Midnight Photos

Lily was feeling inexplicably frustrated and distracted. Looking at the explosive photos of the celebrity scandal, she couldn't muster any thoughts, and not a single word came to mind. It wasn't until evening that she finally managed to drag herself through writing the article.

All her colleagues, including her uncle, had left the magazine office by then. Just as Lily was about to head home, her phone rang. The screen displayed the nickname she had given Ethan: Tyrant.

"Hello, it's Lily," she answered flatly.

"Where are you?" Ethan's cold voice came through the phone. Without waiting for her to reply, he added, "Come to my place."

And with that, he hung up.

Hearing the dial tone, Lily felt a surge of frustration. She almost wanted to smash her phone.

In his eyes, she had no rights. It appeared as though she had no life other than to be available for summons at any time by him.

Bastard!

She cursed under her breath and, exhausted, hailed a cab to Shallow Bay.

"Miss Anderson, you're here. Mr. Blackwood is having dinner," Nanny greeted her at the European-style villa, leading her to the dining room.

Ethan sat at the table, impeccably dressed, eating his meal without even glancing at her. His deep voice ordered, "Go make sweet and sour fish."

"…"

Lily stood speechless in the brightly lit dining room, inwardly cursing herself. Why did she even mention sweet and sour fish to him before? Now, the man had remembered.

Seeing her hesitate, Ethan raised his eyes, glaring at her coldly. "Aren't you going?"

Fine, she'd go.

She couldn't afford to cross him—she didn't want a slap in the face.

Lily dropped her bag and walked into the kitchen. The Blackwood villa's kitchen was high-end, making even cooking seem upscale.

Splashing her face with cold water to shake off her fatigue, Lily tied on an apron and skillfully began preparing the fish, gutting and scaling it. She smelled like fish by the time she started cooking.

Sweet and sour fish was the dish she was best at, one that Alex had taught her.

She had always loved the sweet and tangy flavor of sweet and sour fish, and Alex had learned to make it just for her. He even tried to teach her, but she had struggled, hating the smell of raw fish and the act of cooking.

But when she lost everything, she learned to gut fish without a second thought. Cooking fish became second nature to her.

"Thud—"

A set of keys landed on the counter beside her.

Lily turned to see Ethan standing in the doorway, arms crossed, watching her with a domineering expression. "From now on, come over every night."

Every night?

Did he expect her to spend every night with this tyrant? Wouldn't that drive her to depression—or even insanity?

Lily plated the fish, saying, "That's impossible. My uncle would get suspicious if I'm not home every night."

He'd be furious if her uncle discovered she was someone's mistress.

Not possible?

This was the first time he had ever given a woman the keys to his place, and now she was telling him no?

Ungrateful woman.

"Lily, I'm not interested in your excuses," Ethan said coldly, glancing at the fish that smelled delicious. She really did know how to cook.

Once a wealthy heiress, she had now begun cooking her own meals, looking like a mere servant. Too bad he hadn't seen her transformation in real time—it must have been quite a sight.

The fall of a proud heiress into a lowly Cinderella—her fancy clothes replaced with cheap garments, her regal demeanor reduced to that of a kitchen maid.

"Ethan, you have your own life, don't you? You can't be home every night. Can't we work out a compromise? I'll try to match your schedule as best I can," Lily said, her tone seeking to negotiate. She genuinely didn't want to argue with him.

After all, every argument ended with her giving in. She had learned her lesson; she wouldn't be foolish anymore.

"No," Ethan rejected her outright.

He didn't care about her excuses. He wanted her to spend this entire month with him, body and soul, leaving no room for other men.

How hard could it be to conquer a woman?

He would ensure she had no time to think about any other man.

Lily took off the apron and turned to face Ethan, his expression as uncompromising as ever. She tried to speak softly, "You can't be so domineering. I have my own time and space."

Her voice was unique, significantly, when she intentionally softened it. It was soothing, almost calming.

She knew better than confronting Ethan head-on, so she took a different approach.

"How much are your time and space worth? I'll buy them," Ethan said without even looking up.

Lily was speechless. How could she respond to such arrogance? Her wide, almond-shaped eyes stared at him in disbelief.

"Speechless? Does that mean you agree?" Ethan's lips curled into a smug smile. He loved the look of her when she was forced to submit—stubborn yet vulnerable.

