Early the next morning, Elara Venn woke up alone again. She wandered through the room with a sense of longing, tears streaming down her face as she traced every inch of it with her fingers.
Just as the system couldn't hold back and asked what she was doing, Elara Venn sobbed, "I miss that time I was pinned against this table so much. You have no idea, Hazel Lane's height is perfect—she stands up, and her waist lines right up with the table edge. It's absolute perfection."
The system replied, "..." I don't know, and I don't want to know.
Elara Venn then crouched down to touch the carpet, while the system started pondering how to block out the host. After some research, it discovered that for the host's safety, that feature wasn't available yet. The system was on the verge of tears itself.
Elara Venn said, "This carpet is so soft and fluffy—it's like being pounded into the ground. It's way more comfortable than a mattress, honestly, like actual piling."
She moved into the bathroom next, running her hands over the sink and murmuring, "I hope the next person who comes along will scoop me up and set me on this counter just like that."
The system thought to itself, "..." Not listening, not listening, it's all nonsense.
Elara Venn reluctantly said goodbye to the walls and balcony before sitting on the bed, clutching the sheets and covers as she cried out, "Ah, even though this bed is too soft and I sink right in, I love how bouncy it is. Press down, and it springs right back up—the counterforce always makes for a deeper experience."
The system held back as long as it could, but finally snapped: "Are you going to leave or not?"
What started as just messing around had turned into teasing the system, but she couldn't delay the real task any longer.
Elara Venn went to the wardrobe, pulled on a shirt dress, and casually tossed her old clothes onto the table, perfectly covering the pen holder with the hidden camera. She grabbed a book and accidentally knocked the camera on the bookshelf askew. After casually moving around the room, she created a small blind spot in the surveillance.
She sat on the carpet with her back against the bedframe, holding the book. The camera could only catch the back of her slightly bowed head, not what she was actually doing.
Elara Venn used a hair clip she'd gotten earlier to pry at the chain lock. Having lived through several lifetimes, she hadn't mastered many professional skills, but she had picked up plenty of little tricks.
Hazel Lane never expected her to pick the lock—the chain was sturdy, but the lock itself wasn't high-end. Elara Venn managed to open it after a bit of effort.
Click—
Elara Venn wiped the sweat from her forehead and boasted, "Tsk, how am I this amazing?"
The system thought, "..." How is your skin so thick? Even the corner of a city wall would bow down.
She loosely fastened the chain around her ankle to make it look normal when she walked, so no one would notice right away.
The system let Elara Venn bask in her self-satisfaction for a moment before reminding her, "If you don't leave soon, someone will come to make lunch. Do you want to eat first and chat before going?"
Elara Venn said, "...You're not in love with me anymore—you're even starting to mock me? Fine, let's go, right now!"
The system thought, "..." Heaven above, when have I ever loved her?
Elara Venn pretended she had to use the bathroom, slipped inside, and cracked the door open to sneak out. She took deep breaths to convince herself she was just a poster on the wall, tiptoeing along the edge as she inched toward the exit.
The bathroom wasn't far from the door, but Elara Venn held her breath the whole way, especially at the threshold, adjusting her position several times before carefully reaching for the doorknob.
But before she could turn it, the knob moved on its own.
Elara Venn froze: "!"
There stood Hazel Lane, radiating a chilling aura.
Oh no, I'm done for.
Elara Venn was startled stiff.
Hazel Lane said softly, "Little Key."
Elara Venn trembled all over, her legs nearly buckling as she pleaded, "Why are you back?"
Hazel Lane said expressionlessly, "I saw you wanted to go somewhere. Would it be convenient for me to give you a ride?"
Elara Venn stammered, "...It's not what you think. I can explain."
Hazel Lane replied, "Go ahead, I'm listening."
Elara Venn thought, "..." There's nothing to explain—I was trying to escape, and it was to find that other man, or whatever you'd call him. Saying it out loud would only make her angrier.
Elara Venn lowered her head and stayed silent.
Hazel Lane stepped closer: "Why aren't you speaking?"
Elara Venn took a deep breath, about to put on a pitiful face to beg for sympathy, when Hazel Lane said in a low voice, "Think it through before you say anything."
Elara Venn looked up and met a face as cold as frost. Even with a thousand excuses, she couldn't say a word—especially not obvious lies.
Hazel Lane glanced down at Elara Venn's bare ankle and said slowly, "I underestimated you. You're quite the jack-of-all-trades, aren't you?"
Elara Venn's eyes darted away slightly, and she pressed her lips together, not making a sound.
Hazel Lane laughed darkly: "Cat got your tongue? No explanation now? Do you want me to help?"
"Lane, you keep saying you love me, but you control me like this. I don't even know if you see me as a person or just a toy. Even a pet needs to get out and breathe sometimes."
