'Bianca Sterling didn't leave?'
DING-DONG—
DING-DONG—
Willow West grew suspicious. She simply couldn't ignore the incessant ringing of the doorbell.
'No one else would be ringing the doorbell this late at night!'
'What is Bianca Sterling doing back here?'
An inexplicable tightness seized her chest.
'That useless Robin Sutton!'
'Is that all they can do?'
'Can't even keep Bianca Sterling occupied!'
'How could they let such a golden opportunity slip away?'
'If that animal in heat wants to keep doing… *that*… I absolutely can't just be a sitting duck!'
She rummaged through her bag, pulling out a pair of handcuffs and a mini stun gun.
'If worse comes to worst, I'll just have to knock Bianca Sterling out with the stun gun!'
She pocketed the items, wrapped a bathrobe around herself, and went to open the door.
The door swung open, and a man in a black trench coat stood there, a gust of cold air sweeping in with him.
When she saw the man's face clearly, Willow West frowned, her heart beginning to race.
Only the dim light from the doorway spilled down, casting the man in faint, shifting shadows.
He was leaning casually against the doorframe. The play of light and shadow concealed parts of his face, making his features appear all the sharper.
His silhouette was sharp and defined.
But Willow West could easily pick out the ferocity in his expression.
Raindrops dripped from his trench coat. Aiden Pierce stood there with a lazy slouch, yet he still exuded an air of aristocratic grace.
Willow West looked at him and felt a primal nervousness. Her heart felt as though it were caught in a spiderweb in the dark, ensnared so tightly it made her breath catch in her throat.
She instinctively lowered her voice. "Aiden Pierce, what are you doing here?"
Aiden Pierce replied, "Couldn't sleep. Just out for a walk."
Willow West's expression was indescribable.
"From the Valerorn Lane Villa to the Vireon River Residence is about a half-hour drive!
You must have some impressive legs, old man, to 'walk' all this way!"
The woman braced her hand against the door, leaving only a narrow crack open. Her bright eyes were filled with defensiveness.
"Not going to invite me in?"
"Uncle Pierce, it's the middle of the night. It's really not a good time.
It's getting late. You should hurry on back and get some sleep before the sun comes up."
Aiden Pierce's eyes darkened, but he couldn't resist teasing her.
"Invite me in for a cup of tea, and I'll leave."
A flash of displeasure crossed Willow West's face.
"Sorry, Uncle Pierce, but we're out of hot water."
Aiden Pierce leaned against the doorframe, his hand gently fiddling with something in his coat pocket. "And here I was, thinking I'd drop by and return your ear stud. But I guess no good deed goes unpunished. Instead, I get the door shut in my face.
Ah, well. I'm getting old. The younger generation doesn't have time for me anymore.
I'll just head back, then."
With that, Aiden Pierce turned to leave.
Of course, Willow West had noticed him touching his pocket.
She wavered for a moment.
"Wait!"
Willow West's expression changed in a flash. The impatience on her face was instantly replaced by a radiant smile. "Uncle Pierce, how could you say such a thing!
You came all this way, late at night, just to bring me something. The least I can do is invite you in for a cup of tea!
There aren't many elders as thoughtful and understanding as you these days!"
'Little thing,' he thought. 'Her expression changes in the blink of an eye.'
'A summer sky, a baby's face—neither changes as fast as she does.'
And yet, Aiden Pierce adored watching her switch between her two faces—one moment fierce and hostile, the next playing meek and innocent.
That little act of hers—he found it utterly precious.
Willow West glanced around warily. Confirming there was no one else around, she finally opened the door.
Aiden Pierce didn't move, standing outside the door like a statue with a smirk playing on his lips. "My coming here in the middle of the night... I'm not interrupting anything, am I?
Your fiancé won't get the wrong idea, will he?"
Willow West gritted her teeth in frustration.
'Bianca Sterling left only moments ago, and now Aiden Pierce shows up!'
