Vesper Grayson’s face stiffened. She forced a relaxed smile. "I guess I can’t hide anything from you. I broke up with him."
"What do you mean?" Shiloh Sloan frowned. "You helped him climb to the top, and now that he’s rich and famous, he wants to kick you to the curb?"
"I’m the one who dumped him."
She spoke of how Luke Lockwood had cheated on her with his young assistant, her tone so calm it was as if she were discussing a stranger’s affairs.
But Shiloh knew her best. Beneath Vesper’s breezy, stoic facade lay a heart that had been torn to shreds.
"That scumbag! How dare he cheat on you? I’m going to go kill him right now!"
Shiloh was like a bomb with a lit fuse, instantly exploding and startling everyone nearby, who turned to stare.
"Shiloh, keep your voice down!" Vesper hurriedly pulled her back into her seat, pressing a warm cup of coffee into her hands. "Do you want everyone in the club to know I got cheated on?"
"That bastard! You spent three years playing homemaker for him, paving his way, pulling strings to get him resources, and helping his company go public. And what does he do? He has an affair with his little assistant right under your nose! Did a dog eat his conscience?"
Shiloh’s chest heaved, the fire in her eyes flaring. She grabbed Vesper’s hand, and the touch of her calloused palm made Shiloh’s own eyes redden with heartache. "You’re the heiress of the Grayson Corporation, the girl who never had to lift a finger in her life. When have you ever been subjected to something like this?"
"You know I’m not the type to take things lying down. So, before I came back to Northolme, I gave him a little parting gift."
Even after hearing what Vesper did, Shiloh still wasn’t satisfied.
"You let him off too easy!"
’Luke Lockwood can’t be having an easy time right now. With troubles both internal and external, he’ll be scrambling for a while.’
Her gaze drifted aimlessly toward the lounge area on the other side of the club, then suddenly froze.
A tall, imposing figure came into view. His tailored black suit accentuated the sharp lines of his shoulders and back. He was turned away from her, whispering to someone beside him. The platinum watch on his wrist flashed with a cold light under the warm glow of the lamps.
She furrowed her brow and stared a moment longer. The man’s back looked incredibly familiar. Her heart clenched, her fingertips curled instinctively, and her breath hitched. She quickly looked away.
When she dared to look again, the figure was gone.
’Did I see that wrong?’
’Jared Hawthorne is from Ashmore. There’s no way he’d be in Northolme.’
Shiloh followed her gaze. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing..."
"Let’s go to the hot springs and relax."
She nodded, pulling her gaze back, and followed Shiloh to the hot spring area.
After changing into a robe, she looked up to find Shiloh staring at her, dumbfounded.
It was then she remembered the hickeys dotting her neck, and she fumbled to cover them with a towel.
"You slept with him?"
The "him" in question was Luke Lockwood.
"Ahem, no." The tips of Vesper’s ears grew warm.
"Then which bastard got lucky?"
"Maybe... I was the one who took advantage of someone?"
Shiloh’s eyes went wide, her voice filled with shock.
"But I thought you had that... mental block?"
"I got over it. I was planning to surprise him on our wedding night."
But before the wedding night could arrive, Luke Lockwood gave her an unforgettable "surprise" of his own.
Shiloh blinked, then leaned in closer. "You... you didn’t hire an escort, did you?"
Vesper laughed. "I’m not that desperate, and my taste isn’t that bad... It was an accident."
She recalled Jared Hawthorne’s breathtakingly handsome face, and a ripple stirred in her heart.
"Details, now!" Shiloh immediately grabbed her arm, the fire of gossip blazing in her eyes.
The warm, steamy air of the women’s bath, tinged with the faint scent of sandalwood, washed over them, seeming to melt away their worries. The pool was lined with smooth bluestone, and the water was a perfect, soothing temperature. Vesper slowly submerged herself, letting the warm spring water rise past her waist, over her shoulders and neck, dissolving the tension and gloom that had plagued her for days.
