The Right Bet 

Lyle was completely caught off guard by Emelle’s yank, so he was pulled into the elevator easily. Emelie quickly pressed the close door button, and the doors slid shut with a ‘swish 

Lyle was still in a daze. 

Emelie wanted to test him, so she didn’t give him any time to think and closed the distance between them abruptly. Because of inertia, her hair fluttered in the air for a split second, as if it was dancing 

Lyle felt panicked, which he rarely felt. He stumbled backward until his back was against the cool metal wall. His gaze fell on Emelie, who looked up at the same time. 

She was beautiful. She had soft brows and thin lips, and her skin glowed even without makeup. Perhaps her features weren’t perfect on their own, but together, they formeda captivating harmony. 

Her eyes, in particular, were mesmerizing. They were as cold as a mountain stream, yet one would be reluctant to look away. 

The April air in Capebatt City was warming. Emelie was wearing a white knit top that revealed her slender neck. Her skin was fair, the delicate veins visible beneath its surface. 

Lyle’s Adam’s apple bobbed uncontrollably, his lips pressed into a thin line. He forced a roguish smile onto his face. “What exactly is the meaning of this, Ms. Howen?” 

Neither of them were nave. His reaction spoke volumes, confirming Emcle’s suspicions. 

She cut straight to the chase. “ed to save my mother.” 

Being pinned against the wall by a woman was a novel experience for Lyle, and a hint of amusement flickered across his face. “Save your mother? Didn’t Will already hire doctors to treat her?! 

“No, I want to leave with her. I want to leave William,” she said in a low voice. “Lyle Inning, help me.” 

She called him his full name. She rarely did so. 

She was getting more and more desperate to leave. She had Wesley on the outside, but she needed someone on the inside. Lyle, who will trusted, seemed like the perfect candidate. 

Emelle looked at him intently 

Lyle pressed his tongue against his cheek. 

After a few seconds, he finally said, “You’re asking me to betray Will and help you escape? Isn’t that a bit presumptuous? We’re not exactly close, are we?* 

Emelie’s eyes glimmered like the autumn lake under the sun. “I know will saved your life and you’re loyal to him.” 

“Yet you still dare to request this of me. Can you offer me something I can’t refuse in return?” Lyle asked. 

“I have 3 million in my account. It’s compensation from the Allen family before the New Year. But money isn’t what you need, and it can’t buy your loyalty. So, what else can offer you?” She paused. “Do you like me? 

Lyle’s breath hitched in his throat. He lowered his gaze, meeting her eyes directly. Her question was frank, devoid of shame or evasion 

He licked his Eps. Never one to mince words, he didn’t see anything wrong in admitting it Emelie already figured it out anyway. 

He relaxed his body and leaned against the wall of the elevator. His eyes glinted provocatively as he said, “Ms. Hoven, you’re undeniably beautiful. It Will and Wesley can like you, why can’t I? 

“It’s okay if you like me,” Emelie admitted. “I’ve used my life to threaten Will before, and now, I also need to take advantage of your feelings for me” 

Her voice dropped a notch “You don’t have to help me, Lyle. I’ll find another way. But I will get myself and my mother out of here. I can’t live under Will’s threats forever.. Otherwise, one day, I may very well perish alongside him.” Owned by .

Lyle knew that she was also using her life to threaten him, although her threat was welled. 

The taste of the sour candy he had eaten earlier lingered on his tongue. The sourness spread from his mouth to his stomach, and it left a bad aftertaste. Indeed, he couldn’t bear to 

see her die. 

Emelie reached out to press the button to reopen the elevator doors. 

In fact, Lyle had thought that she would propose something along the lines of, “If you help me, I’ll be yours. But this, this was much more Emelle. She wasn’t a saint, but she wouldn’t cheapen herself like that. 

Emelie looked down momentanly before her gaze flickered upward to meet his. 

Even though he was holding her, it was separated by a layer of fabric. He didn’t dare to touch her skin. He was afraid of overstepping his boundary, and that he wasn’t worthy of her. 

But for this unrequited love, he was willing to be the very person he once loathed–a traitor. “I won’t be able to refute it if anyone calls me ungrateful or a traitor from now on