The moment that thought took root, a wave of irritation surged through her.
Her small hand fumbled inside his pocket.
Through the fabric, her soft, delicate hand roved over his body, a seemingly careless caress that felt like a deliberate provocation.
Aiden Pierce felt a fire slowly awakening within him, his eyes darkening several shades.
After searching to no avail, Willow West was clearly annoyed.
"Aiden Pierce, where's my earring!"
Aiden Pierce said indignantly, "Little West, you're truly vicious!
Resorting to such tactics… do you really think you can have me this way?
Dream on!"
"Oh, shut up!"
Undeterred, Willow West's hand went to rifle through his other pocket. It was also empty.
He couldn't help but let out a soft grunt. "Little West, you're just full of tricks, aren't you!"
Not finding the earring, Willow West felt that Aiden Pierce had played her for a fool again.
The man was still babbling on. Annoyed, Willow West reached out and slapped him across the face—not too hard, but not too soft either.
"Aiden Pierce, you're messing with me, aren't you!"
Aiden Pierce turned his head, offering his other handsome cheek to Willow West. His voice held a smile, as if he were placating a child. "Want to give this side a slap, too?
I'm a bit obsessive. Things need to be symmetrical!"
"Oh, so you enjoyed that, did you!"
Seething, Willow West pulled out a stun gun and pressed the switch.
Sparks fizzed and crackled.
Then, Willow West pressed the stun gun against Aiden Pierce's sharp jawline. All the patience was gone from her voice. "My earring. Where is it?
Give it back!
I'm not messing around!"
The man chuckled, his tone teasing. "You're certainly well-equipped.
If I'd known you were into this sort of thing, I would have been much more cooperative next time!"
Willow West was at the end of her rope. "Aiden Pierce, I'm asking you one last time. Where is my earring!"
Aiden Pierce said, "Have you considered... my pants pockets?"
Willow West: "Which side?"
Aiden Pierce: "Either the left or the right!"
Furious, Willow West plunged her hand into one of his trouser pockets and began to search.
The pocket lining was thin. Aiden Pierce could feel the soft warmth of her fingertips.
It was an unintentional act, yet it was more maddeningly tempting than any deliberate seduction.
Aiden Pierce couldn't hold back any longer. He shot out a hand, seized her by the jaw, lowered his head, and crushed his lips against hers.
Willow West froze, her bright eyes wide with shock.
'When did Aiden Pierce get out of the handcuffs?!'
His kiss was scalding, domineering and forceful.
Willow West struggled. The self-defense techniques she'd learned flashed through her mind, and she lashed out, but Aiden Pierce easily brought her under control.
He then pinned her arms behind her.
CLICK.
A cold metallic sensation circled her wrists. Aiden Pierce had cuffed her.
His scalding kiss never left her lips for an instant.
His arm snaked around her slender waist.
The control he was fighting to maintain was about to snap.
She refused to stay still, aiming a kick low, but he seemed to know all her moves. With a surge of strength, he trapped her slender legs between his own.
As he exerted himself, the muscles on his body stood out in sharp relief—the clear result of years of dedicated training.
With his advantage in size and the sheer disparity of strength between them, he had Willow West pinned against the door.
She couldn't move an inch.
Aiden Pierce gripped her jaw with one hand, forcing her mouth open.
After a deep, bruising kiss, Aiden Pierce's voice was raw and husky.
"Little West, you're the one who started this.
Don't blame me for this!"
Willow West's lips were numb from his kiss, her breathing ragged. When it came to cunning, Aiden Pierce was an old fox, seasoned by years in the business world.
When it came to a fight, all the moves she took pride in were child's play in front of him.
He was like a god, a superior being looking down from on high, yet he took every opportunity to toy with and humiliate her.
Willow West had been through so much in her life. She had never been a weak person and had rarely lost control of her emotions in front of anyone.
But in the face of Aiden Pierce's shameless accusation, she felt utterly humiliated.
Her clear eyes instantly welled up with tears.
She glared fiercely at Aiden Pierce.
Her voice trembled. "Aiden Pierce, you're despicable!
Do you get some sick pleasure out of tormenting me like this?"
She looked down, her thick lashes quickly growing heavy with unshed tears.
The sight made Aiden Pierce's heart clench.
'I went too far.'
'I made the little quail cry.'
His heart felt as if someone had jabbed it with the hilt of a knife.
He felt a pang of panicked discomfort.
Aiden Pierce reached out and gently ruffled her hair. His voice was low. "The earring isn't on me. Come see me tomorrow, and I'll give it to you.
Alright?"
Willow West looked up. Her eyes were shimmering and red, brimming with unshed tears.
Her expression, a mixture of hurt and defiance, made the tightness in Aiden Pierce's chest grow even worse.
He nodded. "I swear, I'll give it to you.
I give you my word. If I break it, I'm a dog."
Willow West struggled out of his arms. Her eyes red, she pointed to the door. "Get out!
I don't want to see you at all!"
Aiden Pierce's expression became cool and composed once more.
He straightened his clothes and grabbed Willow West's wrist.
"What's this?"
"What's it to you?"
Before the words were even out of her mouth, Willow West's body went limp. She staggered, as if all her strength had been drained away, and collapsed.
Quick as a flash, Aiden Pierce caught her limp body in his arms.
His voice was filled with an unconscious urgency. "Little West, what's wrong?"
Large welts were breaking out all over Willow West's body, starkly visible against her smooth, fair skin. Just two hours ago, when they were together, she had been perfectly fine!
'How did this little quail get herself into such a state in just a short time?'
He bent down, slid one arm under her knees, and swept her up into his arms. Then, with long strides, he headed for the door.
「At the hospital.」
When Willow West opened her eyes, her whole body ached and itched, and her breath came in ragged gasps.
She lifted her arm and saw an IV needle in the back of her hand. Cold fluid dripped slowly into her body.
The red welts on her arms had subsided significantly, but her throat still felt tight, as if it were stuffed with cotton.
It had been over two months since the last time this had happened.
She wanted to get up when a nurse's voice came from beside her, "Miss West, you're awake!"
The nurse helped Willow West sit up. Her eyes were a little vacant. "How did I get to the hospital?"
The nurse handed her a glass of warm water and popped two pills from a packet. "You had an allergic reaction. Someone brought you in."
Willow West obediently swallowed the pills, but she still felt weak.
After the nurse left, the room fell silent. The last time this happened, she had ended up in the ICU. When she woke up then, it had been just like this—an empty room, with only her in it.
Willow West took out her phone and opened her chat with Stella Monroe.
If Robin Sutton doesn't make a move at the engagement party, release all this information.
The message was marked as read. The only reply was an "OK" sticker.
Willow West expertly deleted the message and closed her eyes.
By the time the IV drip was finished, Willow West felt some of her strength return. As she stepped out of the room, the sky was just beginning to lighten with the dawn.
There were still more than five hours until she and Bianca Sterling were scheduled to register their marriage.
As she rounded a corner in the hospital corridor, Willow West caught an unexpected glimpse of a familiar figure.