Rich Radiant and Over Him (Alicia and Vincent) novel Chapter 49

After speaking, Alicia reached for the door, ready to leave.

"So you're that desperate to throw yourself away?" Vincent snapped, his anger rising.

Alicia genuinely couldn't understand what had set him off this time. "You want me to do as you say—marry someone who works for you, spend my whole life under your thumb—and that's not throwing myself away? Vincent, who are you to me, anyway? Since when do you get to decide who I marry?"

She jerked her arm out of his grasp, unwilling to waste another word on him. "Oh, and by the way—Mr. Lynch also promised me, besides thirty million a year, he'll rebuild the orphanage."

With that, Vincent had nothing left to threaten her with.

For a moment, Vincent was visibly stunned. He could believe Tyrone would pay thirty million a year to keep Alicia, but to also take on the orphanage? All for her?

Alicia had been with him for four years, and not once had he ever considered helping rebuild the orphanage.

What did Tyrone really want?

"Vin?" Mina's impatient voice called from outside the door.

"If it's just about the money—fine. I'll give it to you. Thirty million a year. Stay with me like before, no need to marry anyone…" Vincent finally caved.

He didn't open the door. Instead, he stepped in front of Alicia, blocking her way, offering what she wanted—she wouldn't have to marry, and he'd match the thirty million.

How generous…

Except thirty million was about what he'd spend on a purse for Mina.

Alicia suddenly found it all laughably absurd.

At nineteen, she didn't need thirty million; a small cake and a cheap bouquet were enough to make her so happy she couldn't sleep all night.

Vincent's expression darkened, and he shot Alicia a warning glare, silently telling her to shut up.

"When we started dating, Miss Holloway was still abroad, playing house with some foreign guy. If you want to talk about affairs, then, technically, she was the other woman who barged into our relationship." Alicia's gaze flicked to Mina, whose face had grown even more ashen. Might as well rip the bandage clean off. "Oh, and speaking of your fiancé, just now he offered to pay me thirty million a year to keep me as his mistress instead, so I wouldn't need to get married."

"Alicia!" Vincent was furious at her outburst—she was acting like a woman on the edge, nothing like the obedient, sensible girl she used to be.

Mina was shaking with rage, her glare icy and vicious. She raised her hand, ready to slap Alicia.

Alicia caught her arm midair, and, right before Vincent's eyes, slapped Mina across the face instead.

She trusted Tyrone to keep his word about the orphanage.

With nothing left to lose, she was just an orphan after all—when you have nothing, what's left to fear?