Chapter 10 Chapter 10.

Chapter 10 Chapter 10.
(Lucian)

As I shut the door behind me, a smirk tugged at the corners of my lips, reliving the image of her flushed cheeks every time she was on the verge of exploding. Such a tomato.

Settling onto the couch, my mind drifted back to thirteen years ago, but I swiftly pushed the memories away before they could fully settle. There were good moments mixed in with the agony of the past, but dwelling on them was suffocating. 

A sharp knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts. "Come in," I called out, bracing myself.

Andrew, my personal assistant and the one person I could genuinely trust, walked in, rolling my luggage behind him.

"Boss," he said, giving a slight bow, his tone always laced with that unfaltering respect I had tried to discourage over the years.

"I packed up everything I thought you might need. Though, I must admit, you may not be impressed by some of it..." he began.

I cut him off, a flicker of annoyance rising. "Shut up and drop the box. You talk too much." Honestly, I couldn't help but wonder if I truly was that intimidating that he always thinks that nothing he does would please me.

Adjusting his glasses, he released the luggage with a resigned sigh. "You have a meeting tonight at 9 PM," he stated, ever the bearer of important news.

I waved it off. "Take care of it."

"But sir—"

"Cancel it," I interrupted again, not in the mood for discussion.

"I'll attend the meeting, sir," he agreed, his tone a blend of reluctance and understanding. He never wants me to lose any deal. After ten years of working closely together, it felt as if he cared for me like a brother. 

Just as he turned to leave, he hesitated and turned back to face me. "But... why did you even get involved in this game?" he asked, curiosity etched into his features. "You don’t need the prize money."

I glanced up, the weight of long-held burdens evident in my eyes. "Remember I once told you about the debt I had to collect?" 

His expression shifted as he nodded.

"I finally found my debtor," I confessed.

"Even so, you didn’t have to stress yourself over it. Just tell me who it is, and I’ll help you recover it," he offered earnestly.

"No," I countered firmly. "I have to collect this debt myself."



(Rebecca)

“What do you mean I have to leave the game?” I lashed out, confusion knitting my brows as I pulled away from him, my chest tightening with frustration.

“Let’s talk inside,” he urged, pulling me into the room.

Once the door was shut, I crossed my arms defensively, my heart pounding. “So? Why are you asking me to leave the game?”

“You still want to stay? After everything that’s happened?” he asked, disbelief clear in his tone.

“What exactly has happened?” I shot back, refusing to back down.

“Babe!!” he yelled, his voice echoing in the small space as I shrugged off the intensity of his concern.

“For God’s sake, babe, you want to keep playing this game knowing your identity has been exposed? The one thing you were trying to avoid is finally coming true—your father is going to find out,” he said, urgency spilling from every word.

“No, he won’t,” I negated firmly, stifling an unease that gnawed at my gut.

“What do you mean he won’t? They took pictures and videos of you!” He was desperate now, trying to make me see reason.

“They won’t leave those galleries,” I replied confidently, a defiance burning in my veins.

He scoffed, eyebrows knitted in disbelief. “You think your threat will actually work?”

“I never threatened anyone; I just sent a message,” I answered smoothly, sinking into the couch as if my words would drain the tension from the air.

His frustration was palpable as he shook his head. “So let’s assume your threats work on them. What about Lucian? Can you really intimidate that son of a bitch?”

A shiver of fear slithered down my spine at the mention of his name, but I refused to show it. I couldn’t afford to give him that power. “I’ll handle him,” I said resolutely.

Daniel raised a skeptical eyebrow. “You’re determined to put yourself in even bigger trouble, or worse, killed...”

"...and I won’t let that happen,” he added ominously. He pulled out his phone, and within moments, he was speaking. “Hi, Rahab,” he said, and my heart dropped.

What in Christ’s name was he doing?!

“Hey, what are you doing?” I demanded, panic flaring in my chest as I rose to my feet.

He pulled the phone away from his ear just enough for me to hear his next words: "I’m seeking help from someone who can actually make you stop this madness."

My eyes widened in disbelief, adrenaline coursing through me. In a split second, I snatched the phone from his hands and ended the call, my heart racing.

"Are you out of your mind?!" I yelled, my voice a mix of anger and panic, my eyes blazing.

“That question should be directed at you, actually,” he mumbled, the irritation underlying his tone stoking the flames of my fury.

“How dare you call my older sister?!” I lashed out, my voice rising. “What were you going to tell her?!”

“What were you fucking going to tell her?!” I shot, my frustration boiling over.

“The truth!” he retorted.

I scoffed at his response, the air thickening with suffocation as I paused, letting out a hollow laugh. “Ha! The truth,” I echoed, a twisted smile on my face that lacked any sincerity. “Really, wow!”

“You know what? Now I know who my real enemy is,” I declared sharply, pointing an accusatory finger at him. “It’s you.” With that, I stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind me, the sound reverberating through the hallway.

I dug my fingers into my hair, lifting a portion of it away from my face as I exhaled deeply, attempting to calm the storm inside me. The fury bubbling beneath the surface threatened to overflow; I could feel it. God, I was so angry I could have smashed something. That’s when I realized I still had his phone clutched tightly in my hand. “Let’s see how you plan to make that call now,” I hissed under my breath, the vindictive thought fueling my march away, my destination uncertain as I sought to escape the chaos that had enveloped me.

I walked out of the house, making my way into the vast garden. 

The wind nipped at my cheeks as I trudged through the garden, the sharp scent of roses and damp earth flooding my senses. I didn’t care where I was going — I just needed to move. Away from Daniel. Away from his betrayal.

How dare he?

Of all people, Rahab was the last person I ever wanted involved in this. She was judgmental, controlling, and would never understand why I chose to join the game in the first place. She'd drag me out, report me to Father, and ruin everything.

The sunlight filtered through the trees, golden and warm, and I dropped onto a stone bench tucked beneath a flowering arch. Daniel's phone still buzzed in my hand, a missed call, then another. I turned it off. He didn't deserve the satisfaction.

After losing track of time just sitting there, I began to feel sleepy. 

I rose to my feet, and my way back into the mansion. Reaching the second floor where the rooms were sprawled out, I became confused. Which one was my room? All the rooms looked the same. I remember I picked a room from the middle but I couldn't point out the exact one. Because of the drama with Lucian and then Daniel, I couldn't keep track of what room I moved into?

After much contemplation, I concluded a room and walked towards it. Opening the door, and stepping in, my eyes came in contact with something that made my mouth drop.

Lucian.

His bare back was to me, muscles rippling under smooth, taut skin as he pulled off his shirt with slow, deliberate ease. Golden sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting his figure in an almost surreal glow. He looked like he’d been sculpted by the gods themselves. Every inch of him cut and defined, powerful and effortlessly beautiful.

I froze, completely unable to move or look away.

My breath caught in my throat, eyes helplessly tracing the line of his spine down to where his trousers rested low on his hips. And just when I thought nothing else could shock me, I saw it — a scar. Faint but unmistakable, carved into the right side of his back just above his waist. It twisted slightly, like it once ran deeper than it looked now.

My heartbeat picked up, my eyes widening as memories of the past flashed before my eyes.

No, it can't be him.