Page 10 of My Ruthless Opponent

Any other person would’ve snatched their hand away. But not me. He doesn’t scare me.

I had figured him out long ago. He’s hated me since the day we met. And I know his hatred runs deeper than it appears.

This man can fool everyone except me. Because I know that, like me, he’s also living a double life. He is just good at hiding his emotions well.

In a blink of an eye, his serious expression drops, and in place comes a carefully woven mask. A smirk curls his lips.

In a swift move, he is successful in freeing his wrist from my grasp. He doesn’t stop there. He steps closer and towers over me.

“You shouldn’t touch me like that, princess.”

“Then you should complete what you were saying and I won’t bug you.”

He examines me with his probing gaze. I meet it head-on.

He can’t escape this conversation by attempting to make me uncomfortable again.

“I heard that you’re boring. What’s that word? Ah!Unexciting. I didn’t believe it but now I do since I witnessed it first-hand.”

My nails dig into my palm. “Even if I had a ride home, I still wouldn’t drink with you. That doesn’t make me boring. It simply means that I don’t deem you worthy of my company.”

A few seconds of tense silence stretch between us.

He already hates me. My polite behavior was always met with contempt in the past so now I stopped trying to be nice to him.

His eyes flash with anger but his signature deceptive smirk tugs at his lips.

“If that’s the case then you can see yourself out.” He turns his back to me and downs the two shots, slamming them on the counter. Then he saunters off to his team.

“Gladly.” I grind out to his retreating back.

I lie to my team members about feeling unwell.

I feel awful to make a hasty exit when I promised to drive Brielle and Chris home. But I can’t stay here for another second.

As I near the exit of the building, I can’t help but halt and pull out my phone. Unlocking it, I navigate through the photos on my phone. I stop when I find the picture I was searching for. My fingers trace the screen.

“I can survive anything. I have to.” I affirm and take a deep breath before straightening my shoulders.

With my head held high, I exit the building.

Chapter Three

“Sorry I’m late,” I say as I pull the passenger seat door closed. It doesn’t shut properly, so I jerk it open and then pull it with force.

“You’re so not sorry.” Summer’s taunting voice pulls my attention from the rusty door to her.

The corner of her mouth is curled up.

The beat-up Honda civic makes a pathetic whine when she pulls into the traffic.

I eye the cracked dashboard silently. I can’t help but feel a twinge of pain in my chest.

“Where to?” asks Summer. I look over at her to find her staring at me with her unusual eyes.

I said unusual because they are. She has heterochromia. Her right eye is a beautiful shade of blue and her left eye is fascinatingly green. They suit her pale complexion and brown hair quite well.

I would say my childhood friend is beautiful.

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