Chapter 51

Click.

Only when the door shut completely did he loosen his hold on Daisy.

“What are you doing?”

“Exacting revenge for all the rumors.”

“Revenge?”

“What kind of fool just sits back while his wife is being slandered?”

Shameless.

The way Maxim lifted his brows and replied so casually made her blood boil.

“Then why take it out on me?”

“You forbade me from drawing my weapon, so what choice did I have?”

He shrugged as if it were the most natural thing.

“I saw only two solutions. Either put a bullet through their skulls, or make our passion so undeniable that no gossip could stand. The first, regrettably, was not an option, so I went with the second.”

“…”

“Not that I’m complaining. The second option’s more enjoyable. Thank you for that, Izzy.”

So that was his plan all along. It was no wonder that he had asked for the gun first. She couldn’t shake the feeling she had been played.

That smug bastard. She had half a mind to smack him across the face.

Daisy’s clenched fist trembled, but staring at him would only eat her up inside. She slipped from his arms and hurried out past the curtain, but one glance in the mirror made her gasp. She looked as if a wild beast had mauled her.

Then she saw him striding toward her again.

“We’re not finished yet. You can’t just run off.”

“…F-finished with what?”

“In a dressing room? What else is there to do but undress?”

Daisy spun around to press her back against the mirror, retreating from him.

“What are you trying to pull?”

“Let me ask you instead. Why did you come here, Izzy?”

“To buy clothes.”

“Then you must undress to try them on before you decide to buy them. Isn’t that how it works?”

Maxim gently ordered her to undress, as if coaxing a stubborn child.

“So come now. Undress and change into the robe.”

Not a word of it was wrong, but she bristled at the thought of undressing under his hands. When she glared at him warily, Maxim lowered himself, meeting her eyes.

“You know something?”

“What?”

“When a man is left with a riddle he can’t solve… he dwells on it. Obsessively. Until it drives him mad.”

What was this sudden nonsense?

“Has it ever occurred to you that your resistance only fuels me?”

“What are you even talking about…?”

“You keep handing me new riddles.”

Every word brushed her cheek with the heat of his breath. His piercing eyes traced from her lashes, to the curve of her nose, down to her lips. That gaze was dangerous.

Daisy swallowed hard.

“Sometimes, leaving someone half-undressed is far more arousing than stripping them bare.”

“…”

“And we still have thirty minutes. I’m not a patient man.”

As he spoke, his gaze slowly trailed from her round shoulders to the faint curve of her cleavage.

“Now, isn’t that a shame.”

Flustered, she quickly crossed her arms over her chest.

“Fine, I’ll do it myself. Just… turn around, please.”

“Go ahead.”

To her surprise, he actually turned.

She strained at the buttons running down her back, but after much fumbling, she realized it was impossible to take this dress off by herself.

“Well? Having second thoughts about my refusing help?”

Clearly, he had anticipated this.

Of all days, she had chosen to wear this dress.

Her pride stung, but at last she muttered:

“…Help me.”

“As you wish.”

“B-but… I’d prefer it if you didn’t look while helping me.”

Even to her somewhat cheeky request, he just smiled. Maxim turned her to face the mirror, then tore open the back of the dress in one swift motion.

I asked him for help, and this jerk went and shredded it to pieces!

“Are you serious…”

“Sorry. I figured only something this dramatic would demonstrate how urgent things were.”

“It’s wasteful!”

“You worry over the strangest things, Izzy.”

Although it might have been a cheap dress, it was still intact until now. Pouting, she pulled on the robe he had draped over her shoulders.

He teased as he tied it for her.

“I’ll make it up to you with something prettier.”