6. Need clothes to wear

It was 6 p.m., and Alina was still lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Suddenly, her stomach growled loudly, pulling her back to reality. She glanced at the clock on the wall; it was dinner time. With a reluctant sigh, she dragged her lazy body out of bed to look for the butler, but a knock sounded on the door before she could leave.

When she opened it, a young, beautiful woman stood there, smiling sweetly.

"Good evening, Miss. I’m here to let you know that dinner is ready," the woman said politely, bowing slightly. She looked to be in her early thirties, dressed in a maid’s uniform, and was strikingly attractive.

Alina smiled back, silently wondering why everyone working for the Devil was so good-looking. She followed the maid as she led the way.

The maid brought her to an enormous hall, the dining room. Alina’s eyes widened as she took in the long table, which could easily seat about twenty people on each side. The table was made of sleek black wood, adorned with shiny bronze candelabras holding tall, thin candles spaced at measured intervals. Overhead, a glittering chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow. At the head of the table sat an ornate golden chair, with rows of elegant chairs extending down either side.

She walked to the right of the golden chair, where a single plate and dishes had been set out, clearly meant for her. As soon as she sat down, Joe, the butler, appeared behind her.

"Please feel free to ask if you need anything," Joe said with a respectful nod.

Alina nodded in return, her gaze falling on the lavish spread before her. The food looked mouthwateringly delicious, but something caught her attention; only one place setting was arranged. All of this… for her alone?

What about Liam? she wondered. But before she could ask, Joe spoke again, almost as if he had read her mind.

"The Master is working," he explained.

"Oh… okay," Alina said softly, turning her attention back to the food. She began eating but couldn’t manage much. Maybe it was because she wasn’t used to dining alone. Back home, meals were always lively, surrounded by her family. Here, she supposed she’d have to get used to the silence.

After forcing herself to eat a little more, she rose from her seat and left the dining room.

Back in her room, she decided to take a shower before sleeping. Without a second thought, she stripped off her clothes and stepped into the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, she emerged, a short black towel wrapped around her body, just barely covering below her hips.

That was when it hit her: she had followed the Devil to his house without making any preparations. She hadn’t brought a single change of clothes.

What was she supposed to wear now? She definitely couldn’t put back on the clothes she’d just taken off; they were dirty.

*

Liam sat in his chair, eyes fixed on the laptop in front of him. The steady tapping of his fingers on the keyboard filled the quiet room until a knock at the door interrupted him.

He frowned. At this hour? Caleb knew better than to disturb him while he was working.

“Come in,” Liam called, his tone clipped.

The door creaked open, and light footsteps approached. Oddly, no one spoke.

“What is it?” he asked without looking up. Silence.

His jaw tightened. “Have you gone dumb? What’s cut your tongue?” He swiveled his chair around, only to be the one left speechless.

Alina stood in front of him, draped in a large blanket that pooled at her feet. A few damp strands of hair clung to her face, and her long, wet lashes made her eyes seem softer, more alluring. Liam guessed she’d just stepped out of the bath. The blanket hung over her head and down her back, but left the front open.

His gaze traveled, briefly, unintentionally, from her eyes to her light pink lips, then to the delicate curve of her collarbone. Her skin still held the faint flush from the heat of the bath, a warm baby-pink tone that, against her fair complexion, looked almost… tempting.

The towel she wore underneath barely reached mid-thigh, exposing a glimpse of smooth skin.

“What are you doing here? Trying to seduce me?” Liam asked flatly.

“No! Why would I do that? Do I look like a prostitute to you?” Alina shot back.

Liam exhaled slowly, his irritation barely contained. “What do you want before I throw you out?”

“I… I don’t have any clothes to wear,” she admitted.

That caught him off guard. “What?”

“You didn’t let me bring my things,” she said defensively.

“So? Just because you have nothing to wear, you show up in my room half-naked?”

Alina looked down at herself, baffled. “Half-naked? I’m wearing a towel and a blanket.”

“Let me rephrase, half of you is covered, half of you isn’t. I can see… everything.” His finger pointed toward her chest in deliberate emphasis.

Her cheeks warmed. She looked down, fiddling with her fingers to hide her embarrassment. “It’s your fault. If you’d given me a day to go home and get my clothes, I wouldn’t be here.”

“So? Aren’t you afraid of what I might do to you?”

Her mind stalled. That was when it hit her, she was alone in a man’s bedroom, late at night, wearing nothing but a towel beneath a blanket. The thought made her feel ridiculously reckless.

“I… I…” she stammered, unsure how to respond.

“Follow me,” Liam said, rising to his feet.

She hesitated, but reasoned that if the devil really intended to harm her, he would have done so already. Keeping five steps behind him, she followed.

His room was as vast as she expected, every corner drenched in black. This man is obsessed with the color black, she thought.

Liam stopped at a door and pushed it open. Inside was a walk-in closet lined with neatly arranged suits, business attire, and a few casual outfits, nearly all in black.

“Pick one,” he said simply.

Alina scanned the racks with visible distaste until she finally spotted a white T-shirt and black shorts. They looked far too big for her.

Liam’s eyes flicked from her to the clothes in her hands, but he said nothing except, “You can change here.” Then he turned and left.

Rolling her eyes, Alina closed the door and quickly changed. The T-shirt was long enough to touch her knees, with a wide neckline that revealed the pale line of her neck and collarbone. The shorts were loose, so she tied them tightly with the drawstring, but they disappeared under the oversized shirt anyway.

When she stepped back into the room, Liam was already at his desk again, his long fingers gliding over the keys, eyes locked on the glowing laptop screen.

“I’m done,” she said softly.

He looked up. For a split second, his eyes lingered. She looked… cute. Too cute, actually. But his face remained cold.

“Get out.”

Alina muttered a quiet “thank you” and left the room.