004: The Man with the Mask (4)

The man's tone conveyed that it was a favor to let her die, and the way she died was a privilege.

As he spoke, the man's lips hovered over the wound he'd just bitten; he deeply inhaled her blood, as if its sweetness entranced him, leaving him insatiable.

Tara Summer turned pale, staring at the man's perfect profile sealed under the cold mask. His crimson eyes were bloodthirsty and somber as if the slightest movement from her would lead him to bite off her neck.

"I didn't see... I didn't see anything in this darkness, so why would I see your body?" The man's powerful aura made her believe he would act upon his words so she prepared to plead for her life. "I saw nothing, just let me go! Pretend I don't exist."

Having said this, Tara lamented quietly: could it be that she had run into a mafia boss? Such a large, exquisite tattoo was unbearably attractive.

She was willing to bet that beneath the mask, this man was an absolute heartbreaker, capable of bringing women to their knees without breaking a sweat.

"Humph." The man grunted heavily without uttering a word, but suddenly wrapped his arm around her slender waist...

The color drained from Tara's lovely face as she saw the man ready to pounce. Just at this critical moment, a shadow passed by the floor-to-ceiling window like a ghost.

The man's muscles tensed instantly. As he raised his head and swept his blood-red gaze outside the window, Tara watched a cold, bloodthirsty smirk creep onto his face. Before she knew it, the man had already flipped to his feet.

He looked down at her one last time, his eyes wild and defiant. His presence was majestic and intimidating, reminiscent of a king.

He fixed his clothing, his long and strong fingers smoothly buttoning up one at a time. Every tempting gesture oozed noble elegance, catching her eyes and silencing her breath, afraid to disturb such an alluring and charming being.

Tara's face flushed when she realized her shirt was lying open. She quickly curled up and hugged her knees.

The man did not look at her again; his sharp gaze shifted to another fleeting shadow outside the window. At the same time, Tara also saw it - a moment later, shots fired into the room from the shadow.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The loud gunshot pierced her eardrums and shattered her windows. Tara's ears rang, never having encountered anything like this in her twenty years of living.

She couldn't even let out a scream as she saw the masked man calmly draw a gun. He didn't even attempt to dodge – facing the shadow outside, he fired the trigger and two shadows fell down in response.

Tara was left startled, the silver gun in his hand gleaming an eerie light in the cool moonshine, much like the mask on the man's face. Cold, brutal, a defined chin underneath thin lips, it suggested he was alone and unapproachable, instilling a fearful awe in those who beheld him.

She'd never met a man like this – even behind half a mask, he exuded an extraordinary and distinguished aura. It's hard to imagine just how attractive and enchanting the face beneath that mask would be!

Tara always thought her Big Brother was the most handsome man in the world, but she never expected to be captivated by a man who hadn't shown his full face...

She sighed deeply inside. But then, the sound of gunfire reached her ears again. She looked toward the window and saw more figures outside. She shook her head, quickly standing up and ducking low to make her escape.