The Enemy Who Refused to Let Go
981 Words
Sleep came in fragments. Lulu drifted in and out of it, caught between the echo of camera flashes and the steady certainty of Albie’s voice. Every time she closed her eyes, headlines burned behind her lids. Her name. Her face. Her life a public property now.
A soft knock sounded at her door just before dawn. She sat up instantly. “Come in.”
Wren slipped inside quietly, a tablet tucked under her arm. Her expression was careful, the way people looked when they were about to deliver news that couldn’t be softened.
“You should see this before anyone else shows it to you,” Wren said gently.
Lulu’s stomach dropped. “He’s spoken.”
Wren nodded and handed her the tablet. The video was already playing.
Wilder Taylor stood behind a polished desk, wearing a dark suit and an expression carefully crafted to appear wounded rather than furious. The Ink News logo hovered in the corner of the screen.
“I loved Lulu Averill,” Wilder said solemnly. “I still do. Her sudden disappearance was devastating. I only want to know she’s safe.”
Lulu’s fingers tightened around the tablet.
“And while I respect Mr. Darlington’s influence,” Wilder continued, “I fear she’s being manipulated. Lulu has always been… gentle. Easily pressured. I hope she hasn’t been forced into something she doesn’t understand.”
The insinuation slid under her skin like poison.
“She didn’t consent,” Wren said quietly. “That’s the angle.”
Lulu swallowed hard. “He’s painting me as weak.”
“And unstable,” Wren added. “Right TV picked it up an hour ago.”
Before Lulu could respond, the door opened again.
Albie stepped inside, already alert, his jaw tight. “He’s escalating faster than expected.”
“You knew he would,” Lulu said, lifting her chin. “You just didn’t think he’d go after my credibility this soon.”
Albie met her gaze. “I underestimated how threatened he’d feel.”
Wren glanced between them. “The public is divided. Some believe him. Some don’t.”
Lulu laughed softly, hollow. “Of course they don’t. I’m just a woman who disappeared and reappeared on another man’s arm.”
Albie’s expression hardened. “You’re not just a woman.”
“That’s not how they see it.”
He stepped closer. “Then we change how they see you.”
She looked up at him sharply. “How?”
“With truth,” he said. “Selective truth.”
Her chest tightened. “I don’t want to air my family’s betrayal on live television.”
“You won’t,” Albie replied. “Not yet.”
“Yet,” she repeated.
“Yes,” he said calmly. “Because Wilder is counting on your silence. He thinks you’ll retreat.”
“And if I don’t?”
A faint, dangerous smile touched his lips. “Then he makes mistakes.”
Lulu studied him, something shifting inside her. This wasn’t just a man protecting her anymore. This was a strategist preparing a battlefield.
“What do you need from me?” she asked.
“Visibility,” Albie said. “And proximity.”
Her breath caught. “Meaning?”
“You’ll attend the Darlington Foundation Gala with me tonight.”
“That’s insane,” she said immediately. “The press will tear me apart.”
“They’ll try,” he corrected. “But they’ll also see you standing beside me, unshaken.”
She crossed her arms. “And Wilder?”
“He’ll be there,” Albie said evenly.
The words landed hard.
“You’re using me as bait,” Lulu whispered.
“Yes,” he admitted. “But controlled bait.”
Anger flared. “You promised not to use me as leverage.”
“I promised not to discard you,” he corrected. “This keeps you safer than hiding.”
She looked away, heart racing. “I hate that you’re right.”
“I know.”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Lulu exhaled slowly. “What do I do if he approaches me?”
“You don’t engage,” Albie said. “You don’t flinch. And you don’t explain yourself.”
“And if he touches me?”
The temperature in the room dropped.
“He won’t,” Albie said quietly. “Because if he does, it ends.”
She met his gaze and saw something unyielding there, something dangerous. That evening, the gala unfolded exactly as Lulu feared. Crystal chandeliers. Flowing gowns. Whispers that followed her every step.
Albie’s hand rested lightly on her waist as they entered, cameras flashing instantly. Lulu kept her head high, her expression calm, even as her heart threatened to break free off her chest.
And then she saw him. Wilder stood near the bar, his gaze locking onto hers with predatory focus. His lips curved slowly into a smile that sent ice down her spine.
He approached.
“Lulu,” he said softly, as if they were still lovers. “I’m relieved to see you.”
She said nothing.
“Are you happy?” he continued, eyes flicking pointedly to Albie’s hand. “Or are you afraid?”
Albie stepped forward slightly, his voice cold. “Step away from my fiancée.”
Wilder chuckled. “Still borrowing what isn’t yours, Darlington?”
That was when Lulu spoke.
“I’m not borrowed,” she said clearly. “And I’m not yours.”
The words sliced cleanly through the air. Wilder’s smile faltered just for a second. Albie’s grip tightened reassuringly. And in that moment, as whispers erupted and cameras turned toward them, Lulu knew something fundamental had changed.
She wasn’t just surviving anymore. She was fighting back. Stronger than she thought she could. She was not doing this for Albie or Wilder, but herself.
And Wilder Taylor had just realized, He was no longer in control.
- Writer
