The Devil's Good Girl
Chapter 78: A space

Chapter 78: A space

Fil idled by the corridor for a few minutes before pushing herself away. She leisurely took her time to get into her apartment unit. When she opened the door, her eyes fell on the person slumped in the entryway.

Jackson was sitting on the floor of the entryway. His arms were resting on his bent knees, head cocked back, eyes shut. Fil didn’t know he would be here tonight, but she wasn’t surprised to see him. At this point, she was getting used to his antics.

"Why are you sitting there?" she greeted, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. "Don’t tell me you’re pretending to be a dog, waiting for their human to come home."

Jackson’s lips curled up before his eyes opened. "What if that’s what I’m doing?" he returned, watching her squat down in front of him.

"Then I’m going to ruffle your mane excitedly because I don’t have a tail to wag." Fil cupped his face, smiling. "Why do you look sad?"

"I’m not sad. I’m tired."

"Work?"

"You can say that."

"With how big your company was, I’m surprised you still have the time to play around," she joked, eyes softening, hands still on his cheeks. "Did you eat?"

"Not yet."

"Should I make you dinner?"

"I see you already had dinner."

"One of the worst ones." Fil briefly raised her brows, leaning her face forward. "I’m glad you’re here. Saves me the time to call you."

Jackson furrowed his brows as he watched her face lean closer and closer until her lips were on his. His brows rose, eyes on her. From the looks of it, she had a terrible day. Well, that was one of the sacrifices she had to make if she truly wanted revenge.

When Fil pulled her head away, she smiled and wiped the corner of his lips with her thumb. "Let me recharge for a while, Jack. You won’t starve to death, will you?"

"I’m not that hungry." Jack held her hand as she sat down on the floor. He kept her in between his legs, letting her body lean against him to rest. "I saw your fiance’s best friend driving you home. Congratulations."

"He beat up Kenzo," Fil whispered, putting all her weight on Jackson. "When I saw Kenzo, I couldn’t help but blame myself. He’s been nothing but a good friend to me, but because he is a good friend, it led him to such a state."

"Don’t make me say it’s not your fault."

Fil chuckled bitterly. "You don’t have to. I know it’s not mine. It’s just that... I find it ridiculously amazing." Her eyelids drooped, shifting her eyes to his. "How Marcus acts as if he didn’t hurt somebody. He goes on with his day and moves on with his life, while the victim suffers. He didn’t even mention Kenzo, despite knowing Kenzo and I were friends."

"Why raise a topic when you don’t want to talk about it?" he returned sarcastically, cocking his head a little. "Are you surprised he’s confident Kenzo wouldn’t tell you?"

"No."

"Good." Jackson nodded in satisfaction. "So? What are you going to do with him?"

"The original plan." Her smile was subtle, but her eyes showed bloodlust. "Only this time, he might end up in the hospital. Initially, I planned to make Vincent misunderstand and be suspicious of my relationship with Marcus. But now, a misunderstanding isn’t enough. I want Marcus to fall so hard his landing would cripple him."

Jackson studied her quietly and chuckled, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. "How beautiful."

"Jack? Do you know anyone who can teach me martial arts?"

"You want to learn how to fight?"

"I want to learn how to hurt others without killing them."

His brows rose in equal surprise and amusement. Looking into her eyes, he licked his lips because the fierceness in her eyes was mesmerizing. It didn’t look anything like the eyes she carried that night in the nightclub. That night... she just looked like someone who was slowly falling apart. But now, her eyes were burning. Yet, despite the fiery hell beneath the layers in her eyes, she looked calm.

"You’re lucky." Jackson hummed after a prolonged silence. "You already know the best mentor you can have."

This time, Fil tilted her head to the side. "Don’t tell me...?"

"I can teach you skills you can use in emergencies. Something that might come in handy. You can learn them in a short period of time along with a harsh training." He shrugged. "Though I’m telling you, it’s not free."

"Are you... sure?"

"Do you want me to prove it to you?"

Fil studied his face, and her eyes fell on his chest. She pressed her lips, familiar with what kind of physique he had underneath these fabrics.

"How much will it cost me?"

"A space."

"Hmm?"

"Give me half of your bed." Jackson tipped his head inside the house. "And access to your place."

But he already had access to her place. Wasn’t that the reason he was here now, even without telling her?

"That’s all?" she asked.

"Yes."

’This feels like ripping him off,’ she thought. ’But then again, he’s a businessman. I’m sure he knows what he’s talking about. Perhaps he just needed official approval.’

Moreover, Fil would feel like he wasn’t intruding on her place. What was there to lose? It wasn’t like she didn’t like his presence. Matter of fact, she was grateful he was always around. She could recharge after a day full of contempt and anger.

A safe place for her.

Unbeknownst to her, it was the same for him. Jackson simply needed a safe place for himself.

"When do we start?" she asked excitedly.

"How about now? We start with a warm-up and mild workout."

"Now?"

Jackson grinned from ear to ear, taking her hand as he got up. He tugged her hand mildly, making her stand in confusion. Fil followed Jackson, and only after a few seconds, did she realize the warm-up routine he was talking about when they came close to the shower.

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om