[Present time]

"Let go of me," Eliz begged. "Please."

Unexpectedly, Maximus' grip loosened up. He ultimately let go of her.

Eliz immediately moved away and massaged her arms. She wanted to retaliate so badly. She wanted to show him she wasn't that helpless girl in the past anymore.

But Maximus had the ability to make her weak and keep her mouth shut.

Plus, his naked upper body was distracting her. She had to control herself from tracing his abs with her eyes. She tried to still her eyes on his face.

But the gravity pull was too heavy.

Her eyes quickly wandered to his chest. Then she noticed the single tattoo on his body, on his waist. She had seen the tattoo years ago. It was a tattoo of a girl with long hair.

She assumed it was one of Maximus' ex-lovers who was special enough for him to leave a permanent mark of her on his precious body.

"Where are you looking at? Eyes up here, Eliza."

Like a thief caught in the act, Eliz immediately hauled her eyes back to Maximus' face.

"I admit I was wrong for not learning my lesson," she said, disregarding the embarrassment of being caught. "But rest assured that this will never happen again."

Maximus gritted his teeth, and his jaw moved. He wasn't convinced by her promise.

Eliz headed towards the door, and before she left, she said, "Mom asked me to bring you honey tea to help you fall asleep. And I know you'd probably be disgusted by it now because I'm the one who brought it, and for that, I am sorry too. I just can’t say no to her. So throw it on your sink or whatever."

Then finally, she left the room.

"Fuck! Fuck!" Maximus cursed exasperatedly.

He picked up the teacup and was about to shatter it on the floor, but he stopped midway.

"Damn it!"

As soon as Eliz left the room, her tears broke out from the dam and flowed like a river. She expected Maximus to be as heartless as she remembered him to be, yet he still had that same effect on her.

'Why does he hate me so much?' Eliz cried inside as she rushed to the stairs.

Since the day she arrived in the mansion, Maximus was always spiteful. She kept blaming herself for failing to earn his acknowledgment.

What did she do to deserve such hatred? Or what didn't she do that he still hated her so much?

Eliz halted her steps when she met Jenice on the staircase. She immediately wiped her tears.

"Are you crying?" Jenice asked in an unbothered tone.

"No," Eliz curtly answered and rushed downstairs to avoid more questions.

Meanwhile, Jenice suspected that Eliz had come from her boyfriend's room, so she hurriedly headed toward Maximus' room.

"Maxy? Babe?" she called when Maximus was nowhere to be found in the room.

"Where are you? We still need to talk."

Suddenly, someone emerged from a door. When Jenice saw it was Maximus, she smiled and giddily ran to his side and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"What is that room?" She glanced at the room where he had emerged from.

"Nothing," Maximus answered thriftily.

"Whenever you say 'nothing', it means it's not just nothing."

"It's my art room." Maximus delivered a more satisfying answer to stop Jenice from asking further.

"Can I see? I wanna see it!"

Jenice reached for the doorknob when Maximus suddenly yelled.

"NO!"

Jenice was startled at the loudness of his voice. She let go of the doorknob like she touched a burning ember. Seeing the confusion on his girlfriend's face, Maximus immediately apologized.

"I'm sorry I yelled."

Jenice, sensing the insincerity in his voice, didn't erase the frown on her face.

Maximus hugged her to cajole her. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm just tired."

Unable to resist the charm of his eyes, Jenice couldn't stop her mouth from smiling giddily. She forgave him instantly.

"You look like you're in a bad mood. Is it perhaps because of your sister?"

Maximus paused for a second, then asked, "How did you know?"

"I saw her on my way here. You really hate her, huh? Why?"

Maximus harshly removed his hands from Jenice's body as if he suddenly became annoyed. He walked toward the bed. He picked up his shirt and wore it.

"Well? Why can't you answer me?" Jenice persisted.

Maximus forced his eyes to shut to restrain the growing irritation in his blood.

People around him often asked him that same question. And each time, he would feel weird and confused. Because he couldn't give a reason.

It baffled him every time he had to answer why he hated his sister.

And soon after, instead of being flustered by it, he became angry whenever they asked him. His undefined hatred for his sister made him hate her even more.

"Let's not talk about her."

"Okay." Jenice sat on his lap, grinning sneakily. "Let's not talk about her."

She caressed his face and planted a kiss on his forehead.

"I really don't want to be away from you. I came here to be with you all the time. Why do we have to be in separate rooms?"

"That's what my mom wants. Please understand her. She's a church person."

While Jenice's fingers are playing with Maximus' adam's apple, she said, "Hey, I know you don't want to talk about her, but you should be a little nicer to your sister. I saw her cry earlier."

Jenice looked up to see Maximus' reaction when she said Eliz cried because of him. She wasn't sure what she was trying to find out. She just didn't like her boyfriend's sister.

"She did?" Maximus asked nonchalantly, but Jenice felt his chest muscles contract.

"Why? Are you worried?" Jenice asked.

Her eyes were colored with suspicion and doubt.

"No. Why would I be?" Maximus said and claimed her mouth.

He wasn't planning on continuing their conversation, and kissing her was the best way to do that. And Jenice, sensing Maximus' real intention of kissing her, watered the suspicion that had just grown inside her.

However, he was too irresistible. So she gave in to his kiss.