“Wait, what? Why can’t your husband see me?” I ask in confusion.   

Without answering, Mrs. Storm forcibly pulls on my arm, making me stand up.   

“Hey, I am not coming with you unless you tell me!” I say while twisting my arm away from her.   

“I don’t have time to explain! We need to leave this room fast, or… j-just come with me and you will get your answers,” She says desperately. I can tell just from how roughly she is breathing that she is really scared.  

[Follow her.]  

…..   

“Fine…” I say bitterly.   

Mrs. Storm instantly grabs my hand again and starts dragging me out of the living room.   

Damn… She is almost running…   

I seriously cannot understand what the hell is her problem. I mean, I know Lily’s father is a complete asshole, but it’s not like I haven’t met him before.  

“Come on, quick,” Mrs. Storm says as we start climbing the stairs.  

Well, as of right now, I think the most probable reason for her to react like this is because she doesn’t want Mr. Storm to find out about my and Lily’s relationship.   

But personally, I really don’t think that he would be that surprised about it. Like, I think the main reason why he always treats me like shit is because he knows I love Lily.   

Though surprisingly, he never forbade Lily to meet me or go somewhere alone with me.   

Heck! I hate to admit this but on Lily’s request, he even got me enrolled in my school, which only takes in students with high grades.   

Hearing this, some might think that he is just a jealous dad whose intentions are nice, but the way he talks to me when Lily isn’t around…  

Well, there is the reason why me and Lily are in this mess because of him.  

“Hurry! Get in here!” Mrs. Storm says while opening the door of the first room we encounter upstairs.   

It’s an extravagant room like any other in this house, though from the unused state it is in, I am guessing that it’s a guest room.   

While breathing heavily, Mrs. Storm sits down on the huge double bed placed in the middle of the room, and holds down her head as if intensely thinking about something.   

“Why did you bring me here, Mrs. Storm?” I ask with a frown.   

“I told you… You cannot meet my husband…” she answers while looking up at me.   

“And why is that?”  

“T-That is… well…”   

Mrs. Storm looks reluctant to speak.   

“You promised that you will tell me if I come with you…” I remind her.   

“… very well. I will tell you,” she says.   

“You see, it’s the same thing I told you downstairs. My husband also believes that someone like you is not right for our daughter. I just don’t want you to waste his time and ruin his mood by telling him what you told me.”  

She tells me sternly.   

[She is lying.]  

Reagan says.  

Obviously. There is no way she would have brought me upstairs this desperately for such a pathetic reason…   

[Confront her about it.]  

“You are lying to me, Mrs. Storm. Please tell me the real reason,” I say directly.   

I want to know as well; why doesn’t she want to tell Mr. Storm about me and Lily?   

“I am not lying. This is the truth,” she says defiantly.   

[Threaten her.]  

Threatening, huh? Well, there is only one thing I can threaten her about right now…   

“If that’s your reasoning for bringing me here, then I no longer intend on staying. I am going downstairs and telling Mr. Storm that Lily is my girlfriend,” I say while turning around.   

“No, wait! I will tell you the truth!” Mrs. Storm says desperately.   

I turn back to face her again and gestures her to speak.   

“I… I think you know that my husband doesn’t like you, right? Even as Lily’s friend?” she asks.   

“I know. He hates me.”  

“W-Well, he will surely become really furious if he finds out about your relationship. And you see, when he loses his temper, he loses all his reasoning as well. He might do something really bad to you, Caiden.   

“And that’s not even it. With his power and influences, he might even reach out to your family and do something regrettable to them,” Mrs. Storm tells me.   

Damn…  

What she is saying is not even farfetched. That bastard can easily fuck with not only me but my family as well in many ways. For instance, he can get my father fired from the company he is working in with just a simple call.   

[She is lying again.]  

Reagan tells me.   

“What!? I don’t think she is…” I whisper.   

[I have dealt with enough liars in my life to know when someone is lying. And I am sure that she is still not telling the truth.]  

“Really? But Lily’s father is exactly like this. I can believe him losing his mind over it…”  

[It doesn’t matter what you believe or not. Just do and say what I am telling you to.]  

“… fine.”  

“Why are you talking to yourself? Is something wrong?” Mrs. Storm asks with a frown.   

“You… You are lying to me again,” I say in a low voice.   

“W-What!? I-I am not lying to you…” she says stutteringly while looking genuinely shocked.   

