Chapter Four
665 Words
Heavy. Painful. Final.
Mr. Laurent stepped forward, clearly done.
“This conversation is over.”
He gestured to the car.
“Alicia. Now.”
This time…
She didn’t argue.
Not because she agreed.
But because something inside her had just broken.
She looked at Alex one last time.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Begging him to say something—anything—that would make her stay.
But he didn’t.
And that was her answer.
Slowly, she turned and walked toward the car.
Each step heavier than the last.
Alex didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
Didn’t stop her.
The door closed.
The car drove off.
And just like that…
She was gone.
The silence left behind was deafening.
Vanessa stepped forward after a moment, her heels clicking softly.
“Well,” she said, folding her arms. “That was… intense.”
Alex didn’t respond.
His eyes were still fixed on the road where the car had disappeared.
“You did the right thing,” she added.
That got his attention.
He turned to her slowly. “Did I?”
Vanessa smiled faintly.
“Of course. Girls like Alicia don’t stay in places like this.”
She paused, then added softly
“And boys like you don’t survive in their world.”
Her words lingered.
Because deep down…
He wasn’t sure if he had just protected her
Or lost her.
The gates of the mansion closed behind her with a quiet finality.
It sounded like a decision.
One she didn’t make.
Alicia stepped out of the car slowly, her eyes scanning the place she once called home.
Everything was the same.
Perfect lawns. Shining windows. Silent staff.
Luxury.
But it didn’t feel like hers anymore.
“Welcome back, Miss Alicia,” a maid said politely.
Alicia forced a small smile.
“Thank you.”
But her voice lacked life.
Inside, the house felt colder than usual.
Or maybe…
It was just her.
“You will come to my study.”
The voice stopped her mid-step.
Mr. Laurent didn’t wait for a response.
He never did.
Alicia followed him quietly, her heart heavy but her face composed. She had cried enough in the car. She wasn’t going to cry again.
Not here.
Not in front of him.
The study door closed behind them.
Click.
“Sit.”
She remained standing.
“I’m fine.”
His eyes lifted to hers—sharp, unreadable.
“Sit, Alicia.”
This time, she obeyed.
There was a pause.
Long enough to make her uneasy.
“You’ve disappointed me,” he said finally.
The words were expected.
But they still hurt.
“I know,” she replied softly.
“No,” he corrected, leaning back in his chair. “I don’t think you do.”
Her hands clenched slightly in her lap.
“You walked away from your responsibilities,” he continued. “From your name. From everything I have built for you.”
“I didn’t ask for this life,” she said quietly.
“And yet, it is yours,” he replied immediately.
Silence stretched between them again.
Then—
He slid a file across the desk.
Alicia frowned slightly before opening it.
Her breath caught.
A photograph.
A man.
Well-dressed. Polished. Wealthy.
Familiar.
“Who is this?” she asked, though part of her already knew.
“Ethan Royce,” her father said. “The son of one of my most important business partners.”
Her chest tightened.
“No.”
“This is not a discussion,” he said calmly. “It is an arrangement.”
She stood up immediately, the chair scraping against the floor.
“I’m not marrying someone I don’t love.”
“You will,” he said, his voice firm, “learn to.”
The words hit like a slap.
“I won’t do it,” she said, shaking her head.
Mr. Laurent’s expression didn’t change.
But his next words did everything.
“Then I will make sure the boy you think you love pays the price.”
Silence.
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