[Ten years ago]

After dinner, Eliz decided to take a warm bath. She had entered the bathroom completely naked before she realized her shower wasn't repaired yet.

She wrapped herself in a bath towel and went out of her room. She headed towards her mother's room but unfortunately, it was locked.

"Ethel! Ethel!" Eliz called, and the kind maid immediately appeared.

"Yes, Miss Eliz?"

"Where's mom?"

"She went out to buy some stuff."

Eliz stopped when she thought of something.

"Maximus isn't home yet, right?"

Ethel nodded, scared about what Eliz was planning to do.

"And he'd probably get home at midnight, right?" Eliz further confirmed.

Ethel nodded once again.

"Great! I'll use his bathroom."

The maid's face crumpled because she feared the young miss getting caught by her brother, and she knew too well how severe the consequences were.

Eliz quickly minced away and left Ethel unheard. She welcomed herself to the room even without its owner. She even sang some Christian songs she knew inside the bathroom, assured of the thought that Maximus wasn't under the same roof as her.

After the refreshing warm shower, she wrapped herself in her bath towel again and stepped out of the shower room.

She was humming the last song she sang in the shower, but she halted her steps when something caught her eye.

DO NOT ENTER. The ajar door with an explicit warning piqued her interest.

She knew it was Maximus' art room. She had seen some of his masterpieces because some were hanging around the house.

Her favorite was Maxine's portrait hung in front of the living room. She had always wanted to take a look at where Maximus worked. And she wished to see him paint.

She reached for the doorknob. Before her hand could touch the metal, she withdrew her hand.

"No, no," she muttered to herself. "Mom told me not to go inside. She said Maximus is very sensitive about his art room."

Eliz turned around and forced herself to leave. But her feet halted again on their own.

"Eliz, this will get you in trouble," she warned herself.

She bit her lower lip and shut her eyes. It was no use warning herself.

"Alright, just a quick look," she said out loud.

She faced the door again and tried to open the ajar door wider, only to be pulled back by a great force from behind.

Maximus pulled her roughly, and she was thrown to the floor.

"I'm sorry," she immediately apologized.

She refused to meet his eyes, fearful of his furious face.

Eliz tried to explain. "It was open and–"

"You just don't listen!"

His voice boomed in the room, and Eliz flinched in fear.

Maximus rushed toward her on the floor and grabbed her shoulder. "Did you see what's inside?"

Eliz whimpered in pain, but Maximus never cared if he was hurting her. Tears welling in her eyes, she looked up at him. Oddly, he looked scared rather than mad.

"Answer me!" he yelled.

"I didn't!" Eliz answered, groaning in pain. "Let go of me, please."

Maximus appeared like he wasn't listening at all. He bore his stare deep into her eyes as if he was scrutinizing her soul.

"It hurts," Eliz finally said, a tear escaping her eyes.

Maximus blinked twice before he came back to his senses. He rushed towards the door of his art room and closed it.

He snapped a look at Eliz. He looked down at her body covered by a towel that was now loosely tied.

"I warned you many times. Don't be mistaken. I am not forgiving because I am not your brother."

Eliz gulped in nervousness. Yet she still stuttered when she spoke.

"My shower d-doesn't work, so I t-thought– I–"

Eliz gasped when Maximus suddenly crouched down and grabbed her wrist. She was gripping the bath towel so hard. One movement and it would drop and reveal her glorious nakedness.

"How brave of you to come inside a guy's room, wearing nothing but a measly towel. We’re not even blood-related. Are you not afraid of what I might do to you?"

Eliz tried to move away, but Maximus grabbed her shoulders. Hairs all over her body spiked when Maximus' hand traced her collarbone.

"Or did you come here on purpose wishing I'll do something to you?"

His fingertip traveled down and stopped at the visible cleavage that wasn't covered by her towel. He reached for the bath towel on her chest. He was about to remove it.

"Please, don't," Eliz begged, lips trembling and nearly crying. Her whole body was shaking. "If mom finds out about this–"

"Why? What are you gonna tell her?" He brought his hand back down. "That I sexually harassed you?" Maximus chuckled to mock her.

Eliz's heart pounded thunderously.

Her goosebumps only went away when Maximus finally stepped away from her and didn't grab the towel.

He stood up, and his already tall figure towered over Eliz, who was thrown to the floor.

"Did you, or did you not go inside my art room?"

"I didn't, I swear," Eliz answered, and her voice cracked.

"If you don't want something bad to happen to you, don’t be too comfortable in this house. This isn't your home, after all."

Eliz pinched herself in her thighs so she wouldn't cry.

"Get out."

"Maximus, I'm really sorry."

"Didn’t you hear what I said? I said, get out, you moron."

Eliz pitifully gathered herself and got up on her feet. She hurriedly left the room, afraid of Maximus getting angrier.

It felt like her heart shredded into pieces when she heard the slamming of the door and the loud click, indicating Maximus locked his room.

She caressed her sore shoulder. When another tear escaped her eyes, she immediately wiped it and headed downstairs.

Meanwhile, after slamming the door and locking it, Maximus leaned on the door, his heart thumping like crazy.

He was scared that Eliz might have seen something in his art room. He padded towards his art room, and the dread that Eliz had seen its contents consumed him.

He laid on the floor and stared blankly at the ceiling. A pair of eyes stared back at him.

"What the fuck is wrong with me?" he muttered.

He felt wrong. Looking at her painting on his own ceiling felt so wrong to him.