Chapter 3

"I'm just checking on you," Melody said with a grin. "Do you feel like crying? Well, don't hold it in. Just cry if you want."

"You're the one who wants to cry." Lucian pointed toward the door and said coolly, "If you've got something to say, say it. If not, get out. Don't bother me."

"What's the rush? Giselle's with her precious Eddie anyway. She won't be coming back anytime soon. You'd be bored all by yourself, so I figured I'd come and chat with you."

Melody stretched lazily, showing off the graceful lines of her youthful figure.

Lucian shifted his gaze away. "So you're here to mock me? You think I'm a useless loser?"

"What are you talking about?" Melody huffed with a frown. "I was just worried you'd get all caught up in the situation and do something you'd regret later, so I came to keep you company."

Lucian eyed her suspiciously. "Something's up with you. What is it? Just come right out and say it."

She was never this friendly and polite with him.

"Oh. You saw right through me, huh?" Melody giggled. "My class is organizing an outing in a few days. I want you to come with me."

"Don't you have a crush on some guy in your class?" Lucian asked curtly.

Melody had made multiple mentions of how handsome some guy in her class was and how much she fancied him.

Grinding her teeth, she declared, "Him? Hmph! He already made plans with some other woman. It makes me so mad! Does he think he's the most handsome guy on the planet? As if I'm hung up on him. Anyway, if you come with me, you'll overshadow him completely!"

Lucian's looks rivaled that of the hottest male celebrity. Moreover, he had an added air of sophistication and maturity compared to a guy fresh out of high school.

But he shook his head in response. "I'm not interested."

Melody immediately started gnashing her teeth at his refusal. But then, her eyes flickered. She suddenly walked over and sat beside him, hooking her arm through his. "Please, Lucian? Pretty please? Come on!

She whined coquettishly, her gaze pitiful.

Lucian knew Melody was a total drama queen. He quickly put some distance between them, snapping, "Stop it. I already said no."

But Melody was persistent. She clung to his arm and refused to let go. Her large eyes even started misting over.

Worn down by her, Lucian finally said, "We'll see when the time comes."

Melody's eyes lit up, and the tears that threatened to spill over somehow vanished.

"You're the best, Lucian!" she declared with a beaming smile.

Not wanting to deal with her anymore, Lucian quietly smoked his cigarette.

Wrinkling her nose, Melody said tentatively, "Lucian, are you thinking about Giselle? You don't have to read too much into it, you know. After all, Edward's life was ruined because he was trying to save her. It's only right that she takes care of him. But I'm sure she loves you…"

"That's enough. Do you even know what love is?" Lucian brushed her off with a wave of his hand. "This is none of your business. If you've eaten your fill, you should go home."

Melody pursed her lips. "Fine."

Reluctantly, she turned to leave. At the doorway, she suddenly turned her head around and warned, "Don't you dare tell Giselle about what we discussed earlier. You hear me?"

With how domineering Giselle was, if she found out about Melody's request, Melody was in for a world of trouble—and a good beating.

Melody only left after Lucian nodded in response.

The front door closed, and the house became completely silent.

Heath and Fiona had bought this house for Lucian and Giselle. They, along with Melody, lived elsewhere.

However, much to Lucian's discomfort, just a few days after the Lamberts bought this house, Giselle bought Edward one in the same neighborhood. As a result, Edward would drop by more often than not, which annoyed the hell out of Lucian.

It was past midnight when the front door unlocked. A weary Giselle came in with a white bag.

She was startled to see Lucian sitting on the couch. "Darling, you're still up."

Lucian glanced at her, his gaze cold.

"Don't look at me like that, darling."

Giselle bent down to change into a pair of house slippers. As she leaned forward, her fitted dress stretched over her hips.

"Thankfully, the doctor said Eddie's fine. Otherwise, I wouldn't even know what to do. You know very well he can't drink any alcohol, yet you still goaded him into it. That was really too much of you," she grumbled.

Lucian pointed at the seat next to him on the couch and said. "Come here. We need to talk."

Frowning, Giselle sat down. "Talk about what?"

"Your relationship with Edward." Lucian stared at her, his gaze piercing.

"That again?" Giselle looked impatient. "Eddie rarely ever looks for me now, so why are you still unsatisfied? Just what do you want?"

Lucian shot back, "I don't want him in our lives. You've already given him enough—a house, a job, and even money. To put it bluntly, you've supported him for ten years now. Even if his legs were perfectly fine, he wouldn't be living as well as he is now."

Edward and Giselle had been neighbors as children, but the difference between their families now was worlds apart.

Heath's business had been pretty successful, and the Lamberts' assets were worth over a billion dollars. Meanwhile, Edward's parents were just ordinary office workers.

Edward's house, car, and savings added up to over ten million dollars, and this was all thanks to the financial support Giselle had provided over the years.

And yet…

Confronted with Lucian's fairly reasonable request, Giselle reacted in a way that was hard to understand.

"When did you become like this, darling?" Giselle exclaimed incredulously. "Eddie saved my life! Are you trying to say that you think my life—and my dignity—is worth so little?"

Lucian had to suppress his anger, but his tone hardened. "I know Edward saved you before, but can't you see what's going on? Can't you tell that his presence is already seriously affecting our lives?"

"How is it affecting our lives?" Giselle shot to her feet and fired back coldly. "You're just being entirely unreasonable. He saved my life! What have I done that is so wrong, huh? You're the one who's getting jealous for no reason, yet you're trying to blame it all on me. What a joke!"

"You think I'm just being jealous?" Lucian scoffed in anger. "Go on and ask around. Tell me what man can tolerate his wife maintaining a questionable relationship with another man!"

"There's nothing questionable about my relationship with Eddie," Giselle declared, her expression icy. "I'm just repaying the debt of gratitude I owe him."

"Fine. I see how it is," Lucian growled, his eyes fixed on her. "You just want to repay him, huh? How righteous of you. So if he one day decides that he wants a child, am I supposed to free up my side of the bed so that you can take your pants off and satisfy him?"

Giselle was stupefied. Immediately, she started screaming, "Lucian Hale! What the hell is wrong with you? How can you even say such things? You owe me an apology! Apologize to me right now!"

She couldn't believe her own husband would say that to her. It drove her mad. Losing all rationality, she raised her hand to hit Lucian.

Expression hardening, Lucian grabbed her arm and raised own hand to slap her.

"Go on! Hit me! Just kill me, why don't you? Don't forget about the baby I'm carrying. Just kill us both!" Giselle screamed her head off at Lucian, her eyes pooling with tears as she stared at him in defiance.