Chapter 21

I woke up to the sound of screaming chickens, not just one, but the symphony of 100 of them.I bolted upright and assumed that Oliver must have snapped, so he must be using the screaming chickens as an alarm clock. It turned out that the noise was coming from downstairs, mixed with the high-energy beat of the song "Uptown Funk."I shuffled downstairs in my floral pajamas with my hair a complete mess.In the living room, Oliver sat cross-legged on the carpet before a massive formation of screaming chickens. He held one in each hand and squeezed them in perfect rhythm like percussion instruments, synced to the song's drumbeat."Uptown Funk you up—squeak!"Uptown Funk you up—squeak!"William and the rest of the maids stood nearby. Solemn-faced, each of them clutched a screaming chicken. Their eyes were empty as they mechanically followed the rhythm in a piece of soul-crushing performance art.When Oliver spotted me, his eyes lit up. He stopped and beckoned me over. "Good morning, babe. Wo

Chapter 22

"Go on," I said. I knew it would not be that simple."Come horseback riding with me this afternoon," Oliver demanded. His blue eyes shimmered in the morning light like transparent gems. "You said everyone from the countryside knows how to ride horses, didn't you?"When had I ever said that? Back home, we did not even have horses. All we had were tractors.Still, I nodded anyway. "Fine, but I want to see those baguettes first."…That afternoon at the stables, I was stuffed into a riding outfit that was so stylish it was practically a sin. The tight breeches outlined my legs, the tall boots were polished until they gleamed, and I even held a small riding crop.Oliver led over a snow-white horse that looked proud and was clearly worth a fortune."Her name's Moonlight. She's very gentle."He stroked the mare's neck, then turned to me and held out his hand. "Come on. Let me lift you up."I gave him a look, tossed the riding crop aside, grabbed the reins, and stepped into the stirr

Chapter 23

"You smell like sunshine. It's nice," Oliver muttered in a muffled voice.My body went rigid, and my mind was a complete blank. He was at it again.I cleared my throat and tried to sound authoritative. "Let me tell you something… This is a second kidnapping, and that's an extra charge. You'd better put me down right now, or when my cross-stitch kit arrives, I'll hang it right over your bed so you wake up to the majestic mountains every morning."Instead of answering, Oliver gently nuzzled against my neck like an oversized cat begging for affection."Sounds good," he murmured. "Hang it over my bed so every morning, I'll wake up and see something you gave me."I was completely defeated. Trying to reason with a madman just proved that I was the crazy lunatic.We stayed locked in that bizarre position on horseback for a long time. The setting sun painted the grass gold, and somewhere in the distance, the bell tower struck five."Summer Reed," he suddenly called out."What?""Will

Chapter 24

Oliver's expression was dead serious, and his blue eyes were full of concern as he said, "I think it's sick. I squeezed it all afternoon today, but it wouldn't squeak."I looked at the mute screaming chicken in his hand, then at his handsome face, practically begging for sympathy, and nearly choked on fury."Oliver Radcliffe," I hissed through gritted teeth. "Do you honestly think that the Canverlian law doesn't have a sentence for animal cruelty?"He blinked innocently. "But you're its owner, and you said that it's our token of love."I grabbed the chicken from him and tossed it under the bed. "Now, it's free."He looked at me, then suddenly smiled. Leaning down, he braced his hands on either side of me and trapped me beneath his shadow. "So, when will you finally agree to be my owner?"I stared at Oliver's face, hovering inches away from mine. His blue eyes were filled with anticipation, like a golden retriever waiting for its next command."Do you want to be my owner?" I as

Chapter 25

Just when I thought the ridiculous demand would scare Oliver off, his eyes lit up like they were installed with a pair of high-wattage bulbs."Deal!" He immediately agreed, then pushed his luck. "In exchange, you must let me hug you once a day, or no, maybe twice."I looked at his face, which was practically stamped with "please say yes," and finally could no longer hold it together. Rolling my eyes, I spat, "That'll depend on how you behave."He smiled a genuine, radiant smile devoid of any darkness or calculation. Leaning down, he pressed a light kiss to my forehead that felt as soft as a feather."Goodnight, my owner."He picked up the mute screaming chicken from under the bed, carefully tucked it into his pocket like a treasure, and turned to skip out of the room with joy.I lay back down, and as I breathed in the lingering scent of his crisp woody cologne, my chronic insomnia suddenly vanished.…Three months later, spring in Canverly arrived with green fields and singin

Chapter 26

I rolled my eyes and hung up."Did your teacher compliment me?" Oliver asked, looking quite pleased with himself."He said you look like the kind of tutor who'd inspire people to take classes for free," I replied, setting down my brush and turning to look at him.The sunlight was perfect, and the breeze was gentle. In his blue eyes, my reflection was so clear it felt like I was the only person left in his entire world.The obsession and madness that once terrified me had now softened and wrapped around me so tightly I could barely breathe, and somehow, it felt dangerously comforting.For a moment, I thought… maybe being kept by him for the rest of my life would not be so bad."Oliver.""Yeah?"I leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of his lips. It was light, but sincere.He went completely rigid like a robot that had been hit with a pause button. His blue eyes flashed with shock, then pure ecstasy. Finally, the ice within them completely melted and surged with intense wa