Saving the Villain

Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as soon as the line disconnected. She gazed at the phone before her brows rose.

"Are you okay?"

Cosette looked back at the person standing in front of the desk. Maxen was currently fixing his stuff on the desk, pausing to check on her. She still sat on the edge of the bed, sporting a smile.

"Why wouldn\'t I?" she returned, collapsing on her back and bouncing on the soft mattress.

Everything she told Asher was true. They fetched Maxen because Maxen was with Luke and Conrad thought it would be a good idea if they fetch him. However, what she didn\'t tell Asher was that she took at least minutes idling in her room before she snuck inside Maxen\'s room.

"I\'m just a little worried about Asher because he seemed like he had been on the edge." Cosette stared at the ceiling, her arms were comfortably spread on the bed. "When you\'ve been in a situation, you will just get a deeper understanding of a person\'s heart and what they were going through."

Maxen paused once again, gazing at the bed where she was lying comfortably. "Have you been in his situation back then?"

"Yes." Her answer was quick, without a second hesitation. "I didn\'t know back then until I talked to him about why I kept poking my nose in his business."

"Care to share with me what is the reason?"

"Because I see myself in him." The corner of her lips curled up subtly. Her eyes swirled with many unspoken words, which she bottled back then, but didn\'t have any intention of releasing.

The experiences she was talking about were those in the past and not in the current life. Cosette was working on them currently. However, she didn\'t want to dwell on them anymore. If Cosette dwelled in the past, then this second life would be useless. She had to move forward and come to terms with her problems before so she could help others like Maxen, Luke, Asher, and everyone who were caught up in the web of lies they believed was their reality.

As Cosette had a quick trip down memory lane, her thoughts halted when Maxen\'s face hovered over hers. Maxen sat on the opposite side of the bed, gazing at her to check if she was alright.

Her face brightened up. "I\'m okay, I said. You don\'t have to look so worried."

"I just need to make sure since they said women always say the opposite of what they want."

"I\'m not that kind of woman." She pouted. His face in her eyes was upside down. "I learned to say what I want and what I am not comfortable with."

"That\'s right, but it wouldn\'t hurt to make sure."

Cosette giggled, raising a hand and pinching his cheek. "I was only away for hours, but why do you I miss you so much?"

"I know, right?" His eyes softened. The feeling was mutual. "So, want to tell me about the party?"

"It\'s the usual. I had fun, surprisingly -- oh, there\'s this old man. His name is Mister Tong. My god. I met many people already, but this guy is of a different caliber! Can you believe this guy picked on me, thinking that I am someone he could use as a stepping stone to curry favors with Uncle Maynard and the other people there? He even called me shameless and even drag my parents for not raising me correctly! Mind you, this all happened in front of my dad! I thought for a second Papa will murder him!"

Like usual, Cosette shared everything that had happened to Maxen without pausing. This had been a part of their relationship, telling each other things that left an impression on them. There were times they were important, and some days, it was just as menial as this one. Even so, Maxen listened to her while she went on and on.

"I\'m listening," he spoke as he pushed himself from her, sitting on the edge of the bed. Maxen carefully took off his socks while listening to her.

Cosette continued and her tone sounded more and more dismal, as if the more she talked about Mister Tone, the more her dismay increase. If he heard this before, he wouldn\'t believe a word she said. After all, she was Cosette Blac. Who would dare offend the only daughter and heiress of the Blac family?

Those who would offend Cosette wouldn\'t need to wait until she gets total control over the family business. Conrad would deal with them. If not, Conrad, Marcel, or Gretchen would. Now that Maxen was a part of this family, if those three wouldn\'t deal with who would offend her, Maxen would.

"Gosh... people like him were what ruins the young elites." Cosette sat up and huffed, turning her head in Maxen\'s direction. "Good thing I changed. If I didn\'t, I would\'ve made him dig his own grave where he would plead for my forgiveness... what are you doing?"

Cosette blinked, trailing off and getting distracted as soon as her eyes landed on Maxen. The latter was already standing on the side of the bed. He already took off his blazer, and now he was unbuttoning his dress shirt.

Maxen stopped, his chest was already peeking out as he had unbuttoned four buttons. "I will wash up, but I\'m still listening. Don\'t worry."

"Huh?"

"Huh?"

The two of them looked at each other with Maxen tilting his head to the side. At this point, they were already too comfortable with each other after sharing countless kisses and creative means to pleasure themselves without penetration.

"I\'ll come with you," Cosette announced, jumping out of bed. To her surprise, Maxen\'s refusal quickly followed.

"No."

"What?" she gasped, disappointed.

"I said no." Maxen shook his head while looking her straight in the eye. "You stay here."

"Huh?" she frowned. "But why? It\'s not like it\'s the first time --"

"No."

Her frown deepened, pressing her lips into a thin line. It had been a while since they shared a steamy moment, and Cosette wanted to grope -- hug his naked body. A deep exhale slipped past his nostril, feeling bad for adamantly refusing her.

"Cozie, I will be quick. I\'ll join you here in a bit, alright?" he raised his brows and waited for her response, but she kept quiet. Cosette just looked at him with that deep frown plastered on her face. He felt bad about it, but he told himself to stay adamant.

"I\'ll be quick," he said once again, walking away from the bed to the bathroom.

To get to the bathroom, he had to walk past Cosette. However, just as he walked past her, Maxen was observing her from the corner of his eyes. He knew her more than anyone, and she wouldn\'t let this slip without any explanation. Sometimes, she was slow. And thus, when he was walking a step past her, Maxen was quick to react when she tried to outrun him first to the bathroom.

Maxen grabbed her wrist, pulling her. He didn\'t use force, but because he caught her off guard, Cosette was easily pulled back and her back bounced on the bed slightly. Her eyes popped open, gazing at Maxen hovering over her.

"I said no," he repeated under his breath, pinning her wrist over her head.

Her surprise was quickly replaced with a frown. "But, I don\'t understand why --" the rest of her words were shoved back into her throat as Maxen lowered his head, shutting her up with a deep, passionate kiss while his hand unhesitatingly slipped under the skirt of her dress.

This was why.