Lydia froze, her entire body stiff with shock. She hadn’t thought Reign would actually try something here. Not only did a small path pass nearby, but right above them was the second-floor balcony of the villa—anyone standing up there could look down and see everything she and Reign were doing.

For all her bravado, Lydia was conservative at heart; she wasn’t about to let Reign push things too far here. She pressed her hands against his chest in resistance, her voice barely a whisper, pleading, “Not here. Let’s go somewhere else.”

Reign didn’t budge. He lowered his head, his gaze fixed unwaveringly on her, his eyes cool and clear, not clouded by even a trace of passion. “Afraid?”

Lydia bit her lower lip in silence. This was her way of showing vulnerability. Unfortunately, Reign didn’t seem to understand. Even if he did, it wouldn’t have necessarily changed his mind. “Didn’t you say it felt good with me?” he asked, a sly smirk tugging at his lips.

Lydia opened her mouth to respond, but his hand slid lower, tugging at her waistband as he moved.

“Don’t…” Lydia’s legs turned weak, clinging to Reign like a fragile vine, her voice soft with whispered pleas. Soon, all that remained were her ragged breaths.

At that moment, Elaine’s voice came from just beyond the shrubs, loud and clear. “Lydia, I’m back! Where are you?”

Lydia didn’t dare make a sound. She bit her lip, terrified that even the slightest noise would reach Elaine’s ears.

Reign looked down at her, an amused smile tugging at his lips as he leaned close to her ear. “Go on,” he murmured, “let her hear. I’d like that.”

Desperate to quiet herself, Lydia bit down on his jaw, hard. Why should she be the only one struggling while he remained in control?

He didn’t flinch, almost as if the pain didn’t register, merely raising an eyebrow as his grip tightened.

Suddenly, the night sky erupted in light as fireworks from the evening’s event began to explode in bursts of color above them. In that moment, Lydia’s mind filled with a blinding, dazzling brilliance, only to be quickly consumed, leaving her in utter darkness, an empty, aching void settling in.

Breathless and limp, she leaned against Reign, her mind a blank haze. When he finally pushed her away, she slid to the ground.

Elaine had long disappeared, and the area was eerily quiet. “Was I fast?” Reign asked, his tone indifferent as he pulled out a tissue, cleaning his hands with careful, unhurried precision.

Lydia stared at him, waiting, hoping to see some trace of desire on his face. But there was nothing—just cold detachment. This hadn’t been about pleasure for him; it was about humiliating her.

Realizing this, a bitter urge to yell at him swelled within her, just to release her frustration.

Suddenly, she heard Elaine’s voice from beyond the bushes, this time talking to someone, her tone anxious. “Where could Lydia have gone? She wasn’t in the restroom… what if something happened to her?”

Jayden’s voice chimed in next. “There are a lot of people here tonight; maybe she ran into someone she knows. Let’s split up and keep looking.”

Reign’s expression shifted at that, his eyes sparking with intrigue. He raised a brow at Lydia, then glanced in the direction of the bushes with an amused tilt to his head.

In that instant, Lydia understood his intent.

He was considering calling out to Jayden and letting them know exactly where she was.

Letting them know she’d been with him the entire time.

Lydia dared not make a sound to stop him. Seeing Reign turn away, she quickly wrapped her arms around him from behind, holding on tightly.

He froze for a brief moment before he started to pry her fingers off, one by one. But Lydia clung to him with determination; each time he freed one hand, she’d grab him somewhere else. In their tussling, her hand inadvertently landed somewhere it shouldn’t.

Reign stilled.

Lydia didn’t realize what had happened and, seeing him stop, she instinctively brushed her palm against the fabric there. She felt a slight shift in the man pressed against her.

Just then, her phone rang, breaking the tense silence. The sudden noise startled Elaine, who was just on the other side of the shrubs. She ended her call and started walking toward them, calling out, "Lydia, why are you hiding here? I’ve been looking all over for you! And Jayden too..."

Elaine's voice cut off when she caught sight of Reign’s face. For a moment, she stood there, speechless, then managed a stiff greeting. "Prof. Hawke."

Reign gave her a brief nod, silent as he turned and walked away.

Only then did Elaine finally see Lydia: flushed cheeks, disheveled clothes, and a lingering dazed look in her eyes. Tentatively, she asked, “Did you and Reign just...?”

Lydia nodded, exasperated and biting back a curse. "He’s such a bastard."

Elaine picked up on the irritation in Lydia's voice and, with some regret, thought to herself that Prof. Hawke must really be...fast. She looked at Lydia sympathetically, then added with a hint of relief, “Do you realize Jayden was just on the other side? Thank goodness Reign was quick about it. If Jayden had found you two, with all the people here tonight, you’d never live it down.”

Lydia was too worn out to ask why Jayden had been looking for her. Elaine pulled her along, and she didn’t resist, following her back to the gathering.

As the final fireworks burst into the sky, Lydia took a few hurried photos, bid a hasty goodbye to her employer, and left with Elaine.

On the way, she noticed something odd. As Elaine led her out, she had picked up a jacket and draped it over Lydia’s lap. Now, Lydia realized it was Jayden’s jacket. “Why’d you bring Jayden’s coat?” Lydia asked, a bit disgruntled.

Elaine glanced over with a shrug. “I didn’t know it was his. I saw a men’s suit jacket on the ground and thought it was Reign’s—figured I’d help you out, you know, give you a reason to talk to him again.”

Lydia tossed the jacket onto the backseat. “Thanks, but don’t trouble yourself.”

Reign’s attitude tonight had been confusing. His actions were intense, almost brutal, but his expression had been chillingly indifferent, and he’d left without a second thought. The contrast left Lydia uncertain about whether she should keep pursuing Reign.

That night, she tried messaging him: Are you still awake?

Predictably, the message failed to deliver—she was still blocked. The evening’s encounter hadn’t improved their relationship in the slightest.

Frustrated, Lydia felt at a loss.

For days afterward, she found no opportunity to run into Reign again. Then, her phone rang, and she answered to hear the anxious voice of her father’s caretaker. “Miss Wynn, I’m afraid your father’s condition has worsened.”