A man cautiously poked his head out of the slightly ajar elevator doors, his senses on high alert as he scanned the hallway for any sign of movement.
Satisfied that the coast was clear, he swiftly navigated towards the elevator, bearing Elaine's weight on his back. With a deft press of the button, he summoned the elevator to ascend to the 10th floor.
Upon arriving at the designated floor, he approached the specified room and discreetly pressed the doorbell twice. Almost instantly, the door swung open, revealing a figure that could only be described as aged and portly.
"Here she is." The man's voice was low as he carefully lifted Elaine from his back, their unspoken transaction complete.
The older man's lips curled into a sly smile, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of anticipation and desire. "Beautiful," he purred, his tongue darting out to moisten his lips.
Guiding Elaine into the room, the man executed his part, allowing the corpulent CEO to carry out his undisclosed intentions.
Observing Elaine with a prolonged, lecherous gaze, the older man's beady eyes traced her figure before he indulgently removed his shirt, revealing a substantial belly that seemed almost out of place with the lavish surroundings.
Just as he began to fumble with his pants, the sharp ring of the doorbell reverberated through the room, abruptly disrupting the scene. Not bothering to cover his half-naked form, the man's impatience propelled him towards the door, which he swung open in an instant.
"What is your prob -" The words caught in his throat as he met the unexpected gaze of the person standing before him.
"Mr. Kim!"
"Give me the woman!" The frigidness in Dante's tone sent an involuntary shiver down the older man's spine.
"Haha, what are you talking about, Mr. Kim?" Despite the bravado in his voice, the man harboured a faint inkling of what Dante might be referring to. However, his financial motivations bound him to his actions, rendering him reluctant to release his captive easily.
"Give me her!" The devil demand echoed, the intensity of his voice surpassing its previous incarnation.
"Yes, sir!" Realisation dawned upon the portly man as he recognised the vast power imbalance between his modest establishment and the colossal Kim Corporation. Monetary gain seemed trivial in the face of the potential obliteration of his career should he arouse Kim's wrath.
Dante narrowed his eyes and immediately entered the room after the man and stopped when he saw her lying on the bed like that. Anger rose in his body and he kicked the man who was going to touch his woman with his leech hands.
Slowly and carefully lifting Elaine from the bed, the devil moved towards the exit, the contrast between his lecherous actions and the woman's fragility underscoring the stark dichotomy of the situation.
The old man sat down on the floor on his knees.
He looked down nervously, his eyes fixing on his bare feet as he wished for a quick escape from the uncomfortable situation.
Dante was so angry that his red eyes were glaring at him with fiery intensity, his hands trembling with the urge to lash out. The sight of Mr. Beck, once his father's trusted businessman whom he respect, now felt like a betrayal of the deepest kind.
"How dare you try to defile my woman?" With that chilling declaration, Dante left the room, carrying Elaine bridal-style, his departing footsteps a fading echo.
Left alone, the portly man grappled with a mounting sense of remorse for his actions, the gravity of his misdeeds now painfully apparent.
A gnawing curiosity plagued him – the enigmatic claim of "my woman" from Dante Kim triggered a cascade of thoughts. Was Elaine Dante's girlfriend, or perhaps his wife?
The tantalizing allure of conjecture swirled around him, intertwining with the uncertainty that shrouded the girl's identity, an enigma known to all but deciphered by none.
Mr. Beck hastily retrieved his phone, his fingers moving with urgency as he captured a photograph of the scene before him. A subtle smile played on his lips as he gently closed the door, sealing the captured moment within the digital confines of his device.
He drew a number and texted that the work was done. He was more happy with the money he was receiving than not getting a hold of the girl.
…
Dante took Elaine to his private room on the hotel's top floor and gently placed her on the bed.
Just as Dante was lost in his thoughts, the door swung open, and a man entered the room.
His eyes widened at the sight of a girl resting on his boss's bed, her face was away so he didn't saw her properly.
With a mixture of surprise and concern, he questioned, "Who is she?"
Dante's gaze shifted from Elaine to the man, and he sighed. "Elaine," he replied.
Ian came closer and indeed she was, the infamous, Elaine Leigh.
Ian looked at his boss with a sympathetic expression. He can tell, his boss liked the woman but he didn't know it yet.
Ian hoped, Dante would recognized his feels for her soon.
Dante noticed Elaine's discomfort as beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Reacting swiftly, he instructed, "Turn on the air conditioner, and then you can leave." Ian nodded, momentarily frozen by the unexpected turn of events, before quickly complying and exiting the room, closing the door behind him.
Alone in the room once more, Dante removed his coat and placed it over the back of the chair.
Sitting beside her, Dante thought what to do next. He knew she hated him so much that he also felt revealed whenever those pretty eyes glared at him.
He knows that if she catches him watching her sleep, she'll jab her fingers straight into his eyeball.
A small smirk almost reached his lips at the thought. He was careful not to make any sudden moves that might wake her up and lead to her actually following through on her threats. Instead, he simply watched her sleep, his arms crossed over his chest as he leaned against the headboard.
The room was silent except for the soft hum of the air conditioner.
He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair away from Elaine's forehead.
Suddenly, she grasped his wrist and pulled it closer to her face. Her eyes were still close but when his hand touched her face he felt her skin burning.
He frowned and touched her forehead. she was indeed burning but he had no idea why was she burning. They just knocked her out, didn't they?
As he was in thoughts, Elaine had moved closer to his body and leaned upward. Her eyes that were opened now were staring at him silently.
Dante was taken aback by her sudden movement. His eyes widened slightly as he looked at her, expecting her to lash out or start yelling at any moment. But instead, she just kept staring at him silently, her face mere inches from his
"Are you awake?" He asked but got no response. He frowned his eyebrows touching together as he stare down at her. "Since you are awake you have to thanks me for saving you ass from gettin—" before he could finish his sentence his head was pulled down and soft lips touched his.
For a moment, time seemed to stand still. His eyes widened in sheer surprise as her lips gently pressed against his. He made no move to pull away, but his heart pounded in his chest.
What the actual hell was happening? This woman hated him mere hours ago, and now...