Richard's hands continued to wander carelessly.
Elizabeth forced herself to remain stiff and motionless. She refused to look into his ocean-blue eyes. Tonight, those eyes carried neither cruelty nor savagery. Instead, there was something else hidden within them.
Richard erased every remaining inch of distance between them.
It felt as though even a gentle breeze had no right to pass between their bodies.
He rubbed his nose softly against hers.
"In this era of dark romance, I'll paint your world with seven colors, Red."
At last, Elizabeth spoke.
Her eyes remained closed.
Through clenched teeth, she replied,
"Your touch makes me sick."
Richard laughed quietly.
"Sick? That's expected. There is no comfort in Richard Kayanat's touch—only hatred and pain. Everything I touch eventually burns to ashes. I'm not honey. I'm poison. My touch means destruction. There is no mercy or sympathy in me—only emptiness and ruin."
Elizabeth finally lost control.
"By what right do you touch me?"
Something changed instantly inside Richard.
The calm mask shattered.
The familiar darkness returned.
The blue depths of his eyes ignited like a volcano ready to erupt.
He grabbed her by the throat.
"With every right."
His voice thundered through the room.
Before Elizabeth could respond, he forcefully silenced her.
The atmosphere became suffocatingly tense.
The weight of his presence felt like invisible chains crushing all resistance.
For Elizabeth, it felt as if she were trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape.
After what felt like an eternity, Richard finally stepped back.
Elizabeth collapsed onto the floor.
Her body shook as she cried.
Richard stared down at her.
Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, he said,
"I know I'm hot. Every place touched by me burns like this. Even when I'm gone, the marks of my presence remain."
Then he added coldly,
"So don't cry. Prepare yourself mentally and physically. It's only a short period."
Elizabeth couldn't even raise her head.
Humiliation, pain, and disgust consumed her.
Each tear felt heavier than the last.
She hated him.
Yet somehow she also hated herself for being trapped in this nightmare.
Meanwhile, Richard stood there, breathing heavily.
His body radiated an unsettling warmth.
Looking down at her, he murmured,
"Your taste is sweeter than honey."
Silence followed.
Only the sound of Elizabeth's quiet sobbing remained.
"Red. Get up."
No response.
His expression darkened.
"I said, get up, you f***ing Dark Red."
Still nothing.
Then a cruel smile appeared on his lips.
"Are you asking me to kneel down?"
The words struck Elizabeth like lightning.
Immediately, she forced herself to stand.
Richard looked satisfied.
"Animal."
Elizabeth spat the insult at him.
Richard pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
"Watch your words, my lady."
He took a drag and deliberately exhaled the smoke toward her face.
Elizabeth immediately began coughing.
Her breathing became difficult.
Holding her chest, she dropped to her knees.
"P-Please stop... I'm allergic to cigarette smoke."
Richard showed no concern.
"Well, I f***ing do."
Elizabeth wasn't surprised.
This was exactly who Richard was.
With tear-filled eyes, she looked at him and whispered,
"Why are you doing this to me?"
Richard's answer came without hesitation.
"I'm not a kind-hearted lover who writes love stories. I'm the villain. A toxic villain. I play love by my own rules."
Before Elizabeth could say anything more, Richard suddenly moved.
In one swift motion, he climbed through the window.
Gone.
Elizabeth's eyes widened.
She rushed toward the window and looked down.
A car was waiting below.
Richard stood beside it.
He looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment, neither looked away.
Then Richard's lips curved into that familiar crooked smile.
He winked.
The next second, he got into the car and disappeared into the darkness of the night.
For someone like Richard, jumping from the second floor was nothing extraordinary.
But for Elizabeth?
Slowly, she slid down against the wall and sat on the floor.
The tears she had been holding back finally overwhelmed her.
Suddenly, loud knocks echoed from outside the room.
"Elizabeth!"
It was Takbir.
He kept knocking on the door.
Fear gripped Elizabeth's chest.
Quickly wiping away her tears, she stood and opened the door.
Takbir looked unusual.
His eyes seemed heavy with sleep.
He kept rubbing them repeatedly.
"A-Are you okay?"
Takbir swallowed before speaking.
"You haven't slept yet?"
Elizabeth forced a yawn.
"I was sleeping. What about you? Were you awake? Did you go somewhere?"
Takbir answered quickly,
"No, no. I was sleeping too. I just felt like I heard you crying. So I came to check on you."
He looked concerned.
"Are you alright?"
Elizabeth's throat tightened.
Lying to a man as kind as Takbir was becoming harder and harder.
But telling the truth would only create more problems.
And if Richard got involved in another conflict, he would never sit quietly.
Elizabeth was exhausted—physically and emotionally.
Still, she forced a smile.
"Yes. I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
Takbir's vision was blurry from drowsiness.
Because of that, he failed to notice the blood marks around her neck, her injured lips, and the faint finger marks along her jaw.
He smiled gently.
"Alright. Then get some rest. I'll go back to sleep too."
After Takbir left, Elizabeth remained standing there.
Motionless.
Staring into emptiness.
Exactly as she had been before.