The Heir's Secret Obsession: He Played It Cold, But Begged Me Not to Leave

Married to the heir of the Sinclair Empire for two years, he had always treated me with icy indifference. One night, I got up to go to the bathroom, and he suddenly grabbed my hand. When I turned around, the corners of his eyes were rimmed with red, his voice trembling: "Lily Monroe, are you trying to abandon me again?" 1 I never expected to run into Oliver Sinclair. In the VIP lounge of an upscale club, Bella affectionately pulled my arm, introducing me to Oliver. "Lily, this is my best friend from London. She just moved back." Oliver looked at me, raising an eyebrow, his tone lazy and drawling. "Oh? Just moved back." The knuckles of his hand gripping his whiskey glass slowly turned white. Bella leaned in and whispered in my ear, "That's Oliver Sinclair. The heir to the Sinclair Empire. We're all friends here, so if you ever need a favor, you can go to him." Oliver stared at me, his eyes bottomless and dark. I forced a smile and extended my hand. "Oliver, long time no see." Bella looked surprised. "You guys know each other?" "Yeah, we know each other," I said, my voice cutting through the loud music. "But we're not that close." Bella, always the carefree optimist, didn't overthink it upon hearing my response. Oliver looked at me and let out a scoffing laugh. He tilted his head back and downed his drink in one shot. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. In the past, I used to love teasing Oliver. I'd grab him, press my face against his neck, and kiss and bite that exact spot. I'd watch his breath hitch, pull away, and leave him looking at me with misty, puppy-dog eyes. Oliver looked away, his gaze falling coldly on the screen behind me. "Yeah, definitely not close." My extended hand hovered awkwardly in the air. Bella quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Well, the more you hang out, the closer you'll get!" She patted my shoulder. "Don't mind him, Lily. He's just got a cold personality." I gave a quiet "Mm." Bella wanted to say more but was interrupted by the people around her. "Bella, your song is up." "Lily, come sing with me!" Bella was in high spirits tonight and had clearly had a lot to drink. I was forcibly dragged along by her. In the corner of the room, a few girls were huddled around Oliver. Oliver sat with a dark expression, looking completely detached. But whenever a drink was offered to his lips, he didn't refuse. This sent the girls, who were already thrilled just to be near him, into fits of excited squeals. The laughter from the corner was too loud. Bella jutted her chin toward Oliver's direction. "Oliver's acting totally out of character today. He usually doesn't even spare a glance at girls like that." I lowered my eyes and handed the microphone back to her. "Bella, it's a bit stuffy in here. I'm going out for some fresh air." Around the corner of the hallway, there was an open-air balcony. The cold, damp air sobered me up a bit. Oliver had his own reckless, vibrant life. And he and I were never meant to cross paths again. I leaned against the railing, staring blankly at the streetlights in the distance. The heavy sound of footsteps approached from behind. I turned around. Our eyes met. His narrow, pitch-black eyes were like a massive, inescapable net, ready to swallow me whole. Oliver's voice was deadly cold: "Lily Monroe, how dare you show your face in front of me again?" 2 Our breakup was incredibly ugly. Oliver had escaped from the hospital to see me. Even though he was severely ill, he cooked an entire table of food for me. I don't know where he heard it from, but he believed the saying, "The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach." But I always forgot to tell him that his cooking was genuinely terrible. All the food went straight into the trash. "Oliver, here are your keys. Don't come back." The IV catheter was still taped to the back of his hand. He tried to grab my hand, but I dodged him. Oliver was never known for his good temper, but at that moment, he forced a smile. "Lily, please. Let's not break up, okay?" My response was a long, agonizing silence. "Lily, I know I have a bad temper and I get jealous easily. I'll change. "From now on, you can wear whatever you want. You can go wherever you want, hang out with whoever you want. I won't interfere." A knock sounded at the door. I turned and opened it. Four or five burly bodyguards immediately swarmed in and pinned Oliver down. "Lily, you actually called my mother's security team!" Oliver's face paled instantly. His breathing grew rapid and ragged as he gasped for air. He was having an asthma attack. Out of habit, I reached for his pocket, but he didn't have his inhaler. Taking advantage of my movement, Oliver gripped the hem of my shirt like a lifeline. Between violent gasps, he looked up at me. His hair was a mess across his forehead, and his beautiful, fox-like eyes were bloodshot and filled with moisture. He looked utterly defeated. He gasped, "Lily, if you think we're breaking up... there's no way in hell! I do not agree!" I pried his fingers off my shirt, turned my face away, and delivered my final, merciless blow. "Oliver, even if you die right here, we are breaking up." Oliver was dragged away by the bodyguards. A few days later, my mother jumped off the roof of the hospital. There was no funeral. I took her ashes and left the country. It had been three years. 