The Risk

That night, I slept in Evan's bed while he took the couch. But at 2 AM, I heard the bedroom door creak open. I had forgotten to lock it in my exhaustion.

"Who's there?"

There was no reply, just the sound of footsteps. Nervously, I hid under the blanket, peeking out. The room was dark since I slept with the lights off. Suddenly, the bed dipped as someone sat down, moving closer to me beneath the covers.

I shut my eyes, too scared to look, but curiosity got the better of me. Holding my hand over my mouth to stifle a scream, I turned to see him. What! Evan? I was sure it was him, recognizing the dark pajamas that contrasted sharply with his face.

"Emhhh…" He muttered, finding a comfortable position. Then, to my shock, he hugged me. His leg draped over my thigh, and his arm wrapped around my shoulder. I was frozen, not daring to move. What should I do? He seemed to be sleepwalking, and this was his bed after all. It felt too rude to push him away suddenly.

"Mom… mmh…" I heard him murmur a few times, maybe dreaming about his mother. I often dreamt about my mom too, and those dreams were beautiful. So I decided not to disturb him and let Evan sleep like this, even though it was a bit suffocating and heavy. But I wanted to take advantage of this warmth; it had been so long since I was held like this. Even though we had just met, he didn't seem like a bad guy. It was easy to like him. After a few minutes of calming myself, I finally dared to look at Evan's face. The room was dark, but…

"You're handsome with messy hair. Your face reminds me of my mom's idol, young Leonardo DiCaprio. So handsome," I whispered, admiring his sleeping face until I drifted into a sweet dream myself.

****

The next morning, Evan woke up with a start, panicking when he realized who was lying next to him. "Lucia! Did we do it again?" He checked his clothes, which were still in place.

Evan quickly got up, seeing that Lucia was still asleep and fully clothed. He sighed in relief. "Hah! What was I thinking? Why am I in the same bed with her?" His confusion was interrupted by the doorbell. He rushed out of the bedroom to find his guest already sitting on the couch, waiting for him.

"Sorry to barge in. I brought all the evidence and the culprit. Do you want me to deal with him, or will you do it yourself?" Han casually showed off his work from the night before, but instead of being pleased, Evan gathered all the documents and pushed Han out.

"Leave. We'll discuss this at the office, not here!" Evan's shifty eyes made Han suspicious.

"Did you mess up again?" Han peeked toward the bedroom, clearly seeing a girl with her back to him in the boss's bed. "Oh my God, boss, not at a hotel but now in your room? You slept with her again? Boss, you need to get her parents' approval and marry her. What if she gets pregnant? You're too much, boss!"

"Shut up! Go to the office and wait for me. Bring that person because I'll deal with him my way! Hurry up!"

"Yeah, yeah, okay. All under your command, boss. Here are the clothes and slippers as requested, even if buying them risked my manhood!" Han hurried out as Evan shoved him toward the door. "But boss, wasn't it nice to sleep with—"

"Shut up! Get out!"

Slam! Evan shut the door firmly.

A smile tugged at his lips. At 30, this was his first time sleeping with a girl—Lucia, who was 19. Though their experience was amateurish, he couldn't forget it. He often dreamed about that night. "What am I thinking? Nothing happened last night!"

"What happened?" Lucia's sudden voice startled Evan, making him nervous. He tried to compose himself as he approached her, still yawning sleepily. Her cute, sleepy face made his heart race.

"Good morning, Lucia. Do you want breakfast? I'll make something," Evan said, retreating to the kitchen.

"Can you cook?" Lucia followed him to the kitchen.

So close, her shoulder brushed against Evan's muscular arm, making his heartbeat faster. Her bare, sleepy face was adorable to him.

"Just toast. Do you like that?"

"Mmhh, yes, toast with chocolate spread and a glass of milk. What about you?" Lucia asked, looking up at him.

Evan smiled. "A glass of milk? You're still such a kid. I prefer coffee." His hand reflexively lifted, gently stroking her black hair. Instead of pulling away, she seemed to enjoy the touch. "Ah, sorry. Grab some milk from the fridge. I'll finish the toast. Wait at the table."

"Okay, I'll brush my teeth first." Lucia said, running off to the bathroom. "Oh, I forgot, what about my clothes?"

"Han prepared everything. Check if it fits you."

"Thanks, Evan. You're so kind to me. How can I repay you?"

"Repay me? Have breakfast with me!"

"Okay!" Lucia made an "O" with her fingers before disappearing into the bathroom.

"She's such a sweet kid," Evan chuckled, thinking about Lucia's antics. "How do I tell her that I was the one who did that? Will she accept me or be disappointed? I don't get it. Why did she dress so maturely and act so wild that night? I thought she was a grown woman ready to marry. I even thought she was trapping me, but she's so innocent and cheerful. I'm so confused."

"I finished brushing my teeth. Let's have breakfast. Mm, why does your coffee smell so good? Should I replace my milk with coffee?"

Evan choked on his drink, startled by Lucia's words. "Your milk? Um, let's eat!" His face flushed as he glanced at Lucia breast, who was devouring her toast.

This girl is something else!

****

At Evan's office.

A man knelt on the floor, his face bruised. Han pressed his foot into the man's back, forcing his forehead and cheek against the ground.

"You even asked for a tip for doing your job well. I can't believe you took that video clip and sold it!"

"Please forgive me, sir! Please forgive me! That girl paid a lot, and I was tempted, but I didn't spread it online or post it. I swear, sir!"

Click!

The door opened, and Evan entered, removing his suit and loosening his tie. He sat in his chair, leaning toward the man on the floor.

"What's your last wish?"

"Sir, please forgive me!"

"So, no last wish. Forgiveness is not an option."

"Please, sir, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. But it wasn't me who spread it. That girl did it, I'm sure!"

Evan's glance signaled Han.

Roughly, Han yanked the man's hair, forcing him into a kneeling position. Meanwhile, Evan stood with his back to them.

A moment later, there was a gunshot. Evan didn't look back, his eyes fixed on the skyscraper outside. "No one can harm what I love. One by one, sooner or later."

Han wiped the gun with a handkerchief, wrapped it up, and placed it in a small case.

"Han, feed him to the crocodiles. My pets have been fasting for two days, haven't they?"

"Yes, boss."