Chapter 7

I choked on my water.

I instinctively glanced at the calendar.

Oh, it was Saturday again.

I closed my laptop, walked over to him, and stood on tiptoes, reaching up to kiss him.

Alexander gripped my neck, pausing for a moment.

"Wear the outfit from last time."

…Huh?

Oh.

After four intense rounds, I was the one who begged for mercy first.

Alexander got off me, and I turned, intending to get out of bed.

He grabbed my wrist.

Me:

"Hmm?"

Alexander pursed his lips.

"Sleep here."

Me:

"It's wet."

He immediately pulled fresh sheets from the cabinet and made the bed.

"Not anymore."

Fine.

I lay back on the pillow, and he pulled me against him, gripping my shoulder.

Me:

"Hmm?"

Alexander:

"I'm cold."

Fine.

I was so exhausted that I fell asleep almost instantly.

I didn't know the person next to me stayed awake, watching me for half the night.

I had a very long dream, reliving the days when I chased Alexander.

From the moment he entered college, he was an incredibly brilliant figure.

Countless people would gather outside the law classroom just to catch a glimpse of him.

Alexander was distant and never truly warmed up to anyone. He only had one childhood friend from his village, Serena, with whom he shared a good relationship.

After I set my sights on Alexander, I tried to find out if they were a couple.

Before I could figure anything out, Serena left the country on her own, and Alexander's mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Pancreatic cancer, the king of cancers, was practically incurable.

But with money, she could suffer less.

Alexander was so worried he couldn't sleep for nights. I went to my parents, got him a hundred thousand dollars for his mother's hospital bills.

Alexander's mother finally got some rest, and Alexander came to find me. He said:

"Thank you."

I said:

"Don't mention it. Just marry me."

I was transparent about my desires, and unapologetic in my flirtation.

Alexander looked at me and smiled softly.

At the time, I didn't understand what that complex smile meant.

Two years later, I finally did.

It was the smile of compromise.

The helpless look of someone selling their soul.