"I have already guessed the relationships between you and that guy, but I want you to tell me yourself. Why is he being such a prick towards you?" Hollis suddenly questioned without looking your way after paying for the clothes.

He walked a few steps ahead of you, purposely taking a big step with his long legs, making it hard for you to catch up with him, but you managed to be at least a foot away from him. He sensed the way you tensed after hearing his question; in the end, you just quietly followed him without saying anything.

"Why so silent? Is it because you think it's none of my business?" His tone was harsh, manipulating you to make you feel guilty enough to spill your past.

However, you remained silent, dejectedly following him from behind like a child who had disappointed her parents. Naturally, Hollis concluded that whatever happened between you and that guy must have been serious enough that you would rather keep silent than explain yourself to him.

His eyes darken, recalling the content of that guy's words.



"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You always did have a remarkable talent for moving forward, regardless of the emotional wreckage you left behind."

"Your capacity for callousness is not something to be taken lightly. If he knew what you did, what you are, he would walk away right n—"



Well, it must have been a messy breakup. Since Hollis had realized firsthand the feelings you harbored for your brother, he wasn't surprised that you would be hated that much if your exes were to know, but unless you had behaved differently in the past, anyone with eyes can see how you weren't ready to be in a relationship, and you don't seem to be the type to take the first move either, so it must have been that guy who convinced you to date him.

How stupid, the Amorii mused. Only a fool would give their heart to someone who still got theirs broken.

But of course, that man being your ex and how he found out the feelings you harbored for your brother was just Hollis's assumption, so if he wanted the real story, he needed to either get it out of your mouth, get it out of that guy's mouth, or uncover your past by himself by running research on your background, but Hollis being Hollis, he liked the first option better, and it doesn't matter if it came out willingly or by force.

He then glanced back and noticed that you were starting to limp. The strain of the tall heels must have taken a toll on you, especially when you were walking so fast to keep up a pace with him.

Hollis stopped all of a sudden, causing his back to bump into you.

The man turned around, observing the way you averted your eyes away from him. Seriously, he was amazed by how easily bullied you are. Anyone with brains can see that whatever relationships he and you are in, you were the one with the upper hand, considering that while the two of you are now lovers, he is still your escort, someone to whom you had paid a great sum of money to experience a great service, and his service right now was anything but great.

If it were any other clients, they would have filed a complaint, and then the founder would have to get involved.

"I'm sorry," if his expression doesn't look like he's sorry at all, he makes it up with his tone. This will create the illusion that he is the type of person who can't convey his feelings properly, which is very popular among women who wanted to draw out the vulnerability in him. "I shouldn't have been so childish. I was just jealous."

Your eyes widened in confusion. "Jealous? But... you don't even like me though?"

"I do like you. Even if it's not love, I at least am fond of you," lying would just raise your guards up, so the wise thing is to tell the truth and manipulate his words to make it sound sweeter. "I didn't like the fact that he was insulting you, more so when you just let him paint you as the bad person by not explaining the truth."

You looked down nervously, playing with your fingers. "There's nothing to explain. It is the truth. I am a bad person."

Hollis observed you, knowing that even if he were to threaten you to tell him, that action would only harden your heart towards him, so the best course of action in this situation is to gain your trust and soften your heart.

He gently escorted you to the nearby bench in the mall, letting you sit on it while he kneeled down, inspecting your sore feet caused by the heels you wore.

"Wait here."

He left for a while before coming back with a pair of sleek, comfortable flats. The man gently put them on your feet after taking off the source of your discomfort, putting them in the bag he got from buying the flats.

He extended his hand. "Let's go."

You stared at his hand, hesitant to reach out, especially when he was being so good to you yet here you are, denying him the explanation he deserved to hear considering he is now your lover.

Eventually, you took his hand, gripping it tightly as you looked away. "That man... Louyi was my ex."

"I can tell."

Hollis remained unfazed, nodding as he clenched your hand as if to give you the assurance to continue.

"He was my brother's friend. He... confessed to me when I was younger. We got together, but I was insensitive to his feelings for me," you told him, ashamed of yourself. "Louyi was a perfect boyfriend—or at least that's what the people around me told me. He was always there by my side when Yohan's not around, making sure that I'm not lonely. He made me his first priority, but things happened, and he... ended up really needing my comfort and my presence at that time, but I couldn't understand his desperation back then and chose to turn my back on him. Yohan was disappointed a lot when he knew, and that's when I realized that I did something unforgivable to him."

Although you purposely made a few things vague, Hollis can tell that what you did must have been really bad. The Amorii can't help but recall a certain woman in his life, one who starved herself long enough while waiting for her loved one, insisting that she won't feed on anyone else's affection except for her loved one's, and where did that get her? A frail body and a broken heart.

The escort's eyes darkened. He swore he wouldn't become like that. He won't be a fool like that woman and have his heart broken, and he also won't allow you to treat him like how you had treated your ex. He will definitely mold you into his perfect lover.

"So, did you regret it? Have you learned your lesson? Right now, if I were to be put in the same circumstance as that man's, would you choose to turn your back again and betray me too?" He interrogated.

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||HOLLIS'S LOVE STATUS||

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