15 I already have a boyfriend

Gemma's POV.

My fingernails dig into the palm of my hand. It feels like my palm is starting to bleed, and my fingertips sense a sticky liquid. Every word Dmitri speaks seems to come from hell, carrying a damp, cold echo.

Luke.

Amidst the confusion, this name suddenly comes to mind. Yes, Luke.

"I already have a boyfriend."

As Dmitri pulls down the collar of my shirt, his lips pressing against my shoulder, I snap back to reality. I stare at the car roof and repeat, "I already have a boyfriend."

Dmitri lets go of me. He sits back in the driver's seat, angrily honking the horn, startling the birds in the mountains, causing them to fly away.

"Who is he?!" He rubs his face, calming down a little, then turns to look at me again.

I sit up, fixing my disheveled collar. "A man I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Suddenly, Dmitri reaches out, gripping my shoulder tightly. "Tell me his name."

"What do you want?" I look at him.

"What do you think?" Dmitri replies.

The trees rustle outside the window.

I look at him, then suddenly smile. "It's over between us, Dmitri. Stop wasting your time. From the moment you lied to me about being single, you should've known this would happen."

The beginning of us was a complete mistake.

Luckily, I woke up in time and escaped the quagmire.

Dmitri grabs my collar, panting with anger. "You said you loved me!"

The fabric pulls at my neck, causing a bit of pain, but I try hard to take a breath. "I don't want to be the other woman. Real love shouldn't have to hide in the shadows."

Dmitri brings his lips close to my earlobe, gently biting down. This is something only intimate lovers should do, so we shouldn't be doing this. I tilt my head back slightly, freeing my earlobe from Dmitri's teeth. His bite was hard, and it hurts a little.

"I know I shouldn't have lied to you." Dmitri's body continues to lean toward me, his forehead touching mine. "That's why I got a divorce. That woman can't threaten you anymore."

I shake my head. "It's too late. Everything is too late."

"I will protect you from now on, I promise."

My eyes burn, tears on the verge of falling. "Have you ever seen a collapsed building put back together? Once trust is shattered, it can never be rebuilt."

"I can try. I can do anything as long as you come back to me."

I push him away. "I'd rather live a life without you."

Even if one day Dmitri were the last man on earth, I wouldn't be with him.

I won't be with someone who puts my heart through fire and ice, tormenting it over and over again.

I look straight ahead, so I can't see Dmitri's expression now. But I know the sky is about to get dark, and we're at the foot of a mountain where no one is around.

I don't know what Dmitri plans to do next. I'm just really scared.

Thankfully, the next moment, my phone rings.

I let out a long sigh of relief and bend down to reach for the phone that had fallen between the seat and the door.

But when I see the caller ID, I gasp—Luke.

Dmitri notices my reaction, his voice tense. "Is it him calling?"

Without waiting for a response, he reaches out to grab the phone.

In the moment when my mind goes completely blank, my body reacts on its own—I throw the phone out the window. The screen is still lit, but it rolls down the small slope, then falls into the river.

Crack—

The sound of the phone shattering echoes in the air. I lean back against the seat, gasping for breath.

Dmitri suddenly laughs. He tugs at his tie and turns to look at me. "You seem really afraid of me finding out who he is."

"Yes," I admit. "I need to protect him."

"You mean he's not as capable as I am?" Dmitri asks.

"I don't know."

I don't know much about Luke's family. He works hard and seems to have some money, but Dmitri is a madman.

"I like him. He's my boyfriend, so I need to protect him, whether he's weak or strong. That's just my logic."

Dmitri doesn't say a word; he just fastens his seatbelt.

As the car starts moving, Dmitri finally speaks, "Gemma, you know what? Just because of what you said... I will make sure you come back to me. You'll see."

The entire ride back to the dealership, I cling to my seatbelt, my heart racing with fear.

The moment the car stops, I hurriedly push the door open and dash out.

My collegue sees me and ask, "Gemma, did you close the deal with him?"

I shake my head. "I don't know."

One of them sighs lightly. "He's so rich, he's definitely going to buy it. For them, buying a car is like buying groceries. you

ll be the top salesperson again next month."

I force a smile. "What if I give his business to you instead?"

My colleague's eyes widen. "Are you serious?"

"Of course."

I turn and head to HR to request some time off. Dmitri knows where I work, and today he kissed me by force in the car. I have no idea what extreme thing he might do next.

My thoughts are a tangled mess. I need time to think and come up with a solution.

After leaving the dealership, I buy a new phone, replace my SIM card, and return home.

Once there, I collapse onto my bed, wrapping myself tightly in the blanket. This is the only place that makes me feel safe, even though I know Dmitri might find it eventually.

Curled up under the covers, I open the call log on my new phone and see the missed call in red. I press the callback button and hold my breath as the ringing starts.

Finally, the phone is answered.

"Gemma?" Luke's voice comes through.

My fingers twist a strand of hair anxiously, and for a moment, it feels hard to breathe. I'm not sure how to tell my boyfriend that my ex kissed me.

What will Luke ask? Who is he? How did you meet? Why did you break up?

Then Luke will discover that his girlfriend has a messy past. I can't risk betting that he will stand by me or that he won't care.

I take a deep breath, trying to keep my voice steady. "I accidentally broke my phone, so I got a new one. I'm calling you back now. Did you call me for something?"

