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Inside the private yacht, the cabin was a cocoon of luxury. Yunah sat stiffly on the velvet couch as Noah approached, a glass of juice in his hand. He slid it across the mahogany table with a gloved hand—the black leather looking sleek and lethal.
"Drink this," he commanded, his voice a low hum. He sank into the seat opposite her, crossing his legs and leaning back with a casual, predatory grace.
Yunah's nerves were frayed. She didn't know what to say, so she simply drained the glass, her eyes darting everywhere but at him. The only sound in the cabin was the rhythmic thrum of the yacht's engines and the muffled slap of dark waves against the hull.
Noah's lips quirked. He didn't let out a full smile, but the amusement was clear in the way he watched her. He leaned forward, closing the distance between them until he was firmly in her personal space. "So, shall we discuss our identities for tonight, Miss Yunah?"
"Identities?" Yunah asked, finally meeting his masked gaze.
"Yes." Noah nodded, sliding a velvet box toward her. Inside sat a heavy diamond ring that caught the cabin's dim light. "Don't call me Jay once we step foot on that island. My identity must be as buried as yours. Wear this. Tonight, we are a power couple from China, here for the gala and the high-stakes auction."
Yunah stared at the ring, then at him, her brain short-circuiting. "A couple? Us?" She pointed a finger at him and then herself, her voice rising in disbelief.
Noah let out a dark, melodic chuckle. "Yes. I'm on a critical mission tonight, but you have nothing to fear. We aren't Shadowveil tonight; we are just two wealthy socialites. You're safe with me."
Yunah wasn't convinced. The skepticism was written all over her face, her eyes narrowing as she glared at him.
Noah laughed softly at her defiant stare, his voice dropping into a husky, flirtatious register. "Don't look at me like that, Miss Yunah. Something happens to my pulse when you challenge me with those eyes."
Yunah frowned, her irritation flaring. She was worried about her life, and here he was, treating the situation like a game. "Mr. Jay, don't try to play me. Keep your flirtatious tone to yourself." She snapped at him.
A few feet away, Ashish went bone-stiff. He was stunned by her audacity. If anyone else on the planet had spoken to the Young Master with such a sharp, disrespectful tone, they would already be six feet under. But Noah simply raised his hands in mock surrender.
"My apologies, Miss Yunah. I'll behave," he said, though the smirk remained in his voice.
Yunah snatched the ring and slid it onto her finger. She froze when it glided on effortlessly, fitting as if it had been forged for her hand. "It... it fits," she whispered, staring at her ring finger. Her gaze snapped back to him. "How did you know my size?"
"I guessed," he lied flatly. "In my line of work, judging dimensions is a basic skill."
Yunah scoffed, not believing him for a second. "You said we're a couple. Fine. Explain the rest of the lie."
"Of course." Noah didn't look away from her as he snapped his fingers. "The file."
Ashish stepped forward, handed him a dossier, and retreated into the shadows.
Noah passed the file to Yunah. "Memorize it. Do not forget our names—not even for a second. But don't feel pressured," he added, his voice softening into something genuinely protective. "Even if you slip up, I'll make it right. I won't let the world hurt you."
Yunah opened the file and began to read aloud. "So, I'm Wu Lin, twenty-eight. Wife of Arthur Chen, a Chinese-American tycoon... one of the richest men in the East." She paused, her brow knitting together. "We met as children... and Arthur has loved Wu Lin since childhood? What kind of cringe-worthy story is this?"
"Cringe?" Noah's jaw tightened behind the mask. He felt a sharp sting of offense. He had written that "cringe" story based on his own reality—the night she had wrapped her scarf around his bleeding, freezing body and saved his soul. She was his savior, and he had spent years finding his way back to her.
"If you hate it so much," he said, his voice tight, "then you tell me the story. I'll follow your lead."
"Fine. Let's make it more believable," Yunah said, her eyes lighting up as she improvised.
Noah listened, but his focus was less on the words and more on the way her lips moved. "We went to the same high school. You had a massive crush on me back then, but you missed your chance. We met again years later and fell for each other. Simple."
She looked up, catching him staring at her with an intensity that made her breath hitch. The air in the cabin suddenly felt very thin.
"That's the story," she said, breaking eye contact to hide her racing heart.
"Fine. We'll go with your version," Noah said, turning his head toward the dark sea. He felt a rare flush creep up his neck, hidden by the mask.
"So, Arthur?" she tested the name out loud.
Noah raised a brow. "Practicing already?"
"I have to. You probably have a habit of doing this—changing identities, playing husband to different women for missions."
The atmosphere turned icy in an instant. Noah leaned forward, his aura shifting from flirtatious to dangerously intimidating. He stared directly into her eyes, his voice dropping into a low, possessive growl.
"Listen to me carefully. You are the first woman I have ever allowed to walk beside me. I don't 'look' at other women, let alone ask them to play a role in my life. You are the first person I have allowed into my territory... and after you, there will be no one else. Ever."
Yunah was paralyzed by the sheer weight of his words. She felt the obsession, the heat, and the strange warmth radiating from him. The question left her lips before she could stop it.
"Why?"