"You want to breathe?" Hazel Lane shot back. "Then why didn't you tell me instead of trying to sneak away?"
She scoffed self-mockingly: "All this talk is just about leaving, isn't it? Where do you want to go? To Nathan Lane? I don't know why I love you, and I guess I don't care anymore how you got so fixated on him."
"But here's the thing," Hazel Lane said coldly, "I don't want to know. All I know is you'll spend the rest of your life with me, and you won't go anywhere!"
She stepped inside and slammed the door shut, making the wall paintings shake.
"Lane, wait—" Elara Venn was suddenly thrown to the ground, letting out a sharp cry. She screamed and tried to push Hazel Lane away, but her strength was no match. She was quickly overpowered.
Amid Hazel Lane's mix of seductive and harsh words, Elara Venn was taken right there on her favorite carpet.
Hazel Lane's expression was icy, her whole presence sharp as frozen shards, and her actions were rougher than before.
Elara Venn ended up crying, gasping for air, unable to push her away or even keep her hands steady—they kept slipping off. Hazel Lane had to pull them back around her shoulders now and then.
Elara Venn's brow furrowed deeply, her half-open eyes filled with helplessness and despair.
But Hazel Lane showed no mercy, stripping her bare and consuming her completely.
If you don't trust me, if you see me as a monster, then why should I hold back?
After the storm, Elara Venn was exhausted and fell asleep. Hazel Lane watched her furrowed brow even in sleep, feeling a mix of heartache and frustration.
Hazel Lane's parents had always favored sons over daughters. After she was born, they handed her off to nannies, and once her brother came along, they sent her abroad to avoid any inheritance disputes.
Even when her brother was kidnapped as a child, losing his legs and developing autism, their hopes for him faded, but they never turned their attention to her. Instead, they tried for another child.
Her father had an injury that made it impossible, so they gave up. Hazel Lane was left in a foreign country, initially receiving monthly allowances, but eventually, her family forgot about her entirely—no money, no contact.
As a young girl in a rough neighborhood, she had to handle school and survival on her own. Her upbringing left her emotionally distant, and Elara Venn was the first and only person she'd ever wanted to get close to.
She craved Elara Venn but feared rejection, so she resorted to tactics she'd learned young—strike first, claim what you want, mark it as yours, and deal with the rest later.
But people aren't objects; you can't just tie them down and call them yours.
Hazel Lane wanted Elara Venn's heart, but she couldn't figure it out, and now everything was a mess. She even considered giving up and just going with the flow.
What's the point of overthinking? As long as she's here with me, even if she doesn't love me, we'll make it work.
Like old-school arranged marriages—many started without love and ended with white hair and shared graves.
Hazel Lane decided to ditch her failed attempts at winning her over with kindness. Simple and forceful was the way to go.
Besides, physical reactions don't lie. Elara Venn didn't seem to hate these encounters; she even found them pleasurable at times. That meant there was still a chance—maybe time would foster real feelings.
Hazel Lane's thoughts raced as she held Elara Venn and drifted off to sleep.
Once Hazel Lane's breathing steadied, Elara Venn—who had been feigning deep sleep and even snoring—suddenly opened her eyes.
She pinched Hazel Lane's cheek and whispered with a smile, "Did you really think I was that naive, trying to escape right under your nose?"
The system urged, "Hurry up, the drug won't last much longer."
Elara Venn sat up quickly, wincing as she pulled at her sore muscles.
She shot Hazel Lane a reproachful glance: "I'll forgive you this time, considering the breakup sex was decent."
Hazel Lane hadn't locked the chain back on her ankle yet. Elara Venn jumped out of bed, rushed to the wardrobe to dress herself, then glanced back at Hazel Lane. She pulled back the covers, confirming she was bare, and used a few bedsheets tied together to bind her tightly, finishing with a secure knot at her back.
The system asked quietly, "Have you thought about what it'll look like when she gets rescued?"
Elara Venn paused, glancing at the naked, bound Hazel Lane—it looked straight out of an adult film—and felt a twinge of discomfort: "You can find Mrs. Lee's contact info, right?"
The system said, "...Whether it's Mrs. Lee, some aunt, or whoever, it won't make much difference to Hazel Lane."
Still, Elara Venn couldn't bring herself to clothe her—it was all part of the plan to buy time while Hazel Lane was too embarrassed to call for help right away.
Elara Venn steeled herself: "She said she wouldn't hurt me. At worst, she'd tie me up and have her way again. A little thrill, and it'd be over."
The system thought, "..."
Hazel Lane woke in a haze, sensing movement. Always alert, she was shocked to find herself so deeply asleep. She tried to reach out but couldn't move.
For the first time, Hazel Lane showed genuine shock. She saw Elara Venn already at the door and shouted, "Elara Venn! Get back here!"