The blood surged down Nathan's body as he gripped her waist. A few seconds more and he might not
be able to refuse her anymore. He tried to push Mandy away, but the woman only hugged him tighter,
unafraid of him.
"Let go of me," he ordered coldly.
Mandy furrowed her eyebrows, glancing up at Nathan. Her arms retreated. Didn't he like it?
"What's wrong?" Mandy asked carefully, tilting her head. "If... Humpf..."
What she wanted to say was soon drowned out as he pushed himself towards her. He was everywhere
as his arms curved around her waist, kissing and sucking her lips as if she were golden nectar. Her lips
were like marshmallows, sweet and tender, and he couldn't help but deepen it even more.
Suddenly, he found himself gripping the buttons of her bra. Knowing what he was about to do next,
Mandy pushed him away.
"No... We're in a public restaurant. We can't behave like this." Mandy staggered back a few steps, her
back leaning against the white wall. Her face was flushed, and her lips were swollen from his
ministrations.
"Really?" He stepped closer, teasing, "I can do anything as long as I want to do it."
"What if... What if others see us?" Noticing the glazed look in his eyes, her heart started to beat faster.
Her stomach was doing flips, subtly liking the attention he was giving her.
"So what? I'll have someone gouge their eyes out!" Nathan smirked. If there was something he wanted
to do, nothing would stop him till he got it. As they say, money did make the world go round, and he
had tons of it.
Mandy trembled at his implications. Suddenly, she was unable to calm herself as she found herself
depending on the wall behind her. There was something frightening about Nathan's face, something
that warned her that if he had said it, he must've already done it.
Seeing that she was completely frightened, Nathan suddenly laughed in an unruly manner.
"What are you laughing at?" Mandy demanded. 'Was he crazy?'
"Nothing. Sit down to eat." Nathan held Mandy's thin shoulder before softly pulling her back to her seat.
There wasn't anyone staring at them, no onlookers were in sight, as he had expected.
Mandy felt her legs suddenly becoming weak as she relied on the chair to support her. As the hotpot's
steam reach her, she couldn't help but think of the various scenes that he had promised–of him pulling
out their eyes from their sockets, of him, crushing them with his bare hands. Suddenly, she was feeling
sick.
A wave of nausea rushed over Mandy as she covered her mouth. She rushed into the bathroom
without another word, vomiting into the washbasin. She could feel her throat becoming dry and
scratchy once she was done, feeling as if the energy had left her.
She felt sick. Mandy washed her face. She took medicine every night. Though it may not be
recommendable for her health, it was so she wouldn't be pregnant. Mandy looked back, calculating that
her period would be in the next two days.
When she came out of the bathroom, she saw that Nathan was already eating out of the hotpot,
munching happily. Her nose wrinkled as the stench hit her, and her stomach soured in an instant.
"Are you okay?" Finally noticing her ill gesture, Nathan walked up to her thoughtfully.
"The smell makes me sick. Can we go?" Mandy asked carefully, paling as the stench became stronger.
If she didn't get out of here, she might as well return back to the washroom for round two.
"Let's go." Without hesitation, Nathan pulled her into his arms like a pirate holding a treasure chest.
When they finally walked out of the Sun Hotpot Restaurant, Mandy sighed in relief, feeling a bit better.
The strong odor of food and soup was gone, and color returned to her cheeks. Nathan held her hand,
interlocking his fingers with hers.
As they stood unmoving, Mandy couldn't help but admire the skies above. There were so many stars
tonight, glittering and shining from above. It was beautiful. She stepped forward to get a better view, a
smile entering her features.
"Nathan, can we just look up at the stars tonight?" Mandy asked gently, like a child masked with
innocence.
However, Nathan stilled. Suddenly the gentleness in his gestures was gone. Instead, an animalistic
growl escaped from his lips. Soon, his black eyes turned blood red as he hovered over her.
Mandy was terrified, a whimper escaping her lips. Once he realized what he had done, he
automatically released her, shocked at what had become of him.
"Don't ever mention that again," he said gruffly.
Mandy shivered, her face pale from the incident. She didn't know what she had done wrong this time.
Was it so wrong to watch the stars with him?
What was the big deal? Wasn't it normal? It wasn't as if she was asking him to fly her to the moon. The
man was as crazy as he thought she was.
"Okay," Mandy responded just as coldly, following through on his bloodthirsty gaze.
He had been so gentle and considerate just a minute ago, and now he was like a predator hunting for
his next prey. Mandy looked away, not even bothering to ask him about it. Besides, everyone had a
secret. This must be of a woman he had loved before, she thought to herself. Maybe all she was, was a
substitute to the woman he had loved. Maybe that was why he became angry when she'd suggested
watching the stars.
At No. 520, Haibin Road
The night was quiet and eerie. After coming back, Nathan went directly into the study with an scowl on
his face.
With a glass of milk in her hand, Mandy walked back and forth in front of the study. She wanted to take
a glass of milk to Nathan and ask him if he was alright. After all, he really did care for her back in the
restaurant.
Lillian had come upstairs to bring some midnight snacks to Mandy when she saw Mandy standing in
front of the study. She frowned anxiously.
"Miss Zhou, why are you here?" Nathan had told Lillian specifically that Mandy wasn't allowed to enter
the study or the other locked rooms. She was free to enter the others.
As for what was in the room, Lillian didn't know either. She had never been a curious person. Maybe
that was why she had stuck with him the longest.
"I wanted to bring him a glass of milk." Mandy motioned to the glass, biting her lip.
Lillian dragged Mandy back to her room in a hurry. After they entered another room, Lillian said in a low
voice, "Miss Zhou, Mr. Jin has told us that you can't go to the study. Besides the study, there is another
room that is forbidden to enter. The room in the middle of the third floor with a white door coated with
gold. Miss Zhou, except for these two rooms, you can go anywhere you want."
"Why?"
"I don't know why, but Mr. Jin always said so. Miss Zhou, please don't ask," Lillian persuaded kindly.
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