Edwin suddenly froze.
Ashley’s slender, soft hand lightly patted his back, like she was silently comforting him.
So tiny, she fit perfectly in his arms, snuggled close like a gentle cat.
He even caught a whiff of the faint herbal scent on her—it slipped in like a cool breeze, quieting the raging storm inside him.
Ashley noticed his body start to relax, like he wasn’t resisting her anymore.
She quietly pulled a silver needle from her cuff and swiftly jabbed it into one of his pressure points…
Edwin didn’t even flinch before dropping forward, landing right on her shoulder.
It took everything Ashley had to get this man onto the bed.
The guy who usually carried this terrifying, untouchable vibe now lay perfectly still—pale as paper, eyes closed, his sharp features softened to something almost fragile, like glass on the verge of cracking.
Ashley gently pulled a blanket over him and was about to leave when, out of nowhere, he grabbed her hand.
She wasn’t ready for it, and next thing she knew, he yanked her off-balance.
She lost her footing and fell forward, lips almost brushing across his cheek.
Her ears turned bright red.
Thankfully, he was still out cold.
But even knocked out, his grip tightened around her like instinct.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t shake him off.
After a few failed attempts, she just gave up.
With a sigh, she laid down beside him.
After the long day, sleepiness crept in and her eyelids grew heavy…
soon, her eyes closed.
Late into the night, the man on the bed stirred, eyes snapping open—dark, sharp, full of unrest like a predator just waking up.
Something soft brushed against him.
Edwin looked down and saw her sleeping face—peaceful, curled up in his arms like a kitten, totally at ease.
He blinked, a bit caught off guard.
The tension in him slowly ebbed away.
His eyes stayed fixed on the girl in his arms, and something complicated flickered behind them—uncertain and unreadable.
When Ashley finally woke up the next morning, sunlight was already pouring in.
There was no sign of Edwin, but on the pillow beside her lay a black card.
She stared at it for a few seconds, then picked it up—her feelings, honestly, kind of a mess.
She wasn’t clueless.
It was an unlimited black card—basically, buy whatever, as much as she wanted.
She could probably clean out an entire mall with it.
But like…
what was this supposed to mean?
After a night sleeping next to her, the guy left without a word and tossed her a card?
It almost felt like she’d just been ghosted.
Shaking her head, she brushed away the messy thoughts.
Whatever.
She did save his life last night.
A black card?
She’d definitely earned it.Thinking that, Ashley casually slipped the card into her pocket.
Perfect timing—she happened to be planning a little shopping spree…
At the crimson-lit Members’ Lounge.
In an insanely decked-out private room, a few insanely rich heirs were casually playing poker.
They called it fun, but each round cost more cash than most could imagine—hundreds of thousands flying in and out.
Surrounding them were gorgeous women with flawless skin and barely-there outfits, lounging close.
The whole place reeked of indulgence and extravagance.
Edwin couldn’t care less.
He sat by a pond, tossing raw meat into the water, watching with mild curiosity as the ugly, razor-toothed piranhas leapt out, tearing into the bloody meat chunks.
“Yo, Edwin, you look sharp today,” Clarence called out as he plopped down beside him.
“Finally got a decent night’s sleep or what?”
Edwin, having slept well, looked so handsome it was borderline criminal.
Even after all these years as friends, Clarence still had to swallow a little when faced with that absurdly perfect face.
Edwin paused for a second, eyes distant, then replied flatly, “Yeah, not bad.”
“Drake came back?”
Drake had been treating Edwin’s insomnia for years, though never with much success.
Maybe he brought back a new remedy this time?
“It wasn’t him.” Edwin tossed another chunk into the pond, staring into the dark water.
His voice was low and calm.
“It was that mute girl.
Something about her scent…
helps me fall asleep.”
“…Huh?
You serious?
That girl actually works like a natural sedative?” Clarence looked stunned, then gave a mischievous smirk while rubbing his chin.
“Hey Edwin, maybe you should just go all in—keep her for good!
Sleeping with a pretty girl’s not exactly the worst thing.”
Edwin shot him a cold look.
Clarence instantly shut up.
Edwin picked up a towel to wipe the blood off his hands, his face like stone.
“Once she’s no longer useful, I’ll just extract whatever makes her smell like that.”
Then his phone buzzed again—non-stop notifications popping up.
Clarence leaned over and felt personally attacked.
“Wait—who’d you give your secondary card to?
I begged you for it forever and you never let me use it.
So that’s it, huh?
You found someone new?”
Edwin shoved his head away.
“Get any closer and I’ll feed you to the fish.”
Just then, a new notification popped up.
Ashley had just made a purchase at LOEW, a high-end boutique—specifically, bought a full men’s outfit.
Edwin raised an eyebrow.
LOEW was his go-to place for custom suits.
At least the girl had some taste.
“Oh, right!” Clarence suddenly remembered.
“Did that mute girl of yours get the invitation yet?”
Edwin turned his head slightly, looking suspicious.
“What invitation?”