In the dimly lit room, the air was thick with the scent of desire.
The man collapsed to the ground, his beautifully jointed hand stroking his thick phallus, with tissues scattered all around the floor.
"Arabella—" The name slipped from his lips, laced with a low, lingering hint of intimacy.
After murmuring, the manual movement became faster, and a restless itchiness crept into his heart, making him desperately want to put his skills to the test and have her beneath him, whom he could fuck mercilessly for a few times.
The man licked his lips, his gaze dark and intense, with the desire to toy with Arabella at his will. But first, he needed to completely subdue her.
He was always lacking in opportunities.
But opportunities—those were always created by people.
As long as one is determined, Arabella would still fall into the trap he laid for her.
The man curled his lips into a cruel smile, tinged with a bloody scent, which echoed eerily in the empty, silent room.
*
Raven returned quickly with the goods. In the southern region, Arabella and AE could practically reign unchecked.
The government's incompetence had led to war and chaos, and even though they knew what AE was involved in, they were powerless to act.
But once they left here, it would be up to Arabella's skills to pass undetected.
While his men were moving the goods, Raven came to report the situation to Arabella.
Arabella was hiding by the tree roots, eating a creamy cone of ice cream.
The weather was getting cooler, and since her period had just ended, she couldn't indulge in the cold.
Arabella tore open the wrapper, ready to take a bite, when Nicholas shot her an angry glare, practically ready to slap the table and lecture her on the "five thousand rules" of female health.
Arabella was bombarded by Nicholas's words for most of the day, and in a dazed state, she fled in haste.
At times, she thought that the title of "Master of Solo Combat" might need to change. It should probably go to Nicholas. With his silver tongue, he managed to make her, the so-called greatest in the world, feel utterly defeated.
He was truly shameless, relying solely on her favor.
When Raven arrived, Arabella had just started eating. She was licking the pointed end of the ice cream, the white, viscous, warm liquid melting at the edge of her mouth, looking suspiciously like a strange liquid.
It looked as though she had just been lovingly ravaged by someone.
Any man who saw this would surely be aroused.
Especially Raven, who had always been eyeing Arabella closely.
Raven forced himself to suppress the wild turmoil inside, his gaze intensely fixed on the corner of Arabella's lips.
"Come—Raven. Sit here," Arabella said casually, patting the empty space next to her. She sat relaxed, her legs slightly apart, her pants rolled up, revealing a delicate strip of pale, smooth calf—an unintentional, yet enticing pose.
Perhaps her casual posture wasn't meant to seduce.
But too many around had ulterior motives, all of them eager to devour Arabella—mouths watering.
Noticing Raven's burning gaze, Arabella reached out, offering him the ice cream cone, holding it near his lips.
"Don't you feel hot? Go ahead, eat it—it's sweet."
Raven had no interest in the ice cream offered; what he craved was the one Arabella had just tasted.
Yet, taking a bite of the ice cream she had licked, he swallowed it—sweet and refreshing, a cool sensation.
At that moment, Raven couldn't help but wonder how it would feel if Arabella took his penis into her mouth.
Ice and fire, a dual torment.
"Is everything done?"
Turning to business, Raven pushed aside all his impure thoughts and replied steadily, "The quantity and quality of the goods have been checked—no issues. However—"
At the shift in Raven's tone, Arabella raised an eyebrow, a sharp, subtle signal for him to continue.
Lowering his gaze, Raven respectfully reported, "AE sent someone, claiming to assist. Likely a handler for the goods."
With that, he fell silent. He knew what it meant to stir the flames and what it meant to know when to stop.
Sure enough, Arabella's eyes narrowed slightly, a half-smile masking a flash of ruthless malice—clearly, AE had overstepped.
"Since he's here, bring him along. Kill him when the delivery happens," Arabella said with a smile, her words icy, betraying no regard for human life.
Receiving the order, Raven nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "Do you want to meet him, Master Unknown?"
"No need. You watch him. Don't kill him too soon; if a scapegoat is needed along the way, use him." Arabella casually refused, finishing the last bite of her ice cream.
*
After nightfall, Raven arranged for Merrick to stay at one of the transport crew's quarters.
Merrick was also perceptive, knowing he was a thorn in the eye, so he wisely fell silent and let things unfold as they were arranged.
Once everything was settled, Raven quietly returned to his room. Typically, when Arabella was at her base, near her bed was where Albatross would be, and there was no need for him to be by her side.
Only when alone did Raven allow his suppressed expression to surface.
Although Arabella rarely revealed her true self in front of others, after all these years of being with her, he still knew her dark and ruthless nature.
Arabella seldom appeared overbearing on the surface, but deep down, she was extremely domineering. Despite her outwardly friendly smile, she was fiercely obstinate and hard to compromise with.
With her exceptional intellect and methods, she had no need for verbal sparring. Whatever her goal, she would naturally use every cunning and strategy to achieve it.
It was a risky move, but he had won this round.
The person had been ordered to die by Arabella—it had nothing to do with him.
In the dark of the night, the moonlight outside shimmered in silvery threads.
The faint light fell on his face, revealing a silent, victorious smile.
*
Arabella walked along the gravel path, surrounded by withered flowers and fallen willows, a scene of desolation.
At the end of the path, a towering building rose into the clouds, hidden within dense, flourishing trees. Yet, upon closer inspection, it too seemed in a state of ruin and decay.
This was the only foreign-style building here, known by locals as a place where heathens gathered.
Ah—spreading love and peace.
Arabella stood at the bottom of the steps, looking up at Julius, who stood high above, smiling as he conversed with the congregation.
Today, he wore the black ecclesiastical attire, the white collar pressed against his neck. As his prominent Adam's apple moved with his speech, it lent an unexpectedly restrained, almost sensual quality to his appearance.
The black attire accentuated Julius's imposing height and mysterious aura.
Arabella had seen and touched his body—his well-defined chest and the lines of his abdominal muscles. To hide such a physique beneath these tight, impermeable robes felt like a terrible waste.
How could this rabbit have such an appetizing side?
Arabella approached step by step, her movements silent, yet she still drew attention. Her pale skin and the languid, almost lazy aura she exuded made her all the more intriguing.
Julius felt the conversation among the congregation pause as their gaze shifted aside.
He turned along with them and spotted the familiar figure.
A warmth spread in his chest. After being sent away that day, he had been downcast for a long time.
He wondered where he had gone wrong to upset the girl.
Later, under the guise of distributing flyers, he went to that place several times, but no one was ever there.
A hole formed in his heart, dark and bottomless.
At first glance, Julius's gaze followed the newcomer. His eyes stayed fixed, waiting until the person cheerfully greeted him, "Haven't seen you in a few days—did you miss me?"
Julius's face flushed crimson, and he quickly averted his gaze.
When he couldn't see her, he unconsciously thought about her. But when he finally saw her, he felt flustered and uneasy.
It was truly too vivid and daring, stepping outside the confines of his well-ordered life.
"Miss—Miss, you can't say such things casually."
The people standing nearby were also stunned, but seeing that Julius knew the others, they wisely closed their mouths and retreated, understanding the situation.
Arabella gazed at the bashful Julius, thinking that a rabbit was still a rabbit—while it was untouchable from afar, up close, she couldn't help but want to play with it.
Arabella's appetite increased again, feeling that this rabbit had once more stirred her taste buds.
