CH: 298 Stealing a Chicken, Losing a Rice

{Chapter: 298 Stealing a Chicken, Losing a Rice}

"It's not that difficult. I'll just lie here, and you give me a hundred kisses," William said as he stretched lazily on the recliner, a smug expression on his face like he was inviting royalty to honor him.

Maria stared at him in disbelief. "Do you seriously expect me to do that?"

"Don't tell me you can't," William replied, smirking like a cat who had cornered a mouse. "Because if you do, I'll be very disappointed. Maria, this is your final opportunity. If you let this chance slip away… there won't be another." His voice carried an insufferable arrogance.

Maria closed her eyes and took three slow, deliberate breaths. "I understand," she whispered with clenched teeth.

She crouched down slowly, her body visibly trembling as she reached for his hand. Her lips trembled as they hovered above his skin.

William grinned wider. "Oh, and one more thing—if you kiss the same place more than five times, that's an automatic fail. Except for the face, of course. That one's off-limits."

"You..." Maria's glare could have pierced armor. If looks could kill, William would've dropped dead in that chair.

"And another thing," William added nonchalantly, inspecting his nails like this was all routine, "the number of kisses cannot be fewer than twenty. Otherwise… well, you know the consequences."

"You're deliberately humiliating me," she snapped, her voice sharp like broken glass.

"You can see it that way," William said casually, "but I'm only asking you a simple question: will you do it or not?"

Maria's lips curled into a bitter smile. "Fine. Very good, William. You win." Her voice trembled with rage as she leaned in and gave a slow, reluctant kiss to the back of his hand.

William leaned back contentedly, like a king enjoying a performance. "That's the spirit. Don't stop. I'm really looking forward to this."

Maria muttered through gritted teeth, "Could you at least stop giving commentary like an announcer at a boxing match?"

"Nope," he said cheerfully. "Freedom of speech, Maria. But hey, you can always stop—if you're willing to accept the consequences."

"You are a devil," she growled. And then, all at once, she lost control. Fueled by anger and frustration, she lunged at him and crushed her lips against his to silence his wicked mouth.

Her body trembled as she pressed against him. So this is what kissing feels like? she thought. Why should I care? This bastard isn't a man—he's a mangy dog. That's it. I'm just kissing a damn dog. I don't care. I don't care…

William's eyes gleamed with dark amusement. He could feel it—this wasn't a kiss born from passion but from emotional breakdown. Still, it only excited him further. How many people in this world could break Maria Hill's pride like this? he wondered. Only me.

With a smirk, he wrapped an arm around her waist and suddenly flipped them both, pressing Maria beneath him. "Maria," he whispered close to her ear, his tone low and taunting, "your passion is… intoxicating. So, tell me—are you ready now?"

"I—"

Before she could finish, William sealed her lips with his again, this time taking the lead, his mouth unrelenting, dominating hers. Maria's eyes widened in surprise. This… feels nothing like when I kissed him… It was intense. Overwhelming. So wild.

From a distance, several women observed the scene with very different expressions.

"I never would've guessed Maria had this kind of fire in her," Natasha said with a smirk, arms folded across her chest. "Talk about unexpected. She always seemed so... composed."

"Actually," said the White Queen, adjusting her pristine outfit, "when the human brain enters a state of emotional overload, it often seeks release through impulsive physical behavior.

When people lose control of their emotions, they always do some incredible things to vent their emotions. Maria is emotionally destabilized, and William has become the focal point for that release. So she kissed William so hard, and the greater part was to vent, and William was her venting object. Her behavior aligns with textbook psychological responses." White Queen said from a scientific perspective.

Ada Wong let out a sigh and brought a hand to her forehead, clearly unimpressed. "This is self-sabotage, this is just a self-destructive move, plain and simple. Look—now William's on top. Of course it would end like this. I saw it coming the moment she gave in."

"That man is dangerous for women," Natasha said again, this time more soberly. "And Maria... she just handed him more control than she realizes."

"Emotion clouds judgment," White Queen added coolly. "Even for the best of us."

Ada's eyes narrowed as she watched the scene unfold. "Let's just hope she remembers who she is before it's too late."

