The hallway was silent—eerily so. Not a single sound could be heard, save for the desperate pleas of the girl who was now trembling. Sarah, already on her knees, was begging. Her voice was barely audible—more felt than heard—as if speaking any louder might seal her fate, just like her father’s.
And then, at last, Zethan let go of the man.
He collapsed, his body hitting the floor with a loud—
THUD—
drained of all strength. Another collective gasp rippled through the crowd, stunned by the sight.
He pushed himself up, already on his knees, and spoke in a trembling voice.
"I’m very sorry, Mrs. Lilia. I promise I won’t do that again. I’m sorry for the disrespect I’ve caused."
His words ca out in stutters, each one shaky, as he struggled not to commit any further offense.
And then, Zethan moved.
He walked toward Lilia, who stepped forward with calm grace. He lifted his hands slowly, and she gently placed hers on his.
Then he spoke—in a whisper—but the deep hush of his voice carried through the silent, grand hall, reaching every corner filled with wealth and frozen stares.
"My wife needs so rest."
With that, Lilia accompanied him as they walked toward the elevator.
The crowd parted in silence, making way.
Not a word was spoken. Not a breath was wasted.
The only sound left lingering was the weeping of the girl—and her father.
Just as the elevator doors slid shut behind them, a man finally dared to speak.
But the mont his whisper escaped his lips, others followed—soft, uncertain, like wind stirring leaves after a storm, like waves washing over dry land.
It was as though Zethan’s departure had broken an invisible spell, unraveling the silence that had gripped the crowd.
Murmurs spread like wildfire, voices rising in cautious waves as speculation and fear stirred once again.
anwhile... Lilia and Zethan stood in the elevator. Zethan spoke, his eyes on Lilia, his lips curving into a smirk.
"Are you not going to scold , darling?" he whispered, though it sounded more like a term of endearnt than a question.
"I’ll let this slide," she said, her voice smooth yet firm. "He was incredibly disrespectful, but I don’t advise you to do sothing like that again. You could’ve handled things the right way."
She knew very well that Zethan hadn’t truly hurt him—it was just a warning.
Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how soone could be so... she didn’t even know the right word. How could a man force his own daughter to marry soone who was already married?
Though she hated to admit it, she recognized the sa traits in this man that her father had.
And if soone like Zethan had ever given her father a similar opportunity, she knew—without a doubt—he wouldn’t have hesitated.
Then she turned and chuckled softly, the sound almost too gentle for her words.
"I wouldn’t want our children to see their father like that," she whispered. "What would we even be teaching them? I’m surprised I’m not annoyed—it seems I’m becoming more and more like my husband."
And then ca the answer, as if echoing her truth—
"Of course. True. And I think I’m becoming more like you," Zethan said, facepalming himself and chuckling in disbelief. "I’m getting soft."
But it was true. He was beginning to feel slight sympathy.
"I need to beco a good role model to my little boys and girls."
Lilia nodded. "Yes, you do."
Zethan smiled as they stared at each other.
Lilia finally spoke, her voice calm as she shifted her gaze. "I’m actually feeling very tired. Looks like I’ll need that rest you ntioned earlier."
Zethan chuckled. "Of course you will—after we’ve finally spent so ti together."
Lilia shot him a knowing look, fully aware of the aning behind his words. Then she giggled as Zethan laughed.
*
*
*
Evie stood at the special kitchen area assigned to her, gently cleaning the teacups and kettles in preparation for the night’s tea party. Lately, Lucas had been bothering her more than usual, and just as she expected, he appeared behind her, resting his hands on her shoulders.
"Do you want so help?" he asked.
Evie shook her head and glanced back at him. "You don’t have to worry, Mr. Lucas. I can handle it on my own. Besides, it’s not even that much work. Don’t you have sothing to do?"
Lucas grinned. "I’m just going around, asking people if they need anything."
Evie smiled, rolling her eyes as she spoke in a mock-serious tone.
"Oh, Mr. Lucas, I had no idea you were also Mr. Good Samaritan."
Then, leaning a little closer, Lucas replied,
"Oh, Miss Evie, when it cos to you, I think there’s always ti. Call Mr. Samaritan all you want—that won’t change how I feel about you..."
Imdiately, as those words left Lucas’s lips, Evie’s body stilled. The small teacup she was holding slipped from her hands, but Lucas moved quickly—yet Evie, being faster, caught it.
