Chapter 148: Drama Queen Not King

"Okay, so now tell me: what did you mean when you said I could be an Awakened tonight?" Andrea crossed her arms, getting straight to the point the moment the room was secured.

Her dark eyes bore into his, half-hopeful and half-suspicious.

Across the room, Rose had made herself right at home. She sat delicately on the edge of the plush mattress with one slender leg crossed over the other, radiating effortless grace and ladylike poise that seemed completely incongruous with her demonic nature.

She was twirling the stick of her candy between her lips, watching the room with quiet amusement.

Over by the kitchenette counter, Jenny was hovering.

She had stationed herself near an electric kettle, pretending to inspect its cord while shamelessly straining her ears to catch every single syllable passing between Fredrinn and Andrea.

Feeling the silence linger a second too long, Jenny cleared her throat and offered, "So... who wants a cup of coffee?"

She had only thrown the question out as a distraction—a cheap excuse to linger and look busy.

"Me, thanks!" Fredrinn answered without a second thought.

Ever since arriving in this world, he was eager to sample every single culinary invention Earth had to offer, and coffee was high on the list.

"Bring me one too," Rose piped up bluntly, not bothering to add a polite please or give a damn about Jenny’s fragile ego.

"I would like one as well, please," Andrea added softly, turning her head toward the counter.

Jenny’s eyelids twitched violently.

Damn it.

She hadn’t anticipated that every single one of them would jump at the offer. If she had known she’d be turned into a glorified barista, she would’ve offered boiled tap water or something equally unappealing.

Swallowing a bitter sigh of defeat, Jenny retrieved three ceramic mugs from the shelf and began fiddling with the instant packets, keeping her ears wide open.

Rose didn’t need to try anywhere near as hard; her demonic senses easily picked up every breath and whisper in the room.

Fredrinn turned his attention back to Andrea. He offered a sly, playful grin, reaching out to gently ruffle her thick, dark hair.

"It was just an educated guess, sweetheart," he said, letting a deliberate layer of supreme confidence coat his voice. "I have a strong theory that the seed of an exceptionally powerful Awakened can stimulate the latent mana inside an unawakened human, triggering their dormant potential."

Andrea stared back at him completely blankly. Her expression didn’t buy a single syllable of his ridiculous pitch.

"Is that so...?" Andrea drawled, raising a sculpted eyebrow. Her lips curved into a sharp, mocking smile. "Well then, if your ’seed’ is so magical, should I run downstairs and introduce you to all the other female survivors, hmm? I’m sure Vivienne and every single girl in that room would line up to jump straight onto your cock the second they hear it can grant them superpowers."

While the mental image was undeniably tempting to Fredrinn’s baser instincts, his survival instincts kicked in just as fast.

The icy, murderous glint in Andrea’s eyes made it abundantly clear that if he dared to answer with anything resembling enthusiasm, she would not hesitate to plant a steel-toed kick right between his legs.

’She’s the only unawakened human in the room, yet she feels like the most dangerous one,’ Fredrinn thought, a faint bead of sweat forming on his brow. ’If she’s this lethal now, making her my voluntary thrall might actually get me killed in my sleep...’

Clearing his throat, Fredrinn immediately shifted gears, adopting a look of profound, righteous indignation. He placed a hand over his chest as if she had driven a dagger through his heart.

"I honestly can’t believe you’re mocking me like this," he said, sounding terribly wounded. "Here I am, stepping forward to share my genuine insights, offering you a glimmer of hope and preparing you for what’s to come, and this is how you repay me? Unbelievable."

He shook his head dramatically, letting out an exaggerated sigh. "Honestly, maybe your offer downstairs isn’t so bad after all. At least those girls would show a little appreciation instead of taunting me."

Andrea looked at him speechlessly, completely dumbfounded by his shameless performance.

"I thought the common saying was drama queen," she muttered dryly, shaking her head. "Not drama king."

"You see! You’re still doing it!" Fredrinn protested, leaning in close with an aggrieved pout. "You’re sitting here calling me a drama—"

Before he could finish rage-baiting her, Andrea stepped forward, completely closing the narrow gap between their bodies.

Rising up onto her tiptoes, she threw her arms around his neck and pressed her soft, glossy lips firmly against his.

The sudden kiss silenced him instantly. Even Fredrinn’s eyes widened in mild shock; for all her fiery attitude, he hadn’t expected her to initiate things so boldly right in front of the others.

Breaking the kiss by just a fraction of an inch, Andrea stared into his eyes, her cheeks burning a deep, radiant crimson.

"Like you said earlier..." she whispered breathlessly, her heart hammering against her ribs. "Less yapping, more action."

The flustered, defiant blush covering her face only made her look ten times more breathtaking. Any remaining quips Fredrinn had prepared melted away into pure, raw desire.

A low, wicked grin spread across his lips as his hand dropped to the bare, soft skin of her waist and belly.

With a firm, gentle shove forward, he urged her backward. Andrea’s heels caught against the wooden base of the king-sized frame, and with a soft gasp, she tumbled back onto the plush mattress.

Her breath quickened instantly, her chest rising and falling beneath her thin top as she looked up at him, her dark eyes wide with anticipation.

"Jenny, I’ll take my coffee in a bit," Fredrinn called out over his shoulder without looking back.

Fredrinn didn’t wait for a reply. He climbed onto the bed, bracing his arms on either side of Andrea’s shoulders and completely caging her in.

Leaning down, he claimed her mouth in a deep, bruising kiss, his weight sinking their bodies into the plush mattress as the world outside ceased to exist.