Chapter 178

Evelyn was stunned.

Her fingers trembled on the steering wheel, nearly sending the car careening into the guardrail.

Thankfully, she hadn’t been speeding. With a sharp inhale, she steadied the wheel just in time.

"This boy… is hopelessly naive."

Claire laughed, her striking eyes locked onto Julian’s face. "Well?" she prompted.

Julian lowered his gaze, silent. But the flush creeping up his neck betrayed him.

No one could guess what images were playing in his mind.

The car rolled into the garage, and they all stepped out.

The trio entered the elevator. Just as the doors began to slide shut, a hand shot out, stopping them. Lucas slipped inside.

At that exact moment, Claire and Julian’s fingers were tightly intertwined.

Lucas’s gaze dropped to their joined hands, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

Without a word, he seized Claire’s other hand.

Now, three grown adults stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the cramped space.

The air crackled with unspoken tension as Evelyn hesitated near the staircase. Part of her wanted to flee upstairs, pack her things, and bid Claire a quiet farewell.

But Claire, sharp as ever, seemed to read her thoughts. "I'm still recovering," she snapped, her voice laced with warning. "Don't even think about leaving!"

Evelyn wasn't the only one feeling the weight of the moment. Even Claire, usually unshakable, found the situation unbearably charged.

Having Evelyn by her side gave her strength. Without her, facing two men at once would have been downright unbearable.

They all filed into the apartment, Lucas lingering at the back.

Claire moved to shut him out, but Lucas shoved past her, his expression unreadable.

The apartment had two bedrooms. The second Lucas stepped inside, Claire grabbed Julian's arm and tugged him toward the master suite.

"From now on, you're staying with me in here," she declared.

Julian, overwhelmed by the opulence of the place, hesitated. His movements were stiff, his usual confidence replaced by wariness.

Before he could respond, Lucas seized Claire's wrist.

Without a word, he dragged her into the master bedroom and slammed the door shut behind them, locking it with a decisive click.

Claire's temper flared. "Lucas, have you lost your damn mind?" she hissed.

Lucas pulled Claire closer, his arms locking around her waist like iron bands.

His usually vibrant eyes were dull, drowning in despair. A heavy sorrow clung to him, suffocating the air between them.

"Claire, I messed up. Don't walk away from me…" His voice cracked, raw with regret.

He had assumed this was just another one of her games—another attempt to provoke him.

But seeing her with another man in their home shattered his composure completely.

Claire tilted her head up. A hot tear from Lucas splashed against her cheek, tracing a burning path down her skin.

She wiped it away with an irritated flick of her fingers and shoved against his chest. "It's over, Lucas. You think crying like this will make me—"

His mouth crashed onto hers, swallowing the rest of her words.

The kiss was desperate, possessive. He kissed her like he wanted to erase every inch of space between them, like he could fuse them together if he just held on tight enough.

Claire struggled, fury igniting in her veins. With a sharp snap of her teeth, she bit down on his tongue.

Lucas flinched but didn’t pull away. Instead, he deepened the kiss, his grip tightening. The metallic tang of blood bloomed between them.

A broken, muffled sob escaped him, vibrating against her lips.

"If you hate me, then hurt me. But why did you have to—"

"You. How could you be so heartless?" Lucas Bennett's voice cracked, his words thick with unshed tears.

Tears streaked down his face, glistening under the dim light.

Claire Dawson had never witnessed him break like this before.

The moment his tears touched her skin, a wave of irritation surged through her.

She pushed him away roughly, scrubbing at her face and lips where he had kissed her moments ago.

"Now you regret it? Lucas, I gave you every chance!"

"Heartless? Look in the mirror! How dare you question why I ended the pregnancy?"

"Do you honestly believe you deserve to be a father? It wasn’t me who destroyed our baby, Lucas. It was you! You killed our child!"

Her words hung in the air like a blade, sharp and final.

The silence between them was deafening.

Lucas staggered back as if struck, his face twisting in agony.

Claire turned away, her chest heaving with fury and grief.

She wouldn’t let him see her cry.

Not again.

Not ever.

The past was dead.

And so was any future they might have had.