Chapter 49: Episode 49

Chapter 49

Emeli slowly pulled her fingers away, releasing Victor’s hand as gently as possible. She turned her face away, staring straight at the sparkling River Thames reflecting the city lights, trying to buy herself time to calm the chaotic pounding of her heart.

“Victor...” Emeli let out a long breath, then turned to look into the man’s eyes before her. “I’m sorry. I... I can’t.”

The smile on Victor’s face slowly faded, leaving behind a visible trace of disappointment. The hand holding the red rose gradually lowered. “Why, Em? Am I moving too fast?”

“It’s not that,” Emeli replied quickly, hurriedly arranging a string of lies so it would not sound suspicious. “I just want to focus on college and finish my internship at Alexander Group. My situation is unstable right now, Victor. I’ve had my heart broken before, and honestly... it left a huge trauma. I’m not ready to commit to another relationship yet.”

Victor fell silent for a moment, studying the anxious expression on Emeli’s face. Instead of getting angry or forcing her, the man simply let out a long breath and smiled faintly, as though he understood the defensive wall Emeli had built around herself.

“Trauma, huh?” Victor stepped closer before gently patting the top of Emeli’s head. “Alright, I won’t force you. Then how about we just have a relationship without a label for now? Friends with benefits, maybe? The important thing is that I can still stay close to you.”

Emeli spontaneously let out a small laugh, and the tension that had been crushing her chest disappeared just like that. “Sure. That’s fine, as long as you don’t get bored.”

“There’s no way I could get bored of you,” Victor teased while winking, lightening the atmosphere that had grown awkward moments ago.

The two of them returned to the dining table. Throughout the night, dinner felt warm and flowed naturally. Victor treated Emeli with great care; cutting her steak for her, making sure her drink was always refilled, and listening to every story Emeli told with focused eyes full of interest.

Victor’s warm attitude truly reminded Emeli of Aric. The two of them shared the same calming energy, the complete opposite of the suffocating aura that Alexa Ken always carried.

“If only I weren’t bound by that insane contract with Ken, I would have already opened my heart to you, Victor,” Emeli thought painfully, suddenly feeling tightness in her chest as she remembered the reality that she was nothing more than a contract mistress in disguise.

Meanwhile, inside the luxurious penthouse of One Hyde Park, the large teakwood door burst open violently. Alexa Ken stepped inside with a hardened jaw. His emergency meeting with the board of commissioners had ended two hours earlier than expected, and the first thing he wanted to see was the rebellious woman who had driven him crazy last night.

However, the penthouse was deathly silent. Empty.

Ken quickly walked toward the master bedroom, only to find their king-sized bed perfectly neat without any sign of Emeli’s presence. Anger instantly ignited inside his chest. He turned around and strode toward the front entrance where Juna had just walked in carrying his work bag.

“Where is she, Juna?” Ken asked in a low voice trembling with restrained fury.

Juna flinched and immediately lowered his head. “I’m sorry, Sir. Earlier this evening, I personally escorted Miss Emeli to the front lobby of this apartment. I made sure she went inside.”

“Then why isn’t she here now?!” Ken roared, instantly freezing the atmosphere inside the room.

Ken reached into the pocket of his suit, took out his phone, and dialed Emeli’s number. Only the cold voice of the operator answered from the other side. The woman’s phone was turned off.

“Damn it,” Ken cursed, throwing his phone onto the velvet sofa.

He knew very well that Emeli had deliberately turned off her phone to avoid his control. The girl had quite the nerve wandering outside without his permission after what had happened last night.

It was nine o’clock at night when Emeli stepped out of the taxi in front of the apartment lobby. She had deliberately refused Victor’s offer to drive her home for safety reasons. Besides, the ointment she had applied earlier had already started working, making the soreness between her thighs much more bearable so she could walk somewhat normally again.

Emeli pressed her access card against the penthouse door before pushing it open slowly. The inside was dimly lit, with only the hallway lights turned on. She let out a relieved breath, thinking Ken had not returned yet.

However, the moment Emeli took one step inside, a strong hand suddenly emerged from the darkness and tightly grabbed her wrist.

“Ah!” Emeli let out a small scream.

