He Locked Me in His GOLDEN CAGE, So I Locked Him Behind Iron Bars Chapter 05
Chloe hesitated for a second, then realization flickered in her eyes. She patted Julian Laurence on the shoulder. “Nice. Helping me teach her a lesson? Just make sure she suffers.”
She hummed a cheerful tune as she strolled out, the rest of the group trailing behind her like loyal shadows.
The private room fell into a heavy, suffocating silence.
Julian yanked my wrist, and I stumbled, forced to land on his lap.
I tried to stand up instantly, but he pinned me back down.
His thumb traced a line over the damp skin of my collarbone.
“Does Luke know you didn’t actually win the lottery?” he asked, his voice airy and light.
“Does he know you don’t have a single cent for that exchange program?”
A cold dread coiled in my gut.
It wasn’t that I feared him telling Luke I lied. It was something else.
In the next heartbeat, he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.
Julian grinned, leaning in close. “I did my homework. There’s only one spot for the Ivy League Exchange Program. It’s either you or Luke. I can give you the money. Just tell him you won it.”
I froze. “Wait. You’re willing to pay for Luke to go abroad? What about Chloe?”
Julian sounded bored. “She falls in love with someone new every day. Once he’s out of sight, she’ll forget him.”
It sounded ridiculous, almost laughable.
Julian and Chloe were cut from the same cloth; it was no wonder they were childhood sweethearts.
Their methods of control were identical.
But Julian knew damn well Chloe would never let go.
And there was no way in hell he was going to actually pay for Luke to leave the country.
He couldn’t be bothered to pick a fight with Chloe over me and Luke. This was just him playing with me. If I took him seriously, I’d be the one who was naive.
In my past life.
After Julian got interested in me, he’d made the exact same offer.
But because he constantly enabled Chloe’s cruelty, I loathed him.
During one fight, he’d mocked Luke, and I’d snapped, hurling a ceramic vase at his head.
Blood had trickled down Julian’s temple.
He’d just let out a chilling, ghost-like laugh.
“You’re done for, Hailee Townsend.”
From that day on.
He locked me inside that massive estate.
No matter how many times I tried to run, he dragged me back. Later, he used Luke as leverage. As long as I was a good girl, I could see Luke. If I tried to bolt, Luke would pay the price.
The humiliation of those days was burned into my brain.
And now.
Julian had developed an interest in me again.
Maybe he was trying to sweep me out of Chloe’s way.
Or maybe he just liked snapping the wings off a bird, taming it until it was nothing more than his pet canary.
When would he go off the rails and drag me back to his cage like before? I didn’t know, but I couldn’t let it happen again.
My lashes fluttered.
I carefully reached out and clutched his sleeve. “Are you… really going to send Luke abroad so he can get away from Chloe?”
He peered down at me.
A faint smile touched his lips. “Sure.”
He began stroking my earlobe, and I didn’t pull away.
I put on a blank, confused look. “Why? You’ve been helping Chloe this whole time…”
He cut me off. “I’ve decided you’re more interesting.”
I stayed silent for a long moment before nodding obediently.
I counted on my fingers. “So, Luke can go to school abroad, and I’ll have my living expenses covered. Does that mean I can finally get out of that shabby studio?”
Julian pulled me closer, his arm locking around my waist.
“Obviously,” he laughed lazily. “I’ve got more money than I know what to do with.”
I watched him quietly.
I didn’t put up a fight like I did in my past life.
It was clear as day. Chloe wouldn’t let Luke go.
And Julian wouldn’t let me go.
So, I’d just have to find a new way to bring it all to an end.
