Page 89 of The Cute Psycho

"Right, so... ten million once, ten million twice..." Not a soul challenges the amount, so the host is obligated to declare me the winning bid.

"What are you doing with a fighter?" Sisi asks in shock, "A ten million dollar fighter?"

"What could I do? Make him fight, of course." I give her a brilliant smile.

Seeing his skills firsthand solidified it for me. He's the perfect candidate. Because at some point in the future, hewillneed to fight. Intriguing, though. Seth might just be the warrior drawn on my back manifested into reality.

The one who will save the world from me.

21

SISI

Sometimes I look at Vlad, and I don't know who I am seeing. No matter how much I get to know him, there's just so much hidden, so much he's not saying. He's always giving me the facts. But never more than that. With him, it's always cold, logical facts.

Like now.

I watch stupefied as he bids ten million dollars on a man, and I can't figure out why he would do that.

Once the auction is over, Mauro comes to speak with Vlad, telling him he'll be able to pick up his purchase after the recess, since they have to get Seth ready for his new owner. Vlad grunts in approval, his hand never leaving my waist as he finalizes the details.

"What's the plan?" I ask when the host leaves, and Vlad gives me a weird look.

"No plan. It was merely a spur-of-the-moment decision." He quickly gives me one of his charming smiles, but I can see what he's trying to do.

"You're not fooling me." I narrow my eyes at him. I can see through the mask he's trying to put on, and I'm sure there must be an ulterior reason for it.

"Sisi, Sisi," he tsks at me, stooping down so that our faces are on thesame level, "sometimes your intuition amazes me," he says, the intensity in his eyes making me shiver. "You might be right, but then you might be wrong too," he jokes, his lips pulling up in a lopsided smile.

So many masks, so many faces. When will I ever truly know him?

I shake my head at him, my expression telling him that I'm on to him. But just as I look into his eyes for any sign of vulnerability, his features become grave, his hand catching me by the throat, his fingers massaging my pulse.

"Sometimes," he leans forward, whispering in my ear, "ignorance is bliss, Sisi."

"And knowledge is power," I reply, watching a myriad of emotions filter over his face, eventually settling on fake joviality. His smile widens as his lips brush over mine.

"Knowledge is also damnation," he replies, his voice deep with an underlying hint of threat.

"Aren't we already damned?" I ask, bringing my hand up and caressing his cheek.

He doesn't reply, his eyes pinning me to the spot, his touch making me his prisoner. Even the boisterous sounds surrounding us fade away as we gaze at each other, so close yet so far away.

And just as it started, everything is over. His hands off me, he settles me next to him, turning his attention to the stage and the continued entertainment.

We'd been so in sync not too long ago, and that intimacy we'd just shared had made me think we'd become... more. A first for both of us, I'd really thought that in that moment he was irrevocably mine.

I slip my hand into his, threading our fingers together, and for the first time, the coldness of his skin seems to seep into mine. He's like a marble sculpture looming over mere mortals, his presence imposing and awe-inspiring.

Looking at his profile, I have to wonder if this man can truly belong to one person. He's so raw, so barely contained, that sometimes I feel he might overwhelm me. He's full of wicked charm and sinister intentions—a deadly combination both to my body and my heart.

But why is it that I'm so drawn to him? So taken by this inexplicable darkness that lies just beneath the surface, waiting to engulf mewhole? Why do I crave him like an addict craves his next fix? Because I can barely go through the day when he's not with me.

In such a short time, I've become so dependent on his presence, so used to the warmth of his skin on mine, that I don't know what I'd do if he suddenly disappeared.

I want him.

For the first time in my life, I'll let myself be greedy. I want the bad and the good. I want everything.

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