Chapter 17

Two hours later….

Amelia gently walked down the staircase. She tried her best not to be noisy with her feet. Offending the occupants in this house was never on her bucket list.

The rain poured gently, its sound providing a soothing serenity to her ear, and like a balm, comforting her damaged heart.

After taking her bath, she wasn't able to find anything to wear. In the whole room, there was just a single black shirt. The shirt stopped directly on her mid-lap.

Feeling uncomfortable in her tiny outfit, she decided to wait until midnight before coming downstairs.

However, the moment she walked into the living room, she caught sight of a manly frame sitting before the balcony glass. She gulped softly when she recognized the figure to be Cullen.

She paused for a moment and resumed her tiptoeing to the kitchen. She doesn't mean to look like a thief. But in her current situation, she has to.

She can't sleep, her stomach demands food, and she can't let anyone see her this way. She was barely covered, and even her twin peaches were transparent.

The light in the living room was dimmed, so she guessed Cullen wasn't seeing her. However, the man seated before the balcony fixed his cold eyes on her, curious to know her next move.

Not seeing properly, she stumbled upon one of the couches. She fell on her knees, pushing the books on the couch to the floor.

Cullen smiled at her performance. Her stumble was so cute and refreshing to watch after a hard day. He composed himself in the next second and wiped the smile off his lips.

"Why are you here instead of resting?" he asked, in a stern, cold voice. There was a slight worry in him. She was his guest and he can't watch her get hurt under him.

Amelia froze.

His deep velvet voice exhilarated her, which wasn't supposed to happen. She uttered profanity under her breath and gently picked herself from the floor. She timidly turned around to face him, trying her hardest to stand under the shaded parts of the living room.

"I'm hungry," she confessed, placing a pleading gaze on the man seated there like an Alpha. The moonlight cast a beautiful alluring light on him, making his enchanting features extremely rousing. It stirred something in her.

Cullen was taken aback by her childlike genuine confession. He chuckled, "What are you? A nine-year-old?" his tune came out playful, and less serious.

Amelia frowned hearing him. On second thought, she smiled. Something came up in her mind and she realized his mood was a perfect push to make a request.

Without thinking twice, "I need your help," she blurted out.

Cullen's mood drooped, and his mood turned disinterested, "The kitchen is down there," he said calmly, nudging his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"Something more," Amelia pressed on, her voice now bold.

Cullen's brows squinted. He stood up slowly, and with calculating steps, he made his way towards her.

The air in the room changed and became charged with something strange.

"I need serious help from you, and I don't mind paying a price for it," she went on.

Cullen remained silent. He made his way towards her, and his unwandering gaze settled on her cute face. Her hair was packed into a ponytail, and he admired the sight of it.

Holding her flaming gaze, he wrapped a strand of her hair around his index finger and played with it. Finally, he broke his silence, "What do you want, baby girl?" once again, he made sure his deep exotic voice sounded like music to her ears.

Amelia blinked, breaking their eye contact. He sounded like he was the devil, and she was about to make a terrible mistake by requesting his help.

"I need your help for business. I don't know how you do it, but you're a business god. Not to worry, I'm extremely smart. I just need you as a guard to pick up from where I stooped," she started, staring at him intensely.

"Like a tutor?" Cullen asked, frowning.

Amelia nodded and took a step away from him. Cullen let go of her hair strand and respected her distance. He turned away from her and approached the couch before the balcony glass door.

He took his seat, and returned his attention solely to the liquid-filled glass, listening to the rain ripples. His expression turned unfathomable.

After a while, Cullen managed to ask, "Why do you need a tutor?" he peeled his gaze from the glass and met her eyes.

Amelia walked out of the shadows. "I want to get back at someone. I want to trample on people," she confessed.

Cullen blinked, taken aback by her genuine dark reply. He rose from his seat and turned to look at his glass window, his back facing Amelia.

"The Theodore family are the most self-centered and greedy people I've ever come across. I won't be surprised if you also think like them where_"

"I'm not like them, I think nothing like them. They rejected me," Amelia cut him off.

In great surprise, Cullen turned to face her.

When he met her eyes, the room was engulfed with defending silence. No one spoke between the both of them, they just held each other's gaze.

A cold glint flashed in Amelia's eyes.

The cold glint in her eyes possessed an intimidating aura, and Cullen loved the sight of it. Their eyes remained locked in a magnetic gaze, and Cullen was the first to pull away.

"What do you have to offer?" he asked looking away from her, "I don't offer free deals,"

Amelia smiled. She looked around the living room, folded her arms in her chest, and did a powerful catwalk towards him. Two steps away from him, she said, "Myself…"

Cullen salivated. Well, until she completed her sentence.

"... I have myself to offer as a maid," she finished her sentence.

Cullen's heart dropped, he felt disappointed when he heard her remaining words. He wondered what was wrong with him.

When did he become so perverted? She wasn't half as curvy as the actresses he dated. Well, he loves her body.

She was slender and also curvy. Not much, not less. Just exactly how he loves it.

He chuckled and held her gaze, "I want more," his like formed a sly smirk, "I want to use you to bring your husband down," he came out completely honest.

Not breaking their eye contact, Amelia winked at him, "We're on the same boat then," each word she uttered was laced with venomous scorn.

Cullen's eyes roamed swiftly around her body, without her knowledge, "I'll think about it,"

'When did things get this bad?' he whispered to himself, inwardly. He saved her with genuine intentions, and not all of these. Also, why was she dressed this way?

Amelia smiled and turned to leave.

Unable to reduce his ego, Cullen grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. Unexpectedly, Amelia spun around and came crashing into his arms. Her rounded soft breasts pressed against his chest, and his both hands wrapped around her waist protectively.

Amelia's eyes widened in surprise, and she immediately tried to pull away. However, Cullen held her tight and said, "Be my girlfriend,"