I Thought She Was a Replacement

Anthony Hester had Liliana Jennings pinned beneath him, his fingers moving with practiced ease as he unclasped her bra. Liliana melted against him, dizzy with desire, her body arching into his touch as his hand moved over her. The rhythm between them grew faster, hotter, harder to control. Just as the tension coiling inside her was about to snap, a soft sound slipped from her lips. Anthony paused at once, his beautiful eyes dropping to meet hers. "What's wrong?" A faint blush crept across Liliana's cheeks. She looked away, shy and a little breathless. "It hurts..." Anthony smirked. He lowered his head and brushed a kiss against her ear. "Then I'll be gentler." Just as he was about to send her over the edge, a shrill ringtone tore through the heat between them. It was Jayden Chambers, Anthony's friend. Anthony frowned. He had no intention of answering, but the phone kept ringing, over and over, relentless. With obvious irritation, he grabbed it, pulled away from Liliana, and strode to the floor-to-ceiling window. "This better be important," he said in a low voice, warning clear in every word. "Because if it's not, you already know what happens when you ruin my night." Jayden's voice came through the speaker, all grin and mockery. "Come out for a drink, man! It's still early. Don't tell me you're already in bed. Or are you busy? You with your girl right now? Bring her too. It's about time we finally met her. You're getting married anyway, aren't you?" A beat later, his tone turned teasing. "What are you hiding for? One of my friends saw you at the jewelry store today. Said you customized a ten-carat ring. What, the great Anthony Hester is really settling down?" He chuckled. "Hurry up and bring Lyla over. We need to have some fun with this. Maybe she can finally be the one to keep you in line." Liliana had quietly slipped out of bed and moved toward the door. She stood just behind it, barely breathing. Liliana's heart slammed hard against her ribs. She had been with Anthony for five years. Was he finally going to give her a real title? Was he proposing? Then Anthony answered. His voice was flat. Cold enough to freeze her where she stood. "Not her." Two words. That was all it took. It felt like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over her head, dragging her from hope straight into something dark and bottomless. Jayden exploded on the other end. "What do you mean, not her? Then who the hell are you marrying? After all these years, there's been someone else?" Then Jayden lowered his voice in disbelief. "Wait... Savannah Nolan?" Anthony dropped his gaze. He didn't say a word. The silence was answer enough. Jayden's voice sharpened immediately. "Anthony, don't tell me you still can't let go of Savannah. Back then, she..." "Shut up." Anthony interrupted him sharply, his voice practically dripping with frost. "I know exactly what I'm doing." He paused, then said in a tone so cold it made every word feel merciless. "Liliana and I are not what you think." 'Not what you think.' The words drove straight into Liliana's chest. She spun around, retreating into the shadows of the room. Her skin was still flushed with the lingering heat of his touch, bearing the physical marks of his intimacy. She couldn't fathom how the man who had just been holding her so tenderly could utter something so unimaginably cruel. By the time Anthony ended the call, Liliana was back in bed. Her whole body trembled as tears soaked silently into the pillow beneath her cheek. She pressed a hand over her mouth, refusing to let him hear her fall apart. "When did you wake up?" Anthony's voice came from behind her. "Why not sleep a little longer?" At some point, he had already returned to the bed. Out of habit, he reached for her, ready to pull her into his arms, entirely oblivious to her emotional collapse. Liliana swallowed hard against the sob lodged in her throat and forced herself to speak. "Anthony, what exactly are we..." She never got to finish. His phone rang again, cutting right through her question. Anthony glanced at the screen and instinctively turned away, but it was already too late. Liliana's hearing had always been unusually sharp, and the panicked female voice on the other end came through loud and clear. "Anthony! Savannah's being harassed at the bar. She's crying, just get here, now!" The second he heard Savannah's name, Anthony grabbed his car keys without hesitation. He bolted for the door, leaving behind only a few rushed, icy words. "Something came up at the company. I have to go." Liliana bit down so hard on her lip that she tasted blood. Then she ran after him. By the time she reached the driveway, the chauffeur had just arrived. She got into the car immediately, her voice hoarse and shaking. "Follow that car up ahead." She needed to see her for herself. She needed to know who could make Anthony lose his mind like this! The moment she reached the entrance of the bar, the answer hit her like a knife. Anthony had a man by the collar, slamming him hard against the wall, then he started hitting him, one punch after another. The man was already coughing blood, begging for mercy, but Anthony didn't stop. His hands, those hands that had once shielded Liliana from a flying bottle, those hands people in Jerelden called the most expensive hands in racing, were now slick with blood. His hands mattered to Anthony more than his own life. And yet he seemed not to feel a thing. There was nothing in his eyes except violence. Savannah was huddled in the corner, trembling. Anthony shrugged off his suit jacket and draped it over her shoulders. Then he crouched in front of her and spoke in a voice so gentle it hollowed Liliana out from the inside. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. No one will ever touch you again." Liliana went still. She knew that tone. Years ago, a group of men had harassed Liliana. Anthony had broken the man's hand for it. Back then, Liliana had thought that kind of protection belonged only to her. But now she watched him give that same tenderness to another woman. Savannah burst into tears and threw herself into his arms. Anthony's body stiffened for the briefest second. Then, slowly, he lifted his hand and rested it against her back, pulling her in. "I thought..." Savannah sobbed against his chest. "I thought you didn't want me anymore..." Anthony looked down at her, and the pain in his eyes was impossible to miss. His voice turned even softer, almost unbearably so. "As long as I'm here, no one gets to hurt you." A group of Anthony's bodyguards rushed in at that moment, shoving people out of the way. Liliana was hit from the side and stumbled hard, crashing to the ground. Pain shot through her elbow and knee. "Move! Everybody back up! Get out of the way!" In front of everyone, Anthony lifted Savannah into his arms like a prince carrying his rescued princess. Before he left, he stepped down hard on the troublemaker's hand. The c***k of breaking bone split the air, followed by a scream so sharp it made the place go cold. Anthony's voice was glacial. "Next time you lay a hand on someone, look closely at who you're touching. She's mine. You touch her again, and I'll destroy your whole hand!" "I'm sorry, Mr. Hester! I'm sorry!" the man wailed. "I didn't know she was yours! I wouldn't have dared!" Anthony didn't even spare him another glance. "Clean this up," he ordered his men coldly. "And make sure he never shows his face in Jerelden again. I don't want to see him." Then he carried Savannah out. Liliana turned her face away on instinct, terrified he might see her standing there. He was the one who had lied. He was the one who had betrayed her. And yet in that moment, she felt like the pathetic one, like some ridiculous outsider peeking in on someone else's love story. She walked out of the bar slowly, pulled out her phone, and called her best friend, Riley Bowen. "Riley, can you ask your contacts to pull some strings? I need to erase all my identity records. I want to... I want to leave Jerelden." On the other end, Riley sounded stunned. "What? Are you leaving? Where are you going, Lyla? Aren't you crazy about Anthony? You gave up your chance to study abroad just to stay with him! You two are already this close. If you wait a little longer, he'll probably propose to you!" Liliana bit down hard enough to make her jaw ache. Her nails dug into her palm as tears slipped silently down her face. Then, in a voice so quiet it almost broke apart, she repeated the words. As if saying them aloud one more time would finally force her to give up. "We're not what people think."