There were moments that one didn't want to miss no matter what the situation was. One such moment was attending to the opening of AcadM in my life. I wanted to go, no matter what.
The happy feeling about seeing Mira still lingered even after three days. Not just that, but even Mr. Wolfe rarely exuded his intimidating behavior, and whenever we met, he only talked about random things and cuddled me to sleep. Nothing about the contract or sex.
Around me, the good times wouldn't stay long, so I decided to ask Mr. Wolfe for his permission before his bossy and intimidating behavior returned.
Sitting by the pool on the terrace, he kept having his drink by staring at the stars. Rarely, he looked peaceful. And stars always seemed to bring peace to him.
I stood at a little distance wondering whether to let him have his peace or disturb it with my presence. When I was hesitant, his gaze fell on me.
"From the moment you entered here, this place belonged to you. You don't have to bother about my presence. If you want to sit here, you can sit."
His things and villas never belonged to me. I knew my place despite his words.
I walked to him, but my steps halted when I saw a gun beside him. He took it into his hands and threw it aside. "Now, sit."
We both sat beside each other, silently. His eyes were still on the stars while my gaze didn't leave his face. He had such a handsome face that when he chose to be serious, his face would turn intimidating like a monster, but in the peace and calm, he was a gentle and dependable man.
"You look peaceful." I started the conversation as I didn't want to sit silently all night.
"Yeah! One of my enemies got killed. Though he's not considered as a threat to Wolfes, he has been a pain in the ass."
My eyes widened at his reply. It was really a surprise to me that he could talk about murders and killing so easily.
"Do…" I pressed my fingers together. "Do you kill people?"
He looked into my eyes deeply as he said, "You already see me as a monster. If I tell you the truth, you'll know that I am a monster."
"Then I'll take that as a yes."
I remembered the night he shot his clients in front of me. Even though my heart started to beat at an unusual pace, scared of him, I asked, "That night… you shot people in front of me. Are they alive?"
I looked at him with my hopeful eyes. My subconsciousness already told me he killed them, but I didn't want to believe it. For a person like me, Mr. Wolfe wouldn't risk his business.
"They are alive, aren't they?"
"No!" His cold reply startled me. "How could they possibly live after touching what's mine?"
My chest heaved up and down while I took deep breaths of air. People died, and I didn't want to believe that I was the reason for it.
I shook my head negatively, frightened. I didn't want him to think I truly belonged to him. I was not his. I was Matthew's. And I started to fear for Matthew's life.
Immediately I stood straight, distancing myself from him. "Mr. Wolfe! I am not yours. This is just a contract…"
"Stop talking, Elira." He interrupted. "Why do you argue so much? Why couldn't you just let it go? Is it that bothersome for you to even think that you're mine?"
He was not angry. He looked pitiful. Something was wrong in my head; else, why would I think the great Wolfe looked pitiful?
"Now, sit." He gritted his teeth. I sat again, not wanting to make him angry.
He continued, "Until the contract ends, you belong to me. You are mine, Elira. Don't ever forget about it."
His eyes told me another story. I was his possession. Even though there were no true feelings for me, I was one of his belongings. His scary eyes warned me I couldn't escape from him. Not even after the contract ended.
I looked away from him, not wanting to overthink. It was not for me to think if he was a murderer or a monster. I only had to bear with him for a few more months.
I was sure that even if there was something, once the contract ended, everything would come to an end.
"I… I think I should go."
Quickly, I tried to stand up, but the slippery floor made me lose my balance. A loud scream escaped my mouth as I fell into the water. Not alone, but with him.
Surrounded by the water, we both looked at each other with mixed emotions. The water droplets that dripped down his hair made him look hotter. And the way he switched his gaze between my eyes and lips didn't help but spread warmth across my cheeks.
He pulled me closer to him, bringing his lips closer to mine. If it was a moment of lust, I wouldn't have cared. But something about being kissed under the stars felt personal.
When his lips were about to land on mine, I said in one go, "I came here to ask for permission. Matthew's company is opening. I want to attend to it this Friday."
I expected him to become angry and go away, but the closeness between us didn't fade. He only let out a soft 'Hm' before landing his lips on mine. I shut my eyes anticipating the rough kiss, but it didn't happen. Rather, it was so soft and sweet, like honey spreading on my lips.
To my surprise, my lips parted, reciprocating to it tenderly.
Under the moonlight, which felt like a lovers' time, I got the kiss of dreams. Soft, sweet, and gentle. But, we weren't any lovers. We were just two messed-up individuals who got bound by a contract that was meant to be broken anytime.
But, if only there was no contract, no Mira, and no Matthew, would I have enjoyed it? Or would I have pushed him away?
The answer my subconsciousness yelled at me left me shocked. I denied it with all my might, but I knew I would've enjoyed kissing him. And it scared me to the core.