Chapter 6

The man who had been hit by the car didn't get up. Ophelia glanced at the time and frowned; she was already running late. Ignoring the driver's protests, she got out of the car and approached the man. "Hey, are you alright?"

The man looked up, his large, fierce eyes glaring straight at Ophelia.

He pointed at his oddly shaped leg. "This is all your fault! My leg is broken. You need to pay up!"

As he moved, Ophelia noticed that his legs weren't completely numb. This meant his legs were fine; the man was faking it to scam her.

A cold smile played on Ophelia's lips. "Oh, really? How much are we talking?"

The man was taken aback, not expecting Ophelia to be so agreeable. Greed flashed in his eyes.

He held up five fingers. "This much."

Ophelia's smile widened. "Five bucks?"

The man turned red with anger and immediately stood up, towering over Ophelia by a head.

"What did you say? You want me to get my boys to teach you a lesson?"

Ophelia stepped forward and swiftly kicked the man to the ground. She pulled out her phone and dialed 911.

After giving the police her location, she held up her phone and looked at the man. "You're in luck, Dominic Rivera. The cops are nearby."

Dominic's eyes widened in shock. "How do you know my name?"

Ophelia glanced at the name tag on his shirt and chuckled. "With brains like yours, you think you can scam people? Better practice a few more years!"

The police arrived quickly. After explaining the situation to them, they asked Ophelia to come to the station to give a statement.

By the time she was dropped off near Pine Ridge Estate, it was already around 3 or 4 AM.

She quietly got out of the police car and tiptoed to the large iron gates of Pine Ridge Estate.

Oddly enough, the lights in the villa were still on at this hour.

Ophelia felt a pang of suspicion. She climbed over the gate, navigated through the backyard, and climbed up a large tree, finally jumping onto the second-floor balcony after several attempts.

When she tried to enter her room from the balcony, she found the door locked.

Through the glass, she could see that the room was lit but empty.

Ophelia hesitated, considering entering through the front door, when suddenly, her room door opened.

A large, elegant hand gripped the door frame, pushing the door open.

Blake's tall figure appeared in the doorway, closing the door behind him.

Ophelia's breath caught in her throat. She quickly turned and pressed herself against the wall.

The tiles on the wall were still warm from the day's sun, making her sweat.

The balcony door opened.

Ophelia didn't have time to hide. In the next instant, a dark shadow loomed over her entire body.

She shuddered in fear.

A large, graceful hand lifted her chin, forcing her to meet Blake's intense gaze. Her breathing quickened, but she forced herself to stay calm.

Her heart pounded as if it had been punched, racing wildly.

Blake's eyes always seemed to flicker with danger, his gaze revealing his absolute need for control.

His deep voice was slightly hoarse, sounding pleasant but instilling fear.

"Where were you?" Blake's simple question carried countless implications.

Ophelia's long lashes trembled, her doll-like cheeks flushed from her rapid heartbeat. Her hands clenched and then abruptly relaxed. "I've been here all along."

Blake chuckled as if he'd heard a funny joke, gently shaking his head.

Ophelia's head moved with his hand.

The night breeze carried his unique scent.

"So you're saying that while the staff was putting out a fire below the balcony, no one saw you standing here? And they searched the entire Pine Ridge Estate, but couldn't find you? Is that right?"

Ophelia instinctively tried to avoid Blake's gaze.

He firmly lifted her head.

He moved closer, one hand on her waist, pinning her against the wall, her feet off the ground. "Ophelia, I don't like liars. Where were you?"

Ophelia bit her lip, her mind racing.

Finally, she thought of a good idea.

She defiantly met Blake's gaze, her eyes welling with tears that fell onto Blake's hand.

Blake looked at the tears in shock, as if burned.

Ophelia's sobs started softly, then escalated into uncontrollable crying, accompanied by choked accusations. "You're bullying me! I didn't do anything wrong, and you're bullying me! Blake, you're a big bully!"

Blake's mouth twitched, and he instinctively released her chin and waist, stepping back.

The night wind blew, unsettling him.

Blake watched the girl cry harder, as if he were truly a villain.

Blake, at a loss, softened his voice to comfort her. "It's okay now."

Ophelia ignored him, continuing to cry.

Inwardly, she thought, 'You think this is over? Not so easy!'

She cried louder.

Blake scratched his head, a decisive CEO who had never been stumped by anything, now bewildered by this girl?

"Alright, I was wrong. I apologize for doubting you."

Ophelia stopped crying, blinking at Blake.

Blake's expression froze, wondering if she was acting.

"I'm hungry now. I want something to eat." With that, Ophelia left the balcony, closing the door behind her, leaving Blake outside.

He watched her, narrowing his eyes.

Blake walked to the stairs as Lucas emerged from the study, handing him the schedule.

"Mr. Weston, here's tomorrow's agenda. You have an important meeting."

"Put everything else on hold. There's something more important for you to investigate."

Lucas followed Blake's gaze to the small figure in the first-floor dining room.

'Ophelia, what trouble are you causing now?' Lucas thought.