As ra slid into Aiden''s car, she kept her head down, feeling a bit defeated.


    "Aiden, should I take you home?" Aiden asked softly, trying to gauge her mood.


    She didn''t answer, instead dialing Z''s number again, but there was still no response. Was it possible he found out about tonight from someone else? Was he brooding alone in their townhouse?


    "Ms. ra?" Aiden asked again, pulling over to the side of the road, waiting patiently.


    Finally, after ten minutes, she sighed and closed her eyes. "Aiden, you''ve been with Mr. Dn for ages. Do you know what he enjoys besides work?"


    If he liked golf, she could get him a limited edition set of clubs. If he was into horseback riding, maybe a fine horse would do. Surely Dn had some hobbies, right?


    Aiden nced at her in the rearview mirror. "The boss doesn''t like work."


    "Then just tell me, what would make him happy?" she pressed.


    Aiden didn''t reply right away, gripping the steering wheel. After a moment, he asked again, "Should I take you home, Ms. ra?"


    ra gave him the address to the townhouse, her gaze fixed on the passing scenery outside.


    Aiden drove slowly, taking an extra half hour to reach the destination.


    When ra stepped out of the car, the cold wind hit her, reminding her she was still in her nightdress with nothing underneath. She quickly held down the hem of her dress and murmured, "Thanks, Aiden."


    Aiden drove off without another word, not curious at all about why she was in such a remote area.


    ra took a deep breath and tried calling Z again, but still no answer.


    She hurried to the door, punched in the code, but it was wrong. He had changed the password.


    Feeling the chill seep into her bones, she knocked. "Z, are you home?"


    Just as she was about to give up, the door cracked open, his voice hoarse. "What are you doing here?"


    It hit ra then he knew. That''s why he changed the password.


    She quickly pushed the door open and stepped inside, only to find herself lifted onto the entryway cab before she could speak.


    Her hands found his face, and as she was about to kiss him apologetically, she froze. His fingers...


    "Did youe to break up with me?" he asked.


    "Z, I never thought of that," she replied, leaning against his shoulder. The medication she''d taken earlier started to kick in again under his touch, making her feverish. Her forehead was damp with sweat as her hands clung to him like vines.


    In her rush, she had ignored the medication''s effects, and now it was unbearable.


    “Z...” Her body arched involuntarily, herst bit of reason slipping away as he knelt.


    "Please, don''t..." she whispered.


    But he was determined, like a man lost in the desert finding an oasis atst.


    As a shooting star streaked through her mind, she found herself gripping a few strands of his hair between her fingers.


    ra''s chest heaved, her thoughts a chaotic mess.


    Z wiped his lips with his fingertips, then cupped her cheek. "You wanted this at the party when you looked at me..."


    Her mind foggy, ra didn''t quite grasp his words, curling up like a cat in his


    arms.


    His hand gently patted her back as she murmured, "Don''t be mad, do what you want, okay?"


    He paused, his Adam''s apple bobbing, "Do what I want?"


    "Yes."


    In the next moment, he lifted her down from the cab.


    Her legs wobbled, and he kept a firm hold on her waist.


    "Z...” she whispered, feeling a mix of unease and dizziness.


    He was like a wild beast unleashed, eager to devour her whole.


    "You look amazing in a mermaid dress," he murmured.


    "What?" ra felt as if she were floating on a vast ocean, the world around her a blur.


    He leaned in, his voice low, "When you walk, it makes my heart race."