"I'm back at the hotel. You told me to call you when I got there," Luke says, his voice as calm as always.

I smile slightly. "Just checking in isn't enough. Send me a video."

A few seconds later, my phone buzzes. Luke has really sent a video of the hotel room. From left to right, from the bathroom to the bed, then to the balcony, showing everything.

"What about behind you? What if there's a woman hiding behind you?"I joke.

"Gemma Dawson," he says through gritted teeth, using my full name.

"Alright, alright, I won't say it again." I turn over, the tears that were about to fall now retreating. "I'll let you go have dinner. Goodnight in advance."

"Goodnight."

I hang up the phone and melt into the bed.

I drift into a fitful sleep, with disjointed images flashing like a slideshow before my eyes.

The second time I met Dmitri was at a private dinner. That's when I found out that the man who smoked on the playground was actually the CEO of an investment bank. He had donated a gym to the University of California, and the dean had invited him to dinner.

As a student council representative, I attended it as well, wearing a cheap white evening gown I had bought from Zara.

There were many people at the dinner. The dean, along with the scholars, surrounded Dmitri, offering him words of praise. The school was short on funds, and the dean was likely trying to please this benefactor, hoping he would donate more. The scholars wanted Dmitri to sponsor their research projects, and the students, seizing the opportunity during toasts, tried to make an impression on him, hoping to open up future job opportunities.

It was my first time attending such an event, and I wasn't very comfortable, so I just sat in a corner and focused on eating.

I carefully scanned the menu, deciding what to order. I noticed that a simple plate of roasted vegetables cost $40.

Ridiculous price. I frowned slightly, but then I thought, well, it's the dean's treat, not mine.

With that thought, I couldn't help but chuckle to myself.

Suddenly, Dmitri walked over, sat across from me, and asked what I found so funny about the menu.

I told him the truth, and Dmitri said, "If it makes you smile, then it worth the price."

After that, he started pursuing me.

He was always a gentleman. Whenever he took me to a restaurant, he would pull out my chair, take the napkin from beside me, and gently unfold it, placing it on my lap without ever touching me. My dress was only mid-length, just covering my thighs as I sat dwon, but Dmitri never overstepped. He would only lightly brush my lips with his thumb if there was a drop of lemon water at the corner of my mouth.

When I thanked him, I suddenly realized how fast my heart was beating.

He seemed like the perfect lover, taking me out to dinner and inviting me on outings. He would open car doors for me and remind me to be careful of steps.

But many women liked him too.

Once, while we were having dinner, a gossip notification about him and a famous actress popped up on my phone. I immediately walked out of the restaurant.

But there was no point in being angry. I was just a student. My only advantages were being pretty and young.

But he was the young CEO of a financial group, and for someone like him, there were plenty of beautiful, young women.

We weren't a good match.

Dmitri caught up to me in the parking lot, grabbing my hand. He explained that the actress was only endorsing his company's product, that she was stirring up rumors for attention, and they had nothing to do with each other.

After thinking it over, I decided to let him drive me back to the city since the restaurant was by the beach.

As usual, he opened the passenger door for me, but I turned and got into the back seat.

"Today, you're just my driver," I said, looking out the window, avoiding his gaze.

He smiled. "Alright, I'll be the driver."

But this driver was far from professional. He talked on the phone while driving, and not only that, he put it on speaker.

I overheard him telling the actress that he had only invited her to endorse the product, not to stir up scandals to boost his own exposure, and that their contract would be terminated.

The actress panicked and kept apologizing on the other end of the line.

After hanging up, Dmitri glanced at me through the rearview mirror and raised an eyebrow. "Am I still just your driver?"

I almost wanted to laugh but held back, realizing I had forgiven him too quickly. I pressed my lips together and looked out the window.

We didn't speak for the rest of the drive, and when Dmitri finally stopped the car near the University of California, it was a quiet afternoon.

There weren't many pedestrians, and sunlight filtered through the palm trees, casting dappled shadows on the pavement.

Dmitri glanced at me again through the rearview mirror, then pulled out a pack of cigarettes, tapping one loose.

He rolled the incense stick into the cigarette, lit it, and inhaled deeply.

"Aren't you going to open the door for your passenger?" I puffed my cheeks and asked.

"My mistake, miss." Dmitri bit down on the cigarette, got out of the car, and opened the back door for me.

I turned my head. "You..."

Dmitri leaned into the car, bracing one hand on the seat. The distance between us closed suddenly, and I instinctively leaned back slightly, my breathing unsteady.

Looking at my slightly parted lips, Dmitri knowingly asked, "Don't like the smell of smoke?"

"...Not exactly."

I swallowed and lowered my eyes. "I actually quite like this scent."

Dmitri chuckled, though the sound was muffled by the cigarette between his teeth. "Then why not just admit you like me?"

As he said that, he exhaled a puff of fragrant smoke toward me, then moved the cigarette away, holding it at arm's length.

The smoke stung my eyes, and before I could fully open them, I felt the shadow of someone moving through the haze. Then, Dmitri's lips met mine.

Outside, the heat of autumn tried to seep into the car, mixing with the cool air from the air conditioning.

On the empty street, the taste of incense filled my mouth, clouding my mind.

Dmitri didn't say he liked me, and he didn't say he loved me. After the kiss, he simply whispered, "Be with me."

And I said yes.