Facade of Love

Chapter 410 A Trip Down Memory Lane

"Ms. Scott," Gregory said, his brow furrowed in confusion, clearly puzzled why I would still choose to leave with Lucas, knowing all I did.

I faced them and said, "I never thought you'd all come this far just to say goodbye. Thanks for that."

With those words, I dodged Idris's look and slipped back into the cabin.

What happened next, I could not say. Soon enough, however, I felt the ship start to move, and the patrol boat drifted further and further into the distance.

Lucas strutted in with a smirk, clearly pleased with himself after messing with Idris and Gregory. His face, unfairly attractive, was still lit up with that mischievous grin as he entered.

I tried to ignore him, my gaze fixed on the patrol boat disappearing into the distance.

"Missing it already?" he teased from behind me, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

I bit my lip, keeping my tone cool. "Do you get a kick out of toying with them?"

He pulled up a chair right in front of me, his eyes locked on mine. "Not at all. I just wanted you to realize that the guy you're so hung up on is nothing special."

I bit my lip again, thinking he was beyond reasoning.

Maybe my cold shoulder irked him because he plopped down beside me, his breath hot on my ear, making my skin crawl. I tried to scoot away, but he pinned me in place.

His voice came through, a touch more controlled, "I half-expected you to leave with him earlier. Let's face it, this isn't Lake City. If I wanted to stop you, I could."

I glanced at his too-perfect face and quirked an eyebrow. "You would let me go with him?"

He flashed a dangerous smile, his eyes lighting up. "If you really wanted to, sure. But he would have to leave his hands behind. If he agreed to that, I might have just let you walk away."

"Psycho!" I shoved him off and stood up, putting as much space between us as possible. This guy was a devil through and through, with not a shred of decency.

Although he did not seem to mind being pushed away, he just cocked his head and watched me with an innocent smile. "I just wanted to see how much he really loves you. Is that so crazy?"

I stared at him for a moment, then stepped closer, leaning in. "Lucas, do you have a thing for me?"

Now that we were so close, I could see every detail of his flawless skin. It was odd, really. How could someone who had been through a fire have such perfect skin without a single blemish?

He scrunched his brow, lips tightening, and his devilishly good-looking face took on a look I could not quite read. A few seconds later, he stepped back and said with a cool detachment, "Yvette, you're giving yourself way too much credit."

As he walked away, I breathed a sigh of relief, finally getting a bit of quiet.

Without the cops in the way, Lucas's boat made it to the open sea without a hitch, and from there, things just got wilder.

By now, there was not much I could do that would make any difference.

In just a handful of days, I found myself back at Hartfield, the place I used to know—the same place that haunted my dreams. ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

Five years had passed, and the place had gotten a facelift. Houses had been knocked down and replaced with swanky villas, while the area had become significantly greener. At first glance, you might think you had stumbled onto a simple farm.

The place that used to be all doom and gloom, soaked in blood, did not show any signs of its gruesome past now.

"Do you like it here?" The tall guy in front of me stopped short, turned, and looked at me with a quirked eyebrow.

I did not even give him the satisfaction of looking his way. I just gave the place a once-over, let out a cold laugh, and shot back at him, "Like it? What's there to like? The skeletons buried under our feet, or the countless trapped souls under those pretty red and white walls?"

He did not seem to appreciate my words, shooting me a chilly look before he walked off into the villa without another word.

Inch gave me a side glance, his lips twitching like he was about to say something but then thought better of it. He just sighed softly and followed the others inside.

I was not the least bit interested in what he might have to say. I walked into the villa, stone-faced.

The place was as opulent and spacious as ever, totally Lucas's style. He always made sure he was surrounded by nothing but the best.

"Ms. Scott, you must be exhausted. Let me show you to your room so you can rest," Inch said, his eyes briefly scanning the upstairs rooms.