Safe?

Eira froze, her heart racing as the word echoed in her mind. Mine? Who the hell was this guy, and why did he think he had any claim on her?

She twisted again, trying to push him away, but he didn't budge. His strength was overwhelming, and for the first time in a long while, she felt truly outmatched. But that didn't mean she would give in without a fight.

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't belong to anyone. Fucking let go of me!" she spat, her voice sharp despite the panic rising within her.

Lyle's arms tightened around her in response, while his breathing grew erratic as if he was excited. 

"I said let go of me!" she demanded just as the man buried his head in the space between her neck and shoulder and sniffed her with such intensity that it sent a shiver down her spine. Eira's mind raced, torn between disgust and rage. What the hell is wrong with this guy?!

What the fuck was this?!

"Master–" Jania finally caught up and saw the scene where her boss was holding a girl in his arms and sniffing her neck like a wild animal marking its territory. Her eyes widened in shock and disbelief as she froze in place for a moment. This was unlike anything she had ever seen from him, and the sight left her at a loss for words.

However, the voice of the girl snapped her out of her shock and she turned her gaze to the girl. 

And was even more surprised. 

'Wasn't this the little girl with a very awful mouth and attitude?'

"H-hey, hey! What the hell are you doing?! Are you a fucking animal? Let go and get off me, you pervert!" Eira yelled, thrashing harder against Lyle's grip, her pulse racing with both fury and confusion. She struggled, her instincts screaming at her to fight, to break free. But his strength was beyond anything she had encountered.

Lyle, still holding her tightly, seemed lost in his world, his breath steadying as he inhaled her scent like it was a drug.

Jania, frozen for a moment longer, snapped out of her shock and rushed toward them. "Master Aelion–"

Lyle's eyes flicked toward Jania, but only for a second, the warning in his eyes clear. His focus returned to Eira, the girl still squirming in his grip. 

"I don't care who you are," Eira hissed, her voice like venom. "But if you don't let me go, I swear I'll—"

"You'll what?" Lyle interrupted softly, his voice almost a whisper. His grip loosened, just slightly, but it was enough for Eira to feel the shift. 

With a surge of adrenaline, Eira twisted her body, using the momentary lapse in his strength to try to break free. Yet, she could only move a step back before being enveloped in his arms again. This time, he was sniffing her hair.

"Stay still, I won't hurt you, you're mine." He ran his large hand through her hair as he breathed in, his eyes still closed. "You are safe, nothing will happen to you, absolutely nothing. I won't let anyone hurt what's mine." 

As soon as he said this, the leader who Eira had been questioning was caught off guard when Lyle shot him in the throat as he wanted to pull the trigger from the gun he'd sneakily picked up during the scuffle. The leader's eyes widened in shock, his hand falling limply to his side as blood gurgled from the wound, and he collapsed to the ground, gasping for air.

Eira's body went rigid, her eyes darting to the fallen man, then back to Lyle. Her pulse quickened, a mix of fear, anger, and disbelief coursing through her veins. What the hell just happened?

No, when the hell did he grab the gun and where did the gun come from?!

Lyle, still holding her close, barely acknowledged the man he'd just killed. His focus was entirely on her, his voice low and almost tender. "I told you, you're safe. No one will hurt you, not while I'm here."

Eira's mind raced as she processed the absurdity of the situation. Safe? She had never felt more in danger than at that moment. His possessiveness was suffocating, his actions terrifying in their casual brutality.

For the first time in years, she felt genuinely scared. Then a familiar and unfamiliar voice called out and Eira turned to see someone she thought she would never see again.

"Sir Lyle…?" Jania who had realized what was happening though, was internally relieved and a little glad, cautiously stepped forward while her gaze moved to Eira who was staring at her in surprise.

"Old woman?"

Jania stopped and paused her lips, "My name is Jania. Stop calling me that, little girl."

Eira snorted in derision, "I'd love to but if I'm not deaf, I clearly heard you call me little girl."

She could still joke in this situation? 

Jania shook her head and stared straight at Eira, "Listen, I know you are scared and I'm very sorry for what's happening but please don't be scared. My boss won't hurt you, just like he said so can you please not resist and hold on–"

"He's your boss? The one who owns that elevator we fought over?" she blinked and stared wide-eyed at Jania, "Wait, why were you in the hospital? Is… is he ill?" she whispered the last part, and Jania hesitated to answer the question.

"Yes, something like that."

"Oh, is that why he's doing… this?" she asked gesturing vaguely to Lyle's possessive grip around her. "Because he's ill?"

Jania hesitated again, her lips pressing into a thin line before she answered carefully, "It's... complicated. But this isn't something I can explain right now."

"Right, complicated," Eira muttered, rolling her eyes, though there was an edge of fear in her tone. Her mind was still reeling from the shock of the situation. She wasn't used to being overpowered—certainly not like this. Her instincts screamed to fight back but with Lyle's unpredictable strength, lethality, and the fact that he hadn't done anything to hurt her but instead protected her, she found herself at a loss for what to do.