Free Web NovelChapter 22: After Midnight
"Mark. What are you doing here at this hour?"
Mark didn’t answer right away. He stepped into the doorway, blocking her exit.
"I came to celebrate," he said, holding up a bottle of wine. "My contacts finally scared that woman into confessing, Liv. I told you I’d handle it. I thought we could have a private drink to toast to your reputation being saved."
Lyvana felt a flash of disgust. He was standing there, shamelessly stealing credit for something he didn’t do.
"I have something I need to do."
Mark’s expression hardened.
"Are you going out?" he asked with a frown. "To see who? It’s nearly midnight Lyvana. Does your grandmother know you’re running around the city dressed like that after such a big scandal?"
He reached out to grab her arm, his grip a little too tight.
"You should stay home, where it’s safe. You’re still vulnerable."
"You are hurting me, Mark," Lyvana said firmly. she tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let go.
At that exact moment, the elevator at the end of the hall dinged.
Marco stepped out, dressed in a sharp black suit, and his face was as cold as stone.
He walked straight toward them, his eyes locked on Mark’s hand on Lyvana’s arm. He stopped about two feet away.
"Who the hell are you?" Mark asked.
Marco didn’t even look at Mark. He kept his eyes on Lyvana. "Is he bothering you, ma’am?"
"I asked you a question! Who are you?"
"This is Marco," Lyvana said. "He is my new driver."
Mark froze. "Your what?"
"The car is downstairs, ma’am," Marco said. "Shall I help you to the elevator, or do I need to clear the doorway first?"
Mark’s face went pale. He slowly let go of Lyvana’s arm, his mouth hanging open in shock.
Lyvana took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
"Mark, I appreciate the gesture, but I have an appointment. I’m meeting an investor to discuss the future of Aurora."
Mark’s face twisted with suspicion. "An investor? At midnight? Don’t be ridiculous, Lyvana. You’re not going anywhere."
"He is leaving in a few hours, this is important. I need to go."
As she tried to step past him, Mark lost his patience. He reached out and grabbed her arm again, his fingers digging into her skin even harder than before.
"I said stay inside!" he thundered.
Suddenly Marco stepped forward and grabbed Mark’s wrist with a grip like iron and twisting his arm backwards.
"Agh!" Mark screamed, his face turning red as he dropped the bottle of wine. The glass shattered on the floor, splashing red liquid everywhere.
"Stop it, Marco!" Lyvana cried out, her eyes wide. "He is my fiancé!"
Marco didn’t let go immediately. He waited until Mark was hunched over in pain before slowly releasing him.
Mark slumped against the doorframe, clutching his wrist and gasping for air.
He looked at Lyvana, then at Marco, his eyes full of fear and rage.
"I am sorry ma’am," Marco said quietly.
Mark laughed weakly, disbelief edging into hysteria.
"So this is what you’ve become?" he snapped. "Hiring men to manhandle me? Sneaking out in the middle of the night? You think this looks good?"
She stepped past him at last.
"Go home mark," she muttered.
As the elevator descended, Lyvana exhaled shakily.
Outside, a sleek black car was waiting at the curb. Marco opened the back door for her, and Lyvana slid into the cool leather seat.
The city lights passed by in a blur as the car drove on. They stopped in front of The Royale. The building was tall and elegant, home to the city’s elite.
The private elevator climbed quickly and opened directly into the penthouse.
Julian was standing by the glass window, his back to her, wearing a white long sleeved shirt.
When he heard the elevator doors open, a small smile touched his lips. He turned around slowly, unbuttoning his cuffs.
His eyes met hers, and for a second, the stress of the day seemed to disappear. He looked tired from his trip, but he looked happy to see her.
They talked a little about his trip, then the conversation drifted back to the woman who had confessed.
"What will happen to her?" Lyvana asked.
"Nothing," he replied calmly. "She’s currently somewhere in the Caribbean. On vacation."
Lyvana shook her head and smiled.
"Why am I not surprised."
A yawn slipped past her before she could stop it.
Julian noticed.
"You’ve had enough for one day," he said. "Come."
He took her hand and led her to the bedroom. The room was dark and quiet. A soft silk nightgown was waiting on the bed.
"You can sleep here," Julian said. "It is the same room you used before."
Lyvana nodded. She felt very tired now.
"Thank you," she whispered. "For everything."
Julian smiled at her, then leaned in and gave her a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Good night, Lyvana."
He walked out and closed the door quietly behind him.
....
Lyvana pushed back the heavy silk sheets and walked toward the floor-to-ceiling windows.
She hadn’t enjoyed the view the last time she was here. Back then, she’d still been under the effects of the drugs injected into her.
Now, she stood still and took it in. The sight was breathtaking.
They were high, probably on the seventieth floor. The city stretched out below her. From this height, the cars looked like tiny jewels crawling through the streets, and the people were invisible.
Lyvana turned from the window and saw a white cat sitting in the doorway. The cat was huge and looked like it owned the entire world. It didn’t meow or act friendly. Instead, it stared at Lyvana with narrow, grumpy eyes and let out a loud, judgmental hiss.
"I see you’ve met the real owner of the penthouse."
Julian stepped into the room wearing only sweatpants exposing his perfect chest. freewёbnoνel.com
His hair was wet, as if he had just come from the shower, and drops of water still clung to his skin.
Lyvana’s breath caught.
She told herself to look away. Her eyes didn’t obey.
There was something calm and dangerous about him all at once. Standing there so casually, he looked unfairly perfect.
