I swallowed hard. I am just an ugly girl who has been abandoned by everyone she’s ever come across.
To my surprise, he took off his mask.
My mouth fell open in shock at the face before me. Good Moon! If he wasn’t the most stunning man I’d ever met! He was too good-looking. I could never have someone like him. He was too good for me.
I pulled the duvet further to conceal my body.
“You should’ve told me you were a virgin at the bar,” he said.
What did it matter? I didn’t care about being a virgin anymore.
Slowly, his hand reached for my face. Realizing what he had in mind, I gasped and recoiled.
“No.” I shook my head, gripping the duvet tight.
“Why? You’ve seen my face.”
Still, I shook my head.
“Our deal still stands. There’s nothing to be afraid of.” He added.
You don’t understand! You’ll hate me if you see my face.
The night was going too smoothly. I didn’t want anything to ruin it.
“I’m ugly.” I mumbled, dipping my head.
He seemed surprised.
He reached for my face again and this time, I didn’t try to stop him. This was my fate.
He pulled off the mask, put a finger under my chin and tipped my head up to meet his gaze.
Tears glistened in my eyes as I stared into his-his silver charming eyes.
He was staring right at my face, at my scar. He was going to run away now.
I shivered and closed my eyes when he ran a finger along the scar. What was he doing?
“What happened?” His tone was soft, his fingers still caressing my face.
I met his gaze and so far, there was no resentment in his eyes.
Seconds passed. He didn’t take his eyes off me.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmured. I frowned. What was he talking about? “You really think the scar makes you ugly?
I shook my head, pulling my face away from his grasp. “I am ugly. Everyone tells me.”
More to my surprise, he pulled me in beside him, wrapping his arms around my shoulder. “Until tonight, I don’t think I’ve ever met a lady as stunning as you, Princess.”
My heart quickened as I listened to his heartbeat with my head on his chest. Uncontrollably, a tear escaped my lid. He was lying. He only wanted me to feel better.
“Do you think we could adjust our deal? I’d love to spend another day with you,” he said, shocking me to the core.
What!? This was not possible.
7-1-
“Please.”
My heart melted instantly. For the first time in my life, I was being begged to stay. Not leave.
1 buried my face in his chest as I responded: “I’d love to.”
But like everyone else, he lied to me.
Like everyone else, I was deceived.
By morning, he was gone.
I woke up and couldn’t find him in bed. There was no note, no trace that he had even been with me aside from the act between my legs.
And to make it worse, someone showed up at the door, asking me to leave
“The man I came with last night, do you think he’d come back?” I asked the man, my heart racing in my chest.
“No I was his idea to get you to leave. He said he doesn’t want to see you anywhere near this proper Plane instant,” the man said and left.
And just like that, my heart was shattered all over. But surprisingly, it hurt more than when I had
LYRIC
Tm sorry, ma’am: but I’m here to pick someone. I can’t give you a free ride, if that’s what you’re asking. I struggled to hold back my laughter as I listened to Rufus, one of my father’s oldest guards say, his eyes darting past my shoulder, looking out for the person he had been assigned to pick from the airport.
“I know. You have been sent to pick Lyric Harper, right? It’s me, Rufus.”
His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “You still haven’t told me how you know my name. And…And how can you be Lyric? It’s not possible.” He shook his head. “Lyric is-“
“Ugly?” I finished for him, a broad smile on my face.
He frowned as he shook his head. Back then, Rufus was the only one that had never been able to call me ugly. He was among the very few that had cared about my feelings, and even now, to a stranger, he still couldn’t call me ugly.
I laughed. “Well, would it help if I reminded you that your favorite soup was butternut squash and you and little Lyric used to play chutes and ladders?”
Recognition beamed in his eyes. His jaw dropped in astonishment.
“Seraphis have mercy! Lyric, it’s really you!” He opened his arms, and I didn’t hesitate to fall in for a warm hug.
Back then, Rufus and I barely had time together, but he always made the few times we met worth it. He was the closest thing I had to a parent.
“How is this possible?” He inquired after asking how I was. “Your face… My goodness! You look gorgeous! You’ve only been gone for five years and… I-I can’t believe this.”
“It’s a long story, Rufus. But for now, let’s just say fates decided to smile on me.”
“Oh, Lyric! You do not know how happy I am to see you. I am sure your father must be delighted seeing you’re not…un- beautiful anymore.” I laughed at his attempt to not use the word ‘ugly’ on me.
Well, as for my father, I rolled my eyes in my head. I felt a little sad that I was forced to return here after five years because of him. My life was perfect in Draconis.
“Here. I’ll take this to the car,” Rufus said, taking my luggage.
“You do that and I’ll meet you in the car. I need to pick up an extra luggage. Don’t worry, I’ll be quick.”
I turned around and had barely taken three separate Rufus called my attention, “You dropped something.”
Looking at the floor, I found the scanned image. My heart jumped into my throat as I quickly crouched to retrieve it.
Rufus watched with me with surprise. Obviously, he had seen the X-ray and would be wondering why the hell something of that nature had been in my back pocket.
Oh, Lyric. You couldn’t be a little careful?
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.