Chapter 8: Threats
TERESA'S POV
After Lucian Blackwood dropped me off Monday night and sped away without a backward glance, I stumbled into my tiny, cramped apartment like a zombie. My eyes were swollen and puffy from hours of crying. I'd barely shut the door when I heard my neighbor's two-year-old crying, followed by the familiar giggle of her husband through the paper-thin walls. The noise only deepened my feeling of hopelessness.
A few minutes later, my brother Luke burst through the door, his face a picture of worry combined with frustration. It was typical Luke—always ready to swoop in with a lecture, especially when I messed up.
"Teresa, what happened?" He froze when he saw my tear-streaked face, my makeup smeared like a melting painting. His expression softened, and without another word, he rushed over to wrap me in a tight hug. His usual scent of cheap aftershave and instant noodles hit me, oddly comforting in that moment. I broke down again, sobbing into his shirt.
"He—he fired me," I sobbed, clutching his shirt like my life depended on it. "And everyone laughed, Luke! They all laughed as I did the walk of shame out of the company. I swear I saw someone recording it on their phone."
Luke's face flushed with anger, but his voice stayed calm as he rubbed my back. "That's awful, Tess. I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that."
"And that's not even the weirdest part," I sniffled. "Afterward, this strange man practically kidnapped me, dragging me to some fancy party in his car. I was a mess, Luke, drinking champagne and embarrassing myself. He's so weird—sarcastic one second, intense the next. It's like he could buy and sell the whole city if he wanted to."
Luke pulled back, raising an eyebrow. "Wait, what? You got in a stranger's car and went to a party? Teresa, what were you thinking? You're lucky he wasn't some psycho."
I let out a small laugh despite myself. "I know, I know. It was stupid. But there was something about him... Anyway, it's over now."
Luke shook his head in disbelief. "Just promise me you won't do something like that again."
"I promise," I said quietly, wiping away the last of my tears. We sat in silence for a moment, Luke's presence calming me more than I wanted to admit.