Chapter 146
“You… you’re Audrey’s boytoy.” Clayton’s face went deathly pale with pain, big drops of sweat rolling down his forehead. He clenched his teeth and somehow managed to get back on his feet.
The guy towering over him was half a head taller, built like a brick shithouse. Dressed in a plain black T–shirt and jeans, he gave off a seriously intimidating vibe. The look in his eyes said he wouldn’t mind tearing Clayton apart piece by piece.
Calvin shot Clayton a cold glare and cracked his knuckles. “I’ll take care of this piece of trash.”
“Stop.” Audrey blocked his way.
She knew exactly how dangerous Calvin was. He boxed with Yann all the time. One punch from him and Clayton would end up in the hospital.
“Call the cops. He broke into my place.” She wasn’t about to let Calvin get in trouble. This was a job for the law. She’d let Clayton, a lawyer, finally pay for digging his own grave.
The police showed up in no time. They’d dealt with Clayton before when he sent goons to break down Audrey’s door, so seeing him causing trouble again, they didn’t give a damn that he looked beat up.
Audrey grabbed the police report and called Malcolm right in front of Clayton. “Mr. William, Clayton just broke into my apartment and tried to bully me into dropping the lawsuit. Make sure to slap intimidation charges on him in court.”
Clayton was so angry he almost shattered his teeth.
After the cops finished their paperwork and got him out of the complex, he flopped onto a bench by the road, too hurt to move.
He’d only managed to smooth things over with Valerie by promising to stay married and coughing up 3,000 dollars for bills.
He’d thought he could talk Audrey into dropping the case and getting back together. If she did, he still had a shot at fixing things. But he never expected her to play so dirty–refusing to back down and piling on more charges.
Clayton let out a frustrated sigh and buried his face in his hands.
He was sure Audrey still had feelings for him and that even after the “little hurts” he’d caused, she’d stay loyal and wait for him to return.
In his mind, her getting back at him and his family was just a sign that she was still obsessed with him.
Clayton had never thought she’d really let go, especially not so quickly by dating someone new. What made it worse was knowing that someone else had been with the woman he’d barely touched during their year of marriage.
At first, his apology was just a way to get back on top, but seeing the fresh marks on Audrey’s neck sparked his possessiveness all over again. He couldn’t stand the thought of it.
Suddenly, Clayton’s vision went pitch–black. Before he could react, a hard fist hit his stomach.
He let out a pained groan as someone grabbed him, threw him into the hedge by the wall, and started kicking and punching him nonstop. He felt like passing out but couldn’t, only moaning in pain when, the attack finally stopped.
When everything went quiet,‘ he shakily pulled the black cloth off his head.
There were no security cameras around. Even without proof, he knew it had to be Audrey’s “boytoy” who did this.
Audrey had just finished mopping the floor and sprayed some perfume to get rid of Clayton’s smell when the doorbell rang. This time, it must be the food delivery.
She looked through the peephole, then opened the door and looked up at the serious–looking man outside. “Did Calvin tell you?”
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Chapter 146
As soon as Yann walked in, the room felt smaller. He didn’t like the smell, so he put the takeout on the table and went to open a window
Audrey looked at Calvin, who was coming out of the elevator. His shoes and pants had dry leaves on them, and there were scratches on his elbows Bed obviously gone to beat Clayton up.
Their eyes met, and Calvin quickly smiled, “I didn’t tell Mr. Winifred. He just showed up.”
Audrey shook her head with a sigh and shut the door behind her. “Hungry?”
Yann stood by the window and turned to look at her, his eyes suddenly flickering with something deeper.
Audrey quickly waved a hand to stop him. She wondered, ‘Could he seriously not stop linking eating with sex?‘ She was just there to lay low for a bit.
Grabbing a fork, she shuffled over to stand beside him and peered out the window.
This was a basic residential area, nothing like the posh Royal House. No manicured gardens or sleek gyms, just scrawny trees dying from neglect and cars parked everywhere. But it had a cozy, lived–in charm.
“What has caught your eye?” Audrey asked, following his stare.
Yann slung an arm around her waist and pulled her against him. “Digging the vibe?”
Audrey wasn’t exactly in love with it. She’d bought this place as a fallback back then.
She’d learned early that no one lasted forever, not even walls. Marrying Clayton made sense at the time. He’d taken her dad’s case and was good–looking and ambitious. If the marriage worked, great; if not, she’d walk away.
When she didn’t reply, Yann pinched the soft skin above her hip.
She squirmed at the tickle and nestled into his chest. “Fine, I’ll sell this place and move somewhere else. Happy?”
She didn’t need him to spell it out. She knew exactly what had his panties in a twist.
“Let Calvin deal with it,” Yann said softly, sliding a hand under her shirt.
Her startled yelp was cut off by his kiss.
After dinner, Audrey had no choice but to head back to Royal House. Why? Because Yann insisted on crashing at her tiny Kinsia House place.
The problem was, his 6’3” frame and her 5‘ bed? They’d both be up all night like sardines in a can.
Faced with Yann’s overly dramatic sad puppy eyes, Audrey made a split–second decision and unilaterally created a detailed schedule.
Per the schedule, she’d sleep in Yann’s room on odd–numbered days and in her own on even–numbered days. Also, if Yann was away on business, he couldn’t demand any “make–up time” when he got back.
To “safeguard his rights,” Yann practically dragged Audrey into a workout routine, arguing, “You fainting all the time is cramping my style.”
Audrey could only sigh and let him take the lead.
After a sweaty run, she was soaked in gross sweat and desperate for a shower, only for Yann to unceremoniously hoist her over his shoulder and stride toward his bedroom.
“We just set these rules. Are you already breaking them? Put me down!” she protested, kicking and squirming on his broad shoulder.
But Yann was built like a truck, ignoring her struggles. He gave her butt a light swat. “Sticking to the schedule. It’s the 31st.”
Audrey wanted to facepalm. She thought, ‘The 31st means tomorrow is the 1st! Why did I give myself such a massive headache? I should’ve made the rule for even days instead.‘
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Chapter 147
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
