Have fun.
Elsie''s heart, which had been thumping with anticipation, skipped a beat for
reasons unknown, and the warmth of masculine pheromones that had enveloped her began to wane.
Whether it was Avery or those high-society men she''d been coerced into
appeasing, they all saw her as nothing more than a ything.
She was a fool to have thought otherwise.
She''d believed that Elvis would be different from those other men.
But s, he was just like the rest.
With a pained smile and a barely noticeable glisten in her eyes, Elsie stifled the ache in her heart andughed bitterly, "Elvis, you seem in fine spirits today. How do you want to y? Straight-up, from behind, or the full monty?"
Her voice was alluring, her posture exuded seduction.
However, Elvis'' teasing gaze darkened in an instant as he yanked her shoulder and pinned her against the bark of a tree.
His deep eyes bore into hers, finally resting on her heaving chest as if to peer right into her soul, "You look pretty nice in that."
His tone was still yful and nonchnt.
Elsie''s heartbeat went haywire, her cheeks burning with a flush of shame. She raised her hand to remove the ck trench coat she was wearing.
"Keep it on," Elvis pressed her hand against the coat, pulling it closer, "It''s cold out, don''t catch a chill."
Elsie felt the dry warmth from his calloused palm, a solidity that brought an unexpected surge of emotion to her throat.
In a blink, a tear betrayed her, rolling down her cheek.
Just as Elsie moved to wipe it away, Elvis caught her chin and tenderly kissed the tear from her face.
Her eyes, wet with emotion, sparked with a sensation like electricity coursing through her.
Beneath the trench coat, her slender legs almost gave way, sliding down the tree trunk, but Elvis was quick to catch her by the waist, steadying her.
"Tell me, why the tears?" His breath was hot against her skin, caressing the small of her back.
Elsie breathed heavily, her voice muffled and weak, "It''s none of your business."
"Is it because I''m such a great guy that I''ve moved you to tears? Hm?" Elvis cocked his head, his breathing deepening.
From a distance, the two of them looked entwined with each other.
The scene was charged with an intimate tension.
Even though they hadn''t done a thing, it felt like everything had happened.
"You''re not good, you''re too cruel!"
Elsie suddenly pushed him away and ran into the depths of the woods without looking back.
She ran fast, like she was escaping.
No footsteps followed; Elvis didn''t chase after her, and she didn''t want him to.
The moment Elvis kissed away her tears, she felt as happy as she was frightened.
She thought, "Elvis, don''t be so kind to me. You''ll regret it, you''re bound to regret it!"
Elvis stood rooted to the spot, his expression darkening. After a long moment, he turned slowly and gazed in another direction.
The woods were silent, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
"When will you give me your whole heart?"
He raised his hand to his lips, as if he could still feel the warmth of her tears, "I can hardly wait to close the."
He thought, "My is set not just for Avery. But for you too."
At dusk, Elsie had just returned to the Velvet Haven when Harvey escorted her to Avery.
"Mr. Chambers, you wanted to see me?"
Avery was on the balcony, amusing himself with a colorful parrot caged in a goldenttice.
He remained silent, and she dared not speak, only waiting with her gaze downcast.
"The day Mari was kidnapped," Avery began, and Elsie tensed up, an rm going off in her heart. "That woman named Lily, working for Jareth, managed to find Mari''s location so quickly. Was it you who leaked the information?"
Elsie''s face remained impassive, but her world turned pitch ck as if she had plummeted into an abyss.
"That day, you and Hans went to intercept Aaron and Jareth''s associate. You even shed with them," Avery''s eyes narrowed as he plucked a red feather from the parrot, causing the bird to p its wings violently in pain. "Hans is Sir''s trusted confidant. I have faith in him. So, reluctantly, I can only suspect you now."