Chapter 234 Crossing the Line
The wide square neckline of Lily’s pajamas made it easy to see things that shouldn’t be seen from above.
James nced down–and immediately caught sight of her fair, delicate corbones just be neatly that, faimly visible, was <b>the </b>gentle slope of a shadowed valley.
Soft, Lamminous, Alluring.
In <b>that </b>instant, countless images flooded his mind like a dark spell.
Those images seized his thoughts and wrapped chains around his chest–they became his personal
demon.
<b>That </b>night in the hospital, he had been perfectly sober. But beneath the hazy moonlight, he had thrown caution aside and bitten down on her lips with reckless abandon.
That pillowy softness had bloomed freely in his <b>palms</b>. The sensation–so yielding, so unforgettable- seemed burned into the core of his being.
In his more frenzied, fevered dreams, he’d lost control entirely, gripping her slender waist with trembling hands….
James jerked his head to the side <b>and </b>squeezed his eyes shut in anguish.
He loathed nothing more <b>than </b>men who wavered, who couldn’t control themselves<b>. </b>
He had vowed to grow old with Le. And yet, here he was–mind and body being pulled toward Lily. again and <b>again</b>.
What made him different from John? That selfish, shameless man who wanted everything and gave nothing? If anything, he was worse. Filthier.
The revulsion he felt for himself in that moment was crushing.
He abruptly set the porcin bottle of ointment on the nightstand and took several steps back, putting as much space between them as possible.
Startled by his sudden retreat, Lily jumped.
Then came his voice–emotionless, cold, t.
“Lily, apply the ointment yourself. And don’t forget the wounds <b>on </b>your arms and calves. Keep using the medicine on time. That way, you won’t <b>scar</b><b>.</b><b>” </b>
With that, he turned sharply and walked out of the room, heading straight for the study.
Only when she heard the loud m of the <b>door </b>did Lilye back to her senses.
She had to be out of her mind
Just now… she’d actually thought he was going to help her apply the ointment himself.
C
Chapter 234 Crossing the Line
<b>How </b>stupid could she bel
He hated her. Couldn’t stand to be near her. Even earlier, when she had lost her bnce, he had only caught her out of pure instinct. That alone had probably pushed him to his limit. How could she have thought he’d be willing to get close again? To touch her?
When he’d been in the room, the air had felt warm.
Now that he was gone, it felt cold. Empty.
Her chest ached again–slow, dull, throbbing pain.
He really did hate her.
Even if he was too well–mannered to speak cruelly to her, his bodynguage said everything. His rejection was uncontroble. Involuntary.
Tomorrow, she would meet him as Le.
<b>And </b>she had full confidence she’d make herself hideous enough to crush any lingering interest he might still <b>have </b>in her.
After they got the divorce certificate, it would all be over.
There was no way Lily could put on her disguise at the Luke estate.
So early the next morning, she went to a nearby hotel.
She’d been nimble–fingered since childhood–good at sewing, a great cook, and when it came to makeup, a natural. Whatever she saw, she picked up fast.
Two or three hours of effort in front of the mifror, and even she couldn’t believe the person staring back at her<b>. </b>
Her long hair had been tucked into a wig cap and covered with a short ck wig.
The cropped cut gave her a dorky, vaguely boyish charm–ugly–cute, almost.
Her skin had been darkened several shades, and arge ck mole–about the size of a pinky nail–sat prominently on her left cheek.
She’d glued a strip of transformation silicone <b>across </b>her nose, giving the tip a bulbous, garlic–like appearance.
Her real nose <b>had </b>been small and delicate. Now, it was heavy <b>and </b>clunky. Her whole face looked rounder, duller.
Her figure was too shapely, but after binding her chest and throwing on a thick puffer coat, there was no way James would notice anything unusual.
She’d added a fake Adam’s apple, a few ugly scar stickers, and <b>drawn </b>her eyebrows thicker and coarser than
usual.
Chapter <b>284 </b>Crossing the Line:
Carefully, she examined herself from every angle. Then she tugged at the silicone on her nose <b>and </b>sshed water all over her face.
Satisfied that her disguise was waterproof and that the prosthetics wouldn’t peel off easily, she finally picked up her phone and headed downstairs.
James <b>had </b>asked for her home address once.
But she hadn’t bought a house yet and couldn’t give him a real one. So she’d told him the floors in her apartment were under repair, and she was staying at a hotel for the time being
They had arranged to meet at 8 am
When she stepped outside at 7:30, she figured she’d be early–probably would have to wait a while.
But to her surprise, James was already there, standing just outside the hotel entrance.
From a distance, he looked calm, head slightly lowered,pletely disinterested in the world around him.
But the moment she stepped outside, he lifted his gaze–fast, instinctively–and their eyes locked.
He had seen pictures of Le before.
People said those photos were heavily edited. The woman in them looked nothing like the one approaching him now.
And yet, the moment he saw her, he knew–knew with absolute certainty–that this was his Le.
Step by step, she drew closer. The details of her face came into clearer focus.
Her skin was dark.
Two hideous scars–one on her forehead, one on her right cheek–split across her face like raw shes.
On her left cheek, just under the eye, was a mole the size of a bean.