From Ruin She Rose novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181

Panic, fear, and a shuddering sense of dread all hit Lucas at once. Memories he had deliberately buried came rushing back, threatening to swallow him

whole

It felt as if a boulder was crushing his chest, and all the air had been sucked out of the car.

Just as Lucas was spiraling deeper into the darkness, someone suddenly knocked on the car window.

Lucas snapped back to reality and saw his friend standing outside the window, looking at him with a strange expression.

His friend asked, “Mr. Bennett, what are you doing here?”

Everyone in their circle knew that Lightning Valley was a taboo for Lucas. So whenever they came to Lightning Valley for a race, they never invited him. But today, he had shown up on his own–and with such an intense entrance, too.

it cigarette in

Lucas took a few deep breaths to steady himself, though his face was still pale. He opened the car door and stepped out Spotting the unlit his friend’s hand, he just grabbed it, lit it up, and took a deep drag

He exhaled, blowing out a thick cloud of smoke. He finally started to calm down, but his hand holding the cigarette was still trembling slightly

He glanced at his friend and gave him a playful punch on the chest. He teased, “You guys didn’t even invite me to the race? That’s not very loyal of you. What, are you afraid I’ll wipe the floor with you?”

His friends exchanged glances, not sure what to make of him right now. Aher an awkward pause, one of them forced a laugh to break the tension. He said, “Yeah, didn’t expect you to see through our little scheme, Mr. Bennett.”

Another chimed in, “With you around, we’re just extras. None of us would dare go up against you!”

Someone else said, “Yeah, yeah, you never miss a rally in Cloudridge. We only sneak off to places like Lightning Valley, where we know you’d never show up.

The guy talking got a sharp elbow from the friend next to him, realized he’d messed up, and clammed up right away.

The atmosphere went dead again, and everyone was watching Lucas, careful not to set him off.

Those looks really annoyed Lucas. He thought, “I am not some pathetic loser–who gives them the right to look at me like that?”

He took another drag of his cigarette and waved his hand impatiently. He said, “Alright, do I look like I’m made of glass to you or something? Anyone who plays this game knows the risks. Besides, that was ages ago, I’m over it.”

Even as he said it, his trembling fingers and pale lips told a different story.

Nobody was truly unafraid of death–least of all someone like Lucas, who had had a smooth ride all his life. Back when that accident happened, he really had one foot in the grave.

He thought, “if Lydia hadn’t risked her life to find me and fought tooth and nail to drag me back, I’d have had my death anniversary come and go a few times over by now.

“But Emily, on the other hand, actually had the mood to go on a trip while I was hovering between life and death–she didn’t even show up at the hospital once during those days I was admitted

“Thaven’t held her heartlessness against her, and still went through all that trouble to help her dig up the truth, yet she didn’t show a shred of gratitude Sure enough, she couldn’t even compare to a single strand of Lydia’s hair”

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