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𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐘-𝐎𝐍𝐄

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"You look so delicious in that."

Cora's ears perked up at the sound of Violet's voice, turning to face her friend with a smile of relief.

She had begun to realise that attending Kendall's birthday party was a bigger mistake than she had originally conceived, and that wasn't even considering the last few days. This sudden clarity had only been exacerbated by the fact she'd arrived early, and with only Kendall's guests to keep her company, she'd been treated as more spectacle than woman. At least it had been the perfect excuse to down a few glasses of chardonnay, calming the nerves that brewed beneath a mask of indifference.

"Thank you." Cora replied, glancing down at her satin slip, the colour of champagne, held up by a pair of thin diamond encrusted straps.

"Of course, but I meant in that." Violet said, pointing a finger at a giant framed copy of the NY Globe. Cora gingerly acknowledged it from her peripherals. "The coke really did so much for you, really brought out your cheekbones. And the eyebags, honey, they're practically couture."

"Yeah, thanks I guess." For someone hellbent on trying to destroy his father, Kendall had no problem with his tactics.

"Are they all real?" Violet murmured, looking around at the others beside it.

"Last I checked, Roman hasn't died in a tragic jerkoff accident." Unfortunately, she thought to herself ignoring the pang of guilt that followed. "Unless you have an inside source that says otherwise."

"Babe, you're my inside source." Violet rolled her eyes, laughing a little too hard.

Cora could see her attention had shifted elsewhere in the room, to a group of suited men nearby. She tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Speaking of, you never finished your thought on girl's night and your texts have been dry as fuck. Spill. I need to live vicariously through you, hubby has me on lockdown."

"Do you know that?" Cora replied with a soft smile. She sighed. "Um, well ... I don't know."

"You don't know or you're just not going to say?"

"Vi." Cora groaned. Violet grinned, playfully swatting her shoulder. "It's not whatever you think it is. Or whatever you think is happening."

"Oh I know. I know. Cordelia, you forget that I've been acquainted with you for, like, half of your life and I know when you're not getting laid." She winked, which as charming as it was, didn't exactly soften the blow. "Oh don't give me that look, you're only proving my point. You start getting so frowny."

"Are you flirting with me?" Cora countered, rolling her eyes.

"If only, right? You and I both know Shivvy don't share." Violet flagged down a passing waiter, plucking two glasses of champagne and passing one to Cora. "Explain, as best you can. I'm begging."

Cora took a sip, puckering her lips at the sourness of the drink. "Well, he took me home after the club. And then the next morning he was still there, it was going fine and then he freaked out about the drinking ... And stuff. And ever since he's been passive aggressive, so yeah that's been fun."

"What a buzzkill! You're so much more fun when you drink. There's literally nothing wrong with alcohol." Violet rolled her eyes. "Besides, I bet he hasn't even seen you properly drunk, I doubt even Shiv has."

"Right." Cora replied, sighing heavily. "Well, maybe he can see me properly drunk tonight. I'm finding it hard to care, about anything really. All this shit with the company and having to sit through the meetings. The whole work thing is just ... "

"Not a vibe?" Violet grinned. "Atta girl. Let's go find the bar. Wait, no, let's go find a bathroom! I have treats. Or both. Bar, then bathroom."

"Ok, ok, but not too much just yet. I can't get actually plastered until I've met this Gojo CEO guy." Cora muttered.

"Is he single?"

"I don't know, he's Swedish I think."

"Oh, how revolting."

The women walked hand and hand through the venue in search of a bar, Cora doing her best to disregard the flurry of whispers that erupted in their wake. Why had she accepted the invitation in the first place, she thought to herself but she already knew the answer. Stubbornness, not wanting to appear cowardly, a crippling fear of FOMO.

Even Olivia had been sent an invite, she'd excitedly informed Cora of it over lunch earlier in the day. She'd considered forbidding it out of pure annoyance at how elated the girl had been, but Cora didn't want to be the evil stepmother to Olivia's Cinderella. She could go, just as long as she didn't open her mouth to anyone outside of the Waystar circle.

