Claimed by the Crown Heir novel Chapter 5

Vanessa's lips twitched, her face an unreadable mask. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

"The invitations are already out! The wedding is next week, and you're throwing a tantrum over something this trivial?"

Lucas's jaw clenched tightly, barely restraining his fury. As far as he was concerned, Vanessa was just making a fuss because she was desperately in love with him. This was all just a toxic game of hard-to-get.

They had been together for three years. How could she possibly bear to leave him?

Vanessa sneered. "If we break up, you can screw Chloe out in the open. You won't have to worry about an old hag like me dragging you down, and you can play around with as many young girls as you want."

She had heard every single word in that private room.

So she was still just throwing a fit!

"You're the one who wouldn't let me touch you! Name one relationship where a guy goes three years without sex. Vanessa, I'm a normal man, not a celibate monk."

He meant that she wasn't normal. That she wasn't even a real woman.

Three years ago, her near-assault had left her with a violent, physical aversion to any intimate contact with men.

It had taken six months of dating before she could even handle holding Lucas's hand, hugging, or kissing. But every time they pushed further, she was instantly dragged back to that dark alley, haunted by the filthy hands clawing at her...

She had been secretly attending intense therapy for years and had made incredible progress.

She had genuinely planned to give herself entirely to him on their wedding night and finally reveal her true identity.

There was absolutely no point in that now!

Vanessa's eyes swam with disappointment. "So you used my trauma as a punchline to entertain Chloe?"

Panic flashed in Lucas's eyes as he rushed to defend himself. "I was drunk that day! I just needed to vent my frustration... I didn't mean it."

His feelings for her had never been fake, but over time, the constant rejection had worn him down. Especially when things got heated, only to crash and burn time and time again because of her mental block.

With no outlet for his urges, Chloe had practically fallen into his lap. She was young, vibrant, full of life, and always looked at him with pure admiration. She had deliberately seduced him.

The implication was crystal clear: if she refused to marry him, everything he had given her would be seized back.

Vanessa had slummed it out with him from the very bottom; there was no way she would willingly hand over such massive wealth.

If she couldn't bear to let the money go, she would have to swallow her pride and accept his cheating.

Seeing her silence, Lucas looked as though he had already won. "Nessa, I can tolerate you not wanting sex, but you have to accept Chloe's existence. The three of us can live perfectly well together. Isn't that better than throwing it all away?"

He wasn't much to look at, but he certainly had an overactive imagination.

Stripped of her rose-tinted glasses, he was nothing special.

"Lucas, you absolutely disgust me. I can't believe I ever loved a shameless bastard like you."

That look of sheer disdain hit him like a physical blow. Humiliated and enraged, Lucas lashed out, grabbing her jaw. "Don't look at me like that! You think you're so pure? I was willing to baby you and marry you! You should be on your knees thanking me."