The Mask

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"Remember that old guy from the noodle shop?"

With a face smashed in and dried blood, his joints all loose and lifeless, the man's life clung on even though his body looked dead.

"Man, why'd you drag him in here, bleeding all over my floor!" Evan's voice was heavy and his gaze cynical, but he sneered wickedly, laughing and showing off his sharp, unique fangs. His expression was both terrifying and captivating. He only looked like this in front of his men, never in front of Lucia. "My gators would get sick if they ate this old man. Toss him in the border lake; I heard there are plenty of predator fish there."

"Got it, boss." Before Han could drag the lifeless body away, he signaled men to clean up Evan's room, ensuring no blood stench lingered.

Clapping his hands as if dusting off dirt, Evan raised an eyebrow proudly, then stood up from his chair, stepping on the hands of his men still cleaning the floor.

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Hmm~ What should I do here? Chillin' with a movie, snacks, and Netflix sounded good at first but got boring fast. I think Evan's super busy these days, so I won't bother him. I'll keep myself busy doing pointless stuff, like getting a food baby.

The sound of the door opening or footsteps didn't bother me at all. With my mouth wide open like a hippo, munching on snacks, I caught Evan's face in front of me.

"Hah!" I jumped off the couch in shock and embarrassment, making the snacks spill everywhere. "Oh my God! Sorry for the mess. I'll clean this up, and uh, sorry, I ate your snacks too." I apologized to Evan, playing with the hem of my shirt. I was more embarrassed that he was home so late and I was still in yesterday's pajamas. I probably smelled terrible.

But he just sat casually on the couch and pulled me down next to him, his arm brushing against my shoulder. "What are you watching?"

Oh no, one more embarrassing thing to hide. I quickly stood up to block the TV screen, though my body was only a quarter of its size. "Oh, nothing, just some random show."

My unsure answer and awkward behavior only made him more curious. He tilted his head side to side while I tried to hide the screen and grabbed the remote to turn off the TV. "There's nothing interesting on, really. Oh, you must be tired. Why don't you clean up and eat? I can make dinner, how about that?"

All I wanted was to get Evan's attention away from the movie I was watching. Offering dinner was a desperate move since I never cook.

"Dinner? You're gonna cook for me?"

I grinned sheepishly, "Yeah, yeah. I'll make dinner for us, how's that?"

"Alright, I'll take a shower and get ready for dinner. See you soon, Lucia. I'm looking forward to our first dinner!"

Oh no! I slapped my forehead, cursing myself. But hey, this isn't hell, right? There's YouTube now; I can find anything there, including how to cook. I'll try making something simple that's edible. Feeling a bit more confident, I ran to the kitchen, double-checking that 50 Shades of Grey was really off.

Darn, no wonder chef school is expensive. Even making simple food is hard. I chose to make spaghetti, but why isn't there any instant bechamel sauce here? Isn't everything supposed to be instant nowadays? In Evan's kitchen, there's nothing easy to cook. I boiled the pasta as directed, but what about the sauce? I'm not Italian. Should I just use ketchup? Whatever, as long as it's edible. I'll top it with a fried egg for some plating.

"Hmmm, your pasta looks kinda overcooked."

"Ah!" Evan startled me again, and I almost twisted my neck looking back. Luckily, his hand steadied me.

"Oops, did I scare you again?" he said, taking my place. He put on an apron and took over the kitchen. "Go take a shower; we'll have dinner soon."

I sniffed my armpits and pajamas, "I must smell awful, and you smell so good. I love your cologne," I said, fanning behind him to catch a whiff of his scent.

He glanced at me briefly before focusing back on the stove. "Go get ready for dinner with me. I'll finish cooking. How about spaghetti aglio olio?"

"Yeah, that sounds easy, but it's not!" Admitting this made me more embarrassed. I'd messed up and made him take over. Oh, and I hadn't cleaned the couch in the TV room. "I'll clean the couch first and then go shower. I'll leave the cooking to you."

"I already cleaned the TV room. Just get ready," he said, pulling me by the waist.

I couldn't move, caught by his strong arm around my waist. I stumbled into his chest, making my mind go blank.

From his dark eyes, I could see how messy I looked, but Evan's smile kept me from blinking. There was no denying he was incredibly handsome and strong. "Sorry for startling you again. How about a bottle of wine, is that okay?"

"Huh?" My awareness returned, trying to hide my nerves while tucking my hair behind my ear. I nodded slightly and ran to my room. Ah, my heart felt like it was exploding. I was nervous, shaking, but it felt good.

Behind bedroom door, I tried to calm my racing heart, taking deep breaths. But Evan's smile kept popping up in my mind. "Ahh!! What is this? He's a mature man and likes sexy girls~" I muttered in denial, knowing I wasn't his type, yet I found myself standing in front of my wardrobe, picking the most mature-looking outfit.

"Guess my brain's short-circuiting!"

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In the kitchen, Evan finished up, serving dinner with a rare bottle of wine. He sat down after taking off the apron, resting his hands under his chin, waiting for the empty chair in front of him. "Lucia, should I be honest with you? Or do you prefer my mask?"

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