Chapter 60 - 59: Held Hostage

Chapter 60: Chapter 59: Held Hostage

Lilia looked into his eyes, then reached out and hugged the young man’s lean waist.

The young man’s muscles tensed beneath her hands, as if she were holding a piece of scalding iron. But Lilia didn’t let go.

Caius didn’t give her the chance to, either.

The moment Lilia hugged him, he leaned in close. One hand still firmly pressed against the back of her neck, while the other wrapped around her waist. He caressed every inch of her soft waistline before suddenly exerting force, pulling the girl deeply into his embrace.

It took every ounce of his rationality to suppress the urge to pin her down on the bed.

Lilia let him hold her, feeling the young man’s rapid breathing and burning body temperature.

"Caius," she whispered in his ear. "Actually, I have always been looking at you."

Caius closed his eyes and buried his face deeply into the girl’s warm neck.

"Liar," he thought. "A liar whose mouth is full of falsehoods. But... even if she’s lying to me, it’s fine. As long as she keeps lying to me forever..."

Caius spoke, his husky voice drilling into Lilia’s ears. Every word and syllable felt like an attempt to brand a mark onto her heart.

"Then keep looking at me..." he said. "Look at me forever."

Caius was as easy to pacify as always.

After hugging him for a while, Lilia simply shifted her body and acted as if she were a bit uncomfortable. He immediately let go and asked if she wanted him to walk her back to her room.

Naturally, Lilia refused.

To be honest, Caius was incredibly handsome and had a great physique; holding him in her arms was like hugging a somewhat firm but self-heating human body pillow. More than once, Lilia had thought that sleeping while holding him would be very comfortable. Thus, when she was in a good mood, she generally didn’t resist his closeness.

However, he was too clingy. If she indulged him without limits, the situation would likely spiral out of control. And for Lilia, any loss of control was strictly forbidden.

The next morning.

Lilia stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at the dark red mark on the side of her neck. Her skin was very fair, resembling pure white snow under the sunlight. But it was precisely because of this that the red mark looked dazzlingly conspicuous.

Caius had left it last night.

Lilia wasn’t surprised. He had bitten her so hard yesterday because he had wanted to leave a mark on her body. She found a high-collared dress in her wardrobe, changed into it, and tidied her hair. Then, she grabbed her handbag and headed out.

She hadn’t asked Lucian to pick her up today; instead, she had arranged to meet him at the equestrian club.

Lilia intentionally arrived at the meeting place well in advance. On one hand, she had never been horseback riding before and wanted to familiarize herself with it before Lucian arrived. On the other hand... she was also creating an opportunity for those with ulterior motives.

Outside the equestrian club.

As soon as the carriage bearing the Beaumont family crest pulled to a stop, a professional staff member came over to greet her.

"Miss Sifris! Welcome!"

A young woman dressed in riding gear greeted her enthusiastically as Lilia stepped down from the carriage. Because this was a venue exclusively serving nobles, the staff here were well-versed in all the procedures. Without Lilia having to say a word, the female instructor arranged everything for her.

"Let’s go change you into something more suitable first." Leading the way, the instructor dutifully explained, "If you didn’t bring your own riding gear, we have brand-new sets available for you to choose from. We carry all sizes, so there’s no need to worry about the fit.

"Once you’re changed, we can go pick out a horse. We have plenty of well-trained, docile steeds here that are exceptionally friendly for beginners..."

Lilia nodded and followed her into the women’s locker room.

Just as the instructor turned around to fetch the riding gear, a flash of white light suddenly erupted within the dimly lit space!

Lilia instinctively closed her eyes and took a step back. A sudden muffled groan came from in front of her, followed immediately by the heavy thud of a body collapsing to the floor.

The next second, a hard object was pressed against her waist.

"Don’t move," a man’s deep voice sounded by her ear. "Do as I say if you don’t want to die."

Realizing what was behind her, the girl’s body trembled slightly.

"Okay..." Quickly grasping the situation, she nodded hastily. "I understand..."

Without so much as a glance at the unconscious instructor, the man hijacked Lilia all the way out of the club. Seeing that there was no one around, he shoved Lilia into a carriage.

Lilia slumped onto the hard seat. Before she could even get up, someone seized both of her hands. The man snatched a rope from the side, held her wrists together, and unceremoniously wrapped it around them a few times before tying a dead knot.

Next came her ankles.

Lilia shifted her hands. The man holding her ankles seemed to sense her movement and said coldly, "Don’t waste your energy.

"Unless you use Magic, it’s impossible for you to break free."

As a student of Lien Academy, Lilia was actually quite proficient in using Fire Element and Wind Element Magic. However, right under this man’s nose, she couldn’t even mobilize the Magic Power in her body. She figured that the moment she made a move, she would be interrupted. She might even suffer a brutal beating as a result.

Lilia had always been good at assessing the situation, so she obediently let him bind her ankles.

The man couldn’t help but feel a little surprised by her compliance. He looked up. "...Not scared anymore?"

Lilia looked at him. She could say with certainty that the man before her was the same one who had been stalking her all along.

The two of them had only crossed paths briefly on her day off last week. At the time, he had been wearing a wide-brimmed hat and a pitch-black, double-breasted trench coat, looking every bit like a secret agent on a covert mission. So even as they brushed past each other, Lilia hadn’t gotten a clear look at his face.

Now, scrutinizing him closely, she discovered that he had a very standard Lien face. Furthermore, there wasn’t the slightest bit of concealment; he boldly displayed his somewhat handsome and regular features right in front of her.

This wasn’t a good sign. It meant that he most likely... never intended to let her return alive.

Catching her assessing gaze, the man frowned. He seemed to think she was being a bit too calm.

Lilia turned her head away at the perfect moment. Her fan-like eyelashes fluttered as she asked in a trembling voice, "If I’m scared, will you let me go?"

The only response she received was a nearly mocking scoff.

"Don’t even think about escaping," the man warned. "Be good, and you’ll suffer less. I don’t really want to get physical with you, either."

When he was hijacking her just now, he had already taken the measure of her. With this little frame in front of him, he could snap every bone in her body with just a bit of force.

Lilia pursed her lips. "...I’m a member of the Beaumont family. If it’s money you want, they’ll pay whatever amount you ask."

Sitting opposite her, the man said nothing in return.

Lilia tried to look out the window, but it had already been sealed shut in advance. Her gaze returned to the man’s face. "Could you tell me... where you’re taking me?"