This man was so self-centered that there was no way they could ever find common ground.

"…" Lily was so angry that she couldn't even speak.

Ethan reached for the chopsticks and stabbed them into the fish on the plate. He picked up a piece of the tender fish and brought it to her lips, his sharp eyes locking onto hers, his brow slightly raised.

What was that look in his eyes?

"What? Afraid I poisoned it?" Even more annoyed now, Lily opened her mouth and took a fish bite.

If Ethan were the fish, she would have cooked him, taken a few bites, and spat him out into the trash!

Chewing angrily, Lily didn't realize how enticing she looked while eating. Her soft pink lips moved as they caught the light, glistening just a little.

Ethan's gaze darkened as he tossed the chopsticks aside and pinned her against the kitchen counter. He trapped her in his embrace with his hands on either side of her. Lowering his head, he kissed her lips.

Lily instinctively tried to pull away, but Ethan's arm wrapped around her waist, his other hand gripping her head as he deepened the kiss. His hot tongue invaded her mouth, stealing the fish from her lips.

The coolness of the countertop contrasted starkly with the heat of his body. The sweet and sour flavor of the fish mixed between them, intensifying the moment.

Ethan's kisses were always overwhelming and consuming. Lily's body gradually softened, her hands instinctively wrapping around his shoulders as she shyly responded to him.

Ethan muttered, "Lily, learn to breathe," amused at how her face flushed as she held her breath throughout the lengthy kiss. It was clear she had no idea how to handle it.

That man, Alex—he probably never even kissed her.

Before she realized it, Ethan had lifted her onto the kitchen counter, his hands undoing the buttons of her cardigan one by one, the apron falling away…

Lily's vision blurred as she stared up at the kitchen lights. Ethan deliberately took his time kissing her collarbone, teasing her, his hands holding her close but not going any further.

Something inside her body screamed to be released, making her feel even more uncomfortable. She couldn't help but moan softly, her voice trembling, "Ethan..."

"Hm?" Ethan lifted his head from her chest, his dark eyes filled with desire, his lips dangerously seductive. His voice was low and hoarse. "What's the matter? Want more?"

This man—he could take whatever he wanted from her, but he insisted on torturing her, making her body react in ways she couldn't control.

Lily bit her lip hard as Ethan pulled his tie off, guiding her hands to his chest. "Help me take it off."

Lily's mind went blank as she obediently unbuttoned his shirt, one button at a time…

"Are you the one..."

Suddenly, a phone rang outside the kitchen, snapping Lily back to reality. She looked down at herself—her clothes were disheveled, her chest covered in bright red kiss marks.

Once again, she had lost herself in his embrace.

How did this keep happening? How could she let this happen?

Panicking, Lily pushed Ethan away and tried to run, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, trapping her between the counter and his body once more.

"Running away now?" Ethan lifted her chin with his fingers, his eyes dark with unfulfilled desire. One of his hands started roaming over her body.

The phone continued to ring in the background…

"Stop it, I need to answer that," Lily pleaded, ignoring the risk of making him angry. She ducked under his arm and quickly slipped out of the kitchen, grabbing her phone from her bag and answering it.

It was her uncle.

He was probably calling to remind her to come home, but she was already at the Blackwood villa. In his current state, Ethan wouldn't let her leave so quickly.

"Lily, what's going on with you these past few days? You've hardly been home. Even if you're chasing a story, you still need to sleep," her uncle's concerned voice came through the phone. "Come home right away."

Of course, he wanted her to come home.

"I…" Lily struggled to devise an excuse, but Ethan's arms wrapped around her from behind before she could say anything. His large, clean hand cupped her breast, and Lily gasped. "Mm…"

Hearing the strange noise, her uncle immediately became worried. "Lily, are you okay? Where are you? Come home right now. I'll wait up for you."

She wanted nothing more than to go home, to sleep in her own bed, rather than stay here, where Ethan would do whatever he pleased.

Ethan's lips found her earlobe, his hot breath sending shivers down her spine as he nibbled and kissed her there.

"I… mm…" The moment she opened her mouth, her voice came out as a soft, trembling moan. Horrified, she quickly covered the phone with her hand.

Ethan raised an amused eyebrow, his hands roaming her, teasing her relentlessly.

This man… He was doing this purposefully, making her unable to answer the phone correctly. He was too much!