Tired Of His Games

Vivian barely had time to register what had just happened before she found herself in an unfamiliar room with Leonard. One moment, she had been in her quarters at the temple, entangled with Alexander, her body thrumming with anticipation as she finally approached the moment she had longed for, the moment she would finally lose this body's v-card. She had been ready. Willing. She had wanted this.

And yet, here she was.

Fully dressed. Ripped away from the intimacy she had been so close to experiencing.

Her mind reeled as anger surged through her veins. What right did Leonard have to take her away like this? What right did he have to interfere when he had been the one to cast the original host of this body aside first? He had denied her for so long, pushed her away at every turn, and now, when she had finally decided to move on, he had the audacity to stop her? To look at her with those dark, conflicted eyes as if he had been wronged?

A slow, burning rage built in her chest as she turned to him, glaring daggers at the man who had forcefully taken her from where she wanted to be. She shoved him away with all the strength she could muster, shaking with fury.

Leonard barely stumbled, his powerful frame absorbing the force of her push with ease. He stood there, watching her with an unreadable expression, though the storm in his eyes was impossible to miss.

Vivian took a deep breath, forcing herself to think rationally. How had he even known where to find her? Had he come looking for her out of some ridiculous sense of duty? Or had someone told him? It wasn't as if he had any reason to check on her anymore. Their marriage was over, divorced, even if not yet publicly announced not to talk of the fact that she told him not too early.

Her mind raced through possibilities. If Leonard had simply been passing by and caught them by accident, he wouldn't have reacted this way. No, someone had to have informed him. But who? Who in the temple would have bothered to send word to him? Who would have cared enough to tell him that his ex-wife was about to sleep with another man?

The thought only stoked her anger further.

It didn't matter how he had found out. What mattered was that he was here now, standing before her, looking as though he was barely holding himself together. His hands clenched at his sides, his jaw tight, his entire posture screaming restraint. But restraint from what? Lashing out? Pleading with her?

Her fury ignited as she turned to Leonard, the man responsible for this. Was he her enemy from a past life? Or rather, the enemy of this body's original owner? He refused to give her what she wanted, yet he wouldn't let her seek it elsewhere. What right did he have to take her away just when she was finally fulfilling her wish? What right did he have to be angry? To be jealous?

She didn't care.

She had spent enough years caring about Leonard Valerion's emotions, bending over backward to win his affection, enduring his cold indifference, his dismissals, his refusal to let her in. And now, when she had finally broken free, when she had finally dared to take something for herself, he had the audacity to act like this?

He had cast the original owner of this body aside, why should she spare him any consideration? If he was in love with the original Vivian, that was his problem, not hers.

No. Not this time.

This wasn't just about her pleasure or pride. This was her own small act of revenge.

"Why?"

His voice was low, barely more than a whisper, but the pain in his eyes was unmistakable.

Vivian folded her arms, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "And why not, Leonard?" she shot back, her voice dripping with mockery. "Leonard lord of the Valerion family, why not?"

His name felt foreign on her tongue, but she used it anyway, wielding it like a weapon.

"You told me I could be with any man I wanted, didn't you?" she continued, tilting her head. "So why? What gives you the right to take me away from him?"

Leonard's fists clenched tighter, his knuckles white.

"I should be the one asking you why you're making things difficult right now!" she snapped, her voice rising, fueled by the fire of her rage. It was unlike her to raise her voice, to lose her composure like this. Vivian was always poised. Elegant. Graceful. Never the type to lose her temper.

But she couldn't stop herself.

Not after everything he had done.

"We. Are. Divorced," she hissed, enunciating each word sharply. "Even if it's not public yet, you know today was our last day as husband and wife. So why, why are you acting like this? Why are you interfering in something that no longer concerns you?"

Leonard took a step forward.

"Yes, I said you could be with any man you wanted," he admitted, his voice low and taut with tension. "But I never thought you'd actually do it."

Vivian's breath caught, but she quickly steeled herself.

"I thought you would wait," he went on, his tone betraying something raw beneath his usual calm. "Three to six months, at least. Long enough for me to—" He stopped himself, exhaling sharply as if he couldn't bear to finish the thought. "Long enough for me to come back to you."

Vivian's heart skipped a beat, but she refused to acknowledge the flicker of emotion his words stirred. Instead, she let out a cold, humorless laugh.

"You thought?" she repeated, shaking her head. "You thought I would wait for you?"

How laughable.

"Tell me, Leonard," she said, taking a step closer this time, her voice laced with venom. "What exactly did you expect? That I would sit around and pine for you? That I would wait patiently for the day you maybe decided I was finally worthy of your attention?"

Leonard said nothing, but his silence spoke volumes.

Vivian scoffed. "Let me make one thing clear to you, I am done waiting for you."

His eyes darkened, and before she could react, he reached for her, grabbing her wrist and yanking her forward until she was pressed against him. His grip was firm, unyielding, as if he was afraid she would slip through his fingers if he let go.

Vivian stiffened, but she refused to let him see her fear.

She would not yield.

Leonard's face was mere inches from hers, his stormy gaze searching hers, his breathing unsteady. "You don't mean that," he murmured, his voice barely above a breath.

Vivian felt a chill run down her spine.

This was dangerous.

Leonard was dangerous.

And yet, she refused to let him hold power over her any longer.

Lifting her chin, she met his gaze with unwavering defiance. "Yes, I do," she said, each word deliberate, cutting. "You don't own me, Leonard. You never did."

For a moment, time stood still.

Then, without another word, she wrenched herself from his grip and took a step back, putting as much distance between them as she could.

She needed to get out of here.

Because if she stayed any longer, she wasn't sure if she would be able to resist the pull of the man who had already done enough damage to her heart.

She had to stand her ground today, because if she didn't, Leonard would continue to believe she belonged to him. And that was unacceptable.

Yes, she lusted for him. But she didn't want to be possessed by him the way the original owner of this body had been. Leonard was not Arthur, he didn't deserve her loyalty, not after all the emotional damage he had inflicted on his wife over the years. That alone should have been enough to turn her off.

But this world was not her own, and in this setting, Leonard was a rare prize. That was why she had been willing to try, that first night, to make their marriage work.

But he was not her only option.

If Leonard didn't work out, she would simply amuse herself with a hundred toyboys instead.

But this… This push and pull of his, this game he was playing, she had no interest in it. And she would make that very clear.

And she refused to let Leonard Valerion be her undoing.

Not again.

Not ever.