Chapter 5 Dinner with the Devil

Elena barely had time to rest when a soft knock came at her door.

"Ma'am, dinner is ready."

She groaned silently but forced herself up. The exhaustion of the day still clung to her, but she knew better than to skip a meal.

Dragging herself downstairs, she took her seat at the long dining table. The maids had already set everything, and she quietly picked up her fork, eating without much thought.

It wasn't long before she heard footsteps.

Heavy. Unhurried.

Then a presence.

Her fingers froze around her fork as she looked up.

Alexander.

But not just Alexander.

Alexander, shirtless.

His top was missing, leaving only dark pants sitting low on his waist. His toned chest was on full display, his skin slightly damp. His hair, still wet, clung slightly to his forehead, water dripping lazily down his neck.

Elena blinked.

Once.

Twice.

Her mind blanked out.

Hot. Fucking hot.

That was the only word her brain could process.

Her face warmed instantly. She had never really paid attention to men before, but...

Her thoughts were cut off when she suddenly choked.

Coughing, she grabbed her glass of water, struggling to breathe.

Alexander, unfazed, walked straight to the chair across from her and sat down.

The maids, moving quickly, served him his meal before stepping back.

Elena, still red-faced, focused on her plate, but her eyes kept betraying her, stealing glances.

She wasn't exactly doing it on purpose.

He was just too...

"Are you done undressing me in your mind?"

Elena froze.

Her head snapped up. "What?"

Alexander raised a brow, chewing slowly. "You've been staring for a while. Should I just take off the pants too?"

Elena's throat dried. "I-"

And then, as if her body was possessed by something outside her control, her mouth betrayed her.

"Can you?"

Silence.

A deep silence.

Her soul left her body.

The maids, standing nearby, all turned rigid. One even gasped softly.

Alexander, mid-chew, paused. His gaze slowly lifted to hers.

Elena, still catching up with what just came out of her mouth, widened her eyes.

"No-I mean-I didn't mean that!" She grabbed her spoon, shoving food into her mouth to stop any more stupidity from slipping out.

Alexander, still watching her, leaned back slightly, amusement flickering in his cold eyes.

She, on the other hand, continued stuffing her face, refusing to look up again.

At some point, he stopped eating, just observing.

The way she was aggressively scooping rice, chewing like a baby forcing food down.

His lips twitched slightly.

Was she always this amusing?

----

Elena barely swallowed the last bite before she stood up, ready to escape.

Alexander's voice came cold and sharp. "Where do you think you're going?"

She froze mid-step.

"Am I done eating?"

Her fingers clenched at her side. Was she supposed to wait for him to finish?

"I... I wanted to take something upstairs," she muttered.

He simply nodded, and she rushed off, almost tripping over her own feet.

Once inside her room, she slammed the door shut and held her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.

What was that?

She exhaled deeply, then grabbed her sketchbook. There was no way she was risking her life by not going back downstairs before he finished eating.

But just as she reached for the door, a thought hit her.

His hair was still wet.

Wouldn't he catch a cold?

She hesitated for a second, then hurried to grab a hair dryer before rushing downstairs.

When she got there, Alexander was almost done with his meal. He didn't even glance at her as she settled into an armchair nearby, placing her sketchbook on her lap.

She focused on her drawing, pencil gliding across the paper.

At some point, he looked up.

She was serious.

Not scrolling through her phone. Not idly sitting.

She was fully concentrated on whatever she was doing.

His brows furrowed slightly. What is she working on?

He pushed his plate aside and stood up, ready to leave.

Elena, lost in her work, suddenly realized something.

"Wait!" she blurted out.

Alexander halted, slowly turning back to her.

His gaze was unreadable. "What?"

She swallowed. "Please... can you sit?"

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Now she was ordering him?

The audacity.

Yet, he sat, watching her with mild interest.

Elena's fingers tightened around the dryer as she hesitated. Her heart pounded.

Was she doing the right thing?

Or was she about to end up in trouble?

Elena stepped closer, gripping the hair dryer tightly.

Alexander watched her with narrowed eyes, his cold gaze piercing through her.

She brought out the dryer, and his brow arched slightly. "And what do you think you're doing?" His voice was sharp, laced with warning.

Before he could finish, she reached out and grabbed his hair, turning on the dryer.

The warm air blew through his damp strands, and for a moment, he almost gave in, letting her do as she pleased.

But then, his fingers suddenly shot up, gripping her hair firmly.

Her breath hitched as his icy voice came again. "I asked, what do you think you're doing?"

She swallowed hard. "I... I wanted to blow-dry it so you won't catch a cold."

His jaw tightened.

A sharp hiss escaped him as he let go of her hair. "Don't do unnecessary things." His tone was harsh, colder than before.

Without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, dryer still in hand.

Elena sighed, lowering the hair dryer. She knew he was going to be cold to her,he always was. She just wanted to help.

She let out a small breath and turned off the dryer, placing it on the table before quietly retreating to her room.

Meanwhile, Alexander walked into his bedroom, rubbing the back of his neck. He was about to head straight to his study when a thought crossed his mind.

Was I too harsh just now?

He scoffed, irritated by his own thoughts. Why should it matter?

Hissing under his breath, he pushed the thought aside and stepped into his study, shutting the door behind him.