Lucy’s POVI wanted to stop him, but I couldn't, as it would be pointless if I didn't have the right to begin with. I kept telling myself that I couldn't think about him anymore because there were more important things to do. Edward dropped me off at my newly vacant villa and suddenly asked, "Are you sad that he's leaving the country today?" "No. Why do I feel sad that he's leaving the country? He's no longer my business."I smiled at him and then took my bag. But before I got out of his car, I told him, "Thank you for today. But my house is still empty, and I don't have anything to offer. I wish I could ask you over for coffee. Perhaps another time?" He shrugged his shoulders and put on a cute smile. "It's okay. I get it. Here is my phone number in case you need to get in touch with me." He gave me his business card and put it in my hand. "Call me any time." I softly smiled and said, "Uh, okay. Sure." And he left.When I opened my phone to read Mr. Hernandez's instructions, it
Lucy’s POV"What? Is today not a good day for you to eat with me?" He looked at the menu with a happy smile and crossed his legs. Then he asked me, "Do you want to eat something?" Silently, I look at him, my expression betraying my confusion. It's good that I saw him again after two months, but that doesn't change the fact that I still hate him for everything. Everything about him makes me mad every time I look at him. "I am not in the mood to eat anything," I said, clenching my jaw. "I think I should leave because I have a meeting in ten minutes—" He grabbed my wrist and said, "Please just give me this day. I just got back from Portugal, and this is how you greet your ex-husband?" "What do you want from me, Arman?" He said, “I just want to see you.” I scoffed and answered him sarcastically, “So you want to see me miserable? Well, the news is I’m getting better now so thanks to you.” "I don't think I should have lunch with you today," I said as I picked up my pink bag. Then gav
Lucy’s POVIt made me sick to my stomach to think about what the hell he wanted from me. He dumped and turned me down, and now he's trying to bother me again?I snapped my fingers together in fury and stared blankly at the floor until I found myself thinking about him. I pressed my lips together as I thought about how he kissed me that night and carefully claimed me over and over again."No way," I said as I shut my eyes and bit my lower lip."I should have put that out of my mind!" Then I paced back and forth, thumped my feet, and sighed, "What am I doing?! Erase him from your mind, Lucy! He's not worth it!" "Are you okay, Miss Lucy?" Cecille inquired as she just walked in.And right now I don’t know what to do because she just caught me talking to myself. "Haha, nothing," I said with an awkward smile. I walked upstairs, trying not to look back at Cecille while scratching my forehead. I feel so ashamed of what I was doing, damn it. "Sh*t…" I said it out loud in shock as I shut
Lucy’s POV"Arman, people are staring," I remarked, positioning myself in the center. He peered at me with an expression that conveyed his intense desire to discipline my Uncle Robert.Arman stepped back, and my Uncle Robert glared at us and yelled, "This is Foolishness! I'm going to file a lawsuit! You can't just interfere and hurt me, you id*ot!" "Do you think I'm scared of you?" Arman asked my uncle with a sneer and a straight face. Uncle Robert suddenly got cold sweats as he looked at Arman."I'm not scared of you, Arman Romano!" "I know you're not." Arman smiled playfully. Uncle Robert stood up while rubbing his knees, and it looked like Arman really kicked him so hard that his knees were trembling in pain.I pulled out Arman's arm and said, "Let's go." Everyone was staring at us; some even spoke to each other in disdain as they stared at me with disgusted faces."Can you drive my car?" I threw him my car key, and he had no choice but to drive the car out of the crowd. I to
Lucy’s POV"That's right, I don't love you, and I never will. I won't just sit here and watch you die, though!" His eyes were off of me when he said that. I didn't get why someone like him would say that in front of me. My god, this is killing me twice. I took deep breaths and let them out until I said, "Get out of my car..." I shoved him out of the car and sat down in the driver's seat, trying to hold back my tears. Lucy, don't cry right now. Don't show him how much what he said struck you. He's totally f*cking aggravating and bewildering you the entire time! I stomped on the gas and sped up the car until I was far away from him. That's when I collapsed in tears. Seriously, I can't cry with the same guy over and over again! This is unbelievable!What a terrible day. When I got home, I did not realize that Edward was already waiting for me. Now that I saw him, he looked at me with worried eyes, blinking slowly as if he was thinking about what had happened to me. He softly asked
Lucy’s POVEdward slowly took my finger out of his mouth, and I opened my mouth wide. He asked the waiter, "Do you have a plaster or a piece of cloth?" "Yes, sir." The waiter ran to the kitchen and came back with a plaster in his hand.Edward carefully put the plaster around my pointy finger and said, "It's okay. It's just a little cut." Despite my relief that he was such a gentleman, I found myself nervously staring at him and biting my lower lip. He told me, "Now you can finish your food."I smiled at him. And he added with a wink, "Don't play with the knife again, though..."I let out a soft laugh and said, "Thank you..." He took out a piece of tissue and wiped the edge of my lip with it. Then he whispered. "Don't bother looking at him again. He'll only ruin your day..." Then, with a grin on my face, I swallowed and kept eating till I was full. It was hard for me not to look at Arman, who was sitting at a different side table. I also tried to figure out how to stop jealousy b
