Crimson streaks trailed down her slender legs, the thin rivulets of blood painting a stark contrast against her trembling, frozen skin. The sight only made her appear more delicate—an unintentional allure.
Ethan's gaze darkened as he observed her, his expression betraying raw intensity. He didn't bother to hide his desire as if he had already claimed her in his mind.
He wasn't just threatening her.
He would do it.
Lily was paralyzed with fear, her back pressing against the rough chain-link fence. There was nowhere left to run. The man before her, towering like a devil in the night, stripped away every ounce of control she thought she had. Panic clawed at her chest.
"Please… don't do this," she choked out, her voice trembling. "I was wrong, okay? I'll get the memory card back! Right now—I'll go pick it up!"
Nothing else mattered anymore.
The exclusive scoop, the career-making scandal—none was worth this.
She just wanted to escape.
She wouldn't trade away her dignity for a fleeting headline about some celebrity's affair.
But Ethan's response was chilling.
"It's too late." His voice was laced with quiet menace as his hand reached beneath the fabric of her sweater, sliding upward with deliberate intent.
The world would be far too forgiving if people could undo their choices so easily.
And Ethan?
He wasn't one for forgiveness.
He preferred to tear apart anything too pristine, to shatter it for the world to see.
Including her.
Lily's slender frame twisted desperately in his grasp, her wide eyes filled with helplessness. Her purity, her innocence—it was almost too perfect.
And Ethan had never been fond of perfection.
"Let me go! Let me go!" Realizing just how dire the situation was, Lily thrashed against him, her voice rising in frantic desperation.
Ethan had had enough.
He lifted her effortlessly without hesitation, pinning her against the cold metal fencing. He dipped his head, sinking his teeth into the delicate curve of her collarbone.
A sharp cry escaped her lips.
Only then did he release his bite, his tongue tracing over the reddened skin in a slow, lingering motion.
A calculated torment—inch by inch.
His lips carried a dangerous allure, a touch both searing and possessive.
Suspended in his hold, Lily's feet dangled helplessly, her back pressing against the freezing steel. Her body trembled under the weight of his unrelenting kiss. Desperate to escape, she turned her face away.
"Get off me! Get away! You disgust me!"
Disgust.
That word sent a dangerous glint flashing through Ethan's eyes.
His expression darkened, his barely restrained fury crackling like a live wire.
"You think I'm disgusting?" His voice was low, lethal.
He didn't give her a chance to respond.
With swift precision, he pressed his body against hers, his broad chest crushing against her frame. One hand seized her wrists effortlessly, pinning them above her head, while the other tilted her chin upward—trapping her lips beneath his.
"Mmph—!" Lily's protest was swallowed whole, his kiss leaving no room for defiance. His tongue invaded, claiming dominance with an intensity that left her speechless.
Despite the cold, her body betrayed her, a heat creeping into her skin.
And that terrified her more than anything.
Anxiety, fear, discomfort—all tangled together in a suffocating knot.
Ethan took his time, trailing slow, scorching kisses down the curve of her neck, leaving a burning path against her trembling skin.
His hand, no longer idle, began exploring lower, seeking out the soft, untouched places she desperately wanted to shield.