All Chapters of Rejected by One, Wanted by Another : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

56 Chapters

The Memory of Last Night

Lucy felt as though she had woken up from a dream … or perhaps a nightmare. The morning sun felt too bright for the chaos of last night. She had slipped out of Jonathan’s apartment at dawn, her skin was still humming with the memory of his touch. She was wearing her own dress now, it was dry, wrinkled, and smelling faintly of the detergent he used. Every step she took back to her dorm reminded her that she had betrayed her father’s trust last night. "Lucy! There you are!"She flinched at the sound of Zoe’s voice. Her friend was jogging toward her, looking fresh in a pleated tennis skirt with a latte in both hands."I was so worried! I tried calling you after the storm hit, but your phone was dead," Zoe said as she gave Lucy one of the latte cups. "Did Adrian ever make it to the library? I saw him later that night and he said he was headed your way."The lie was so smooth Lucy almost believed it. Almost."No," Lucy said. "He never showed. I... I found a place to stay dry.""Oh, tha

Suffocating Silence

Lucy sat at a small wooden desk in the very last row of the history section, in the library. She was at a hidden corner that the overhead lights barely reached her. She kept her head down, her eyes tracing the same line of a textbook for twenty minutes without processing a single word. Every time the heavy front doors creaked open in the distance, her heart jumped. She was hiding, and she knew it.She heard the footsteps before she saw him. She didn't look up, but the air around her suddenly felt charged, a shadow stretched across her open book, and then the chair across from her was pulled back.Jonathan sat down and set a heavy stack of folders on the table and opened his laptop. The blue light of the screen hit his face, making the sharp angles of his jaw look like they were carved from stone. He looked tired, but his eyes were cold."We have three sections left to finish before the weekend," Jonathan said. His voice was flat, completely devoid of the warmth she had felt in his a

Dinner with the Matthews

The black sedan pulled up to the Quinn estate first. Adrian didn’t leave the car; he waited while Lucy hurried inside to change. She chose a modest, cream-colored silk dress that reached her knees, something she knew his mother, Victoria, would approve of. It was modest. When she stepped back into the car, Adrian barely glanced at her. "Better," he muttered. "Looking like a scholarship student is fine for the library, but tonight you are a Matthews.""I’m still a Quinn, Adrian," she said softly, clutching her purse.He laughed coldly. "For now."Adrian sat in the back seat with Lucy, but he didn’t look at her again. He was busy scrolling through his phone, his thumb tapping the screen aggressively. Usually, Lucy would try to fill the silence with small talk, hoping to soften his mood. Tonight, she sat perfectly still, her back straight and her eyes fixed on the passing city lights. She wasn't playing her part, and she could feel him noticing it.“You’re quiet,” Adrian said, not look

Are you Following Me?

The ride home from the Matthews estate was quiet. Adrian was already tipsy from drinking too much wine. He kept his hand on Lucy’s thigh, his thumb stroking the red silk of the dress Zoe had picked out. Lucy sat still staring out at the blurred streetlights, feeling the cold night air from the window hitting her bare back. When the car finally pulled up to her dorm, Adrian didn't get out. He simply leaned over and whispered into her ear. “You should keep the dress. It reminds me that you’re mine.” Lucy didn't answer. She climbed out of the car, her legs shaking, and waited until the car disappeared before she sighed, she was almost crying. She couldn’t go inside. She needed to take a walk to clear her head. She walked towards the campus gardens, it was already deserted as most students had gone to their dorms. She walked quickly, her heels clicking against the stony path until she reached a dark path. The cold night air was making her shiver. She sat on a stone bench and ben

The Jacket

Lucy’s heart hammered against her ribs, but she forced her hands to remain still at her sides. She couldn't let Zoe see them shaking."One of the security guards," Lucy said, her voice coming out surprisingly steady. "The air conditioning in the car was on, and Adrian didn't notice I was freezing. When he dropped me off, the guard at the gate saw me shivering and offered me his jacket. I told him I’d return it in the morning."Zoe didn't move. She kept her fingers on the sleeve. "A security guard? . I didn't realize the campus staff wore vintage leather. It smells like cedar. Not exactly the scent of a man working a night shift for minimum wage.""Maybe he has good taste," Lucy shrugged, stepping past Zoe to hang the jacket in the back of her closet, burying it behind a row of heavy winter coats. "I’m exhausted, Zoe. It was a long dinner. Can we talk about this tomorrow?"Zoe watched her for a long moment and nodded "Of course. You look like you’ve seen a ghost anyway. Get some sleep

