CHAPTER 104: CHAPTER 104: PUNISHMENT

Victoria took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. She was furious with the situation, as if she were merely being used as a tool for Matthias to protect himself from his friends who wanted to bring him down. She hated Matthias for suddenly kissing her when he didn’t like it. Now that her lips were stained, she was very reluctant to kiss any man who looked like a jerk in her eyes. Moreover, now her view of Matthias was different. She equated Matthias with those jerks.

"What’s the meaning of all this? Why did you kiss me all of a sudden?" Victoria asked sharply.

"I had no choice."

"So you only see me as a tool. You kissed me because you think of me as a lowly woman who can be easily fooled."

"No. I never thought like that."

"Then why did you lie to them all that you liked a woman and then kissed me?"

"Because I’m not gay. I actually wanted to prove them wrong."

"Then, what was the reason you chose me among all the women who participated?"

"Because you are a woman I can rely on."

"What?"

Matthias smiled warmly, gently stroking his friend’s head. "Because you’re the only woman who’s managed to open up to me. I’ve always been closed off to everyone. But that doesn’t mean I like you."

Although Matthias’s words seemed simple to anyone, they were profoundly meaningful to Victoria. Her heart began to pound even harder because, ever since Matthias had pointed them out, she’d somehow begun to like him. To ease the awkwardness, she looked away and took a step back.

"Anyway, it seems my work here is done. I’m going home now."

"I want to take you home, is that okay?"

Victoria nodded. "Of course, you have to be responsible until the end. If you don’t walk me home, I’ll think you’re the most annoying man I’ve ever met."

Ever since Victoria kissed Matthias, her heart had been melting, and she felt that Matthias was the perfect man for her. Even though it had been a few weeks since they kissed, they remained professional when it came to work. Victoria was becoming more and more willing to help Matthias, even bringing him his favorite cupcakes more often. While it was unlikely Matthias would ever like her, she was quite satisfied with being good friends with him.

This time, Victoria couldn’t visit Matthias’s office because she still had a lot of work to complete. Since she also had to meet with other clients, she scheduled a special meeting with Matthias. She was worried that Matthias would be upset because they hadn’t seen each other much lately.

After meeting several clients that day until the afternoon, she finally made it back to the studio to rest. However, as soon as she entered her office, she was suddenly greeted by Matthias’s cruel gaze, causing her legs to tremble.

"Matthias, have you been waiting for me for a long time?"

"Why haven’t you visited me lately?"

Victoria swallowed nervously. "Because I have other things to attend to, too."

Matthias loosened his tie as he approached the studio owner. "And I’m a VIP client, too."

Victoria slowly backed away from Matthias, until her back finally hit the wall. She couldn’t do anything now. Her body was pressed against Matthias’s, making her heart pound even harder and her eyes flutter nervously.

"Should I punish you now?"

"What punishment?"

"You have to work at my house from now on."

"What?" Victoria’s eyes widened.

"This is because you haven’t visited me for so long without any news. If you were busy, you should have let me know."

"Matthias, but working at your house seems a bit excessive."

Matthias moved his lips closer to the red lips that continued to tempt him. "If you refuse me, I’ll add to your workload."

Ultimately, Victoria chose to complete her work at Matthias’s house rather than further complicate things. After all, there was no harm in working in a luxurious home with complete amenities.

Despite ultimately being tortured while working at Matthias’s house, Victoria still enjoyed the delicious food and the ability to sleep in the guest room. She didn’t regret accepting Matthias’s offer, even though it meant working. She began pushing herself to work so hard that she could barely keep her eyes open.

Victoria accidentally fell asleep working in Matthias’s study. She didn’t notice him handing her another stack of files. The moment he handed her the stack, she was startled. She immediately woke up and stared at her desk filled with files.

"Aren’t you done with work yet? Who told you to go to sleep?" Matthias scolded with a mischievous look.

"I’m sorry," Victoria said, sitting up straight and opening her laptop.

"If you’re done with your work, I’d like to invite you to have some fun."

"Where do you want to take me?"

"If I tell you now, you will be too lazy to work."

"I will work even harder!"

In order to have fun with Matthias, Victoria works so diligently that she doesn’t even pay attention to time. Even though Matthias tells her to eat dinner first, she sometimes skips it, preferring to finish her work. When she’s truly hungry, she quickly finishes the food Matthias bought.

After hours of work, Victoria finally fell asleep in her study. Matthias quietly entered the room and carried her lithe body to the guest room. He felt a little guilty for torturing such a beautiful woman to the point of exhaustion.

He gently laid the beautiful woman down on the bed. Then, he covered her with a blanket and sat on the edge of the bed with a loving gaze. Staring at her sweet smile, his heart skipped a beat, and his left hand instinctively stroked her head gently.

"I’m sorry I was so selfish in keeping you here. But I’m angry because you’ve been missing from me lately. I don’t like it. Now I can see you as much as I want without having to worry about you leaving me again."