Dumb people just loved sticking with dumb people.
"I didn't expect that the moment I answered a call and went to fetch some files, that guy would sneak in."
Lucas touched her hair gently.
It wasn't the over-the-top, possessive affection some powerful men put on.
No creepy lines, no patronizing gestures.
Just quiet understanding, the kind of care he kept hidden in his eyes.
Then he handed her a bowl of clam chowder.
"I had them make it exactly how you like it. You've been working hard even while you're sick, handling all that business."
People might have thought the excuse was weak, but this was exactly the kind of thing Lucas would do.
And Sherry ate it right up.
She liked feeling needed.
Win-win.
Sherry wasn't really hungry, but she took a small sip... then several more.
It tasted perfect. She usually couldn't stand clam chowder—most versions tasted too fishy to her.
"You're sure this is how I like it? I remember—"
"I remember. I adjusted it based on what you told me last time. It's our recipe. So the new shop should use both our names. We both put in the work. Sound good?"
Yelena, who'd quietly slipped into the room, pressed a hand to her forehead.
Lucas was impossible for any woman to resist.
Everything he did was smooth, steady, and intentional.
They'd both put in effort. A business under both their names—anyone would find it hard to refuse, especially when they'd contributed.
Little by little, he was tying them closer and closer.
Wait a second...
He acted like just another hardworking, successful guy.
But he was quietly weaving a net, tying them together so deeply that Sherry wouldn't be able to leave even if she wanted to.
Think about it—
They split the shares evenly, making them impossible to separate.
One or two projects together might be a coincidence; they were in the same company anyway.
But they were collaborating on more and more—more than most married couples.
Yelena narrowed her eyes at him. "Are you weaving a big net just for Sherry? So she can't leave you even if she tries?"
"I prefer to think of it as building a real bond," Lucas said evenly. "Your 'net' idea isn't quite right.
"More accurately, Sherry is mine. No one else gets to touch her."
His voice and entire presence shifted completely.
Gone was the distant, cold man she usually saw.
A rare, sharp smile tugged at his lips—dangerous, magnetic, breathtaking.
And terrifying.
Like a moody psycho—his smile could take you to heaven, then drop you straight into hell.
Yelena's heart skipped.

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