Chapter 7

I moved out of Kevin's house after all.

A few days later, he called me.

"So you're really playing games with me, huh?" His voice was sharp. "Fine, Ayla. Don't come crying to me later."

Within the first week of our breakup, Kevin and Jenna York appeared on the trending lists eight times.

At the office, people whispered behind my back.

"He used to treat her like a queen. Now that he's done with her, she just looks pitiful."

"Well, what do you expect? She can't even recognize people's faces. Honestly, being a low-level assistant is probably the best she can do."

They all thought I was drowning in heartbreak.

Little did they know, I spent the entire week in a state of unease.

Lucas Gray had returned.

His office was just a few steps away from my desk, and every day, I couldn't avoid his calm, steady gaze.

Sometimes, I even had to face Kevin directly.

It was like being slowly tortured.

One afternoon, a storm rolled in, and thunder rumbled in the distance.

Rain poured in sheets as my manager tossed a black plastic bag onto my desk.

"Address is in your inbox. Mr. Gray wants you to deliver this."

The destination was a five-star business hotel.

I sighed, resigned to my fate.

This wasn't the first time Kevin had gone out of his way to make things difficult for me. But if I wanted to keep my job, I didn't have much of a choice.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, the rain had soaked me to the skin.

From a distance, I spotted Kevin surrounded by a group of people, talking animatedly.

I pushed through the crowd and shoved the black plastic bag into his hands, eager to finish the errand as quickly as possible.

"Mr. Gray, here's what you requested."

He didn't catch it properly, and the bag fell to the floor with a loud plop.

It rolled a couple of times before spilling its contents—contraceptives.

The room went dead silent.

Every eye in the room turned to me, their expressions a mix of shock and disbelief.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, calmly bending down to pick up the items.

"Apologies, I have something to take care of. Excuse me," he said smoothly, his tone unfazed.

Without missing a beat, he wrapped an arm around my waist and guided me into the lounge.

The door clicked shut behind us, the lock turning with a soft snick.

That familiar yet unfamiliar scent of sandalwood surrounded me.

He let out a low chuckle.

"Ayla, this is the second time you've mistaken me for my brother."

It took me a full three seconds to process his words.

The man standing in front of me was Lucas Gray.

Seeing the items in his hands, my face flushed crimson.

"S-sorry… I was looking for Kevin."

Lucas's smile froze for a moment.

"Kevin?" he repeated, his tone unreadable.

He didn't say anything more, but the next second, Kevin's voice drifted in from the adjacent room.

"Who told you to bring her here?" he barked, irritation clear in his tone.

Jenna's whiny voice followed, "I just wanted her to see us together. I just wanted to mess with her…"

Kevin let out a sharp laugh, and the sound of something crashing echoed through the wall. Jenna's cries turned into desperate pleas.

"You're pathetic," Kevin sneered. "Do you really think you can challenge her? Want me to blacklist you?"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, baby, I was wrong…" Jenna sobbed.

"Then get on your knees and take your punishment. When Ayla gets here, remember to cry pretty for her."

I felt like I'd fallen into an ice-cold abyss.

My nose stung as I fought back the bitterness swelling in my chest.

Even though I had broken up with Kevin, he had no right to let Jenna humiliate me like this.

A pair of hands gently cupped my face, pulling me back to the present.

"Ayla," Lucas said softly, "did you hear enough?"

"People who can't stay loyal in a relationship aren't any better than trash."

For some reason, Lucas seemed unusually cold tonight. His calm demeanor was tinged with an air of unapproachability.

The storm outside raged on, wind and rain battering against the windows.

His words struck a nerve, and I flinched.

The anxiety I'd been suppressing for days finally erupted.

"Mr. Gray, that night… I hadn't broken up with Kevin yet. So doesn't that make me just as bad?" My voice cracked as I spoke.

"Shh…"

His lips brushed against mine, soft and cool, silencing my words.

Lucas chuckled, his voice low and soothing.

"You didn't mean to. How could you possibly be like him?"

"But I—"

"You're different," he interrupted firmly. "I understand you completely."

Lucas had a way of getting under someone's skin, of pulling them into his world with just a few words.

Before I even realized it, I was sitting on his lap, breathless from the kiss.

In the dim light, Lucas's eyes gleamed with quiet amusement.

"While Kevin's off fooling around, shouldn't you enjoy yourself too?" he murmured.

"What do you want me to do, Ayla? Use the gift you brought me?"

He looked every bit the gentleman in his tailored suit, yet his words made my heart race.

Before I could respond, his lips brushed against the side of my neck, making me gasp involuntarily.

Panicked, I clapped a hand over my mouth.

The noise from the adjacent room abruptly stopped.

Then my phone lit up with an incoming call.

Kevin's name flashed on the screen.

Lucas glanced at the phone, a quiet laugh escaping his lips. He answered it for me.

"Ayla, where are you? What are you doing?" Kevin's voice was sharp with suspicion.

Lucas held the phone to his ear, his voice calm and composed.

"What do you think she's doing?"

Perhaps the thunder drowned out his voice, because Kevin didn't seem to recognize it.

All he heard was the mocking provocation.

"Who the hell are you?" Kevin roared. "You dare mess with me, Kevin Gray?"

Jenna's startled yelp echoed faintly in the background, followed by the sound of something shattering.

Meanwhile, Lucas remained unbothered, his tone laced with amusement as he whispered near my ear.

"Ayla, I'm not forcing you to choose."

"But tell me—after experiencing something better, why would you go back to trash?"

"Be honest. Am I not enough for you?"

My face burned as red as the setting sun.

"You… how can you say things like that?" I stammered, flustered.

Lucas's steady demeanor made it all the more maddening.

From the other side of the wall, Kevin's anger exploded.

"You better shut up! I'll kill you if you don't!" he screamed, slamming his fist against the wall.

Lucas merely chuckled, his voice low and teasing.

"Go ahead. Try me."