But when she tried to stand, her legs wouldn''t cooperate. She stumbled, nearly copsing to the floor.


    "Careful!" The man in front of her instinctively reached out to steady her.


    However, before his hand could even touch the hem of her clothes, a strong arm wrapped decisively around Yvonne''s slender waist. With a sharp tug, her body was pulled uncontrobly into a hard, solid chest.


    Her senses were flooded with a familiar, crisp scent, like the night air.


    "Are you... her boyfriend?" the man asked tentatively, seeing the situation.


    Yvonne''s head was still spinning. She turned to look at Bet beside her, shook her head, and said, "I don''t know him."


    "You don''t know me?" Bet sneered, the arm around her waist suddenly tightening until she could barely breathe, forcing her to struggle instinctively.


    "Let the girl go. Even if you''re trying to pick her up, we were here first," one of the men called out. "If you don''t let go, we''re calling the cops."


    Bet ignored them, his gaze fixed on Yvonne, his eyes radiating a terrifying chill.


    Yvonne''s mind was working slowly. She weighed the consequences of having the police arrest Bet and ultimately decided to back down.


    She knew there would be hell to pay if she let the police take Mr. Thompson away.


    "It''s a... a misunderstanding. He''s my boyfriend. We were just messing around," Yvonne conceded.


    "Oh, so it''s just a couple''s quarrel. Let''s go, let''s not meddle in their business." The men shrewdly stood up and returned to their seats.


    Yvonne, however, was half-carried out of the bar by Bet.


    His car was parked right at the entrance. Bet pulled open the back door, about to shove her in, but Yvonne angrily shook him off.


    "Still causing trouble! Running around like this, are you trying to get yourself killed?" Bet frowned, pinning her against the car door.


    "I don''t need you to look after me. Didn''t you leave me behind? Why did youe back?" Yvonne tilted her chin up. In the dim light of the night, she couldn''t see his face clearly, but she could feel his intense presence.


    "You''re the one who told me to leave. Are you ever going to be reasonable?" Bet said, exasperated.


    "I''m not going to be reasonable, so you might as well ignore me," Yvonne retorted, struggling with all her might.


    Bet was rendered speechless with anger. He grasped her chin with his long fingers, let out a soft scoff, and lowered his head to cover her lips with his.


    Unlike the previous two restrained, patient kisses, this one was fiercely dominant.


    Yvonne was kissed until she was breathless, instinctively raising her hands to hit him.


    But Bet was quicker, grabbing her wrists and pulling her whole body into his embrace, pressing her even tighter against him.


    Their bodies were flush against each other, and she could clearly feel the wild, frantic beating of his heart against her chest.


    It seemed this new body of hers couldn''t handle alcohol well. She was already dizzy, and Bet''s kiss nearly suffocated her. For a moment, she thought she might actually die in his arms.


    Presumably, Bet had no intention of killing her, so he finally ended the kiss just before she passed out.


    His long, cool fingers still gripped her chin firmly, his slightly rough thumb tracing over her kiss-swollen lips.


    The man''s eyes stared at her without blinking. It was apletely unfamiliar face,


    yet her every smile, every frown, was etched into his memory.


    Bet felt like he was truly being driven mad.


    "Tell me, who are you?"