"How did you get in here?" Valerie asked.
"Well, to answer that, I'd have to explain how I found out where you relocated to." He said and got up from his chair. "You know, you're as fast as a mouse. You didn't waste time to move once you knew your hideout had been discovered."
"Why would I stay put for a dangerous man like you to prey on?"
"And yet," he towered over her. "...that dangerous man is standing right in front of you right now. What are you going to do about it?"
Valerie sighed.
"Do you really have nothing better to do?"
"If I did, do you think I'd be here?" He asked and took a lock of her hair in his finger, lifting it to his lips. "You're the reason I came all this way, so won't you tell me what I want to hear?"
"It feels like a trap." Valerie said and he tittered.
"Then, I'd like you to gladly fall into my trap." He said and finally kissed the lock in his grasp.
"How did you become so crazy?" Valerie ended up asking and he took a moment before responding,
"I don't know. I must've hit my head when those thugs you set beat me up." Valerie flinched and clutched her robe.
The thugs. No matter how she looked at it, it was already too late to explain or apologize for what happened at that time. He paid dearly for it and now she was paying the same price.
She sighed.
"What do you plan to do?" She asked him and he smiled.
"Is that a yes?" He asked in return but she remained silent, staring at his face in the dim light. "What? Cat got your tongue?"
'How does he feel so familiar and unfamiliar at the same time?' she thought. "Maximus, in the time when you and I cooperate, what will you define our relationship?"
"I hate you too much to call you my lover." He stated and her heart skipped a beat. "But I do not hate you to the extent where I do not want to be in the same room with you, so how about I make you my wife?"
"What?!" Valerie exclaimed, shocked.
That honestly came out of nowhere. What sort of joke was that? But... Why wasn't he laughing? He was looking at her with eyes that were dead serious.
"What sort of nonsense is that?" She asked. "Do you think marriage is a joke?"
"Haha, of course not. But I figured, what would be the best way to torture you?" He walked around her and stopped at her back, placed his hands on her shoulders and whispered. "Of course, it would be to chain you to the man whom you had played seven years ago."
It was almost ten years, yet he still held resentment to that day.
"You took advantage of my feelings, used me and discarded me because, according to you, 'he's not worth my pinky. I would never spend my life with such a thing'." His eyes turned cold. "Those were your words back then, wasn't it? I heard them clearly, didn't I? There are still a lot more, do you want me to say them all?"
'It's not true.' Valerie thought, shutting her eyes tight. 'It's not true.'
His grip on her shoulder tightened, waiting for her to respond and she cleared her thoughts.
"But if you hold that much resentment towards me, why help me in the first place?" She asked, keeping her head down. "You can go ahead and do whatever you want now, can't you?"
"There are too many flies." He darted his eyes with disinterest. "If there are too many disturbing variables, how can I be sure the reason you frown and cry is because of me?"
"So, you want to help clear out whatever could take my attention from you?" She asked. "And then watch me crumble slowly with the pain you inflict. Your pain alone?"
"Correct. You were always a smart girl. Now, will you cooperate and let me help you?" He asked. "Once we begin, there's no going back so think carefully."
'As if he's giving me much of a choice.' Valerie thought and silently gritted her teeth,
If she agreed with him, she'd be getting huge help to take down her uncle. But in return, she'd be paving the road with an unclear destination. A road that was so dark that she didn't know if she'd be able to survive.
"Answer me, Valerie." Max growled angrily and she jolted out of her thoughts.
"What?"
"I said, once you make up your mind, know that you belong to me and me alone."
'That's for sure.' she thought and finally made up her mind. "I understand." She said. "I have no objection."
"Hm, is that right?" He took his hands off her shoulders. "I was sure you'd put up a bit more resistance but, this is fine too."
"Don't worry, I don't have a secret lover somewhere."
"Of course you don't." He said, his lips curling up in an evil smirk. "I made sure of that."
"What?" She looked at him, confused but he refused to say more and went to sit.
Valerie shook her head, gave out a sigh and rubbed her shoulder. His grip was so hard. Ugh, was she going to have to face something like this on a daily basis?
This man really meant it when he said he'd torture her and make her suffer. Had it already begun?
'Soon, Valerie. Soon. I'd like to see you crumble underneath me.' Max thought.
But contrary to what he was planning, he was actually giving Valerie a safe haven. Living with him for the rest of her life could never be a form of torture. Because he was the only one she ever felt safe with.
Even now, while he was threatening to make her life hell, threatening to make her suffer to his satisfaction, she didn't feel scared. And his presence... his cold and overbearing presence actually gave her a sense of security. She couldn't explain it but that was just how she felt.
"Maximus, can you get explosives by tomorrow night?" She asked and he squinted his eyes in suspicion.
"We haven't even sealed the deal yet, and you're already using me to do your bidding. Well done." He clapped his hands.
"If you didn't want to be used by me, you wouldn't have proposed that in the first place. Now, answer me."
"Bossy, bossy, bossy. Glad you didn't lose your touch from my little intimidation." He said and Valerie thought,
'Little? You practically threatened me with my entire life.'
Max looked so amused that Valerie felt she was giving him too much entertainment.
They were just at the beginning of their cooperation, so she had to be careful with the words she said to him and try her best to pay attention to his words as well.
Lies cannot be easily detected when mixed with truth. There's no telling if he was the same honest and gentle guy he once was so she had to keep her head up.
Well, the gentle part was out, that's for sure. He looks so cold and bitter now. What happened to him after they parted ways?
"How big of an explosion are we talking about?" Max asked, bringing Valerie out of her thoughts and she answered,
"One that can engulf an entire yacht."