He Gave Her a Million-Dollar House, He Gave Me a 5000 Monthly Allowance Chapter 07

He Gave Her a Million-Dollar House, He Gave Me a 5000 Monthly Allowance Chapter 07

She hammered at his chest. “How can you say that, Pierce? With Julian right there in the backseat?”

Melissa’s hair was messy, her whole body shaking. Pierce’s mind flashed back to Nicole, frantic and

desperate as she demanded to see his chat logs.

She’d screamed and cried, tears soaking his shirt. He’d watched her break down right in front of him.

He’d hurt both women.

Pierce let out a heavy breath and massaged his temples. He thought: “If only none of this had ever

happened. If only I hadn’t gotten drunk and lost control that night.”

He pulled Melissa into his arms, holding her tight and gently rubbing her back. “I’m sorry.”

Melissa let out a shaky breath against his chest. But Pierce’s frown only deepened.

Melissa hadn’t spoken to him since that day in the car. Two weeks of suffocating silence had turned the

house into a tomb.

Pierce slouched on the sofa, staring at the final text message he’d sent Nicole over two weeks ago.

He kept scrolling upward through their chat history. No new messages ever loaded. Nicole hadn’t responded

to a single thing for over fourteen days.

She wouldn’t come home, wouldn’t reply to texts. What was she trying to do? Didn’t she realize I’m worried

about her safety?

“Damn it!” Pierce hurled his phone onto the table with a dull thud.

Melissa walked over carrying a plate of fruit and sat beside him. “What’s wrong, Pierce? You’ve been on edge

lately.”

Pierce rubbed his temples and spoke after a long pause. “Nothing. Work pressure’s just been brutal.”

Melissa leaned in, draping herself against him, her fingers tracing slow circles over his torso.

“Why let stress get to you? You always said I was the one you came to unwind when things felt

overwhelming.”

“You used to complain Nicole was too ambitious, that being with her stressed you out. Now that she’s gone, I thought you’d feel lighter.”

Melissa pressed her lips close to his ear and whispered softly. “We haven’t been intimate in the bed you

shared with Nicole.”

Her hand slid lower, and she unfastened his belt.

Pierce felt torn between habit and revulsion.

Once, he’d sought Melissa’s company constantly. He’d thought she was carefree and adventurous.

But now, her perfume-cloyingly sweet, nothing like Nicole’s clean soap scent-made his stomach turn. Being

intimate in this house, in the bed where Nicole had once slept, felt like desecration.

Pierce grabbed her hand firmly to stop her. “Not now.”

He stood and walked away. The front door slammed shut, leaving Melissa alone in the living room,

heartbroken.

That day, Pierce showed up at Nicole’s old office. As he stepped inside, he overheard the receptionists

chatting.

“Such a waste. Master’s degree from a top university, could’ve been running departments anywhere. But no,

she stayed here for some guy.”

“And after everything that went down with him and her so-called best friend? Girl deserved better.”

“Heard she finally landed something in D.C. About time.”

Pierce froze outside the doorway.

He’d checked her profile a dozen times over the past fortnight. Still blocked. Always blocked.

He remembered how bright and driven Nicole had been back when she lived in D.C. He’d dragged her to New

York, and he’d held her back.

That same day, Pierce bought a plane ticket. Destination: Washington, D.C.