Lu had been so used to e's absehat her presence was now disturbing his routine, and his daily schedule. His effid productivity plummeted.

  Why would he reveal what he wao do to her just so she could go out of her way to prevent it from happening?

  'The award for the most stupid move of the year goes to you, Lu.”

  'Why couldn't I have do the easy way? Act sweet and doting like she did? But no...I had to say I wao make her beg and cry, huh? What an idiot. Now, I'll never be able to get what I want. Well done, me.'

  Lu gritted his teeth auro the carriage. The cold bath in the ke didn't help him cool off, and he felt er than before. In fact, he dreaded meeting her face-to-face again.

  He couldn't bring himself to hurt her, but her could he stand being toyed with.

  The pain and the anguish that followed would eat away at him, and he was certain he'd regret his weakness and his mercy.

  e had the upper hand. He let her walk all over him. It would only be a matter of time before she would have him pletely under her trol.

  Like before.

  And then, everything would end, and his already broke would shatter pletely.

  'Just give up. Let her win. Maybe this time, she'll really kill you, and it'll be all over. No more pain. No more suffering. You've had enough. It's time to end it. You're tired of the whole damn thing anyway. Let her do it. It'll save you the effort. Just—'

  'Just kill each other.'

  Lu froze and looked around, expeg to see someohere. But the carriage was empty, except for him.

  'You'll never be free unless both of you are dead. Kill her, or she'll find another way to ruin your life.'

  The inner voice sounded just like him, but somehow, he couldn't associate it with his own thoughts.

  Lu shook his head and tried to focus on the work in front of him, but the voice tio speak, its words ced with anger, pain, and hate.

  'It's alright. I uand. It's just like st time. You 't bear to see her suffer, right? And she knows it. That's why she keeps ing back. To make you feel sorry for her. To make you pity her a her get away with her as.’

  "My Lord," the an called him, "Lady Rochefort wants to speak with you."

  "Let her through," Lu said and leaned back, throwing away the broken fountain pen, and watched the womaer his carriage.

  The door opened, and the woman herself appeared, her eyes were snooping around the carriage and then fell on him. He gestured at the seat opposite him, and she gracefully sat down.

  "How may I help you, Lady Rochefort?" he asked.

  She didn't say anything, the silensettling and unfortable. Then, she outstretched her hand towards him.

  He looked at it, and then back at her.

  "..."

  "What?"

  "Give it back."

  Lu raised his left brow, "Excuse me?"

  "Repayment for the time I wasted on you," she expined, "The time I spent waiting. It wasn't free, you know? It's called emotional bor, and I deserve pensation."

  "..." Lu stared at her, dumbfounded, and then he burst out ughing.

  e felt her cheeks heat up, and her fingers ched. She didn't go this far for him just so she would give up on him that easily. He was hers, and he was going to stay hers, even if it meant taking him by force.

  He didn't touch her hand, nor did he accept her demand. Instead, he asked, "So, how much is it? Your emotional bor," he crified, "How much is it worth?"

  "It's great you are asking. I have a list," e said and pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, “You shouldn't make me beg in public, I have a bad knee, so I might not be able to kneel properly, but I decre my loyalty aloud. That will t, won't it?”

  Lu couldn't believe what he was seeing. It was a numbered list of things that o be pensated for.

  Not only the time, but also her thoughts, her energy, and her feelings. From the small things she did, to the big, importas. It almost, almost, made him feel guilty. Almost.

  "What about the things you did to me?" he asked.

  "You deduct your emotional bor from it," she said, and Lu looked at her like she had lost her mind.

  "I will think about it," he said and looked away, trying not to ugh again, "Anything else you want?"

  e stared at him, his indifference, and his ck of rea to her. She outstretched her hand towards him once more, and this time, her fiips brushed against his hand.

  He pulled it away, and the distaween them suddenly became bigger.

  "Don't," he warned her, "Don't touch me like you are entitled to."

  "Do you hate it?" she asked, trying to touch him again but he caught her wrist, keepi bay.

  "I do."

  "Why? Do you like some else?” she asked, “Someone who isn't me?"

  "..." Lu avoided her gaze as she leaned closer, almost straddling his p, "What is there to like about you?"

