Lust in Ecstasy: Love, Lies and Revenge
Chapter 46: A New Beginning.

Chapter 46: A New Beginning.

Eric adjusted his clothes, smoothing out the fabric before speaking. "I’m well aware of the risks, Mr. Savage. And trust me, I’m more than prepared for them." His tone was calm, unwavering. "If there’s nothing else, we’ll be on our way."

I reached for my phone on the table, my fingers slightly unsteady as I picked it up. Without another word, I turned toward the door, Eric following close behind.

Just as we reached it, Savage’s voice cut through the room.

"Eric."

We both stopped.

"What you did here today..." Savage exhaled, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips. "I’d say your father would be proud." He scoffed, shaking his head. "If only Kenny had half your spine."

Eric turned back, meeting his gaze. For a moment, he said nothing—just nodded once before walking out the door.

As we stepped out of the office, the tension in my chest finally eased, but only slightly. The hallway felt colder now, or maybe it was just me still processing everything that had just happened.

Eric walked ahead, his posture straight, his expression unreadable. I quickened my pace to keep up with him.

"A million dollars, huh?" I finally said, my voice low.

Eric didn’t look at me, just kept walking. "Seemed like a fair price."

"A fair price? You... You didn’t even blink when you said it," I muttered. "I thought you were gonna ask for something reasonable—like I don’t know, fifty grand? But a million? Savage almost laughed us out of the room."

Eric finally glanced at me disappointed, a smirk tugging at his lips. "And yet, he agreed."

I shook my head. "I still can’t believe it."

"You should," he said, stepping toward the elevator. "Because this isn’t just about the money. It’s about power. Leverage. If you have something people are afraid of, you don’t lowball yourself—you make them pay to keep their world intact."

I let that sink in as we stepped into the elevator. The doors slid shut, and I turned to him.

"So... what now?"

Eric leaned against the wall, exhaling slowly. "Now, we wait. Savage will pay, but he won’t forget this. Which means you’ll need to be careful."

A chill ran down my spine. "Me? You think he’ll come after me?"

Eric didn’t answer right away. When he did, his voice was quieter, but firm.

"Men like him don’t like being backed into a corner." He looked at me then, his eyes serious. "So yeah. You should be ready."

"And that brings me to the next part," Eric said, his voice firm yet calm. "It’s time we had that talk." He paused, letting the weight of his words settle before continuing. "Your whole life as you know it is about to change, Ladi." Another pause. "You can’t keep living the same way anymore."

I frowned. "I don’t understand. What do you mean?"

Eric placed a hand on my shoulder, his grip steady. "It’s time to start thinking for yourself. Go spend the rest of the day figuring out what you really want to do. And if there’s any way I can help... I will."

I just stood there, searching his face. Why did he care so much? Was this genuine, or was I just lucky that my situation aligned with his goals?

As we stepped out of the office building, I exhaled deeply, my mind already racing.

That’s it? That wasn’t so hard.

But even as the thought crossed my mind, a new one crept in—If... I mean, when everything falls into place, how will I even handle that kind of money?

I quickly shook off the doubt. Ah, that’s a problem for later. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

I turned to Eric. "So... I don’t really know what to say except thank you. I mean, I haven’t received a dime yet, so I can’t get too excited. Don’t wanna get my hopes up."

He just smiled. "Don’t worry. It’s taken care of."

We reached the car, and just as I was about to get in, I remembered something. He’d said he would tell me why he was doing all this once it was over.

"Wait." I stopped, looking at him. The anticipation in my chest grew. "You said you’d tell me why you’re doing all this when it’s all over. Well, it is. And don’t you dare say we haven’t seen the money yet." I added, making sure he knew I wasn’t letting it slide.

Eric chuckled, shaking his head. "Alright. Get in the car—I’ll tell you."

I got in, and Eric started the car, shifting it into gear before pulling onto the road. I kept my eyes on him the entire time, waiting.

"I swear, if you don’t start talking right now, I’m gonna punch you in the arm," I threatened playfully.

He chuckled. "Geez, mate, take it easy."

Then, just as casually, he said, "I did it because I wanted to see if I could."

And that was it.

I frowned, staring at him like he’d just spoken another language. "What?"

Eric kept his eyes on the road, a small smirk playing on his lips.

"You heard me," he said. "I wanted to see if I could pull it off."

I blinked. "That’s it? That’s your big reason?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

I scoffed. "So all of this, everything has just been a test of character?"

"Yeah," he said simply. "And also because it was the right thing to do. You deserved justice."

I leaned back in my seat, shaking my head. "You’re insane."

He really was insane.

Eric grinned. "Maybe. But tell me something, how does it feel?"

I turned to him. "How does what feel?"

"Knowing that you’re not just some guy who gets stepped on. That you actually did something about it."

I opened my mouth to respond but hesitated. Because the truth was... it felt good. Better than I expected.

I blinked, processing his words. "Wait... You’re serious?"

Eric smirked, keeping his eyes on the road.

"You’re just giving me all of it? Just like that?" I asked, my voice a mix of disbelief and something else—gratitude, maybe.

"Yeah," he said simply. "You need it more than I do."

I leaned back in my seat, running a hand over my face. "Damn... I don’t even know what to say."

"You don’t have to say anything," Eric replied. "Just don’t waste it."

I let out a shaky laugh. "Shit... I was expecting to get something out of this, but not everything."

Eric finally glanced at me, his expression unreadable. "You’re at a crossroads, Ladi. Money won’t solve all your problems, but it gives you options. Do something with it."

His words hit harder than I expected. This wasn’t just about getting paid back for what happened. It was something bigger.

I looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling the weight of what I’d just gained.