"Driving under the influence," he said coolly, "will send you straight to prison, little kitten."
"Prison?" The word detonated in Evelyn's mind.
She had heard stories about prisons in M Country—violent, lawless, unforgiving.
A pampered little hothouse flower like her, all soft skin and sheltered innocence—if she ended up in a place like that…
The mere thought made her blood run cold.
She stopped struggling.
All her strength drained out of her at once, and she sagged limply against the seat. Only the hand at her throat kept her from sliding to the floor.
Ares seemed satisfied at last.
He released her throat, grinning as she watched her cough.
Evelyn collapsed fully into the leather seat, chest heaving violently as she gulped down air. Her pearl necklace bounced wildly with each desperate breath.
Her face was flushed a deep red; tears and cold sweat mingled across her pale skin, leaving her disheveled and pitiful.
Humiliation and lingering fear twisted inside her chest. She sniffled, muttering under her breath like an aggrieved child.
"It… it hurts… Why did you choke me… Jerk…"
Ares had already leaned back into his seat, posture once again composed, distant, as though the brutal man from seconds ago had never existed.
He brushed at the sleeve she had grabbed earlier, as if dusting off something unclean.
Without sparing her another glance, he addressed the front.
"Alfred."
"Yes, Boss."
"Have the car cleaned. I don't like dirty things."
"Understood, Boss."
"Dirty things?" Evelyn lifted her head, eyes blazing despite the tears. "You're the dirty one. You and your whole criminal family are dirty! Bullying a woman—what kind of man does that make you?!"
She couldn't even summon truly vicious insults. She only knew the injustice inside her needed an outlet.
She had never been treated this way in her life.
Fine. If everything was already ruined, she might as well stop pretending.
With a small, trembling fist, she swung at him.
He didn't even raise his eyes.
The instant her punch came forward, his hand shot out and caught her wrist.
"Ah—!"
Pain exploded up her arm. It felt as though her bones were about to crack.
Then he yanked.
Her balance vanished. She pitched forward—straight into his chest.
In the chaos, her soft lips brushed against his throat—against the subtle rise of his Adam's apple.
Ares's entire body went rigid.
His breath stalled. A pulse throbbed sharply at his temple.
"Mm—!"
Evelyn froze too, stunned by the contact—the warmth of his skin, the dangerous heat radiating from him. Instinct screamed at her to pull away.
"If you value your life…" His voice was hoarse now, darker than before. "Behave."
His free hand clamped around her slender waist.
It was not a caress, but a ruthless grip.
"Ah! That hurts!"
Her face drained white as pain shot through her. Fresh tears spilled over, extinguishing what little defiance she had left.
She had truly met her nemesis.
Scrambling, she tore herself from his arms and retreated to the farthest corner of her seat, pressing against the door, clutching her aching waist. She didn't dare look at him again—let alone speak.
Ares resumed his upright posture, immaculate and composed, as though nothing had happened.
Only he knew what that fleeting softness against his throat had stirred inside him.
For one dangerous second, he had nearly lost control—like some reckless boy without discipline.
He forced his gaze toward the window, jaw tight.
But the body does not always obey the will.
His eyes flicked downward briefly, toward the sharp crease of his expensive trousers.
Even through the finest tailoring, the involuntary reaction was impossible to ignore.
Damn it.
The curse echoed silently in his mind.
An unfamiliar irritation pressed down on him, lowering the temperature in the car several degrees.
Three times tonight.
Three.
And every single one had something to do with this audacious little spoiled girl who had no idea what kind of storm she had walked into.
He closed his eyes and drew in a slow breath, forcing the restless heat back under iron control.
"Alfred." His voice sounded slightly rougher now.
"Yes, Boss."
"Back to the castle."
A pause.
"Let her experience what 'prison' feels like."