Darling
1135 Words
Elena couldn’t stop him in time. She watched the check—worth over a million—turn to confetti in his hands.
“You could’ve given it back to me! Over a million dollars—just torn up! Wasteful man!”
Lucas leaned down, staring at her with zero regret in his expression.
“Wasteful? If we get back together, the money’s all yours anyway.”
Elena clenched her fists. Damn it—he was actually trying to tempt her with money!
She pushed him toward the door. “No way. Get out.”
Lucas casually picked up her phone and held it in front of her. “Accept the friend request, and I’ll leave right now.”
“You already got your money back. Why add me?”
Seeing she wasn’t going to budge, Lucas swiftly unlocked her phone and accepted the request himself.
Elena stared in shock. “You—how do you know my password?”
He was typing a contact note for himself, smiling lightly. “Guessed right. Still using six eights after all these years.”
Elena: “…”
Low damage, maximum humiliation.
She snatched the phone back, shoved him out the door, and slammed it shut.
Leaning against the door, she glanced at the screen. Pinned at the top: an unfamiliar avatar—a strikingly beautiful black-and-white Husky, Lucas’s dog.
The contact name he’d set: Husband
Elena gritted her teeth. “Shameless!”
She deleted the note—only to see his ID had auto-changed to Husband.
To avoid staring at that eyesore, she had to rename him again.
Money Ex
Kicked out of the room, Lucas dialed his assistant.
“Dig deep on Ethan Cole.”
He couldn’t wait any longer for the breakup. The thought of Ethan still holding the title “fiancé” to his Elena made jealousy twist his features.
That title belonged to him.
Next morning.
Elena slept in. When she came downstairs, the Coles were already at breakfast. She greeted them politely.
“Grandpa Cole, Grandma Cole—I have to rush to the office. I’ll grab breakfast later. Heading out.”
Old Mr. Cole sighed. “Elena’s so career-driven—unlike Hengyue, still sleeping at this hour! Perfect timing—Ah-Chen just said he’s going to the company too. Let your uncle give you a ride.”
Elena watched Lucas stand up. A thousand refusals flashed through her mind, but before she could speak, he was already approaching.
“Let’s go.”
With elders watching and her role as junior, Elena had no choice but to follow.
The butler handed Lucas the keys. Elena stared at the multi-million-dollar Koenigsegg in the driveway.
Riding this to work was way too flashy.
Lucas seemed to read her mind. He leaned close—voice low enough for only them.
“Avoiding your little uncle?”
Elena glared. “Pervert!”
He was getting way too into the role.
Lucas laughed, opened the passenger door. “Get in, little ancestor.”
Elena slid inside, mentally treating him as nothing more than a driver.
On the road, Lucas kept his eyes ahead. “Why go to the office on a weekend?”
Producers often worked irregular hours once filming started, but her current project hadn’t even begun principal photography—she could’ve rested.
Elena leaned back, eyes closed. “Auditions aren’t finished. A lot of roles still open.”
Budget constraints meant she needed to scout cheaper new talent to balance costs. It was time-consuming.
She opened her eyes. “What about you? Why go in?”
“Supervising your work.”
“…” Elena forced a smile. “Thanks so much.”
In the underground garage, before she could get out, Lucas asked, “Free tonight?”
Second time he’d asked about her weekend.
Elena glanced at the impeccably dressed man in the driver’s seat, brow arched.
“What—got needs?”
Lucas reached over, lifting her chin. “Elena Brooks—in your eyes, that’s all I am?”
“Mmhmm.”
A man driven by desire.
What else could a nighttime invite mean?
Lucas’s dark eyes narrowed, then curved with a faint smile.
“Yeah, baby. The second I see you, my mind goes filthy. Every hour of every day.”
That hadn’t been his original intent—but he wasn’t opposed.
Elena pressed a finger to his lips. “Not free. Not interested!”
She had Nathaniel Reed’s birthday party tonight—not because they were close, but because she hoped to convince him to cameo in her new drama.
Lucas leaned closer, tongue tip grazing her fingertip.
The sudden tickle made Elena yank her hand back.
“Can you be serious for once?”
He stared at her, amused. “Who’s not being serious, baby?”
“I just want to take you to a dinner. And PD Brooks is already thinking about sleeping with me?”
Elena’s face heated. “Who said that!”
She’d only been teasing.
“I’m thinking about it,” Lucas said.
Three years of abstinence abroad hadn’t dulled the craving—it had sharpened it.
Only her.
“Then keep thinking!”
Elena unbuckled and bolted.
Lucas watched her flee, eyes lowering with a smile.
He could feel it—his Elena was slowly coming back to life. All those emotions were ones she only showed him.
From the night she’d seduced him in college, Lucas had known: her face might be pure innocence, but inside she was anything but obedient.
And she hit every single one of his triggers.
Irresistible.
Lucas pulled out his phone. “Prepare breakfast for the entire crew—deliver it ASAP.”
Elena arrived at the audition set, surprised to find Sophie Turner already there—makeup and hair done.
Sophie approached with a coffee cup, setting it gently on Elena’s table.
“PD Brooks, sorry about yesterday. My agent messed up the schedule—that’s why I was late. Coffee’s on me.”
Elena nodded. “Thanks, but I’m allergic to caffeine.”
“Oh…” Sophie looked awkward. “I’ll have my assistant get something else.”
“No need. Water’s fine. We’re starting soon.”
Sophie nodded and sat across from her, hesitating. “I heard…you’re Ethan Cole’s fiancée?”
“So?”
“Nothing really.” Sophie smiled. “Mr. Bennett is Ethan’s uncle—distant, but still family. Once you’re married, you’ll be related too.”
“I didn’t know yesterday, or I wouldn’t have been rude.”
Elena cut straight. “What do you want?”
Sophie tested the waters. “Could you…help me pursue Mr. Bennett?”
“…”
Elena couldn’t hold back a burst of laughter.
It had been a long time since she’d heard something this ridiculous.
- Writer
