Mason Lawson frowned. "I’m completely exhausted today. You need to be considerate of someone who hasn’t even recovered from jet lag! I was planning on relaxing here, but you? You’ve caused one problem after another. You have to know how much trouble you’ve put me through tonight, right?"

Eve Vaughn instantly deflated. She knew she was in the wrong, so she had no ground to stand on.

Just like now. She knew it was wrong for her and Mia Kendall to secretly take photos, and she knew she had misunderstood Mason Lawson before.

Taking advantage of her silence, Mason Lawson had already booked a room and was pulling her into it.

The presidential suite was enormous and luxurious, but there was only one large bed in the middle of it.

What left Eve Vaughn even more speechless was why the bed was covered in rose petals arranged in the distinct shape of a heart.

Then there were the scented candles and aromatherapy diffusers everywhere, making the atmosphere far too intimate.

Mason Lawson walked in as if he owned the place. His long fingers loosened his tie as he leaned back on the sofa, an air of languid comfort surrounding him.

He looked at the young woman hesitating at the door, unwilling to come in. "Why are you just standing there?"

Eve Vaughn looked at the rose-covered bed. "Uncle Mason, I... I don’t think this is very appropriate."

Mason Lawson retorted, "What’s not appropriate about it?"

Just then, a knock came from the door. "Excuse me, room service."

Eve Vaughn jumped, thinking Mason Lawson had ordered alcohol or something to try and get her drunk.

She didn’t open the door, wanting to make one last stand.

But Mason Lawson had already stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and taken what the staff member brought.

Eve Vaughn looked quizzically at the plastic bag in his hand. "What’s that?"

Mason Lawson took her hand, led her to the sofa, and pulled a bottle of antiseptic and some bandages out of the bag.

He knelt in front of Eve Vaughn, gently taking her wrist, which had been chafed raw by the ropes. "This might sting a little when I disinfect it," he said softly. "Just bear with it."

Eve Vaughn stared blankly at the man so carefully disinfecting and treating her wound. A ripple seemed to spread through her heart, and an intense warmth washed over her.

"Uncle Mason," she began in a low voice, asking cautiously, "Why... why are you being so good to me?"

As he applied a bandage, Mason Lawson said in a deep voice, "When a man is good to a woman, what other reason could there be? Surely you don’t think it’s because you called me ’Uncle Mason’?"

A string in Eve Vaughn’s heart suddenly trembled. It was as if she understood the meaning behind his words, but she didn’t dare believe it, nor did she dare think too deeply about it.

She had always felt that she and Mason Lawson were from two different worlds. Whether in terms of identity, status, or age, the gap between them was immense.

The crystal chandelier in the room was blindingly bright, illuminating the young woman’s radiant face and reflecting in the man’s dark, deep eyes.

After treating her wound, Mason Lawson sat back on the sofa and pulled her into his arms.

Startled, Eve Vaughn tried to stand up, but he held her fast by the waist.

The man’s faint scent of tobacco, mixed with a woody body wash, wafted around the tip of Eve Vaughn’s nose.

A blush quickly spread across the young woman’s fair cheeks, reaching all the way to her small, rounded earlobes.

The man’s well-defined fingers caressed her face as he spoke, his voice husky and deep. "Regarding your earlier question, let me answer more clearly. I’m only good to my own woman. Understand?"

Eve Vaughn’s heart leaped in shock. She looked at him incredulously, as if trying to confirm he wasn’t joking.

But his eyes were completely serious, without a hint of jest.

As if she’d been burned, she quickly pulled away from his embrace and scooted farther away. "Uncle Mason, I... I’m really confused right now. You’re scaring me."

Her voice grew quieter and quieter, filled with both panic and helplessness.

Mason Lawson’s lips curved into a helpless yet doting smile. He reached out and pinched her cheek. "I won’t force you. We’ll take it slow, okay?"

Eve Vaughn nodded blankly, not even daring to meet Mason Lawson’s gaze. She kept her head down the entire time, her toes curling in nervousness.

Mason Lawson, also worried his intentions were too obvious and might frighten her, instructed her calmly, "Go take a shower first. Get some rest early tonight."

Eve Vaughn remembered Mason Lawson saying he wouldn’t force her, and the knot of anxiety in her chest loosened a little. She went into the bathroom.

’At worst, I’ll just sleep on the sofa tonight.’

After she finished her shower, Mason Lawson went to take one as well.

When the man came out of the bathroom, the young woman quickly curled up on the sofa, squeezed her eyes shut, and pretended to be asleep.

But how could her little tricks possibly fool Mason Lawson?

Eve Vaughn could even hear the man’s footsteps drawing closer. Her heart pounded. ’Is he really going to try something even when I’m "asleep"?’

Just as her mind was racing, her body suddenly felt light. Mason Lawson had swept her up into his arms, carrying her bridal-style.

Eve Vaughn’s eyes flew open, and she stared at him in alarm.

The man’s jawline was sharp and distinct, severe yet smooth.

