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Chapter 1
When I went looking for Caleb, he was at the main family estate.
The butler told me the new girl’s name was Lily Song. She was stunningly beautiful, a delicate, innocent flower. She was supposed to be given to the Hawthornes, but the young master of the Blackwood family had
also taken a liking to her.
So Caleb and Mason Blackwood had fought over her. The winner would get the girl.
Caleb had won.
But as he approached Lily, the snake he had with him that day grew agitated and slithered onto her. It wrap ped itself around her neck, its forked tongue flicking out, brushing against her cheek as it moved.
The poor girl had never seen anything like it. Her eyes filled with tears, and she started to sob in terror.
By the time I arrived, the snake was already dead.
Its head was severed from its body, a dark pool of blood spreading around it on the floor.
froze.
Caleb loved his snakes. He treated them like his children, giving each one a name. He cherished them, neve etting anyone else touch them. Someone had once offered him two million dollars for one of his snakes and he’d refused. After spending so much time around those cold, silent creatures, even I had developed strange affection for them.
never imagined Caleb would ever kill one of his snakes.
Especially not to soothe a crying girl.
pressed my lips together and looked toward the living room of the estate. Caleb was inside, leaning casual y against a window, arms crossed, a lazy smile on his lips as he chatted with Lily. She looked up at him, a fragile figure with long hair dancing in the breeze.
For a fleeting moment, she looked just like I did three years ago.
I was standing right at the entrance. If Caleb had just turned his head, he would have seen me. But he was too engrossed, his gaze never wavering from her.
I suddenly remembered how distant Caleb had been these past two months. He had incredible stamina; in the past, he could go for hours without tiring, three or four times a night being the norm. But lately, he’d been perfunctory, finishing after just one or two rounds.
The signs of his boredom had been there all along.
But then again, what did I expect? A man of his status and background wasn’t going to tie his heart to one woman. The fact that he’d stayed with me for three years was a testament to my own charm, I suppose.
I looked down at my still-flat stomach. I’d been so excited to tell him about our baby. Now, it seemed, there was no point.
16.20
Chapter 1
I turned away without a second glance and rushed back to the villa. Breaking up with Caleb was one thing. but the gifts he’d given me were mine. I was taking every last one.
I immediately contacted a broker to sell the gold and began listing the bags and jewelry online. In about a week, my bank account would have a cool nine-figure balance.
Thinking about it, I collapsed onto the bed, a wave of relief washing over me. I just had to get through this
week.
The door opened, and the bed dipped beside me. A familiar arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me int
Caleb’s embrace.
stiffened. “What are you doing back?” Shouldn’t he be with Lily tonight?
Caleb propped himself up on one arm, his other hand already unbuttoning his shirt. “This is my house. Wher
else would I be?”
With that, he captured my chin, his lips descending on mine, stealing the air from my lungs.
Remembering what I’d seen at the estate, I turned my head away, making up an excuse. “Don’t. You’re a sweaty today. You feel gross.”
So demanding,” he chuckled, playfully tapping my nose. He shrugged off his shirt, revealing his lean, muscul ar torso. “Fine. I’ll go shower.”
He took two steps toward the bathroom, then paused. As if remembering something, he turned back, scoop ed me up into his arms, and declared, “We’ll shower together.”
What?
The bathroom was steamy, the sound of dripping water echoing off the tiles. Caleb’s gaze landed on me, hi: eyes darkening with desire. His kisses were a relentless storm, leaving me breathless and clinging to hin ust to stay upright.
But then, to my surprise, just as we reached the point of no return, Caleb let me go.
Be a good girl and go out first, kitten. I’ll join you after I’m done.”
was stunned for a moment, but then understanding dawned. A man’s energy is finite. Now that he had < new favorite, he couldn’t very well waste it on his old one.
Out with the old, in with the new.
Perhaps it was the exhaustion of the day, but a dull ache began to throb in my lower abdomen. I pulled out my phone and started searching for clinics, planning to schedule an abortion for as soon as I left town.
A long time passed, and Caleb still hadn’t come out of the bathroom. I had no idea what he was doing in there. I was so tired I drifted off to sleep, my phone still clutched in my hand, its screen lit up.
I was shaken awake by Caleb.
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He had pulled me into his arms and was staring at me with a knowing, half-smiling expression that made my stomach clench with guilt.
“W-what is it?”
He tilted his head, studying me. “Kitten, is there something you want to tell me?”
I was completely baffled. “No?”
“Really?” His fingertips trailed down from my shoulder, coming to rest on my lower stomach, where they
drew a slow, deliberate circle.
My eyes flickered to my phone on the nightstand, and a terrible premonition washed over me. Did he see m
search history? Does he know?
I looked at him, stammering, his expression unreadable. In that moment, my mind raced, desperately trying to invent a plausible excuse for my clinic research.
‘I… I was just…”
‘Are you short on cash?” he asked suddenly.
My words died in my throat. I stared at him, confused.
The guy from the designer resale shop just called. Said you’re trying to sell off all the bags I gave you.”
Explain,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “Why are you selling everything?”
Oh, it’s about that. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and quickly spun a lie. “They’re all last seas on’s styles. They’re just taking up space. I figured I might as well sell them.”
Caleb was sharp. He honed in on the key point. “So the old bags are out of season. Then we’ll buy new ones.’
I’ll have my assistant buy every new design from this season’s collection tomorrow. You can pick whateve ‘ou like.”
Just as I was about to relax, Caleb added casually, “Kitten, why do you keep glancing at your phone wher you talk to me? Is there some dark secret in there?”
Let me see?”
My blood ran cold. I immediately tore my gaze from the phone and threw my arms around his neck, nuzzling he small mole by his nose. I softened my voice, making it sweet and seductive.
‘What secrets could I possibly have from you?”
The silver snake, which had been draped over his shoulder, chose that moment to flick its tail around my waist, pulling me flush against his hard abdomen.
He let out a contented hum. “Relax. I’m not going to check your phone. I trust you that much.”
He added, “And I know you wouldn’t dare do anything to cross me.
I nodded vigorously. He was right. Quietly skipping town hardly counted as crossing him, did it?
Just one more week, and I would be saying goodbye to Caleb Hawthorne forever.
But I had severely underestimated how perceptive the Hawthornes could be.
