Chapter 85 Flames and Cracks
How dare shet
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Simon’s face darkened as he gripped Lily’s shoulders tight voice low and sharp through gritted teeth.
“What did you just say? Say it again if you dare!”
“I’ll say it a thousand more times–you’ve got atrophied brain cells, and your brain’s been eaten by a dog.”
She didn’t even wait for a response. She stomped down hard on his foot.
Then, without looking back, she spun around with all the arrogance in the world and marched toward her car parked nearby.
Fury radiated from her every step–like a blazing flame, vivid and wild, searing his vision and scorching something deeper he couldn’t quite name,
Simon just stood there, stunned and wordless.
Even the bloodstains on her clothes were burning into his mind. And though he tried not to care, he found himself wondering–was she hurt anywhere else?
Did she bleed somewhere other than her face?
He wanted to ask. But by the time he gathered his thoughts, she had already sped away, the sound of her tires echoing down the street.
He was secretly relieved he didn’t ask. Because asking would have meant he cared.
But he didn’t care. He couldn’t
This woman humiliated Elsa. Right in front of him. She didn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy.
He told himself again and again.
He only cared about one girl in his life–Elsa.
And if Lily ever laid a hand on Elsa again, he’d make sure she never survived in Capital City again.
The blood on Lily’s body–Randall’s blood–was disgusting.
Especially the memory of his hands touching her skin. It made her want to claw it all off.
All she wanted was to scrub herself clean.
When she got back to the Luke family estate, she went straight to the bathroom.
It was only when she tried to shut the door that she realized the lock was broken. No matter how many times she fiddled with it, it wouldn’t shut tight.
She felt uneasy not being able to lock the door.
But earlier downstairs, she’d overheard the housekeeper say James was working late tonight. He wasn’t
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Chapter 85 Flames and Cracks
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expected home for hours. Besides, the bedroom door was closed–no one would just walk in.
Reassured, she gently pushed the door mostly closed, stripped quickly, and stepped into the shower.
Grace’s medicinal cream worked wonders.
The slap from this morning had already disappeared after one application.
Before she came into the bathroom, she’d put on another layer to treat the one Randall gave her. Already, the redness was fading.
Grace, Nancy, even Ivan–they were all so good to her.
And thinking about how in six months she’d have to leave the Luke family… it made her heart ache.
James had already been unlucky enough to be forced into a sudden marriage. She couldn’t ruin his life forever.
James hadn’t stayed at work for long.
As he made his way through the underground garage, Mathilda suddenly jumped out, tearfully lunging at him.
He dodged quickly. She missed his arms but clung tightly to his sleeve instead–her tears soaking into the cuff and making his skin crawl.
The moment he got home, he headed straight to the bathroom to wash off the feeling.
The door was slightly ajar.
He heard no sound inside.
Assuming it was empty, he didn’t knock–just walked in, clothes in hand.
“Ah!”
Lily had just finished her shower and was drying off.
When James entered, she let out a scream, startled out of her skin.
His usual emotionless face fractured in slow motion.
He hadn’t expected the door to reveal this.
There she was–her pale, smooth skin gleaming under the warm light. Completely exposed.
Her long, seaweed–dark hair fell freely over her shoulders, a few strands slipping across her front—but nowhere near enough to cover her.
The stark contrast of her black hair against her snowy skin created a visual tension he couldn’t look away
from:
She was both innocent and provocative, the soft scent of her skin drifting through the steam, laced with something wild and deeply feminine.
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Chapter 85 Flames and Cracks
Though she always looked slim, her curves were generous and… vivid.
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Standing there, body trembling slightly, she looked like spring winds brushing over rising hills–soft. flowing, and dizzyingly beautiful.
A living dream.
She was too stunned to move, and the towel in her hand dropped to the floor.
It soaked through instantly, rendering it useless.
Panicked, she darted forward to grab a clean bath towel.
But the more flustered she became, the more mistakes she made.
Her foot slipped.
Just as James turned to flee-
She fell straight into his arms.
