Lucien?
What is he doing here?
His dark and intense eyes burnt holes inside me with such force that air got stuck in my throat.
Not even a single word was spoken between us because the look in his eyes was telling that he had seen everything.
My lower lip wobbled.
If life had been the same as before, I would have broken down in his arms, right into his chest. The place where I once felt safe and protected from the evils of the world.
I would have cried out everything that I have been carrying in my heart for years now.
But things weren't the same anymore.
He wasn't the same man I loved.
Suddenly the silence was broken by a familiar voice, "There you are."
My body stiffened. I didn't dare to look around. Lucien kept me locked under his gaze. He heard him, too, but didn't react. Not even a single inch of his facial expressions changed, which scared me. Because I know his calmer self is far more dangerous than his angry side.
Suddenly the temperature dropped by several degrees.
"How dare you hurt me? What do you think of yourself, huh? Stop acting like a goddess and come here, you little slut."
Lucien snapped at the name the man used to refer to me. It was as if his patience broke. I barely managed to see his jaw locking and his eyes blazing with anger before he reached out for the hand of the man with which he was trying to touch me again. I stepped away from both of them when Lucien started folding his hand back, trying to break it.
"Leave ... Leave my hand," the man almost begged.
But Lucien didn't listen.
His lips were silent but his eyes held the storm.
The storm wasn't going to calm down until it destroyed someone.
A loud gasp escaped my throat, and my hands reached for my mouth when a loud cracking sound echoed in the silent hallway, which was followed by a gut-wrenching, painful scream from that man.
He collapsed on the floor out of fear.
"Run!" Lucien finally spoke in his low and lethal voice, which made me shudder too. "Run before I decide to break every bone of your body."
The man's eyes widened in horror. He immediately crawled away from Lucien, stood up, and ran for his life.
My soul almost left my body when Lucien's head snapped at me. His eyes were blazing with possessiveness and fury.
He was burning with the desire to set the entire world on fire if anyone else laid a hand on me.
Suddenly, he took a step towards me, which forced me to take a step back. I didn't want him to come closer and breathe in the same air as mine.
He disgusts me now.
But my reluctance didn't stop him. He kept taking slow and purposeful steps forward until my back hit the cold wall behind.
His arms came up on either side of my head, caging me in without touching me. His familiar and intoxicating cologne enveloped me. The heat of his nearness hit me like a punch.
Suddenly, I looked around to realise he had cornered me in a dark place where no one could see us, even if they passed by.
My heartbeat shot up when he dropped his head and his eyes traced my trembling lips, the side of my neck, and my tightened jaw before moving down to the coat that was hanging off my shoulders, exposing the little dress beneath it.
I felt naked, exposed, and vulnerable under his gaze.
His eyes snapped at me and this time they were full of disgust.
"Stripper, huh?" His voice was low and poisonous. "So this is where you ended up?"
His hot breath fanned my face while my breath hitched but I kept my chin up, meeting his intense stare.
After indirectly forcing me into this, he can't play the saint here.
"It isn't your concern," I said, keeping my voice steady. "It's my personal matter."
His jaw ticked.
And then he laughed. My first curl was so tight that my nails dug into my skin.
"Personal matter?" He mocked me, "Where is your pathetic husband, sweetheart? How is he doing?"
"A lot better than you!" I spat, looking straight into his eyes.
Suddenly, the smile vanished from his lips and jealousy flashed through his eyes.
"Then how did he even allow you this?" His eyes moved down my body.
Anger surged through my blood. I parted my lips but he didn't give me time to speak.
"Umm, let me guess," he rubbed his chin dramatically. "You must have left him after he came on the streets." He chuckled. "Isn't it?"
My jaw tightened. I closed my eyes and looked away.
Suddenly I felt his hot breath fanning the curve of my neck. My eyes shot open and I found his lips close... Too close to my skin. He was inhaling me like I was some drug.
"Still so intoxicating," he mumbled under his breath.
"Lucien, move," I demanded, without turning my head.
He wasn't touching me but the closeness was enough to set my entire body on fire.
Slowly he moved back and forced me to look into his eyes.
"You don't need to come here and sell yourself bit by bit for money. If anyone is going to have you... It will be me."
My breath hitched when he closed the tiniest distance between us. The bulging nerves of his neck were showing how badly he wanted to touch me.
"I have an offer for you," he said
He pulled out a card from his pocket and pushed it inside my blouse without touching me. His eyes lingered on my cleavage for more than a second before coming back to my face.
"Come to me for one night… and you'll get a lot more than whatever crumbs these men throw at you."
My whole body stiffened up. Anger rushed through my veins and I saw red.
Pure red.
My brain shut down and I did exactly what my blood screamed for.
I spit.
Right on his cheek.
The arrogance vanished from his face. His hand came up slowly to wipe it. He stared at his fingers for a second before lifting his sharp, dangerous gaze to me.
"There is no difference between you and the man who just chased me!"
His eyes darkened.
I yanked the card out of my blouse and looked down at it. It held his contact number, which has remained the same for years. I crushed it in my palm and threw it away.
"I don't need you or your pathetic help." I screamed at the top of my lungs, letting out all my frustration from the day at him, "Just stay away from me and my matters."
Sliding from the right, I stomped to the car. I barely reached it when, out of nowhere, he placed one hand on it and the other on the hood from behind me, caging me in once again.
"Don't touch me!" I threatened him, looking over my shoulder.
"I will not until you don't come begging to me," he whispered near my ear.
"Not in this life!" I spat.
"We'll see," he chuckled
He let go of the door and stepped back.
I shoved the door open, slid inside, and started the car. As I reversed, my eyes met his for a few seconds.
Lucien's eyes burnt… not with lust, not with hate… but with something far more dangerous.
Possession.
There was an assurance in them that I would come to him anyhow.
Yes, I need money for my daughter.
But I will not go to him!
Never!