He Locked Me in His GOLDEN CAGE, So I Locked Him Behind Iron Bars Chapter 02
The second the words left my mouth.
I instantly felt two heavy stares snap onto me.
Luke stiffened for a fraction of a second, then tightly gripped my hand back.
I let him lead me away, never looking back once.
A massive sigh of relief escaped me.
Yet, deep down, a gut feeling told me it wouldn’t be this easy.
That night, the nightmares consumed me.
In the dream, I was tossed and turned mercilessly, crying until my throat was entirely hoarse.
I sobbed out the words over and over:
“I hate you… I hate you…”
Only for that lazy, satisfied voice to echo in the dark, “Hate me? Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, baby. Repeat after me. You love me.”
I bit my lower lip raw, refusing to make a sound.
He didn’t push further. He just wrapped his arms around me tightly, pressing his lips against my ear. “No wonder Luke is so obsessed with you. Baby, why are you so adorable?”
Suffocation.
It was pure suffocation.
It felt like an endless cage.
I snapped open my eyes, my heart hammering against my ribs.
The night was dead silent.
I was lying on a cheap, narrow twin bed inside our shabby studio.
This wasn’t the luxurious, oversized mattress with cold gold chains dangling from the headboard.
I lowered my eyes, forcing my breathing to steady.
Chloe wouldn’t give up.
Her obsession with Luke was public knowledge.
In my past life, Julian had once played with a strand of my hair, casually bringing her up.
“Chloe called off another engagement for that pretty boy.”
I hadn’t reacted.
He pinched my chin, forcing my eyes up to meet his.
His tone remained entirely flippant.
“Chloe’s willing to go to war with her family for Luke. As long as he plays nice, she’ll give him the world.”
“What about you? What can you do for him?”
“You can do nothing, because you have nothing.”
He spent a moment admiring the despair on my face, letting out a couple of unreadable laughs before pulling me tightly into his chest.
“But it’s fine.”
“Just obey me, and I can give you the world, too.”
My voice had been raspy. “Really?”
“Of course.” He kissed my eyelids gently. “Your throat is hoarse. Let me get you some water.”
I grabbed his arm, staring straight into those black eyes, enunciating every syllable.
“Let me go. And tell Chloe to let go of Luke.”
Julian had stared at me intently.
The curve of his lips slowly flattened.
Replacing it was a cold, expressionless face, his eyes flashing with raw malice.
But unexpectedly.
He laughed.
“If Chloe agrees to it, then I will too.”
He pulled out his phone right in front of me, dialing Chloe on speaker.
“Hey,” Julian said, leaning back against the sofa, crossing his long legs lazily. “What do you say we play heroes and let these star-crossed lovers go?”
I sat beside him, my spine rigid, waiting for the female voice on the other end.
Chloe let out a sharp chuckle. “You bored of her already?”
Julian flicked his eyes toward me, his voice flat. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’m not bored,” Chloe hummed. “Since you’re done, just throw some cash at her and pack her off. Keep her from hovering around Luke. She bugs the hell out of me.”
Julian offered a synthetic smile. “What good is one half of a lovebird pair?”
Chloe caught on instantly, snapping, “Since when did you develop a conscience, Julian? Let me tell you, I’m never letting Luke go. Not over my dead body.”
The line went dead.
The massive estate fell into an eerie silence.
Julian tossed his phone carelessly onto the thick rug, resulting in a dull thud.
My eyelashes trembled.
He lifted his eyelids, his smile entirely freezing. “Well, looks like your boy is quite the hit with my childhood friend.”
“Why can’t you just focus on keeping me happy?”
“Come here. Hold me.”
