Dominance Arises

Noah, seething with anger, reluctantly slid off Feder's lap and took a drag from the cigarette Feder had forced upon him. He then deliberately blew the smoke directly into Feder's face, his eyes blazing with defiance.

Feder didn't lose his temper. In fact, he seemed to find Noah's rebellious streak amusing, his lips curling into a deeper smile. His gaze, predatory and intense, lingered on Noah as if he were a meal to be devoured.

Noah ignored the unsettling look, turning away to exhale the smoke. Feder, however, wasn't done. He lit another cigarette, using the burning tip of Noah's to ignite his own, and then grinned at him, the gesture dripping with condescension.

What a lunatic, Noah thought, glaring at him. He had no intention of indulging Feder any longer than necessary. All he wanted was for Feder to delete the photos so he could get the hell out of there. But just as Noah finished his cigarette, Feder casually remarked, "I never said I'd delete the photos just because you finished your cigarette."

Noah's rage flared instantly. He grabbed Feder by the collar, roaring, "You're messing with me!"

Feder remained calm, unfazed by Noah's outburst. He gestured towards the door with a mocking smile. "If you don't like it, you're free to leave. The door's right there."

Noah found himself at a loss, angered but unable to refute Feder's point. He knew he couldn't leave without those photos being deleted.

"Fine! You want to play games? Let's play!" Noah spat, pulling a weapon from the back of his waistband. He cocked the gun and aimed it directly at Feder's head, his voice cold with fury. "Hand over your phone. Now."

The moment the weapon was drawn, the women in the room screamed in terror, their faces draining of color as they scrambled for cover, ducking and running in all directions like frightened birds.

"You deaf?!" Noah bellowed, his patience gone. The last thing he wanted was to resort to violence, but Feder had pushed him to the brink.

Feder, lounging in his chair with a cigarette between his lips, looked utterly unbothered. "Oh, trading the knife for a gun now? That's quite the upgrade."

"You think I won't shoot?" Noah snarled, his finger tightening on the trigger. To prove his point, he fired at the liquor cabinet, shattering its glass door with a loud crash.

The women shrieked again, their panic only intensifying as they fled towards the doors and rooms, desperate to get away.

Feder, however, remained unfazed. He merely blew out a thin stream of smoke, his expression turning icy. "You better think this through. If you fail to kill me, you won't like the consequences."

Noah's hands trembled with rage, but Feder's calm demeanor and chilling words gave him pause. Feder wasn't bluffing; he knew the man was more dangerous than he let on.

"Come on then, don't leave me hanging," Feder taunted, pressing the barrel of the gun against his own chest. "Make sure you don't leave me breathing."

Noah hesitated, caught off guard by Feder's willingness to provoke him. He'd never expected this kind of response, having assumed Feder would back down.

What the hell? Is he really not afraid to die?

The thought made Noah hesitate, his confidence faltering. Feder seized the opportunity, easily disarming him and removing the bullets with swift, practiced movements.

Noah's eyes widened in shock as he realized how easily he'd been outmaneuvered. He wasn't dealing with someone who feared death; he was dealing with someone who thrived on manipulation and control.

Damn it! This guy is a total snake!

Noah cursed himself for being so easily fooled. His naivety had given Feder the upper hand.

Feder chuckled darkly, his expression gleeful as he watched Noah's frustration build. "Oh, Noah, you really don't want those photos getting out, do you? What if I accidentally sent them to Richa? That'd be awkward, wouldn't it?"

"You call that an accident? Why don't you just tattoo 'blackmail' on your forehead?" Noah snapped, his anger flaring once more.

Feder only laughed, refusing to answer. Instead, he extended his cigarette to Noah.

Noah scowled, but took the cigarette, knowing full well Feder would make things difficult if he didn't. He took a drag, trying to keep his temper in check.

Before Noah could exhale the smoke, Feder suddenly leaned in and kissed him forcefully, catching Noah completely off guard.

Noah's eyes went wide in shock. He shoved Feder away and landed a solid punch on his face, his eyes blazing with fury. This bastard!

Feder, now tasting blood in his mouth, narrowed his eyes, his mood darkening. With a snarl, he grabbed Noah and dragged him toward the bedroom.

"Let go of me!" Noah shouted, struggling violently against Feder's iron grip.

Feder didn't respond, his expression cold and menacing. "Get lost!" he barked at the women who had been cowering in the hallway, sending them scattering in fear.

Back at the office, Leo had been anxiously watching for Noah's return. Hours had passed without any sign of him, and Leo's worry grew by the minute. Unable to wait any longer, he grabbed his car keys and hurried out, determined to find out what had happened.

Meanwhile, the women Feder had chased away were huddled together outside, their nerves still rattled.

"Who… who was that guy?" one of them finally managed to ask, her voice trembling.

"Wasn't he the housekeeper?" another woman guessed, still shaken.

"That's impossible! Didn't you see how he and Mr. Li seemed to know each other?"

"A friend maybe?"

"No way. Mr. Li doesn't have male friends. He hates men, you know that."

"Yeah, you're right… But then who was he?"

They were still reeling from the shock of what they'd seen, trying to make sense of it all.

"So… what do we do now? Should we go back in?" one of them asked nervously.

"But he hasn't paid us yet!"

"Yeah! We can't just leave without getting our money!"

Despite their fear, the thought of leaving without payment was enough to spark some reluctant courage in them.

"Wait a minute, why did Mr. Li kick us out and take that man into the room? What's going on?" one of the women finally questioned, the pieces starting to click together.

"Yeah… what was that about?"

The realization dawned slowly, spreading through the group like a cold chill.

"Oh my God! Mr. Li doesn't like men, right?" one of the women gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"That can't be right! Isn't he only into women?"

"Yeah! I've seen him glare at men like he wanted to kill them just for looking at him."

"Exactly! He hates men!"

"But… that guy was definitely a man, right?" one of them whispered, her voice filled with doubt.

The group fell silent, each woman too stunned to speak. They'd always known Feder as someone who despised men, so what they had just witnessed didn't fit at all.

"Could that guy be Mr. Li's boyfriend?" one woman speculated, the gears of gossip starting to turn.

"Doesn't look like it. That guy seemed like he was being threatened."

"They mentioned something about photos. Maybe Mr. Li has something on him?"

"Yeah, that makes sense."

They whispered amongst themselves, their curiosity piqued, but none of them dared to do more than glance nervously toward the room.

Eventually, they settled down, leaning against each other as exhaustion caught up with them. Having stayed up all night drinking with Feder, they soon drifted off to sleep.

Time passed, and suddenly the door to the bedroom flew open. Feder stepped out, his expression dark and brooding.

The women jolted awake, fear instantly gripping them as they scrambled to their feet, ready to bolt.

"Where do you think you're going?" Feder's voice rang out, cold and commanding.

"We… we don't know anything, I swear!" one of the women stammered, turning back toward him, her face pale.

Feder didn't seem to care about their fear. "Which one of you knows how to cook?" he asked, his tone flat.

The women blinked in surprise, not understanding the sudden shift. One of them hesitantly raised her hand. "I… I do," she said quietly.

"Go make something to eat," Feder ordered, shutting the door behind him without waiting for a response.

The women were left standing there, bewildered.

"What just happened?" one of them murmured, utterly confused.

They had expected to be yelled at, or worse, but instead, Feder had simply given them a task and walked away. It wasn't at all like the Feder they knew—he was actually being somewhat... civil.

This was not the Feder they recognized. The man they had just seen wasn't the cold, ruthless figure they were used to. Something had definitely changed.