Chapter 5 I Regret It

• Hearing that, Violet turned, opened the door, and got into the car without another word.
• She knew Lucien too well—he would do whatever it took to get his way. If she didn't get in, he would just keep following her.
• The car was eerily quiet as it moved down the road.
• Lucien steered with one hand, his right hand loosely resting on the wheel. A simple red string adorned his wrist, and his slender fingers were impeccably clean. Every letter of the tattoos on the back of his hand was clearly visible.
• But the woman beside him didn't even look at him.
• She was deliberately avoiding his gaze.
• Lucien glanced at her from the corner of his eye and finally broke the silence. "Don't listen to Norman's nonsense on the phone."
• "Oh."
• "That wasn't what I really meant."
• "Mm."
• "Violet, you're being so cold to me."
• "Oh…"
• What did he expect? He was her ex.
• Lucien smirked. Cold as she was, she still responded to every sentence.
• Before long, the car pulled into her apartment complex and stopped precisely downstairs.
• It was only then that Violet realized—she had never told Lucien her address.
• Then again, it would be too easy for him to find out.
• The moment the car stopped, she unfastened her seatbelt and reached for the door handle, but a strong grip suddenly tightened around her wrist.
• "Violet."
• She turned, only to fall into the depths of his blue, mesmerizing fox-like eyes.
• In the confined space, she could see every subtle movement of his Adam's apple as he swallowed.
• His voice was hoarse when he finally spoke, as if he had been holding it in for a long time.
• "Violet, I regret it."
• He regretted breaking up with her.
• He regretted letting her go.
• They should have been tangled up in each other's lives until the end.
• Violet lowered her gaze slightly, unsure of what to say. She simply responded with a quiet "Mm."
• So what if he regretted it? They were already on completely different paths.
• She tried to pry his large hand off her wrist, but he showed no intention of letting go.
• She frowned in confusion, while Lucien stared at her with amused interest, his tone deep and teasing.
• "Violet, the whole way here, all you said was mm and oh. What, do you really enjoy listening to me talk that much?"
• "…" Her ears burned at his blunt words. "We already broke up. What's there to talk about?"
• "Plenty. Breaking up doesn't mean we can't get back together." Lucien cast a glance out the window. "Don't you think this neighborhood looks familiar?"
• Sunshine Bay No. 12.
• Back when they were dating in college, they had lived in this very area. It wasn't the most bustling part of the city, but the private villas offered a quiet environment and a certain level of discretion.
• Violet lifted her head and casually pried his fingers off one by one. Instead of answering, she threw back a question of her own. "Mr. Lucien, don't tell me you are thinking of coming upstairs?"
• Lucien responded smoothly, "Sure."
• "No way." Her expression changed in a second.
• His fingertips lingered against the soft skin of her inner wrist. "But my jacket is still at your place."
• "I threw it out."
• "Alright," he replied readily. "If I remember correctly, that suit was custom-made for 560,000 dollars. I'll add it to your tab."
• "…" Hearing the price, Violet stormed out of the car. Before slamming the door shut, she snapped, "I'll return it tomorrow!"
• Lucien chuckled lowly as he watched her huff away.
• How was that any different from saying 'See you tomorrow'?
• It sounded wonderful.
• He didn't leave, even after her apartment lights turned on.
• Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, he took one between his lips and flicked the wheel of his lighter. A blue flame sparked up, igniting the cigarette.
• He took a slow drag, resting his arm on the car window. Beneath the cuff of his shirt, the muscles of his forearm were lean and well-defined.
• Gazing up at the balcony on the third floor, his deep eyes narrowed through the curling smoke.
• Would his Violet sneak a peek at him? Just one glance?
• Seeing the familiar surroundings, Lucien couldn't help but recall their old fights.
• There was one time he got mad and "ran away from home," but in reality, he had just sat outside their door for three hours. Eventually, Violet sent him a message.
• [Lucien, you're seriously making a helpless, weak girl wander around looking for you in the middle of the night? If you're not back in ten minutes, don't bother coming back at all!]
• Sitting at the doorstep, staring at his screen, he had let out a helpless sigh.
• Was she really looking for him?
• In the end, he had no choice but to coax himself into going back inside.
• His phone ringing snapped him out of his thoughts.
• Holding the cigarette between his lips, he answered, his voice carrying a husky, magnetic timbre. "What is it?"
• On the other end, Bill Locker said, "Lucien, your timing for coming back is impeccable. Tomorrow's my birthday, and I'm planning something big. Can I borrow your city villa with the rooftop pool to throw a party? Name your price—what do you say?"
• Lucien exhaled a thin stream of smoke and said indifferently, "Okay."
• Bill sounded thrilled. "Awesome! I'll owe you one!"
• Bill added, "By the way, you've been in Country A for years, and you've never brought a girlfriend back. Foreign beauties not your type? Our department is full of gorgeous girls. Come hang out sometime."
• Lucien flicked the ash off his cigarette and asked straightforwardly, "Is Violet going?"
• Not knowing the significance of the question, Bill chuckled and gave a cautious answer. "No idea. For parties like this, it all depends on her mood."
• But tomorrow night, he was determined to find a way to get Violet to his birthday party.
• Because—he was going to confess his feelings to her.
• Lucien remained emotionless. "We'll see."
• He had no interest in attending if Violet wasn't there.
• Bill caught the subtle rejection but didn't push. "Alright, it's your place anyway. Come by whenever you want."
• After hanging up, Lucien took one last drag from his cigarette before it burned out. At the same moment, the lights on the third-floor balcony switched off.
• He stubbed out the cigarette, pulled out his phone, and clicked on the pinned contact—the one that had deleted him.
• He sent a friend request: [Lucien]
• Without hesitation, she rejected it.
• He immediately sent another request: [Ex-boyfriend.]
• She declined again. Yet another notification popped up.
• [Creditor.]
• The word left Violet speechless. She muttered under her breath, "What's next, stacking buffs or something?"
• She turned off her phone, closed her eyes, and tossed and turned.
• Ugh. Of all people, why did she have to owe money to her ex?
• But when had Lucien even picked up smoking?
• ******
• The Next Morning
• Violet woke up groggy.
• She had an… erotic dream.
• And the man entangled with her in that dream just had to be the same ex-boyfriend who had driven her home last night.
• Annoyed, she smacked her forehead, threw off the covers, and marched straight to the bathroom.
• When she came out after freshening up, her best friend, Cathy, had just returned. Catching a whiff of the shower gel scent, she looked puzzled. "Violet, why are you showering first thing in the morning?"
• Violet rubbed her head guiltily and changed the subject. "Uh… I was too tired to shower last night." Then she quickly diverted the attention. "Well, why are you only coming back now?"
• "I just finished a night shoot." Cathy stretched, then suddenly her eyes lit up. "Oh right! Tomorrow's Bill's birthday—don't forget! Word is, he booked a private villa in the city for an outdoor pool party! That means… abs alert!"
• Violet laughed. "I'd advise you not to get your hopes up too high. Reality might be disappointing."
• Cathy teased, "Oh, please. We all know Bill did sports back in the day—he's gotta have abs."
• Then she shot Violet a knowing look. "Speaking of which, he's been getting real involved in your work projects lately. Think he's into you? Maybe he's trying to steal you away from Mike? After all, Mr. Bill's got some background too."
• "Don't overthink it. Personal matters and work are two separate things." Violet slipped on her shoes at the entrance. "I'm heading to the office~"
• Cathy watched her rush out and swallowed back what she was about to say.
• But she really had a feeling that Bill was going to confess at the party!