The more suffocating it felt, the deeper Ethan Sullivan drowned in desire.
He craved more dangerous touches.
Gifts from Sophia Sullivan.
These maddening thoughts shattered his self-control.
He had to restrain himself.
Any sane person would be terrified.
He lowered his head, prying her fingers open one by one.
"Sophia, I just don't want to affect you."
Ethan's voice was hoarse as he kissed her fingertips.
His warm tongue grazed lightly.
The tingling sensation made her shiver.
Sophia gripped the back of his neck and kissed him fiercely. "That's because we haven't gone far enough."
Outside, the storm raged.
Inside, only their mingled breaths remained.
They tangled all night until dawn painted the sky.
Exhausted, Sophia fell into deep sleep.
She didn’t even stir when he carried her to bathe and change.
The post-storm sky was crystal clear.
She woke at noon.
Her body ached, hunger gnawing at her, leaving her weak.
The culprit was nowhere to be seen.
"Miss Sophia, the young master ordered lunch for you."
The old butler greeted her as she descended the stairs.
"Where is he?"
The empty living room made her ask.
Charles Watson smiled, eyes crinkling. "An urgent matter at the company. He left early."
The old man knew exactly what had happened.
He couldn’t stop grinning.
His young master had finally awakened!
The butler eagerly pulled out a chair. "These were all prepared according to your tastes. Just reheated."
Unable to refuse, Sophia sat.
The spread mirrored the meals Ethan had made at her place—exquisite in every way.
"He’d make a good husband," Sophia murmured.
After lunch, she took a cab from the Sullivan estate.
She declined the butler’s offer of a chauffeur.
Some secrets could be shared.
Others had to be guarded alone.
Abigail Clementson was already waiting at the rendezvous point.
"Boss! Thank God you're okay! Did you hear about yesterday’s explosion?"
Though Ryan Lawrence had assured her of Sophia’s safety, seeing her in person was a relief.
Sophia nodded calmly. "I know. But it’s unrelated to us."
"Where are we going now?"
Abigail hurried after her.
Sophia didn’t look back. "Our territory."
They navigated hidden passages beneath the Underground City.
The deeper they went, the more astonished Abigail became.
Finally, they stopped before an unremarkable iron door.
"We’re here."
Sophia’s voice was cool.
A soft click sounded.
A scanner slid from the wall.
Iris recognition complete.
The door unlocked automatically.
"Push it open," Sophia instructed.
Abigail heaved the heavy door aside.
Silver light spilled out.
She stepped into a new era.
A massive server stood at the center.
Holographic screens encircled the space.
The cutting-edge tech left her speechless.
"This... this is..."
Abigail spun around, struggling for words.
Holy hell!
This was a hacker’s ultimate sanctuary!
Her hand brushed against a machine, accidentally activating it.
A holographic projection of a pink-haired girl materialized.
"ID 333666, seventh-gen AI, Nova, at your service."
The lifelike projection smiled.
"Welcome to The Nexus!"