In a sick way she was grateful for the event, given that Kendall's birthday fell days before her own. She had both an excuse to go hard and a distraction from a day she had long ago stopped celebrating.

"Two martinis." Violet said, leaning over the bar as she eyed the server. A devilish smirk pulled at her lips, she shot Cora a look as if to say 'would you?'. Cora waited until the man had turned his back to shake her head. "What, is he not 5'6 enough for you?"

She was about to swat at the other woman when a shadow fell over her. She could tell from the cloud of cologne that engulfed her who it was. Violet pulled a face.

"Cordelia." Arthur's voice still felt like a slap to her psyche. Cora turned, unable to hide her disdain. The thought that he looked rather handsome impressed itself upon her intrusively. "Vi."

Violet sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I'm not listening to another of these conversations. Cora, babe, just come grab me when you're done."

Despite the fact that Cora knew Violet had watched this exact scene play out since they had been teenagers, she couldn't help feeling stung at her friend's exit.

"You don't take hints, do you?" Cora muttered, turning back to him.

"Taking a leaf from your book."

"Rich. That is so rich." She couldn't help laughing at how outlandish the situation was. He'd forced his way back into her life to, what, insult her? "I'll make it less of a hint, I guess. I told you to never contact me again, and that definitely includes not volunteering your employment to Kendall R-"

"Back on it, are you?"

The bartender had slid both martinis Violet had ordered towards her. They sat in the gap them, staring at her like a beacon of her own hypocrisy.

"Why does that matter?" Cora replied coolly. She refused to allow her composure to slip.

"You told me to never talk to you again because you were clean, and now look." Arthur's voice was light, he clearly thought the conversation was going his way.

"And that's none of your business. What I choose to do with myself should be the furthest thing from your worries, Arthur."

"If you leave the Roys, I'll disappear from your life." Arthur said.

It took her a moment to process his words. What was he playing at? But Arthur appeared genuine as he stood before her, hell, he even looked concerned. The weight of his gaze made her uneasy, her confidence faltering.

"They're not good for you." He continued, running a hand through the dark curls of his hair. "I mean look, Cora. I don't even need to point out the obvious, I can see it written all over you. They've never been anything but poison, fucking poison. You should be thanking me for trying to dig you out of this hole. I'm trying to save you."

"Oh, you're saving me, are you? Is that what you call this?" She had managed to rebound, annoyance outweighing self-doubt. She picked up her glass and took a sip, the vodka harsh on her tongue. "You don't want to save me, you want me for yourself. You never had a problem with ... The way I was when I was with you. It made me small and that's how you've always wanted me. I refuse to ever feel that way again."

"Yes I've watched you spiral a million times, Cora. After the first few interventions, can you blame me for giving up?"

Arthur's expression had turned dark, and she could feel the shadow of his anger encroaching upon her. In the past she would have tried to appease him, but she remained strong in front of him. "You're on the road to ruin. I know it, I know you."

What was with everyone claiming they knew her?

"Whatever 'road' I'm on is uncharted, Arthur." Cora's voice was cold with indifference, so much so that it caught even her off guard. She could see doubt flicker in his eyes as he regarded her. "I'd advise you to bow out gracefully while you can."

Before he could reply, Roman had appeared by her side. Cora all but sighed with relief as she watched Arthur realise they had company, his contempt becoming palpable at the sight of Roman.

"Roy." He said in a clipped voice. Roman didn't hide his smugness. There was an awkward beat of silence as the two men stared each other down.

"Oh, sorry, was I meant to greet you back? Your name slipped my memory completely."

Arthur seemed utterly disinterested in continuing the conversation any further. He ignored Roman, giving Cora a stiff nod. "Just think about it." He said before striding away.

"Damn. Here I was hoping he'd stick around." Roman's tone couldn't be more different than the one he'd given her the last few days and the shift irked her. She drained the rest of her drink before reaching for the other. "Well, don't let me keep you, I guess."

"What?" Cora said sharply.

His lips tensed for a moment like he was on the edge of saying something. He shook his head. "Yeah, don't worry."

