Chapter 2
The penthouse sat in a prime location right in the heart of the business district, and it was Nathan's temporary home while he worked in the city.
So far, I was the only one who had ever moved in.
Clearly, he was here to erase any sign I was ever here.
How heartless he was.
Lucky for me, I stopped caring ages ago.
Lochlan's face was set in stone, showing not a hint of emotion.
I gave a careless wave of my hand. "Be my guest."
Lochlan slipped on a pair of white gloves and began to meticulously inspect every corner of the penthouse.
He was moving around, and I couldn't get any sleep. Exhausted, I dragged myself out of bed.
My silk nightgown showed off plenty of skin, and the whisper of evidence from the night before was still visible against my skin.
Lochlan's gaze sharpened, his cheeks turning bright red.
"Shameless," he said under his breath.
His voice was low, but the room was so quiet that I caught every word.
I turned my head, flashing him a charming, playful smile.
The next second, with a mischievous glint in my eye, I hooked my finger under the strap of my silk nightgown and let it slide down my curves.
Lochlan was stunned.
His emotions were about to erupt like a volcano.
He spun around so fast that he nearly smashed his nose into the wall.
"Shameless!" Lochlan spat. His fury was practically scorching the wall behind him.
Having pulled off my little stunt, I was in high spirits. I headed straight for the shower and turned on the water.
The door slammed shut as he stormed out. I could just imagine those veins on his forehead about to burst.
Cold water washed over me. I figured once I cooled off, I'd feel miserable. Yet, I didn't.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, the coffee table was already piled high with stuff.
There were earrings I hadn't seen in years, and clothes that Nathan had ripped apart in the heat of the moment.
I remembered one dress in particular. I'd spent nearly 30 thousand dollars on it just so I could go to a fancy dinner with him.
But the second the dinner was over, it ended up shredded by Nathan's hands like it was nothing.
Lochlan's lips twisted into a scornful, mocking smirk.
"So, you resort to these petty tricks too..." he sneered.
Most of Nathan's kept women loved to leave bits of their lingerie or personal things tucked away in corners, all to compete for his attention and stir up jealousy among the other women.
Honestly, that kind of thing was no better than a dog marking its territory. I always found it beneath me.
Not that I needed to explain myself to the guy who managed the kept women's messes.
I didn't bother with him and got dressed at my own pace, completely unbothered.
Lochlan finally searched every corner, making sure not a single trace was left behind.
He peeled off his now filthy gloves and stood before me again, his face locked in that mask of indifference.
I arched an eyebrow, silent and unimpressed.
Lochlan looked like he'd rather be anywhere else than looking at me, but he made himself meet my gaze.
"Mr. Hawthorne said if you have any other requests, feel free to speak up," he said.
Other requests?
Back then, I had a whole list. Now...
"This is enough for me," I said, holding up the card.
Lochlan's frown deepened, his patience wearing thin.
"We've worked together for years, so let me give you a word of advice. If you don't speak up now and keep clinging on after this, you know better than anyone what Mr. Hawthorne and the whole Hawthorne family can do," he warned.
His words cut deep, and I could almost feel my heart bleeding.
A touch of sadness crept into my smile.
"Did Nathan ask you to say that?" I asked.
Lochlan didn't confirm or deny it.
My smile grew even more mischievous. "Lochlan, I have to ask, if I really refused to let go, how would you make me disappear?"
For the first time, I saw cracks forming in Lochlan's poker face, right in front of me.
Right at that moment, Lochlan's phone buzzed. It was Nathan calling.
"Did she ask for anything?" Nathan's voice came through.
Lochlan shot me a look, and for once, that usually unbreakable poker face of his showed a hint of embarrassment.
"Ms. Rocha didn't ask for anything," he answered.
"Nothing at all?" Nathan sounded unconvinced.
Maybe because we'd worked together for years, Lochlan actually cut me some slack for once.
"Maybe Ms. Rocha really isn't after anything," he said.
"You just don't get it..." Nathan paused.
His voice trailed off before he continued, "It's like she reads my mind. She knows what I want before I do. It's scary sometimes. I can't tell if she's truly that intuitive or just that good at playing a part.
"I'm about to start seeing Ms. Quinn. Keep an eye on her for me. After all these years, I really don't want to have to handle her myself..."
I just stood there, listening to every word he said.
Lochlan hung up, his poker face in pieces, but somehow he still managed to keep that icy mask on.
Lochlan asked, "Feeling like crying?"
I shot him a bright, cheeky smile. "Did you really come over so early just to watch me break down?"
Words failed Lochlan.
His poker face patched itself up, looking even more stone-cold than before.
Honestly, I couldn't blame Nathan for keeping his guard up around me. I had a checkered past.
I became his girl when I was eighteen.
My dad was hooked on gambling, and my mom was sick as hell.
My grandma tried to marry me off to some crusty old widower, just so my cousin could pocket the dowry.
Nathan was the one who dragged me out of that gutter.
Back then, I was young and had no clue about the real rules of the game in this world.
My knowledge of the elite started and ended with fairy tales and the romance novels I read as a teenage girl.
I honestly thought I was Cinderella, found by my prince, and that we'd get our fairy tale ending, happily ever after, side by side till we were old and gray.
But by the next year, I found out he was seeing someone else.
I went on a hunger strike, like the heartbroken lead in those drama stories I used to read, hoping he'd feel guilty, realize I was his true love, and come running back.
After three days of starving myself, he finally showed up.
Thinking I finally had a shot, I held my head high and laid out two options for him.
Either he'd drop the other woman and we'd try again, or I'd walk away for good.