Nyx stood up, forcing him to stand with her as his hand remained locked on her wrist. She led him to the edge of the terrace, where the infinity pool spilled into the darkness.
"I have a confession, Linghe," she said, her voice dropping to a level of intimacy that made his blood run cold. "I didn't meet you by accident. I didn't 'just happen' to be here."
She reached into the pocket of the linen shirt and pulled out a small, folded piece of paper. It was a call sheet from his latest film—a document that shouldn't exist outside of a closed set in Hengdian.
"I've been watching you for a very long time," she murmured, her thumb tracing the line of his jaw. "Not as a fan. Not as a spectator. But as an architect. I needed to see if the man was as malleable as the actor."
Linghe felt a chill that had nothing to do with the night breeze. The girl he thought he was 'taming' was suddenly the one holding the scalpel.
"You... you planned this?" Linghe's voice was a rasp of disbelief. His introverted walls, usually so sturdy, were beginning to crumble.
"I planned every second," Nyx said, her eyes flashing with a terrifying, brilliant light. She stepped into his space, her body pressing against his, her hands sliding up to cup his face. "The 'accidental' outfit clash. The 'random' meeting at the pool. The 'secluded' cove. It was all a laboratory, Linghe. And you... you performed beautifully."
She stood on her tiptoe, her lips brushing against his ear. "I don't just admire you, Linghe. I own this version of you. The version that thinks he's in control. The version that's currently obsessed with a girl who doesn't exist."