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Lucas' POV

I woke up early the next morning and put some of the leftovers onto a paper plate. I did not bother heating the food up and made my way up the room. I smiled at the sight of Axel sleeping with legs spread out and Jackie sleeping away from him. I walked up to them and dropped the plate on the side table then covered them up properly with the blanket.

I leaned over Jackie and kissed her temple before making my way to the closet with the plate. I opened it and scowled at the sight of Ashton Kingston and his friends. They were asleep and I had the perfect way to wake them up.

I placed the plate on a section of the closet beside me and kicked Ashton in the stomach. He grunted and groaned in pain, waking up. I went to the other two and kicked them in the stomach. They woke up, groaning in pain.

"This isn't a five-star hotel, bastards. You don't get to sleep," I said and squatted between all of them. "You don't get to sleep properly as long as you're here."

"P-please, Lucas. Spare us," Ashton groaned out.

"Spare you?" This fucker had to be joking to say such to my hearing. "I should spare you? Did you fucking spare my fucking woman when you assaulted her?"

"It was a mistake, please. I was forced to do it!" He pleaded at the top of his voice.

"Lower your ugly voice down, you bitch," I said and grabbed his chin. "You say you were forced? Was Maddy controlling you with a fucking remote? I don't think so."

I let go of his chin and went over to where I had placed the food. I grabbed it and squatted between them.

"You three must be hungry, right? You haven't eaten in almost two days. Do you want some of these cold noodles?" I asked and smirked as Ashton hungrily stared at the food.

"A-anything, please," one of his friends begged. "I'm so hungry."

"Rapists like you don't deserve food. So, why should I feed you?" I asked and stirred the strings of noodles with the fork.

"We're not rapists," the other behind me argued.

"You are and for how much?" I asked and scoffed then twirled some noodles around the fork. I brought it close to Ashton's lips and he opened his mouth but I smirked them and dropped the noodles onto the floor close to his face.

"Oops," I said and rose to my feet. I dropped the plate to the floor between them. "You are supposed to eat off the floor like a dog... Oh, wait. Even a street dog has more self-control than the three of you."

I stepped over Ashton and stopped at the door.

"Remember what we planned. If you fail to follow my plan, consider your life ending here with no one ever knowing where you are," I said and left the closet. I almost jumped when I saw Jackie standing close to the door with eyes wide.

"I heard everything you said and you're evil," she said and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.

I sighed. "What are you doing up at five?"

"Just threw up," she replied and raised her phone. "I called Maddy late last night and told her that I changed my mind."

I approached her and grabbed her hand, then pulled her to the window. I nudged my chin at her, indicating for her to go ahead.

"I told her that I was going to forgive you and talk to you about the whole marriage contract," Jackie said and tapped on her screen. "Listen."

"Hey, Maddy?"

"Hey, what's up?"

"I'm good. Uh, I have something to say to you and I don't know how you're going to react to it."

I looked from the phone to Jackie's face when there was a three seconds silence.

"What is it?" Maddy asked and Jackie sighed.

"Maddy, I'm going to talk to Lucas and listen to him. Maybe all this is all just a misunderstanding."

There was a long pause from Maddy's end and I raised an eyebrow at Jackie who nodded.

"Are you out of your mind?! What is wrong with you? He broke up with you, dumbass. Why should you even think of speaking to him? You made your decision and you should stick to it. Lucas cannot be trusted, he's proven he's irresponsible, and going back to listen to him isn't going to change a thing. Listen, Jackie. I know you still love him but you need to forget about him. Maybe he isn't yours, to begin with, so don't do anything."

Maddy's outburst was from a place of fear and grief. She was scared that the nonexistent breakup or problems between Jackie and me were over. It made me happy at how desperate she was.

"Chill, Maddy. I haven't even talked to him yet. It was just a thought. You are overreacting," Jackie's voice came after and I laughed.

I mellowed down when Axel turned on the bed and I chuckled.

