Captian sat on his devil-king throne without the slightest reaction.
I frowned slightly, my pretty brows knitting together, and let my voice drip sweet and syrupy as I whined,
"It hurts so much… I really can't play anymore. How about… we leave it for next time?"
I rubbed my small hands and legs, bargaining with that honey-sweet tone of mine but my eyes were sly, fox-like, completely at odds with my harmless rabbit act.
Captian suddenly stood up and wrapped an arm around my slender waist. His voice dropped lower, tinged with a kind of indescribable temptation.
"Your legs hurt, your hands hurt, and you don't want to play anymore, huh?"
His hot breath spilled over me at once, that tingling sensation spreading and rising slowly under my skin.
Startled, I dropped my gaze, my ears quietly flushing red. Staring at my reflection on the polished floor, I muttered softly,
"If President Anderson insists that I play… then I can only grit my teeth, ignore the pain in my arms and legs, and keep playing."
I bit my lip, my shoulders trembling slightly like a little white rabbit being bullied to the point of misery enough to make anyone's heart ache.
His hand slowly slid upward until it came to rest on my shoulder. His hoarse voice was low and pleasant, carrying a faint sensuality wrapped in a bit of domineering force.
"If it hurts… then you don't need to play anymore today."
Hearing that, I couldn't help curling my lips up, joy blooming wildly in my heart.
His dark eyes suddenly dimmed, and he leaned down to capture my rosy lips, biting and sucking at them fiercely.
Just a moment ago I'd been so happy, but now I was once again reduced to a terrified little rabbit, my small body trembling. I was scared, but I didn't dare push him away.
His kiss was like a violent storm, sweeping through every corner of my mouth, leaving nothing untouched. My entire body went numb. My fair little face flushed scarlet, like a ripened apple.
I didn't know how long it lasted before he finally released me. If the piano behind me hadn't been there supporting my back, I would have collapsed straight to the floor.
My small hand gripped his shirt tightly as I panted.
Captian lowered his gaze, his eyes falling on my flushed, delicate face. The contrast of white and pink made the tear mole beneath my eye look even more seductive. He lowered his head again and kissed the mole, then lightly licked it.
I shivered all over, barely daring to breathe, terrified that his stormy moods might turn and he'd suddenly develop some twisted interest in my tear mole.
Then he spoke, his warm breath fanning across my skin.
"The Bailey family came by today, didn't they?"
At that, my mind snapped back into focus. So he did know the Baileys had come. Had Ronan told him?
"Yeah," I answered honestly, my tone obedient. "They came around lunchtime. They were here to ask for money. They said their company was in trouble and wanted five million. Isn't running a company supposed to make tons of money? If he's losing so much, he might as well shut it down."
Captian watched me with deep, shadowy eyes.
"He's gotten addicted to gambling lately. He lost five million in one go."
I stared at him, stunned, realizing my guess had been right. Mr. Bailey really had gone gambling. To lose that much… he must have joined some massive game. Terrifying.
"You didn't give him anything?"
He rested his head lightly on my shoulder, his warm breath blowing against my ear, making it burn even hotter.
Feeling uncomfortable, I tilted my head aside.
"No. I'm not a bank. How could I possibly have that kind of money?"
Even if I were a bank, I wouldn't give them a single cent.
Captian chuckled softly. That sound alone felt like some kind of dangerous magic pouring into my ears, laced with a tempting, sinful flavor.
"Have I been too harsh with you? The great President Anderson's wife is all title and no benefits? Not even pocket money to buy clothes? Walking on thin ice every day, a life of hardship and suffering, hmm?"
Hearing those familiar words, my eyes flew wide open. I stared at him in disbelief.
Those were the exact lines I'd used to put on a show for the Baileys. How did he know?
At that time, Ronan and Nanny Alley had both been outside. Inside the villa, there had only been the three of us. Those words shouldn't have leaked out… right?
So how did he know and so accurately, at that?
"President Anderson, I…"
My tongue trembled so badly that I couldn't force out a complete sentence.
He stroked my small face and smiled mockingly.
"So you think I've been treating you very harshly, hmm?"
Every pore on my body stood on end from fear.
"Of course not. President Anderson hasn't been harsh with me at all…"
There were so many expensive things locked inside my drawer. If I dared to claim he was mistreating me, I'd probably be beaten to death.
I rubbed my toe against the floor, feeling more and more panicked.
Could it be that there were surveillance cameras hidden somewhere in the villa?
If so, wouldn't every word and movement of mine be recorded?
My face turned pale in an instant. Thankfully, I hadn't spoken out of line. If I had said anything that didn't sound like something the Bailey family's legitimate daughter would say… then today would have been my end for real.
Besides the fear, there was also a slight sense of relief in my chest.
"So what exactly did you say?"
Captian's thin lips curved as his deep eyes locked onto me.
Meeting his gaze, I held it for a moment before looking away and answering softly,
"I just didn't want to give them money. If they already have money and still gamble, then giving them more is basically encouraging them. They'll only get worse and gamble even more because there's always an ATM if they run out."
Even if I didn't like Captian very much, I still couldn't bear to waste his money like that.
He hummed in acknowledgment, saying nothing further.
Seeing that he didn't press the issue, I quietly breathed a sigh of relief where he couldn't see. My tiny hand patted my chest a few times. I'd really been scared half to death.
He was still leaning over me, his warm breath constantly washing over my skin. The air between us grew thicker, more ambiguous by the second. I had no choice but to lift my small hand and thump his chest a couple of times.
"President Anderson, can we sit down and talk instead? My legs hurt…"
My lips pouted slightly, my voice like a little crying kitten. My legs really were turning to jelly.
Her soft scent kept drifting up into his nose; my body was small and soft, like a touch would be enough to send someone's thoughts spinning out of control. His eyes stayed dark and deep as he slipped an arm around my waist and lifted me, setting me down directly on the piano keys.
In an instant, a discordant crash of notes rang out. I jumped, completely startled, frozen on the keyboard and not sure what to do with myself.
My butt was freaking out too.
"President Anderson, what are you doing?"
I tugged my dress down, cheeks blazing as I tried to hide my exposed pale thighs.
"Your legs hurt, so sit."
His voice was calm as he spoke, his body positioned firmly between my knees.
Panic shot through me. This position was extremely suggestive and from here, I could see his expression clearly: dark, dangerous, heated to the point of being terrifying, like he wanted to devour me whole.
"But these are piano keys… What if I break them?"
I stammered, face burning as my gaze darted away.
He brushed his thumb over my pale pink lips.
"I'll buy another."
I twitched the corner of my mouth.
Truly, this was how a ruthless rich man thought.
Neither of us spoke. The piano room stayed quiet for a long time. I sat there on the keys, and he remained between my legs, his deep eyes never leaving my face.
His stare made my heart pound in chaos. Suddenly, I covered my mouth with one hand and let out a long yawn.
"Captian, I'm really sleepy… Can I go back to my room and take a nap now?"