His voice was a smooth hum, but it wrapped around her like a vice.
Elizabeth’s stomach tightened, the intimacy in his proximity soured by the memory of past humiliations. She met his gaze with a cold, brittle smile. “Yes, Mr. James. In your eyes, I’m just a dog. You pay, and I wag my tail. Isn’t there a friend of yours who spent millions of dollars on a dog? Birds of a feather, right? Same circle, same mindset.”
Elijah froze. The faintest flicker of confusion passed through his eyes, but he masked it quickly.
Twice now, someone had alluded to this story.
He made a mental note—once back in Orkset, he would find out who had spent a fortune on a dog.
The streetlights cast their glow over her face, accentuating her lifted chin and defiant glare. Her beauty was striking in that moment—cold yet exquisite, like a rose bathed in moonlight.
Something primal stirred within him, a need so sudden and overwhelming it eclipsed his better judgment.
Without warning, Elijah leaned down, his lips capturing hers in a forceful kiss.
Elizabeth froze, her breath catching in shock. This was no tender reconciliation.
The moment, already heavy with tension, now felt suffocating. Her mind spiraled, unbidden thoughts flooding in. Did he kiss Sandra like this? Was this yet another habit carried over, another memory she would never live up to?
The thought churned her stomach. Images of his devotion to Sandra surfaced unbidden, memories of how he had resisted every temptation Edith threw at him and remained faithful.
A painful clarity settled in her chest: she was nothing more than a substitute in his story. Revulsion bloomed within her, swift and unrelenting.
Elizabeth braced her hands against his chest, pushing with all her strength.
He responded by pulling her closer, his arm firm around her waist, leaving no room to escape.
Fury surged within her. She tilted her head and bit down hard on his lower lip. The coppery taste of blood spilled into her mouth as he hissed, jerking back.
He almost cursed her, but stopped himself at the last second.
Elijah touched his lip, his fingers coming away stained red. He stared at the blood for a moment before letting out a low, bitter laugh. “You’re heartless,” he muttered, his voice icy.
Elizabeth’s eyes blazed as she met his gaze. “And you?” she shot back, her tone colder still.
“You’re no different.”
The tension between them was unbearable now, thick enough to choke. Elizabeth glanced at the car waiting behind him, then made her decision. Staying would feel like surrender.
“I think I’ll save you the trouble, Mr. James. I’ll walk back.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and strode away in the opposite direction, her steps brisk and resolute.
Foxfire County’s winters often began with rain, but tonight the chill carried a cruel clarity.
The cold night air bit at her skin, sharp and unrelenting. It sliced through her coat, through her resolve, making her remember that other night—the one she had left Bayview Villa. The same cold, the same ache, the same endless road.
