Page 61 of His to Possess
I stumbled out of the café, barely aware of my surroundings. The busy Chicago streets blurred around me as I walked aimlessly, my mind racing. What the hell was I going to do?
If I agreed to Alain's demands, I would be throwing away everything I had worked so hard to rebuild. My integrity, my independence—gone in an instant. But if I refused… God, if I refused, it would all be over, anyway. My career, my reputation, maybe even my freedom—all destroyed by Alain's fabricated evidence.
And then there was Rex. My stomach twisted at the thought of him. How could I possibly explain this without revealing thedepths of my past mistakes? He would see me as weak, as a liability. Or worse, he would try to solve this problem his way, potentially making everything even more complicated.
I found myself in a small park, collapsing onto a bench. My hands shook as I pulled out my phone, staring at the blank screen. Who could I even turn to? My finger hovered over his name in my contacts, but I couldn't bring myself to press it. His words echoed in my mind.
I protect what's mine.
How far did that statement really go? Did he genuinely mean it? Would he actually do what was necessary to protect me? And worse... would he make decisions he could never take back, ones that would haunt me in the middle of the night? My heart sank at the thought. What other choice did I have, though?
The weight of my decision felt crushing. No matter what I chose, I lost. Alain had me cornered, and he knew it.
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. I needed to think rationally, to find a way out of this mess. But all I could see was Alain's smug smile, hear his voice dripping with false concern as he had laid out my impossible choices.
"Damn you, Alain," I whispered, clenching my fists. Anger surged through me, momentarily drowning out the fear. How dare he do this to me again? How dare he threaten everything I had built?
But anger wouldn't solve this. I needed a plan, a way to outmaneuver Alain at his own game. But how? He held all the cards, and I was left scrambling to stay afloat.
The sun began to set, casting long shadows across the park. I had been sitting here for hours, no closer to a solution. Time was running out, and I still didn't know what to do.
I pulled out my phone, my fingers trembling as I dialed Rex's number. The familiar ringtone echoed in my ear, each secondstretching into an eternity. Part of me hoped he would answer, while another dreaded the sound of his voice.
"Compton Investment Group, this is Shoji speaking." The crisp, professional tone of Rex's assistant cut through my spiraling thoughts.
"Hello, it's Laurel Bowers," I said.
"Ah, Ms. Bowers. How may I assist you today?" There was no surprise in his voice. Of course, Rex had probably informed him of my existence.
I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my composure. "I need to speak with Rex. It's important."
"I'm afraid Mr. Compton is unavailable at the moment," he replied smoothly. "Is there anything I can help you with?"
Disappointment washed over me, mingled with a hint of frustration. I took a deep breath, forcing my voice to remain calm. "I need to talk to him. It's… It's urgent."
"I understand, Ms. Bowers. I'll be sure to let Mr. Compton know you called. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
I closed my eyes, defeat settling in my chest. "No, thank you. Just… just tell him I called."
"Of course, Ms. Bowers. Have a good day."
I ended the call with a heavy sigh, staring at my phone. It was clear Rex didn't want to talk to me right now. The realization stung more than I cared to admit, now more than ever. For once, I was completely and utterly lost.
Chapter 21
Laurel
Rex's town car glided through the Chicago streets, the chauffeur as silent as ever, the smooth ride doing little to calm the turmoil inside me. Anger simmered in my veins, but it was edged with frustration and a healthy dose of anxiety. My fists clenched and unclenched, nails digging into my palms as I imagined them wrapped around Rex's throat. I wanted to shake him, make him see how his silence was killing me.
This distance, this emotional void, was new territory for us. After winning that damn challenge, I had thought… I had thought things would change. That maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for us to connect on a deeper level. Instead, he had vanished, leaving me hanging in this toxic uncertainty. I hated it. He had turned my life upside down, and now, he wasn't even here to witness it.
I leaned my head against the cold window, watching the city blur by. It had been a week of fruitless phone calls, Shoji's polite deflections an endless loop of frustration. I had even triedshowing up at Rex's office, only to be turned away by the stone-faced receptionist. The memory of standing in that lobby, feeling helpless and insignificant, still burned.
I needed answers. I needed to see the flicker in his eyes, read his body language, and understand why he was behaving this way towards me. Was it because of the challenge? Had my success pushed him away? Or was it something else, something he wasn't telling me?
My mind replayed the past week like a highlight reel of my failures to reach him. The phone calls, the visits, the constant rejections—they were all starting to blur together. I wondered if he even cared about the effect he was having on me. Did he know how much this hurt? Was it his intention to toy with me like this?
I lifted my head, glaring at the window as if it were personally responsible for Rex's silence. "Dammit, Rex," I muttered under my breath. "Where the hell are you?" My voice echoed in the enclosed space, making the car feel even smaller.
