dangerously addictive

Beep! Beep! Beep!

The shrill sound of an alarm clock shattered the peaceful silence of the bedroom.

Ella groaned and blindly reached toward the bedside table with her eyes still closed.

Instead of hitting the alarm, her hand knocked it onto the floor.

Clang!

The noise only seemed louder.

She immediately buried her face beneath her pillow.

"I hate mornings..."

After a few seconds of struggling with reality, she finally sat up.

Messy curls framed her sleepy face as she stretched lazily.

A new day had begun.

After spending a few minutes waking herself up, she headed toward the bathroom.

Soon, cheerful singing drifted through the room.

Using her toothbrush as a microphone, Ella happily performed an imaginary concert while brushing her teeth.

By the time she finished showering, she was fully awake.

Dressed in a simple casual outfit, she headed downstairs.

The mansion had several professional chefs, but Ella preferred cooking for herself whenever possible.

She found it relaxing.

As she entered the living room, her steps slowed.

Zeke was asleep on the sofa.

A deep frown marred his handsome face.

Even in sleep, he appeared troubled.

Almost as if he were trapped in a nightmare.

Ella frowned.

For a moment, she hesitated.

Then she quietly approached him.

Carefully, she reached out and placed a hand against his forehead.

In his dream, Zeke felt a soft touch.

Warm.

Gentle.

Comforting.

His tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed.

Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of a delicate figure leaning over him.

The faint scent of lavender drifted into his senses.

Sweet.

Refreshing.

Dangerously addictive.

His dark eyes lingered on her face.

At such a close distance, he could clearly see every detail.

Her smooth skin.

Her long eyelashes.

Her soft pink lips.

For a brief moment, his heartbeat became chaotic.

Ella noticed he was awake.

"Oh, good morning."

She smiled.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare."

Without waiting for his response, she gently began massaging pressure points on his temples.

"A head massage helps."

Zeke remained silent.

Not because he disliked it.

But because he enjoyed it far too much.

Each gentle touch sent an unfamiliar warmth through his body.

The pain in his head gradually faded.

The tension in his muscles eased.

For the first time in years, he felt relaxed.

Several minutes later, Ella finally withdrew her hands.

"Feeling better?"

Zeke nodded slightly.

A rare look of comfort appeared in his eyes.

"Would you like breakfast?" she asked.

"I'm making some."

Before she could leave, Zeke suddenly spoke.

"What was in the tea last night?"

His gaze fixed on her.

The question had bothered him ever since he woke up.

For years, he had suffered from severe insomnia.

Yet after drinking her tea, he had slept soundly for hours.

It was practically impossible.

Ella blinked.

Then understanding flashed across her face.

"Oh."

A proud smile appeared.

"It must have been my herbal tea."

She clasped her hands behind her back.

"My teacher taught me traditional medicine when I was younger."

"Most people think it's old-fashioned, but it works surprisingly well."

Before he could ask another question, she cheerfully skipped toward the kitchen.

Leaving behind the lingering scent of lavender.

Zeke watched her retreating figure.

A strange look flashed through his eyes.

Half an hour later.

The dining table was filled with dishes.

The aroma alone was enough to make people hungry.

Even Zeke was impressed.

The breakfast looked like something prepared by a five-star chef.

At that moment, footsteps echoed from upstairs.

His gaze instinctively lifted.

Then he froze.

Ella descended the staircase.

A white blouse paired with a fitted skirt accentuated her graceful figure.

Her curled hair bounced lightly with every step.

The morning sunlight illuminated her radiant smile.

She looked elegant.

Beautiful.

Confident.

Completely different from the timid girl he had first met.

For several seconds, Zeke forgot to look away.

His heartbeat accelerated.

A dangerous emotion slowly took root in his chest.

Just then—

The front door opened.

Alex walked inside.

The moment he saw Ella, his eyes widened.

"Wow..."

The word escaped before he could stop himself.

"Miss Ella is—"

A chilling glare landed on him.

instantly swallowed the rest of his sentence.

His survival instincts activated immediately.

"Good morning, Boss."

No response.

"Good morning, Miss Ella."

Ella smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Mr. Alex."

Then she tilted her head.

"Did you sleep well?"

Alex almost cried.

Why was she so kind?

Meanwhile, his boss looked ready to bury him alive.

"Join us for breakfast," Ella said.

