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"You belong to me…"
His voice was low, calm—far too calm.
"There's no escaping now."
"No! No! Let me go!" Lily struggled violently. "Let go of me! Let go—!"
"Let go of you?"
He laughed.
Not loudly.
Not cruelly.
It was a quiet, amused sound—one that sent an unsettling chill down her spine.
The man standing before her was lian—the untouchable monarch of the fashion world in Country A and beyond. A name that commanded fear, admiration, and obedience with equal ease.
He bent down slowly, lips brushing past her ear.
"I'm not holding you," he whispered.
"You're the one holding me."
"Huh?" Her breath hitched. "Wh—what do you mean by that?!"
"What do I mean?" He straightened, eyes dark yet unreadable.
Before she could react, he swung her in one swift movement, towards a massive mirror .
"Take a good look," he said softly. "Really look."
Her reflection stared back at her—wide eyes, flushed cheeks, disheveled hair.
"Aren't you adorable?"
He pinched her cheeks playfully.
Heat flooded her face instantly.
So that's it?!
Just my face?!
Mom. Dad.
You two are highly responsible for this disaster!
"With my status," he continued lazily, "you'd think I wouldn't be interested in someone young… small… harmless."
Oh great, lily thought.
He's talking about me like I'm not even human.
"Some kind of—"
"Bunny."
Her heart leaped in embarrassment.
"Bunnies like you," he added casually, as if stating a fact.
Yep.
He said it.
He leaned closer, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder—not touching too much, yet close enough to make her heart race uncontrollably.
"I usually prefer women who are charming… gorgeous… elegant… glamorous…"
He paused deliberately.
"…breathtaking."
"Aish! Mr—!"
A finger pressed gently against her lips.
"No 'Mr.'"
His voice softened. "Call me my love… or I'm not listening."
He withdrew, strolling away with lazy elegance, one hand in his pocket—as though he hadn't just shattered her mental stability.
lily stood frozen.
If she said that word out loud, she was convinced her mouth would shut down permanently.
Instead, she shouted after him, "Charming, gorgeous, elegant, glamorous—whatever! With how many women you've met, Mr. Lian, why don't you just go after them instead?!"
"Hmmm."
His voice came from right behind her ear.
"Quite disobedient."
Her entire body stiffened.
How did he—?!
"For that," he said quietly, "you deserve punishment."
Punish… me?!
Her skin erupted in goosebumps.
"You should really learn how to address me," he continued, tone calm yet carrying an invisible pressure. "And yes, I've met countless women worthy of thrones."
He looked down at her.
"But none of them caught my attention."
His gaze softened—just slightly.
"Except the short girl standing in front of me."
…
I mean… I am short, lily thought nervously.
That's not an insult… right?
"Which brings me to something I don't understand," he said slowly.
"How… and why… am I drawn… to you?"
Silence swallowed the room.
Only then did reality strike her.
This man was danger itself—an enigmatic ruler of high society.
And she?
A mere secretary in an unremarkable fashion company, living an average life, untouched by luxury or power.
They existed in entirely different worlds.
So why—
"This isn't my fault!" she burst out suddenly. "Mr. Lian—!"
He turned.
Just one look from him was enough to make her shudder and avert her gaze.
"I—I mean… this has nothing to do with me! It's your eyes! Your mind! Your feelings! It has absolutely nothing—"
"Everything."
He cut her off, voice low and firm.
"It has everything to do with you."
He stepped closer—not threatening, not gentle either.
"You're under my investigation"
Her heart skipped.
"So tell me," he asked softly, eyes darkening,
"What exactly are you after?"
"My money?"
Ridiculous.
I rejected five million just to substitute someone for five minutes!
With his face only a few centimeters away from hers, he spoke calmly, as if stating an obvious fact.
"I can give you any amount you demand."
He paused, then added with a faint, confident smile,
"Even… everything."
Wh—what?!
Lily's mind short-circuited.
He—he's willing to go bankrupt for me?!
What in heaven and earth is this man thinking?!
He's really dangerous with words… dangerously smooth.
Thankfully, I'm not one of those women obsessed with wealth, or else—hmph.
"I—I don't care about your money," she said firmly, forcing her voice to stay steady.
He looked amused. A quick, unreadable smile curved his lips.
"Then why did you do it?"
"Do what?!"
What on earth was he accusing her of now?!
"You know," he continued leisurely, his gaze sharpening despite the gentle aura surrounding him, "I do wonder how you managed it. Or perhaps… you're not who you pretend to be."
Her breath hitched.
"But let me remind you of something," he said softly, eyes locking onto hers, "I am far more powerful than you think. Powerful enough to crush whatever you're planning against me."
"P-planning what?!" Lily finally snapped.
The accusations were getting ridiculous!
"Playing innocent?" He laughed lightly, the sound annoyingly pleasant. "I told you my ideal woman—her looks, her aura, the kind of woman I'd spend eternity with. And yet here I am…"
His gaze swept over her from head to toe.
"…standing before the complete opposite...And you expect me to believe you had nothing to do with it?"
"Of course not!" she blurted out. "What was I supposed to do—brainwash you with some secret technology?!"
He tilted his head slightly.
"That… isn't impossible."
Lily froze.
Speechless.
How on earth would she even get her hands on something like that?!
That kind of equipment would cost more than millions!
"Regardless," he continued calmly, as if her mental breakdown was irrelevant, "whatever you did—you succeeded."
She stared at him like a criminal already sentenced despite being completely innocent.
"And since I find myself… pleased," he added, "I won't sue you."
Sue—sue me?!
Great!
Accusations and psychological intimidation!
Accuse first, smile second, sue later.
Did he seriously think she possessed some underground brainwashing technology?- what was next, mind control through eye contact? Hypnosis from the black market?
Before she could protest, he reached out and interrupted her spiraling thoughts.
"Take my hand, Aein."
His breath brushed against her skin as he spoke with startling tenderness.
"And let's rule this world together."
Silence.
A long, suffocating pause—as though time itself had stopped.
Lily couldn't even tell if she reached for his hand.
Her vision blurred.
Suddenly—
A freezing liquid sliced through her face like a blade of ice.
She jolted violently.
Blink. Blink.
Lily woke up.
She lay frozen, still processing everything—from the terrifyingly realistic nightmare to—
Her best friend's nervous face hovering above her.
The empty cup in her hand dripped cold water onto the bed.
"YOU WERE SCREAMING," her friend said shakily. "So I panicked."
Lily stared at the ceiling.
"…I was just about to rule the world."
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