Chapter 33: Tiernan – Intimacy and Trust
⚠️ Spoiler Notice
This page contains full spoilers for Chapter 37 (33. Tiernan) of Bad Bishop by L.J. Shen. Read with caution if you haven’t finished the chapter.
Summary
Tiernan watches his wife Lila eat pizza in a crowded late‑night spot, fixated on her safety and his unwanted emotional attachment. He follows her to the restroom, then texts his sister Tierney for a way to help Lila sleep. Tierney warns against pills because of the pregnancy and claims a hard orgasm always knocks her out. Back home, Tiernan runs a bath and, desperate, contacts former escort and tech billionaire Rhyland Coltridge. He trades his App‑date shares for a tutorial video on cunnilingus. Entering the bedroom, Tiernan asks Lila’s permission to touch her until she falls asleep. She gives him full autonomy and a safe‑word signal (hair tug). After Lila examines his penis and calls him beautiful, Tiernan removes his eye patch and kisses his way down her body. He performs oral sex, bringing her to a shattering orgasm; he finds his own release against the mattress. Lila falls asleep immediately. Tiernan spends the whole night watching her from the recliner, refusing to wash her scent off his skin.
Key Events
- Tiernan admits that protecting Lila has become a compulsion: “I’d stop the night from falling if darkness scares you.”
- He asks Tierney for sleep aid, learns pills might harm the baby, and receives the orgasm‑as‑remedy advice.
- Tiernan humbles himself by summoning Rhyland Coltridge, buying sex‑advice with valuable shares.
- Lila asks to see his penis, studies it, and notes it must be much larger than her rapist’s because she survived.
- In the bedroom, Tiernan requests consent and gives Lila a hair‑tug safe word; she fully trusts him.
- He removes his eye patch; Lila calls him beautiful and reiterates she would choose him again.
- Tiernan performs cunnilingus, Lila orgasms, he climaxes, and she immediately falls asleep.
- He keeps vigil from the recliner all night, taking her scent as a trophy rather than washing it away.
Character Development
Tiernan His transformation deepens dramatically. He asks permission instead of taking, blushes when flustered, and volunteers to remove his eye patch—the ultimate vulnerability. He frames his protectiveness as a compulsion he cannot control, and after the act he admits, “I was completely, tragically, wretchedly hers.” The chapter shows him shifting from a controlling psychopath to a man willing to kneel in service of his wife’s pleasure and rest.
Lila Lila moves from passive victim to active participant. She trusts Tiernan enough to examine his body, dares to give commands, and tests the hair‑tug safe word before allowing him to continue. Her frank curiosity and her declaration that she’d choose him again signal emotional healing and a powerful emerging confidence.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Compulsion to Protect: Tiernan’s repeated insistence that safeguarding Lila isn’t a choice but an irresistible drive.
- Trust and Consent: The hair‑tug safe word and Tiernan’s explicit request for permission frame intimacy as mutual, not coercive.
- Power Dynamics Shift: Tiernan calls himself “the conquered,” reversing the hunter‑prey pattern of earlier chapters.
- Vulnerability as Strength: Removing the eye patch and blushing strip away his menacing façade, revealing raw emotion.
- Sexual Healing: The gentle, pleasure‑focused act directly counters Lila’s trauma, proving her body can be a source of joy.
- Obsession Turned Devotion: Tiernan’s refusal to wash Lila’s scent from his skin marks a possessive yet worshipful bond.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 37 is the emotional hinge of Tiernan’s arc. For the first time, he acts entirely for Lila’s benefit—seeking expert help, giving her full control, and forgoing his own power‑based approach to sex. The scene crystallises the shift from a transactional, hate‑driven marriage to a genuine, albeit dark, connection. It also gives Lila agency over her body after her assault, reinforcing the novel’s themes of trust, healing, and the terrifying vulnerability of truly caring for someone.
Study Questions and Answers
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How does Tiernan’s request for advice from Rhyland reflect his character development?
It demonstrates a humbling willingness to seek outside help for Lila’s well‑being, something the prideful, self‑sufficient Tiernan of earlier chapters would never do. He even trades his App‑date shares—a strategic asset—simply to learn how to please her, proving that her comfort now outweighs his business interests. -
What does the safe word “tug my hair” symbolise in the context of their relationship?
The hair‑tug is a tangible symbol of Lila’s control. By granting her an immediate stop‑signal, Tiernan empowers her to set boundaries after a history of violation. When she tugs but then orders him to continue, it illustrates active consent and her growing confidence to direct their physical intimacy. -
In what way does this chapter invert traditional power dynamics between Tiernan and Lila?
Tiernan, a dominant killer who normally takes what he wants, kneels between her legs, asks permission, and admits to feeling conquered. Lila, once naive and frightened, becomes the one who studies his nakedness, commands him to resume after testing the safe word, and ultimately controls the pace of the encounter. The conqueror becomes the conquered, and the “prey” becomes the guide.