Lydia couldn’t help but feel a twinge of regret.

How had she forgotten? Reign and Jayden were close, and they lived in the same neighborhood.

Her ex and her lover—running into each other like this—was bound to be awkward.

Jayden stormed over, banging on the car door, his face dark with anger. “Did you sleep with Lydia last night?” he demanded.

Reign gave Lydia a brief, emotionless glance before answering Jayden, “It was just a fling. I have different tastes. The women you like aren’t always my type.”

But his words did little to calm Jayden’s temper. His gaze on Lydia was a mix of resentment and betrayal. With a harsh growl, he lunged to grab her, “Let me sleep with you once. If you do, I’ll pretend nothing happened between you and Reign.”

Jayden was usually the picture of politeness, but his rage was something new. Lydia was taken aback, her heart pounding with panic as she reached out to bang on Reign’s car door. “Prof. Hawke, please help me.”

Her chest heaved with each frantic motion, her body trembling.

Reign barely spared a glance, unlocking the door. “Get in.”

Without a word, he drove her away right in front of Jayden.

Lydia thought he would take her home, but instead, he steered the car toward a park that had already closed for the night.

The sky was pitch black, the road empty, and the dim streetlights cast a faint glow, the shadows of trees cloaking the surroundings. The air felt charged with an unsettling tension. “Prof. Hawke?” Lydia called, her voice uneasy. “Where are we?”

Reign glanced at her, a slight smile on his lips, though his eyes were shadowed with something darker. “Do you think... if I slept with you again, it could help you get rid of Jayden?”

Lydia hesitated. She had been bold in flirting with him before, but that was when he was single and had no one in his heart. Now, knowing he had feelings for someone else, things didn’t seem so straightforward.

Yet, as he leaned in, she found herself frozen, unable to push him away. Perhaps her resistance wasn’t strong enough, leaving her intentions unclear, almost like she was playing a game of subtle invitation.

And everyone knew what not resisting meant.

The park wasn’t far from the main road, and cars occasionally passed by. The headlights lit up the interior of the car, revealing everything within.

Lydia was always uninhibited when it came to private moments with Reign, but in a place where they could be seen? The fear gripped her heart, and she huddled tightly beneath him, her face buried in his chest, desperately trying to hide from anyone who might see her.

Reign, on the other hand, showed no sign of worry. Instead, he tilted his head down, his teeth grazing her ear. “Afraid?”

Lydia nodded, her forehead pressing against his neck, their bodies slick with sweat. “Never been like this with Jayden?” he asked with a quiet, mocking chuckle, as though amused by her pretense.

Lydia bit her lip, not answering. She and Jayden had always kept things innocent—they had never been like this.

But Reign wasn’t satisfied with silence. His gaze, heavy with intent, never left her flushed face. His large hand gripped her waist, pressing her down, urging her to respond.

Lydia couldn’t hold back any longer, gasping, “What’s going on in there?” A security guard had knocked on the window.

Before Lydia could stop him, Reign lowered the window just a crack. “My phone fell inside, looking for it,” he explained calmly, his voice giving nothing away.

Lydia stole a glance at him, finding nothing but cold clarity in his eyes.

Summoning all her courage, she reached out and pinched his strong thigh, the muscle beneath her fingers hard and unyielding.

He didn’t flinch. Instead, he casually waved the security guard off. “We’ll be gone soon.”

Once the guard was dismissed, Reign lowered his head, giving her a knowing smile, as if they shared a secret.

Lydia opened her mouth to speak, but before a word could escape, his lips silenced her, sealing her in a kiss.

“Quiet. He’s still around,” Reign murmured, his tone icy.

Lydia’s heart raced as she bit down hard on her lower lip, struggling to stifle any sound that might escape.

Yet, he wasn’t about to let her go easily. With a low voice, he repeated his question, “Jayden never did this with you?”

Lydia’s nails dug into his muscular waist, trying to stop him, but it was clear she wasn’t going to win this battle.

She bit down on her back teeth, her voice soft and seductive, “Prof. Hawke, didn’t you already know that night at your place?”

Reign didn’t respond, but his hand moved swiftly, pulling both of her hands over her head with force, his voice cool, “I don’t like leaving marks.” His warning was clear.

What followed was an intensifying of his actions.

Once it was over, Lydia lay limp in the seat, too exhausted to move, her mouth slightly open as she panted for breath, her chest rising and falling with every inhale.

Reign glanced over at her, irritation flashing in his eyes. She had managed to scratch him after all, a line of blood streaking down his back, stinging painfully as sweat soaked into the wound.

His interest in her had already begun to fade. “I’ll take you home.”

Starting the car, Reign wondered how best to deal with Lydia. He’d had many women approach him, of all types, but he had no interest in them. He was very skilled at dismissing them when he wasn’t in the mood.

Lydia was no different. When he was intrigued by her, he didn’t mind toying with her. But now, his interest had waned, and he didn’t want anything to do with her.

Once they arrived, Reign had already prepared an excuse.

When the car came to a stop, Lydia opened her arms, hoping to embrace him.

She had misjudged his stamina; after everything that had just happened, she was too worn out to even think about asking for the medication she needed. Now, she was about to bring it up.

But Reign beat her to it. “What do you want?”

Lydia paused, unsure of how to respond. “What?”

Reign’s gaze locked onto hers. He had to admit, she was beautiful—her big eyes fluttered when she looked at him, and it was easy to see why Jayden had been captivated by her for so long.

But Reign was different. Lydia’s beauty held no temptation for him. “Lydia, let’s be honest. You’re not my type,” he said bluntly. “A fling here and there is fine, but now that the novelty’s worn off... I’m not interested anymore.”

Lydia’s lips parted as she realized what he meant. “Prof. Hawke, are you trying to pay me off with money?”

“Yes.”

She stopped reaching for him, her eyes studying him intently. The dim light from the overhead car lamp cast a soft glow on his face, making his sharp features appear almost tender, a beauty that was almost hypnotic.

But his coldness was anything but playful.

She tilted her head slightly, her coat slipping off her shoulders to reveal the marks that marred her skin. “Prof. Hawke, you’re heartless,” she murmured slowly, her tone deliberately teasing, a playful challenge in her voice.

Reign remained unmoved, leaning back in his seat subtly, avoiding her with a clear intention.

Lydia smiled, her voice dragging out once more, “Is this really how someone like you, a highly educated man, deals with women?”

Reign furrowed his brow. He didn’t appreciate the way Lydia spoke—so coy, so calculated. “Other things are fine, as long as they’re not excessive.”

“I want Pruetol, the new drug from Hawke BioPharma,” Lydia said matter-of-factly, making no effort to hide her intentions.

Reign’s brow twitched before he smirked, a mocking laugh escaping him. “So, you seduced me for this?”

Lydia blinked, her smile radiant, her voice dripping with opportunism, “Prof. Hawke has always been generous with women. I’m sure you won’t mind a few boxes of medicine.”

“Few boxes?” Reign chuckled darkly, “Lydia, you’re not that valuable.”

With a casual motion, he handed her a card for Marineton University. “You’re worth maybe a few boxes.”

Lydia eagerly accepted the card, and as his hand began to withdraw, she couldn’t resist running her little finger lightly across his palm. “Prof. Hawke, these meds will last me only three months. After that, your novelty will wear off, won’t it?”