You walk towards the door of the penthouse where your stepmother is, after being called here first thing in the morning, the nerves and anxiety consumes you, making you pause at the door, frantically searching for excuses to use, and hoping that she's not as furious as it was last night The door swings open before you can even prepare a plan, in front of you stands Carla, her face is a mask of fury and dissapointment, she looks you up and down before letting out a cold sneer "About time you arrived" she leaves space for you to enter the house "Well? What are you waiting for? Come inside before I drag you in!"

Her eyes widen in surprise as you move to kiss her, but she doesn't resist. In fact, she leans into the touch, wrapping an arm around your neck and deepening the kiss. Her tongue slips past your lips, tasting you and searching for a connection deeper than their lips could possibly provide. As the kiss ends, her breath is hot against your cheek and her expression softens slightly. "Do you realize what you've done?" she asks quietly. "You've ruined everything." Tears well up in her eyes but don't fall. "But it doesn't matter... I can fix this." She steps back, searching your face for any sign of understanding or contrition. When she finds none, she sighs heavily and says, "Come with me."

She leads you through the house to her bedroom, motioning for you to sit on the edge of the bed while she goes to her dresser. From a drawer, she produces a small vial of clear liquid. "This is olive oil," she says, her voice steady despite the tremor in her hands. "I want you to drink it all." Without waiting for your response, she pours some into her palm and holds it out to you.

"To help with the pain," she says coldly. "Now drink it." There's an unyielding determination in her eyes that you can't ignore, and you oblige, swallowing the olive oil as quickly as you can. She watches you intently, waiting for any sign of discomfort.

As you finish swallowing the olive oil, she retrieves another item from her dresser; a wooden spoon, roughly carved with symbols that seem to dance in the light. "This is what's going to help you understand," she says grimly, gripping the spoon tightly. With a swift movement, she strikes the side of your leg hard enough to sting, leaving a pink welt behind. She waits for the pain to set in, her eyes boring into yours as if daring you to flinch or cry out.

Her expression darkens further as she listens to you protest, but instead of getting angry at your words, something else stirs inside her. A twisted sort of determination that makes her eyes narrow in the same way they did when she struck you with the spoon. "Oh," she says softly, "but I am real." With a swift movement, she brings the back of the wooden spoon down against your other thigh, leaving an identical welt behind. The pain is sharp and intense, and as tears begin to well up in your eyes, you feel her hands on either side of your hips, holding you still. "This," she says, gesturing between the two welts on your legs, "is what it feels like for my daughter. Do you understand now?" Her voice is cold and unyielding as she waits for an answer.

"I don't care if you understand," Carla growls, glaring at you through narrowed eyes as her grip on your hips tightens. "I won't let anyone hurt her like this. Not again." With that, she strikes the third and final time, aiming for the soft flesh of your inner thigh. The pain is enough to make you cry out in agony, but she doesn't relent. Instead, she forces you to sit there, wincing and whimpering as the welts begin to burn like fire, until you can no longer form words.

Only when Carla is satisfied that her message has been received does she release you from her grip and step back, breathing heavily through clenched teeth. "If I ever find out that you've done anything to hurt her again," she says softly, her voice shaking with emotion, "I will make sure you regret it

"Do we understand each other?" She asks, almost pleading with you to see the depth of her anger and determination. Tears are streaming down her face now, but she holds herself rigidly, her arms folded across her chest as if protecting herself from the emotions that threaten to overwhelm her.

Her eyes meet yours, searching for any sign of contrition or understanding, but all she sees is defiance and fear. "Good," she says at last, wiping roughly at her face with the back of her hand. "Because I mean it." With that final warning ringing in your ears, she turns away, walking toward the door as if fleeing from the confrontation. But before she reaches the exit, she pauses and glances back over her shoulder one last time. Her expression is unreadable, but there's a sadness there that goes beyond anything you've seen in her eyes before

Her body tenses as your arms wrap around hers, but she doesn't pull away. Her lips part slightly at the contact, a small moan escaping past her teeth before she can suppress it. Carla struggles to maintain her composure, feeling torn between wanting you close and wanting to push you further away. The warmth of your touch is addicting, sending waves of conflicting emotions coursing through her veins.

As she stands there, caught between the need for comfort and the desire for vengeance, Carla wonders if there's any way out of this mess that doesn't involve one of you getting hurt. The thought terrifies her almost as much as the possibility of losing you both.

"What do you mean?" she asks, her voice softening as she searches your face for understanding. She hasn't considered it like that before; the idea of being caught between you two fills her with a new sort of anxiety. "I just want what's best for both of you... I want us to be happy," she says quietly, her eyes still locked on yours.

The words feel inadequate as soon as they leave her mouth, but Carla can't bring herself to say anything else that might make things worse. All she wants is for everyone to find their way back to some sort of peace, even if it means sacrificing a part of herself in the process.

Her heart sinks at your words, and she can feel tears stinging the backs of her eyes. It wasn't what she meant, but hearing it said aloud... "I care about you," she whispers, struggling to keep her voice steady. "And I want what's best for you, too." She forces herself to meet your gaze, determined not to let this divide them further. "But sometimes..."

