For a moment, the air between them felt thick with something unspoken.
…
The sun was bright overhead as Fraser’s sleek, black Ferrari sped down the road. The scenery blurred past the windows.
Summer had planned to take a cab back, but without her phone or wallet, she had no choice but to hitch a ride with Fraser into Havenbrook.
She gave him an address: Brookhaven Estates.
Not cheap, but not exactly high-end either.
For someone with her status as the Stewart family’s eldest daughter, it was a bit underwhelming.
Fraser glanced at her. “You don’t live at the Stewart residence?”
“Mm.” She glanced back at him. His tone was casual, just making conversation, so she didn’t bother explaining further.
When they arrived, Summer reached for the door handle.
Before she could get out, Fraser lazily caught her wrist. “You’re just leaving like that?”
His tone was almost teasing – like a lover reluctant to say goodbye.
Summer blinked. Was she supposed to invite him upstairs for tea or something?
She cleared her throat. “Thanks for saving me.”
Seeing that he didn’t respond, she quickly added, “I’ll buy you dinner sometime.”
Then, realizing how ridiculously wealthy he was, she corrected herself. “Of course, if you’re willing to humor me.”
Fraser tapped his fingers lightly against the steering wheel, his gaze sharp and unreadable. He didn’t acknowledge the dinner invitation at all.
“Usually, when two people sleep together, they say goodbye with a kiss, don’t they?”
Summer stiffened.
“Fraser, do you do this every time you part ways with a woman?”
Amusement flickered in his deep-set eyes. His voice dropped, slow and teasing. “I don’t have ‘women.’ But Summer, if you want to be mine, I could consider it. We’re quite compatible, after all.”
Summer’s lips twitched. “I don’t want to be your woman.”
Fraser’s definition of “his woman” was probably nowhere near what she would call a proper girlfriend.
She had already failed miserably at being Trevor’s girlfriend. She wasn’t about to throw herself into another disaster.
Jumping from one fire pit straight into another – if she did that, she wouldn’t just be unlucky. She’d be downright stupid.
Fraser smirked, lowering his voice deliberately. “Is that so? That’s not what you said last night. You were begging me to be gen – “
Before he could finish, Summer clamped a hand over his mouth.
Fraser raised an eyebrow, the amusement in his expression growing.
His quiet laughter vibrated against her palm.
His sharp features were half-covered by her hand, but his dark, gleaming eyes burned into hers.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Avoiding his gaze, she quickly pulled her hand back. “Well… I’ll be going now. Goodbye.”
Not waiting for another word, she yanked open the door and bolted.
With a soft chuckle, Fraser watched her retreating figure.
His gaze darkened slightly, sharp and focused – like a predator watching its prey.
Summer, you started this. You think you can just walk away?
…
Summer returned to her apartment – a simple, two-bedroom, one-bath space around 1,100 square feet.
One bedroom, one study. Cozy, not extravagant.
It wasn’t a luxurious penthouse, but the small balcony bathed in sunlight, filled with plants, made it feel like home.
Trevor had always complained that her place was too small. He had never once set foot inside.
Instead, he had bought her multiple high-end apartments, urging her to move.
But Summer liked this one.
Because she had bought it with her own money.
Taking a deep breath, she grabbed an empty box from the storage room.
One by one, she packed away everything Trevor had ever given her.
By the time she was done, the box was completely full.
No surprise there. It was proof of five years of love.
And there were still so many things she had left at his villa.
Sitting on the floor, she stared blankly at the box of memories.
A photo album. A few property deeds. Several pieces of expensive jewelry. And an engagement ring.
The properties alone were worth tens of millions.
For years, she had naively believed that
Trevor would eventually warm up to her.
Then Peyton had come back.
And the ending had been painfully predictable.
First loves. They never lose.
Summer exhaled slowly.
She would sell the properties.
She was gonna think of it as a long-overdue exit fee for five years of her life.
The next day, Summer went to the nearest mall to get a new phone and SIM card.
The moment she turned it on, dozens of missed messages flooded in.
Before she could even check them, her phone started ringing.
Julia Chapman.
Her biological mother. The Stewart Group’s matriarch.
Summer hesitated for a second before answering.
The moment the call connected, Julia’s irritated voice rang out. “Summer, what have you been doing these past two days? You didn’t answer my calls or reply to my messages. Do you even consider me your mother? Why can’t you be more thoughtful like Margaret?”
Summer instinctively replied, “I was kidnapped, so I lost my phone – “
Julia let out a cold laugh. “Kidnapped? That’s the excuse you came up with? What, you want to use this to milk money out of the Stewart family? You have the same trashy character as the woman who raised you. I can’t believe you’re even my daughter.”
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.