Page 147 of The Forbidden Villain
I owe it tomoy cvetochek.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“All things, good and bad, come to an end.
Any happiness is temporary and fleeting.
Because time is ruthless.
Sooner or later, we will experience the loss.
And the choice we make after such losses?
They determine the trajectory of our lives.”
Levi
Lavender
“You really didn’t have to do that,” I tell Ronan as we reach the Scotts’ mansion gates and the guards greet us, one of them jogging toward us. “They don’t allow strangers. You have to be very special.”
I groan inwardly because I so do not want to walk all the way to the mansion in these heels that turned out to be super uncomfortable. I knew I should have called Gordon when Ronan offered me a ride, claiming that he couldn’t let me go without making sure I reached my destination.
I had three glasses of champagne, which isn’t much, and while my head is a bit dizzy and I’m super happy for no reason, it’s not like I’m drunk.
He rolls down the window, and I smile at the guard, who nods at me. “Ma’am, happy to see you.” He glances at Ronan and whistles. “Open! Nice to see you again, sir.”
He steps back as the iron gates slide open and Ronan drives through them, moving toward the house with a rapid speed. “You know the Scotts?”
“Enough to be allowed on their property.”
His vague response makes my hackles rise because that can mean only one thing, and I press my back tighter to the seat, wondering if it’s something about me that attracts murderers for real.
My brother is one.
My man is one.
And now my sort of ex, too!
“I’m not a murderer.” My eyes widen in surprise, and I look at him as he turns to the right and reaches the house. “My father used to be one. He murdered more than twenty people, and I was his next victim on the list when Lachlan helped me. The rest is history.”
Once upon a time, I would have asked more questions. Now, though?
I’ve discovered the less you know, the better. Besides, if Lachlan gave him a green pass, it means he’s solid, and that’s that.
Gripping my purse, I open the door. “Thank you, Ronan, for dropping me off. I had a nice evening with you all.”
After the confessions, everyone ate and drank as if there was no tomorrow, reminiscing about high school. We even had a few slow dance songs. I refused them all, and afterward, we agreedto meet up sometime next month when everyone’s schedules would align, which might as well be never.
Still, the girls took my number, and I wouldn’t mind rebuilding our friendships.
“We started dating a few weeks before prom.” He wants to discuss our past now? Talk about awkward. He never once spoke about us during the dinner, so I just assumed it was a topic none of us wanted to rehash. “You were sweet and innocent. I mean…we had this connection that only two kids who grew up in an abusive environment could form. We were each other’s safe space, and school was bearable when you were in it.”
“Ronan—”
“You hid our relationship from your uncle. You knew he would hate it and do something about it. You wanted to date in secret until graduation because you had been accepted to several universities on scholarships. And once you turned eighteen, you could run away from him.”
The pressure on my chest intensifies with his words, the invisible ropes tightening around my throat because I can’t bear to talk about the girl Lavender used to be.
