♡ Chapter 1.10 ♡

Jade woke up feeling something soft, luxurious under her body.

Her mind was hazy, heavy, and her limbs felt oddly relaxed.

Where was she?

She slowly opened her eyes, adjusting to the dimly lit room. The ceiling above her was high, decorated with intricate details. The air smelled expensive—a mix of leather, faint cologne, and something dark and rich.

Her brows furrowed.

Wait… where was she?

And then, she saw it.

Right beside her.

Something black.

Something big.

Something breathing.

A… cat? Her half-asleep brain thought lazily.

Her drowsy eyes scanned the figure, following its long, muscular body, its thick fur, its giant paws, its sharp claws resting lazily on the bedspread.

And then—

Her heart stopped.

Wait. That's not a cat.

That's a—

"AHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

Jade screamed so loudly she nearly scared herself.

She launched off the bed, scrambling backward so fast that she nearly tripped.

And the panther moved.

With a deep, slow growl, it stood up gracefully, its tail flicking upward, its piercing golden eyes watching her like she was its new toy.

Jade's soul left her body.

Her back hit the cold wall, her entire body shivering as she held up her hands defensively. "N-Nice kitty… s-stay there… good b-boy…"

The panther took a step forward.

Jade took a step backward.

Another step forward.

Another step backward.

"D-Don't eat me! I swear I taste terrible! I—I eat too much junk food, my blood is probably 90% sugar—"

The panther suddenly stopped…

Then—it flopped lazily on the ground next to the sofa.

Jade blinked rapidly, her brain barely functioning.

And then she noticed him.

A dark figure seated elegantly on the luxurious, rich black sofa.

A man.

Dressed in an expensive, perfectly tailored black suit, his broad frame relaxed as if he were sitting on a throne.

His sharp, godlike features completely blank, emotionless.

And in his lap?

The same sleek black cat from last night.

He was rubbing its head lazily, completely unaffected by the chaos that had just unfolded.

The panther, meanwhile, curled up next to his feet like a loyal guardian.

Jade's mouth fell open.

"WHAT THE HELL! WHERE AM I?!" she finally screamed.

The man barely glanced at her.

Instead, his cold, robotic voice echoed across the room:

"You said I kidnapped a panther."

Jade blinked.

He continued.

"I did not. He lives here by himself."

Jade froze.

And suddenly, everything came crashing back.

The bar. The drinks. The weird luxurious car. The cat. The man.

And oh God, her own stupid words.

She had accused this scary, rich, emotionless robot-man of kidnapping a baby panther.

Jade stared at him.

He stared back.

And at that moment, she had one single thought.

I want to hit myself.

Jade held up her hands defensively, her voice coming out in a panicked rush.

"L-Look, I'm sorry! I was very drunk at the time… I didn't mean it!"

She almost stammered, her brain still struggling to process the fact that there was a real-life panther casually lounging next to this emotionless man.

Anyone would be terrified in her position!

The man didn't react.

Not even a twitch of his eyebrow. Just cold, unreadable silence.

The panther, however, let out a deep, rumbling sound—almost like a chuckle, if big cats could laugh.

Jade gulped.

Oh God, is it judging me?!

She slowly took a step back, but the moment she moved, the panther lazily flicked its tail, its golden eyes locking onto her like she was a particularly entertaining toy.

Her breath hitched.

"Is… is it going to eat me?" she whispered.

Finally, the man moved.

Slowly, he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, his fingers interlocking as his dark, piercing eyes settled on her.

"If he wanted to eat you," his voice was deep, smooth, and completely emotionless, "you wouldn't be standing there right now."

Jade froze.

WHAT KIND OF REPLY WAS THAT?!

She gawked at him, her panic returning full force.

"T-That's not reassuring at all!"

The butler Walter who had just stepped into the room with a tray of coffee, snorted loudly before coughing to cover it up.

Jade snapped her head toward him. "You think this is funny?!"

The butler Walter did not reply.

Because the moment his boss turned his gaze toward him, the poor man went stiff as a board, gripping the coffee tray like it was his last lifeline.

Jade did not miss that reaction.

Her eyes flickered back to the man on the sofa.

He sat there like a king on a throne, completely unaffected by the chaos he had just caused.

Even now, his fingers moved absentmindedly over the cat in his lap, his expression unchanging, robotic, unreadable.

Jade swallowed hard.

Who the hell was this guy?

Jade took a deep breath, her throat dry, her nerves completely shot.

"Can I leave?" she blurted out, her voice slightly shaky. "Thank you for… uh… taking care of me, but I really have to go."

She swallowed hard, her eyes darting between the terrifyingly calm man and the big cat still lounging at his feet.

After being given his coffee, Walter the butler took it as his cue to leave. He practically fled the room.

Now, it was just her, the panther, the emotionless man, and the tiny black cat still curled in his lap.

Jade stayed rooted in place, watching him cautiously.

He didn't answer.

He didn't move.

He just… stared.

Like he was calculating something.

Jade's fingers twitched at her sides. She had been in plenty of awkward situations before, but this?

This was on a whole new level.

Seconds passed, dragging out in tense silence.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the man tilted his head slightly, his dark gaze never leaving hers.

"You're free to leave."

Jade let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding.

"Great! Perfect! Amazing! I'll just—" she turned toward the door so fast she nearly tripped over her own feet.

But before she could make her grand escape, his voice stopped her.

"Do you remember last night?"

Jade stiffened.

Her back was to him now, but she didn't dare turn around.

"I… might have a few gaps," she admitted carefully. "Why?"

Another stretch of silence.

Then a single, unreadable sentence.

"You should be more careful about whose car you climb into."

Jade's stomach dropped.

Her hands clenched into small fists as every single stupid memory from last night slammed into her brain.

Her drunken spinning.

Her ridiculous panther accusations.

OH. MY. GOD.

This man saw ALL OF IT.

Jade's face turned red so fast she thought she might pass out.

Without another word, she bolted for the door.