3 I lowered my head and tried to walk away, but Oliver stretched out his leg to block my path. "Since you're here, aren't we going to catch up?" I kept my eyes down. "We have nothing to talk about." "Nothing?" Oliver scoffed. "Right, because even if I died right in front of you, you wouldn't blink an eye." He stared at me, his face as cold as ever, but the veins on the side of his neck were bulging. I looked at him and said softly, "Oliver, back then—" "Back then? You actually dare to bring up back then?" he cut me off, his tone turning vicious. "Back then, I was like an absolute idiot, holding onto hope, thinking you would soften. I lay in that hospital bed, hoping every single day that you would visit. And what did I get? You leaving without a single word." He grabbed my wrist. His eyes were dark and heavy. "Lily, aren't you afraid I'll kill you?" "You won't," I said, looking up at him. "Oliver, you won't." He clearly didn't expect me to react this way. He froze for a second, and even his grip on my wrist loosened slightly. After a long moment, he gritted his teeth. "Lily, don't think I won't do it just because I still care." "I'm no longer the pathetic idiot who let you play him, the one who just wanted to know if you cared when I was hurting." "I know," I said. "You know?" He laughed out of pure anger. "So you intentionally came here today just to make me miserable?" "I didn't," I defended myself quietly. "If I knew you were going to be here, I wouldn't have come." His face darkened, and his grip tightened significantly. "Lily, I really want to cut you open and see if you even have a heart." The distance between us vanished. I could feel his breath on my face. In his eyes, there was a madness he could barely suppress. I struggled to break free. "Oliver, let me go!" He refused. Everything felt like an arrow pulled back on a bowstring, ready to snap. Until a voice came from behind us— "Mr. Sinclair, holding onto my girlfriend in public... isn't that a bit inappropriate?" 4 Oliver's pupils shrank instantly. His voice grew tight, dripping in disbelief. "Girlfriend?" "That's right." Noah Harrison walked over, gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear, and asked softly, "Are you okay, Lily?" I shook my head. Noah wrapped an arm around my shoulder, a polite smile on his face. "Lily just moved back. She doesn't know all the rules of the city yet, so please forgive her, Mr. Sinclair." Oliver lifted his gaze, his pitch-black eyes locking onto me. "Girlfriend?" My silence served as a confirmation. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Ready to detonate. A long moment passed. Oliver let out a mocking scoff, his eyes drifting lazily between me and Noah. "Well, isn't that nice. You two are a perfect match." Noah took my hand and smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Sinclair." Oliver pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He brushed past Noah. "Lily," he stopped and looked at me over his shoulder, his brow arched, enunciating every word. "Welcome back." Before I could even react, he disappeared down the hallway. Noah let go of my hand, looking apologetic. "Lily, it was the heat of the moment. I hope you don't mind." I shook my head. "Thank you, Noah." Noah wasn't my boyfriend. When I almost died in London, Noah was the one who saved me. I looked at him, worried. "Noah, Oliver holds grudges. You just moved back, and you haven't even secured your footing in your family yet—" He cut me off, gently ruffling my hair. Like a warm spring breeze, he said, "I know what you're going to say. It's okay. I'll be careful." When Noah and I returned to the private room, the group was playing Truth or Dare. Oliver sat right in the center. As we walked in, Bella called out, "Lily, come join us!" I waved my hand. "No, thanks, you guys go ahead." Bella turned, noticed Noah standing behind me, and teased, "No wonder you've been so distracted. The person you were waiting for finally showed up." Oliver's hand, which was spinning the bottle, paused. I quickly explained, "No, I just wasn't feeling well today." Noah pressed the back of his hand to my forehead. "What's wrong?" The crowd started cheering and whistling. "Oh my god, feeding us dog food the second he walks in! Give us single people a break!" My face instantly burned. I brushed Noah's hand away and shook my