Yates Donovan froze on the spot.

He had expected Mia Grant to have a lot to say to him. And she did go on at length, but... the conversation took a completely different turn from what he’d anticipated. It even went in the opposite direction.

He had voiced his inner thoughts jokingly.

He thought she would be eager to draw a clear line between them, seeing him as a burden or even a threat.

He’d imagined all the things she might say—scathing, hateful, disgusted words.

But none of that happened.

Instead, she sat there calmly, looking him in the eye, her voice soft as she spoke at a measured pace.

He rarely saw this gentle side of her.

In his memory, the only other times she’d been this quiet were during their first few meetings.

’I really... don’t know what to do with her.’

He had been prepared to agree to her request and draw a clear line between them.

He was fine with anything. After all, she was the one at a disadvantage in a situation like this. As long as it could ease some of her anxiety or unease, he would do whatever it took.

He never expected her to say something like this.

He even thought that after all her pleasantries, there would surely be a "but" to turn everything on its head.

He waited and waited, but what he’d expected—or rather, dreaded—never came.

Gazing into her smiling eyes, he was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.

It was the first time he’d ever shown such a dazed expression. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

Mia Grant was surprised.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" He was usually the shameless one, but now he seemed almost coy and shy.

It was a miracle.

Mia Grant found it amusing and funny. Suddenly, she understood why he’d always liked to say such flirtatious things before.

’So, this is what it feels like.’

’No wonder he’s so fond of being impudent.’

’It’s true. Letting go of your inhibitions really does make you more cheerful.’

Yates Donovan snapped back to reality. He picked up the champagne in front of him and downed it in one gulp, feeling the cold liquid slide down his throat, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

He seemed to be using the moment to think. After a long while, he finally raised his head and looked at her again.

"Are you done?"

"Yep." Mia Grant raised an eyebrow. "What else do you want to hear? You can give me a hint. While I’m in a good mood, I’ll do my best to satisfy you."

Yates Donovan: "..." ’This overwhelming roguish vibe... why does it feel so familiar?’

"You really don’t mind?"

It took Mia Grant a few seconds to realize he was talking about last night.

She shook her head nonchalantly. "Nope. It’s not like it’s illegal. What’s there to mind?"

"There’s no need to be dramatic. Besides, you’ve got a pretty good body."

"..."

Her eyes appraised him as if he were an object. A muscle in Yates Donovan’s eyelid twitched, and he couldn’t stop himself from asking sourly, "Whose body are you comparing mine to?"

"Hmm, lots of people," Mia Grant said casually. "But don’t worry, you’d rank in the top three."

The corner of Yates Donovan’s mouth twitched.

She always had a way of making him angry.

He considered himself very magnanimous. In today’s terms, he was basically gaslighting himself every day just to cope.

Even so, it still bothered him.

Having achieved the desired effect, Mia Grant burst out laughing. "Okay, I’m just messing with you."

"I wasn’t comparing you to anyone. You’re one of a kind."

This emotional rollercoaster... it was something you loved and hated at the same time.

"You’re so corny," Yates Donovan commented.

Mia Grant smiled. "If you don’t like that, I can change it to: you’re no different from the male models I’ve seen. Are you satisfied now?"

"...You’ve ’played’ with male models?" Yates Donovan seized on the key point.

Mia Grant stroked her chin, showing no embarrassment at being caught. She answered with complete candor, "Yeah, and college boys, too."

Then, she held up two fingers. "Eight."

Yates Donovan’s breath caught in his throat.

He then heard her add leisurely, "That’s eight of each, by the way. Not eight total."

Time seemed to stand still.

Yates Donovan curved his lips into a faint smile. "It’s good to be young."

Mia Grant mimicked him, offering a smile devoid of any real warmth.

"No more games. Let’s be serious."

He picked up his phone from the table. "I found the person who drugged you last night. Come over and see if you recognize them."

He beckoned to her.

Not suspecting a thing, Mia Grant stood up.

The presidential suite’s dining area was connected to an open-plan kitchen. They said they were eating in the dining room, but they were actually at the kitchen island.

Mia Grant got off her stool, walked around, and leaned in to look at his phone screen.

"Isn’t there a frontal shot? This one’s a bit blurry, I can’t—"

Before she could finish, an arm suddenly tightened around her waist.

Mia Grant froze for a split second. By the time she reacted, the pressure from behind forced her to stumble forward until she fell messily onto the island countertop.

Fortunately, she caught herself with her hands, avoiding a disaster.

The empty champagne flute in front of her toppled over and shattered at her feet.

Mia Grant let out a short scream. The next second, a warm hand landed on her leg, caressing it through her pants.

"It didn’t splash on your leg; your pants are thick enough. Lift your leg, let me check your foot."

Mia Grant was wearing the hotel’s slippers.

Feeling the man bend down and grasp her ankle, Mia Grant’s cheeks flushed, and she struggled. "I’m fine! Let go!"

"Oh."

He wasn’t as difficult as she’d expected. He naturally released the grip on her ankle.

Mia Grant breathed a sigh of relief and pushed against the countertop to straighten up.

Suddenly, the hand she had placed on the marble surface was pinned down.

His fingers, carrying a familiar warmth, forcefully squeezed between hers, lacing them together.

At the sight of this, Mia Grant’s eyelashes trembled, and she immediately started to struggle.

"Let me up! Where’s the phone? Hurry up and show me the photo—"

Before she could finish, a shadow fell over her from behind, pressing against her slender back, flush against her body.

The man’s other hand wrapped around her waist with practiced ease.

His hot breath tickled her ear, plucking at her nerves. "What’s the rush?"

"There’s plenty of time to look at the photo."

"Right now, let’s talk about our previous topic."

"...Didn’t we already finish talking about that?"

"What, are you the only one allowed to bring up the past?"

Mia Grant was rendered speechless by his comeback.

"Where did you meet these male models? How come I never knew?"

The hand on her waist seemed like a restraint, but it was actually a tool for mischief.

Her sweater was already loose, and as she leaned forward, it created a gap for him to invade.

The small white camisole underneath offered no resistance. His index finger traced her waistline, easily hooking a corner of the fabric.

He seemed to be in a playful mood. He didn’t do anything reckless, just used his index finger to stroke a patch of skin on her waist, teasing it gently.

It tickled.

Mia Grant’s breath hitched. "Let go!"

"Answer the question, and I’ll let go."

"On an island! After I jumped into the sea, I was on an island the whole time!"

"Oh? What a coincidence. So was I."

"..."

"Too bad mine was a deserted island. Otherwise, I might have run into you."

"But that’s okay. That island is in my name. Since you like small islands so much, why don’t we go on a vacation?"

"Just the two of us."

"No one will find out whatever we do."

"Wherever you want, whenever you want, whatever trouble you want to get into..."

He nibbled her ear and whispered in a breathy voice, "Anything goes."

"I promise I’ll make sure you have more fun, more excitement, than you ever did playing with them."