Every part of her body tensed as she spoke to him, her nerves already frayed. "You—you slick bastard! What the fuck do you want? You and I have nothing to do with each other now. You have no right to speak to me like that, so don't even start, alright?"Her voice trembled, as if declaring her inherent weakness, and she hated it. She hated how weak she sounded and how powerless she was to change that."So, just like that? You're—what? Going down a new path of goodness and philanthropy? Don't you miss what we once had? Have you forgotten about the joy we once shared, the love we had between us?" Jonathan's brazen words made her inadvertently flush. An arrogant finger slid beneath her chin and lifted it as his free hand gradually unbuttoned her coat, revealing her voluminous chest.His smile was equally bold and unrestrained. "Didn't I tell you before? Women should wear lingerie that's more expensive than what you have on right now. Don't tell me you've used up all the money I gave you la
So what if they both hired a lawyer? She herself had once been a world-renowned lawyer, and her rebuttal was brimming with disdain. "Go get one then! I'm not afraid of you, Jonathan. I'll fight my own legal battles, thank you very much. I'd love to see what kind of lawyer you can find in Catheden to face me off, though. I'm sure it'll be a great pleasure to meet them.""But of course, how could I ever forget? My darling Scar is a formidable lawyer herself. Since I can't threaten you with this, what do you say about your former lover?" Jonathan leaned closer to her, his voice tinged with danger.Scarlett found herself becoming nervous at his threat. "What do you mean?""It means that I haven't forgotten what Dylan did to me, nor have I completely let go of that incident yet. Since our contract wasn't completely fulfilled last time, I wish to continue it now. If you disagree, don't blame me for not showing any mercy when I take care of your ex-boyfriend." His voice was so frosty that she
Scarlett had thoroughly made up her mind at this point, and she knew what she had to do. It would sting, no doubt, but she had to cross her heart and reject him either way. "Dylan, it's not that I don't want to meet your parents. I'd told you before that there are some things I can't talk about. But now, I don't think delaying it will help us both any further. I have to tell you, even if I'm not ready. How about we talk this through as we eat?"Even though she was reluctant to tell him the harsh truth, she knew it was time. Jonathan wouldn't let either of them go so easily, and she couldn't continue dragging Dylan down with her. Scarlett knew that her words would inevitably hurt him, but they were necessary. She'd run once, but she couldn't keep running now.As if he'd already guessed what she was about to say, Dylan's expression was grim. A thick silence shrouded the air between the two throughout the journey, even as they arrived at a casual diner. After ordering their entrées, Scarl
"Scar, since you don't want to tell me about it, I won't force you to, but I want you to know that I'll always wait for you until you find your happily-ever-after one day. I will never leave until you do. I already consider Lucas my own son. I can't bear to simply leave without knowing that he'll be okay.""Dylan … You really don't have to do this. You'll only make me feel even more guilty." The pressure she felt from the expectations Dylan unconsciously piled on her was paramount. She didn't know how she could ever repay his kindness, nor did she wish for him to always treat her this benevolently.The kinder he was, the more stressed she became."Alright, don't talk like this anymore. I know you don't need me to take care of you, but Lucas does. He's still a kid. He needs a father figure around him, or else he'll grow up in a deficient environment. How about this? I won't disturb you as you find a better father for Lucas. I promise I'll disappear from your lives. You can count on me,
The rarity of the situation at hand increased everyone's buzzing excitement. Even though Scarlett had been popular in college, she'd mostly focused on her studies instead of the hoards of admirers she'd gained without even trying. She'd been so disinterested in anything that had to do with romance that her initiative now thrilled her friends. Having her agree to their bold request was a miracle in itself, and none of them were going to leave before seeing it with their own eyes.Scarlett, on the other hand, knew that she had to go all out today and make that group of bad influences happy. She couldn't very well go against her word. Forget the completely unprecedented moves she was about to pull that night; she was certain that whatever she did now would go down in the history of their friendship as one of the filthiest things she'd ever done, and she was helpless to stop it from happening. She hadn't wanted to do something embarrassing like this in the first place, and she would never
"You must be joking," Scarlett returned with false bravado. She knew that under no circumstances could she show any sign of weakness in front of him. It would be humiliating. She couldn't understand why the man would say something like that to her. Did she look lonely?It certainly didn't seem that way. The admirers circling around her had been numerous, but she'd never taken an interest in any of them. She was surrounded by people all the time, so why would she ever feel lonely? It seemed ridiculous. If she had really been lonely, she could've very well simply picked a man from the hoards of admirers surrounding her to date. Why else would she be here, seducing him in the middle of the street?"What I'm trying to say is that you don't seem to understand yourself very well." A tender smile crossed his face, though she felt no warmth from it. Instead, frost spread through her heart in the face of his unknown confidence. And yet, she was curious about him, among other things.The surge o
And yet, as Jonathan teased and skimmed over her skin, she realized that he wasn't aroused, unlike what she'd intended and hoped. Even as his fingers teased her as seductively as she had him, his skin was cold as ice, not even a drop of lust in his touch. The way he explored her body felt methodical, glacial—as if he were touching a lifeless puppet instead of a living, breathing woman.His nonchalance irked her, and indignance flooded her heart. She itched for a challenge, and this man proved to be a stony one indeed. Still, Scarlett refused to believe he felt absolutely nothing for her.She approached him once more, intending to bewitch him with her gentle, tantalizing voice. How she yearned to addle his consciousness and shatter his indifferent mask. The weak whine in her voice was sweet as nectar, ambrosia that tempted him to indulge in its saccharine aftertaste. Her juicy lips blossomed in his line of sight, a bulb awaiting his uncovering of its petals.Scarlett's forthcoming appro
"Do you still want it? Do you? Weren't you just saying how I could be gay just now? Do you want to know if I really am gay or not?" Jonathan pinched her cheek hard, forcing her to meet his gaze head-on. His eyes were still icy as ever and devoid of emotion, but a tinge of lust was beginning to show through under his icy veneer, scarcely affecting the beauty of those incomprehensible eyes.Scarlett already knew that she was no match for him. She shook her head weakly. She was surrendering to him now. It was the only option she was left with, one she was backed into.Her refusal extinguished any lingering desire in his eyes. Flatly, he spat out, "Then get out."He pulled open the door for her before shoving her out despite her bedraggled appearance. Jonathan offered her no other parting words, nor did he spare her a glance. The car sped away as soon as she staggered out of it, leaving no trace as it, once again, disappeared into the night.The speed with which he had left did not allow h