Page 11 of Thirst Trap
"Lucas doesn't talk," Francesca said flatly. "That's his whole thing. Broody. Brilliant. Broken, probably."
"Ugh. Dangerous," Maddison drawled with a grin. "I love that."
She took another sip of tea. "So he's single, then?"
That perked them up.
The younger guy from Events Mason, or maybe Max leaned forward, lowering his voice like he was reciting a cursed bedtime story.
"There was a woman. Gallery owner. Stunning. Artsy. Left him after two months and a lot of screaming. Something about him being emotionally repressed and obsessed with power dynamics."
Maddison blinked, hiding her smirk behind her mug.
Emotionally repressed? Check. Power dynamics? Double check.
Francesca slid her sunglasses down her nose. "Everyone thought he was in love with some online girl after that. Apparently he started some alt accounts to thirst trap anonymously and got obsessed with this one follower."
Maddison coughed on her tea. "Oh no, what? Like a fan account?"
"Worse," Mason whispered. "He was simping. Like, full paragraphs. Rumor is, he met her and it ended badly. No one knows who she is, though."
"Yeah," Francesca added. "Lucas blocked me when I asked. So obviously it's true."
Maddison sat back, mind reeling.
There was no way.
...Was there?
She forced a laugh, keeping her tone light. "Men are always more emotional online. I bet he cries over her at night while oiling his suit collection."
The room burst out laughing.
But Maddison?
She was already making a list.
?Alt account.
?Gallery ex.
?Secret simple history.
And most of all…
Was she the one he'd been simping for all along?
***
Lucas leaned back in his chair, the surveillance feed from the staff kitchen looping silently on his second monitor.
There she was. Maddison Parker.
Laughing. Teasing. Holding court like a queen on a crappy suede throne. Every inch of her, from the scar on her knee to the curl of her lip when she smirked, had already wormed under his skin.
She was asking about him again.
He could tell by the way Francesca leaned in, by the sly grin Maddison bit back behind her mug. She was digging. And Lucas couldn't decide if that thrilled him or terrified him.
