"I can explain..." Ann Vaughn stammered, never expecting things to unravel so quickly, and found herself at a loss for words. She had traveled to a country on the other side of the world yet still managed to be caught by him. Was the universe deliberately conspiring against her?? Noticing Ann Vaughn’s tension, Cyrus Hawthorne let out a faint smile from his thin lips, his deep-set eyes fixated on her figure in a tight black dress after she removed her coat. Her skin was as flawless as snow, glowing softly against the black, making her appear more alluring. She seemed nothing like the cold and distant figure of The Black Rose. This extreme contrast in one person unexpectedly awakened a dormant madness in Cyrus Hawthorne’s veins. "I didn’t know Madam had such outstanding marksmanship." The man’s voice had a hint of teasing, his narrow, jet-black eyes half-closed with an air of nonchalance. But his burning hand slid up Ann Vaughn’s slender waist, his long fingers brushed gently, making her shiver with sensitivity. Ann Vaughn found her heart racing under his intense gaze and quickly turned her head away: "How can I compare to Mr. Hawthorne’s expert marksmanship?" The first time she handled a gun, he was the one who taught her himself... Only this was a long time ago, and he had probably forgotten. "You’re too kind, madam." Cyrus Hawthorne replied lightly. The next second, Ann Vaughn felt a warm breath brushing past her neck, making her shrink back ticklishly, and she turned her head to look at him. Unexpectedly, her lips brushed against his sexy Adam’s apple, and she froze slightly. Cyrus Hawthorne’s eyes suddenly darkened, the danger and primal nature hidden in them seeped out ferociously, becoming impossible to ignore. Before Ann Vaughn could fall back into past thoughts, a tingling sensation spread electrically through her body. She looked up in panic, only to find the unmasked desire in Cyrus Hawthorne’s dark gaze. Like a beast that suddenly escaped its cage, unstoppable and fierce. Ann Vaughn trembled under his gaze, instinctively wanting to retreat to safety, but the door behind her left no room to escape. "I didn’t mean to..." The plea barely began before being sealed in a heated kiss by the man. In the narrow space behind the door, the temperature rose steadily, accompanied by the soft rustle of clothing against the floor, further blurring the already dim light, adding to the intimacy. The soft light from the wall lamp enveloped the small figure on the bed. She lay on the edge of the bed, clutching the soft blanket tightly, her small face half-hidden under her dark hair, with a hint of fatigue between her brows and cheeks flushed red. The snow-white skin exposed outside the blanket was covered in red marks, enough to make someone blush from just a glance. Ann Vaughn lazily opened her heavy eyelids, her eyes sweeping around before she realized this was not her room. She lifted the blanket intending to get out of bed, but seeing the marks on her body made her already flushed face turn crimson. Her body felt refreshed, with no sticky sensation, indicating that Cyrus Hawthorne had cleaned her up. But this didn’t erase everything he did last night! "... Beast!" Ann Vaughn cursed with a red face, forcibly enduring the soreness in her waist and legs, and dragged herself wrapped in the blanket to the bathroom. On the shelf in the bathroom were brand new clothes and shoes Cyrus had someone prepare for her, still in their packaging. Ann Vaughn took a shower, changed into new clothes, checked the time on the wall, and then left the bedroom. As soon as she stepped out, she saw Cyrus Hawthorne sitting on the sofa in the living room, a thin laptop on the table, engaged in a video conference. The sound of her shuffling in slippers barely reached him before Cyrus signaled to pause the meeting and turned his head in her direction. Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍 "Awake? Have some snacks if you’re hungry, we’ll have dinner later." Watching him look vibrant and unfazed, Ann Vaughn felt both annoyed and a little sad. Both of them exhausted from last night, and he still stayed up later than her, yet he wasn’t even a bit tired?? "I don’t want to!" Ann Vaughn’s little temper flared, refusing any suggestions, she clung to Cyrus Hawthorne’s neck, acting spoiled, "I want to eat now! If you won’t join me, I’ll find someone else!" Seeing their BOSS suddenly embraced from behind by a woman, the senior executives in the video conference exchanged bewildered glances. This woman... was she really throwing a tantrum at the BOSS? Wasn’t she afraid of being dealt with by the BOSS? However, Cyrus Hawthorne’s next words threw the executives into existential doubt. "Tonight’s meeting is postponed to tomorrow, meeting adjourned." Ann Vaughn avoided appearing in public as The Black Rose, firstly to prevent constant surveillance and a repeat of yesterday’s events. Secondly... she suddenly developed a serious mental block against black dresses! Yet Ann Vaughn didn’t expect that even without The Black Rose’s attire, attention lingered on her. —All because of the man beside her. "Have some soup." Cyrus Hawthorne’s expression remained unchanged, the surrounding gazes didn’t faze him at all, and he elegantly served Ann Vaughn with dishes and soup. Perhaps his calm demeanor was contagious, gradually smoothing out the discomfort in Ann Vaughn’s heart as she accepted the bowl from him. But the next second her mouth drooped, and she muttered softly: "Is there no S Country chef on this cruise? I miss spicy crawfish and duck’s blood curd." "You just woke up, and you think you can handle that?" Cyrus Hawthorne raised an eyebrow at her. "After burning so many calories last night, I need to make up for it somehow, right?" Ann Vaughn then touched her flat stomach, "Thanks to those chefs, I don’t even need to worry about keeping my stomach flat these days." God knows she’d eaten so much Western food lately, she almost felt like she was becoming part of it. Hearing this, a playful smile flashed in Cyrus Hawthorne’s eyes, "Yes, you should definitely replenish well." With this encouragement, Ann Vaughn’s foodie nature fully emerged. The ladies seated nearby ate a few bites with finesse before setting down their forks, elegantly claiming they were full. But Ann Vaughn, unfazed by their looks, devoured her way through two servings of crawfish and lamb chops, a bowl of rice, and corn soup, followed by two servings of dessert... "Clatter." Someone’s fork fell onto the table, producing a jarring sound. Unaware of the onlookers, Ann Vaughn savored the soft cake melting in her mouth, her eyes closing in pure satisfaction.