Realising there was absolutely no point in endlessly arguing with him, Cixi moved on to the fourth clause. Meanwhile, a wicked smirk still hovered at the corner of Cassian’s mouth.

"Party A cannot engage in any kind of intimate relationship for one year. If Party A violates this rule, Party A shall be obliged to pay one million dollars to Party B for breaking trust."

Even though she desperately wanted to hide her dumbfounded expression, Cixi completely failed. With every single clause they covered, her entire situation was turning vastly more convoluted than ever.

"Are you serious?" she asked, lifting her head sharply. "How could you demand one million from me when you know perfectly well I possess nothing valuable? "Even if I worked my whole life, I would still be unable to successfully repay that money!"

She shook her head, utterly flabbergasted. How was she supposed to quietly negotiate with him while staring at such bizarre terms?

"Why do all the clauses strictly dictate that I am the only one being penalised and must pay money, while you are absolutely not obliged to do anything?" she demanded an explanation for making a poor woman pay while the rich stay rich....

"You were the one who came to me with the contract, were you not?" Cassian replied, and for a fleeting moment, he sounded less like a cunning, haughty man and more like a businessman seated across a boardroom table. "Who precisely holds the upper hand here? You, or I? Technically, who desperately needs this exact contract? You, or me, Little Lamb?"

Cixi stared at him pointedly.

He was definitely sadistically enjoying this. He probably made sure to personally draft each malicious clause specifically to torture her. She was more than sure now...

When Cixi said nothing in response and kept throwing laser daggers at him with her eyes, he finally decided to properly elucidate his stance.

He turned fully toward her, resting his copy of the document casually on the table.

"And for what, exactly, should I hold myself indebted, beyond seeing to your safety while you are under my care?"

Cixi let out a dry, incredulous breath, causing Cassian to raise his perfect brow. "I was kidnapped, almost successfully trafficked, harassed, threatened, and literally yesterday almost got killed while completely under your so-called superior protection." Cixi peevishly threw the grim reality right back in Cassian’s face, which he would rather not look into. "And yet you speak to me of safety. And what are you planning to give me for failing to protect me? Hmmm?"

Something colder settled over his features so swiftly that, had she blinked, she might have missed it.

"Threatened?" he repeated that one word in a dangerously lower voice. "Who threatened you?"

At first, Cixi was caught off guard, and then she faltered... recognising out of everything she had listed that was the word he had grabbed upon.

Her eyes wavered. "I—I meant it is possible... In the future."

Cassian leaned back, holding his cold countenance, his gaze remaining fixed on her with grim intensity, while Cixi silently prayed he would not look too closely at that one word.

Those men had threatened her due to the video featuring her face... A video that she did not want Cassian to view. It wasn’t that she feared he would harm those who had threatened her. Rather, she felt ashamed of the contents of the video, even though it wasn’t her own. No matter what, Cassian must never learn about it... Never! For some reason, she didn’t want Cassian to think ill of her.

The memory of that video made her stomach clench.

It also reminded her that there was still something important she needed to discuss with him. But first, she had to deal with the fourth clause. So before she could demand anything, Cassian stunned her.

"I would gift you their tongues, whoever dared threaten you!" Cassian vowed smoothly. His tone turned silken in a way that made the words sound more extreme than if he had raised his voice, "If they dared speak a word against you. You would only need to point your finger at Them!"

What exactly was she expecting? Ofcourse he would immediately speak of dismantling body parts, shedding blood, and casual killing.

"I am already seeing far too many deaths," Cixi said quietly. "I do not think I want to see any more done in my name."

Her curse had already drowned her in enough horror. She witnessed murders, their final breaths, the end of their lives, even when she did not want to. She does not wish blood following her into waking hours, either.

Cassian looked at her then in that unnervingly gentle way of his, as though he were not speaking about death at all.

Another mirth danced in Cassian’s eyes. "Death and I were never very different, Cixi McLore."

Those words should have sounded monstrous. Instead, they came from him with such soft honesty that they landed with the strange ache of a confession.

"But I thought you only punished them for life," Cixi responded, entirely befuddled.

"It began to change after your arrival." Again, he said it so quietly, so melodiously, that for one disorienting moment it did not feel as if he were speaking about violence at all. It felt more like he was telling her that she had altered something inside him.

"Are you outright saying that I am a bad influence in your life?" Cixi asked, not knowing whether to be offended, wary, or simply confused by the way he kept looking at her without blinking, as if she were the only thing in the room worth studying.

Cassian leaned forward languidly, and Cixi instinctively leaned back a fraction.

His gaze never left hers. Those dark, inscrutable eyes held her so completely that she almost failed to notice his hand was slowly and gently inching toward her. It felt intentional when he finally reached for the hand still gripping the pen.

His fingers brushed hers first, barely there, though the light contact was enough to send a warm shiver skimming across her skin. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Then he eased the pen from her grasp and placed it on the table atop his document.

He did not let go of her hand after that.