He held her there for a long time, just embracing her, before finally letting her go.
When Aveline's feet touched the ground, the surreal feeling slowly faded. Her breathing remained unsteady, and her body felt weak, too drained to push him away.
Lucas kept his grip on her until she was steady on her feet, then released her. His eyes, dark as the night, lingered on her for a long moment, but he said nothing before turning and leaving the room. The crisp scent that clung to him faded as he walked away.
Aveline, nearly drained of all energy, emerged from the bathroom. As she sat on the edge of the bed, her emotions gradually settled.
She thought...
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇt"Ave!" Selena's voice called out suddenly.
She rushed in, and seeing Aveline sitting on the bed, quickly asked, "I just saw Lucas leave. It looked like he'd been drinking, and his clothes were a mess. He didn't do anything to you, did he?" As she spoke, her gaze landed on Aveline's face, instantly noticing her swollen, kiss-bruised lips.
"Oh... this..." Selena pointed at her lips, "He really went all out, huh?" Aveline was speechless.
The complex and heavy feelings she'd been grappling with evaporated the moment she heard Selena's words. "He didn't do anything," Aveline replied. "What about you? Didn't you say you'd be back late?" Selena explained, "I finished up early and decided to head back. I didn't like the thought of you being halone, so I cto keep you company. But wow, if I'd cback just a bit sooner, would I have walked in on something I shouldn't have?" Aveline gave her a silent, pointed look.
Selena immediately backtracked, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry! Don't be mad, beautiful Ave. I won't tease you anymore." Aveline got up to apply her skincare, but as she looked in the mirror, her eyes couldn't help but fall on her swollen, kiss-bruised lips.
Thinking about Lucas's earlier demeanor, she felt a strange sense of fragility from him.
It was as if her insistence on divorcing him meant that no one else would want him.
How could that be? He had friends and family-she was just a passerby in his life.
Aveline closed her eyes, willing herself not to dwell on those thoughts any longer.
The day before the court hearing.
Aveline met with the two lawyers again to finalize the details for the courtroom. By the tthey finished, it was already afternoon.
As she stepped out of the café, the warm sunlight bathed her, making her feel cozy. She headed towards her car, got in, and fastened her seatbelt. Suddenly, every haipon her body stood on end.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Drive." A raspy male voice cfrom the back seat.
Aveline's face turned pale instantly She glanced at the rearview mirror but could only see a figure sitting in the back, wearing a black hat and mask, his face completely obscured. en.swhovels"Who... who are you?" she stammered, her voice trembling.
Anyone would be terrified to suddenly find someone in their car!
A knife appeared out of nowhere, pressing against her neck. The Voice grew even colder. "I said, drive!"
Aveline didn't dare move recklessly. "Okay... I-I'll drive. Please don't kill me.
Her hands and feet shook as she started the car, the sharp blade pressing against her throat, a deadly that with just one push, her life grew even paler, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. Her voice shook as she asked, "W-where are we going?" The man gave her an address.
Following his directions, Aveline drove towards the specified location. The man kept the knife at her throat, positioned so cleverly that even as they passed by traffic police, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.
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