head. "I'm fine." CRASH. A glass bottle shattered. "Oliver, your hand is bleeding!" The girl's shriek shifted everyone's attention. Oliver said casually, "My bad. It slipped." "There aren't any pharmacies nearby. Let's order some first-aid stuff on Postmates." Bella called out to me, "Lily, you usually carry band-aids, right?" Oliver was practically royalty, but when we were together, he loved doing little DIY projects to make me smile, and he always ended up clumsily cutting his hands. Over time, carrying band-aids became a habit for me. I hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah, I have some." I held the band-aid out to Oliver, but he didn't take it. "My hand hurts. I can't put it on myself." He stared straight at me. He had drank a lot tonight. His face was flushed, and his eyes were damp. I didn't say a word. I just handed the band-aid to the girl sitting next to him. Her face lit up. "Oliver, I'll do it for you—" "I don't need it." He stood up abruptly. The table shook, and a glass bottle clattered to the floor. His gaze shifted between me and Noah. "She's not playing, so are you?" I nervously grabbed the hem of Noah's shirt and shook my head. Noah patted my hand and looked at Oliver. "Mr. Sinclair, you should really take care of that wound first." Oliver's eyes darkened. His lips pulled into a sneer. "What? Too scared?" Noah smiled. "As you can see, my girlfriend won't let me. I have to pamper her, right?" Noah paused and looked at Oliver. "If she breaks up with me over this, what am I supposed to do?" Oliver glared at me, his eyes burning with intensity. I turned my head, avoiding his gaze. "You guys are together?! Since when?!" Bella jumped in, looking shocked. "We're friends, and you didn't even tell me." "It's been a while," Noah said, glancing at me. "When we have the time, Lily and I will treat everyone to dinner." Oliver lowered his eyes. The blood from his fingers seeped into the pure white napkin. He radiated an icy chill. Bella wanted to gossip more, but I squeezed Noah's hand and whispered, "Noah, I don't feel well. Take me home." 5 Noah drove me back to my apartment building. When I stepped out of the elevator, the hallway lights were out. Maintenance hadn't fixed them yet. I fumbled in the dark for my keys. "Lily Monroe, you chose the wrong guy this time." A familiar voice rang out behind me. I didn't turn around. I just kept searching for my keys. "Noah Harrison looks successful, but he's just the adopted son of the Harrison family. "The old Chairman is on his deathbed. Noah is going to be kicked out of the Harrison family any day now." The key slid into the lock. "I know," I said. Oliver grabbed my hand and pinned it against the door. "You know? "You know he's about to lose everything, that he's going to be kicked out like a stray dog, and you're still willing to be with him?" My refusal to answer infuriated him. "Fine." He let out a mocking scoff. "Since you love him so much, I'm sure you wouldn't want him to lose the Westside Waterfront project, would you?" My head snapped up. "What do you mean by that?" Oliver chuckled, his tone careless. "What? Are you nervous? It's just a tiny piece of land my family bought for fun." With Chairman Harrison's health rapidly declining, Noah desperately needed to secure his position within the family empire. The Westside project was the perfect stepping stone. He had been negotiating for it in secret for a long time but hadn't been able to secure it. I never expected the true owner of that land to be the Sinclair family. I stared at him. "Whatever is going on between us, don't drag other people into it." Oliver looked at me like I'd just told a joke. "Did you forget? This is exactly the kind of person I am. "Selfish, ruthless, and willing to do whatever it takes. "I only pretended to be nice back then to please you." I took a deep breath. "What do you want?" He lifted his gaze. "It's simple. Break up with him." I frowned. "Oliver, even if I break up with Noah, we—" "We what?" He sneered. "Lily, did you think I wanted to get back together with you? You think a little too highly of yourself." He stared at me, his eyes burning. "Since you don't want to be my girlfriend, then—" "Oliver," I cut him off. "Let's get married." 