I like you, Angel ...

"I like you, Angel," Charlie murmured, his voice echoing gently in the quiet room. He reached out his left hand gently, grasping Angelica's right hand, and tenderly stroked the back of it. The dim light from the side table lamp created a warm touch between them. "That's why I feel you belong here, and I wanted to help..."

"But... so quickly?" Angelica asked nervously. Her eyes searched for answers in Charlie's, reflecting her uncertainty. "I mean... You liked me in an instant, then gave me so much... It's very strange," she continued, discomfort evident in her tone.

"There's nothing strange..."

"It is strange, you're very strange!" Angelica exclaimed, trying to pull her hand away, but Charlie held it gently, restraining and guiding her until she eventually fell onto his chest. "Charlie, what are you doing!"

"I want you," Charlie whispered, his eyes locked onto Angelica's sparkling blue eyes. "I want to be with you all the time... without interference from anyone, and I want you to feel comfortable by my side," he continued, his fingers gently caressing her lips before he leaned down slowly to kiss her.

Angelica was enchanted by Charlie's charm, her resistance fading, unable to resist the kiss. She began to respond gently, her body moving reflexively, shifting to sit on his lap, making it easier for their lips to meet.

"Ugh, damn, I can't hold back any longer!" Charlie groaned, immediately pushing Angelica to move from his lap, shifting to lie beside him, and then gently cradling her beneath him, her body appearing so small beneath him.

"Uhh, hey..." Angelica was startled, but once again Charlie silenced her with a passionate kiss. She resisted the man gently, pressing against his chest, then turned to avoid his lips. "Please..."

"Emh, you have to be mine!" Charlie whispered, then continued by kissing Angelica with fervor, not giving her a chance to refuse at all. "I won't hurt you, trust me," he whispered between the kisses.

Angelica could only surrender, reflexively returning the kiss. The fresh scent and softness of Charlie's lips were like an instant addiction, making her want more and more, her hands already reflexively embracing his neck and pressing to deepen the kiss.

"Emh, you like it, don't you?" Charlie asked with a teasing smile.

"You're forcing me!" Angelica retorted sharply, pushing Charlie's chest to distance herself but not succeeding.

"No... I want more," Charlie murmured with warm eyes. "Can I have more than this?" he asked.

Angelica gave a thin smile. "Is this a repayment I should give you for the money you gave me?"

"No..." Charlie shook his head. "I belong to you, that's the issue."

"What?" Angelica squinted her eyes. "You belong to me?"

"Yeah, now and forever... I'm yours," Charlie whispered with eyes full of love, then kissed Angelica's cheek. "I'd be very happy if you'd have me as yours... do whatever you want to me," he continued with a faint voice.

Angelica closed her eyes, reflexively swallowing, feeling a strange sensation, like a rising passion.

'What is this? Am I tempted? He... he's so gentle and fragrant,' she wondered in her heart.

Charlie kissed Angelica's cheek, then looked at her with closed eyes.

"Um, I think I need to use the bathroom," she said as she sat up.

Angelica immediately opened her eyes, glancing at Charlie who smiled at her. 'What is this? He said he wanted me, but... why did he stop?' she wondered in her heart, feeling frustrated.

"Could you help me?" Charlie asked.

"What?" Angelica asked back while sitting up.

"To the bathroom," Charlie replied, raising his eyebrows. "I need your help pouring soap into my left hand... You know my right hand is injured, right?" He continued, showing his right hand wrapped in a thick bandage.

"Okay..."

Angelica quickly got up from the bed, and then walked to the bathroom, crossing the walk-in closet space. The girl walked with a strange feeling, curious about Charlie's behavior in following her now. She felt like she wanted to ask about the meaning of the intimacy earlier and why it stopped abruptly, but she was also hesitant to ask because it would only make her seem to enjoy the intimacy.

'That felt like a dream, but it was real,' she thought anxiously.

Drettt... drettt...

Charlie stopped in the walk-in closet and picked up his phone, which stood on a white cot about 1 meter high.

"Hello, Xander?"

"Sir, can you go to the hotel today? If you can, it means you'll lead the meeting... so I can ask the employees to wait... or..."