"I just didn't think we were on speaking terms right now. Guess you could say I'm getting mixed signals."

"Did I not bring you a coffee this morning?"

"You palmed it off to Olivia and told her to let me know my mascara was smudged." Cora snapped.

"Yeah, and that was very helpful of me, you're welcome." Roman's voice was lazy as he spoke, his gaze sweeping her. "If it makes you feel any better, I won't use a middle man to tell you that I can see your nipples through your dress right now. What's the thread count on that thing? 10?"

"What the literal fuck, Roman?"

"What's this about nipples?"

The sound of Kendall's voice forced Cora to curtail her annoyance as she looked up to see him. He was clad in a dark emerald turtle neck, a strange necklace hanging from his neck. It rocked nervously around his neck.

Shiv trailed behind him, a look of mild apprehension on her face. Kendall greeted his brother with a forced side hug, slapping his hand against Roman's shoulder before pulling away. Cora quickly managed to wipe the scowl from her face, draining the remainder of her martini. She was beginning to feel the fuzziness of the alcohol taking effect.

"Nothing. I didn't say nipples, I said why fuck did I have to walk through a life-size replica of my mother's cervix to get into this place?" Roman said, thankfully detouring the conversation. Cora cringed.

"Wait, that was what that was meant to be?"

"You know I'm not surprised you didn't recognise the artistic vision with the piece, Cora, there's always been something fundamentally barren about you." Kendall snipped.

"I'm definitely fertile, just unwilling. Super third wave of you though Ken." Cora retorted.

Shiv bumped her shoulder into Kendall's as he opened his mouth to reply. "Ease up, would you?" She said sharply. "It's meant to be a party."

"So things have been different since your little moment, have they?" Kendall mused. "Well, I'm glad you lot could make it. Welcome to the fucking circus, right? The big four-oh."

"Yeah I thought you would've dropped dead by your 39th. Prayed, even." Roman replied. "Where's the Swede?"

"I'll stop you right there. He's in the VIP section, which you are all explicitly forbidden from." Kendall jabbed a finger towards a nearby doorway, guarded by a sinewy security guard. "It's my birthday, if you're here for me then it's no business."

"Good thing we're not, I guess." Cora replied, rolling her eyes. "What're you afraid of? You apparently have enough to take down Waystar, what's with the gatekeeping?"

"It ruins the mise-en-scene." Kendall replied stiffly, though it was clear that none of them bought it. Roman took the opportunity then to reach into his pocket and pull out a folded note, handing it to Kendall.

"Happy birthday, from dad." Roman chimed as the man unfolded the paper.

"This just says 'cash out and fuck off'." Kendall muttered, quickly scrunching it up and stuffing it in his pocket. "So just as I had suspected, you're not here for me, you're only here for Matsson, which is ... I really think that's low, actually, if I'm being real. I mean it's my 40th birthday, guys, can we put the pitchforks down for one evening?"

"You pre-banned us, hardly the environment to cosy up." Shiv countered quickly.

Kendall huffed a sigh, shaking his head. "Can you really blame me? Well whatever, I'm going to go mingle with the people who came for me, and me alone. And I swear to god, if I catch any of you up in the treehouse, I'm going to be, just, incredibly disappointed. In all of you. Especially you Shiv."

"Why am I being singled out?" Her question went unanswered as Kendall slipped away.

Just as Cora began to debate whether it was worth it finding Violet in the growing crowd, Roman made a direct beeline for the forbidden treehouse entrance. Cora and Shiv watched in silence as he said something to the guard, who turned to look over his shoulder before Roman sidestepped him and slipped beneath the rope, scurrying off before the man had time to react.

"Must be easy not needing heels." Shiv grumbled before turning to Cora. "Has he been acting weird to you too recently or is that just me?"

"Which one?" Cora muttered as she waved down the bartender, signalling for two more as she slid the martini glasses over the counter.

"Roman ... " Shiv replied slowly, eyeing Cora with suspicion. "Please do not tell me, that after all of the effort of the last, I don't know, however many years, that you've decided to finally let it go."