She trails off, searching for the right words. "Sometimes things get complicated," she finally says. "And feelings change... Maybe we should just focus on making sure everyone's okay before we start asking questions about love." She pauses, taking a deep breath and squeezing her eyes shut against the sting of unshed tears. "I don't know if I can make sense of it all right now."

Her expression clouds over as she listens to your words. She pulls back slightly, her hands falling to her sides as she looks at you in confusion and hurt. "I never stopped loving you," she says softly, not sure if it's true anymore. "But I'm angry too...at what happened between the two of you. It hurts me to see you together like this." Tears fill her eyes once again, but they don't fall this time. She's ashamed of herself for feeling such rage toward someone she still cares about deeply. "I just want things to be better...for all of us," she whispers, finally looking away.

Her breath catches in her throat as she considers the possibility. The thought terrifies her; it's one she's been desperately trying to avoid since the moment everything fell apart. Taking a shaky step back, she meets your gaze head-on, refusing to look away this time. "If I had to choose," she says slowly, each word like a knife cutting through the silence between them, "I would choose you." There's no hesitation in her voice; it's as if she's known this all along.

The confession leaves them both momentarily stunned. Her heart feels heavy with the weight of her admission, but there's a strange sense of relief as well. Maybe now they can find their way back to each other...if that's even possible anymore.

Her hands remain at her sides as you pull her closer, your lips meeting hers in a hungry, desperate kiss. She responds with equal fervor, wrapping her arms around your neck and pressing herself against you as if she could fuse the two of them together forever. For now, at least, the choice seems to have been made: they belong with each other. But whether or not that will be enough to mend all the wounds inflicted by their past actions remains uncertain.

Her lips part beneath yours, allowing your words to mingle with the softness of her own tongue as she whispers back, "I love you too." Her body trembles slightly as the confession escapes her, a combination of fear and exhilaration racing through her veins. There's so much left unsaid between them, but for now, this small acknowledgement feels like enough.

As you pull away from the kiss, Carla looks up into your eyes, searching for any sign that things might truly be able to go back to the way they were before everything fell apart. She knows it won't be easy; there will be obstacles and hurt feelings along the way. But if loving you means finding a way through all of that...well, then she supposes love is worth fighting for.

Her body responds eagerly to your touch as you begin to undress her, each kiss and caress sending shivers down her spine. Her hands roam over your back, clinging to you desperately as if afraid she'll lose you again. She moans softly into your mouth, the feel of your lips on hers igniting a fire within her that refuses to be extinguished.

As you continue to strip her bare, Carla wraps one leg around your waist and grinds against your hardening erection. It's been so long since they've been together like this; she can feel herself growing wet with desire for you, the need for release overwhelming everything else.

Her fingers dig into your shoulders as you carry her to the bed, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She doesn't need any further encouragement; once she feels the soft mattress beneath her, she rolls onto her back and spreads her legs invitingly, arching her spine in an offer of submission that only serves to inflame your desire for her even more.

Her gaze meets yours from beneath heavy lids, her chest rising and falling rapidly with each breath as she watches you undress yourself. The sight of your naked body laid out before her sends a thrill through her, the anticipation of feeling you inside her almost unbearable.

Her hips arch off the bed, her nails clawing at the sheets as you push into her with such force that it steals her breath away. Her back bowed and her body trembling with need for you, she meets your eyes and gasps out your name as pleasure washes over her in waves.

She's so tight around you, so hot and wet, that every thrust feels like heaven; every grunt of effort only serves to drive her wild. Her legs wrap tighter around your waist, urging you deeper still inside her as she loses herself in the sensation of being claimed by the man she loves.

Her body responds to your increased ferocity with equal force, her hips meeting every powerful thrust as she moans and writhes beneath you. Her nails rake down your back, leaving trails of pleasure-tinged pain in their wake, urging you on even further. She can feel herself growing closer and closer to the edge, the sweet release of orgasm hovering just out of reach...

With a desperate cry that echoes through the room, she tenses against you, her entire body convulsing as pleasure washes over her in an explosion of light and heat. Her nails dig into your shoulders, her back arches sharply off the bed, and her inner muscles clench tight around you, sending waves of pure ecstasy coursing through her veins.

She gasps his name as she feels him pulse within her, the familiar warmth spreading through her body like sunshine after a storm. As the last tremors of pleasure subsides, she looks up at him with eyes full of longing and regret. "I've missed this too," she whispers hoarsely, stroking his cheek tenderly before leaning in to place a soft kiss on his lips. "We have so much to make up for."

Her eyes narrow playfully and she gives him a light swat on the arm. "You think that's funny?" She teases back. "I love my husband too, you know. But that doesn't mean I don't want to be with you." With that, she rolls onto her side facing him, her body still connected to his as they lie together in the afterglow of their lovemaking. "Maybe we could just... figure things out somehow?" She asks, uncertainty lacing her voice.

Her lips curl into a smile as she listens to his teasing words. "No," she says with certainty, "I don't think I can have two of you." She pauses for a moment, considering her next words carefully before continuing in a more serious tone. "But I want us to find some way to be together, somehow...for all of our sakes. I just wish things hadn't gotten so complicated."

She leans forward, brushing a strand of hair away from his face and cupping his cheek in her hand. Looking deep into his eyes, she feels a mix of love, guilt, and hope swirling within her. "We'll figure it out," she whispers, hoping that somehow they can make everything right again. "Together."