Leaning against the wall of the pool, her voice was a soft murmur in the steam. "Someone drugged me. He saved me, and then... I lost control. I was the one who initiated it. I jumped him."
Vesper still felt a lingering fear when she thought about it. If things had gone even slightly differently that day, her life would have been ruined.
"Bonnie, nice one!"
Shiloh’s eyes were full of excitement and admiration.
Vesper was speechless. "..."
"So what happened next? Are you still in touch?"
"Nope." Vesper traced patterns on the water’s surface, her tone nonchalant. "I blocked him."
Shiloh looked at her as if she’d just discovered her friend was a player. "Vesper, you used him and threw him away!"
"..."
The women’s section had an open-air scenic pool next to a window, which connected to a lavishly built viewing terrace. The men’s and women’s terraces were adjacent, separated only by a low, unobstructed railing.
After soaking long enough in the indoor pool, Vesper wrapped her robe around herself and went out to the terrace for some fresh air. She had just placed her hands on the railing when she caught sight of a figure on the adjacent terrace and froze instantly.
The man stood silhouetted against the light. His black robe was tied loosely, accentuating his broad shoulders and narrow waist. His jawline was sharp and severe, but his features were breathtakingly handsome, with long, narrow eyes the color of a deep abyss.
Jared Hawthorne was just loosening the collar of his robe when he lifted his gaze. His sharp eyes landed directly on her face, making her heart pound with guilt.
After all, the man had saved her just yesterday. Not only had she slept with him, but she’d also ditched him with a bank card and fled.
She broke the silence, her voice tinged with awkwardness. "President Hawthorne, what a coincidence."
"Miss Grayson, aren’t you going to give me an explanation?"
Vesper’s heart seized. "We’re strangers who had a fleeting encounter. Surely President Hawthorne isn’t going to take it seriously? Besides... it was my first time. It’s not like you were at a disadvantage..."
Jared Hawthorne slowly approached, leaning down slightly until his eyes were level with hers. "What a coincidence. It was my first time, too."
"Liar!"
His performance that night didn’t seem like a first-timer’s at all. He was a valiant warrior, and she was still sore all over.
"Haven’t you heard? When it comes to that, men are naturally gifted."
Jared Hawthorne arched a brow, his tone frigid. "Miss Grayson, you’re ungrateful. You used me up, blocked me, and ran. What do you take me for?"
Vesper knew she was in the wrong, but she had an arranged marriage with the Hawthorne Family; she couldn’t take responsibility for him. Moreover, she wanted nothing more to do with anyone or anything from Ashmore.
She looked away, her fingers clenching the fabric of her robe. "If the money wasn’t enough, I can give you more..."
Her words made him laugh, a cold, humorless sound. He seized her slender waist and, with a slight effort, pinned her against the cold, low railing. He leaned in close, his hot breath fanning across her ear, radiating an intimidating pressure.
"Do you think I need your money? Or do you think I’m the kind of person who can be paid off?"
Vesper’s heart constricted under the force of his presence. "What do you want from me!"
His thumb brushed over a pale pink hickey on her neck, his hot breath a whisper against her ear. "Either you take responsibility and make this official, or you become my long-term lover."
"No!"
The refusal was instinctive, immediate.
The man’s narrow eyes grew cold. "Why?"
She closed her eyes and steeled herself.
"I have an arranged marriage soon. I can’t betray my future husband."
’Call me a heartless player if you must. I can’t be responsible for him.’
Jared Hawthorne gave her a long, hard look, his gaze so deep it was impossible to read his expression.
The next second, he released his grip on her, turned without a word, and walked away.
’He left?’
Watching his imposing figure disappear around the corner of the terrace, her tense body suddenly went limp. She sagged against the cold railing, gasping for breath.
A flicker of inexplicable guilt passed through her, along with... a faint sense of loss.