Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 42

Stefan's hand gently covered her face, right on the side that Ruby had slapped.

"Lucy, does it still hurt?" Stefan asked quietly, his eyes burning with rage.

Ruby had the guts to hurt Lucy!

Did she think Stefan wouldn't hit a woman?

Indeed, Stefan didn't like to hit women, but if anyone messed with his Lucy, he wouldn't mind breaking his own rule for her.

Lucinda pulled his hand away, touched her cheek, and asked him, "Is it still swollen?"

After Ruby left, Cecilia brought some ice to soothe her face, and she didn't feel swollen anymore.

"Even though the swelling has gone down, the fact that Ruby hit you can't be changed." Stefan's voice turned dark in the second half of his sentence, which confused Lucinda a bit.

Soon, she got it.

The Stefan she knew was always gentle and courteous, but after knowing Stefan's true identity, she realized he couldn't be a truly nice person.

As the CEO of Ascend Global, he led the company to its peak, which required extraordinary abilities. How could he be a nice guy?

Lucinda had heard of Ascend Global but didn't know much about it.

After renting Stefan as her boyfriend, she specifically searched for the history of Ascend Global and found out that Ascend Global was like a brilliant pearl in Pinehurst.

"Stefan, I hit her too," Lucinda casually mentioned as she grabbed a pack of snacks, tore open the package, and started munching away.

She asked Stefan, "Stefan, how did Ruby find out about us? How did she find my shop?"

"Owen Martinez."

"Oh, right, Mr. Martinez and you are rivals; he's never been a fan of you."

Lucinda recalled Owen's smirking face, glanced at her boyfriend, and asked, "Stefan, how did you and Owen become rivals?"

"He's always had a bone to pick with me. We were on good terms at first, but then, because of Ruby, he started picking on me, and our relationship has been sour since. Besides, the Martinez family's company and the Anderson family's company are in the same industry; we are competitors, so our relationship gradually became hostile."

Lucinda grasped the meaning,"Owen has a thing for Ruby."

"Not just a thing: he's head over heels for her."

"Ruby is into you; Owen is into Ruby; it's a messy love triangle."

Lucinda narrated it like a storyteller, which left Stefan helpless.

He sat down next to her, pulled her into his arms the moment he sat down, and kissed her lips.

Lucinda's eyes widened.

She still held half-eaten snacks in her hand.

She intended to push him away, but suddenly felt a pang of pain on her lips.

He bit her.

Stefan gave her lips a light bite, then let her go. He gently touched her lips, gazing at the lips he'd just bitten. His eyes were passionate, his voice deep and intoxicating; "Lucy, I've never had any feelings for Ruby. I don't love her at all. She's not the girl I liked when I was a kid; you are. Will you come back to my place in Diamond Ridge Estates tonight? I have something to show you."

"Isn't the house in Diamond Ridge Estates rented?"

Stefan gave a chuckle.

Lucinda suddenly felt that her question was rather redundant.

Given Stefan's status, why would he need to rent a house?

She had believed his words before because she didn't know him well enough.