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fight or argue with you. I simply—”
    “ Then why the fuck are you here, huh?” he hurled the words at me, making me momentarily tense on the spot.
    “ I…” I trailed off, too petrified to even ask him anything, let alone follow through with what I had planned. He obviously hated me, and I finally realized that, no matter what I said from here on, he would have a sharp rebuttal.
    “ You what?” he pressed on, impatient.
    I flinched. What was I thinking? I was deluding myself by believing he could still feel something towards me.
    “ I’m sorry for wasting your time. I’ll be on my way out.” I was about to move away when I saw him snap like he was finished reeling his true feelings in and was ready to launch on a verbal attack. Seeing the hard shift in him, I immediately shuddered inside.
    “ Take one further step, Isobel, and you won’t like the consequences,” Hugo threatened with a succinct tone, freezing me on the spot.
    I had never felt like a student being reprimanded by the head mistress until this moment. Instead of a mistress, though, this experience came in the form of a dark, beautiful, powerful, ruthless, devil may care man.
    With both of his hands in his pockets, he took his sweet time to come to where I stood frozen, awaiting his next barking command. Each step he took brought him closer to me, and I couldn’t help my body’s reaction, making me pant a little. The quickness of my breaths merely brought my chest to the forefront of his attention. Once he reached me, he didn’t stop until he made a slow circle around me like a shark would to gauge its prey, trapping it and at the same letting them know they were running out of time, that it was going to go for the kill.
    Heightened senses, prickled skin, stampeding heart—my body felt like a chain of one reaction to another. I felt his gaze dissect me like a specimen, taking in every inch of me. Every ounce of skin and every curve on display, he took in with calculated eyes.
    Then, the moment he stopped doing his intimidating dance, I knew deep down that I was weakened by his presence and his tactile intimidation. I was in awe and at the same time full of trepidation. Exhilaration.
    “ Why are you here?” he rasped out, borderline hissing. The second he stopped, he gazed at me darkly, warily.
    Our eyes clashed, and for a beat, I wanted to cower, but I knew I owed this man so much. Besides, if I didn’t do this now, I would always wonder, what if. There was nothing more fearsome than the words what if. Must I torture myself another day with the taunting words, or should I take action tonight? Of course, I had to choose the latter.
    Come what may.
    Consequences be damned.
    Regaining my purpose, I stared at him, showing him my shredded pride. “You and I, we didn’t have proper closure. After I left, I’ve been regretting not giving you what you’ve always wanted from me.” Without disconnecting from his gaze, I braved on. “I’m willing to give you everything you want, Hugo, if you give me this one night. That’s all I ask. Maybe, after this, I can truly get on with my life.”
    He took a sharp breath with a face that resembled a mask—no emotions whatsoever.
    “ What if I tell you that I don’t want you, Isobel? What then?” he said in a manner that was neither callous nor nice.
    His revelation took me by surprise. I hadn’t seen this coming, because … why? Why didn’t I see this angle at all?
    “ You don’t want to have sex with me anymore?” I chided myself for being too caught up in my own merry dreams. I had thought his craving for me wouldn’t dissipate after a little over two months. Apparently, it fucking had. Fuck.
    “ I don’t desire other men’s spoils, most especially the ones who have obviously been used recently.”
    “ I beg your pardon? Are you saying that I look like a whore?” I was simmering in my own world of stupidity.
    How the hell was I going to handle his rejection and barbed shots at my