INTRODUCTION:

I have had a crush on Yannick for ten years but was too scared to confess. Then, I was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. So, I tied him up and took what I wanted—again and again.

His eyes burned red as he struggled. "Yulia! If you’ve got the guts, untie me!"

I thought that the second I let him go, he would strangle me in fury.

But instead, he flipped the script—dominating me with a raw, almost punishing intensity, not stopping for a second. "Yulia, do I look like some weakling to you? So weak that you had to drug me?"

CONTENT

CHAPTER-NAME:

I have had a massive crush on Yannick Jordan for ten years, from my awkward teenage years until my adulthood.

He lived in the villa next door. I watched him go from a bright-eyed kid to a man dressed in a sharp suit with a deep voice and smoldering looks.

I was hopelessly in love with him, but I never told him.

What if I did and he rejected me? That would be game over.

Then, ten days ago, I passed out at work and woke up in a hospital. The doctor gave me a pitying look and said, "It's late-stage brain cancer. It’s too late to treat."

Just like that, my expiration date was stamped. I was not ready to die. I had not traveled the world yet. I hadn't even slept with Yannick yet!

And then I was reminded of the kind of stories I had been binge-reading lately. You know, the ones where the possessive, obsessive love interest refused to let the protagonist go. I was going to die anyway. A little recklessness would not kill me any faster, right? So, I called Yannick and invited him over for dinner.

He was the CEO of Jordan Group, which meant that he was super rich and insanely busy. But he still agreed to come.

When he showed up, he looked like he had just stepped off the cover of a billionaire romance novel. He wore a long black coat and had tired eyes, his entire being exuding an effortless cool.

That was when I realized he had been overseas when I called. He had been on the plane for an entire day before walking straight into my little scheme.

Suddenly, I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe I should just let him go.

But before I could say a word, he strode over to the dining table, sat down, and started eating. I watched as he drank the clam chowder that I had, uh, "doctored" a little.

He raised an eyebrow at me mid-sip. "It’s been a while. Your cooking has improved."

Yeah, no kidding.

Because it was takeout from the best restaurant in town.

Why takeout?

Because if I had cooked, it would've been so bad he wouldn't eat enough for my plan to work.

By the time I grabbed a bowl from the kitchen, he was already looking a little woozy.

I bit my lip. "Tired? Want to lie down?"

He nodded. "I'm a little dizzy."

"Take a rest, then."

We had known each other forever, so trust was not an issue. Hence, he followed me to the guest room without a second thought.

…

Yannick was out cold.

I struggled to peel off his coat, my fingers brushing against the crisp white fabric of his dress shirt. Beneath it, I could just barely make out the contours of his body. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry as my pulse hammered against my ribs.

But in the end, I lost my nerve.

Instead, I rummaged through my closet and pulled out a collection of silk ties—ones I had bought for him over the years but never dared to give him. Well, tonight, they were finally going to serve a purpose.

Carefully, I wrapped them around his wrists and ankles, securing him to the bed. By the time I was done, exhaustion hit me, and I collapsed onto the edge of the mattress.

I lifted my gaze. I saw that Yannick’s face was calm, his breathing steady. Right now, he looked so peaceful.

But I knew that the moment he woke up, he would be furious.

Just like the last time when his mother casually suggested that we should just get married, he was annoyed.

I let my eyes linger on his face, memorizing every detail. I did not have much time left. In a few days, I would not get to see him ever again.

I had spent my whole life being good and selfless. But now, at the very end of it, I wanted to be selfish just this once—even if he ended up hating me. Maybe that would be better. If he hated me, then he wouldn't be as sad when I was gone.

His phone started buzzing from inside his coat pocket. It was his assistant, Jason Lindell.

I hesitated for only a second before answering.

"Yannick’s exhausted," I said, keeping my voice casual. "He was knocked out after eating."

Jason got the hint and hung up.

My eyelids were getting heavier by the second.

Screw it.

I climbed into bed, wrapped my arms around Yannick’s waist, and let sleep take me.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up to an angry roar.

"Yulia Quincy!"

