Her breath hitched.
A sharp gasp escaped her lips as his words settled in.
The way he said it—
Calm.
Certain.
Dangerous.
Her heart began to race uncontrollably, her chest rising and falling as she struggled to process what he meant.
She couldn't look at him.
Couldn't face that gaze.
So she lowered her eyes, staring anywhere but at him.
Too overwhelmed.
Too shaken.
But that only seemed to amuse him.
His smirk slowly widened, stretching into something darker… something almost devilish.
Without breaking eye contact, he took the cigarette butt from her trembling hand.
Then—
Crushed it under his boot.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
As if destroying the only proof she had meant nothing at all.
Her fingers curled slightly, empty now.
Powerless.
Before she could react, his fingers slipped under her chin, tilting her face upward.
Forcing her to look at him.
Her breath caught again.
"Cat got your tongue, huh?" he murmured, his voice rough, almost teasing.
Her lips parted, but no words came out immediately.
Her hands instinctively gripped the sides of her dress tightly, knuckles turning pale as she tried to steady herself.
"I… I am… untouched."
The words came out soft.
Uncertain.
Fragile.
And even she could hear it.
The lack of confidence.
Because yes—
She knew her truth.
She knew who she was.
But last night—
That presence.
That closeness.
That touch…
Was she really untouched?
The thought sent a shiver down her spine.
His gaze darkened at her words.
Slow.
Intense.
His hand moved again, this time cupping her jaw firmly.
Not harsh.
But controlling.
Grounding her in place.
His thumb brushed lightly against her skin, his voice dropping into something lower…
something heavier.
"Innocence suits you very much…"
His eyes trailed over her face, taking in every small reaction.
"…but it's also tempting."
Her breath stilled.
"…so tempting that it takes every ounce of control not to ruin it."
Her mind went blank.
Completely.
His words—
They weren't loud.
They weren't aggressive.
But they carried something far more dangerous.
Something that made her pulse race wildly under her skin.
Her lips trembled slightly, but no voice came out.
No response.
Nothing.
She just stared at him, wide-eyed, frozen in place.
As if her body refused to move.
His gaze slowly moved over her one last time.
Careful.
Hungry.
Controlled.
Then—
Just like that—
He stepped back.
Letting go.
The sudden loss of contact made her feel unsteady, like something had shifted without warning.
But his presence didn't soften.
Not even a little.
"Don't forget to finish your breakfast."
His tone changed instantly.
Cold.
Firm.
Authoritative.
"Otherwise… there will be consequences."
The word lingered in the air.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
Her body reacted before her mind could.
She nodded quickly.
Almost obediently.
"Yes…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
And without waiting another second—
She turned and hurried inside her room.
The door closed behind her.
Locked.
Her back pressed against it immediately as if she needed something solid to hold onto.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
Her breathing uneven.
Her hands trembling.
"What… was that…"
She whispered to herself, her fingers slowly lifting to touch her cheek where he had held her.
It still felt warm.
Her mind replayed everything.
His voice.
His words.
The way he looked at her.
Her entire body reacted in a way she couldn't understand.
Was it fear?
Or something else entirely?
A drop of sweat rolled down from her forehead, tracing the side of her face.
She swallowed hard.
Trying to steady herself.
But one thing was clear—
Whatever was happening…
It was far more dangerous than she had imagined.