Hearing this, I resigned myself to fate. Even Mira said so, which meant I was destined to be tied to Howard for life unless he willingly let me go.
At that moment, a sudden inspiration struck me; I could let he voluntarily break the contract. Though it seemed difficult, it wasn't entirely impossible.
Seeing my eyes darting around, Mira looked at me nervously. "Karena, don't do anything reckless."
I didn't dare share my thoughts with her, so I just smiled and nodded. "I know, Grandma. Don't worry."
A plan began to form in my mind; I didn't want to be controlled by someone for the rest of my life. Thinking of Howard's handsome face, I felt a bit guilty. He had been quite good to me, but all I wanted was to get rid of him.
But people were inherently selfish. He and I were from two different worlds.
I took three days off, and since I was already back, I didn't plan to rush to school. In any case, Amelia would certainly have the class notes and I could borrow them and make a copy later. University courses weren't as intense as high school, and studying wasn't as difficult.
With this thought, I started to enjoy my vacation comfortably.
After sleeping during the day, I couldn't fall asleep at night. I took a bath and lay on my bed, looking at an old photo album I found in Mira's room.
The album was very old but full of memories, with photos of my dad as a child and my grandpa when he was young.
"What's so interesting about this old item?" A clear voice sounded in my ear.
I was already used to his sudden appearances, so I wasn't surprised this time.
After all, in Howard's view, we should have reconciled by now. So I made room for him, and he lay down beside me.
I pointed at a photo and smiled at Howard. "My grandpa looks so young in this picture. This is my old house! "
Howard glanced at the album and then at me. "What are you looking for?" He was indeed smart, seeing through my thoughts immediately.
I closed the album and glared at him. "You eavesdropped on my conversation with my grandma, didn't you?"
He snorted. "I listened openly. Besides, what you talked about wasn't a secret."
Indeed, to him, it was also part of his past.
"What exactly are you?" I looked at him curiously, with some doubts in my mind.
Based on the tattoo on my body, he seemed to be the legendary Satan. Why he was buried beneath my family's house, and why his appearance resembled Aladdin's genie remained an enigma.
With this thought, I looked at him with interest. "Can you grant wishes?"
"Do you think I'm a wish-granter?" He snorted and tapped my head.
It didn't hurt, but I pretended to be in pain, covering my head and complaining. "Ouch."
This playful and coquettish remark surprised Howard and he looked me over a few times. "I feel like you're a bit different tonight."
I blinked. "What? I'm still the same me."
"Your attitude is different." He smiled faintly. "Usually, you wouldn't act so coquettishly around me."
I knew that the look on my face when I saw him must be like I'd seen a ghost. I laughed and hooked my arm around his. "I learned the whole truth from my grandma and she said you wouldn't harm me, so I'm not afraid of you anymore."
"Your grandma's words are more effective than mine." Howard snorted, his handsome face showing a hint of gloom.
Knowing his unpredictable mood, I softened my tone. "Think about it, your sudden appearance was so strange, and I didn't even know you, so it was only natural for me to be scared. But my grandmother is my family, so of course I would trust her."
He was dissatisfied with my reasoning but couldn't find a way to refute it, so he reluctantly accepted it. "You said you're not afraid of me now?"
"Yes..." Before I could finish, he pressed me down.
Surprised, I looked up into his blue eyes. His fingers traced down my cheek, stopping at the tattoo on my chest. "You should have stopped fearing me long ago."
His fingers circled my chest, the warmth penetrating my skin and reaching my heart. He whispered, "Do you want to be able to find me anytime?"
I looked at him, confused by his words.
He did not respond; instead, he merely placed his palm upon my chest as I felt a slight heat from the tattoo and a faint blue light glowed between his fingers.
I tried to pull away from the heat, but he held my shoulder.
"It's so hot!" I said in pain.
"Don't move." Howard lowered his eyes, his long lashes covering them.
I felt the intense heat penetrate my skin, reaching my heart. For a moment, I felt like boiling lava, wanting to push him away but unable to move.
Just when I thought he might be angry enough to kill me, he moved his hand away; the tattoo was still there, but now the demon held a red spider lily in its mouth. He looked at the bright red spider lily on my chest with satisfaction and said, "Much prettier this way."
I was furious. "What did you do?"
His forceful behavior reminded me of the day Sophia bullied me, when I was held down by two people, unable to fight back, and could only watch as she drew on me.
Howard leaned down, his warm lips touching my heart and the spider lily. "With this mark, whenever you think of my name, I'll know and come to you immediately."
I was stunned, not expecting the flower to have such a powerful effect. "That's amazing."
"Yes. As long as you need me, I'll be there." He looked at me with his charming blue eyes, then kissed my lips.
Sensing his growing passion, I quickly stopped him. "No, my parents are outside. They'll hear us."
"Then let's make them sleep more soundly." With that, he ignored my resistance and kissed me again.
I was wearing a thin pajama set with little bears on it, which turned to ashes under his touch.
"My clothes..." I was annoyed; it was my favorite pajama.
He chuckled. "You still care about your clothes? You should worry about yourself first." As he spoke, he gently bit my lip.
I couldn't help but let out a soft hiss, but mindful of my parents next door, I kept my voice low.