Chapter86
“Ifeellikesewingyourmouthshutrightnow,”Lucassaidquietly.
Avelineresponded,“I’mafraid that’snotpossible.There’sno-”
Beforeshecouldfinish,hisfierykisndedonherlips.Thekisswasurgentandfierceasifhewasventingsomedeepemotion.ItwassointensethatAvelinefoundithardtobreathe.
Shetriedtopushhimaway,buthegrabbedherwristwithonehandandpinneditbehindherback,pullinghereven closer.
Seizingthemoment,Avelinebithislip.
Insteadofstopping,hedeepenedthekiss.
Shefeltlikeshewasgoingtosuffocate.Wasthismancrazy?Sheregretteingintooearly.Ifshehadwaiteduntiltheyweredone,shewouldn’tbetreatedlikethis.
Hisslenderfingersslippedunderhershirt,skillfullytracingeverysensitivespotonherbody.Shetrembledandwentlimp.
Realizingshewasnolongerstruggling,hefinallyreleasedher,buthisnosestilltouchedhers.
“Aveline,whyare yougettingsoclose toMr.Skyleragain?Doyouknowwhatkindofpersonheis?”
Withhereyesreddenedandfilledwithanger,sheredathim.That’snoneofyourbusiness!”
HecouldembraceSophia,so whycouldn’tshefindsomeoneelse?
Lucasnarrowedhiseyesdangerously,grabbedherleg,andturnedheraround,makingherstraddlehim.
Avelineregainedabitofstrengthbutdidn’timmediatelymoveaway.Instead,shelookedathimwithahalf–smile.“Lucas,couldit
seamsa
Shesmilersigtitsrheton,5??ese
feel
Ifzennefind,autwuterightingbesjenny,phi|Naughingstas
Lucasresponded.Whave
rainewasspeechless
Chapter87
Hesmiledbitte
auswe’vebeentogetherforayear.Event
ifyourereadyourmemory,thememoriesfromthepastyea
and,right?Howcanyounotbelieveme?
Howcouldthelookatherwithsuchsuspicion
velsecouldn’tunderstanditnomatterhowlongshethought
Lucasforastrangeponginhischestandthenasked,“Didyou
eportittothepolice
Aveline’sconegrewcol
Lucasbrowremainedtightlyfurrowed.Afteramoment,hesaid,I’llinvestigateit.”
Aveline lookedathim“Svoustillrefusetodivorceme?
Lucasdidn’trespond
Avelinecontinued,“MissWinterlifematters,butminedoesn’t
Lucaslipspressedintoastraightline.
Hestaredatherforawhilebeforesaying,“Yourlifematterstoo.”
Avelineasked.“Thenwhywon’tyoudivorce me?”
Divorce,divorce!Didn’tshehaveanythingelsetosay?Wasshegoingtokeepmentioningdivorce allthetime?
Lucasfeltinexplicablyirritatedanddepressed.Hisgriponherwaistrightenedunconsciously
ine’sbodystiffened.“Areyoutryingtostrangle
Lucaslookedatherquietly.“DoyouthinkIdon’twant
Frobab
Lucassaid,“Ifwe’renotdivorcing,weneedtoactlikeit.You’lleitherlivewithmeattheTudorresidence,orI’lllivewithyouatMapleGarden.Pickone.Weneedtomakesurepeopleknowwehaveagoodrtionshipasacouple.”
Avelineprotested,“Lotsofcouplesliveseparately.Whydowehavetolivetogether?”
Lucasreplied,“Tomakeitconvincingforoutsiders.Thatway<b>,</b>noonewilltroubleSophia.”
Avelinewasspeechless.Whydidsheevenask?Shewasjuststabbingherselfintheheartwithher ownquestions.
“Thenarrangesomebodyguardsforme,toprotectmeclosely,”Avelinecontinued tosetconditions.
Noonecaredabouther,soshehadtotakegoodcareofherself.
Lucassaid,“Youcangotoandfromworkwithme.I’llprotectyou.”
