Chapter 1

I was named Carl Teigen, and I streamed games for a living.

Every day, apart from gaming, I slept. Oh, wait. Strike that. Now, as soon as the clock struck midnight, I started peeping on my neighbor, Megan Steele.

…

Time ticked by, yet not a single crack of a whip or any suggestive sounds came from next door.

I began to feel restless, my eyes drifting toward the clock every now and then.

All of a sudden, my patron, Ethan Truman, berated me through my headset. "What the hell? You're peeping on someone else's wife? What's wrong with you?"

I snapped back to reality and stared at the only word on my monitor. "DEFEAT."

I ran my hand through my hair in annoyance. "Damn it."

When he invited me to play again, I logged off and issued him a refund in one smooth motion.

Was she working the night shift tonight? Why else wasn't she home yet?

After a moment's hesitation, I took the painting off the wall and peered through to the other side.

Megan was lying on the bed in a purple silk nightgown. Her fair hands roamed all over a man's body. Her long hair swayed up and down, brushing against the man's thighs.

No wonder it was so quiet. She'd taken the gentle approach tonight.

I swallowed dryly, and the restlessness in my heart vanished. I settled into a comfortable position to enjoy this lovely scene.

However, this time, I felt none of the excitement I usually did. If anything, a bitter ache rose in my chest, along with the ridiculous urge to pull her into my arms and keep her hidden there.

I scoffed, shook my head, and hung the painting back up.

I tossed and turned all night, unable to get her out of my mind. Megan was cold and aloof, yet there was something inexplicably alluring about her.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, a wave of heat stirred beneath me. I pulled back the covers and looked at the dampness between my thighs.

I couldn't help but mock myself. "Megan's a doctor, and she has a boyfriend, Carl. What right do you have to entertain these filthy fantasies? You—"

The very next second, a loud thud cut me off.

Megan's aggrieved voice reached my ears. "Vincent Hawke, you're such an asshole! We've been together for years, and I've been supporting you while you were unemployed. Yet now, you want to break up with me?

"What the hell have you been doing all this time? I swear, if a man proposes to me right now, I'd say yes without the slightest hesitation! Who the hell do you think you are…"

Megan and Vincent had moved in three months ago. The couple had been inseparable, and their moans had echoed throughout the entire floor. This was the first time I'd heard them argue.

Vincent didn't argue back. He slammed the door behind him and stormed out.

My heart raced as I hurried over to take a look. Megan curled up on the floor, looking utterly dejected, muttering to herself, "I won't go back to you ever again, Vincent! I'm going to find a man who has a house, a car, and money in the bank and marry him. From now on, you'll just be a stranger in my life."

With that, she closed her eyes in despair. I wondered if the two of them had fallen out.

I could barely contain my excitement. After years of working as a gaming companion, I might not have much, but I had plenty of money and my own place. That'd definitely meet her standards.

After wrestling with my thoughts for a while, I decided to confess my feelings to her first thing tomorrow morning. I washed up and drifted off to sleep, fantasizing about buying her a car.

…

Long before my alarm went off, I was already standing in front of the mirror, rehearsing my lines. Yet, I couldn't seem to find the right groove.

The moment I heard a knock at the door, I panicked and grabbed a bag of trash from the floor before opening it. The creaks startled Megan, and she stopped in her tracks.

When she turned around to look at me, my breath hitched. Megan was far more beautiful up close than she had ever looked through that tiny hole. Her skin was also much fairer than it had seemed in the dim light.

Just then, a gentle breeze swept past, carrying the intoxicating scent of roses to my nose. I felt myself harden.

I lowered my head and hurriedly used the trash bag to shield myself from her view. Unfortunately, I was a second too late.

Megan chuckled. "Get yourself a girlfriend, or you're going to end up with weak kidneys and hypersensitivity."

Her voice was melodious. If only I could have her writhing beneath me…

Hold on. What did she just say? Had I been caught?

The words I wanted to confess stuck in my throat, and I couldn't bring myself to say them.

At that moment, her cool fingertips brushed across my palm, and a note settled in my hand.

By the time I looked up, Megan was already gone.

I hurried back into my apartment and unfolded the note. "What's the fun in peeping? Come over tonight."

Megan had caught on.

The sharp sting in my hand snapped me back to reality, and I realized I had crumpled the note into a ball. I hastily smoothed it out and brought it to my nose before taking a gentle sniff.

It carried a faint scent of roses. It was identical to the scent on her body.

I made up my mind then and there. Tonight, I was going to confess my feelings to Megan.