Inferno Hearts | Xu Minghao

56. Just the Three of Us

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"Why did you call me here?" Lia inquires, settling into a seat at the club's table.

With a cigarette between his fingers, he checked her out casually. "Did I bother you in some way?" he asked, a trace of irony in his tone.

"I was having breakfast. With Minghao," she mentioned, catching a smirk forming on Kim Sunghoon's face.

"Hmmm," he purred, taking a drag from his cigarette. "Did you simply share breakfast, or did it escalate to something more daring?" he inquired provocatively.

She smirked. "What's your guess?" she asked, leaning back in her chair.

"You fucked him, didn't you, little slut?," he mused. "Don't tell me you didn't seize the opportunity when he was intoxicated last night," he added, the smirk never fading from his lips.

"Don't call me that," she spat. "I care for Minghao. In fact, I love him. But that bitch was in our way," she said. "After what happened last night, I don't think she'll be a problem anymore," she continued, her confidence evident.

He tilted his head, the malevolent smile growing more pronounced. "So, what are you implying? Did Nabi catch sight of you two having sex last night?" he asked.

She chuckled. "Yes, in fact, she heard the entire performance," she said, laughing.

He smirked, rising from his seat with a deliberate and unhurried pace, each step calculated and dripping with malice. The malevolent gaze he bore into her sent an unsettling shiver down her spine, an uncomfortable feeling that she tried to suppress but couldn't entirely shake off.

The club's dim lights played upon his features, accentuating the sinister curl of his lips and the coldness in his eyes. Lia, though accustomed to facing challenges head-on, found herself momentarily taken aback by the intensity of his demeanor. She held her ground, her expression a mixture of defiance and discomfort.

As he drew closer, the atmosphere seemed to thicken with a palpable tension, a sense that something significant hung in the balance. The air crackled with an unspoken challenge, and she fought to maintain her composure.

Reaching behind her, he placed his hand on her shoulder, the other hand holding the cigarette, the burning tip casting an eerie glow in the dimness. Leaning closer, he whispered in her ear, his voice dripping with menace.

"You know, only I have the power to hurt Nabi," he hissed. "Who gave you the right to do that, hmm?"

His words slithered through the air like a venomous serpent, and Lia could feel the heat of his breath on her skin. The pressure of his grip on her shoulder was a reminder of his strength, a reminder of the danger that danced on the edge of their interactions.

In that moment, she felt the weight of the confrontation, the implications of her choices. This was more than a clash of emotions; it was a dangerous game with stakes higher than she had anticipated. Nabi's involvement, unintended collateral in their personal war, added a layer of complexity that she grappled with.

Taking a drag from the cigarette, he exhaled the puff slowly, deliberately, and then brought the glowing end dangerously close to her collarbone. Lia's fear escalated, her heart pounding in her chest like a desperate drumbeat.

"If you value the beauty of your skin," he spat, the threat unmistakable in his tone, "I would strongly suggest you learn your place."

The cigarette tip inched closer and closer to her skin, the heat radiating from it enough to make her skin prickle and panic surge through her.