?"

"T-that's not it!"

"So, you actually want me?"

"Yes, I do! What are you trying to do?"