6 "What did you say?" His grip on my wrist tightened abruptly. He froze, his face darkening. "Say that again." "I said." I placed my free hand over his. His hand was trembling. "Oliver, let's get married." "Get married?" He let go of me and took a few steps back, his face filled with mockery. "For Noah Harrison, you're willing to trade your marriage." "This has nothing to do with Noah," I said, looking straight at him. "Are you willing to marry me or not?" He scoffed. "What? Are you trying to make me the official husband while you keep your side pieces on the outside?" He grabbed my chin. "Lily, I am not that generous!" I broke free from his grip. "Noah and I are just friends. He was only helping me out tonight. So, you don't need to make things difficult for him." Oliver's eyes darkened, and his lips curled into a sneer. "So all of this is just because you're worried I'll cause trouble for him, right?" "Oliver, I'm telling the truth." "Fine, even if you are telling the truth!" His jaw clenched, his eyes pitch-black. "Lily, am I a dog to you? "When you're happy, you wave me over and pet me, and when you're done, you kick me away. "You leave when you want, and you come back when you want!" His voice was tight with suppressed rage. "What do you take me for? Huh? "What makes you think I would ever marry you now?" I looked at him. The air grew heavy. After a long pause, I turned and twisted the door handle. "Okay, I understand." "What the hell do you understand?" Behind me, Oliver's voice was arrogant and cold. "Lily, if you think I'll ever marry you in this lifetime, keep dreaming." 7 I cut off all contact with Oliver. For the next two weeks, I was busy sending out resumes, looking for a job, and picking out a nice cemetery for my mother's ashes. Just as I finished an interview one afternoon, Bella called and asked me out to dinner. I hesitated. "Is Oliver coming?" "Oliver?" She paused. "No, he's not coming. He seems super busy lately, I have no idea what he's up to. Why? Do you need to see him?" I let out a breath of relief. "No, it's nothing. Send me the address." "Don't worry about driving, Noah said he's going to pick you up." That evening, in the private dining room at the restaurant. Before everyone arrived, I got up to use the restroom. I didn't expect to run into Stella. She was dripping in jewelry, yet she still managed to look cheap. Like an over-decorated, obnoxious Christmas tree. "Well, well. Why didn't you tell anyone you were back?" Stella looked at me, intentionally trailing her fingers over the stunning, flawless emerald pendant resting on her collarbone. "If Dad knew, he'd be so hurt." I stared dead at the necklace, my throat tightening. "Take it off. Who gave you permission to wear that?" "Why should I?" She put on a look of mock realization. "Oh, I remember now. This belonged to your mother. "But what can you do? Dad already gave it to me. "If I felt like it, I could treat it like trash and flush it down the toilet." I grabbed her wrist and yanked it hard. "I said it once. Take it off!" She yanked her hand back, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Lily, why are you yelling? Do you still think you're the precious, untouchable princess of the Monroe family? "You've been in London for three years. Has Dad called you even once?" She took a few steps forward, getting right in my face. "But you know, I really should thank your mother. Because she was so good at making money, my mom and I get to live this fabulous life now. "It's just a shame she was destined for a short life. She didn't get to enjoy any of it." The next second— A crisp slap echoed down the hallway. Stella clutched her right cheek, looking at me in disbelief. "You hit me! You're just a bastard child my dad had out of wedlock, why wouldn't I hit you?!" Furious, she screamed, "Do you have any idea who I came here with today?!" I smiled. "Oh? Who?" "It's—" SMACK! I clapped my hands together. "There, now it's symmetrical." Stella's cheeks were bright red. She gritted her teeth and shrieked, "Lily, I'm going to make you wish you were dead!" 8 The commotion in the hallway drew a crowd. Stella was sobbing on her phone. Noah rushed over, his eyes full of worry. "Are you hurt?" I shook my head. Not far away, a man radiating arrogant, sleazy energy swaggered over. Stella threw herself into his arms, crying, "Cole, you have to teach her a lesson today." Cole Preston looked over, his tone light and dismissive. "Ah, it's Noah Harrison's friend." I lowered my voice and asked Noah, "You know him?" Noah nodded, stepping in front of me to shield me. He smiled. "There must be some misunderstanding. Please forgive her, Mr. Preston." Seeing this, Stella tugged at Cole's shirt, pouting and shaking her head. Cole's tone shifted instantly. "Since she's your friend, we're all friends." Then, his voice dropped into something much more threatening. "As long as she slaps herself in the face four times, right in front of the entire restaurant, we'll call it even." Noah's expression froze. The hesitation lasted only a second. He steadied himself. "Mr. Preston, regarding this matter—" "I heard Chairman Harrison hasn't been doing too well lately." Cole casually twisted the ring on his thumb. It was an open secret in our social circle that Noah's position within the Harrison family was incredibly precarious right now. I looked up at Noah. I couldn't let my impulsive actions make his life even harder. Revenge is a dish best served cold. A few feet away, Stella looked overwhelmingly smug. I stepped around Noah. "Four