Lucy’s POV"I… don't?" I realized that he was right. I do not have any friends, and I am not sure why I am here with Edward. Honestly, I don't know whether Edward considers me a friend. But I don't care anymore. What I really care about right now is why Arman would waste his time just to annoy me.And when I glanced at him, he was already staring at me. Arman crossed his front pockets with his palms as he approached, asking, "Are you serious when you say that he is your friend? Lucy, a man and a woman, can never be friends. He's doing this because he wants something from you. Right, Edward?" "Of course I don't want her to be my friend… Because I want to be more than just friends with her... because I like her," Edward answered. I gasped as he grabbed my hand. "Lucy, I really like you," he said as he looked into my eyes. Arman was a little surprised when Edward confessed directly to me. Then there was me. Who was completely confused at the same time.After Edward's honest confess
Lucy’s POV“That’s why I’m not foolish enough to give you what you want, grandma.” I replied to her question without blinking my eyes. Her anger sparked as she threw a glance towards me, “Lucy… you're going to regret this.” Grandma, so far as I can tell, I will not deeply regret anything. Even if you're going to be furious with me, it doesn't matter. I could care less..."She put out her hand to hit me, but I grabbed her wrist and told her, "I always admire you as my grandmother. But I now see that I don't want to be like you. I want no part of being an elderly woman who wanders around yapping garbage!" "You are such a shame to the family!" she said as she yanked her wrist away from me. "You barely respect me!" "Respect what? Respect isn't given; it's earned. Since then, you haven't respected me, grandma. Please know how sad I am if this is how I have to behave around you. What you are showing me is all I am reflecting on." In spite of the rain, I turned my back on her and headed
Arman’s POV"Loretta is here; she wanted to talk to you." Ray said as he sat on the couch, playing with his gun.Even though it's crystal clear that I don't want her or want to see her, this woman is continuously trying to force herself on me. I let out a soft sigh and walked to the door. When I opened it, I saw her in her pajamas. Her feet were so dirty that it looked like she had run away from home and come here to see me.I asked with narrowed eyes, "What are you doing here?""H—Help me. My father wants to kill me, and you're the only person I can trust." She said it with a voice full of fear. She looked around, and as she did, her tears began to roll back into her cheeks. I need your help; if he finds out I'm here, he'll kill me.She pushed her way in, which shocked me. Even Ray looked at her in shock and confusion at what she was doing in my house. Ray got up and said, "She left her house. I think Mr. Patani has a bad temper. Are you okay, Loretta?" "Please don't tell him I'm he
Lucy’s POV"Yes, Grandma." I said, lowering my head, trying not to shed tears this time. "But I guess Jane needs you the most now. She just lost her child and it must be painful for her to lose two people important in her life."Grandma sighed in remorse, her voice mixed with pain as she said, "I didn't know that we were being too considerate with Jane but not with you, my dear."I smiled. "It's okay; life is like that. I have to go."I glanced at Uncle Robert, who looked so worried about Jane's condition, and Aunt Cecille ran outside to call the nurse and doctor. My heart felt like it was wrenched a thousand times because Jane still has parents who love her truly, but I am here, feeling like a lost daughter.Aunt Cecille glanced at me as I turned my back on them; she said nothing, but the look of unfathomable guilt was written all over her face. As I made my way outside, I noticed the two bodyguards still standing there. To be honest, I wasn't used to having security. But if my life
Lucy’s POV"What's wrong?" It looked like he didn't want to talk about it again. So I blocked his way and asked, "Say something." "I guess someone hired him to kill you. But no one still knows who that guy was. Why don't you forget about it so you don't have to worry about it anymore?" "How can I forget about it if my life has been in danger and people have tried to kill me ever since my father died?" I asked with disdain. He touched my face and whispered, "You need not be afraid anymore. Please know that I am here for you and will protect you as long as you are with me."I felt a pang, a bitter ache in my heart as I stared at him. He says the same things that Arman always told me, and I can't help but think about the good old times with Arman. Looking at him, though, brought back a memory. I remember another smile, one that completely captivated me. It was Arman's smile, the one that never failed to make my heart race and flutter. “Are you alright?” Hugo asked as he scanned my f