"I can't go today," Charlie said before the man named Xander finished his sentence. "I still don't feel well, so please handle the hotel until I can go," he continued.

"Um, alright..."

Charlie hung up the call and then looked towards the bathroom door where Angelica was waiting. His lips smiled, approaching the girl with warm eyes.

"I guess you haven't showered yet," he said.

"Uh, yeah," Angelica replied nervously. 'Wait wait, is that why he stopped kissing me? Is my breath bad? But... but I already brushed my teeth?' she wondered in her heart, this time thinking about her quality.

"I haven't either," Charlie said. "If you want to shower, it's okay. But please prepare warm water for me first," he continued.

"Okay, I'll prepare..."

Angelica immediately entered the spacious bathroom with a bathtub, the high ceiling giving the impression of a larger space. In the corner, there was a large-sized bathtub. White marble walls reflected the soft light from the crystal chandelier in the middle of the room. A calm and elegant atmosphere surrounded her as she decided to find out more about the room until she found the water heater and set the temperature before turning it on.

"Do you want to talk to your mother?"

The question startled Angelica, who was daydreaming while waiting for the water heater. She turned to see Charlie approaching her, wearing only a towel around his waist.

'Oh, damn! He... he's hot!' she screamed inwardly, imagining something behind the towel wrapped around Charlie's waist.

"I'll ask my assistant to buy you a phone so you can talk to her more easily without having to borrow my phone," he said.

Angelita immediately shook her head. "That's not necessary... I can use the house phone here and maybe borrow Renee's phone," she said.

"That's very irrelevant. I know you'll also need a phone to communicate with your friends or just to find entertainment so you don't get bored..." Charlie reached out his left hand to gently stroke Angelica's head. "I want the best for you. I don't want you to regret choosing to come here." He smiled warmly and then leaned in to kiss her forehead.

Angelica froze; the forehead kiss felt different, like expressing an affection she had never received from anyone except her mother.

"Now you can go. I'm sure I can do everything by myself," Charlie said again.

"But you said you couldn't even pour shampoo into your hand," Angelica replied with a puzzled look, still not understanding Charlie's behavior.

Charlie instead smiled at his lips. "Earlier, I was just joking... I can use my right hand because only the back of my palm is injured; it's not too bad," he said casually.

Angelica fell silent, looking at Charlie with a pout.

"Okay, I know maybe you don't want to go out; you want to help me... that means you'll have to bathe me," Charlie said teasingly with a smile.

"No!" Angelica exclaimed, quickly stepping back. "I don't want to. You're strange!" she continued and then promptly left.

"You'll do it..." Charlie sneered, looking at Angelica as she walked away.

Angelica walked hastily, feeling annoyed but also a little regretful for not taking the opportunity when Charlie started teasing her.

'I should have started asking him about why he kissed me and invited me to be intimate... I don't know what to do.'

"Angel!"

Angelica stopped and turned to look at Charlie calling her.

"What?"

"Please prepare some clothes for me," Charlie said.

"Okay..."

Angelica hurriedly left the bathroom and stopped in the walk-in closet, browsing through the closets filled with Charlie's collection of clothes and accessories.

"Wow... this is the first time I've entered such a luxurious room," she said, gazing at Charlie's neatly arranged shoe collection in the very tall glass cabinet. "It might take months of work to be able to buy just one pair of those." Her eyes were drawn to a pair of black and white shoes, but suddenly she felt strange because they looked very small, almost like a female's shoes.

"But why are there female shoes here? Didn't he just buy this Mansion about a month ago, and his sister lives in the other Mansion? That means those shoes aren't his sister's, right? Even his sister seems to prefer wearing heels?"

Angelica wondered, becoming more curious about Charlie's mysterious life. She turned to open the closet, finding the clothes hung and arranged so neatly. At once, she thought of Kate's advice.

'If he likes me and wants me to be his satisfaction, maybe that would be an opportunity for me to win his heart, and my life would be much easier... besides, he's handsome and rich... but... does he want me? He even suddenly stopped kissing me... this is very confusing.'