Cora couldn't meet her eyes. There wasn't an answer to her question with the way things stood between her and Roman. She hadn't entirely known what to make of their last real conversation, whether he was severing from her or not, and his attitude that had followed wasn't helping. She had frankly refused to revisit the moment in her mind, it smacked too much of humiliation. She hadn't allowed herself to feel the true impact of any of it, in fact she doubted she'd had a sober moment since he'd left her apartment.

"I think things are just complicated right now." She said finally. Shiv groaned, shaking her head.

"Ah, I just ... I'm not getting involved! I can't get involved. Please just think of me when you decide to figure this out." Her expression softened momentarily. Before Cora knew it, Shiv was quickly hugging her. She remained very still, guilt seeping through her, thankful when Shiv pulled away. "I'm going to go find my husband."

Cora stayed by the bar for as long as it took her to polish off her second round, which did not take long, before she wandered off in search of Violet.

The party was in full swing now, and she blended better into the crowd, thankful for the obscurity granted to her. It was becoming a rare moment where she didn't feel watched. She'd attempted to go for a run since the CEO announcement and had had to be escourted back inside her apartment by her doorman, who was having to work overtime given the extra attention building.

She'd received a call not long after from her realtor, not so subtly implying that she should consider selling and she'd begun to entertain the thought. Maybe it was time for a change on the outside to match the one within.

She eventually spotted her through the crowd, in what looked like a deep discussion with Peter. Cora hovered on the recesses of the room, watching as Peter burst into laughter at something Violet said, nodding enthusiastically as she lightly touched a hand on his upper arm. So much for behaving herself. A little spark of jealousy caught quickly caught flame in her chest, just as the figure of Rava Roy cut through her view.

Cora followed after her. She was spurred by a curiosity mostly, but that quickly morphed into ulterior motives when she saw the woman stop in front of the presents table and reach into her pocket. Carefully she placed a small package, obviously wrapped by a child, on top of the pile. For a moment, the brunette simply stared at the display, her shoulders rising and falling with a sigh. Then she was gone, leaving in her wake an opportunity.

She couldn't claim to be proud of her actions then, but it was an eye for an eye. An ex-boyfriend's hire for a birthday present. She opened up her slender handbag, stuffing the present in quickly before anyone nearby could question her.

Turning to leave, she almost managed to collide with a familiar lanky figure. She mumbled an apology before realising who she'd almost ran into. Greg did a double take and recoiled, holding his fingers out in the shape of a cross.

"Be gone, vixen, I won't be tempted by your womanly wiles."

"Wh- I'm not trying to fuck you. I mistook you for the wait staff. Can you blame me? That suit makes you look like a giant penguin." She was thankful that he didn't seem to have noticed what she had just done.

"Oh, yeah well ... I couldn't find a tailor at the last minute." Greg muttered. "W-whatever, uh, I'm not talking to you. Kendall advised against it. You're always just trying to use people."

"How astute of you." Cora replied. She was unable to stop herself from seeing the opportunity he presented to her. "I need you to tell the nice man guarding the VIP section to let me pass."

"Well I'm not go-"

"I'll give you Olivia's number." She blurted out before she had a chance to consider the possible consequences of her actions. "And I'll put in a good word for you. Won't even tell her you screwed her boss."

This threw him off. Greg considered her words, narrowing his eyes. He started to speak but quickly thought wiser. With a heavy sigh, he nodded. Cora couldn't help herself from grinning. Womanly wiles one, Kendall zero.

The treehouse proved to be much of the same, if not a little more sparse. Cora couldn't help wondering how much money Kendall had pumped into the event, something she rarely questioned. It wasn't hard to find Roman, slouched in his seat as he spoke to a tall blonde man that she assumed was Matsson. Cora clutched her latest drink tightly in her hand, taking a deep breath to steel herself as she made her way over.

As she approached them, Matsson nodded his head towards her, causing Roman to glance over his shoulder. The casual grin he had been wearing faltered.

