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LESLIE’S POV

The man's lips were soft and felt rather good to touch. My intention was just to press my lips to his for a little while and then pull away but now….I found it hard to do exactly that.

My hands tightened around his neck as I unconsciously kissed him deeper. The man in question froze and I couldn't feel his hands on my body, meaning that his hands were by his side.

Shit, what was I doing?

I moved my lips away from him and took a step back but the man suddenly grabbed my waist and pulled me back into him before claiming my lips again.

My eyes widened as he delved into my lips with the expertise of someone that has done this quite a number of times. My eyes closed and I returned his kisses, lick for lick, bite for bite, suck for suck. His hand went behind my head as he angled me so he could devour my lips properly.

The sound of murmurs behind me had my eyes snapping open in shock. What the hell? I pushed the man and turned back to see our audience looking at us with wide eyes.

I guessed that was really quite the performance.

“Ah, we will leave now,” I grinned and spared Leslie and Adam a glance before hurrying away. They looked flabbergasted and my heart swelled with pride in my chest.

I grabbed the man's hard and pulled him with me. He was a sturdy man and if he didn't want to leave with me, there is no way I could have pulled him.

When we were a safe distance away from the garden and secured behind a pillar. I dropped his hand and bowed immediately. “I'm so sorry. Please, forgive me. I didn't mean to kiss you.”

The man's brown eyes that stared at me with disdain earlier flourished with intrigue now.

“Thank you for saving me back then,” I continued. I dug into my pocket and pulled out all the money I had stuffed in there. “Here, take this for your trouble. This is really all I have so for me to give them all to you, I must be really sorry.” I put the bills in his hands and closed his fingers around them. “Thank you once again. I will leave now.”

I waved at him and hurried back to the kitchen. I hope Mother had not noticed my disappearance yet. I sneaked back into the kitchen and took another serving of drinks that the bartender has just served.

I smiled at him and grabbed the drinks before joining the party. I noticed Mother at the end of the room still socializing and my heart beat finally slowed. She didn't notice.

Thank God.

I smirked as I noticed Liliana coming back into the hall with Adam nowhere in sight. I had won this round but I knew she would attack very, very soon. I had to be prepared for it.

~∆~

I blinked my eyes open as I turned in bed, the small, tiny window in the attic was my only source of sunlight. I was so stupid to have regarded a human as that. Nothing could beat the actual sun.

My tears teared up and I buried my face in my pillow. Due to my daring actions yesterday, adrenaline coursed through my veins till the party ended and after it ended, I just dropped in bed and slept off. I was too tired to mourn the loss I felt.

But this morning, I had none of that and my sadness finally crawled to the forefront and spilled through my eyes.

What was I to do without Adam? He was everything I knew. He was the person that I have known and loved for five years. Yet, I was supposed to live without him now?

A knock sounded on the door, interrupting my moment of vulnerability.

“Yes?” I replied, my voice shaky with tears.

“It's time to prepare breakfast.”

“Alright, I'm coming,” I sat up and wiped my eyes. I had forgotten that in this house, I didn't even have the luxury to be sad.

I grabbed my washing materials and left the attic to go to the bathroom at the end of the hall, one that I shared with the rest of the servants. I washed within ten minutes, any longer and I would be late to the kitchen.

I put on my dress that had seen better days and hurried to the kitchen. I immediately put on an apron and joined the frenzy. I managed to get there on time.

Mother wouldn't be able to hit me too much.

Due to the many hands involved, the simple breakfast of pancakes, bacon, sausages and eggs got done in no time. According to Mother's orders, I always have to be the only one serving breakfasts.

When I carried the stack of pancakes out, Mother, Father and Liliana were already seated. As I set the plate down, Liliana glanced at me and laughed before looking away.

My eyebrows furrowed as I pondered over her reaction. I expected her to look at me with contempt and anger, not this look of….mockery and pity.

I won last night, didn't I?

I hurried back to the kitchen even though I was full of questions and eventually the breakfast table was full. I stayed around while they served themselves in case they had orders for me.

Father's daily newspaper vendor came in and handed over the day’s edition to him. He left afterwards. Father immediately stopped eating, put on his glasses and started to read as he always did.

Breakfast continued quietly until Father frowned and sat up. He adjusted his glasses and read whatever shocked him again.

“What is this?” He muttered before looking at me, the first notice from him in months. “Leslie, why does this person look like you?”

“What do you mean?” Mother asked him. Liliana on the other hand, hid her face behind her palm to hide her laughter.

My heart started to palpitate as Father passed the papers to Mother and she read it. Her eyes blazed as she looked up at me.

“You bitch, what the hell have you done?” She stood up and walked over to me. I only had a chance to blink before her hand met my cheek and I collapsed to the floor from the force.

She threw the newspaper beside me and I finally had the chance to find out what I did wrong.

‘Mysterious Kiss Shocks High Society: Elusive Billionaire Saint Baxter Caught in Midnight Scandal With Unknown Woman!’

The Headline on the page was bold and hard to miss. Two things had my blood running cold.

One, the picture on the page was one of me and the mystery man.

Two, the name Saint Baxter.

I didn't know the face but I knew the name.

Saint Baxter. CEO of the Baxter empire and head of the Baxter clan. Billionaire. A man that terrorizes the heart of men in the boardroom and the heart of women in the bedroom.

I had kissed that Saint Baxter.