Chapter 2

After Lucas dealt with the call, the room fell back into dead silence. He tossed my phone onto the nightstand. He didn't take it.

Got it. He was confident I couldn't escape. Or maybe confident that a lazy bum like me wouldn't even bother trying. He was right.

I looked at him and truly felt he was a godsend sent to save me. His methods were extreme, though.

"That... thank you," I said softly.

Lucas glanced at me, said nothing, and turned back to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

I watched his silhouette in the black apron: broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs. The water ran as he bent his head, scrubbing the plate meticulously.

A yandere kidnapper who had just threatened "you can't escape" was now doing housework diligently. The contrast was absolutely amazing.

I threw off the blanket, stepped barefoot onto the soft rug, and tiptoed behind him. He didn't seem to notice.

I gathered my courage and gently poked his arm. "Um..."

His body jerked. The water stopped. He slowly turned his head, his eyes wary and confused.

His stare made me a little nervous, but I braced myself and upgraded my "reward." I stood on tiptoe, leaned close, and whispered, "You looked super cool just now."

My warm breath brushed his earlobe. I watched as his ear turned red from the root, spreading until it looked like it might bleed.

He froze completely like a statue. Even his breathing stopped.

Ha, a pure yandere was absolutely irresistible. Satisfied, I stepped back to admire my work.

After several seconds, he came back to life, whipped around, and turned the faucet on full blast to cover his embarrassment.

"Chatty," he muttered, his voice muffled and trembling slightly.

I giggled and ran happily back to bed, picking up my phone again.

The Wi-Fi signal was full, and the internet speed was lightning fast.

I opened my chat with "Faye." My last message said, [See you tomorrow, girl. I'll bring your favorite tiramisu!]

His reply was, [Okay, see you tomorrow.]

Now those three words seemed so meaningful.

I scrolled through some funny videos, then clicked on an anime clip. It was my favorite yandere male lead locking the girl in a cage.

I watched with relish and couldn't stop a few giggles.

Suddenly, a shadow fell over me. Lucas had finished washing up and was standing by the bed.

His gaze fell on the screen where the smirking anime character was smirking with a charming, wicked smile.

His expression darkened. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "You like that kind?" he asked coldly.

My heart skipped a beat. Uh-oh, he was jealous. I was watching a "substitute" right in front of the real thing. I was so guilty.

I instantly closed the video, hid my phone behind my back, and gave him an apologetic smile. "No, no. Just browsing."

Lucas didn't buy it. His eyes grew even colder. "Is he better than me?"

"No." I shook my head like a bobblehead. "Absolutely not! You're ten thousand times hotter."

Time to fight for survival. Lucas's face softened slightly but stayed tense. He stared, weighing my words.

I was getting nervous under his gaze, my brain racing to figure out how to soothe him. An idea clicked for me.

I waved him over and patted the spot next to me. "Come here."

Lucas hesitated, then sat down beside me. The mattress sank deeply under his weight.

I could smell his nice, cool fragrance.

I took a deep breath, reached out, and under his shocked gaze, gently and tentatively placed my hand on top of his head.

His hair was soft and felt great.

Like soothing a frightened large dog, I gently rubbed his head. "There, there." I used the gentlest tone I had ever mustered. "Don't be mad."

Lucas froze completely. His eyes went wide. He stared at me in disbelief, as if I had done something earth-shattering.

He didn't dodge or resist. He just sat there stiffly, letting my hand mess up his hair.

His cheeks started to flush again. Maximum effect! Just as I thought, no matter how fierce the yandere, he couldn't resist a head pat.

I grew bolder, rubbing with more confidence. "In my heart, you're the best." I continued my praise.

Lucas's Adam's apple bobbed. His eyes grew dazed. The gloomy madness was replaced by a pure, helpless innocence.

He lowered his head slightly, as if in submission.

Just when I thought I had the situation completely under control, he spoke in a hoarse voice. "Then... do you want to watch a movie?"

He wanted the reward to keep going. He wanted me to stay with him.

"Yes," I answered without hesitation. Free top-tier theater, why not?

Lucas's eyes lit up with joy. He immediately got up to work the projector.

Soon, the big screen lit up. He picked a recent popular romantic drama.

He sat at the other end of the couch, far away from me, his body tense.

I hugged a cushion and curled up comfortably on the sofa. Snacks, drinks, comfy couch, huge screen.

This wasn't prison. This was a VIP box.

I was engrossed in the movie when the main characters started kissing. Lucas's breathing suddenly grew heavy.

I turned to look at him. He was staring at the screen, but not with appreciation, with jealousy. Intense, undisguised jealousy.

He began muttering under his breath. "Why does he get to kiss her. He's not worthy. He'll hurt her."

I was speechless.

Dude, was he jealous of a fictional character on a screen? Now that was the kind of possessiveness I lived for.

Inside, I was screaming with joy.

To reward his extreme possessiveness, I decided to give him a little more reward.

I put down my cushion, quietly moved over, and gently laid my head on his shoulder.

Lucas's body stiffened like a rock. He even stopped breathing.

Through his thin shirt, I could feel the scorching heat of his tense muscles.