"And William is exactly the kind of man who takes advantage of others without lifting a finger in return. He plays the game well, but in the end, it's Maria who always ends up paying the price," Alice said coolly, her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall, watching from a distance. Her tone held the exhaustion of someone who had seen too many bad deals made by desperate people.

"Maria's going to lose more than she gains," she added, her eyes narrowing. "She's betting on a man who doesn't play fair."

Ten minutes later, William finally pulled away, his mouth curved in a smug grin. Maria's lips were swollen, her chest rising and falling as she panted softly. Her eyes looked dazed, half-lidded, as though she hadn't quite come back to herself.

William chuckled darkly, brushing a finger across her cheek. "So… how was that?" he asked, his voice smooth with self-satisfaction.

Maria struggled to regain her composure, blinking rapidly as though to wake herself from a bad dream. "I—I didn't feel anything," she muttered, though the flush across her cheeks betrayed her. "Just think of it as being bitten by a mutt. A filthy, mangy mutt... you bastard." Her hands pressed weakly against his chest. "Get off me. I'm done."

William made no effort to move. In fact, he relaxed further, sinking his weight comfortably against her as he smirked. "You look like you felt something. Besides, it's kind of nice being on top of you. Cozy, even. Why would I get up?"

Maria gave up trying to push him away, staring up at the ceiling in disbelief. "I don't care anymore. Think of it however you want. Just imagine I'm a noble beast, pinned down by a dumb stray. Why would I get worked up over an animal?"

William grinned. "First I'm a dog, now I'm an animal. You know, if you were ridden and kissed by a dog, what does that make you? Definitely beneath the dog, don't you think?"

"You're not even worthy of being called a dog," Maria snapped, turning her face away from him.

"Hey, relax. I'm joking," he said lightly, though his smile remained twisted with mischief.

"I don't care if it's a joke or not," Maria growled. "I've done what you asked. I followed through."

William stretched and rolled off her with a laugh. "Yeah, you kissed me long enough that we can call it a hundred times. So… congratulations. Mission accomplished."

Maria sat up and wiped her mouth, looking coldly at him. "And now? What happens next?"

William blinked, as if confused. "Next? What do you mean, next?"

"Don't play dumb with me." Her tone turned razor sharp. "You made me a promise, William. We had a deal."

He raised a brow. "Oh, you mean that little thing about saving the world from the Chitauri army?"

Maria's hands curled into fists. "You said, 'As long as you do what I ask, I'll take care of it.' That was the agreement. Don't you dare twist your words now."

William stretched again, placing his hands behind his head. "You really took that literally, huh? I said if you do what I ask, then maybe I'd help. But I never promised anything specific. That was all in your head."

Maria's eyes burned with fury. "You're twisting everything. I should've known you'd do this."

"Maria, Maria," William said, voice full of faux pity. "You were so eager, so emotional… You heard what you wanted to hear. That's not on me."

"I can't believe I trusted you…" she muttered, trembling. "I should've known better."

Behind them, the observers exchanged comments again.

"He's manipulating her emotions, leading her around by the heart. That's psychological warfare, not seduction," Ada said dryly, one hand shielding her face as if she couldn't bear to keep watching. "And Maria's falling deeper with every second."

White Queen— with an analytical gaze—spoke in a level, detached tone. "From a behavioral standpoint, William is leveraging emotional confusion to maintain control. Maria's conflicting sense of duty and resentment is being weaponized against her. This is an advanced form of emotional conditioning—classic power play dynamics."

Back on the ground, Maria's shoulders slumped, her expression blank. But her voice cracked when she spoke again. "You lied to me. You tricked me."

William reached out, touching her face again. "No, Maria. I just let you be yourself. That anger, that frustration, that heartbreak… that's the real you. And I love that version of you."

Her lower lip trembled. "You tease and humiliate me just to feed your ego. This whole thing… it was all for your amusement."

William didn't deny it. He just watched her, silent for once, letting the moment speak for itself.

A single tear slipped down Maria's cheek as she turned her head away.

"I must have been blind… to think there was any decency in you at all."

*****

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