Avelineresponded,“Idon’ttrustyou.”
Lucaswasspeechlessagain.
Theatmosphereinthe privateroomgrewcolder,theairthickwithtension,andaninvisiblepressurebegan tospread.
БОЙРНОАКТ
Chapteran
uddenlybecame
Latassaidcoolly,“You’venotsonijnyconditions.Nowit’smyturn
AvelinewidenedheroyesslightHy.Areyouserious?Isn’tusingmeasashieldnotenou
ough?Nowyouwanttosetconditionstoo?How
Lucaswasspoochlessagain.Hereallywanted tostrangleher.
“StayawayfromMr.Skylerfromnowon.
Avelineresponded,“That’simpossible,”
Lucassquintedhiseyesindispleasure,
Avelineexined,“He’smysa
‘smysavionWithouthim,I’dbedeadbynow.So,Lean’tstayawayfromhiminthefuture,ifIgetthechance,Ihavetorepayhim.”
Encasasked,“Howwillyourepayhim?Bymarryinghim?”
Avelinereplied,“Well…ifhewantsto,it’snotoutofthequestion.”
“AveAveline!!cas‘tonegrewharsher.“I’mnotjoking.”
Aveline’sexpressiongraduallycalined,“NeitheramI,Lucas.Idon’tthinkyouwantthistogetugly.Eitherdivorcemeoragreetomyconditions.”
Lucasaskedcoldly,“Getugly?Whatdoyountodo?”
Avelinesaid,“Ihavevideoevidenceandwitnesses.Ifthedivorceturnsintoascandal,itwilliourreputation.Isthatenough?”
AcoldsanileappearedonLancas‘lips.“ThenI’lllockyouupandbreakyourlegsbeforeyoucanfilewsuit.”
Aveline’sbreathhitched.Atthismoment,shedidn’tdoubtthetruthofhiswordsatall!
Ifhereallygotpushedtotheedge,hemightactuallydoit!
Whatascumbag!
Avelriedtocalmdownandasked,“Lucas,doyouactuallylikeMissWinterornot?”
Ifhelikedher,shouldn’themarryherassoonaspossible?Ifhedidn’t,whywashealwaysprotectingher?Itwasreallyhardtounderstand.
Lucasreplied,“That’snoneofyourbusiness.”
Avelinescoffed,“Hah!”
Lucaswasquietagain.Theatmospheregrewtenseoncemore.
Atthatmoment,Lucas‘phonerang.HepickeditupandsawitwasacallfromBrian.
“Speak.”
Briansaid,“Mr.Tudor,MissWinterhasarrivedhome.”Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org
“Alrightebacknow,”Lucasinstructedandthenhungupthephone.
Takingadvantageofthemoment,Avelinegotupfromhip,exhaleddeeply,andsaid,“Lucas,youhavetoagreetomyconditions.Otherwise,ifIwalkawayfrom this,youwon’tfind
anotherlikeme.”
Withthat,sheturnedandleft.
Thistime,Lucasdidn’tstopher.
Lucaswatchedherslenderfigureleave,thedeepdarknessinhis
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eyesgraduallyspreadinglikeanunfathomableabyss.
WhenBrianentered,hesawLucaswithacigarettebetweenhisfingers,smokecurlingandrisingfromhishand.Lucaslookedup,hisgazeicy.“Brian,youhavealotofnerve.”
Brianstiffenedandloweredhishead,remainingsilent.
Lucasstoodupandwalkedover,kickingBrianinthebackofhisknees,forcinghimtokneel.
“Whatdidyoufindoutthatnight?”Lucaslookeddownathim,hispresenceradiatingacold,oppressiveaura.
Brianknelt,hisbackstraight.“Mr.Tudor,MissWinterlostalegforyou.Whenyouwereunconscious,sheendured thepaintotakecareofyou.Later,whenyouwentmissing,shekeptsearchingforyou.Youcan’tbetrayher!”
Lucas‘voicegrewcolder.“I’maskingyou,whatdidyoufindoutthatnight?”