I bolted upright. The sudden movement sent a rush of dizziness through me, and my vision blacked out for a second. I lost my balance and fell straight onto him.

"Yulia Quincy! What are you doing?!"

I blinked up at him, still groggy.

"You tell me," I said, my voice thick with sleep.

Yannick’s jaw clenched, his expression dark with fury. Ignoring him, I sat on the bed and locked eyes with him.

"Well," I said, tilting my head. "Since you’re awake, we might as well get into business."

Yannick’s brows furrowed, his muscles flexing as he tried to free himself.

CHAPTER-NAME:

I was freaking out. If Yannick managed to escape, everything I had done would have been for nothing. So, I shut my eyes and tackled him. "Don’t move! Just listen to me!"

Yannick gritted his teeth so hard it looked like he was about to snap them in half. "Are you out of your mind?"

I lifted my head slightly, our faces barely four inches apart. "Nope. I'm not crazy."

"Then what do you think you’re doing?"

I smirked. "I dragged you onto the bed. What do you think I want to do?"

His pupils shrank, his disgust so obvious he did not even bother to hide it. "Yulia! I’m Yannick!" He practically snarled at me. "Do you even have some dignity left?!"

I did not feel like listening to his lecture, so I grabbed the closest soft thing off the nightstand and shoved it into his mouth. Ignoring the flames burning in his eyes, I met his glare with my own. "Shut up."

Yannick struggled against me, but it was useless. At that moment, my heart was slamming against my ribs like a drum.

"I’m gonna kiss you. Don’t interrupt me."

I yanked the thing out of his mouth and, before he could say a single word, crashed my lips against his. My fingers scrambled for his shirt, buttons popping off one by one and hitting the floor. I felt like a survivor running from the end of the world—desperate, frantic, and unwilling to stop.

My emotions were a mess, spilling over as Yannick let out low, breathless grunts beneath me.

I remembered what Quella Martinez once said—men only thought with their private parts when they were in bed. Sure enough, as I got more aggressive, he stopped yelling at me. All I heard were those small, muffled sounds.

When it was over, his face was flushed red like he had just been utterly humiliated. I didn't want to look at him, so I grabbed my clothes and headed for the bathroom.

"Yulia!"

I sighed and turned around. "What now?"

His eyes burned with fury. "If you’ve got the guts, then let me go."

I hesitated for half a second before smirking.

"I won't. Not just yet."

…

After I showered, I was going to head back to my room. But then I remembered something—Yannick Jordan had abs, and they were rock solid.

So, naturally, I turned right back around and went to the guest room. He was still awake, staring blankly at the ceiling like some poor frog about to get dissected in science class. The second he saw me, he gritted his teeth. "Let me go!"

I shook my head. "Nope."

"Do you have any shame at all? What are you even getting out of this? Did your mom never teach you how to act like a decent human being?"

Oof. That one stung. He did that on purpose.

I pressed my lips together and didn’t bother answering. Instead, I walked forward. Then, I kicked off my slippers, climbed onto the bed, covered his mouth.

His brows furrowed together, and he was about to start yelling again, so I reached out and clamped my hand over his mouth.

"Shut up and listen. I’ve known you for 11 years, and I’ve liked you for ten. I tried to let go, but I couldn’t. I know you don’t like me. But people say love is about taking action, right? So, that's what I did. I’m not letting you go, and no amount of struggling is gonna change that."

My eyes were burning, but I didn’t let the tears fall. I just leaned down and kissed him.

His lips were thin, cool, and had a faint taste of mint.

I was already exhausted, but even then, I could feel his body reacting. Lifting my head, I smirked. "Still pretending to be some cold, untouchable CEO? Please. You’re just like everyone else."

The noises he made that night had my entire face burning, but… I had zero regrets.

…

When I woke up the next morning, he was already awake. At least he did not look like he had just been tortured this time. Small victories counted too.

The moment I moved, his voice came out deep and hoarse. "Let me go."

"Nope."

He let out a sigh, then changed tactics. "Yulia, what do you want?" His voice was slow, deliberate. "How long do you plan on keeping me here?"

I held up my fingers. "Seven days."

