Substitute love

Stephanie watched as Maya's face tensed up. What could she be thinking? Stephanie thought as she squinted her eyes suspiciously.

"Anyways, I'm just getting started." With that, she walked off. Maya watched Stephanie's retreating figure, thinking deeply about what she meant.

Just then, a message popped up on her phone. Hey, the message read. Seeing the message, she knew it was from Lucien. She instantly replied, Hi.

She stared at the screen as the chat indicated that he was typing. Later on, his response came in: I'm outside.

Maya's heart skipped a beat. He's outside? What if he runs into Stephanie and she tries to steal him away from me as well? Maya decided to take a deep breath and hope for the best.

I'm meeting him again after last night, how do I even face him? Maya questioned herself as she rushed downstairs.

Maya opened the front door and walked outside. The morning air hit her face, but her cheek still burned where her father had slapped her. Her legs were sore from last night with Lucien, making it hard to walk fast.

She looked around the street, feeling nervous. She was scared Marcus or her parents might see her leave.

Then she saw the black car parked across the road. The lights flashed twice to call her over. Maya let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. He was really waiting for her. She hurried over to the car.

She was wearing an old, oversized sweater that Stephanie didn't want anymore and had thrown away. Maya pulled open the car door and sat down inside.

It smelled nice and clean. "How are you?" Lucien asked, his deep voice filling the quiet car.

He reached over and gently rubbed her head, messing up her hair a little bit in a sweet way.

Maya completely froze. Her heart skipped a beat. Nobody had ever treated her like this before. In her house, her parents only slapped her or pushed her aside for Stephanie. But Lucien was touching her so gently, like she was something precious. It made her feel like crying.

"I'm..." Before she could reply, Lucien grabbed her chin, staring into her face intensely. His face darkened as his eyes swept over the glaring red hand mark on her cheek.

"Who did this?" he questioned, a deadly aura suddenly filling the car. Maya slowly pushed his hand away and sat up straight.

"I bumped into something."

Lucien knew that she was lying and that someone had hit her. Is this how my beloved has been treated all these years? I'll make the Ewell family pay for mistreating her. His heart ached upon seeing her timid and fragile body. He imagined how hard the slap must have been to leave such a glaring mark.

"I'm here now. You won't suffer any injustices anymore," he spoke up, breaking the silence. "I promised you that I'd come back for you. Now that I'm here, I'll protect you."

Maya paused and stared at him, confused. What did he mean by promise? Then she remembered that night and the words he had whispered to her. Oh, that. Thinking about it made her blush, her face turning beetroot red.

Lucien glanced at her and saw her blushing. He smirked and slipped his hand into hers as he intertwined their fingers. Maya blushed even more than before, making Lucien smile, feeling satisfied.

The car pulled up in front of a massive black gate. As soon as the car got close, the gate opened on its own, and Lucien drove inside.

Maya looked out the window, and her mouth dropped open. The driveway was long and surrounded by neat green grass and bright flowers.

At the end of the drive stood a huge, three-story house that looked like a modern castle. It had huge glass windows, white marble pillars, and warm yellow lights shining inside.

Everything about this place shouted wealth and power. It was three times bigger than her family’s house and way more beautiful.

Lucien parked the car right near the entrance, and a butler dressed in a neat suit immediately walked down the front steps, opening the passenger door for Maya with a respectful bow.

"Welcome home, Young Master, Miss," the butler said politely.

Maya felt her face burn again. Welcome home? She slowly stepped out of the car, her legs still feeling a bit weak.

She looked up at the huge villa, feeling small and out of place. Her hands gripped the bottom of Stephanie’s old, faded sweater. She felt like a poor stray cat that had somehow walked into a prince's palace.

Lucien walked over to her side and wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her close against him.

"You stay here?" she asked as her eyes scanned the area in awe.

"Yes, I do. And if you want, you can move in. Here, no one will dare to disrespect you."

Maya paused and thought, If I move in, Stephanie will find out, and just like she took Marcus, she'll take Lucien, too. I can't bear for that to happen.

"No, I would love to move in, but to avoid complications, I should remain with my parents."

Seeing that she had made up her mind, Lucien decided not to press further.

"Come inside. I already told the cook to prepare your breakfast, and the doctor will be here soon to check your face."

Hearing how much he cared about her, Maya felt a lump in her throat. Her own parents had slapped her and called her names just yesterday, but this cold man was treating her like a princess. She nodded quietly and let him lead her through the grand double doors.

As they stepped inside, the chef led them to the dining table. Maya sat beside Lucien as they ate together.

Lucien personally picked certain dishes and placed them onto Maya's plate. His actions warmed her heart. At some point, Maya gradually relaxed and felt more comfortable around him.

"So tell me," Lucien spoke up. "Tell me about how you've been coping since I left the orphanage."

"Which orp..." Just as Maya was about to speak, the maid walked in.

"Sir, the doctor is here."

Lucien stared at Maya for a pretty long time before speaking.

"We'll discuss it later. Let's go and see the doctor." He held out a hand. "Shall we?"

Maya looked up at him and laughed. "We shall," she said, placing her hand in his.