The billionaire's sweet editor
Chapter 107: Iris:Dispute

Chapter 107: Iris:Dispute

Lucas’ face drops. His eyes are glimmering with every other emotion I’ve never seen on his face—anger, hurt, sadness, and if I’m not mistaken, a bit of shock.

"What the fuck do you mean you’re leaving, Iris? You haven’t even let us explain our point of view yet."

"Yes, Iris. This isn’t the way to end this. You’ll only hurt yourself."

"Please tell her," Lucas cements her words. I glare at them. This is exactly why I want to leave, if I stay here any longer, the articles and pictures are going to keep playing in my head and I’ll explode.

There were too many of them. One in Lucas’ office, with him hugging her as they sit side by side. The other one was at a restaurant and he was posing for a selfie she was taking of them. Don’t even get me started on the intimate ones on the red carpet.

Every time I scrolled down on Instagram, I came across at least one of them, and each had comments that cemented the idea of them being a couple. I know I’m not supposed to be doing this, but fuck I’m only human.

What other thing says evidence better than pictures?

I have live fucking proof of them being lovey-dovey without my knowledge thanks to Lucas and his henchmen Paul and freaking Timir who blocked me from accessing the wifi.

I hate how all the pieces fit together like a puzzle in my head as I stand before them. Lucas stands and grabs my hands, the golden flakes of light from the peacock art flooding his face and making him look angelic—the same angelic that would have sent me on my knees with the between of my legs oozing of feminine juices, ready to take him in.

But not now. He could have a halo above his head and wings on his back with twice the sexy aura and I wouldn’t get wet. Because I’m fucking mad at him. Never mind the betrayal, how could he stab me in the back with the same person he was telling me to stay away from?

How could he act so nonchalant about it whenever he comes home and kisses me like nothing has happened at work with Bella? How could he lie to me about this whilst keeping me in the fucking dark?

"I need to leave now or else..."

My eyes scan the room for nothing in particular, but that is enough to increase the tension in the room. Lucas stands before me as if to block me from moving. His body is large enough to block the view in front of me so I turn around, but he grabs my hand before I even move.

I turn to glare at him, swatting my hand away from him. "Please don’t touch me right now."

"Iris it’s a misunderstanding! Bella and I aren’t dating. We have never dated before, ever!"

"Yes, I know. Or at least that’s what you want me to know. Did you guys forget what you used to be?"

"That ended a long time ago."

"You mean a few weeks ago when you confessed? Yeah right, because feelings are that easy to get rid of. Maybe that’s why you played this little chess game together with me as your pawn."

"You were never a pawn Iris, wake up," Lucas grabs my shoulders and shakes me, hard. By the time he’s done, I start feeling dizzy.

Bella,—sensing the tense situation rising—decides to take the matters into her hands. She walks to where we are, standing next to Lucas and apologetically holding both hands. "You’re wrong, feelings are hard to get rid of. I had a hard time trying to get rid of this sad excuse of a man you call your boyfriend and I even went as far as to challenge you. I regret my decision from then because look at us now, I feel like I’m the reason behind a relationship breaking."

"Isn’t that what you wanted from the start? To make us break up so you can become Mrs, Andrews? Well good news Bell, you have succeeded in creating trust issues between Lucas and me. Have a great time building a relationship with him from here onwards."

I flip around, turning around and heading to the kitchen where I assume Tim is. Lucas clicks his tongue and I hear shoes click on the tikes as he follows behind me. When he reaches where I am, he grabs my hand and flips me around, holding me in place and placing his hands on each side of the wall, blocking me from leaving.

"What the fuck are you doing right now, Iris Morris? Why won’t you listen to me? I’m telling you it’s all a misunderstanding and I’m innocent." He looks down, trying to find the words to convince me. I want to believe him too, I really do. But every time I try to think of a way to forgive him, the pictures from before flash in my eyes and I end up going back to square one.

Fuck. My eyes are watering.

Raising his head, Lucas cups my cheek. I let him. Maybe if he speaks whilst holding my body he’ll talk directly to my heart and I’ll be able to let this slide.

"You said you trust me. Don’t you trust me anymore now? I’m innocent, I’m a victim just as much as you. It’s all fake, the pictures and the news. I never went on dates with her and I definitely never hid it from you."

Feeling the blood boil in my body a hundred degrees hotter than ever before, I tug his hands away from my face, turning away from him and continuing my journey to the kitchen. What does he mean he never hid it from me?

"Iris? At least answer me damnit, I’m fucking losing it here!"

I stop on the spot and turn to face him. "You want answers? Fine, I’ll give you one. Tell me how stopping me from connecting to the wifi and throwing a facade every time you come home like the "fake" articles as you described them aren’t circulating is not keeping a secret from me?

Tell me why I had to find out today that all this was happening, and only after I forcefully had to connect myself to the wifi. Tell me why you and Bella had to discuss asking for my forgiveness together before coming here as if you had to do a rehearsal on what to say?"

He opens his mouth to speak but decides against it and closes it. My heart drops at the sight and my feet subconsciously slowly start moving backwards towards the kitchen, a hurt scoff that sounds like a cough escaping my mouth.

Without waiting for his reply, I take the final turn toward the kitchen and see the person I’m looking for standing next to Tim, sulking. I’ve never seen Paul sulk before. He probably heard Lucas and I fighting in the living room, or Timir told him about it.

"Paul, can you give me a ride home?"

My suspicion is confirmed the moment he raises his head to look at me. His eyebrows are hung low, mouth is pressed into a tight line. He looks like he wants to say something but can’t bring himself to. Then his attention goes behind me.

I turn my head and sure enough, Lucas is behind us, looking at him. Sighing, I walk closer to Paul. "At least give me the car keys. I can drive myself back home."

"I’ll drive you," Lucas offers. I don’t know if he said that because he thought I’d change my mind once he started supporting me, but I nod at him and walk out of the kitchen, but not before turning to Paul and Timir. "Sorry for being an asshole after all the trouble you went through to make this house more comfortable for me."

They both remain silent, but the hint of acknowledgment of my words shows on their faces. Taking that as my cue, I walk to the car, leaving Lucas with his men inside. I don’t even bother waving at Bella when I pass by her and neither does she try telling me to rethink things. A wise choice on her part.

I’m not in the mood for her mind games.

A few minutes after I’m already seated, Lucas comes into the car and pauses, sighing as he rubs his nose bridge from frustration. "So you won’t believe what I said? You’re really leaving me like this?"

"Please don’t give me another reason to be mad at you and just drive Lucas."

"At least sit in the front then. Why are you back there?"

"Because right now, the last thing I want is to be next to you. Seeing your face is having the opposite effect on me today. I don’t know what I’ll do if I sit with you in front and you start trying to seduce me."

"But I’m a victim too here. Why won’t you just listen?" He protests in a small voice, starting the car and leading us out of the parking lot.

My subconscious knows he’s a victim too, but I can’t wrap my head around why he hid all this from me if it wasn’t a scheme. It’s all too confusing to me, and he won’t give me a proper answer to begin with.

I need my peace right now. Away from all this drama, and away from this dispute. A breath of fresh air that only home can bring might be able to settle this.

★★★★★