"Oh... I thought you were already going to talk to him. Well, don't," Maddy said after.

Jackie tapped the screen of her phone and smirked up at me.

"Now, honey," Jackie said and ran the tip of her finger on my chest. The action made me feel tingles all over my body. "I want you to call her over and have her try to brainwash you. Lie to her about us."

"What are you planning?" I asked.

"You'll see," Jackie replied and stepped back with her hand on her mouth.

She gagged and raced to the bathroom, making me chuckle. I shook my head and went after her.

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I leaped to my feet when I heard a knock on the door and I knew Maddy had arrived. I grabbed the glass of drink from the table and dipped my fingers into it then splashed it on my shirt and around my lips so it would seem as if I had been drinking. I didn't want to take a sip because I was partially lightweight and didn't want to get tipsy as early as possible.

I wiped my hand on my jeans and made my way to the door. I took deep breaths and opened the door then forced my eyes to be hooded.

Maddy stood outside, looking concerned as she took in my body.

"Have you been drinking?" She asked and I stepped aside for her to walk in.

"Yeah," I said and shut the door then walked over to the couch I had been sitting on. I sat down on it and placed my head in my hands.

"Is everything okay? You called and sounded sad," Maddy said and I heard her sit beside me.

"How won't I be sad? The one person I thought I believed and loved is a horrible person; the worst," I said in an exaggerated angry tone.

"Lucas, are you still on about this?" She asked and I felt her hand on my back.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked, looking at her. "I hate her so much right now. I've never hated anyone like this before. How do you expect me to act?"

Maddy had a frown on her face and in her eyes, it seemed as if she was struggling with something inside her head.

"What do you think of all these? Jackie isn't here so tell me. What do you think of everything happening? Do you still believe that woman?" I asked and within me, I hoped she said something. I needed to see for myself who this bitch was.

Maddy dropped her hand and faced away. She played with her hands for some seconds before looking at me.

"You know, I think Jackie only wanted me for my money. Isn't it funny how she didn't even go with you or someone else? Then she starts to befriend your man because she found out he's rich too. Since she couldn't try to get something from me by living under my roof, she went for your boyfriend," I said, filling her head up.

Maddy sighed. "You're right. I started suspecting her when Clark hired her as a cleaner. She could have come to me for a job but no, she went to my ex for a job. When Clark started talking about how good she is and all, I knew something was off about her. She was after Clark and when I saw that picture, I knew her true self was revealed. She is a backstabber. I... I confronted Clark about the picture and he said it was true. That Jackie had come unto him, seducing him way before they slept with each other."

I rose to my feet in anger at what Maddy was saying about Jackie. I was one step away from strangling her for being a snake. I clenched my hands and flinched when I felt her stand behind me.

"I'm sorry, Lucas. I'm also disgusted by the type of person that she is. When Clark told me how she even wanted more money and offered her body in exchange for it, I lost it. Even when I met Jackie yesterday, I felt nothing but hate and now, she wants to think about forgiving you?" Maddy said in an incredulous tone. She went around me and stopped before me.

"I'm not going to allow that," I said.

"That's good. She is crazy to think you're stupid to allow her back into your life. Clark has rejected her and she now wants to try to get you back. All these innocence and poverty might just be a cover-up. It's disgusting to think I trusted this girl with my whole heart. I helped her when she first came to college and this is how she repays me? I won't be surprised she's tried to get Axel too."

The door opened and Maddy speedily turned around.

"Tried to do what?" Jackie asked, walking in with a false confusion on her face.

I looked at Maddy, she was tensed and from the sides of her face, she was looking scared.

"W-what are you doing here?" Maddy stuttered.

"Me?" Jackie asked and stepped aside. Ruth walked and stood beside her.

I moved slightly away from Maddy to take a good look at her face. She was pale and gulping. Her eyes were wide and darting from Jackie to Ruth.

"R-Ruth? What are you doing here? How are you here?" Maddy asked in a shaky voice.