Chapter 8%
I let my fingers trail down Taurus’s arm, my smile never wavering. “Let him watch.”
Taurus chuckled, raising his glass in silent approval.
The night carried on, and so did the game. I danced, I laughed, I made sure my name dripped from every important mouth in the room. I was no longer the woman they pitied. I was the one they desired. The one they respected. The one they feared.
And yet, through it all, Lothario never stopped watching me.!
His expression was unreadable now, a storm brewing behind his cold eyes. He didn’t smile, didn’t move from his spot, just stood there, drinking his wine, following my every move like a predator stalking its prey.
Good. Suffer, Lothario. Feel what it’s like to lose ⠀
-X
I excused myself from Sullivan, flashing him a polite smile before slipping away. The night had been entertaining, but I needed a breath of fresh air–somewhere quiet to enjoy the aftermath of my grand reveal.
The balcony was empty, bathed in the cool glow of the city lights leaned against the railing, taking in the view, my mind still replaying the absolute horror on Lothario’s face when he finally pieced it all together.
Cressida Lancaster.”
Not some nameless upstart. Not a desperate woman chasing after him.
No. I was the one funding the very event he walked into.
I closed my eyes for a moment, savoring the victory
Then-
“Pearl”
I didn’t even flinch. I had expected this.
Slowly, I turned my head, meeting his gaze.X
Lothario stood there, just inside the doorway, tension radiating off him like a storm about to break. His jaw was tight, his eyes dark, the same man who had once looked at me like I was his world now staring at me like I was an unanswered question.
“Can we talk?”
I laughed. A sharp, cutting sound. “Talk?” I echoed, tilting my head. “Now you want to talk?“%
His throat bobbed, but he didn’t step closer, Smart man.X
“Pearl, I-”
“It’s Cressida to you,” I cut in, my voice smooth, deadly. “Pearl died the moment you threw her away.” Something flickered in his eyes, something almost wounded, but I didn’t care.
He had no right.
He exhaled, running a hand through his hair, his frustration showing. “What is this?” His voice was low, controlled. “What are you trying to do?”
I let out a soft hum, tapping my fingers against the railing. “Hmm… what am I trying to do?” I pretended to think. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe just exist without being treated like trash? Maybe thrive? Maybe watch you squirm as you realize I never needed you?”
His jaw clenched. “It’s not like that.”
I laughed again. “No? So, tell me, Lothario–what is it like?” I took a step closer, my voice lowering. “Is it like watching the woman you discarded become untouchable? Is it like realizing the person you underestimated now holds the power to ruin you?“%
His hands curled into fists. “You’re playing a dangerous game.“”
I smirked. “Oh, darling. I own the game.”
For a second, just a second, I saw something flicker in his eyes–something raw, something desperate,”
Good. Let him feel it.
I turned, heading back inside without another word.
Let him be the one left standing in the cold
Lothario is watching.
I can feel it.E
Ever since the nala his nacence has heen a chadow trailing behind me–cilant invischia hut there. I don’t need to chack.
Ever since the gala, his presence has been a shadow trailing behind me–silent, invisible, but there. I don’t need to check my phone to know he’s been digging, trying to unearth every detail about Cressida Lancaster. But he won’t find anything
I made sure of it.”
Pearl? She’s gone. Erased. Buried under layers of wealth, power, and influence. The naive girl who once begged for his love no longer exists.”
And it’s killing him.
That morning the headlines were exactly what I wanted…
“WHO IS CRESSIDA LANCASTER?“”
“THE MYSTERIOUS CEO DOMINATING THE BUSINESS WORLD!
“ALESSIA UNDER FIRE–IS SHE REALLY ALEXANDER ANDERSON’S DAUGHTER?”|||
I sipped my espresso, scrolling through the chaos I had set into motion. The whispers had started subtly, a single. well–placed tip to a very eager journalist. It didn’t take much
Alessia had spent years basking in a stolen identity, parading herself as his daughter with zero proof. And now? People were asking questions.
I smirked, flipping through article after article, watching as public speculation grew. Reporters were already circling her like vultures.
Perfect.
I leaned back in my chair, stretching my legs across my massive desk. The world was turning in my favor, and I had no plans of slowing down.”
Lothario, on the other hand?%
Oh, I knew he was restless. I could feel his frustration, even from miles away. He had spent the entire night after the gala trying to figure out who Cressida Lancaster really was.
Too bad for him.”
I had erased every trace of my past. Pearl? That weak, lovesick girl? She no longer existed.
I had made sure of that.
A soft knock on my office door pulled me from my thoughts.
“Come in,” I said lazily.
One of my assistants entered, her expression both excited and nervous. “Miss Lancaster, you should see this.”
She handed me a tablet, already playing a very interesting video.”
Alessia, surrounded by flashing cameras, shoving a reporter away as she snapped, “I am Alexander Anderson’s daughter! How dare you question me?”
Oh? Losing control already?!
I chuckled, setting the tablet down. “That was fast,” I mused. “I expected her to hold out a little longer.“”
My assistant hesitated. “Lothario hasn’t made a statement yet. People are waiting to see if he’ll defend her.”
I arched a brow. And he won’t.
Not because he didn’t want to–oh no. Lothario was stubborn, and for now, he still needed Alessia
But he was distracted.
I could already picture it. Him, sitting in his office, going through every record, every file, trying to find even a whisper of who I was before I became Cressida.
And coming up with nothing.
Good. Let him obsess. Let him suffer.
Because this was only the beginning.”
