"No!"
Iris Yates wrenched her hand from his grasp. Her body grew incredibly tense, every fiber of her being radiating resistance.
William Quinn looked at her with a hint of sorrow in his blue eyes. Suddenly, he cupped her face and kissed her forcefully. This time, he didn’t hold back. Stripped of all restraint, he kissed her thoroughly.
Forced backward by his assault, Iris was quickly yanked back into his embrace. Like a ravenous beast, he relentlessly plundered the oxygen from her lungs. The long-forgotten sensation of suffocation washed over her again, her face flushing bright red from the lack of air.
William bit down on her lower lip without an ounce of gentleness. "How can my baby be so repulsed by me? Now you’re covered in my scent. You won’t find me so repulsive anymore, will you?"
Iris gasped heavily for air as her crimson face slowly returned to its normal color. The intense kiss had shattered the anger and disgust in her eyes. It was so overwhelming that the corners of her eyes were tinged red, glistening tears shimmering within them.
She glared at him in indignant fury. However, her current state lacked any real intimidation; instead, it only served to excite William even more.
"Baby, don’t look at me like that," he coaxed softly. "If you keep staring at me, I might really lose control. And when that happens, you’ll be the one crying from exhaustion."
Reluctantly, he placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth before picking her up and carrying her toward the walk-in closet. He handled her like a fragile porcelain doll, terrified she might suffer even the slightest bump or scratch.
Iris tried her hardest to reign in her emotions. She constantly reminded herself not to act impulsively and not to clash with him anymore. Otherwise, she would be the only one who suffered the consequences. Her psychological self-soothing worked to some extent. When William dressed her, she managed to accept it with a blank, expressionless face.
As he changed her clothes, his gaze was scorching. His eyes measured her inch by inch. When his stare landed on her chest, it was as if a stormy sea had risen within his blue eyes.
"They’ve shrunk from starvation," he said, sounding genuinely heartbroken.
Iris was speechless. "Where’s a knife?!" she thought. She really wanted to hack him to pieces!
Then, she saw him smile again. With his handsome, exquisite features, he looked just like an angel. "But it doesn’t matter. I’ll make them bigger again."
Iris remained speechless.
Once she was fully dressed and finally out of the room, she took a breath of fresh air. However, the moment she realized where he was taking her, her body immediately tensed up again.
He was taking her to the basement.
"Baby, you’re about to see an old friend. Aren’t you excited?" William, who had been keeping a close eye on her expressions, grinned when he noticed her rigid face.
Iris looked up at him. "Who is it?"
"Don’t be so impatient, baby. You’ll find out soon enough. I’m sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised." William kissed her cheek and carried her down into the basement.
This time, she noticed extra bodyguards stationed at the entrance of the basement. They were all unfamiliar faces. It seemed he had replaced all the bodyguards and servants in the house. Thinking of the fate that had befallen the previous staff, Iris shivered in terror!
"What’s wrong, baby? Are you feeling cold?" Noticing her trembling, William immediately asked with deep concern. "You’re still too weak. I’m afraid you won’t be able to handle it. How about we wait until your health has recovered before we come see our old friend, okay?"
As he spoke, he turned around with her in his arms, prepared to leave.
Iris grabbed his collar. "I’m fine!" she said.
William gazed down at her, the smile on his lips deepening a fraction. Yet, as Iris looked at that smile, an inexplicable tightness gripped her heart.