  "My face?"

  "Not attractive enough,” he said. He wasn't lying, the current scowl on her face did suit her at all.

  "My body?"

  "I've seeer."

  "My skills? My status? My wealth? My es?"

  "I do without."

  She narrowed her eyes, her fiwitg toward his neck, and her nails threatening to dig into his flesh.

  He had to put more pressure on her wrists to keep her in pbsp;

  She ersistent, tilting her head forward, their noses almost touched when he dealt a finishing blow, "You are just not good enough, e."

  He pushed her away, and she stumbled backwards, losing her band falling to the seat opposite him.

  e froze. She looked at him with wide eyes and her lips slightly parted, surprised and fused.

  "Do not touch me," Lu said, his voice dangerously low, "'t you tell I'm not ied?"

  e's expression ged from surprise, to disappoi, and then, it crumbled, revealing the pain underh, "Don't act like him, Lu," she said, her voice stern, "It's not funny. I don't want another Prince, I had enough. You are you, and not him, and that's the reason I'm here, sitting in front of you."

  She was a great actress, getting under his skin, and making him doubt his own perception. Lu didn't answer, and his silence became her cue. Her hand moved. She reached for him once more, and this time, he didn't pull away.

  "Don't. Touch. Me," Lu repeated in a whisper.

  "Why not?" e asked quietly, "Don't you want me anymore?"

  "What I want, and what is good for me, are two different things," he said, turning his head to the side, avoiding her gaze. Her other hand reached out, her fingers brushing his cheek, making him shudder, "Don't, e," he pleaded.

  "It's just a hug. You are being overly dramatic," she said, seating herself on his p. He let her, his arms limp by his sides, not resisting her, not pushing her away. He didn't do anything, didn't even look at her, just staring straight ahead.

  She noticed how he flinched when she ed her arms around his shoulders, and she frowned, looking down and seeing him shaking, his body tense, and his hands fisted.

  He was trembling, but it wasn't a pleasant shiver, it was something akin to fear, and pain.

  She quickly let go, and he looked up at her, his eyes were a little wet, and his mouth was a thin line.

  "Don't. Touch. Me," he repeated, "Nobody hurt the person they love like that. Nobody hit ahe ohey love so brutally, and mercilessly, aedly. But, you do. You do, and you don't feel the slightest bit ret, a shred of remorse, or an ounce of guilt."

  e leaned back, sitting on his p, looking down at her nails, "Oh, theurn the favor. Show me what it feels like to be beaten and vioted. Then we will finally be even. I didn't do that without expeg the same iurn, you know? A retionship should be a fair trade. What goes around, es around, doesn't it?"

  Lu chuckled, running his hand through his hair, messing it up, "That's the problem with you. You have no idea what it means to cherish and treasure ao proted safeguard. It's always give and take with you, always a price to pay, a bargain, and a deal."

  e's eyes narrowed, "I have never gotten anything for free, not in my entire life. Everything has a price. I would think you would be able to appreciate that, given your background and upbringing. Your rise was anything but easy, or cheap, or free, Lu."

  He grabbed her waist, and yanked her toward him, causing her breath to get caught ihroat, "Do not pare me to yourself," he warned, his hand reag toward the on in her belt, pointing the on at her chest, the muzzle digging into her ribs, and the gunpowder ready to be lit, "You and I, we are nothing alike."

  "Then do it," she whispered, looking down at the loaded on, and then up at him, "Prove it."

  The gunshot fired, and e's eyes widened, her heart skipped a beat, and she was frozen iaring at him. Her body wouldn't move, wouldn't budge, no matter how hard she tried.

  She blinked and looked down. Her clothes were in one piece, and her body wasn't bleeding.

  "I missed," Lu said, slumping against her, "You were lucky. ime, I won't."

  His weight almost crushed her, her shirt soaking with his blood.

  "My Lord?!"

  "Lady e?!"

  "MY LORD!!!"

  "LADY E!!!!"

  The door burst open, and the guards rushed inside, only to find the man they were hired to fight for, lying on the woman they were hired to protect, both covered in blood, aher was moving.

  e's scream was the st thing they heard before she passed out, the sound of it haunting their nightmares.

  ChubbyLiv