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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"What do you like?" Before I could react, he bit my neck. And just like that, the tables turned. I was starting to believe what Quella always said. For men, love and desire were two completely different things.

Afterward, when the heat faded, Yannick leaned against the bed, studying me like I was some kind of alien species. "Yulia, I’m seriously starting to think you’ve been possessed."

It made sense that he was suspicious. After all, I was not acting like the person he used to know.

I gave him a solemn nod. "Yeah, I've been possessed by a horny ghost."

He narrowed his eyes. "And this ghost couldn’t find anyone else?"

I tilted my head. "Guess you were just the easiest prey."

I grabbed my phone to order food, but he caught my wrist.

"What? You seduced me and took everything you wanted, so now, you want to toss me aside?"

I ignored him.

Thirty minutes later, the doorbell rang.

When I returned, Yannick’s gaze was locked on the yellow paper bag in my hands, and his pupils shrank. He saw what I pulled out from it—a small box of pills. His expression darkened. In a flash, he was in front of me, his grip tightening around my chin.

"Yulia! What the hell are you doing? You’re taking this stuff?"

I winced. "What, you want me to pop out an heir for the Jordan family?"

His entire face burned with fury. "You had the nerve to do this, but you’re afraid of having a kid?"

"You’re hurting me!" I tried to pry his fingers off, but he was too pissed to notice. So, I made something up and said, "Of course, I’d love to give birth to a Jordan heir. But I took antibiotics for a cold a few days ago."

I gave him a pointed look and continued, "What, you think I’d get pregnant just to blackmail you?"

His gaze turned icy. "You wish, you greedy woman."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh, please. If you didn’t want it, I couldn’t have forced you."

He looked furious, and I thought he would storm out. Instead, he slammed the guest room door shut.

Hah. I guessed he did keep his promises.

And suddenly, I felt kind of guilty.

…

Back in high school, Yannick was the kind of guy everyone liked—warm, easygoing, and always ready with a joke.

His family moved into the villa next door right when my world fell apart. My parents were in the middle of a messy divorce, and one day, they just… left. No goodbye, no explanations—they were just gone.

I sat on the doorstep, crying quietly. I was too proud to sob out loud. That was when he walked over, handed me a tissue, and, for some reason, a piece of candy. That was just how he was.

Later, he transferred to my school. We were in the same grade but in different classes. And from the moment he showed up, he became the top student and never let go of this spot.

At the time, I was struggling. I had been left behind, so I was angry and depressed.

But Yannick? He showed up every day—bringing me lunch, helping me with homework, and keeping me company.

Eventually, he introduced me to his parents. Jordan and Louisa were wonderful, kind, and welcoming. They were a real family.

Especially Louisa. Whenever she went shopping, she would pick out clothes for me like it was the most normal thing in the world. Then, she would make Yannick drop them off at my place.

I felt awkward about it at first, but she would just smile and pat my shoulder. "Yulia, don’t overthink it. I’ve always wanted a daughter, and I feel a special bond with you. If I see something that suits you, of course, I’m going to buy it."

One time, when Yannick was walking me home, he laughed while ruffling my hair. "My mom just likes you, so take the gifts and stop overanalyzing everything."

And that was that.

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