Public Humiliation

Lucy barely felt the cold morning air, as Adrian dragged her to the administrative courtyard. His grip on her upper arm was extremely tight, his fingers digging into the soft skin just above where her bruise was starting to turn yellow. Zoe followed a few paces behind, pretending to be worried. "Adrian, maybe we should just go to brunch first?" Zoe suggested, her voice breathless. "Everyone is looking. You’re making such a scene, and Lucy is clearly terrified. Maybe there’s a simple explanation we haven't thought of yet." "The explanation is that she’s a liar," Adrian snapped, not even turning his head. He pulled Lucy to a stop in front of the main security office near the campus gates. He threw the leather jacket onto the counter with a heavy thud. The gray-haired guard inside looked up from his coffee, startled. "Which one of your men gave this to my fiancée last night?" Adrian demanded. His voice was loud, echoing off the stone walls of the nearby dorms. Several students st

A Cold Warning

The black sedan sped through the city until it slowed in front of a massive building. The sign out front, was written in gold; MATTHEWS GLOBAL. Adrian didn’t wait for the valet. He threw the door open and stepped out. "Out. Both of you," he barked. Lucy climbed out, her legs shaking. She looked up at the building. It felt like a fortress designed to keep the world out and her in. Zoe followed closely behind, her eyes darting around. "Wow," Zoe whispered, leaning in as they crossed the marble floor. "I’ve seen pictures, but being here... it’s different. It’s like a palace. Adrian’s family really does run this city, doesn't it?" Lucy murmured, her voice barely audible over the click of their heels. "Don't be dramatic," Adrian snapped, overtopping her. He led them to a private elevator. He pressed his finger to a biometric scanner, and the doors slid open. "My father is waiting. And he is not a patient man." The elevator ride was fast. Lucy watched the floor numbers climb. When

Silent Burden

The week had been a long and exhausting one. Lucy decided it was time to go home to see her family, at least to get away from everything happening at school—the cold stares from Adrian, Zoe’s new attitude and the heavy weight of the Matthews’ name. More than anything, she missed her little brother, Leo. He was the only person who didn't want anything from her except a hug and a story.When the train pulled into her small hometown station, she felt relieved. She walked up the familiar gravel path to the Quinn estate. It was a beautiful grand house, but it felt different now, there was a quietness to it now, maybe it was the lack of bustling staff and grand parties that used to fill the halls."Lucy! Lucy!The front door opened and a small body slammed into her waist. It was Leo, her seven years old brother, he squeezed her so hard his face turned red. He was wearing his favorite dinosaur t-shirt, and his dark curly hair was messy. "I missed you so much, peanut," Lucy whispered, lifti

Lying Again

The next morning, the sun shone through Lucy's childhood bedroom curtains, casting pale shadows across the floor. As she tried to blink away sleep, she forgot about the leather jacket, Adrian's coldness, and the suffocating high-society dinners. She was Lucy again.But then the distant sound of her father's oxygen machine echoed down the hall, and the reality of her life returned to her chest. She climbed out of bed and headed downstairs. The kitchen was warm, filled with the comforting scent of toasted bread and freshly brewed coffee. Her mother, Margaret, was already at the stove cooking breakfast. "Good morning, Mom," Lucy said, her voice still thick with sleep.Margaret turned, a soft smile lighting up her tired face. "Good morning, sweetheart. You’re up early. I was just about to start the blueberry pancakes. Leo’s been asking for them since he opened his eyes.""Let me help," Lucy said, stepping up to the counter and reaching for a bowl. "I miss doing this. Everything at scho

The Apology

The drive from her home to school was quiet. Lucy did not expect Adrian to come welcome her. She had barely stepped out of the black car when she saw Adrian leaning on his silver coupe. “Welcome back Lucy.” Adrian said, his voice surprisingly soft. “Thank you.” Lucy said sounding tired. He didn't mention the weekend. He didn't ask how her father was. Instead, he just walked over, took her bag, and opened the passenger door.“Get in. We are going out “"Adrian, where are we going? I have a lecture in less than an hour.""Don't worry about the lecture, Lucy," Adrian said, his voice smooth and relaxed. "I had Zoe call your professor. You’re taking the afternoon off. I realized things have been a bit heavy lately, and I wanted to make it up to you." Adrian said as he slid to the driver seat and started driving. He drove quietly for about thirty minutes and pulled the car up to the curb in front of Vienne’s, a high-scale boutique. As they stepped inside, the cool air smelled of expen

1 2 3 4 5 6

SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP