Ronan and Hunter immediately stepped back. Before leaving, Ronan shot Rosy a glance as if saying, "You actually stabbed President Anderson. You're dead for sure."
But I didn't care about Ronan's look. The only person who terrified me now was Captian.
The atmosphere in the room grew colder and more suffocating by the second. I noticed that Captian's back was still bleeding; the metallic scent was heavy in the air. I bit my lip and asked in a small voice:
"President Anderson… why haven't you bandaged it yet?"
Captian's voice was icy, his tone a threat.
"Oh? You stabbed me like that, and now you care whether I've bandaged the wound?"
His words made my throat tighten, I couldn't say anything at all.
He stood up, the movement tugging at the deep wound on his back. Standing right in front of me, he said:
"When you stabbed me was it because you wanted to kill me with one strike and then go be with another man? Or… was there some other reason?"
He was extremely close to me, the scent of blood heavy around him. I frowned slightly but didn't dare show it.
"I didn't… I was just… too scared, so..."
Captian narrowed his eyes. His fingertips brushed lightly across the beauty mark beneath my eye.
"What were you scared of?"
A shiver shot through my whole body. His touch didn't feel like a fingertip, it felt like a sharp blade tracing my skin. I bit my lip.
"Suddenly you became so angry," I whispered carefully, "and it scared me. My mind went blank… and before I knew it, I had already...."
Since he still didn't show the intention to kill me outright, maybe I still had a chance if I explained.
Captian let out a cold, mirthless laugh and gripped my chin.
"Scared I'd touch you, wasn't it?"
My expression stiffened. Deep down, he was right. I hated being touched by him; the feeling was nauseating. To protect myself, I grabbed the nearest sharp item I could reach.
Seeing my reaction, Captian realized he had guessed correctly. His face darkened instantly, as if a storm could break at any second. His eyes were pitch black. He shoved me hard.
I fell against the edge of the seat beside me. Pain exploded through my side, my vision blurring, and I couldn't hold back a sob.
Grinding his teeth, Captian said coldly,
"You dared stab me. You should know the consequences."
He had been far too lenient with me before that must be why I kept pushing my luck.
"I…" My lips trembled. My mind felt blank. I couldn't form a complete sentence.
Captian stared at me as if he were examining a fragile ornament. I clutched the devil plush toy in my hands, as if that was the only thing giving me a shred of safety.
What should I do? He really wanted to get rid of me.
My mind raced. Should I charm him? Act pitiful?
Before I could think of anything, Captian bent down. His long fingertips slid slowly across my arm, slow, cold, frightening.
"People who don't obey," he murmured, "get thrown into the snake pit."
My face drained of color. Terror filled my eyes.
"President Anderson, I..."
He leaned closer, then suddenly noticed something soft in my hands. A stuffed toy. He frowned.
"What are you holding?"
I looked down at the devil plush toy, the one I bought at the mall, the one Nanny Alley had picked up after it fell during the struggle.
Suddenly I remembered the strange hint in Nanny Alley's words earlier. My eyes lit up like something had clicked in my mind, opening a path.
"President Anderson… it's a plush toy."
I loosened my grip so he could see it more clearly and whispered,
"This is… the birthday gift I bought for you."
After saying that, I carefully watched his reaction.
Captian's eyes flickered. The icy aura around him receded slightly, like a tide pulling back. His expression, however, remained cold though there was something more complicated in his gaze.
"Say that again."
Feeling the tension ease just a little, my heart began thumping wildly. I hadn't expected the birthday-gift card to actually work. A man like Captian… did he really need someone to soothe him like a temperamental cat?
I softened my voice and repeated,
"President Anderson, this is the birthday gift I bought for you."
His gaze grew even more complex.
"How did you know today was my birthday?"
Of course I hadn't known. But I couldn't say something like "because I admire you so much I memorized it," since that would be too fake, he'd never believe it.
So I lowered my head and said honestly:
"Nanny Alley told me."
Captian lifted a brow. His expression was unreadable.
My heart thudded. I reached out and lightly tugged the corner of his shirt with my small hand.
"When Nanny Alley told me, I was thinking about what gift I should prepare. And then Hezze called and asked me to go shopping with her, so I went. That way… I could buy something for you."
My voice was soft and sweet almost syrupy, too sweet to swallow.
Captian stared at me silently, unmoving. But I noticed the frustration in his eyes slowly fading almost returning to normal.
Hope flickered inside me. I tugged at his sleeve again.
"Running into Halley was just an accident."
The moment I mentioned Halley, I felt the air freeze again. Fear tightened my chest, but I kept forcing the explanation out.
"President Anderson, he's weak. He got heatstroke and fainted while playing basketball. It was serious, so I used acupuncture to treat him. After he woke up, he treated me like his lifesaver and invited me and Hezze to lunch."
"Please don't look at me like that," I added anxiously. "I only treated him because he needed help."
I puffed my chest out a little, showing a tiny bit of pride.
Captian remained silent.
So I tried again.
"President Anderson, you're powerful and capable. Are you really going to be jealous of someone that weak?"
Meanwhile, the oh-so-"weak" Halley at the Richart villa suddenly sneezed.
Captian still didn't speak. His face was unreadable. My heart sank. Tears welled up in my eyes.
"President Anderson… you really don't trust me at all, do you?"
He frowned, but his eyes reflected my figure in them.
"This plush toy… it really is the birthday gift I bought you. I don't have much money, so I could only buy something small. If you think I'm stingy, fine, but why are you still accusing me, squeezing me like this, blaming me for everything?"