"I made it past the velvet rope." She announced, giggling without meaning to. She turned to Matsson. "Hi, Cordelia Vernon."

Matsson made no move to greet her, remaining silent. His gaze made her uneasy, it was as though he were more so looking through her than at her. After a beat, a strange smile spread across his lips.

"Yeah, hey nips. Wow, look at you being all resourceful." Roman replied. "I'd hate to see the state of the security guy."

"I convinced an insider to give me the golden ticket." Cora replied, glancing to the empty chair at the table. "Going to invite me to sit?"

"We were actually just about to make a trip to the men's."

"Wouldn't be the first time you dragged me in there." She laughed a little too hard, both men silently watching her. Roman rose from his seat, patting her on the back.

"Don't worry about it. Practically sorted. You go have fun." From his tone, she knew he meant quite the opposite sentiment.

Her face fell as Roman gestured for Matsson to follow, turning his back on her. Matsson straightened up, working out the kinks in his neck and cracking his knuckles. As he followed after Roman, he glanced over his shoulder, that same unsettling gaze resting on her as he disappeared from view.

An icy sensation spread through her body, her mind reeling. Go ... Have fun? Go have fun. Have fun.

Ok, she'd have fun.

Her stomach was churning when she found Violet again, stealing her away from a conversation with Peter by silently taking her hand. The other woman was surprisingly quiet as she tapped out the powder onto the mirror of her compact. Cora pinched a rolled note between her fingertips, squeezing the paper in time with her heartbeat.

"You should slow down a little, babe." Violet said after Cora had torn through several lines. Bleary eyed, Cora swiped away the powder from beneath her nose.

"Why?" She rasped. "I'm having fun."

That was what she told herself as she felt her body growing heavier with each drink she threw back, kept upright by the coke coursing through her veins. Cora felt as though she were hurtling through space and time as the night wore on, her endpoint as of yet a mystery. Something was brewing inside of her, something ugly, something twisted and it was only growing stronger by the minute.

She was hurt. She couldn't name why she was hurt, but that hardly soothed the wound she was nursing. Was it so easy to push her aside even after everything? Was she so easy to disregard? Don't answer that, she told herself as she reached for another drink. You don't want to answer that.

Instead she broke the wall between herself and oblivion. Even after her sober stint, her tolerance was nothing to scoff at. The days since her relapse had been spent nursing a soft buzz, but now she was drunk, fully in the clutches of her addiction. It was euphoric, like floating, freed from the shackles of careful consideration.

Cora was in bloom and no one could reverse nature.

She barely remembered Violet bundling her into a cab, blind to the concern that flickered through her eyes as the woman leaned her head into the window. "Can you text me when you're home, babe? I'm worried." Her words were lost the moment the taxi pulled away from the curb.

As the cab pulled into the traffic, Cora opened her handbag to reach inside. The still wrapped present stared back at her, turning the cogs of her mind. The light from her flash filled the backseat, Cora squinting as she opened the message app.

[ TEXT: to Kendall ] Yuo know were i live alredy

The knock at her door was heavy, the sight of him in the doorway almost enough to sober her. She stepped aside for him to enter, hiding a sharp inhale behind the sound of the door's lock clicking back in place.

They stopped in the living room, the glow of the city leaking through the panorama of windows. She had kept the lights off, it seemed better this way. It was evident that both of them felt defensive in the other's presence. She didn't know quite what to say and it seemed neither did he.

"You call me up here so that we could meditate?"

"I mean, would it kill either of us to?" She countered. To her surprise he let out a dry defeated chuckle. He looked exhausted, like he'd aged several years in the time since she'd seen him. "No ... I, uh, have your present. From your kids."

She slowly retrieved the wrapped present from her handbag which still hung from her shoulder. She felt a sting of embarrassment as she held it out towards him. "I saw Rava put it down on the table so I swiped it. Low blow."

Kendall didn't say anything as he reached for it. Relief swept him as he held the present close to his chest, closing his eyes and sighing. Even after everything that had happened between them, Cora felt guilty. She shouldn't be seeing him like this, tender and vulnerable.