I can tell that she didn’t expect me to doubt her on this one as well.   

But still, what’s with this reaction? Is she really lying?   

[*sigh*]  

[I guess she really doesn’t want to tell you. There is no point to expect any truth from her. Well, let’s try doing things a little different, shall we? Tell her to take her clothes off.]  

“What!?” I exclaim loudly.   

“S-Seriously, I am not lying. B-Believe me,” Mrs. Storm says thinking that I am still talking to her.   

[Idiot, keep your voice down and say what I am telling you to! And yeah, don’t forget to threaten her with going downstairs.]  

“But why do you want her to strip off her clothes!? This makes no—”  

[I am not going to repeat myself.]  

Damn it! This is insane! Absolutely fucking insane!   

I will lose any chance I have left to convince Mrs. Storm that I am good for her daughter if I tell her to do this! But if I don’t, Reagan will…   

Fuck it…   

I take a deep breath.   

“Remove your clothes…” I say.   

“C-Can you please stop whispering to yourself? I cannot hear you…”  

“I said, take off your clothes!” I loudly say while gritting my teeth.   

Mrs. Storm doesn’t reply but just keeps staring at me silently without moving an inch. Due to her excessive makeup, I cannot even read her expressions properly.   

“D-Do it, or I will go downstairs and talk to your husband,” I threaten.   

“Why do you want me to take off my clothes?” she asks in a low voice.   

[Tell her that you want to see her naked body.]  

What the fuck!?   

Isn’t the plan was to kidnap her first and then do stuff like this!?   

[She is waiting for your answer! Reply fast!]  

Damn you…   

“I-I want to see you… naked. Because I… because I like to find out what’s hidden behind those wraps,” I answer.  

I added the last part by myself because, to be honest, with her figure and how she is dressed, it’s a more likely reason for someone to make such a request.  

“Okay, let’s just forget for a moment that I am Lily’s mother. But still, you want to see another woman naked when you claim to be Lily’s lover? And you are even willing to blackmail her into it?” she asks in a strangely calm voice.   

To my surprise, I cannot even see any sort of fluctuation in her expressions to tell if she is angry with me or not.   

But for fuck’s sake! She is basically calling me a cheater and I cannot even argue after what I have just asked her to do…   

[Don’t fall for it. She is just using the most obvious trick of making you feel guilty. Her calm demeanor is just to increase the pressure on you. Just simply claim yourself as a cheater and a pervert who goes after his girlfriend’s mother.]  

The fuck…?   

You are basically asking me to throw away my relationship with Lily forever…   

[Remember, all of this is nothing. If you fail to comply with my orders, there is something much worse waiting for you and Lily outside…]  

Fuck you, Reagan… Just die in hell and rot away there…   

I again take a deep breath in…  

“Yes. I am blackmailing you. I am a cheater and a pervert who would love to see his girlfriend’s mother naked,” I say with a fake smile. “Now, strip off.”  

Mrs. Storm’s expression tightens.   

“So, these are your true colors, huh Caiden? And I was probably right about you being after my daughter for money as well?” she asks while raising her eyebrows.   

[You know what to say.]  

….   

This is just… AAAAGHH!!!   

“Yeah, you were right. Now shut up and start taking your clothes off…” I say angrily.   

I think I am starting to really lose it…   

Mrs. Storm doesn’t move and keeps looking at me with a tense face.   

[Tell her to hurry up.]  

“Hurry up, I don’t have all day,” I say while moving to the door again.   

“Wait! I-I will do it,” she quickly says while standing up.   

So, she really was lying, huh?   

There is no way she would strip off just to protect me and my family from her husband. Especially when I am the one asking her to do so…   

Mrs. Storm moves one of her hand to neck and grab the zipper of her top. With her other hand, she unhooks her long skirt from the side.   

To be honest, I am a little surprised that these clothes, which are almost covering her entire body, are so easy to take off. It’s like they are specially made for the purpose of quickly dressing up and taking them off.   

“A-Are you sure that you want to do this?” she asks me again in a little desperate manner.   

I do not reply.   

“You might regret it later—”  

“Shut up…” I say.   

Mrs. Storm’s expressions turn frustrated. I think she has realized that there is no getting away from this.   

Slowly, she brings down the zipper of her top and let her skirt fall down to the floor.   

What that…  

From underneath, a partially nude body reveals itself… which is entirely covered with large and ugly looking bruises.