Chapter 3

Yannick was a grown man. If he did not cooperate, how long could I keep him here?

"Yulia, let me go. I promise I won’t leave."

I froze for two seconds, then stubbornly shook my head. "I don’t believe you."

"Yulia, I have something important to do. You can follow me, but you need to let me out."

Yannick thought that by offering this compromise, I would agree immediately. But I refused without hesitation. I told him firmly, "Until the police show up at my door, you’re staying here."

With that, he realized there was no way out. His dark eyes scanned me from head to toe several times. Then, unexpectedly, he gave in. "If you keep me tied up for seven days, my arms and legs will be crippled. Is that what you want?"

"No. But I have no other choice. I can’t fight you, and I can’t stop you. This is the only way."

"Yulia, I swear on my grandmother’s name that I won’t leave for seven days."

Mrs. Jordan Senior…

I knew how much she meant to him. I also knew that she had genuinely cared for me. When she passed away, Yannick and I had hidden in a corner, sobbing uncontrollably. That was the first time I had ever seen him cry.

"If you want my cooperation, you’d better untie me. Otherwise, by this afternoon, your house will be forcibly broken into by the police." Yannick’s voice was calm and sincere, and I knew he wasn’t lying. The CEO of Jordan Group going missing? That was a big deal.

I wanted to keep him here, but I did not want to be remembered as a criminal. I did not even need to guess it—of course, the media would twist the story into something absurd and scandalous.

Hence, I gave in.

I threw his clothes at him and slowly untied his wrists and ankles.

As he clenched his jaw and stretched his stiff limbs, he scolded me without mercy, "How did I never realize you were a lunatic?"

Expressionless, I replied, "There’s a lot you don’t know."

He stared at the mess of neckties on the floor, then turned to me in disbelief. "Where did you even get so many ties?"

"I bought them whenever I saw one that seemed to suit you. I didn’t realize I had collected this many."

At least they hadn't gone to waste—I had finally found a use for them.

"Then why didn’t you ever give them to me?"

I scoffed. "I don’t make a habit of throwing myself at someone who doesn’t care about me."

Yannick’s expression darkened. "So, you just decided to take what you wanted by force?"

Hearing that, my face burned with embarrassment. I had not thought about the consequences when I acted on impulse. But now, hearing him say it out loud, I suddenly felt incredibly ashamed.

Wanting a man so badly that I had to tie him up?

Ridiculous.

But the feeling passed quickly. I told myself that if I was going to do something crazy in this lifetime, at least this was worth it.

…

Yannick kept his word. After I let him go, he did not immediately try to leave. Instead, he asked for my laptop.

"You’re sending an email to Jason to ask for help?"

He gave me a look like I was an idiot. "Are you stupid? If I wanted to leave, I wouldn’t need anyone’s help."

I was not stupid. It was more accurate to say that my brain completely shut down. Still, I handed him the laptop.

I had already quit my job, so it was not like I had any use for it anymore.

While Yannick worked on the balcony, I curled up on the couch in the living room, silently watching him. The sunlight filtered in at just the right angle, creating the illusion of peace and serenity. Except this "serenity" was something I had shamelessly forced into existence.

The sun was blinding. The longer I watched, the sleepier I felt. I tried to stay awake, but eventually, my consciousness slipped away.

When I opened my eyes again, Yannick was nowhere in sight. I shot up, my bare feet hitting the cold floor as I frantically looked around. Then, I bolted into the bathroom. My heart, which had been in my throat, finally settled back.

But my rationality? It disappeared the moment I saw him.

I threw myself at him.

I did not have experience, so I had no technique. I just bit and kissed him wildly, desperate to leave a mark. My heart felt like it was constantly crashing into my ribs. I clung to him like an octopus, holding on with everything I had, afraid he would push me away.

Then, in a daze, I heard him sigh in exasperation. A strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me up.

"You’re insane," he muttered. "But I like it."