Page 61 of Addicted To His Favorite
Taylor glanced at him but didn’t fully stop; the car slowed slightly instead. “Lucas, we’re already making headlines for your… complicated involvement with Emily while being engaged to Amelia. Getting seen with her again will only fuel the fire.”
Lucas’s anger boiled over, his fists tightening on his lap. “Ijustsaw her hugging some other man, sitting in his lap! Stop the goddamn car!”
Taylor’s voice rose, sharp with frustration. “Your image is already hanging by a thread! You’ve lost at least ten projects because of these scandals with two women. Shareholders are threatening to strip you of ownership if you stir more trouble. Are you trying to hand your company over to someone else?”
“I’ll take care of my own damn business!” Lucas snapped, his voice cold enough to freeze the air. “Turn. The. Car. Around.”
Taylor snapped back, his patience gone. “Seriously, man! Emily clearly doesn’t care about you anymore. Aren’t you done with all this nonsense? You’re already with Amelia now. You need to let go!”
“Shecaresabout me!” Lucas shot back, his voice tight with desperation. “She’s angry but she loves me. She’ll forgive me eventually. I was forced into the situation. We’ve been together for five years. There’s no way she doesn’t care about me!”
His voice dropped to a lethal growl. “Stop the damn car, or I’ll make sure you don’t have a hospital to run by tomorrow.”
Taylor’s anger flared to the point of snapping. “Fine,” he bit out, his voice taut with frustration. “Do whatever you want. I’m done trying to keep you out of trouble!”
Without waiting for a reply, he jerked the wheel at the next turn, spinning the car around and heading back. His knuckles were white against the steering wheel. “But you need to hear this,” Taylor went on, his tone cutting. “You’re acting like a child.”
The tires ground to a halt in front of Nox Enterprises. Lucas’s sharp eyes immediately caught sight of a familiar maroon carparked there. Before the engine even finished rumbling down, he threw the door open and jumped out, striding toward the spot where he’d seen Emily in another man’s lap.
He strode up to the car and bent down, peering inside through the open window.
Taylor hurried after him, calling out, “Don’t hurt her,” he warned, his voice low and urgent. “We don’t even know if what you saw was right.”
Lucas rounded on him, eyes flashing. “Who’s going to hurt her? I just need to talk to her. She still loves me.”
Just then, Lucas caught a flicker of movement near the car. As he closed the distance, Sebastian emerged from the other side.
Lucas froze, his body stiffening as the thought slammed into him. ‘Was it him I saw with Emily earlier? Was she… sitting in Sebastian’s lap?’
His eyes narrowed, sharp with suspicion. “Where’s Emily?” he demanded, his voice low and edged with barely restrained anger.
Sebastian slid his hands into his pockets and said in a chillingly calm voice, “You need to stop making trouble for her before I take the trouble of settling accounts with you myself.” His eyes were cold enough to freeze. Without waiting for an answer, he got back into his car and drove away.
Taylor, who had been standing a short distance away, quickly joined Lucas. Fuming, Lucas gritted out in an angry voice, “Why the hell is he talking to me like that? What is Emily to him? Just because he’s her brother’s friend, he thinks he can play her guard dog?”
***
Later that day, Amelia marched into Emily’s office. Emily was at her desk, working on a design, but the moment she saw Amelia enter, she quickly covered her designs with black sheets.
There was no trusting a thief.
Amelia noticed the move, and her face darkened. Slamming her hands on the desk, she snarled in a furious voice, “Stay the fuck away from Lucas! He’s done with you. Move on!”
Emily rose to her feet, eyes cool but questioning. “What exactly are you trying to say?”
“I’m saying,” Amelia snarled, “if you don’t hand over the project you signed with Sebastian Graves, I’ll make sure the internet knows you’re a plagiarist—and Lucas’s mistress.”
Before she could finish, Emily let out a small laugh.
“You’re going to expose me for being a plagiarist and a mistress?” she asked with a sharp, mocking tone. “Tell me, Amelia—don’t you already know who the real plagiarist and mistress is?” Her gaze locked on Amelia with cold amusement.
Amelia’s fury spiked at Emily’s words. She stormed around the table, her hand raised to strike Emily across the face. But Emily caught her wrist mid-swing and threw it aside roughly. “Get lost! Don’t come near me again. I don’t like pests buzzing around me.”
She grabbed Amelia by the shoulder and shoved her toward the door. “Get the fuck out,” Emily snapped, her voice laced with anger.
Emily’s final push sent Amelia stumbling into the hallway. Faces turned. Phones were subtly raised. Amelia’s cheeks burned with humiliation as she spat, “I’m going to teach you a lesson. Just watch.” Then she stormed away.
By now, the noise had drawn attention. Employees gathered, whispering as Amelia stormed off. Within moments, the office was buzzing with gossip.