He looked down at the young woman in his arms, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Done pretending?"

Eve Vaughn was utterly frustrated. ’I’m really no match for Mason Lawson!’

She thought she had put on a very, very convincing act, but Mason Lawson had seen through it with ease.

"Uncle Mason, you... you said just now that you wouldn’t force me. You said... we’d take it slow."

Eve Vaughn reminded him cautiously, terrified he would suddenly change his mind and just... do *that* to her.

Mason Lawson placed her on the bed, slid under the covers himself, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Taking it slow still requires a start," he said in a low voice. "And there has to be some progress. If you won’t let me eat the meat, you can’t even offer a sip of the broth? That’s not taking it slow. That’s called ’stagnation.’"

And just like that, Mason Lawson turned off the lights, holding Eve Vaughn from behind.

Through the thin fabric of their pajamas, they could feel the rise and fall of each other’s chests and the beat of each other’s hearts.

It was the first time Eve Vaughn had ever known that a man’s chest could be so broad, so warm.

"Uncle Mason..."

In the darkness, Eve Vaughn spoke in a small voice, "So, are we... are we a couple now? For real, not just acting."

Her body went rigid with tension as she spoke, waiting for his answer.

The man’s deep voice reached her ear. "If you already know that, why do you keep calling me ’Uncle Mason’? You’re making me sound like I’m molesting a junior!"

Hearing his affirmative reply, Eve Vaughn’s heart felt like it was being tossed by surging, tumultuous waves.

She said weakly, "It’s just a habit. I can’t switch over right away, but I’ll try to change."

Eve Vaughn tried to struggle out of his arms, still a little resistant.

After all, she still couldn’t accept something like this.

She wasn’t ready for anything, and she felt that now was not the right time.

But Mason Lawson maintained his hold on her, his voice restrained and hoarse. "There’s something wrong with the aromatherapy."

He had only just realized it. The Aegis Club was, at its core, a place for entertainment. In a couples’ suite like this, the aromatherapy would naturally be specially formulated to act as an aphrodisiac.

Eve Vaughn had been feeling a little hot too, but she had just assumed it was from the heat of Mason Lawson’s embrace.

But now, hearing him say that, she was beginning to understand, albeit vaguely.

"Evie..." Mason Lawson’s voice grew even huskier as he kissed her earlobe. "Give yourself to me, okay?"

The man’s breath was an aggressive, hormonal assault, surrounding Eve Vaughn from all sides and making the young woman flinch.

Eve Vaughn felt a jolt of electricity shoot through her. Her teeth chattered as she stammered, "Uncle Mason, don’t do this, I’m begging you. You can’t go back on your word!"

The young woman was so scared her voice was tinged with tears.

"Fine. I won’t touch you. But... you have to help me."

Mason Lawson could only let out a deep sigh. He turned her around to face him and began to kiss her.

He held her slender waist, touching her soft lips gently, trying his best to restrain himself so he wouldn’t scare her.

Eve Vaughn could feel Mason Lawson’s restraint, so she let him kiss her.

She was afraid that if she struggled, she would only provoke him and make him escalate.

Only when her lips were numb from his kisses did the man finally, reluctantly, pull his cool, thin lips away.

Eve Vaughn had just breathed a sigh of relief when his kisses fell to her neck, and his other hand took hold of her small one.

Mason Lawson held the young woman’s hand, preventing her from pulling it back, and whispered hoarsely in her ear, "Either help me like this, or give me all of yourself."

Eve Vaughn’s mind went blank. Coaxed and lured by Mason Lawson, she did the most unspeakable thing she had done in her nineteen years.

...

Meanwhile, in Suite V69, Mia Kendall hadn’t returned to the school either.

By this time, the dormitory doors were locked. Going home was even more out of the question; her mother would surely lecture her about staying out all night and being a disgrace.

So, Mia Kendall decided to just get a room at the club for the night and leave in the morning.

Since this was the closest place to Rivaster Film Academy, getting back in time for class tomorrow morning wouldn’t be a problem at all.

She took a bath in the bathroom, and the shock and exhaustion from earlier slowly began to ease away in the tub.

Perhaps because she was so worn out from the night’s ordeal, Mia Kendall fell asleep the moment she hit the bed after her bath.

In her sleep, she suddenly felt a heavy body press down on her.

Mia Kendall woke with a start. Unbelievably, there really was a man on top of her, stripping away her bath towel.

His movements were skilled and urgent!

"Ah! Who are you? Let me go! Help!"

Mia Kendall was terrified, struggling to push away the man who had suddenly burst into her room.

But the disparity in strength between a man and a woman was too great. She was easily pinned down, and his sucking on her neck was starting to hurt.

"You little seductress. You’re the one who started this fire, and now you’re playing hard to get with me, hm?"

The man’s impatient voice made Mia Kendall instantly recognize who it was.

Her face paled in horror, and she screamed, "Eric Kendall! You animal! Let go of me!"