Lina woke up hooked to IV drips. She groaned in confusion, hearing strange shouting in the background.

  "What the hell do you mean she's malnourished? Are you sure you're not some quack?!" A voice growled, a loud clattering followed afterwards. ??

  "Boss!" Sebastian cried out, grabbing his Boss's hand. "He's a civilian, violence isn't the best answer…"

  Lina opened her eyes to see Kaden had grabbed a doctor by his collar. Her head was pounding and her eyes hurt just to open it.

  "What the hell?" Lina muttered, glancing at the IV drips hooked up to her, then her surroundings, and finally, she registered everything.

  Her uncle's phone call. The kidnapping. And then, darkness.

  "You!" Lina shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Kaden who glanced at her dumbfounded.

  So maybe violence was the best answer. It obviously woke Lina up from her nap, didn't it?

  "What is going on here?" Lina barked, flinging the blanket off of her body. Then, she realized this wasn't a hospital bed and those aren't hospital walls. Instead, the room before her was extremely luxurious, with elegant dark furnishing, and splashes of gold and silver decoration.

  "Did you kidnap me?" Lina seethed, yanking the IV drips out of her and grabbing a tissue from the nightstand to press down on the wound.

  "I wouldn't call it kidnapping," Kaden stated.

  Kaden released the doctor, ignoring Sebastian who was quickly escorting everyone outside. He calmly turned to Lina and took a good look at her. Seeing as she could kick off his blankets and pull off her IV drips, he deemed she was healthy.

  "I'd call it saving a woman who fainted in my arms," Kaden concluded in a mellow voice.

  Lina glared right into his molten eyes. They were alluring and attractive, but she was too frustrated to be drawn into them.

  "You're crazy," she spat out.

  "Glad you know."

  "And an ass."

  "I do have a nice one," Kaden agreed, nodding his head in agreement.

  Lina let out an aggravated voice, rolling her eyes at the audacity this man had. He was getting on her last nerves, and now he had kidnapped her.

  "Now tell me," Kaden stated, his expression hardening, his gaze growing dark. "Why do you starve yourself?"

  Lina froze. She felt like cold water was poured over her. Memories of her boarding school flashed before her eyes. The finger-pointing, the laughter, the mocking. She opened and closed her mouth.

  "You're already as light as a feather. Any lighter and you'll have feathers on your back," Kaden snapped.

  In two long strides, he was in front of her.

  "What the hell were you thinking?!" Kaden growled, grabbing her by the upper arms and shaking her. She looked up at him like a deer caught in headlights, her eyes trembling.

  "That's right, you weren't," Kaden hissed, releasing her. She instantly staggered backward, touching her neck and glancing to the ground.

  "It's none of your business," Lina shakily said. "And for the record, I'm not starving myself. I just didn't eat—"

  "The doctor said you're extremely malnourished. Care to explain?" Kaden demanded, his aloof features morphing into aggravation.

  "That's just—"

  "Fuck it," Kaden grunted. "Don't tell me."

  Lina clamped her mouth shut. She was wrong. This man was beyond crazy, he was insane. One minute he was worried for her, the next, he was yelling, and now, he didn't care.

  Lina jumped when she felt his warm fingers on her wrist. She peered up at him, surprised.

  "What are you doing?" Lina whispered, his grip tightening on her.

  Lina felt butterflies in her stomach from the way he looked at her, like he couldn't decide if she was scum on his shoes or the rarest jewel in the world.

  "Why do you keep touching your neck as if that's ever going to solve anything?" Kaden harshly asked.

  Lina cringed at his voice, turning her head to show she didn't like being spoken to in that tone. She heard him breathe in loudly. Then, he let out a sigh.

  "Come with me," Kaden said, his voice softening for a split moment. "Let's get you fed."

  "Why did you kidnap me?" Lina shot back, yanking her hand away from him.

  Instantly, Lina regretted it. She stumbled and he caught her effortlessly. His phoenix brows were tugged together, his lips forming a deep frown.

