"Stop talking nonsense. I don't need anyone to lecture me. Where is Bevis? Where's my brother? What have you done to him?"
"He left for a mission in the U.S. last night!" Rion's voice came from behind me.
A sudden sharp pain shot through the back of my neck. "Ah—" My scream echoed heavily through the elevator shaft, and everything went dark.
When I woke up, I was lying on a soft, luxurious bed, wearing a comfortable white satin nightgown that carried a faint scent of roses. The elaborate lace canopy of the bed, fit for a royal chamber, and the pristine white carpet on the floor gave the room a regal feel. The furniture was elegantly carved with white floral patterns, and sunlight streamed through the curtains, casting the shadow of a handsome man on the floor—though I couldn't see anyone standing there.
Staring at the shadow in shock, I sat up abruptly. "Are you... are you human or a ghost?"
Dene materialized, wearing an orange knit sweater and beige casual pants, looking suave and debonair, completely unlike his exhausted appearance in the interrogation room. "Of course, I'm human. Good morning, Margie!"
"You... you're not a cop?"
"I am, but I also have another identity!" As he spoke, he peeled off a mask from his face, revealing a strikingly handsome face with a faint silver glow on his skin. His natural smile was as intoxicating as a tipsy after three drinks. He removed his contact lenses, revealing amber-colored eyes. "I am Dene, the leader of the Marcus Syndicate."
"The Marcus Syndicate? You mean the hospital?"
"Someone will explain all this to you later. This is one of the residences for members of the syndicate. From now on, it will be your and Bevis's home."
"My and Bevis's home?" I repeated his words dumbfoundedly, looking around. The place was like a princess's chamber—way too extravagant! But compared to this, I missed my little restaurant that had been blown to pieces. "Why are you helping us?"
"You'll find out soon!" He stood by the bed, looking down at me, his eyes lingering on the slightly open neckline of my nightgown as he raised an eyebrow.
Only then did I realize I'd been exposed for a while. I quickly pulled my clothes together.
He chuckled. "I've already seen everything. No need to cover up. Your underwear is in the wardrobe, along with evening dresses, skirts, casual wear, shoes, belts, jewelry..."
As he spoke, he clapped his hands loudly, and the door suddenly opened. A man in a dark red suit walked in, his handsome Eastern features sharp and intense, his gaze fixed on me.
"This is Rion, the Marcus Syndicate's exclusive trainer. You met him yesterday. From now on, you'll be with him." Dene glanced at me again and turned to leave. "Remember, put on some clothes before talking to Rion. He has no immunity to beautiful women. Of course, if you like him too, it's not a bad start."
"Thanks for the reminder!" I gritted my teeth, pulling the blanket higher, cursing inwardly. What kind of monsters are these people?!
Rion strode over like a male model from a fashion magazine, his starry eyes studying me thoughtfully.
I barked defensively, "Stay right there!"
"He was just framing me. I've always had a high immunity to beautiful women, hmph... like I've been vaccinated against rabies!"
"Stop insulting me in a roundabout way!"
He snorted as if seeking revenge. "You punched me last night!"
"And you hit me in the back of the neck!"
"We're even now. No fight, no friendship!" As he spoke, he stood by the bed and reached out. "Come on, let's shake hands and make peace."
Frowning, I reached out without suspicion.
But he suddenly grabbed my hand and yanked me forward. In a dizzying moment, he was lying on the bed, and I was on top of him, his arm wrapped around my waist.
I tried to push him away, but he smirked teasingly. "Why are you in such a hurry? Are you trying to force yourself on me? But I like this position!"
"Bastard, how dare you take advantage of me! Do you even know who I am?" I grabbed a pillow and started hitting him mercilessly.
He covered his head, wailing, "Ah... ah... ah..."
The sounds were way too suggestive. "Shut up, you jerk!" I aimed another hard hit at his head.
"Baby, that one felt amazing. Harder, oh... harder..."
I think he has a masochistic streak.
The door suddenly swung open. "Hey, what are you two doing?" Dene stood there with a stern, intimidating expression, his eyes oddly fixed on us on the bed.
Clearly, the door wasn't soundproof.
And to make matters worse, I was still on top of Rion.
"Margie, you're too eager. This isn't how you perform a bed scene!" Dene sneered. "I thought Rion was the eager one, but you're even worse!"
I hastily scrambled off that cursed bed!
"Hahaha..." Rion burst into fearless laughter.
Dene warned, "Rion, you'd better get to work, or I'll break your neck!" With that, he slammed the door shut.
"Look at that idiot, always pretending he doesn't care, always acting so generous. He's actually a sanctimonious miser! And a sneaky one too. Last night, he insisted on giving you a bath... not only did he grope you all over, but he also kissed every inch of your body!" Rion started badmouthing him.
"Rion, I know you're just getting back at him. You two can keep attacking each other all you want!" I rolled my eyes, opened the door to the dressing room, and stepped inside, locking it behind me.
But when I turned around, I froze. My God!
Is this really my dressing room? It's bigger than my old bedroom!
The size didn't matter. What mattered was the overwhelming array of world-famous brands and precious gems crammed inside... I'm rich—filthy rich!