I Faked My Death—Now I Have to Tame the Crazy Men I Left Behind-Chapter 23 - 21: Why Are Your Lips So Red
The all-black Rolls-Royce turned off its hazard lights and parked quietly beneath the dormitory, like a panther lying in wait in the shadows.
A chill ran through Mia Grant. She had no idea when Kian Keller had arrived, or how long he had been waiting there...
She didn’t dare to dwell on it.
She was just grateful she’d reacted so quickly. Kian Keller probably hadn’t noticed her yet.
’Otherwise, with his temper, if he’d seen me, he would’ve already come down to rip my head off.’
Afraid that Felix Sinclair would also notice the car, Mia Grant stood on her tiptoes to distract him, planting a quick kiss on the corner of his lips.
It was a fleeting touch, but it was enough to unleash a tempest within him.
Mia Grant acted as if nothing had happened.
Felix Sinclair, on the other hand, was breathing heavily.
His long lashes trembled. The streetlamp’s light shattered in his eyes, like a clear spring pond suddenly stirred to murky depths.
This kiss wasn’t as passionate or lingering as the last one; in fact, it was almost perfunctory.
But his heart still couldn’t stop pounding in his chest.
Because this was the first time she had ever initiated a kiss with him.
’Whatever her reason... forget it. I don’t want to overthink it. I don’t want to know.’
’This is enough.’
The driver, sitting in the car, didn’t dare slack off by looking at his phone. Bored, he could only look around.
"Wow, these Jynsia U students are pretty open..." the driver muttered, happening to glance at the couple kissing under the tree. "Ah, to be young. Can’t bear to part."
It was so quiet in the car that despite his hushed tone, the words didn’t escape Kian Keller’s ears.
The rain outside was tapering off, leaving only a hazy drizzle. At some point, the rear window had been slightly lowered.
The phone in his hand rang and rang, unanswered.
Kian Keller’s brow furrowed, his eyes betraying an unconcealable irritation.
’If I hadn’t watched her location tracker move from the restaurant straight to the dorm, I’d be thinking Silas Grant had taken her, hidden her somewhere I could never find her...’
Kian Keller took a deep breath.
It was like Pandora’s box; once the thought was out, it was impossible to contain.
’I have to get to her before Silas Grant does. I have to take her away.’
’Get engaged, get married, and trap her by my side forever.’
’That way, no one else can covet her. No one can take her from me.’
Slanted raindrops blew in through the window, landing on the back of the hand that toyed with his Buddha Beads. The coolness brought him back to his senses, a sharp tap against his frayed nerves.
The man lifted his chin slightly, his gaze drifting out the window.
Involuntarily, his eyes landed on the young couple again.
It was just as the driver had said. They truly couldn’t bear to part.
They seemed to have shifted, the girl’s arms now hooked securely around the boy’s neck.
Noticing Kian Keller was also watching, the driver chuckled. "Young love is so romantic. Making out even in the rain."
The rear window slid shut. Mr. Keller commented in a low voice, "Childish."
He couldn’t understand that kind of behavior.
’Standing in the rain, with no regard for their health... that’s supposed to be romantic?’
The assistant in the passenger seat gave an awkward chuckle and changed the subject to Mia Grant. "Has Miss Grant not answered her phone?"
’No wonder he looks so grim.’
After a moment’s thought, the assistant added, "Maybe she’s washing up. You don’t need to worry, sir. She probably just doesn’t have her phone on her."
At his words, the man’s expression eased considerably.
Kian Keller didn’t wait much longer. When Mia Grant saw the car drive away, she let out a sigh of relief.
System: [Thank goodness you reacted so quickly, Host. If those two had met, the consequences would have been unimaginable!]
"What’s the big deal? I can imagine it just fine," Mia Grant retorted. She stepped into the elevator, and the moment the doors slid shut, her legs gave out and she slid to the floor.
’That was intense. Way too intense!’
Her heart was still pounding with fear just thinking about it.
Mia Grant stumbled out of the elevator. It wasn’t until she was back in her dorm room that she remembered to check her phone.
Worried about everything blowing up in her face, she always kept her phone on silent—not even daring to turn on vibrate. And so, she’d missed Kian Keller’s calls.
After a moment’s thought, she decided not to call him back just yet.
[You’re not calling him back?]
Mia Grant tossed her phone aside and pulled a set of pajamas from her closet. "I just got rained on. I need to take a shower."
[...]
Mia Grant shrugged. ’I can’t get sick over some guy, can I?’
Her immune system was already weak, and being locked in that basement had left her with chronic health issues.
’Now that I’ve been in the rain, what if I catch a cold? If it gets serious, I’ll need an IV drip, and I’m terrified of needles!’
’As for Kian Keller... he can wait.’
’My own well-being comes first.’
The car had driven some distance away from the university.
Kian Keller leaned back in his seat to rest. As he closed his eyes, a strange image flashed through his mind.
A glimpse of a girl’s wrist, dazzlingly white, slowly rising to hook around a boy’s neck, silently deepening their kiss.
Kian Keller’s eyes snapped open.
He picked up his phone from the armrest console, staring intently at the red dot on the screen for a long moment before calling out to his assistant.
"Sir?" The assistant in the passenger seat turned around.
"Call the university. Tell them to get the dorm..."
"Mr. Keller?" The assistant glanced back as the order trailed off.
Kian Keller’s gaze dropped. He stared, stunned for a second, at the video call notification that had just popped up on his phone. In that instant, his restless agitation melted away.
He raised a hand to silence him. The assistant took the hint and quietly faced forward again.
The privacy partition rose, blocking any prying eyes from the front.
「The women’s dormitory.」
Her roommates were already back. After greeting them, Mia Grant climbed into bed with her phone.
When Kian Keller answered the call, he was met with a noisy background. Several girls were chattering excitedly, but he couldn’t hear Mia Grant’s voice among them.
The camera feed was shaking. Kian Keller was about to say her name when the phone was tossed onto a bed, and a moment later, Mia Grant herself appeared in the frame.
She had just climbed up, and since he hadn’t spoken, she had no idea the call was already connected.
She was currently leaning over the bed, carefully straightening the sheets.
Kian Keller’s brow furrowed slightly.
The phone was right underneath her, and the soft fabric of her nightgown repeatedly brushed past the camera lens.
From this angle, it didn’t look like she was climbing onto her bed, but rather...
Climbing onto him.
The man’s breath hitched.
On the bed, Mia Grant finished straightening her sheets and then pushed aside the blanket she’d folded into a perfect square that morning, moving it to a safe spot.
’I can’t sleep under this blanket tonight, or I’ll have to fold it all over again tomorrow.’
’I’d rather use that time to get more sleep!’
Once she was done, Mia Grant let out a long sigh and leaned back against the headboard to rest.
She fumbled around on the bed. "Huh, where’s my phone?"
"Right here." A man’s voice suddenly spoke, making Mia Grant jump. Following the sound, she found the phone under the hem of her nightgown.
The camera view flipped around, and she stared wide-eyed at the screen.
The call timer already read ten minutes...
"Why didn’t you say anything just now?"
Kian Keller didn’t answer, his gaze lingering on her face.
The ends of her hair were still damp, and her cheeks were flushed from her shower. Her eyes were misty and bright, her lips a matching shade of crimson...
The sleeping beast within him stirred. His half-lidded eyes narrowed, as if he could see right through her.
He asked, "Why are your lips so red?"