  "I didn't kidnap you," Kaden stated. "I simply shoved you into my car for a conversation, but then you had to go off and faint."

  "So you're gaslighting me now?" Lina asked.

  "For god's sake," Kaden loudly sighed. "Hurry up and come with me."

  Kaden steadied her onto her own two feet and released her. He turned his back to her and stalked towards the door, forgetting she was tiny, and what'd take him one step, took her two.

  "My family will be searching for me right now, my driver—"

  "I already told your father you're with me," Kaden stated.

  "You… have my father's contact?" Lina asked, dubious of his intentions.

  Seeing as he was leaving the room, Lina had no choice but to quickly follow after him. She hated how tall he was, how he towered over her, and how his height was such a damn turn-on.

  "None of your concern," Kaden told her, opening the door and holding it for her.

  Lina hesitatingly walked out of his bedroom like a cat being introduced to a new environment. She looked everywhere around her, seemingly searching for an escape.

  Kaden let out a breath, scoffing to himself. His house was escape-proof. And if she could sneak out, he'd reward her for her intellect. The windows were bullet-proof and locked by keys, the walls were impenetrable, and every single entrance was guarded by heavily armed men, inside and outside the house.

  "Why didn't you pick up the phone?" Kaden asked as he walked ahead of her, confident she wouldn't be able to outrun him.

  "That unknown number was yours?" Lina retorted, reluctantly following after him.

  Lina's gaze was glued to his upper back. He had changed clothes and was wearing a t-shirt, revealing his muscular body, but it wasn't in the way that bodybuilders appeared. No. His muscles weren't just for show. It made him powerful and dominant, but elegantly.

  With each step, his shirt would tighten on the sharp ridges.

  "I can feel your eyes burning a hole through me," Kaden stated, his voice low and dangerous.

  "I was wondering if you're too poor to afford well-fitted clothes," Lina snapped, her high-pitched voice giving away her lie.

  Most powerful men would've been offended. But not Kaden. He simply looked over his shoulders, laughed, and looked away.

  Damn it. That was attractive. Lina's face went red with the realization her insults didn't embarrass him, it humored him.

  "Perhaps," Kaden teased.

  Lina glared at how easily he took insults. She hated everything about this man. Hated the way his muscles flexed with each move, the way his hair looked so silky and inviting, and his powerful strut like he owned the goddamn world. At one point, he did, as the Second King of Ritan.

  "Where are we going?" Lina asked, following him down a large staircase that overlooked his grand house. She didn't bother to look around. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction that she was curious about his house.

  "To the kitchen and dining room," Kaden stated.

  Lina was confused by what he meant until he opened a pair of doors. Her eyes widened at the layout. There were steel kitchen appliances, state-of-the-art, an enormous fridge, ovens, black cupboards, and everything that a person could possibly need to cook.

  In front of the stove was a marble countertop with gold flowing through it. Chairs were placed in front of the marble countertop, so that people could watch the chef.

  "You're not going to poison me, are you?" Lina warily asked, taking a seat at the countertop and watching as he crossed around it.

  Kaden shot her a humored glance. "I am, how did you know?"

  Lina gave him a pointed look.

  Kaden laughed under his breath.

  Lina pressed her thighs together, to hide the warmth that pooled. He should laugh more often. The sound tickled her heart and made her eager to hear it again. She had forgotten how handsome he appeared when he genuinely laughed.

  "Now be a good girl and sit tight whilst I cook you a meal," Kaden stated, grabbing a pan from the cupboards and turning on the stove.

  "Or else?"

  Kaden paused. He turned and took a good look at her. She looked incredibly tiny in comparison to his large marble counter. He was pretty sure her legs didn't even touch the ground. Cute.

  "Or else I tie you to the chair in positions I like my women to be in," Kaden responded, holding her gaze for the longest time. He watched as her face reddened, naughty thoughts entering her mind.

  Seeing as she was subdued, for now, Kaden turned and began to cook, all the while, hiding his ghost of a smile.