Vicious appeared at the doorway of Thalia's room, his dark eyes scanning her as she gathered herself. "Hold on," he said softly, almost a whisper. "Would you… like to have breakfast with me?"
Thalia hesitated, cheeks warming. "I'm… sorry, I can't."
He stepped closer, insisting gently, "Come on, girl. Have breakfast with me. Please."
She shook her head. "I still have work to do. Besides… I'm just a maid. I can't really have breakfast with the boss."
He chuckled, low and teasing. "Come on, it doesn't really matter."
Thalia opened her mouth to refuse again, but he cut her off. "I think that's a yes."
Reluctantly, she followed him down the hall. In the dining room, the table was set with an array of food—fresh fruit, pastries, warm bread, and a steaming plate of pasta.
"Sit," he commanded softly, gesturing toward the chair… then, before she could sit properly, he scooped her onto his lap, holding her firmly by the waist.
"What are you doing?" she whispered, squirming. "I thought we agreed—no touching, no teasing! I don't want anyone to find out about us. Besides… we are nothing. I told you, I am not falling for you."
His dark eyes gleamed with amusement. "Don't pretend with me. I know you want this… I know."
"Please, let me up. It's awkward this way!" she whispered, trying to shift.
"You know, my love," he murmured, holding her closer, "I want to hold you like this. This… makes up for last night. I missed spending the night with you."
Thalia pressed her lips together, cheeks flushed. "Shh… what are you saying? What if someone hears you? This is… silly. I need to get up!"
"No," he said simply.
She groaned but gave in, letting herself stay perched on his lap as he guided the first bite of pasta toward her mouth.
"Come on… come on, mamacita," he coaxed softly. "Open up, or I will kiss you right here if you disobey me."
She rolled her eyes, sighing, and finally opened her mouth. He fed her slowly, letting the strands of spaghetti brush her lips as he ate the excess himself.
"Victor! You're embarrassing me!" she whispered, trying not to giggle.
"Do I look like I care?" he replied, lips curling into a small smirk. "I don't care, baby."
Finally, he eased her back onto a chair close to him, still holding her hand lightly. "Alright. Five minutes is up," he said. "You can sit properly now."
He gestured toward the rest of the table. "Invite everyone for breakfast."
The maids shuffled, mumbling to themselves, hesitant to approach the boss. Vicious ignored them, sitting down and feeding Thalia with slow, deliberate teasing.
she tried ignoring him when he gave her another bite He leaned in, voice low and threateningly playful: "I remember… if you don't take the food from me, I will kiss you right here."
furiously, she took the bite he offered, shyly as they continued eating.
The rest of the breakfast passed in quiet amusement, him feeding her little bites, her stealing glances at him, and the others mumbling under their breath as they fumbled with their own plates.
The breakfast plates had finally been cleared, and the maids began to retreat, mumbling to themselves and exchanging glances that betrayed their awareness of the tension between Thalia and Vicious.
Vicious leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on her. "Sit Thalia," he said softly, his tone firm but calm.
Thalia hesitated for a moment, then obeyed, settling back into her seat. Her heart was still racing from the playful chaos of breakfast, and now the quiet intimacy between them felt heavier, thicker.
He watched her for a long moment, silent, before leaning slightly closer. "You look… beautiful this morning," he murmured, voice low.
Thalia stiffened. "Vicious… why are you saying that now? Why do you always pick these moments?" she whispered, half-annoyed, half-flustered.
"Because I can," he replied simply, a faint smirk playing on his lips. "And because I like watching you squirm."
"I… don't squirm!" she protested, cheeks heating.
"Yes, you do," he teased. "Every time I'm near you, you try to act composed, but your heart betrays you. You're thinking of me even when you shouldn't."
She narrowed her eyes. "And why is that your business?"
"Because I care," he said quietly, leaning just a little closer so she could feel the warmth radiating from him. "Because I notice everything about you. Because… you matter to me."
Thalia's chest tightened. "That's… that's ridiculous."
"Maybe," he admitted softly. "But I can't help it."
She opened her mouth to retort, but he interrupted her with a sudden grin. "Surprise," he said, leaning back with a flourish. "I brought back all the maids."
Thalia blinked, surprised. "All of them?"
"Yes," he said, his dark eyes catching hers. "Because you were busy overthinking about Lily and the house chores, I brought them just for you."
Her cheeks softened, a genuine smile breaking across her face. "That's… so nice of you. Thank you. It's good that you're finally thinking with your heart. No more… heartless as before."
Vicious's smile deepened, but then he leaned forward, resting a hand lightly on her wrist. "Excuse me… I don't think you're going anywhere just yet."
Thalia's eyes widened. "What do you mean? I'd like to continue my work."
He didn't let her move. Instead, he leaned closer, brushing his fingers lightly along her arm. "No. I want your attention. Right now."
"I—Vicious!" she protested, but her voice was softer now, tinged with warmth she couldn't hide.
"I know," he murmured, his eyes locked on hers. "I want to spend a little time with you. Just us."
Her heart raced. "And… the maids?"
"They can wait," he replied smoothly, voice low and intimate. "They're here because of you. But for the next few minutes… you're mine. Only mine."
Thalia's breath caught. She tried to pull away, but his hand tightened slightly, not harshly, just enough to keep her there. His presence was magnetic, almost impossible to resist.
"You're impossible," she whispered, cheeks flushing.
"And you like it," he countered, a teasing edge in his voice.
"I… do not!" she insisted, though she couldn't meet his eyes, already caught in the warmth and weight of his gaze.
Vicious leaned closer, his forehead almost brushing hers. "I'll take that as a maybe," he murmured, a faint smirk on his lips