Chapter 2

Elias and I had grown up together. Our families had been close for generations. Back then, aside from always arguing with me, he didn't have any major flaws. But when Maisie showed up, he started acting weird.

He spoke in a low, dramatic voice, pinned people against walls for no reason, and spouted cheesy, domineering CEO lines like it was his job.

"Woman, you've caught my attention."

I thought he was just hormonal, so I kindly told him to get his head checked. Instead, he decided I had ulterior motives toward him.

"The weather is getting cold. Just in time for the Knight family to go bankrupt."

I recorded that and sent it to his parents. Mr. Forrest beat some sense into Elias and immediately cut off his credit card.

I figured that would finally calm Elias down. Instead, he came to me, sneering. "Woman, you think using my parents to threaten me will make me fall in love with you? My heart belongs only to Maisie. Stop deluding yourself. If you ever dare lay a finger on her behind my back, I'll show you what true wrath looks like!"

Thinking about what I'd seen in the comments earlier made my gaze turn unfriendly as I looked at the poodle at my feet. My hand moved toward its fragile neck.

The comments instantly went on high alert.

[Is the villainess about to take advantage of the male lead while he's down and finish him off?]

[Holy crap, look at her eyes! She's gonna kill the dog!]

[Male lead, run!]

The poodle noticed me watching him and suddenly tilted his head, staring at me innocently with his big, round eyes. "Woof?"

Damn it! He was so cute!

His fluffy little tail wagged so fast behind him it was practically a helicopter rotor. The whole screen was flooded with people screaming about how adorable he was.

[Help! Where's the cold, overbearing CEO we were promised?]

[Where is morality? Where is the bottom line? Where is this dog right now?]

[This would be perfect if only we could swap the villainess out for the female lead…]

The poodle was ridiculously clingy, constantly trying to burrow into my arms. His soft white curls brushed against my neck, tickling me.

Was this really the same Elias who always had that icy, emotionless mask on? He was like a completely different dog!

The comments continued being sarcastic.

[Why are you throwing yourself at her, male lead? Open your eyes! That's the villainess!]

[He must've lost his memories after turning into a dog.]

[Once he turns back into a human and remembers everything, he's definitely going to kill her to vent!]

I grabbed the little ball of fluff by the scruff. "You're filthy, you stray. Don't rub yourself on me!"

The poodle's ears instantly dropped, and his dark eyes went misty as he stared up at me.

My lips curved into a wicked smile. "First, you need a bath."

The moment the words left my lips, the poodle turned to stone.

In the bathroom, I kept one hand on the struggling poodle and held the showerhead with the other. After a futile fight, he finally gave up and lay limply in the tub.

I scrubbed him from head to toe, making sure I didn't miss a single inch of his skin and fur. His soft white curls were plastered to his body, making him look like a classic drowned rat.

But when I tried to pull apart his hind legs to wash underneath, he absolutely refused. He clamped them shut and covered himself with both front paws.

I couldn't help laughing. "What, you can even get shy like a human?"

I froze as soon as I said that, then stared at the poodle in disbelief. "Hold on… Don't tell me you still remember who you are."

The poodle, who'd been playing dead, suddenly stiffened. He covered his eyes with his paws, guilty as sin.

A chill ran down my spine. I grabbed him by the scruff and lifted him up, bringing him closer to my face. "Elias Forrest, do you remember who you are?"

The poodle gave a tiny, slow nod.

I let go of him and buried my face in my hands. God!

Not only had I bathed Elias from head to toe, but I'd also spent the entire time roasting him to his face, assuming he'd lost his memories.

He hooked a paw in my sleeve, but I shook him off. His ears drooped, and he trotted over to the nightstand. Standing on his hind legs, he awkwardly used his paws to unlock the phone there.

A second later, I got a notification saying that I'd received a transfer of five million dollars. The note on it read, "Adoption fee."