Chapter 43
Chapter 45
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Days ago, he said he wanted coffee from a limited–run shop. She stood in line for 40 minutes to bring it back, only to find him folding candy wrappers into flowers and tucking one into Marianna’s hair. They smiled at each other like a couple.
Looking back now, Kayla realized just how many stupid things she had done for Davon.
Davon had probably long forgotten them, or maybe he’d never cared in the first place.
I was an idiot before, Kayla thought coldly. ‘But still…‘
Her brows arched as she shot Davon a sidelong glance.
She knew that cutting him off completely and pulling back her money and attention wouldn’t hurt Davon much. She decided to take her time with him.
The fun of a cat–and–mouse game wasn’t in devouring the mouse all at once. It was in catching it, letting it go, and catching it again.
She thought that making him think he had a chance, only to rip that chance away, and watching him spiral into despair was interesting.
This time, Davon would taste what she had endured in her last life–how he had toyed with her like a dog, feeding her scraps of hope before yanking them away.
Kayla was sure Davon would love it.
When Kayla finally gave Davon a shred of attention, a flicker of light sparked in Davon’s eyes.
He thought smugly, ‘Knew it. Kayla’s been tailing me like a puppy for years. The whole school knows she’s into me. No way she just flipped a switch overnight. She’s just throwing a tantrum, waiting for me to coax her.‘
The thought made him puff with pride.
Now that he had figured her out, the panic he had felt earlier melted away, replaced by a curl of mockery deep in his chest.
He mused, ‘Typical rich girl. Spoiled and temperamental. Maria is sweeter than her. She never argues or plays games with me. Kayla’s nothing like her. But still, Kayla’s useful to me. If all it takes is some sweet talk to reel her back in, fine.’
His lips lifted in what he thought was a winning smile. Lowering his voice, Davon tried for tenderness, though it came out clumsy and forced. “Kay, I know you’re mad at me.
“But you gotta tell me what I did wrong. Otherwise, how am I supposed to make it up to you?”
But Kayla caught the flicker of disdain buried behind his eyes. That smile never touched her eyes. It was just a mask, thin and cheap, covering up the arrogance and calculation underneath.
Kayla laughed inwardly, ‘Davon, you really are a terrible actor‘
On the surface, though, she lit up. A dazzling smile spread across her face, bright as spring blossoms in full bloom.
“You tell me,” she said sweetly. “You’re the smart one. You should be able to guess, right?”
Her tone was playful, but a hint of slyness hid just beneath the surface.
This was exactly what Davon used to do to Kayla. Whenever he was angry and froze her out, he never explained. He’d leave
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Chapter 45
her to guess She would wear herself out trying everything to coax him.
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And just when she was on the edge of giving up, Davon would finally look her way again, like he was doing her a favor.
Day after day, he had trained her that way until she was nothing but a well–behaved dog at his feet.
Now, Kayla planned to return the favor.
If Davon wanted her attention, he would have to grovel for it, only to be denied again and again. She would grind his pride into dust, until he was the one chained to her.
Kayla’s smile lingered as she slowly rolled the window up, shutting out Davon’s voice, his face, and his very presence until nothing remained.
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