Page 97 of Wicked Lord

Her walls didn’t budge, but as she studied me, some of the hardness melted from her expression. “You don’t look good. What’s wrong?”

I sagged against a bookshelf, my tongue so numb I wasn’t sure I could properly speak. “Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try you can’t escape your bad choices?”

“Every damn day.”

The sorrow enfolding her words was so heavy I feared her knees would collapse from the weight. I wanted to pull her into a hug and never let go. Lorelei had her own secrets, and part of me believed—hoped—she wouldn’t turn me away or run if I confessed mine.

My phone buzzed again, shattering the intense moment. A text from an unknown number displayed on the screen.

Unknown: We will have a conversation soon.

Lorelei leaned forward, trying to read the screen upside down. “What’s going on?”

“I’m about to find out.” I called the number, expecting Vaughn to answer. Who else would send me a cryptic text?

“I should have known you’d immediately call.”

The voice definitely didn’t belong to Vaughn. “Who is this?”

“You stole something from me, Mr. Vanderhart, and I’m not one to allow that kind of disrespect.”

My brows slammed down. The only thing I’d stolen recently was Mr. Dupont’s laptop, and this wasn’t Peter’s father. “You don’t want to start a problem with me. You won’t like the outcome.”

The familiar mix of arrogance and menace in the guy’s chuckle had warnings blaring through my mind. “I know you’re from a powerful family and have all the right connections, but as I said, I’m not to be disrespected, especially not by some little college boy.”

I pushed off the bookshelf, my free hand curling into a fist as I finally recognized the voice. “Brock Haversham.”

CHAPTER 40

MY PROPERTY

Lorelei

Fuck. What the hell did Brock want now? It had been radio silence for the past few weeks, and I honestly thought I was finally rid of him. I should have known he would never give up that easily. How could I have been so stupid?

“What did he say?” I hissed.

Axel waved me off, his fingers clenching so tight around the phone his knuckles were pure white. “Lorelei was never yours to begin with,” he growled into the mic.

“On the contrary, the contract I signed says otherwise.”

“Let me hear!” I grabbed his phone and jabbed my finger at the speaker button.

“What contract?” Axel barked.

The crinkling of pages sent nausea rising up my throat. “I never signed a contract,” I cried out.

“Oh, good, you’re there too, Lorelei. I can’t say I’m surprised. Did I catch you on your knees with the Vanderhart heir? Or are you attempting to secure your family’s fortune on your back?”

Heat flared across my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment and red-hot indignation.

“Shut your fucking mouth, Haversham, or I’ll shut it for you, permanently,” Axel barked into the phone. “Don’t you ever talk to Lorelei like that.”

“You have no idea what she’s like, do you, kid? No notion that she’s only using you for your trust fund.”

Axel’s jaw ticked, and I shook my head. “It’s not true,” I mouthed.

The lie came easily, but the truth was that we were both using each other, weren’t we? I’d never explicitly told him of my family’s money troubles, but Ax was a smart guy, he must have figured it out by now.