slaps, right?" "Exactly." Stella stepped closer to me, unable to suppress the triumphant smirk on her face. "Do it. I want to watch you do it closely." I closed my eyes and raised my hand. The next second, my wrist was caught from behind in an iron grip. Over Stella's shocked scream... Oliver's cold, indifferent voice rang crystal clear in my ears. "You think you have the right to hit the person I want?" 9 Oliver hit much harder than I did. With one slap, he nearly knocked the silicone out of Stella's cheek. The best part was, my hand didn't even hurt. When Cole saw Oliver, his entire demeanor changed. He immediately piled on the sycophantic charm. "Oh, she's Mr. Sinclair's girlfriend! Please forgive me, it was a huge misunderstanding. We're practically family!" "Family? Do you think you're worthy?" Cole's smile died awkwardly on his face. Oliver cast a cold glance at Noah, then grabbed my wrist and dragged me away. Behind us, Cole yelled out, "Mr. Sinclair, let's grab dinner sometime soon!" In the restaurant's garden. "What? This is the guy you picked?" Oliver looked at me, mocking. "I told you, Noah and I are just friends." Oliver crushed his cigarette out. "You think I'm blind? The way he looks at you—it's obvious he's in love with you." I kept my eyes down. "I don't like Noah." "What about me?" His voice was low, sounding like it took immense restraint to ask. "Do you still like me?" I looked up at him. The warm yellow lights illuminated his face, softening the sharp, aggressive lines of his brow bone. A long silence passed. "Oliver, I—" "Fine, don't say it." He stood up abruptly. "Tomorrow morning at 7:30. I'll pick you up." "Huh?" He turned his face away, speaking coldly. "City Hall opens at 8:00. Let's get it over with early, I'm very busy." I stared at him in silence. He forced a smirk. "What? Are you regretting it?" I shook my head and asked softly, "Why?" "No reason." He leaned in close, his voice deep. "I finally caught the perfect opportunity to torture you. Why would I let you go?" I looked straight into his eyes. "Can we do it the day after tomorrow?" His expression changed instantly. "What kind of game are you playing now?" "Tomorrow I have an appointment at the cemetery to inter my mother's ashes." He froze. Even his voice grew infinitely softer. "Do you want me to go with you?" I shook my head. "You're busy. I can do it alone." "Don't worry, I won't run away," I added, seeing his silence. He stood up straight. The evening breeze ruffled the hair on his forehead. His voice sounded almost ethereal. "Lily Monroe, you weren't the one who was abandoned back then. "If you dare lie to me again, you're dead." 10 The night we got our marriage license, I moved into his mansion. But he didn't come home all night. This went on for a long time. He was like a completely different person. Forget torturing me; we barely even saw each other. On the rare occasions we did cross paths, he treated me with icy indifference, acting like I was invisible. I could think of one reason why. But it seemed he realized I was trying to wait up for him, because lately, he stopped coming back to the mansion entirely. One night, I went to the beach alone. Back in London, when I was completely heartbroken and hopeless, it was Noah who pulled me out of the freezing water. Oliver ended up giving the Westside project to Noah anyway. The power struggle within the Harrison family was reaching its boiling point, and I didn't want to distract him. I tried to call an Uber, but realized I forgot my phone. The night was growing late, and the coastal breeze was freezing. I pulled my coat tighter and started the long walk back to the mansion. When I arrived, the massive front doors were slightly ajar. Oliver's furious, low roar echoed clearly into my ears. "Martha, I told you to keep an eye on her! How could you let this happen?! "She's missing! Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Martha was trembling. "Sir, her things are still in the house. I'm sure she'll be back." "She won't! She's never coming back!" A vase shattered on the floor. "Why do I pay you people?! "Find her! If you can't find her tonight, you're all fired tomorrow!" I took a deep breath and pushed the door open. "Oliver, I'm home." He snapped his head up, his eyes bloodshot. The next second. He lunged forward, grabbing my wrist so hard it hurt, pulling me flush against him. His voice was trembling. "Where were you?!" His grip was painful. I swallowed the pain and tried to soothe him. "Oliver, I just went for a walk by the coast, I forgot to bring—" He hugged me. I rested my hands on his back. His shirt was soaked with sweat. "Oliver, don't worry. I won't leave." As if realizing he had lost his composure, he pulled away and immediately reverted back to his cold, aloof persona. "Me? Worried about you? Lily, don't flatter yourself."

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