He Quit for Me, I Came Back to Him

Vivian Hale and Silas Payne were once the most eye-catching couple on campus. She was the bold and dazzling campus beauty—the red rose carefully cherished and doted on by the young heir to the underworld. For her sake, Silas resolved to wash his hands clean of all shady dealings, vowing to let his rose bloom on clean soil. Yet right when he was on the verge of making it happen, all he got was a breakup notice. He knelt and begged her for three days and three nights straight, even collapsing unconscious in the pouring rain, but Vivian never so much as glanced his way. Three years later, Vivian reappeared out of the blue. She picked up the love she had once thrown away and willingly became his secret lover, hidden from the public eye. ***** Night fell, and the top-floor penthouse was steeped in an intimate haze. Vivian opened her eyes, feeling like every bone in her body was about to fall apart. Even after all this time, she still couldn't handle his beast-like stamina. Out on the balcony, Silas slowly exhaled a ring of smoke. His neck was still marked with obvious hickeys, and Vivian found herself staring. But the next second, a voice nailed her to the spot like a lightning strike. "I'm getting engaged next week." Silas's voice was lazy but laced with bone-chilling cold. "To Gwen Lowell." Vivian's back stiffened, almost imperceptibly. Gwen was Silas's childhood friend, and the heiress of Southaven's most powerful underworld family. She quickly slipped back into her usual coquettish act and answered, voice casual. "Are you joking? Just a few days ago, you said I was the only one who suited you. Are you already tired of me, ready to settle down?" Silas curled his lips into a cold smirk, his eyes sharp as ice. "I've changed the passcode to my place. Don't come here anymore. Gwen won't tolerate even the slightest hint of betrayal." This time, Vivian knew he was dead serious. Catching her lost in thought, Silas reached out and pinched her chin, his voice piercingly cold. "What's the matter? Does watching me marry someone else bother you that much? "You were the one who threw yourself at me first, begging to be my mistress." He let out a scoff, thumb brushing over her lips. "I thought sleeping with my ex-girlfriend might be different from the other women out there. Turns out, it's exactly the same. Clingy and a damn hassle." Her heart skipped a beat. A sharp, sour bitterness spread through her chest, like biting into an unripe plum. "I just think—" She buried her emotions in a flash and hooked her fingers around his tie. "You should at least give me something for my trouble. I've served you pretty well all this time, haven't I?" The tiny red mole at the corner of her eye flickered with her smile, oozing charm. Silas's breath caught. He suddenly seized her wrist, squeezing with enough force to nearly crush her bones. "I knew you'd never change. All you see is the next angle." He let go with obvious disgust, his voice ice-cold. "The safe passcode is 3357. Take the money and get out. You've got ten minutes." "Thanks." Vivian swallowed the bitterness she couldn't put into words and hurried straight to the study. A black safe sat embedded in the wall. She'd tried cracking the passcode three times before and failed. Taking a deep breath, she typed in the sequence. Click—the door popped open, and her eyes immediately darted to a small item tucked in the corner. As she stuffed stacks of cash from the safe into her bag, she quietly palmed that item without drawing any attention. Moments later, she stood up, satisfied, and patted her bulging handbag. "That was fast," Silas shot her a sharp look. "Seems you planned this all along." "Only a fool turns down easy gains." Vivian waved the diamonds and jewelry in her hand, eyes sparkling. "You're awfully generous, thanks for the gifts. Feel free to call me up anytime you need me." Silas narrowed his eyes, thin lips pressed tight. "Take what you got and leave." ***** Barely five minutes after she walked out of the apartment, Vivian's phone rang. She answered immediately. "Report. The key has been acquired. Mission accomplished." The voice of her superior, Russ Zendt, came through the line. "Well done, Officer Badge No. 25364. Now follow the new orders and withdraw immediately. The Hale family has already sacrificed too much for the force. You've just inherited your late father's badge, and we need to keep you safe. Also..." Russ paused a moment before continuing. "HQ just sent word. Your brother might still be alive." Vivian froze dead in her tracks. 'Chad was still alive?' Tears instantly welled up in her eyes, but she forced herself to push down the surging emotions. "Give me one more week. I'll rescue my brother myself, then I'll pull out right away."