He blinked, just staring at me.

"You do realize this is illegal, right?" He let out a breathless laugh, shaking his head. "Do you have any idea how many people are looking for me? If I suddenly disappear, do you honestly think you can keep me here for an entire week?"

I stood at the edge of the bed, my feet felt glued to the floor.

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Yannick was a grown man. If he did not cooperate, how long could I keep him here?

"Yulia, let me go. I promise I won’t leave."

I froze for two seconds, then stubbornly shook my head. "I don’t believe you."

"Yulia, I have something important to do. You can follow me, but you need to let me out."

Yannick thought that by offering this compromise, I would agree immediately. But I refused without hesitation. I told him firmly, "Until the police show up at my door, you’re staying here."

With that, he realized there was no way out. His dark eyes scanned me from head to toe several times. Then, unexpectedly, he gave in. "If you keep me tied up for seven days, my arms and legs will be crippled. Is that what you want?"

"No. But I have no other choice. I can’t fight you, and I can’t stop you. This is the only way."

"Yulia, I swear on my grandmother’s name that I won’t leave for seven days."

Mrs. Jordan Senior…

I knew how much she meant to him. I also knew that she had genuinely cared for me. When she passed away, Yannick and I had hidden in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably. That was the first time I had ever seen him cry.

"If you want my cooperation, you’d better untie me. Otherwise, by this afternoon, your house will be forcibly broken into by the police." Yannick’s voice was calm and sincere, and I knew he wasn’t lying. The CEO of Jordan Group going missing? That was a big deal.

I wanted to keep him here, but I did not want to be remembered as a criminal. I did not even need to guess it—of course, the media would twist the story into something absurd and scandalous.

Hence, I gave in.

I threw his clothes at him and slowly untied his wrists and ankles.

As he clenched his jaw and stretched his stiff limbs, he scolded me without mercy, "How did I never realize you were a lunatic?"

Expressionless, I replied, "There’s a lot you don’t know."

He stared at the mess of neckties on the floor, then turned to me in disbelief. "Where did you even get so many ties?"

"I bought them whenever I saw one that seemed to suit you. I didn’t realize I had collected this many."

At least they hadn't gone to waste—I had finally found a use for them.

"Then why didn’t you ever give them to me?"

I scoffed. "I don’t make a habit of throwing myself at someone who doesn’t care about me."

Yannick’s expression darkened. "So, you just decided to take what you wanted by force?"

Hearing that, my face burned with embarrassment. I had not thought about the consequences when I acted on impulse. But now, hearing him say it out loud, I suddenly felt incredibly ashamed.

Wanting a man so badly that I had to tie him up?

Ridiculous.

But the feeling passed quickly. I told myself that if I was going to do something crazy in this lifetime, at least this was worth it.

…

Yannick kept his word. After I let him go, he did not immediately try to leave. Instead, he asked for my laptop.

"You’re sending an email to Jason to ask for help?"

He gave me a look like I was an idiot. "Are you stupid? If I wanted to leave, I wouldn’t need anyone’s help."

I was not stupid. It was more accurate to say that my brain completely shut down. Still, I handed him the laptop.

I had already quit my job, so it was not like I had any use for it anymore.

While Yannick worked on the balcony, I curled up on the couch in the living room, silently watching him. The sunlight filtered in at just the right angle, creating the illusion of peace and serenity. Except this "serenity" was something I had shamelessly forced into existence.

The sun was blinding. The longer I watched, the sleepier I felt. I tried to stay awake, but eventually, my consciousness slipped away.

When I opened my eyes again, Yannick was nowhere in sight. I shot up, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as I frantically looked around. Then, I bolted into the bathroom. My heart, which had been in my throat, finally settled back.

But my rationality? It disappeared the moment I saw him.

I threw myself at him.

I did not have experience, so I had no technique. I just bit and kissed him wildly, desperate to leave a mark. My heart felt like it was constantly crashing into my ribs. I clung to him like an octopus, holding on with everything I had, afraid he would push me away.

Then, in a daze, I heard him sigh in exasperation. A strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me up.

"You’re insane," he muttered. "But I like it."

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