'She was starting to suspect Aiden Pierce had planted a tracker on Bianca.'
Willow West forced a smile. "My fiancé is very magnanimous.
You're overthinking things."
Aiden Pierce nodded in agreement. "Mm, to tolerate one's fiancée sleeping with other men, and then have her invite another man into her home in the middle of the night... yes, that is magnanimous indeed.
No wonder you're so set on marrying him!"
Willow West wanted nothing more than to march over and shut his damned mouth for good.
She gave a cold laugh. "Heh. Uncle Pierce, please, come in."
Aiden Pierce feigned reluctance. "No, I couldn't.
I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble. And don't forget, I'll see you tomorrow."
Willow West insisted, "You came all this way to deliver something to me. How could I be so unappreciative?
After all, you're a busy man—deals worth tens of millions every minute!"
Aiden Pierce said, "I still think coming to see you in the middle of the night is inappropriate..."
Willow West's patience finally snapped. She shot out a hand, grabbed Aiden Pierce by the collar, and with a powerful tug, yanked him into the entryway.
Willow West slammed the door shut. Her quick, furtive movements made the whole scene feel incredibly illicit.
The man watched the petite woman before him, an inexplicable sense of delight washing over him. His lips, which had been pressed into a thin line, couldn't help but curve into a faint smile.
'Ever since I met Aiden Pierce,' Willow West thought, 'these past two days have been absolute hell!'
'Aiden Pierce seems so refined and noble, the very picture of self-restraint, but I never expected that to be just a facade he puts on for others!'
'He's completely reckless, doing whatever he pleases without a care in the world!'
'He's just awful!'
Aiden Pierce stood still, and the chill clinging to him washed over Willow West.
The damp air carried the pleasant, cool scent of pine from his clothes. But as the fragrance diffused, she caught the finish—a faint note of citrus.
It was a cologne she liked.
The woman turned around, too tired to keep up the pretense.
She held her palm out to him directly.
"What?"
"Aren't you here to give me my ear stud?"
The man arched an eyebrow, his tone mischievous and cruel. "When did I say I was bringing you your ear stud?
I was clearly just out for a walk. You're the one who dragged me in here against my will and insisted I stay for tea."
Willow West: !@#$%!!!
Seeing the fury ignite in Willow West's eyes, Aiden Pierce couldn't help but let the smirk on his lips widen.
Willow West clearly saw the malicious glint in his dark eyes.
She reached out, grabbed his tie, and began winding it, loop by loop, around her pale arm.
The man complied, leaning down slightly to meet her.
"Aiden Pierce, you're up in the middle of the night just to mess with me, aren't you?"
The man's gaze dropped, and he saw the rash and scratch marks on Willow West's arm. The teasing glint in his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a murderous chill.
He grabbed her wrist, his voice as cold as if it were coated in frost. "How did you get these?"
At the same time, Willow West's other hand shot out and grabbed Aiden Pierce's wrist.
Two sharp CLICKS echoed in the air.
Aiden Pierce felt a sudden chill on his wrist.
He glanced down and saw a pair of gleaming handcuffs clamped around his wrist.
"Handcuffs?
Little West, so this is the kind of thing you're into.
You're wilder than I thought.
What else have you got on you?
Show me. Broaden my horizons."
Willow West ignored him, reaching directly into his trench coat pocket.
She had to turn sideways, her soft body unintentionally brushing against his.
The man felt his throat tighten. His gaze followed the line of her body and saw that under the loose white bathrobe, she was wearing a nightgown with thin spaghetti straps.
Its deep, wine-red color made her skin look even paler and more delicate by comparison.
On her delicate collarbones were the marks he had left behind. From his angle, he could catch a faint, tantalizing glimpse of the white swell of her breasts and her impressive cleavage.
'If I hadn't come,' he thought, 'was this little thing really planning to sleep with Bianca Sterling?!'