Ynda’s hands grabbed hold of his cor, hershes lowering as she buried her face in his neck. “You didn’t


    want me.”


    The droplets clinging to her skin soaked through Charles’s clothes.


    A strange ache tightened in his chest. He lifted a hand and gently patted her back. “Were you scared?”


    “Yeah, if it hadn’t been for my brother, who knows what would’ve happened… I kept struggling and they couldn’t do anything to me, just stole a kiss,” she said, her voice rough, her eyes hazy with fear.


    But really, her thoughts were drifting to those kisses with Ian, wondering what he was truly like underneath it


    all.


    She reminded herself–Ian’s acting skills were something even she and Simone Sinir agreed were unmatched. She’d have to watch her back with him.


    Still, there was no denying it. The guy just knew how to get under a woman’s skin.


    “Tsk, dangerous men are always like this. Once they start flirting around, it’s hard to tell what they’re really thinking.‘ Ynda mused to herself, her guard instinctively rising as she recalled Ian’s charms.


    ‘Well, goes to show–once people start ying around outside, they can’t help but resent the ones waiting at home. No wonder Charles finds the temptation of wildflowers too hard to resist,‘ Ynda thought to herself.


    ‘Can’t really me Charles for getting lost in all those outside attractions, can I?‘ she mused.


    “Charles, I’m so scared,” she whispered, her voice trembling.


    Charles gently patted her back in a reassuring way, trying to ease her fears.


    Ynda wasn’t sure if she’d really managed to soothe him. Charles could be a real piece of work, but whenever she acted all fragile and scared, his temper would melt away, and he’d toss out a line like, “Ynda, you’re pretty adorable when you’re like this.”


    Charles used to get a kick out of seeing her afraid, messing with her just to watch her fluster and freak out.


    But once she caught on to his game, she worried that showing him her messy side would make him lose interest, so she put on a brave face and swallowed it all down, refusing to let him see her fall apart.


    She kept bottling up those feelings, until one day, there was nothing left–just numbed out, totally empty inside.


    And that’s when Charles would get bored of her, just like that–lose interest and move on.


    He tossed the showerhead aside and cradled her face in his hands, his voice soft and teasing, “Look at your lips, all swollen from my kisses.”


    He’d been so rough just now, kissing her until her lips were nearly rubbed raw.


    <b>12:13 </b><b>Sun</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>21 </b>


    She looked <b>so </b>small and helpless, her pitiful expression could melt even the hardest heart.


    And as heartbreak washed over him<b>, </b>something hotter and deeper started to stir underneath.


    There was a reason the Grant family chose Ynda–she just had that irresistible aura about her.


    With that look in her eyes, she was basically begging for trouble.


    Charles scooped her up and dropped her onto the bed.


    Ynda instantly turned white, her whole body twisting as she fought to break free. “Let me go! Get your hands off me!”


    2633


    Charles pinned her wrists above her head, his voice full of teasing provocation. “So you won’t let me kiss you, huh? Or did you enjoy someone else’s lips more?”


    ‘Shit, this guy is such an asshole!‘ Ynda fumed inwardly.


    Huge tears streamed down her cheeks, one after another.


    Charles froze instantly. If any of his other flings had dared to say no to him like this, he would’ve kicked them out of bed without a second thought.


    But Ynda was crying, and that pissed him off.


    What pissed him off even more was himself–because those few tears had somehow softened his heart.


    He stopped moving and let go of her wrists.


    Her lips were even more swollen now.


    Charles looked smug, giving her cheek a teasing squeeze. “Wasn’t Starlight Entertainment what you wantedst time? Take it–consider it a littlepensation.”


    Ynda’s mouth hurt like hell, and she wanted nothing more than to p him across the face. But she held back.


    After all, she’d won Starlight Entertainment out of it.


    Charles might be a cold–hearted bastard, but when it came to throwing money around, he was generous as


    hell.


    “Thanks, hubby,” Ynda muttered, a hint of forced sweetness in her voice.


    “You’re really thanking me for something so trivial?” Charles teased with a chuckle.


    With a satisfied littleugh, he figured that settled everything. He pulled the nket over them both and held her close, as if locking the moment in.


    Ynda turned over to face away from him. Truly worn out, she quickly slipped into sleep.


    12:13 <b>Sun</b><b>, </b><b>Sep </b><b>21 </b>


    <b>(</b>63


    Vouchers


    When she woke up, there was a brand–new phone on the nightstand, SIM already swapped out–Charles must’ve had Jack Nn handle it.


    She rubbed her eyes, powered it on, and spotted a message from Ian.


    [Ms. Grant, the guys fromst night have been taken in by the police. Do you need toe down to the station?]


    She freshened up, then just stared at the message, zoning out for a while.


    After what happenedst night, Ynda just couldn’t treat Ian like some regr guy anymore.


    Megan had said before that Ian used to throw himself into bare–knuckle underground brawls, like he didn’t care if he lived or died. And from the way Samuel actedst night, it seemed he definitely knew more about Ian than he’d ever let on.


    ‘Seriously, though… how did I just happen to pick up a guy like him off the street and take him home?‘ Ynda thought, a little freaked out.


    She knew she had to head down to the station.


    After a quick bite, she made her way there.


    Those guys had been handed over to the police by Samuel. If Charles had gotten his hands on them, he wouldn’t have yed nice–he’d go to any lengths to force out why they’d really gone after Renee, and the truth about Ian would’ve spilled whether anyone liked it or not.


    But Samuel had gotten to them first, and even with all his power, Charles couldn’t risk crossing the


    government.


    Plus, this wasn’t just any police station—Samuel had friends in high ces there. So whatever came up during questioning, you could bet it’d all get spun so the kidnappers just looked like they had beef with Samuel and wanted to mess with the Grant family, nothing more.


    As soon as Ynda walked into the room, she heard a bunch of guys confessing and cursing the whole time.


    “It’s all Ian’s fault! That bastard’s twisted, actually pulled a gun on us! You gotta lock him up–guns are illegal here, and that lunatic’s just dangerous!”


    “His mom’s a bitch, and he’s no better–a total piece of trash, rotten to the core!”


    “Shit! Next time we get the chance, we’reing after him again!”


    The cops listened to all their cussing and mouthing off, frowning and looking pretty pissed.


    Ynda walked in and politely asked the interrogating officer, “Hi, officer, did you get anything out of them about Ian?<b>” </b>


    The cop shook his head, sighing. “Nope. These guys, it’s not their first rodeo–they’ve been after Ian plenty of times and done more than a dozen stints behind bars. No matter what we ask, they just keep cursing their heads off, actingpletely unhinged. Honestly, they’re probably nuts.”


    :


    10 vouchers


    Ynda nodded to herself. ‘Let’s be real, nobody in their right mind would ever go after Renee Sinir like that,‘ she thought.


    The guys being interrogated suddenly caught sight of Ynda and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads. “Holy shit! There’s actually someone who survivedn? No freakin‘ way! That rabid dog would never care about anyone–he has to be faking it! Dammit! Ian, I’ll never forgive you, not as long as I live! Damn it! Waaa-” Their words dissolved into panicked sobbing.


    By the end of their cursing, these grown men actually burst into tears<b>, </bpletely losing it.


    Ynda just stared in disbelief. ‘What the hell did Ian do to these people to make seasoned thugs act this terrified–like he’s crawled straight out of their worst nightmares?‘ she thought.


    Ynda rubbed her temple as she left the police station, unable to help herself–she dialed Megan, hoping for any details about Ian.


    But all Megan had were the usual basics: his simple family background, and how Ynda had picked him up that time. Nothing else, nothing useful at all.


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