She Was Never Just a Pretty Face novel Chapter 23

The elevator ride was completely silent.

Especially on Luther's end.

When they reached the first floor, Hilda was just about to step out when an arm blocked her path.

Luther slammed the elevator buttons, forcing the doors shut. He grabbed her, pinning her roughly against the wall, holding both her arms high above her head. The aggressive posture forced her chest to thrust forward, leaving her utterly exposed and vulnerable before him.

Hilda knew exactly why he was acting crazy.

She tilted her head back and glared at him with a cold smirk.

"Are you surprised, Luther?"

"Isn't my situation exactly what you've known it to be?"

"Didn't you guarantee this day would come when you abandoned me in that house four years ago? The Cassidys aren't like the Sanfords; a few crumbs slipping through your fingers isn't enough for me to survive. I had to pay for everything myself, including my mother's medical bills. Otherwise, do you really think I'd sell myself to you for a year? Is it so unnatural for me to do some work and interact with people outside? Did you think I could just eat grass in that house and survive? Do you think I enjoy men taking advantage of me? Do you have any idea how much disgust I have had to swallow? Yes, Hilda Cassidy can stomach it, but Mrs. Sanford cannot."

...

Her last sentence trembled uncontrollably.

Luther slowly lowered his head, his face inches from hers, staring at her like a judge handing down a sentence. After a long silence, he asked in a low voice, "So can that guy you chose even afford you? He can't, can he? In the end, you still had to sell yourself to me. Isn't that right, Mrs. Sanford?"

For some reason, Luther felt an inexplicable surge of rage.

His instincts told him it wasn't that simple. Hilda was hiding a massive secret. He stared at her for a long time, completely ignoring the elevator doors as they opened, closed, and opened again. A few people stood outside, watching them with intense curiosity.

Anyone who frequented this place was either rich or powerful.

Someone recognized Luther.

But no one dared to say a word.

—Was that woman Luther's new fling?

She was stunning, with long, slender legs that looked better than a supermodel's.

Noticing the onlookers, Luther grabbed Hilda's wrist and dragged her out. He walked fast, and Hilda stumbled behind him; in her stilettos, there was no way she could keep up. Annoyed by her pace, Luther simply scooped her up into his arms, a scene Yorick and the others happened to witness as they walked by.

Yorick: *Tsk, tsk, tsk.*

...

In the parking garage.

Luther shoved Hilda into the passenger seat, walked around, and got in. He buckled her in, but just as he was about to start the engine, someone banged frantically on the window. Luther rolled it down, staring blankly at Jolie outside. His tone was ice-cold. "Whatever it is, tell me on Monday."

Jolie panicked. "Luther, I..."

The window was already rolling up.

The car reversed and quickly disappeared into the night.

Leaving Jolie standing alone in the wind, completely unmoored.

She had never felt such overwhelming panic.

Didn't Luther despise Hilda?

Yet just now, he had acted like a fiercely jealous husband. Where was he taking her? Did they sleep together last night? Did he really not care that she had strayed and had someone else's child? Could it be that Luther was... actually falling for her?

She wouldn't allow it.

She absolutely wouldn't allow it.

If she was pushed into a corner, she would expose Hilda. She would tell everyone that the kid was a bastard, an illegitimate child Hilda had with another man.

...

Luther drove dangerously fast.

Hilda gripped the handle above the door, her knuckles turning white. She forced herself to stay calm. "Where are you taking me?"

"We're going home."

Luther's voice was quiet, laced with danger.

It took Hilda a moment to process the question.

—He was talking about Soren.

She didn't answer, but in a man's mind, silence was an admission of guilt.

Luther didn't speak again.

The car sped up, going so fast it made Hilda nauseous. Her heart pounded violently against her ribs. Her intuition told her Luther wasn't bluffing; he was taking her back to the apartment to sleep with her, likely just to vent his rage.

Hilda wasn't arrogant enough to think Luther loved her.

—It was just a man's twisted possessiveness at work.

The feeling of despising something yet refusing to let anyone else touch it.

Half an hour later, the car pulled into the apartment's private garage. The moment it came to a halt, there was a sharp click as Luther undid her seatbelt. He hauled her over the center console, ripping her hair tie away while his lips crashed brutally against hers, ravaging her mouth.

The leather seat slowly reclined.

Hilda was forced to straddle him.

—It was an incredibly humiliating position.

Even though she had no experience, she could tell that sexually, Luther favored a rougher approach. And he didn't disappoint. He grabbed a fistful of her dark hair, holding her head firmly in place as he aggressively kissed her.

He unbuckled his own belt with one hand, looking utterly ravenous.

All it would take was for them to actually cross that line.

Then Luther would know that Hilda was still untouched.

Because she'd had a C-section.

Her body had never actually been claimed by any man.