"Thank you, seriously, Cora. Um, yeah, wow. Had me really worried, didn't wanna, you know, seem like a bad dad, losing the present."

She decided to not point out that the situation had been entirely avoidable.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Cora found herself asking. Kendall's wariness seemed to have faded for now, lowering his hands to his sides.

"Not really." He pursed his lips. "Yeah I mean ... Rome was kind of a dick to me. He, uh ... He pushed me over. Said some hurtful stuff. I don't know. It didn't live up to what I thought it'd be."

"Mm, well ... Having fun at your own birthday isn't really for grown ups, is it?"

"Yeah, I guess not. I'm sorry, by the way. For hiring Arthur. Yeah, I think ... I'm thinking that I'm gonna fire him. He, uh, told me something I probably shouldn't know."

Cora frowned, unsure of what to make of Kendall's apology. Could she trust his sincerity? History told her that the answer was probably no, but there was something in his expression that gave her pause.

"What ... Do you mean exactly?" She said slowly.

"I know about the senator, your assistant's dad. He told me everything."

All the oxygen had been sucked from the room. She felt lightheaded, like all of the alcohol in her system had rushed to her head. Under her breath, she let out a barely audible whimper. Before she knew what was happening, he had reached forward and caught her hand, the warmth of his palm enclosing around hers.

She gave way, falling against his chest.

It was all she could do not to run from the room, she couldn't bear the thought of meeting his eye. Deep down she had known, always known, that eventually one of them, even all of them, would find out. Kendall, Roman, Shiv. She'd never allowed herself to consider the shame of them finding out, though there was no preparing to have one's world shattered.

What kept her in place was the simple fact that he had not shown her the disgust she thought she deserved.

He placed a hand on the back of her head, running his fingers through her hair. She found herself clutching the dark green of his turtleneck, fabric crushed beneath her fist. Strangely she wasn't crying, everything inside of her had evaporated with the knowledge that he knew. He knew and he could destroy her. He knew and he was holding her.

"My dad is blackmailing you, isn't he?" Kendall murmured, his voice sending chills down her spine. Slowly she nodded. "He's using you against me."

Cora pulled away from him, dark brows descending. "That's your take away from this?"

"Am I wrong, Cora?" Kendall replied, and she knew in her heart that he wasn't.

Cora hadn't considered the motivation behind why Logan had turned to her on the yacht and her own foolishness was a bitter pill to swallow. When she had taken Frank's spot on the board, she'd asked for a foothold. Only now was she realising that she was dangling off the edge, and the one holding her up was ready to let her fall at any moment.

"I'm so tired, Ken." Cora said after some time, her head bowing. "I don't know how much longer I can play a game I don't know the rules to."

"Leave the company. Take my father down. With me."

"I can't, Ken. He'll kill me." Cora let out a harsh bark of laughter, turning away from him. "I'd be done. In the media, in the company, with your fam-"

"Is this about Roman?" There was tension in his voice.

"No." She lied, shaking her head. "This has nothing to do with Roman."

"Ok. Ok, but ... Cora I'd protect you. All of his bullshit, I'd shield you from it, you realise that right? I would have if you'd left the yacht and I would now."

"Why?" Cora's voice broke. She wheeled around to face him again, her brow creased. "Why? I don't get it, Ken, I really don't. Stewy told me on the retreat that you sought me out in the first place, a-and when you kissed me ... I don't understand it. I've never understood it. Why?"

He took a step forward, dark eyes fixed on her as she demanded an answer. She was aware that the air between them had shifted. Gone was all hostility, but tension remained. His hand met her chin, clutching it softly. Cora felt something dark stir within her.

"It's like I told you." He said, swallowing visibly. It was clear he could feel the change too. "Same cloth, Cora. Surely you can see it by now."

He was right and she could no longer ignore it.

Cora knew that this was a car crash waiting to happen, that by remaining rooted to the spot she was brushing against danger. Perhaps that was exactly why she let him close the gap between them, her eyes glinting with challenge. They said, I dare you to make a bad choice, I dare you to break me.

