Chapter 3

I wasn't doing much better myself.

After everything that had happened, the drug had spread fully through my body and was slowly eating away at my self-control.

I bit down hard on my tongue until I tasted blood, using the sharp pain to fight back the shameful urge building inside me.

Worse still, my body was already reacting, a restless heat spreading under my skin that made me crave his closeness against my better judgment.

Charles's wound was still bleeding, staining half of his sleeve deep red.

I held onto my last bit of clarity and tore a length of fabric from the edge of my dress.

"Use this to cover your wound," I said, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

My legs felt weak and unsteady, but I managed to take a few steps toward him and held out the cloth.

Charles's entire body went still.

He turned slowly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on me like a wild animal fighting to stay in control.

His gaze moved from the fabric in my hand up to my face, and the intensity of his stare sent a chill through me.

I tried to pull my hand back, but he caught my wrist quickly.

The rough texture of his fingers against my skin sent a sharp, shaky tingle all through my body.

Every instinct inside me was screaming out for him while my mind begged me to run away. My body responded far too honestly, though, and I found myself secretly wanting to fall into his arms.

"No..." I bit down hard on my lower lip and dug my fingernails into my palms, using the sharp pain to hold onto what little self-control I had left. "Please don't, Charles."

The comments on the screen above us had turned into a wild, taunting frenzy.

[Finally, he's touching her. Push her against the wall.]

[She's already weak with desire. Why is she still pretending to hold back?]

[Stop hesitating and act like a man already.]

Humiliation, fear and despair washed over me all at once, and I could no longer hold back my tears.

One hot, heavy tear landed right on the back of his hand where he was holding my wrist.

The touch seemed to burn him, and his arm jolted violently.

He let go of me as if he had been electrocuted and stumbled back several steps, his chest heaving with effort.

He swallowed hard, fighting to control the terrible urges raging inside him.

His voice came out rough and dangerously strained when he snapped, "Isabelle, where's that sharp spirit you once had? The one that always outdid me in our debates."

His eyes were bloodshot, and he gritted his teeth so tightly that I thought they might break. He forced himself to look away from me. "We're enemies. Take this back. I don't want it."

I knew he was doing everything he could to bring back our fading sense of reason.

We both knew that if we gave in to what our bodies wanted, we would become nothing more than animals giving in to lust, performing for the mocking eyes of thousands of strangers.

I would be branded as shameful, and Charles would become a laughingstock in the business world.

Giving in to that one moment of desire would bring us endless pain and regret.

The comments on the screen twisted with cruel malice, spewing hatred one after another.

[Wow, he really turned her down. Who is he trying to fool?]

[Pathetic. He can't even handle a woman.]

[Look how tense he is. He's clearly hurting down there and still putting on a show.]

[I've lost a fortune because these two are wasting time.]

Just then, the speaker in the warehouse crackled on, carrying the same cold electronic voice. "All right, now let's begin the Intimacy Challenge.

"Follow my orders, or I will keep releasing the pink gas."

Charles lifted his head sharply and roared at the speaker in uncontrollable anger, "Bring it on! I'll die before I let you scumbags get what you want."

The voice turned to me with a mocking lilt. "And what about you, Ms. Lane?"

The drug had reached its peak inside me, amplified by the thick tension between Charles and me. I was holding on with every last bit of strength and couldn't speak a single word.

The electronic voice turned icy at once. "Looks like you guys are still being stubborn. In that case, Ms. Lane, why don't you take the first move?"

I gritted my teeth and shook my head weakly.

The voice spoke again, slow and taunting, "Don't be so quick to refuse. Do you recognize this?"