Lucy’s POVI'm out here in the street, shivering from the cold and the agony in my heart from my feelings for Arman, and it's raining again. It's been hard for me to forget about him, but now I'm crying again because of him. I took a deep breath and hailed a cab. When I got inside, I saw a suspicious-looking knife and a rope. I retreated and said, "I think I forgot something. Sorry." I then closed the car door and ran away in fear.But the taxi followed in the street, I frowned and muttered in panic, “What’s wrong with him?” Even though it was pouring rain, I kept running until I tripped and looked like I couldn't go on. The cab driver stopped in front of me. As I tried to crawl, he got out of his car and smiled at me. He had a deep scar on his face. "So, you're Lucy Hansley? You've been on my radar, Lucy...""Who are you?! What do you want from me?" I yelled in fear and then grabbed a rock to throw at him. As I stood up, I groaned in pain and tried to run as fast as I could, even
Lucy’s POVI pushed him away, desperately trying to escape from his grasp. "Arman, I can't! I am dating Hugo now... I can't bear the thought of betraying him!""No, you belong to me. You felt sorry for him, that's why you gave him a chance! I know you still love me—"I slapped his face, my tears slowly rolling down on my cheeks. My heart throbbed in pain as I said, "And after this, what?! You're going to leave me again! How can you kiss me, want to make love to me, and in the end, you're still going to leave me like nothing happened between us?!""Lucy…" Silence engulfed the room as he watched my tears trace paths down my cheeks. Just as I turned to leave, a deafening crack of thunder split the sky, and a blinding bolt of lightning illuminated the downpour that drenched the place in an instant. I stumbled back, only to find myself enveloped in his warm embrace. His arms wrapped around me, and as I looked up, his gaze held me captive, and I whispered, "A-Arman..." "I'm sorry..." he
Arman’s POV"Delayed?!" I growled angrily, my voice a rumble that sent shivers down the spines of my men lined up before me. They all lowered their heads as I barked into the phone, "What do you mean by delayed? It's been three damn days that shipment's been floating in that damn ocean!"Ray answered, "Port security's been doing thorough inspections, and we can't afford to lose another shipment. So, we asked the captain to hold standby.""Ray..." I sighed, my anger simmering. "You better handle this. No more delays by tomorrow, or else we lose the Pattani deal."Looking up, I met my men's eyes and issued a command: "Request an extension from Pattani. I want one of you to dig deeper into Hugo Ricci. I want a comprehensive report on him.""Yes, boss." Then they started marching out.I stepped outside while my chest pounded angrily just thinking about the shipments. Then, my thoughts drifted back to Lucy and Hugo again. I sighed as I saw Loretta, Pattani's daughter. She waved and smiled
Lucy’s POV"Lucy," he said gently, drawing me back to the conversation. But I didn't know what to say to him; my mind was a tangled mess. How could I respond to his question? Part of me feared rejecting him, but another larger part was that I couldn't ignore the growing unease in my gut. Ever since his relentless pursuit began, his true colors had started to show. He didn't just give up so easily; he tried to make me happy again, which made me reluctant to ignore his feelings. Before Alicia could spot us, I dragged Hugo into my office and locked the door. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm my nerves. He waited patiently, his gaze fixed on me. Then I turned to face him and bit my lower lip. "Hugo..." He smiled."How can you forget him if you don't want to try dating me?" he asked, suggesting a relationship.I took another soft breath and let out a nervous chuckle. "What? What are you talking about? I have already moved on and am trying to make myself happy again. See? I'm happy
Lucy’s POVHugo arrived, his gaze lingering on me as if he longed to offer comfort but held himself back. He watched silently as my sobs wracked my body.Wiping away tears and sniffling, I forced out the words, "I think..." I paused softly and expressed, "I think it's best if you distance yourself from me." "Why?" He reached out a hand hesitantly, then stopped before making contact. "I know I must seem like a stranger, but seeing your pain... It hurts me too. I can't bear to see you cry because of him. I know you don't understand me doing this to you, but trust me, I don't know either." "I know you're trying your best, but seeing you reminds me of him too much."His eyes clouded with sadness as he took a step back. "Well, Lucy," he said softly, "If that's what you want, I can't argue. But remember, whenever you're ready to face the world again, I'm just right here for you, okay?" I nodded, offering a weak smile of apology as I slowly closed the door. Left alone, I sank to the floor
Lucy’s POV"Why would I kill myself just for him?" I asked him with a laugh and added, "That's not who I am." He didn't say anything; he just looked at me as if he had something on his mind that he couldn't say. I met his gaze head-on, "Hugo, I'm fine. Do yourself a favor and go home." His hand went into his pocket as he stood up, his face a mask of concern. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself here?" he asked."Hugo, why do you care so much about me? Watching people die is probably nothing new to you," I said, my voice tinged with bitterness. A flicker of pain written on his face and he replied with clenched jaw, "You don't know anything about me. Yes, Arman and I are the same people who grew up in that world. But I am not ruthless like him." I watched him walk to the door. Before he opened it, he glanced back at me and said, "I know you think I'm a bad person, but I'm still human. And when I care for someone, Lucy, I don't fake it. Remember that."And he left me with a hea