Wild Young Miss: Mister, Let's Kiss!

[6 hours before the auction: Inside the penthouse in a five-star hotel]

Zoey stared at the red dress on the bed. A fresh wound on the corner of her lips, and a bruise on her cheekbone. She bit her inner lip, scoffing through her mouth as she moved her eyes to the man sitting on the chair in the corner.

"And why do I have to wear this dress and mask?" Zoey inquired, arching her brow.

Ever since that incident, her relationship with Nikolai, that had started with restraint and peace, had grown violent. Nikolai had found it easy to raise a hand on her.

Sometimes, Zoey fought back and even though the fight would start as fair, she'd yield in the end. Why? Because he still had her on the leash by bringing up the people she cared for.

"I told you about the auction." Nikolai shrugged nonchalantly. "It's the theme for the auction tonight."

"And I told you I'm not coming." Zoey refuted. "I won't sneak out if that's the reason why you're bringing me along. I told you, I'll stay forever if that's what you want."

"Oh, sweetheart." Nikolai chuckled as he shook his head. "You'll stay and be by my side wherever I go. I'm having separation anxiety just thinking of not being with you for a few hours!"

Zoey rolled her eyes. Both of them knew that wasn't his reason.

"I won't go, Niko." Zoey affirmed. 

Unappeased at her defiance, Nikolai scratched his temple with his finger. Slowly, he placed his palms on his legs and pushed himself up. Zoey watched him approach, keeping her brave countenance.

When Niko stopped one step away from her, he cocked his head as he glanced at the dress he had personally bought for her.

"Wear it or I'll do it for you." He warned under his breath. His eyes were flickering with menace as he raised his hand, the back of his fingers brushing the strand of her hairs back.

"Come on, Zia. Stop testing me." Nikolai brushed the bruise on her cheekbone and then caressed the wound on the corner of her lips.

"I'm sorry about this. Don't get mad about what happened, I'll change." He reassured, looking her straight in the eye.

"I'm not." Yet, Zoey firmly refused. 

Who was Nikolai kidding? He had said those words multiple times every time he raised his hand to her. Change? Yet, he slapped her last night just because Zoey refused to eat with him.

Zoey was aware that what she was doing was not smart. However, physical pain was not as painful as the torment in her heart.

She might as well accept being tortured to death, defying him instead of agreeing to his every wish. 

"Hah," Nikolai slowly closed his eyes, taking a step back, stretching his neck in a slow, circular motion.

Gritting his teeth, Nikolai flung his hand, and the vases on the table nearby shattered as they reached the floor. With his hand still raised, Nikolai erected his forefinger, curling down the rest, rocking it back and forth as he faced her.

"You never learn, do you? You know that I'll drag you if that's what it means to take you. Yet, you keep defying me. Why?" He asked, exasperated at this recurring scene with her.

Zoey pursed her lips. Her brave expression did not change despite Nikolai slowly losing his cool.

"I listened to you, Niko. But you don't listen to me. I came to you on my own, but you can't even understand that I would never accept or see you as a man." Zoey stressed her words so he could understand her, even in the slightest.

"If you need manpower, or you need someone dead, I'll do it. I'll f*cking do it for you. Is that not enough?" Zoey's pain resurfaced on her face, grinding her teeth as her eyes pooled with tears of angst.

"Niko," Zoey choked, but she forced herself to speak her mind. "Can we live like before? I loved you, you're my family. I'll take a bullet for you, you know that. I'll give my arm, literally, to save you. Why do we have to do this?"

There was nothing but silence after Zoey's moving speech. But not moving enough to touch his blackened heart.

"That's sweet, Zia." Nikolai shook his head as he smacked his lips. "But, I don't need such camaraderie with you."

Zoey's heart sank. That instant, she had lost all words to say to him. It was futile.

Nikolai walked back to her, and she could only watch him in silence. Her eyes pleaded, but the merciless glint of his sharp eyes shunned them.

"I could've died that day. I was sick and tired of living and asked those people to get as much money from my father and kill us all. But you saved me, Zia. You saved me." Nikolai uttered under his breath.

"Now, I'm here, alive. So, take responsibility because I am alive because of you. Okay?"

Zoey bit her lower lip, trembling at his words. That's right. She already knew she should be held responsible for saving him.

As he looked at her, a brief glint of pain flickered across his eyes. However, it vanished almost instantly that even Zoey failed to notice.

Nikolai cupped her cheek, breathing heavily. "What are the things that he has that I don't? You know if you only listen to me, you won't get hurt. These thoughts have been in my mind. But you know what I realized?"

Zoey remained silent, as she didn't care about what he was saying. She had already heard those words in her previous life. Although those words were uttered by a different man, she had heard them already.

"I realized that maybe you only learn from experience."

As soon as Zoey heard those words, she slowly raised her gaze. Her heart started pounding against her chest, sensing something terrible that he had planned.

"Niko, what are you…"

"I won't force you to come, but if I were you, I would." Nikolai retrieved his hand from her and took a step back.

"I'm expecting visitors tonight.. You might want to see him for the last time."