Page 72 of Arrogant and Merciless

“Tomorrow. I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It’s not about you—it’s about the child you might be carrying.”

She nods, again hugging the violin case tightly to her body.

“This place is much nicer than where you used to live.”

“Yes, I know.” She frowns. “I know? How would I know that?” She sounds genuinely confused, and I study her face, trying to see whether she’s faking it.

“You remembered where you used to live?”

“More or less. Jackie took me there once, in daylight, but just now I had a memory of a crumbling entrance at night, and also . . .”

“What?”

“I had a feeling of fear.”

“Yes, anyone would be scared to live in a dump like that.”

“It wasn’t just the place.”

“Then what?”

Her eyes widen. “Because I was being followed on my way home from work.”

Before I can ask anything else, she opens the door and darts into the building’s entrance. My first instinct is to go after her, but I hold back. There’d be no benefit in doing so.

Taylor

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

“Taylor?”I hear Jackie’s voice calling me.

I still can’t move. I arrived about ten minutes ago, but I remain frozen, leaning against the door, trembling.

“Taylor,” she calls again, then she appears in front of me. “Oh my God, what happened?” She takes the instrument case from my hand. “A violin?”

“Yes. William gave it to me. He said it was mine when I was a teenager, but I had to sell it to pay for my father’s medical care.”

“He went after the violin that was yours when you were a teenager?”

I feel exhausted and give her a sad smile. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”

She takes my hand. “Tell me.”

“I will, but first, I need a shower.”

Thirty minutes later, I return to the living room and tell her about the entire night, leaving out almost no details—except for the sex, which I only mention briefly.

“My God, I want a love like that!”

“Did you even hear what I said? This isn’t about love. It’s lust.”

“Passion. But the kind that shakes the Earth. Not just any man would take you back while still suspecting that you were his father’s mistress.”

“William didn’t take me back. He gave in to desire, just like I did.”

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