Before she could gather her thoughts, his arms tightened around her, leaving her momentarily disoriented. Her breath felt stifled, and her heart pounded like a drum.
“Please let go, Mr. Scott,” she managed to say, her voice calm and measured despite the effort it took. She tilted her head slightly, catching a fleeting glimpse of loneliness in his eyes. For some reason, her heart ached.
“Avery Bennett, have you never felt anything for me?” Dylan Scott’s voice came from above, though his body remained still.
The man, who appeared tall and slender, had surprisingly broad shoulders. The April night still carried a chill, but his embrace was warm.
Resisting the temptation from his closeness, Avery’s tone remained steady. “Mr. Scott, you’re like a king on a throne, and I’m just one among the masses. We’re like parallel lines in geometry—never meant to intersect. So, please let me go.”
“But we’re intersecting right now,” he said quietly.
“No, this isn’t an intersection. It’s just a temporary deviation from the path. Soon, we’ll be far apart again,” Avery replied calmly.
“Be my lover, and you’ll live in the best houses, wear the finest clothes…”
The thought of how many times he must have made this promise to other women left a bitter taste in her mouth.
With a hint of irritation, Avery cut off his extravagant promises: “Mr. Scott, the finest house is still just a place to sleep, and the best clothes are only meant to cover and protect. I’m content with my life as it is. There’s no need for change.”
Dylan studied her face in silence, then released her. The confident smile that seemed innate to him gradually faded.
“Name your conditions,” he said, crossing his arms, his lips curving slightly but not quite into a smile.
Avery couldn’t believe how dense he was being. She had already made herself crystal clear, yet he persisted.
“My only request is for you to turn 180 degrees and walk away. Can you do that?”
Under the streetlight, her face was somewhat blurred, but it only accentuated her delicate features. Her eyes sparkled like stars, filled with a mix of embarrassment and anger, making her expression even more vivid.
Inside, a desire was growing stronger—he wanted her. He had never wanted anything this intensely. Every fiber of his being was screaming for her, but Avery’s resolve was unshakable.
He felt a vague sense of confusion, unsure how to persuade this girl whose values seemed so different from his.
“Is being my lover… really that difficult?”
Avery rolled her eyes. “It’s not about being your lover… it’s about being anyone’s lover. It’s not just difficult—it’s impossible!”
“Impossible?” Dylan murmured.
Avery took a deep breath and looked him straight in the eye. “Mr. Scott, I already have a boyfriend. We’ve been together for six years, since I joined Apex Global…”