"Let go!" I stomped down hard on Clayton's foot, but he barely flinched.
He stood there like an iron wall, tall and solid, his face completely unreadable as his dark eyes bore down on me. His silence was infuriating, but I knew that yelling, cursing, or even trying to physically fight him was useless.
I'd tried everything before—screaming, scratching, even pretending to faint—but nothing worked. Self-harm wouldn't get me anywhere either. Clayton had learned to predict my move, intercepting me with precision before I could slam my head into a wall, slit my wrist, or even bite down on my own tongue. There was no point trying to outmaneuver someone who could read me like a book.
From upstairs, Kai's voice echoed down the stairs. "Who's in the wine cellar? Is someone there?"
Shit. He was coming.
The sound of his footsteps grew closer, each step eating away at what little time I had left.
Desperation surged through me, leaving no room for hesitation. I threw myself into Clayton's chest, grabbing the front of his shirt and before he could react, I stood on tiptoe and crushed my lips against his.
"Get lost," I hissed when I pulled back, my voice low and vicious. "Unless you want Kai to catch us having an affair right here."
For the first time since I met him, Clayton's usually stone-cold face cracked. His eyes widened in sheer shock, the tips of his ears instantly burning red as the flush spread down his neck.
"You dumb mute," I sneered. "If you don't leave now, I'll tell Kai you seduced me—always flaunting your big chest and showing off those eight-pack abs to tempt me." I leaned in closer, my chest brushing against him through the thin fabric of my dress, the heat of my skin pressing into his.
Clayton's wide-eyed panic was almost comical. His face turned scarlet, so red it was almost painful to look at and he stumbled back with his hands raised in surrender. Without a word, he bolted from the cellar like a scared rabbit.
Kai's voice rang out from the hall. "What's going on, Clayton? Is someone down there?"
Clayton probably shook his head, because Kai didn't press the matter. His tone, however, grew sharper. "I told you to keep an eye on my wife. How could you leave your post without permission? Forget it. Just grab the gift I prepared for Rae from the wine cellar and then go wake Milena. We're taking the burgundy Rolls-Royce tonight—we're heading to Aurelian Crown Hotel."
While Kai barked his orders, I hurried to finish what I'd started. The aphrodisiac-laced Lafite was already inside the Château Latour bottle—all that was left was to reseal it. I carefully replaced the cork, sealed the top with a layer of wax and pressed the original stamp back into place. The bottle looked flawless, as though it had never been touched.
Clayton stepped back into the wine cellar, lingering awkwardly behind one of the racks as though hiding from me. He couldn't even look me in the eye.
I reached out and pinched his chin between my fingers, forcing him to face me. "For a mute, you're actually kind of handsome."
The way his long eyelashes trembled, like the delicate wings of a moth caught in a storm, made me laugh. So, that was his weakness—he couldn't handle teasing.
Flustered and thoroughly defeated, Clayton obediently picked up the gift basket containing the Château Latour and delivered it to Rae.
Later, at the hotel, Rae's delighted squeal was enough to make me nauseous. "Oh my! Kai, you're so sweet! You took time out of your busy schedule to come to my birthday party—and you even brought my favorite Château Latour!"
Kai's response was as lukewarm as ever. "Of course. But mostly, I came to keep your sister company."
These two hypocrites. They were putting on a whole act, pretending to be polite and distant in front of me. I bet they'd already slept together more times than I could count.
The sight of them acting so innocent made me sick. I stepped forward, snatched up the Château Latour and held it up. "I want a drink. Open it. Let's all have some right now."
Rae's smile stiffened for just a moment before she quickly covered it with a pout. She turned to Kai with wide, pitiful eyes. "Kai, this is your gift to me. A bottle like this costs hundreds of thousands..."
I didn't give her a chance to finish. "Don't be stingy. Let's all drink together."
Kai's gaze lingered on me, searching my face, before he turned to Rae. "Milly wants to drink. Let's drink with her. I'll buy you another one later."
With that, the bottle was uncorked and three glasses were poured—one for me, one for Kai and one for Rae.
Rae took a sip, her face lighting up with exaggerated delight. "This is amazing wine!"
But Kai's brow creased slightly. "This wine... doesn't taste like pure Château Latour."
My stomach clenched. I'd forgotten—Kai was practically a walking wine encyclopedia. If anyone could tell it had been mixed with Lafite, it was him. Worse, what if he could detect the aphrodisiac?
But after a moment of hesitation, Kai said nothing. Instead, he tipped back his glass and drank the whole thing in one go.
Rae was nearly finished with hers too. She glanced at me, frowning slightly. "Why aren't you drinking?"
I fumbled deliberately, pretending to lose my grip. The glass slipped from my hand, shattering into pieces on the floor.
"Oh no!"
Rae shrieked, leaping back as wine splattered her expensive dress. "Milena! You got my dress all wet! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"
"Sorry," I murmured, pressing a hand to my forehead. "I didn't sleep well last night. I'm feeling dizzy."
Rae's expression flickered briefly before she put on her signature fake smile. Looping her arm through mine, she cooed sweetly, "Perfect timing. I booked a room upstairs—room 8868. You should go up and get some rest, Sis."
