No More Waiting, She Chooses Love



My nose crinkled as Ernest tapped it twice with his finger. "Can't you just play dumb for once?"

I shook my head side to side with a playful grin. "No dodging. Be honest with me."novelbin

Ernest gently held my face, stopping my movements. "Stop that, or you'll make yourself dizzy."

"Then tell me why," I insisted, looking directly into his eyes.

Ernest had a tell; his eyes would lose focus when he was lying. Oddly enough, I hadn't noticed it when he claimed he didn't love me.

"You know who's really behind the accident, don't you?" he said, fiddling with my eyelashes.

His words confirmed my suspicions that he knew the truth.

"Licia, your lashes are as long as they were when you were a child," he tried to divert the conversation.

Ignoring his attempt, I voiced my own theory. "You're saying you got hurt to make a point to Allen."

"Yes," Ernest admitted. "I couldn't let Allen find out I was pretending to be Phipps."

"But Dustin knows," I blurted out, then remembered that Dustin wasn't truly aligned with Allen. So even if Dustin knew Ernest's real identity, he hadn't told Allen.

"And who exactly is Phipps?" I pressed, recalling Ernest's earlier vague mentions. Now that Phipps seemed pivotal, I couldn't ignore it.

"The ringleader, you know?" Ernest's revelation left me stunned.

Of course, I understood, but I hadn't imagined Ernest played the ringleader. No wonder he could uncover secrets about Deborah at the Sapphire Lounge so easily.

"And here I thought Phipps was just an ordinary male model, not the mastermind of vice," I was genuinely taken aback.

"He's not the top boss. There's

someone above him, the real leader, whose reach extends across dozens of countries," Ernest spoke with a grave tone.

A crime syndicate with international reach suggested immense power behind the scenes.

The world was so beautiful, yet these parasites sought to ruin it.

A chill ran down my spine, not because of Ernest, but the thought of someone with a face like his being involved in crimes against women filled me with dread.

Ernest sensed my unease. "What's wrong?"

I shook my head, urging him to continue.

"Scared?" He always had a knack for reading my emotions, even when I didn't voice them.

It wasn't fear, but shock, horror, and a sense of helplessness.

If Ernest hadn't told me, I would remain oblivious to the filth hiding behind the world's facade.

I shifted to tie on his chest, and he

wrapped his arms around me, continuing. "Phipps hung around the Sapphire Lounge, scouting for talent. Officially a model, but his real role was selecting people."

I sarcastically asked, "So, the unattractive ones don't make the cut?"

"Exactly!"

His confirmation floored me.

He went on to explain, "They deal in high-end trafficking. The more attractive, the higher the price, and 'quality goods' carry less risk."

It was as if humans were mere commodities to them. I was shocked, appalled, and deeply unsettled.