Chapter 2 Chapter 2: After Tonight, We're Even

A thrill hidden deep in the man's bones made him eager to hear her complete those two simple words.

Liesel chuckled softly, her delicate hands resting on his waist.

She pushed him backward, step by step, until they reached the bed.

With a slight force, Joel was effortlessly pushed down onto the bed.

Click.

Liesel casually turned on the bedside lamp, illuminating a corner of the room with a dim, suggestive glow.

Standing by the bed, Liesel pulled down the lace strap of her lingerie with a graceful hand.

Looking down at Joel as if he were merely an indulgence, her red lips curved into a bewitching smile.

"You are my... creditor."

It was as if Joel had been doused with cold water, his thin lips pressed tightly into a displeased line.

Six months ago, on a stormy night, she had climbed into his car like a pitiful kitten, begging him to save her grandmother.

They made a deal: Joel would cover her grandmother's expensive surgery costs, and in return, she would offer herself to him a hundred times.

Joel thought he was saving a delicate little flower but soon discovered she was a wild rose.

One encounter and he was addicted. He had long lost count of how many times it had been.

He thought she had forgotten, too.

Now, Liesel had climbed onto his waist, her figure swaying as her long hair cascaded down.

"But after tonight, we're even," she said.

Even?

In your dreams!

Joel suddenly sat up, pulling her in for a kiss, the thorns of the rose clinging to his waist.

The moonlight flickered.

Tonight, Joel was more relentless than in the previous ninety-nine times.

Two hours later, Liesel felt as if she had been through heaven and hell several times over...

The sound of running water echoed from the bathroom.

Moments later, Joel emerged, drying his hair as he walked to the bed.

Droplets of water dripped from his hairline onto his chest, trailing down his abs and disappearing into the towel at his waist.

Liesel lay under the covers up to her waist, her exposed skin marked with ambiguous traces.

Joel's eyes roved over those marks before landing on Liesel's face, illuminated by the glow of her phone screen.

She still had the energy to work?

Seeing how quickly she had disengaged from the passion, Joel's expression turned complicated.

It felt like it still wasn't enough.

The bed dipped slightly behind her, prompting Liesel to instinctively shift to the side.

Joel noticed her subtle movement, a flicker of irritation passing through his eyes.

He leaned in behind her, pulling her slender waist closer through the blanket, his chin gently rubbing against the crook of her neck.

Liesel took a deep breath and pushed him away.

Joel looked at her, bewildered.

It was the first time he had been pushed away.

And by the woman who once eagerly seduced him.

Liesel's tone suddenly became businesslike: "Mr. Schott, as per our agreement, the hundred times are over."

Joel's eyes were full of disbelief. "Over?"

Liesel pulled the blanket tighter around her, got out of bed, and walked toward the door.

She bent down, rummaging through her bag on the floor, and pulled out a black notebook and a pen.

Flipping open the notebook, Liesel tossed it in front of Joel.

"Please take a look, Mr. Schott."

Joel, suppressing his anger, opened the notebook.

On each page, in neatly written script, were the dates, locations, and the number of times they met. Every entry was as precise as a work report.

The final entry was today, tonight, at the hillside villa.

The one hundredth time!

Joel slowly lifted his eyes, staring sharply at Liesel.

"You kept track so clearly?"

Liesel shrugged nonchalantly, "It's just a transaction. In and out, naturally, every detail should be meticulously recorded."

Upon hearing this, a dark shadow immediately covered Joel's eyes.

To taste and savor.

Those four words had never felt more true than they did today.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Schott?"

Liesel couldn't quite read him, but she could sense the displeasure radiating from him.

Her heart tightened. Could he be thinking of going back on his word?