Chapter 33: Refused

Olivia’s POV

​I turned the brass knob, pushed the door open, and stepped inside, closing it quietly behind me.

​Then I turned around, and my entire brain short-circuited.

​Lucian was standing several feet away, completely shirtless. He was wearing a pair of dark gray sweatpants, his damp hair clinging to his forehead, and water glinting on his golden skin. A white towel was draped over one of his broad hands as he rubbed it over his hair. He had clearly just stepped out of the shower.

​God, he looked ridiculously, unfairly hot.

​I swallowed hard, forcing my eyes away from his sculpted chest and looking at the floor instead. We were not doing this again.

​"What do you want?" he asked, his tone dripping with annoyance.

​I swallowed again, squeezing my hands together as I forced the words past my throat. "Can I please borrow thirty thousand dollars from you? I promise to pay you back as soon as I speak with my father."

​Lucian raised a dark eyebrow at me, his gaze sharp and calculating. "What makes you think I would give you a single dime?"

​"I am asking for a loan," I insisted, trying to keep my voice steady. "I will return every cent to you. I just really need the money to buy a few personal items."

​Lucian glared at me, his face completely devoid of emotion. "No."

​I swallowed the lump forming in my throat. I wasn’t even surprised. Deep down, I knew that would be his answer. His quick refusal didn’t even hurt. I gave him a small, polite nod, grabbed the door handle, and walked out without another word, closing the door behind me.

​I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall for a second. Well, there went my only possible source of thirty thousand dollars.

​Wonderful.

​I started down the hallway, trying desperately to think of another solution. Maybe I could sell something. Annabel had expensive jewelry, but technically none of it belonged to me, and I had no idea where I would even sell it without raising questions.

​I reached the top of the staircase and began heading down, only to pause mid-step as footsteps echoed from the landing below. Someone was coming up.

​I lifted my head and met the eyes of Alpha Lucas. My eyes widened in surprise. Just like his brother, Alpha Lucas had been away from the mansion for the past two days.

​Our eyes met, and he immediately paused, studying my expression. "What’s wrong?"

​I was completely caught off guard. "Good morning, Alpha Lucas."

​"Morning," he said, shifting his gaze up toward the top of the stairs before looking back at me. "I believe you are coming directly from my brother’s room, and with that troubled look on your face, something is clearly wrong. What is it?"

​"Nothing," I lied quickly. "Everything is fine."

​He took a step closer, a small smile playing on his lips. "I believe you and I have already passed the level of keeping secrets from each other. Remember?"

​I swallowed hard. He was right. Alpha Lucas was the only person here who knew I was lying about playing the violin, and he had kept my secret without hesitation.

​I let out a heavy sigh. "I need some money. I asked Lucian for a loan, but he refused."

​Lucas frowned, his eyebrows pulling together in genuine confusion. "Has he not placed you on a personal allowance yet?"

​"No," I whispered.

​A flicker of anger crossed his face. "How much do you need? I will give it to you."

​"No, Alpha Lucas, please," I said, waving my hands nervously. "I shouldn’t—"

​"It is not a request, Annabel," he interrupted, his voice firm yet gentle. "It is an order. Tell me the amount. Two hundred thousand? A hundred thousand? Half a million?"

​I raised my hands to stop him. "No! No, nothing like that! I only need thirty thousand dollars."

​He looked at me, completely stunned. "Just thirty thousand?"

​"Yes."

​"I will have someone bring it to your room within the hour," he said smoothly.

​My jaw nearly dropped. "Really? Thank you so much, Alpha Lucas. I will pay you back every single cent, I promise."

​He scoffed softly, shaking his head. "No need. Consider it a wedding gift from me."

​My eyes widened. "Wedding gift?"

​He smiled at me, warm and incredibly handsome. "Unless you don’t want it."

​"No!" I answered immediately, then cleared my throat. "I mean... thank you."

​His smile widened slightly. And, Moon Goddess, he was handsome. I immediately scolded myself. Olivia. First Lucian. Now his brother? Apparently, almost being exposed and blackmailed wasn’t enough to keep my thoughts under control.

​He gave me a polite nod and walked past me up the stairs.

​I practically floated back up to my room, feeling a massive wave of relief wash over me. Alpha Lucas was an absolute godsend. Now, all I had to do was wait for the money and get Owen off my back for good.

​About ten minutes passed while I sat on the edge of the bed. Suddenly, a firm knock echoed against my door.

​I practically jumped up, rushed across the room, and pulled the door open. Standing outside was a tall male guard holding a large, thick brown envelope.

​"Alpha said I should give this directly to you, Princess," the guard said respectfully.

​A huge smile broke across my face. "Thank you so much!"

​I took the envelope, closed the door, and locked it. Alpha Lucas was so fast. I sat down on the bed, unsealed the top, and peered inside. It was filled with neat stacks of hundred-dollar bills. I closed my eyes and let out a long, shaky sigh of relief, clutching the envelope to my chest. Hopefully, this would buy Owen’s silence forever.

​Suddenly, another sharp knock landed on my door.

​My heart jumped. I quickly slid the thick brown envelope deep under my pillow, smoothed down my dress, and hurried to open the door.

​Standing in the hallway was the head housekeeper, holding a heavy black plastic bag out toward me. Her face was set in a cold, unbothered glare.

​"Alpha King Lucas said I should give this to you," she said stiffly.

​I stood there, my eyes widening in pure, unadulterated confusion. My mind went completely blank. I looked at the black bag, then back at my bed, eyeing the bulge under my pillow, and then turned my gaze back to the head maid glaring at me.

​"What?" I whispered.

​"Alpha King Lucas," she repeated, her tone sharp. "He asked me to bring this to you."

​For several seconds, I simply stared at her. Then my eyes slowly drifted back toward the bed. Toward the pillow.

​My heart skipped a beat, and my blood ran cold.

​Wait.

​If this bag was from Lucas... then who had sent the guard with the thirty thousand dollars in the brown envelope?

​Then, the terrifying realization hit me like a ton of bricks.

​The first envelope under my pillow hadn’t come from Lucas at all.

​It had come from Lucian.