The Loyal Puppet: A Love Built on Lies novel Chapter 10

Summoning all her strength, she lashed out, kicking him square in the groin. 

Collins let out a strangled scream, collapsing to the floor, clutching himself in agony. 

Chloe stood there, stunned, her face burning from the slap he'd landed on her. 

Then, suddenly— 

A hand grabbed hers, yanking her forward. 

Before she knew it, she was running out of the hospital with someone pulling her along. 

They barreled straight into Ava at the entrance. 

"Chloe—"

Ava's eyes flickered to her bruised face, then shifted to the man beside her.

"Oh… and this is…?" 

Chloe finally turned to look at her rescuer. 

Lucas Reed.

A classmate from med school. 

She jerked her hand away, glaring at Ava.

"You've been spreading rumors about me here, haven't you?" 

Ava pressed her lips together in a small, smug smile.

"I just told the truth." 

Chloe knew. If it weren't for someone deliberately feeding him information, Collins wouldn't have known about her past with Mason. 

Without thinking, Chloe slapped her. 

Ava's eyes turned red instantly. 

She lifted her hand to hit back— 

But Lucas blocked her, pushing her back a few steps. 

Lucas quietly followed Chloe out. 

Then, her phone rang. 

"Chloe, get your ass over here and take Mason home."

"He's completely wasted," Noah's voice crackled through the line. 

Chloe frowned.

"Mason knows his limit. He never drinks himself sick." 

"Well, he's been calling your name nonstop," Noah added.

"And trust me, I wouldn't be calling you if it wasn't serious." 

In the background, someone sneered. 

"Why even bother calling?"

"Just say ‘Chloe,' and she'll come running like the desperate little lapdog she is." 

"She just needs a little push."

"Mason, give her an easy out, and she'll come crawling right back." 

Then, Mason's voice cut through the chatter. 

It was sharp. Sober. 

The line went silent. 

Noah spoke again, this time a little uncertain.

"Dude, he's been staring at your name on his screen for five minutes. Won't even hang up." 

As the guys laughed in the background, one voice spoke up: 

"Remember that time Mason got hammered at some event, and Chloe stepped in to drink for him?" 

"Oh, yeah!"

"And that other time—middle of a snowstorm, and Chloe spent hours digging through the snow to find his lost car keys." 

Mason's head snapped up. 

He remembered. 

That night, he'd been stuck in a closed-door meeting.

His spare car keys went missing, and he'd casually told Chloe to bring them over. 

He forgot about it. 

Looked like no one had been here in a while.

Then it hit him. He bolted to the bedroom, yanked open the walk-in closet.

The clothes, the designer bags, the jewelry he'd bought for Chloe—they were all still there.

But the stuff she'd bought for herself? Gone.

A sharp pang stabbed his chest.

She hadn't even touched the expensive things he got her.

They just sat there, untouched.

Meanwhile, the few simple outfits she actually liked—those were missing.

She really left.

But Mason refused to believe it.

He thought she was just throwing a tantrum, that she'd come back eventually.

That's why he hadn't reached out.

Mason let out a low chuckle.

"Come on, Chloe."

"You can't possibly leave me. Let's see how long you last."

With that thought, he felt strangely at ease.

That night, he tossed and turned in bed, his mind flooded with memories of Chloe, of the nights they spent tangled up in this very bed.

Chloe, who seemed soft and sweet, was anything but innocent.

That first time, she was like a timid little kitten, waiting to be explored.

After that?

She had Mason completely floored.

Every move, every trick—she knew exactly what she was doing.

And he let her.

He let her have her way with him, bold and unrestrained.