Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Eleanor's POV

I pushed Lucas's hand away and lowered my head, feeling a bit guilty. "I thought I couldn't hide anything from you, right?"

I threw the question back at him, looking straight into his eyes.

He tilted his head slightly, a mysterious smile playing at the corners of his mouth, his eyes filled with unclear emotions.

I knew he was testing me. I had to meet his gaze without showing any sign of backing down, or he'd see right through me.

We were locked in a standoff for a moment before he suddenly leaned forward, his fingers gripping my chin, forcing me to look up. His expression turned extremely serious. "You'd better not have any other ideas. If I find out you're using me, you know what'll happen."

The authority radiating from him made me shudder. This was the real him—dark and ruthless, a true godfather.

There was no extra expression on his face, even his voice was particularly low. This was probably how he looked when dealing with his subordinates. Only someone like this could lead a huge family to the top.

Without realizing it, a hint of admiration showed in my eyes.

Yes, I admired Lucas, and there was no need to hide it. I didn't conceal the respect in my eyes, openly submitting to his authority in this moment.

I raised my hand and gently placed it on his solid chest, looking at him with an almost reverent gaze as I promised, "Don't worry, I'll always be on your side. I'll never use you, and I'll never betray you."

Lucas studied me with suspicion, then took my hand in his and pressed a light kiss to the corner of my lips. His lips against my skin, he let out a low, dangerous laugh. "Whether you've betrayed me isn't something you can just say."

His finger gently pressed against my lips, watching with a kind of cruel amusement as they turned pale under the pressure, then regained their color when he released them.

I let his fingertip play with my lips repeatedly, saying nothing.

After a long while, Lucas seemed to finally get bored. He used my hand for support to get up, and before leaving, he reminded me, "Don't forget what I told you before. I trust that with your intelligence, you won't let anyone notice anything."

My heart skipped a beat. I followed him to the bathroom door, leaning against the doorframe and asking tentatively, "You don't want me to show up at the party?"

Lucas picked up a towel, not even glancing at me, his tone cold. "If you think you can handle all the consequences of appearing in public, suit yourself."

He put down his razor and braced one hand against the mirror, suddenly looking at me with a serious expression. "But I need to make this clear—I can't have someone protecting you twenty-four-seven. Accidents happen."

Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, looking me up and down. "If you get hurt someday, seriously enough to need an amputation, don't blame me."

He ran his hand along my arm, his tone carrying a hint of fake regret. "Such a beautiful body. If something really happened to it, that would be such a shame."

I raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out how much of this was real. I knew he was deliberately trying to scare me, wanting me to back down so he wouldn't have to deal with the trouble.

I looked at him calmly, without a trace of fear in my eyes.

I tugged at my dress and looked straight at him. "I'm not that timid. Besides, you already agreed to take me. Asking me to back out now seems a bit unreasonable, doesn't it?"

Lucas gently rubbed his chin with one hand, his eyes unreadable. I waited quietly for his verdict, like a prisoner waiting for a judge's final sentence.

Finally, Lucas, the judge, didn't abuse his power. He walked over to me, wrapped his arm around my waist, and whispered in my ear, "Then you'd better behave. If you don't listen again..."

His gaze slowly moved down to my lower abdomen, his tone dark and suggestive. "We'll see how I punish you."

A barely noticeable flash of desire crossed Lucas's eyes. I immediately stepped back, instinctively placing my hands protectively in front of me. "We have to go to the party tonight. Don't try anything."

He couldn't help but laugh softly. "What are you thinking? Even if I were to punish you, it would be after we get back. Or are you saying you can't wait already?"

His hand followed my gaze downward. I immediately stepped back again, putting more distance between us.

He was too dangerous right now. I couldn't easily trust anything he said.

Having achieved my goal, I turned around and left him alone in the bedroom.

Half an hour later, Lucas came downstairs in his changed clothes.

He wore a dark gray suit, his figure tall and straight, his chest muscles creating perfect contours in his shirt, like a professional model.

My gaze froze on him. I was almost mesmerized.

It wasn't until he opened the car door and sat down next to me, snapping his fingers in front of my eyes, that I suddenly came back to my senses.

"You got ready pretty fast." I turned my head away, somewhat embarrassed, not daring to look at the person beside me anymore.

I rarely saw Lucas in formal wear. Even at the last party, he'd only worn a relatively casual suit.

This was the first time I'd seen him dressed so formally. Did this mean he took tonight's party extremely seriously? Was it because of Tasha?

I couldn't help but let my mind wander, my eyes sneaking glances at the person beside me again and again.

The third time I looked at him, I met his smiling eyes.

He suddenly leaned toward me, his fingers curling around a strand of hair by my temple, his voice teasing. "What, can't hold back already?"

I brushed his hand away, my eyes carrying a hint of deliberately feigned resentment. "Who knows who you're dressing up for?"

I played along, acting like a jealous girlfriend. I knew he like it. Though he'd never admit it, I knew he enjoyed seeing me upset about other people.

Lucas lifted my chin, his eyes becoming gentle. "You don't like me dressed like this?"

He moved closer to my body, his fingertips gently caressing my cheek. I could clearly feel his body's reaction and rising desire. I pulled back slightly, creating a bit of distance.

"Not now."

"You want me to hold back?" He pulled my hand over and pressed it against his cheek. I could feel the subtle vibrations of his skin as he spoke.

I stood on my tiptoes and pressed a soothing kiss near the corner of his mouth. "It's not like you haven't held back before. When you get back, you can do whatever you want."

"Really?" His gaze traveled downward, landing between my legs. Though I was wearing a dress, his eyes seemed to penetrate the fabric, looking directly into the depths of my body.

I suppressed the restlessness in my heart and gently squeezed his shoulder. "If we don't leave now, we'll be late."

Lucas smiled, then instructed the driver to start the car.

On the way there, Tasha called. Lucas held my hand tightly while looking at his phone and said, "Eleanor's right here with me. Whatever you want to say, tell me directly, and I'll pass it on to her."