Xander had no idea how long he had been standing beneath the shower, letting the stream of cold water run down his body.

But no matter how long he stayed there, the moment he closed his eyes, Ivy’s face would appear in his mind again.

And every single time it happened, his body reacted in ways that left him feeling strangely helpless.

Frustrated, Xander dragged a hand through his wet hair before finally stepping out of the bathroom.

After a long shower, he had managed to calm himself enough to at least get some sleep.

Or so he thought.

A towel hung loosely around his waist as droplets of water continued trailing down his chest while he headed toward the walk-in wardrobe.

But before he could take another step, a faint sound outside his room made him pause.

Xander frowned slightly.

At this hour, everyone in the mansion should’ve already been asleep.

Quietly, he approached the door. Then he heard the voice again. The very same voice that had been tormenting his thoughts all evening.

"How the hell did I even get here?"

Ivy.

Xander’s brows immediately furrowed.

What was she doing outside his room?

A part of him instantly became alert.

Did she want to talk? Or perhaps—

Was she unable to sleep because of the nightmare?

The thought alone softened his expression slightly.

If that was truly the case, then maybe she had unknowingly come here looking for comfort. But before that thought could settle, he suddenly heard her speak again.

"This is embarrassing. Nope. We have to leave."

Xander’s expression changed instantly.

We?

The single word immediately darkened his gaze.

Someone’s with her?

And unfortunately, there was only one person his mind immediately imagined beside her.

Sal.

The thought alone ignited something unpleasant inside his chest.

Did she already go see him?

Despite Ivy clearly telling him earlier that Sal wasn’t her lover, the idea of her wandering around at night with another man still irritated him more than it should have.

A dangerous possessiveness curled inside him before he could stop it.

"No," Xander muttered under his breath, his jaw tightening. "I need to check."

Without wasting another second, he opened the door abruptly. And before Ivy could even react, he grabbed her wrist, pulled her inside, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Bang!

"Ah—!"

Startled, Ivy stumbled forward straight into him. The sudden force pinned her against the closed door while Xander trapped her there with one arm beside her head. For a brief second, both of them froze.

"..."

Ivy’s breath caught instantly. Because only now did she realize something very important.

Xander was barely dressed.

Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight before her.

His hair was still damp from the shower, loose strands falling over his forehead while droplets of water slowly trailed down his neck and across his bare chest.

And unfortunately for Ivy’s already unstable heart, the man looked unfairly attractive.

Very unfairly attractive.

Meanwhile, Xander was staring down at her intensely, his breathing still slightly uneven from how quickly he had reacted.

"Where is he?" he asked coldly.

Ivy blinked in confusion. Did he talk with her?

"...Who?"

"Sal," the response came at lightning speed, leaving Ivy momentarily speechless.

She stared at him like he had completely lost his mind. Then realization suddenly hit her.

"...Wait." Her eyes widened in disbelief. "You thought I was outside your room with Sal?!"

Xander’s silence answered everything. For two whole seconds, Ivy simply stared at him. Then she burst out laughing.

"Hahahaha..."

Actually laughing.

Xander’s face darkened slightly.

"What’s funny?" he asked, though a tinge of embarrassment washed over him. Yet he maintained that same old cold expression.

"You!" Ivy pointed at him between laughs. "Oh my God—you actually got jealous! Again."

The word ’again’ struck him like an arrow in the chest, making him realize what he had done.

"I did not," he denied. But Ivy had already gotten the tint of embarrassment on his face as it turned pink.

’Oh so the devil does feel shy.’

"You literally dragged me into your room like an angry husband catching his wife sneaking around!" she voiced, enjoying the sight of his expression changing instantly.

Xander’s jaw tightened dangerously.

"You said ’we,’" he voiced in an annoyed tone. He had no idea why he was feeling the way he did. But he clearly couldn’t agree with what she said.

’Jealous? Hah? That was the last thing he would even feel.’

"I was talking to myself!" Ivy laughed harder. "Who else would willingly wander around your scary mansion at midnight?"

The room fell silent again. And only then did Ivy slowly realize how close they still were.

Very close.

Her laughter slowly faded.

Xander’s hand was still around her wrist. His body still pressed near hers. And the warm scent of soap and rainwater surrounding him was making her thoughts dangerously fuzzy again.

Their eyes met. And suddenly, neither of them spoke anymore.

Xander wondered why Ivy had suddenly stopped laughing.

The sound had felt strangely soothing to him—so much so that he found himself wanting to hear it more often. But the moment she opened her mouth to speak, his entire body stilled.

"I couldn’t sleep."

Xander blinked slowly as he processed her words. And suddenly, his heartbeat began pounding heavily inside his chest.

His mind immediately drifted back to the nights they had unintentionally shared together.

The way she had unconsciously snuggled closer to him in her sleep. The warmth of her body pressed against his. The comfort he had unexpectedly found in her presence.

It had been years since Xander last slept peacefully. He had always been a light sleeper—constantly alert, constantly aware. Yet somehow, the only times he had truly rested without waking in the middle of the night were the night they ended up sleeping together after their heated encounter... and the other night when Ivy had mistakenly wandered into his room and fallen asleep on his bed.

"You... what?" Xander asked quietly, almost unable to process her words properly.

Ivy blinked in confusion the second the sentence left his mouth, only for the realization to suddenly hit Ivy.

Her eyes widened in horror.

"T-That’s not what I meant!" she blurted out immediately, shaking her head furiously.

Xander frowned slightly in confusion. For one brief moment, it genuinely felt like she had slapped him straight across the face after unknowingly giving him hope. And somehow... that made him feel irrationally grumpy.

Ivy stared at him helplessly as his expression shifted from soft... to confused... to visibly annoyed within seconds.

Why does he seriously look like a neglected husband right now? She thought in disbelief.

This man’s mood swings were becoming increasingly terrifying. But before her thoughts could spiral further, something suddenly crossed her mind, and instantly her eyes sparkled mischievously.

A dangerous smile slowly spread across her lips. "Heheh"

Xander immediately narrowed his eyes suspiciously, as he could sense something ominous.