Alex immediately shook his head.

"No, no. That's not necessary."

"You work hard too."

Ella pulled out a chair.

"Come sit."

After several failed attempts to refuse, Alex eventually surrendered.

A few minutes later—

"Hmm!"

His eyes lit up.

"This is incredible!"

He quickly took another bite.

Then another.

And another.

"I haven't eaten something this good in years!"

Ella laughed.

"I'm glad you like it."

She placed more food on his plate.

"Eat as much as you want."

Alex nearly shed tears of happiness.

Across the table, Zeke's expression darkened.

The two chatted happily while completely ignoring his existence.

A dangerous silence filled the dining room.

Suddenly—

"Ah!"

Alex yelped.

His leg hurt.

Badly.

He immediately looked toward Zeke.

The man's expression remained calm and indifferent.

As though he had done absolutely nothing.

Alex wanted to cry.

His boss was definitely jealous.

Definitely.

While eating, Ella suddenly looked toward Zeke.

"You were in distress while sleeping."

Her tone became serious.

"How long has that been happening?"

Alex nearly choked.

Distress?

Sleeping?

Together?

What exactly happened last night?

Zeke ignored her.

"Eat your breakfast."

His voice was calm.

"And don't be late for your first day back at school."

But Ella refused to give up.

"I'm serious."

She placed her chopsticks down.

"I can check your pulse."

Alex blinked.

Pulse?

Was she a doctor?

"After that, I'll write a prescription."

Seeing her persistence, Zeke finally extended his hand.

Not because he believed her.

But because he knew she wouldn't stop otherwise.

Ella carefully checked his pulse.

A few moments later, her expression changed.

A deep frown appeared.

The more she examined him, the more concerned she became.

His pulse was weak.

Irregular.

His sleep disorder had clearly existed for years.

Without another word, she grabbed a notebook and began writing.

When she finished, she handed it to him.

Traditional Sleep-Calming Herbal Prescription

Suan Zao Ren (Sour Jujube Seed)

Bai Zi Ren (Biota Seed)

Fu Shen (Poria with Root)

Ye Jiao Teng (Polygonum Vine)

Long Yan Rou (Longan Fruit)

He Huan Pi (Albizia Bark)

"Research it yourself."

She crossed her arms confidently.

"Or ask your doctor to verify it."

"It should help with insomnia, stress, and poor sleep quality."

Zeke glanced at the paper.

Then at the determined expression on her face.

For some reason, he found her incredibly adorable.

Later that morning, Zeke personally drove her to school.

The luxury car immediately attracted attention.

Countless students stopped to stare.

Ella waved goodbye.

"See you later."

Then she entered the campus.

Today marked the beginning of her final year.

For years she had hidden her abilities.

Pretended to be average.

Pretended to be weak.

But not anymore.

This time...

She intended to shine.

As she entered the classroom, conversations instantly stopped.

Dozens of eyes turned toward her.

"Who is she?"

"She's gorgeous!"

"Is she a transfer student?"

Ignoring the whispers, Ella removed her earbuds and calmly sat down.

Then someone gasped.

"Wait..."

"Isn't that Ella?"

The classroom exploded.

Before anyone could approach her, the teacher entered.

Behind him stood a beautiful young woman.

The teacher smiled.

"Class, we have a new student today."

The girl stepped forward confidently.

"Hello everyone."

A sweet smile appeared on her face.

"My name is Bella Eleanor."

Bella had spent hours perfecting her appearance.

She expected admiration.

Compliments.

Attention.

Instead, everyone was still looking toward the back of the room.

Toward Ella.

Bella's smile stiffened.

Annoyance flashed through her eyes.

Determined to establish herself, she walked through the classroom.

Then stopped.

Her smile froze completely.

Because the person sitting at the back finally looked up.

Their eyes met.

Bella's pupils contracted.

"E-Ella?"

Disbelief filled her face.

How was this possible?

The Eleanor family had abandoned her.

Who paid her tuition?

Where was she living?

Why did she look even more beautiful than before?

Meanwhile, a slow smile appeared on Ella's lips.

A smile that made Bella's heart skip a beat.

The class bell rang.

The teacher began the lesson.

But Bella couldn't focus on a single word.

Her nails dug into her palms.

A dangerous thought formed in her mind.

No matter what happened...

Ella had to disappear.

Again.