CHAPTER FIVE

"I'm sorry, Lessie but I can't let you walk out of my life" Lessie hated he stop her but she needed him to hold him tight just like now, "Kyle" she sobbed and he patted her hair "It's okay, I'm here"

"Kyle you need to let her walk away now" his mother shouted from the balcony but he refused to, Suddenly, reporters came to the house, cameras flashing,

The sudden burst of flashing lights and voices filled the air, but Kyle didn't flinch. He tightened his grip on Lessie, shielding her from the chaos as reporters shoved microphones toward them.

"Mr. Holloway! Is it true that you broke off your engagement with Tiara for a maid?"

"Kyle, does your family approve of this relationship?"

"Miss Lessie, are you in love with Kyle Holloway?"

Lessie stiffened, her breath shaky. This was a nightmare. Exactly what she had feared. But Kyle… Kyle was calm, steady—like he had expected this.

Mrs. Holloway stood on the balcony, her lips pressed into a thin line. She scanned the scene, and for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossed her face. She hadn't orchestrated this.

Kyle had.

Lessie's eyes widened. He called them.

Realization dawned as Kyle pulled out his phone and turned the screen toward the cameras. His voice was strong, unwavering.

"You wanted a story? Here it is."

Lessie's breath caught as she read the post on the screen, already blowing up online:

"I, Kyle Holloway, am in love with Lessie. She is not a secret, not a mistake, and definitely not beneath me. If anyone has a problem with that, take it up with me—not her."

A stunned silence hung in the air before the reporters erupted into a frenzy.

"Kyle, does this mean you're officially choosing Lessie over Tiara?"

"What does your family think about this public declaration?"

Kyle lifted his chin, his grip on Lessie never loosening. "I don't care what anyone thinks. This is my choice. And I won't let anyone—including my mother—take it from me."

A sharp gasp came from the balcony. Mrs. Holloway's eyes darkened, her perfect mask cracking. "Kyle. Inside. Now."

Kyle didn't move. He turned to the reporters instead. "You want another headline? Here's one: I won't be controlled anymore. My mother believes everything is about power. But love is not a game. And I refuse to play by her rules."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Mrs. Holloway's fists clenched.

Lessie stared at Kyle, her heart hammering. He wasn't just fighting for her—he was burning the bridge between him and his mother in front of the entire world.

Mrs. Holloway's voice was cold, clipped. "You think you've won?"

Kyle finally looked up at her, his expression unreadable. "No, Mother. I know I have."

Then, without another glance at her, he pulled Lessie closer, his lips brushing her forehead as cameras flashed wildly.

"Let's go," he murmured.

And together, hand in hand, they walked away, guide her to his car and drove out, leaving Mrs. Holloway standing in the ruins of her lost battle.

The city lights blurred past as Kyle drove, his grip firm on the wheel. Lessie sat beside him in silence, her heart still racing from everything that had just happened. The weight of his public declaration, the way he had defied his mother in front of the world—it was overwhelming.

She glanced at him. He was calm, his jaw set in quiet determination, but his knuckles were slightly white from how tightly he held the steering wheel.

"You planned this," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

Kyle's lips twitched into a smirk, but his eyes stayed on the road. "Of course I did."

Lessie exhaled shakily, turning her gaze to the window. "Kyle… your mother is going to come after you for this."

"Let her," he said simply. "I don't care anymore."

Lessie swallowed. "But your business, your inheritance—"

"I have my own money, Lessie. I don't need the Holloway empire to survive."

Her head snapped toward him. "You're willing to lose everything?"

He finally looked at her, his gaze unwavering. "I already told you. I'm not losing you."

A lump formed in her throat, but she had no response. No argument. Because deep down, she wanted to believe him.

The car slowed as Kyle pulled into the underground parking lot of an expensive high-rise building. He parked smoothly and stepped out before walking around to open the door for her.

Lessie hesitated for only a second before taking his hand.

The elevator ride was silent, tension thick in the air. She could still feel the phantom heat of his touch from earlier, the way he had shielded her from the cameras, the way he had stood firm against his mother.

Her chest ached with emotions she wasn't ready to name.

The elevator doors slid open to reveal a sleek penthouse, floor-to-ceiling windows displaying the glowing skyline. The space was modern, but not cold—dark wood accents, plush furniture, and warm lighting softened the edges of the luxury.

Kyle dropped his keys on the marble counter and turned to her "You're safe here."

Lessie stood in the doorway, hugging herself. "Kyle…" She hesitated. "What now?"

He stepped closer, his voice low. "Now? You stay here with me."

Her heart pounded. "Is that really the best idea?"

Kyle's gaze darkened. "It's the only idea."

She shook her head, turning away. "This… this is too much. I don't belong in your world."

