"Sir, as the other person involved, I'm the one who lost out here." She had been too naive, actually believing that her second cousin—the one who was always out to get her—genuinely wanted to make peace. That's how she'd ended up in this mess. "I'm not going to hold you accountable for this. Let's just act like we've never met and yesterday never happened. We…"
"Never happened?" Hearing Phoebe Faulkner's words, Jace Lennox's eyes darkened and his voice dropped by several degrees. He gazed at the girl before him, who looked utterly wronged and on the verge of tears, and spoke with utter derision. "Girl, who do you take me for?"
"Then what do you want?" Phoebe Faulkner grew agitated, shouting with reddened eyes, "You slept with me! I'm the one who lost out here!"
"Heh…"
Hearing Jace's cold sneer, Phoebe Faulkner trembled uncontrollably. The man's presence was simply too powerful; facing him felt like facing a ferocious beast, as if she could be devoured at any moment.
"Give me ten million, and get out immediately!"
"Why should I give you…" Phoebe Faulkner wanted to ask why she should give him money, but the look in Jace Lennox's eyes made her swallow the rest of her words in fear.
'What the hell? Why should I give him money?!'
'Is he some kind of prostitute?'
'He slept with me, took my first time, and now he has the nerve to demand ten million from me?!'
'What kind of person is this!'
"Why the hell should I give you money? I won't—" The more Phoebe Faulkner thought about it, the angrier she became. Unable to take it anymore, she began to protest at the man before her. But she was only halfway through her sentence when Jace Lennox hoisted her up, threw her onto the large bed, and before she could even react, pinned her hands, trapped her legs, and pressed her down onto the mattress.
"Because I can take your life whenever I want!"
Jace Lennox pressed down on Phoebe Faulkner, his large hand landing on her neck. A slight squeeze made it hard for her to breathe.
Seeing the fear flash in Phoebe Faulkner's eyes, Jace Lennox reached out and patted her cheek. "For the sake of this face, I'll let it go this time. But if there's a next time, I'll lock you up in here and make sure you never leave for the rest of your life. Then you'll find out exactly what gives me the right."
Phoebe Faulkner swallowed nervously.
'Madman!'
'This man is an absolute madman!'
"DING-DONG—DING-DONG—"
Just as Phoebe Faulkner's nerves were stretched taut, the doorbell rang. Jace Lennox glanced at her lying on the bed, her face flushed beet red, and reached over to pull together the sheet that had come loose around her. Only then did he get up and walk to the door.
After Jace Lennox left, Phoebe Faulkner quickly clutched the sheet tighter around herself.
"Get dressed and get out!"
Jace Lennox walked back and threw the clothes he was holding onto Phoebe Faulkner.
Phoebe Faulkner grabbed the clothes and ducked into the bathroom. After changing, she tiptoed out, only to see the same menacing man from before standing with his back to her at the window, apparently smoking.
She had to admit, the man looked handsome when he smoked. There was a sexiness to it, mixed with an innate aristocratic air and a lingering world-weariness. He was clearly a man with a story, and the sight of him smoking was enough to capture any woman's attention.
Phoebe Faulkner, however, couldn't appreciate it.
Right now, she felt not a shred of goodwill toward this terrifying man.