Joyce Monroe stood frozen, her mind a chaotic mess as she touched her slightly swollen, reddened lips.
Her last memory was of pinning him down at the club last night.
Could it be...
'Silas Thorne?'
'Besides him, I can't think of anyone else.'
'I did do something outrageous to him last night, but I was drunk, so it's understandable. That's no reason for him to take advantage of my drunken state and steal a kiss from me.'
'And besides, how could a kiss make my lips this swollen?'
'Is he a dog or something?'
"Joyce, Joyce... Are you listening to me?" The call hadn't ended yet, and Lily Kennedy's voice came from the other end.
"I-I'm listening!"
"Then why aren't you reacting at all to the news?"
"What news?"
"I knew you weren't listening," Lily Kennedy huffed. "After Ina Sutton left the club last night, she went to a bar to drink and ended up disappearing."
"What?" Joyce Monroe frowned.
"The Sutton Family suspects she got drunk and was led away by some unsavory characters. They've been searching all night and have already reported it to the police. But since she's an adult and known for her wild lifestyle, the police apparently didn't take the case right away and told the family to contact her acquaintances first."
"They still haven't found her?"
"Nope. She's always liked to hang out with a shady crowd. But you had a conflict with her last night, so if the police do take the case, they might contact you or Mr. Thorne."
"Got it."
"You've been abroad for the past two years, so you might not know, but she's really wild in private. It was only a matter of time before something happened. It is strange, though, that no one can get in touch with her."
Lily Kennedy clicked her tongue. "People in our circle are already saying you kidnapped her because she caused trouble at your birthday party."
Joyce Monroe almost laughed out loud. "Kidnapped?"
"We live in a society governed by law. What am I, some kind of outlaw?"
"And I'm not the only person she's offended over the years."
"That's true. But why do you sound so calm about her disappearance?" Lily Kennedy was actually quite excited to hear the news. 'Someone who uses her family's money to do as she pleases, acting all arrogant and tyrannical, was bound to get her comeuppance sooner or later.'
"I'm hungover. My head hurts a little."
"Well, send me your location. I'll come pick you up."
But Joyce Monroe's mind was entirely preoccupied with her kiss-swollen lips; she had no headspace to worry about Ina Sutton. After hanging up, she sent her location to Lily Kennedy.
She studied her reflection in the mirror and pursed her lips.
'I have to find Silas Thorne and get a clear answer!'
'We had an agreement! We signed a contract, we even sealed it with our thumbprints! We agreed not to cross any lines with each other!'
'How could he break the contract!'
'This was my first kiss!'
So, she quickly washed up and stormed out, ready to settle the score.
'Silas Thorne, you'd better not run!'
—
In the hotel suite, which had a kitchen, Silas Thorne was preparing breakfast.
He was dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants, a stark contrast to yesterday's formal suit. With the top two buttons of his shirt undone and his sleeves rolled to his elbows, he looked effortlessly elegant.
Joyce Monroe gritted her teeth.
'Taking advantage of me... A wolf in sheep's clothing!'
Hearing the noise, Silas Thorne turned to look at her.
The moment their eyes met, Joyce Monroe, who had been simmering with anger over her stolen first kiss, froze on the spot.
Because...
Silas Thorne's lip had been bitten.
'D-did I do that?'
'Besides me, I can't think of anyone else.'
In that instant,
her brain short-circuited. All the accusations she had prepared vanished, and she couldn't utter a single word. Her mind was a complete blank.
"You're awake?" Silas Thorne tilted his head, his gaze sweeping over her lips, a dark glint passing through his eyes.
Joyce Monroe nodded awkwardly. "M-Mr. Thorne. Good morning."
'How could I possibly question him now? I ordered male escorts, forced myself on him, and even bit his lip...'
'Any one of those things was enough to make me want to die of embarrassment on the spot!'
'So,'
'I'm the one who's a dog.'
"Your clothes were dirty, so I had the hotel staff change you into pajamas. I've already sent Quentin Walsh to get you new clothes. For now, sit down and eat."
Joyce Monroe couldn't remember much from last night and didn't dare to ask. She just laughed sheepishly and said, "W-well... I have something to do, so I should get going. A friend is coming to pick me up."
"You're leaving like that?" Silas Thorne glanced at her pajamas.
"I can just go home and change."
"What's so urgent?"
"Work. You know, I just got back and started a studio. It's just getting off the ground, so there's a lot to do."
"Eat first." Silas Thorne's tone left no room for refusal. "Coffee or milk?"
"Mr. Thorne, I..."
"Does your brother know about last night at the club, with those eight m—"
Joyce Monroe's breath hitched, and she quickly cut him off. "I'll have coffee!"
'He's actually threatening me!'
'Just as I thought,'
'all capitalists are black-hearted.'
She wanted to finish eating quickly and head to her studio, but His Lordship here was taking his sweet time. Even on the go, instant coffee wouldn't do; he insisted on having hand-ground coffee.
Right now, he was slowly pouring water over the freshly ground coffee powder to let it bloom.
'He's so high-maintenance.'
When Silas Thorne handed her the coffee, she took it. "Thank you, Mr. Thorne. The coffee smells wonderful."
"There's no need for such politeness between us."
After speaking, Silas Thorne didn't return to his seat. Instead, he stood there, his gaze fixed on her, making Joyce Monroe's heart race with nervousness.
'Could it be,'
'that he's about to call me to account for last night?'
Joyce Monroe felt guilty and uneasy. People always look for something to do when they're awkward, so she lifted the cup and took a sip of coffee, forgetting about the temperature and burning her mouth.
Her already swollen lips were seared by the heat, making her suck in a sharp breath of cool air.
Silas Thorne frowned, quickly taking the coffee from her hands and passing her a glass of cold water. "Be careful."
"Thanks."
Joyce Monroe felt better after a few sips of cold water, but the sting of the heat had made her eyes turn red.
"Drink less when you're out from now on," Silas Thorne advised.
"I know," Joyce Monroe said, clutching the water glass, feeling incredibly awkward.
Just as she expected, the inevitable was coming. Silas Thorne had returned to his seat and was slowly opening a glass jar of caramel cubes. "Last night..."
"I don't remember anything about last night!"
"Oh?" Silas Thorne raised an eyebrow, his gaze scrutinizing her as if to gauge the truthfulness of her statement.
His stare made Joyce Monroe flustered. She coughed twice. "Why did you bring me to a hotel?"
"You really don't remember?" His tone made it seem like he could see right through her little act.
Joyce Monroe pursed her lips. 'Maybe... I should just pretend I don't remember anything. After all, the whole forcing-myself-on-him thing is pretty embarrassing.' So she nodded firmly. "I don't remember. I drank too much last night."
Silas Thorne raised an eyebrow. "You don't remember anything at all?"
Guilt-ridden, Joyce Monroe didn't dare meet his gaze. She frantically lifted her coffee and took a sip. "I don't remember anything!"
Silas Thorne just stared at her and said slowly, "A lot happened last night, and it's not convenient to go into detail. You only need to remember..."
"Last night, you were the one who crossed the line first."