Having dealt with Nelson, Erik was in a decent mood. They walked along the riverside. Janelle strode ahead, the wind lifting her long hair. The tailored suit accentuated her perfect figure. Erik's gaze remained fixed on her, unable to tear away.
Janelle glanced back, catching him looking at her with intense fascination. Her heartbeat quickened involuntarily. Being regarded with such depth by a man that handsome was impossible for any woman to ignore. That moment of her looking back was seared into Erik's memory – a breathtakingly beautiful, alluring vision.
He walked towards her, drawn irresistibly, and wrapped an arm around her waist. The scene was picturesque, but the next instant, Janelle stomped hard on his foot.
"What are you doing?" she demanded, annoyed by his constant boundary-pushing.
His foot throbbed, but he still didn't let go. "Couldn't help myself."
"..."
Janelle had never encountered a man like Erik. Frankly, with her face, men constantly pursued her. But none were as brazenly persistent as him. She'd rejected him clearly, yet he refused to give up. Was one night together really that unforgettable?
Janelle hooked her arms around his neck. Surprised by her initiative, Erik's pulse raced. Was she going to kiss him? The atmosphere was perfect – Graham City's night lights, her captivating presence.
But she didn't kiss him. Instead, she leaned close to his ear, her voice low and deliberate, "Erik, if I sleep with you once more, will you finally leave me alone?" Was it just her body he craved? Or was it revenge for the knife wound? A man like Erik couldn't lack for women. What did he really want from her? Did he know her true identity?
The heat inside him was doused like cold water. "Janelle," Erik sighed, exasperated, "how can you be so unromantic?" He was genuinely frustrated. "Can't it just be that I simply like you?"
"Easy to say," she scoffed. It was just a whim. Men always dressed up their desires in pretty words.
"I won't deny I like your body," Erik admitted bluntly, unusually honest.
Janelle snorted derisively.
"Don't scoff," he countered. "You're not immune to me either, are you? Want to?" That single encounter had left him craving more. He was seducing her. The audacity!
And her body, traitorously, responded to his provocation. If he made her uncomfortable, she wouldn't let him off easy. Her answer was her bold hand sliding down. Her touch was soft, incredibly pleasurable even through the fabric.
"Still want it?" Her voice was a siren's call.
Erik spun them around, using his larger frame to shield her from view. This girl was daring, and it suited him perfectly. "Yes." If she dared, he was ready.
Janelle wanted to throttle him. Erik leaned in to kiss her, but she pushed him away firmly. "But I don't want to anymore."
"..." Of course. She was deliberately messing with him. For the first time, Erik felt utterly helpless against a girl.
Back in the car, Erik handed her a wet wipe. Janelle meticulously cleaned her hand.
"Think I'm dirty?" he asked.
Janelle ignored him. Once she finished, he grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I don't think you're dirty."
"..."
Erik drove her to the Rovella mansion. "I'm staying next door," he pointed to the adjacent villa. "You can come find me anytime."
"Why would I?" Did she look that bored?
"Whatever you want to do, I'll cooperate," he offered, his meaning clear.
Janelle ignored him, got out, and slammed the car door. Erik didn't drive off. He tapped a cigarette from the pack, lit it, and took deep, harsh drags. Not even nicotine could quell his desire for her.
Lillie, returning from the Graham City Institute, saw Erik sitting in his sports car smoking. One glance, and her heart skipped a beat. Almost hypnotically, she parked beside his car, got out, and approached him.
"Do you remember me?" she asked.
Erik glanced back at her. "Who are you?"
Lillie was stunned. They'd met several times! How could he not remember? "I'm Janelle's sister," she stated, suppressing her anger. "I don't know what Janelle has told you about me, but regardless, she is my sister. I genuinely want her to be happy."
Erik watched her through the smoke curling from his cigarette. "So?"
"The Hills' position in Graham City speaks for itself," Lillie continued. "If you truly like her, take her away from Graham City. There's no need to get tangled in all this mess." She desperately wanted Janelle gone. While Janelle remained, people would compare them. Proud as she was, Lillie loathed being compared to a madwoman's daughter.
"Are you that afraid of Janelle?" Erik asked flatly.
Lillie frowned. Afraid? Why should she be?
"If you weren't afraid, why are you so desperate to make her leave?"
"I'm saying this for your good," Lillie insisted. "Five years ago, Janelle was obsessed with Nelson. She came back out of bitterness. Don't let yourself be used—"
"I'm happy to be used by her. Now get lost." Erik cut her off, disgusted. Women like Lillie, rotten inside yet pretending to be saints, weren't worth his time. His car peeled away, brushing past her.
Watching the Rolls-Royce Cullinan disappear, Lillie felt even more unsettled. What did Janelle have that she didn't? Why was this man so devoted to her? A shame he lacked background. Otherwise... even she might have been drawn to a man with that face and raw magnetism. It was the ultimate temptation for any woman.
The butler, seeing Janelle return, tried to slip away unnoticed. The current Janelle was terrifying; her blows hurt. But he wasn't fast enough.
"Butler. Come here." Janelle had changed into slippers and was lounging casually on the sofa.
"Y-Yes, M-Miss," the butler stammered. Though she did nothing, he felt summoned by a demon. Seeing him hesitate so far away, Janelle frowned.
"I told you to come here. Didn't you hear me?" Her voice was cool, not raised, yet it made him tremble.
He shuffled forward and abruptly fell to his knees before her, launching into a theatrical display of tears and snot. "Miss! Please spare me! Look at me, half in the grave already! I can't take any more torment!"