Kyle reached out, gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her to face him. "Stop saying that," he murmured. "I didn't just fight for you to let you walk away now."

Lessie swallowed hard, her pulse hammering. "Kyle, I'm scared."

He lifted her chin, forcing her to look at him. "So am I."

Her breath hitched. "Then why are you doing this?"

"Because loving you isn't something I regret," he whispered. "And I won't let fear decide for us."

Silence stretched between them, thick with tension and unspoken words.

The tension in the room was suffocating. Lessie stood frozen in place, her heart hammering against her ribs as Kyle's words settled in the air between them.

Because loving you isn't something I regret.

Her pulse raced, her thoughts tangled in a chaotic storm. She wanted to believe him—to believe that he wasn't just acting out of rebellion, that this wasn't just a reckless decision to defy his mother. But she also knew what loving a man like Kyle Holloway meant. It wasn't just passion and whispered confessions in the dark. It was war.

Kyle exhaled, his fingers loosening around her wrist but not letting go. "Say something."

Lessie swallowed hard. "This is crazy," she whispered.

A humorless chuckle rumbled in his chest. "You think I don't know that?" His eyes searched hers, dark and unreadable. "But it doesn't change the truth."

Lessie shook her head, stepping back. "Your mother will destroy me, Kyle. She'll do whatever it takes to rip me apart, and you know it."

Kyle's jaw clenched, a flicker of something dangerous passing through his expression. "Let her try."

His voice was low, lethal.

Lessie shivered. "You don't understand—"

Kyle took a step closer, closing the space between them.

"No, Lessie. You don't understand." His voice dropped, his fingers brushing against her cheek, tilting her chin up.

"I've spent my entire life playing by my mother's rules, letting her dictate every move I make. The business, the engagements, the perfect image—all of it was her game. And for the first time, I've chosen something for myself. You."

Lessie's breath caught.

"I won't let her touch you," he murmured, his forehead resting lightly against hers. "I won't let anyone hurt you."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and Kyle caught it with his thumb, his touch impossibly gentle.

"But what if I get hurt anyway?" she whispered. "What if loving you destroys me?"

Kyle's throat bobbed, and for the first time, something raw and vulnerable flickered in his eyes. "Then we burn together."

The air between them crackled with something electric, something that felt like both a promise and a warning.

Lessie exhaled shakily, her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt. "You're impossible," she murmured.

A smirk ghosted his lips. "And you're still here."

His words has do much effect on her, let's not talk about the warmth of his hand against her cheek, the intensity in his gaze—it was too much. Overwhelming.

And yet, she couldn't step away.

Kyle's fingers slid from her face, tracing down the column of her throat, his touch light but deliberate. Her skin tingled where he brushed against her, a silent promise crackling in the air between them.

"Lessie…" His voice was low, rough, edged with something dangerous.

She didn't know who moved first—maybe it was him, maybe it was her—but the next second, his lips crashed against hers, and everything else ceased to exist.

Heat exploded through her as Kyle's mouth moved over hers with urgency, as if he was desperate to erase any lingering doubts she had. His hands tangled in her hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss, his body pressing against hers, solid and unyielding.

Lessie gasped against his lips, gripping his shirt as if it were the only thing tethering her to the ground. Kyle took advantage of the moment, his tongue sweeping into her mouth, claiming her, possessing her.

The kiss was fire, a battle of emotions neither of them could control. His hands slid down her waist, pulling her flush against him, and she felt the rapid beat of his heart against her chest.

Her fingers fisted in his shirt, tugging him closer, needing more, needing him.

Kyle groaned, breaking the kiss only to trail his lips along her jaw, down to the sensitive spot on her neck. A sharp gasp left her lips as he nipped at her skin, his breath warm against the mark he left behind.

Lessie barely had a moment to respond before he pulled her in again, his mouth crashing onto hers with a hunger that sent her senses spinning.

Her knees wobbled, her body melting into his, but Kyle was already moving—his arms wrapped around her, guiding her backward.

Before she could register what was happening, they stumbled, losing balance, and fell onto the couch with a breathless gasp.

Lessie landed beneath him, her back sinking into the plush cushions as Kyle caught himself just in time, his weight pressing down on her but not crushing her.

A surprised laugh bubbled from her lips, but it died instantly when Kyle's hands found her waist, his touch sending a shiver down her spine.

"You okay?" he murmured, his lips hovering just above hers, his fingers tightening slightly as if he couldn't bear the thought of letting her go.

Lessie's chest rose and fell rapidly, her pulse hammering. She swallowed hard, her hands sliding up his arms, feeling the tense muscles beneath his shirt.

"Yeah…" Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Kyle exhaled, his forehead pressing lightly against hers. "Good," he murmured. Then, without another word, he captured her lips again, his body pressing her deeper into the couch, the world outside fading away.