"Go away, Lucas. You cause more harm than good," she said softly, her cheeks flushing.
"Oh really? Are you sure about that, Miss Beauty?"
"Oh, absolutely, Mr. Beast," Evie replied, lifting her chin slightly.
Lucas burst into laughter. "I won’t argue with that. Fun fact—Beauty really did marry that Beast."
Evie shook her head, giggling as she bit her lip, trying to hold back her laughter.
"So, you watched Beauty and the Beast? Not the tough guy I thought you were. I always assud that show was for ladies," Evie teased.
Lucas cleared his throat.
"Of course not—I just caught a glimpse. Besides, I don’t need to watch the whole thing to know how it ends."
"Oh, really?" Evie replied, lowering the last teacup onto the tray. As she picked it up, Lucas stepped in and took the tray from her hands.
"Yes, really. Now let do this, milady," he said with a slight bow.
Evie rolled her eyes but handed it over carefully.
Then, without warning, Lucas added,
"I’ll be coming to your quarters tonight."
She froze at his words.
"For what, if I may ask?" she asked, turning toward him.
"Perhaps," Lucas smirked, "you could teach a little of your seduction skills."
Evie’s body stiffened. She quickly masked her reaction with a confused expression.
"What seduction skills, Mr. Lucas?"
Lucas chuckled as he stepped closer. Evie instinctively took a step back.
"I don’t know what you’re talking about—and why are you coming closer?" she asked, her voice in soft whisper.
Thum
Evie’s back gently hit the wall. Lucas leaned in, closing the distance between them, his presence overwhelming.
"Oh, please," he murmured, "I know you have plenty of seductive tricks up your sleeve."
As those words left his mouth, sothing clicked in Evie’s mind.
"So what if I do?" she challenged, raising a brow. "Why do you want to teach you?"
Lucas faltered, montarily speechless.
"Perhaps... do you have a lover here you want to use them on?" she asked, tilting her head.
"What if I said I do?" he replied quietly. "I really need to learn... please, Evie. For her."
Evie stilled.
Were they no longer in a relationship? She had clearly been joking in fact she did not expect such reply from him.
Lucas finally stepped back, giving her space.
"So... do you have ti?"
"You may co," she said calmly. "I’ll teach you."
Lucas blinked, caught off guard. "Aren’t you curious who the lady is?"
Evie t his gaze without hesitation. "I don’t care."
The annoyance in her tone ca out stronger than she intended, but she couldn’t hide it. Hearing Lucas laugh only deepened her irritation, so she stayed silent.
"Aren’t you even going to ask about our current relationship?" he asked.
Evie froze as she felt him bend down, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder.
"Get off , Lucas," she said sharply.
Lucas’s eyes widened, the sting of her annoyance finally registering. He was silent before a slow smile curved on his lips.
"Are you not even going to give so tips on what we’ll be practicing tonight?" Lucas asked.
"Look, Lucas, if you ask any more questions, then you can go et her instead. Let her teach you," she snapped, turning away.
Lucas’s smile widened at her irritation, clearly enjoying how flustered she was. Evie didn’t like that one bit—and she couldn’t understand why her emotions were so obvious.
"Lucas, huh? Here I thought we were keeping things professional with the ’Miss’ and ’Mr.,’" he muttered under his breath in a shocked, mocking tone as Evie fell silent.
"You know what? You’re really sothing else," she finally said, lifting her head to face him. Her voice was sharp, but her eyes betrayed sothing softer.
Lucas leaned in, his hands moving to her waist with deliberate confidence. Evie’s hand caught his, trying to push him away.
"Stop... t-touching , Lucas," she stamred.
He imdiately pulled back, chuckling under his breath.
"Oh, am I?" he said teasingly.
"Are you done for today?" he asked curiously.
Evie nodded slowly, not trusting her voice. But before she could step back, his hands were gently resting against her neck, fingers cool against her warm skin.
"If you want to break up with ," she said, her voice cracking at the edges, "at least do it properly." Her gaze dropped as she turned her face to the side, unable to et his eyes.
"Who said I was going to break up with you?" he murmured. Then, without warning, his lips crashed onto hers—fierce, claiming, and heated.
He pulled away only to sweep her off her feet, carrying her effortlessly toward a small corner table. She gasped, clinging to his shoulders.
"How about we break this table instead?" he whispered with a wicked grin. "We could even count this as part of our seduction lessons... What do you think, my love?"
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