I jabbed as hard as I could.
Xavier hissed in pain, his grip loosening for just a moment.
I gasped for air, finally able to breathe again.
Taking advantage of the moment, I struggled to get up, trying to make a break for the door. But before I could move far, his hand shot out and grabbed me by the wrist.
My heart sank.
22:35 Wed, 18 Jun
<
My heart sank.
This was it. I’d hurt him, and now he was going to kill me for real.
I turned to face him, expecting to see pure rage on his face.
But instead, his expression was one of pure confusion, as if he couldn’t quite understand what had just happened.
He gingerly touched the small scar on his rib, his eyes wide with shock.
“How… how do you know about this?” His voice cracked, his tone more frantic than ever. “Who told you about this? Do you… do you know Lucy?”
Xavier’s gaze turned desperate, and he reached for me again, his voice trembling as he
begged.
“Tell me where she is! Please, I’ll give you anything. A million… ten million… no, a hundred million pounds! I’ll give you one hundred million, just tell me where Lucy is!”
I stared at him, completely stunned.
He was losing it.
After hesitating for a moment, I forced myself to speak, my voice coming out more
awkward than I’d hoped.
“I am Lucy Ward, remember? It’s been a long time. Five years, actually. You’ve upgraded to an estate since then, huh? By the way, about that one hundred million pounds… is that offer still good?”
Xavier froze, blinking at me as if he couldn’t process what I’d just said.
He looked me up and down several times before slowly opening his mouth and reciting the words we had jokingly agreed upon all those years ago.
“One… two… three… four… five.”
I couldn’t help but respond, my voice weak.
<
“And Cooper is… five foot five.”
We had made that joke when we were younger, back when he really was just five foot five.
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Now, though, in just five years, he’d grown so tall I couldn’t even reach his shoulder.
Xavier’s lips quivered, and then, with a sudden burst of movement, he slapped himself hard across the face.
“I’m not dreaming, am I?” His voice trembled. “It’s really you. Lucy, you’re alive.”
The look in his eyes sent a wave of unease through me.
Surely he wouldn’t try to use the dream excuse to get out of paying the one hundred million, right?
I quickly spoke up.
“No, you’re definitely not dreaming, so don’t even think about backing out on the one hundred million you promised.”
Xavier’s mouth twitched slightly, then he lifted my hand, resting his head against it.
“One hundred million isn’t nearly enough. How about this–I’ll give you myself instead. I’m worth five billion.”
air.
I stared at him in disbelief. Five billion? Was it really that easy?
Before I could fully process his words, he scooped me up effortlessly, lifting me into the
I was stunned, staring at his face, which was now much too close to mine.
His warm breath tickled my cheek, making my thoughts sluggish.
I snapped back to reality and began to struggle.
“What are you doing? Put me down right now!”
22.35 Wed, 18 Jun
<
Xavier smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
“Lulu, since I’m offering myself to you, shouldn’t you give me something in return?”
Without another word, he carried me toward the bed.
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Realizing his intentions, I started thrashing in his arms, but before I could stop him, he had already thrown me onto the mattress.
He climbed on top of me, beginning to undo his shirt.
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His fingers deftly worked their way up, undoing the buttons from the bottom.
The sight of his toned abs sent a chill down my spine, but the only thing I felt was a
growing sense of dread.
