Chapter 37

Yves smiled, his gaze lingering on her beautiful face. With her long, dark lashes and expressive eyes, she could have been a movie star. It was that face that had first caught his attention, but it was her intelligence that he truly admired. It was a shame she'd had such bad luck with men, her head so full of love that she'd ended up in this mess. If she had chosen someone else instead of Lionel, perhaps things would have been different.

He shook off the thought and leaned in closer, so close she could feel his breath on her skin.

"I'm helping you see his true colors," he whispered, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “A billion dollars? What's that to a man like Lionel Rosenberg? If he really wanted you back, would he haggle over the price? I'd even let you go for a hundred million, if he were serious."

Hannah looked into his cunning eyes. "Are you sure that's all you're doing?"

"Of course."

"Then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed, Mr. Lancaster. He wouldn't spend a hundred million on me, let alone a billion. He wouldn't even spend one million."

He would rent out an entire amusement park for Sandra's birthday, set off a million dollars' worth of fireworks over the lake, and gift her priceless necklaces. But on Hannah's birthday, he wouldn't even buy her a cake or a single flower. A man like that would never pay a fortune to get her back.

Her only relief was that she had signed that lifetime contract without a second thought. Otherwise, she would probably be forced back into his company, working alongside Sandra, enduring her endless torment.

"Is that so?" Yves drawled. "How boring."

"Indeed. So, we should probably get back inside. Someone was looking for you earlier,” Hannah said, seeing his disappointment. She led him back into the ballroom.

That evening, Hannah returned home to find that Mrs. Rosenberg Sr. had left for the family's country estate that afternoon. She was contemplating taking another batch of jewelry to sell and grabbing dinner but when, she walked into her closer and found Lionel there.

She instinctively turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm.

"You see me and you run?” He pushed her against the closet door, his large frame trapping her. One hand braced against the door, caging her in. You get a little close to Yves, and you suddenly think you've grown a backbone, Hannah?"

His anger was a palpable force, threatening to consume her. She pressed her lips together and turned her head, refusing to look at him.

Her cold indifference was the final straw. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to face him. "Open your eyes!"

The more he insisted, the more tightly she squeezed them shut.

A bitter laugh escaped him. "Fine. Let's see how long you can keep that up."

Before she could process his words, his mouth crashed down on hers in a fierce, demanding kiss. He

wrapped an arm around her waist, puling her flush agamist him

tightly it felt like he was trying to

merge their bodies into one.

Their first kiss had been shy and clumsy, his touch gentle, afraid to hurt her. Later,

his kisses had become passionate, a physical testament to his love.

But this kiss was different. It was an act of domination, a threat.