Chapter 2
My brain completely short-circuited.
H-how did he even know?
Did he seriously bug my apartment? No way. Whenever I was trash-talking him, the only one there was Husky Alex.
Hold on...
Husky Alex...
A wild, terrifying thought slammed into me, making my scalp prickle and my whole body freeze.
My hand shook as I pointed at him, then at the empty dog bed on the floor.
"You... are you Husky Alex?" I stammered.
Alex's gaze grew even colder, like he was about to drill holes right through me.
"Thanks to you, that's the most humiliating name I've ever been stuck with."
Seriously, you dumbass, did you really think I wouldn't see right through your crap? What kind of messed-up fantasy was this? My sworn enemy turning into a dog? That was just insane!
Inside, I was freaking out, but all I could manage was an awkward smile.
"Well... Mr. Grant, please, let me explain! There's got to be some kind of misunderstanding." I laughed dryly. "Look, nice weather today, right? Those clouds—so white..."
I tried to distract him with some painfully awkward banter, but Alex just shot me a look—he wasn't having any of it.
His grip on my chin tightened.
"A misunderstanding? You spent three months snuggling up to me, trash-talking me every night, and now you want to call it a misunderstanding?"
His voice was quiet, but the tension in it was like thunder rumbling before a storm.
I was screwed.
Totally screwed.
Not only had I been raising my sworn enemy as a dog, but I'd spent every day humiliating him and getting way too handsy.
How could I ever show my face in the design world again if this got out?
Alex would probably pulverize me and flush my ashes down the toilet without a second thought.
"I-I-I... I'm sorry! Mr. Grant, I'm really sorry!"
Knowing when to surrender, I did a dramatic slide to my knees and begged for mercy right then and there.
"I was blind, stupid, and apparently have no idea who I'm dealing with. Look, what do you want me to do—beg? I'll beg."
I started throwing off the covers like I was about to grovel right there.
Alex couldn't help but twitch his mouth, clearly stunned by my ridiculous antics.
He let go of my chin, leaned back against the headboard, crossed his arms, and gave me a look like, "Let's see what you'll do."
"So, how are you planning to make it up to me?"
Alright, here we go—the real deal!
My brain went into overdrive.
Money? I was broke.
My body? Hell no.
A glint came into my eyes as an idea hit me.
"Mr. Grant, you know, this whole thing is... kind of crazy. If anyone finds out, it could ruin your reputation, right?"
I observed his expression carefully. "If your competitors hear about this, who knows what'll happen to Grant Holdings' stock—disaster."
Alex's face fell, just as I expected.
I jumped on it. "So this stays between us—nobody else needs to know. For both our sakes, let's keep this secret!
"I swear I'll never tell anyone! If I do, may I get struck by lightning, choke on water, or get mauled by wild dogs!"
I held up three fingers, looking as sincere as I could.
Alex laughed coldly. "That's it?"
"Of course not!" I rushed to add. "To make up for everything, starting today, I'll be your full-time butler—24/7! Whatever you want to eat, I'll cook it. Whatever you want to drink, I'll get it. I'll make sure you're living in total comfort—just think of it as... making up for all those Husky Alex days... I mean, for you!"
Even I was starting to believe myself.
Hey, playing housekeeper for him beat getting obliterated any day.
Alex fell silent.
He fixed those deep, intense eyes on me, weighing the truth of my words.
Just when I thought he was about to agree, he said suddenly, "Did you forget something?"
"Uh... what?" I stared at him, totally confused.
"For three months, you didn't just torment me mentally," he paused, his eyes dropping with obvious meaning, "but physically too."
I followed his gaze and looked down at my ridiculous banana pajamas with "No Anxiety" printed on them.
Physical torment? What did I do? I just cuddled him at night and petted him. How was that torment?
He said, "Every night, you used me as your personal pillow, squashing me so I could barely breathe.
"And whenever you had nightmares, you'd start punching and kicking me."
"And..." His eyes narrowed. "Did you actually kiss me?"
My brain just exploded.
Oh god... that actually happened.
There was this one time I dreamed I won the two-million-dollar lottery. I got so excited that I grabbed Husky Alex and gave him a huge kiss.
And I even complained about how the fur around his mouth was too long and scratchy.
But I wasn't kissing a dog—I was kissing Alex...
A cold shiver ran up my spine.
I stared at Alex's stupidly good-looking face and that smirk getting more and more dangerous, and honestly, I felt like my days were numbered.
"So," he said slowly, sounding like the devil himself passing judgment, "just playing housekeeper isn't nearly enough."
"Then... then what else do you want?" I asked, my voice cracking.
Suddenly, he leaned in, his breath hot against my ear.
"Easy.
"I'm moving in.
"Starting today, you're taking care of all my meals, and..."
He paused, leaning so close only I could hear, his voice low and suggestive. "Warming my bed."