With one rough pull, Emeli’s body was slammed against the wooden wall beside the door. The familiar and intense scent of masculine perfume immediately invaded her senses, making Emeli realize within seconds who was now trapping her body.

Alexa Ken stood towering before her, one hand braced against the wall right beside Emeli’s head. The man’s sharp eyes glinted beneath the dim lighting, radiating thick fury.

“Where have you been, Emeli Catrine?” Ken asked in an extremely low, hoarse voice, his ragged breath blowing hot against the surface of Emeli’s face.

Thump.

Emeli’s heart pounded wildly, her eyes widening perfectly as she stared at Ken’s face that was so close and looked ready to tear her apart tonight.

Ken’s grip around her wrist tightened even more, locking Emeli’s movements until she could not shift even an inch. Emeli’s heartbeat raced even harder, pounding violently inside her chest as though it wanted to leap out. The suffocating silence inside the penthouse only made Ken’s deadly ragged breathing even more terrifying.

“I’ll ask you one more time, Emeli,” Ken pressed, his voice rising an octave, sounding like the hiss of a lion ready to pounce. He leaned his face closer, eliminating the remaining distance between them until the tips of their noses almost touched. “Where were you this late at night dressed like this, hmm? And why is your phone off?”

Emeli turned her face to the side, avoiding Ken’s sharp gaze that seemed capable of stripping away every lie she had. Her mind spun quickly, searching for the most reasonable excuse that could save her life tonight. There was no way she could mention Victor’s name, or her status as a kept woman would instantly come to an end tonight.

“I... I just went out for a while,” Emeli answered in a trembling voice, trying to sound as brave as possible even though her heart was screaming in fear.

“Where?” Ken cut her off mercilessly, his eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“I met an old friend, Ken! A female friend from my college days,” Emeli lied carelessly, giving the first excuse that crossed her mind. “She happened to be in London for work and invited me to dinner near Mayfair. I didn’t have time to ask for permission because my phone battery suddenly died completely before I got out of the taxi.”

Ken did not respond immediately. He stared deeply into Emeli’s eyes, searching for even the slightest trace of doubt or panic usually shown by someone putting on an act. The atmosphere in the front corridor suddenly became incredibly silent, leaving behind only the sound of their breathing chasing against each other.

“An old friend?” Ken repeated Emeli’s words cynically, a crooked mocking smile forming on his firm lips. He lowered his left hand from the wall before his cold fingers roughly grabbed Emeli’s chin, forcing the woman to look back at him. “You’re not lying to me, are you, Emeli?”

Emeli held her breath, trying with all her strength to keep her eyelids from trembling nervously. She forced herself to stare directly into the deep black eyes of the man before her, then slowly shook her head within his grip. “No. Why would I lie to you?”

Emeli’s breath instantly caught when the grip on her chin suddenly moved to her neck. Ken violently yanked Emeli upward, choking her slender neck with enough force to cut off her oxygen supply within seconds.

“Ughh... Ken...” Emeli groaned in pain, both her hands reflexively grabbing Ken’s muscular arm, trying to loosen the agonizing pressure around her neck. Her legs, which still felt weak and slightly sore from last night’s struggle, now lost even more strength, forcing her to rely completely on Ken’s grip.

Ken brought his lips close to Emeli’s reddening ear, whispering words that sounded cold, sharp, and filled with absolute menace.

“Listen carefully, Emeli Catrine. Never even think about lying to me. I have eyes and ears in every corner of this city,” Ken whispered, every word dripping with terrifying dominance. He tightened his fingers around Emeli’s neck for several seconds, enjoying the helpless expression of the woman beneath his control.

“If I ever find out that you’re involved with another man out there, or dare to play with fire behind my back...” Ken paused, pulling his face back to stare directly into Emeli’s eyes that had begun to water from lack of air. “...I swear, I will kill you with my own hands.”

The threat did not sound like an ordinary bluff. Emeli could feel the genuine murderous aura radiating from Ken’s eyes. An overwhelming fear spread through every nerve in her body, making her realize that the man who had contracted her was a cold-blooded monster who would never hesitate to make every word he spoke come true.

To be continued.