"How can you be so sure?" Her words did not feel her own.

"Because," Kendall murmured. "I know you."

The moment his lips met hers, she felt herself come undone.

His fist bundled in her hair, tugging her back from his lips to stare deeply into her eyes as he let out a shuddered breath. Softly she whimpered, eyes heavy with lust.

"You want it, don't you?"

"I want it."

In an instant any semblance of hesitation was gone. They clashed into one another, a feverishness in their movements as they kissed again. Cora's mind soared like she'd just taken a hit, her desperation finally indulged. There was a soft clatter as Kendall tossed the gift onto the table nearby. His hands were everywhere on her at once; tangling in her hair, gripping her throat, fumbling hungrily against her body. The material of her dress bit into her as he gripped her hips, fingers pressing against the narrow dip of her lower back. The pain was sweet but she needed more.

She backed up to the nearest surface, it was a miracle she managed to find the dining table without tripping over her own feet. Blindly she felt for it, his hand sliding down on top of her own.

"Turn around." He breathed in her ear and she did as she was told.

Kendall's fingers slid up the curve of her spine, pushing her down to bend over the table. Cora gasped as his hand thumb traced firmly against the base of her neck, climbing to the back of her neck and threading into her hair to hold her in place. Cora bit her lip, arching her back. She knew this was bad, she knew she shouldn't be doing this, and maybe that was why it felt natural. Every cell in her body was vibrating for him.

"I've been thinking about this for a while." His voice was dark and husky as she heard the zipper of his pants. He hiked up the length of her dress. "But I don't think I could have done it that night."

"What do you mean?" Cora asked. She felt like she'd wandered into a dream, in some ways she had.

"I just wouldn't have done it the way I wanted to. Not like now."

Cora didn't quite know what he meant until he pushed inside of her, letting out a loud moan as he collided into her. He wrapped her hair around his fist, his free hand holding her waist. At once she felt so numb and yet so raw, her thoughts fading into the background as pleasure took over. Her fingertips were pale as she gripped the table to stabilise herself.

His movements felt angry, as though he were unleashing all of the resentment and frustration that had built between them. His harshness fed the monster that had been steadily growing within her. What was once a whisper now a roar, unravelling her at the seams. She yearned to slide her hand between her thighs, hesitating only from fear that she might break the spell and send herself sprawling away from his clutches. She wanted the bite of his frustration, the yearning that radiated through her core, threatening to swallow her whole.

Kendall began to slow down. His fingers unravelled in her hair, loosening as and falling away to her shoulder. A hesitation that hadn't been there before now marked his movements. There was a tenderness in the way he had begun to fuck her, as if something had suddenly occurred to him. She already knew what he was going to say as he leaned closer, his breath on her ear.

"Say my name." He grunted under his breath. Cora sucked hard on her bottom lip, an uneasiness washing through her. She pretended not to hear him, instead letting out a theatrical moan. His pace now slowed to a crawl. "Cora ... "

"Harder." She complained. "I'll say it if you fuck me harder."

Kendall suddenly pulled out of her and it took every fibre of her being not to simply collapse. Her legs quivered beneath her as she felt her dress drop back down. Cora remained frozen in place as she heard him mutter something beneath his breath.

When she dared to turn around, he had zipped up again, kneading his brow. She didn't quite know what to say.

"If I let myself finish, it's going to do something fucked up to me that I'm not ready for," he croaked. Her cheeks glowed bright red as she stared at him, her body trembling.

"W-what?" She managed.

"I think you ... I ... I'll see you at the debate, Cora. I'll see you then, yeah." He quickly grabbed the present that had been discarded onto the table. She saw that his hands were shaking. "Uh, yeah, I'll see you. I'll see you around."

She ached dully as she watched him leaving, the thought that she had made a grave mistake bubbling to the surface.

[ 𝑨𝑵: raise ur hand if u have been personally victimised by cordelia evelyn vernon !! need her to sell her condo immediately bc she only gets up to a bunch of bs in it ]