Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 201 - Chapitre 210

Life had moved on despite the losses. Over a week had passed since my "accidental" encounter with Lucius, and I had been fighting to regain my own sense of stability.Amanda had honored her promise to not bring Alice back until her lease agreement was finalized, the insurance company had confirmed that my car was a total loss, and Jenna kept sending me a thousand pictures from her honeymoon. Things were more or less in order.That was what I tried to focus on as I untangled Alice's wet hair. She was engrossed in the TV, completely at ease. It was a peaceful Saturday night—at least it was until I glanced out the window. That familiar feeling crept back as I spotted Lucius's car parked on the street below.I didn't like this. By "this", I meant the creeping sense that I was doing something wrong, pretending not to know that Lucius was watching me closely. Ever since his warnings, I had been more aware of my surroundings—of where I was and who was nearby, including him. Sometimes, I'd

A gesture of kindness and gratitude—that was all I would give Lucius. It was all I could give the man who was now ringing the doorbell outside my apartment. I checked to make sure the table was set for him, doing my best to appear as casual as possible in my house clothes. Then, I went to open the door."I see you've learned how to use the doorbell," I greeted him."For tonight, yes. Though I'm not giving back the spare key I keep for emergencies.""I'll change the locks one of these days. Come in," I rolled my eyes.Lucius stepped inside, heading straight for the table where the only empty plate waited. Not wasting a second, I began to serve him the leftover dinner—simple enough, just rice, chicken cutlets, and salad. As I filled his plate, I felt his gaze on me, almost as though he was studying me, analyzing me.It was tormenting to be so close to him while trying to maintain a facade of kindness and gratitude. I didn't like how close we were. His scent was intoxicating, his pre

I woke up after sleeping in the same uncomfortable position all night. My left hip was aching badly from lying on my side for so many hours, but with daylight flooding my room and the sweet knowledge that it was Saturday, I allowed myself the luxury of stretching out freely in bed."I want three more hours of sleep. Can I sleep for three more hours?" I mumbled, my voice hoarse from sleep.But it was that very stretch—the freedom of it—that alerted me. My eyes flew open, and I panicked. I was alone. Completely alone."Where's the one responsible for my hip hurting and my left leg being numb?" I grumbled, getting up.I quickly slipped on my slippers and stepped out of the bedroom. The sound of the TV in the living room reached my ears, filled with animated voices. It didn't surprise me to find Alice sitting there, completely absorbed in her cartoons, a bowl of cereal in her lap. This was our weekend routine.What did surprise me, though, was the sight of Lucius sitting next to her o

Something very interesting and unexpected had happened. I had finished watching my movie and started cooking lunch, and… Lucius still hadn't left.I was frying the chicken, frowning as I watched Lucius and Alice sitting at the dining table, drawing together. They were now sketching portraits of each other. Alice was completely immersed, while Lucius, to my surprise, was focused like never before. When he noticed me staring, he flashed me a big, forced smile."You have no idea how much fun I'm having, Alice. This is the most fun I've had in a long time," he said, turning back to his drawing."Really?" Alice asked, thrilled. "Are you making me look pretty? I want to look pretty.""You're already pretty," Lucius replied, still focused on the sketch. "And I'm talented. One plus one…""Equals two!" Alice shouted."Did you hear that? I even taught her how to add," Lucius bragged.I held back the urge to throw a few insults his way and instead started plating the food."Put those down

You should never lose your cool. Losing your cool was the beginning of the end. But how would you stay calm when locked in a tiny closet with your ex-husband? The same ex-husband you still had feelings for, feelings that defied logic and reason. The one you ended up sleeping with multiple times in one night because you were a drunken mess.It wasn't easy, and I wasn't made of stone. The heat of his body pressed against mine was unbearable. And it was sad, really, because that wasn't even Lucius's intention. He was just struggling to open the door while I was having a mental meltdown, swarmed with all these torturous thoughts."It's not opening. Has this ever happened before?" he asked, sounding annoyed."It has. The door sticks sometimes, and when it does, you can't open it from the inside. That's why you shouldn't have shut it, genius," I snapped."Are you blaming me for your door's inability to perform its basic function—opening and closing properly?" he retorted, equally irritat