Chapter 12

Vanessa's face instantly flushed crimson. She stared at Leander, completely dumbfounded-never in a million years did she expect him to just blurt out the very thing she'd tried so hard to bury. "What's going on here?" Xander glanced at Leander, veins popping on his forehead. Yep, just as he suspected-his sister hadn't changed a bit. Still foolish. If she wasn't, how could she have fallen for someone like Peter, a totally superficial jerk? Vanessa nearly groaned aloud seeing the standoff brewing between the two men. Her head was spinning. She quickly threw on a bright smile and walked over with a sweet tone. "Mr. Steele, my brother's just joking around. This is Xander, my twin." Xander opened his mouth to argue, but shut it the moment Vanessa gave him a sharp look. "Xander, behave. Just 'cause I won't top up your game credits doesn't mean you can act out like this. I've got important stuff to handle, so head home for now, okay?" She patted his arm lightly, her eyes full of both pleading and warning. That overly gentle, almost babying tone totally gave Xander the ick. He cringed inwardly but eventually gave in. Judging by the look on her face, whatever she was wrapped up in had to matter a lot. With a reluctant sigh, he muttered, "Call me if anything happens." "Got it." Vanessa exhaled, visibly relieved. Once the twin thing was cleared up, Leander's gaze toward Xander softened. He turned to his assistant, who had rushed over just moments ago. "Get him a game card." The assistant was briefly stunned, but quickly fished one out of the briefcase-a card tied to one of their group's game subsidiaries, a hit game no less, and this card? Unlimited spending. Xander, being the avid gamer he was, recognized the card instantly. His eyes shifted as he looked at Leander with a complicated mix of curiosity and suspicion. Who was this guy? After confirming everything was fine with his health, Reginald left the younger two alone-he was more than happy to see Leander and Vanessa spending time together. In the plush seat of Leander's fancy Maybach, Vanessa sat stiffly, her heart and mind a tangled mess. "As for that night-why did you end up in my bed?" Leander's voice was calm but sharp, his expression unreadable as his eyes locked on hers. Vanessa paused, then forced a half-smile. "What do you think? Obviously, because I had a crush on you." Leander wasn't buying it. He remembered that night-he'd been drinking at Monarch Bar and went upstairs to rest. Only his assistant had known he was in that room. And when he entered, Vanessa was already asleep. Even in his drunken state, he could tell her body temperature was... off. Drugged? "What do you want?" he asked. He didn't believe for a second that she did it without a goal. He'd seen more than his share of women playing hard to get. "If I told you I wanted you to marry me, would you even consider it?" Vanessa chuckled, but it didn't reach her eyes. She knew exactly what the Prosperity Group meant in Halewick. Leander might not be the heir, but even as the second son, there was no way they'd let him marry someone like her-an orphan with nothing. Leander froze for a moment, then said lightly, "Alright." Vanessa blinked. Wait, what? "You think this is funny?" Her attempt to stick close to him had been calculated, sure-but now she was just ticked. His blunt response hit a nerve. She unbuckled her seatbelt, yanked the door open, and went to get out. "It's not a joke, it's just that..." Leander stretched out his long arm and easily pulled Vanessa back. Off balance, she tumbled straight onto his strong thighs. The next second, a scorching kiss landed hard. After a long and intense kiss, Leander brushed her soft lips with his fingers, his voice low and rough. "I'm into you. So that one-night thing? Let's upgrade it to... lifetime exclusive." Vanessa's face instantly turned crimson. Fuming, she scrambled off him and without warning, sank her teeth into his arm. She didn't let go until the metallic taste of blood hit her tongue. Then she bolted out of the car, visibly shaken. She had planned for a nice, calm dinner to talk business-well, scratch that. Everything was off the table now. Storming off, Vanessa kept replaying his teasing, confident stare and that kiss that left her breathless. All she wanted was to have a decent conversation about a partnership, yet somehow ended up dealing with this fake-gentleman-level flirt. Seriously outrageous. The failed negotiation really stung. She sighed, already worrying about where she could find another opportunity like that. Maybe she could go through Reginald? The idea flickered briefly before she dismissed it completely. No matter how badly she wanted revenge, using such a kind old man didn't sit right with her. Watching her scurry away in panic, Leander cradled his bitten wrist and let out a low chuckle. "A little kitten, huh? Feisty... but fun." Back at John's house, Vanessa found the place quiet. Xander wasn't home, and neither were John and Grace. Only Chloe was in, slouched on the sofa watching some show with dead eyes. The moment Vanessa walked in, Chloe, who'd looked practically lifeless a second ago, suddenly perked up. She jumped to her feet, stormed over full of rage, and snapped, "Vanessa! You're out hooking up with some other guy, yet you still won't break off the engagement with Peter? What do you even want? Just say it-what will it take to get the engagement token back?" Vanessa glanced at Chloe, her mind ticking-so there was an engagement token involved too? Her expressive eyes darted slightly, then she smiled sweetly. "Chloe, I'm not exactly Peter's biggest fan, but this engagement was arranged by my grandpa. The Hayes family's rich and powerful. Wrecking this match just like that? Honestly, it feels like a waste..." Chloe gritted her teeth. "What the hell do you want then? Are you trying to drag this out forever?" It was hard not to think Vanessa wanted to keep clinging to Peter. Disgusting. If Chloe hadn't needed that damn token, she'd have scratched her face by now. Vanessa looked around, lowered her voice a bit, and motioned for Chloe to come closer. When she did, Vanessa whispered, "You know I'm broke lately. But if you're willing to buy it, the token's all yours." Chloe's eyes widened in disbelief. She hadn't expected this kind of offer. In her world, if money could fix it, it wasn't really a problem. She let her gaze sweep over Vanessa with a mix of disdain and smugness. Just as she thought-cheap and pathetic. Selling her own engagement for cash? Peter didn't deserve this kind of trash. "Name your price," Chloe said, standing proudly, chin lifted like she was suddenly leagues above Vanessa. "Five million. Non-negotiable," Vanessa replied, having figured it out beforehand. To kickstart her business dream, she needed real capital. Not too little, not too much-five million felt just right. Chloe gnashed her teeth. "You've got to be kidding me, Vanessa. Where the hell am I supposed to get that kind of money?"