Chapter 13: Determined

Through the crack of the wardrobe door, I saw a mutant, towering at over two meters tall, muscles bulging grotesquely, pinning a woman beneath him, his movements rough and intense.

The sight sent a chill down my spine. It was horrifying, grotesque, and primal. I instinctively wrapped my arms around Triet Hi, holding him tightly, as tears welled up in my eyes and spilled down my cheeks.

"Can we leave this place?" I whispered, barely able to keep my voice from breaking, trembling with fear.

Triet Hi gave a faint smile. It wasn't innocent. It was calm, almost amused, but underneath it lay a strange determination: "No… I like it here. Let's watch and see what they're doing!"

I was stunned by his answer. That was when I truly realized: this boy wasn't as naïve or harmless as I had initially assumed. After barely escaping the crazed prince Huyen Ky who had tormented me like a madman, I now found myself beside another unpredictable male, someone who might be even more dangerous in a different way.

"Suit yourself then. If you won't leave, that's your choice," I snapped quietly, my tone laced with frustration.

Triet Hi leaned back against the wardrobe's wooden panels. He no longer touched my chin or chest like before. Instead, he stared straight into my eyes, unblinking, and spoke in a soft, almost whispering tone. "What do you think they're doing? If I pushed you out there, I bet he'd like you more than her."

His words made me flinch. Then he suddenly pretended to reach for the door, fingers brushing against the edge as if about to open it. I panicked. My body moved faster than my thoughts. I flung my arms around his neck tightly and sobbed, "Okay… okay… don't open it, let's just stay here and watch."

Lately, I'd found myself crying far too often. Maybe it was because I had been mistreated by men again and again, pushed, pulled, forced, groped. It was like my body had been trained to weep on its own, without asking for permission. I looked down and noticed my chest quivering slightly. This body… it was far too sensitive.

Triet Hi's hand slid gently to my waist and pulled me closer. My body pressed against his, chest to chest, heartbeat to heartbeat. He lowered his head until his cheek rested right against my chest. The chill of his skin against mine made me shudder.

Without a word, he began to gently knead my chest, his motions slow and exploratory. My breath caught involuntarily, and my body shivered again. But after a few seconds, I gathered my strength and pushed him away.

This time, I glared directly into his eyes, warning clear and strong in my gaze. If he dared go any further, I wouldn't tolerate it. Something in my expression must have registered, because he backed off slightly. His voice turned gentler, coaxing. "Then… you can kiss me instead."

Honestly, I felt like I was being cheated. First, I got groped, and now I was supposed to kiss him like some kind of reward? But my mind was blank, and my voice refused to work. So instead, I lowered my head and gave him a quick, half-hearted kiss on the lips, barely touching him before pulling away.

Triet Hi stared at me with those deep, unreadable eyes and said, "San San, be good… use your tongue."

I frowned and mumbled, "Why do you have so many demands? I already kissed you…"

"You're really hard to please."

Then, without hesitation, he pulled me into his arms again. This time, he held me tightly, pressing my body firmly into his. His lips crashed onto mine, and I felt his tongue slip into my mouth.

Instinctively, I pulled my tongue back, not letting it touch his. But he was patient, his tongue agile like a fish in water, slipping around, teasing. After a while, my tongue grew tired from resisting, and I let it relax. That's when our tongues touched.

That was the moment everything shifted.

He tightened his hold on my waist, and his hand slowly slid up again, cupping my chest and beginning to massage it once more. This time, something in my mind snapped awake. Like a jolt of icy water, reality returned. I pushed him away roughly and looked him dead in the eye.

"That's enough… If you go too far, I won't talk to you anymore."

Each man had his own way. Prince Huyen Ky never cared about my feelings, tossing me onto the bed without a second thought. Triet Hi was gentler, yes but that didn't mean he could do whatever he wanted. I had to set boundaries myself, because no one else would.

"Don't tell me… you didn't like it?" he asked, his tone slightly teasing.

This time, I wasn't going to fall into that trap. With someone like him, if I wanted to stay in control, I had to be smart. I softened my tone, letting my voice tremble, sounding hurt and afraid. "It's not that… I'm just scared… I still don't know who you really are. And when you do that… it makes me uncomfortable…"

He paused. He looked at me thoughtfully, brows furrowed. My trembling voice had struck a chord. He seemed to realize he had pushed me too far, that his actions were too much. If he continued, he'd be no different from that vile Huyen Ky. Slowly, gently, Triet Hi stroked my hair and said, "Alright… I won't do anything. Go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, we'll go outside."

Outside the wardrobe, the sounds had quieted down. The two mutants had apparently finished whatever it was they were doing. They now lay naked on the floor, panting and still. The silence that followed brought a strange sense of safety. Finally, I let my body relax and leaned into Triet Hi's side, eventually falling asleep against him.

The next morning, a thin beam of sunlight broke through the cracks in the wardrobe door, landing softly on my face and waking me up. I blinked, and the first thing I saw was Triet Hi's sleeping face, handsome and peaceful. I must've woken up earlier than him, since I fell asleep before he did the night before.

Bathed in the golden light of dawn, I saw him sitting back against the wardrobe, arms crossed. And oddly enough, I was straddling his stomach, sitting on him without realizing it. How could he even sleep in such a position? It was bizarre.

Quickly, I glanced around for something to wear. I couldn't just walk outside like this. I crept closer to the crack in the door and peeked out. The room outside was sparsely furnished but tidy. The bed was made. The two mutants from last night were nowhere to be seen. On the left side of the room was a window looking out onto the street. A few people passed by, completely unaware of what had happened in this quiet little room.