Tycoon's Growing Obsession

6:Special

Alexander led Lydia through the ship's corridors, his hand warm and secure around hers. They stopped in front of what appeared to be an ordinary cabin door, distinguished only by its sleek black surface and the absence of any room number.

When Alexander pressed his palm against a hidden panel, the door slid open to reveal not a room, but an elevator.

"An elevator?" Lydia's eyes widened with surprise as she stepped inside the luxurious space—all mirrors and gold accents. "Is this place not open to the public? I've been on this ship for over a month and I had no idea this existed."

The elevator was unlike any she'd seen before. The walls were lined with dark wood paneling and soft ambient lighting that cast everything in a warm, intimate glow. There was even a small velvet bench along one wall.

"Yes, only VIP customers know about this place," Alexander said, pressing a button that had no floor number—just a simple symbol that looked like a crown.

Lydia glanced at Alexander beside her and couldn't resist teasing him, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Well, that's all thanks to Mr. Eisner, who so graciously gave me the opportunity to come here. I should feel very honored."

She'd taken to calling him "Alex" in English, but "Achi" when she wanted to tease him—a playful nickname derived from his Chinese name, Xie Chi. It rolled off her tongue with an intimacy that made something warm bloom in her chest every time she said it.

What Lydia didn't know was that Alexander had never allowed anyone else to call him that. The only person in the world who had called him "Achi" had been his mother, before she passed away when he was twelve. And now it was only Lydia.

He'd never told her that. Never explained how much it meant to him every time that nickname left her lips. How it felt like she was claiming a piece of him that no one else had touched in eighteen years.

"Borrow freely," Alexander said softly, reaching out to gently ruffle her hair. His fingers lingered, tucking a strand behind her ear.

"It's okay to borrow more. Borrow everything I have, if you want."

His gaze met hers, deepening, darkening with an intensity that made her breath catch. His words seemed to hint at something far beyond just access to a secret gambling room.

Lydia's face flushed, heat spreading across her cheeks. "Let's... let's just go," she stammered, looking away from those penetrating amber-grey eyes.

Alexander's lips curved into a smile. His kitten seemed to understand what he was implying. And apparently, she wasn't entirely indifferent to him. The thought sent satisfaction coursing through him.

Good, he thought. She's starting to see me not just as a friend, but as something more.

The elevator descended smoothly, and when the doors opened, they revealed a grand entrance unlike anything Lydia had ever seen.

The space was opulent—all dark marble floors, crystal chandeliers, and walls covered in rich burgundy fabric with gold accents. Two waiters stood at attention on either side of massive double doors, both wearing elegant black suits and ornate masks that covered the upper half of their faces.

The moment they saw Alexander and Lydia approaching, both waiters bowed deeply and moved to open the doors with synchronized precision.

"We wish you both a most pleasant evening," they said in unison, their voices respectful and carefully neutral.

As soon as Lydia stepped through those doors, she understood exactly what this place was: a casino.

But not just any casino. This was clearly an exclusive, high-stakes gambling den for the ultra-wealthy. The room stretched out before them in a vast expanse of gaming tables, each one surrounded by well-dressed patrons. The air hummed with tension, excitement, and the soft clink of chips and cards.

Crystal chandeliers cast everything in a golden glow. Waiters in masks moved silently between tables, delivering drinks on silver trays. The carpet beneath their feet was so thick it muffled all sound. And everywhere Lydia looked, she saw wealth—designer clothes, expensive jewelry, the kind of casual luxury that came from never having to think about money.

At that moment, a commotion erupted at a nearby table.

"Impossible! How could this be! How could I have lost everything!" A middle-aged man in a rumpled suit was standing, his face red and sweating, his hands gripping the edge of the table. "Give me another chance, just one more chance! I still have assets! I still have a daughter—she's young, beautiful, untouched! I can give her to Mr. Ashford as payment! Surely that's worth—"

Before he could finish speaking, several burly bodyguards appeared as if from nowhere. They grabbed the man by his arms and began dragging him away, his feet scrambling uselessly against the carpet.

"No! Wait! Please! Just one more chance! My daughter is worth millions! She's—"

His voice was cut off as he was hauled through a side door that Lydia hadn't even noticed before. The door closed with a soft click, and suddenly it was as if the man had never existed. The other gamblers barely glanced up from their games.

Lydia felt a chill run down her spine. She unconsciously moved closer to Alexander, seeking the warmth and security of his presence.

Alexander's mood had soured instantly. He'd initially watched the scene with cold indifference—this kind of thing happened countless times every day in places like this. Desperate men making desperate offers. It was pathetic, but not unusual.

He'd even been enjoying the way Lydia had instinctively pressed closer to him when she was frightened, the way she sought his protection without even thinking about it.

But then that i***t had mentioned his name. Had tried to offer his daughter to "Mr. Ashford" as if Alexander were some kind of degenerate who collected women like poker chips.

Lydia turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised slightly, her expression unreadable. "Give her to... Mr. Ashford?"

Alexander's heart stopped. Panic—actual panic, something he hadn't felt in years—flooded through him.

"I didn't," he said urgently, his hand tightening around hers almost painfully. "I've never touched another woman like that. I've never accepted any such... offers. He lost money and he's just making things up, trying to save himself. You have to believe me."

The words tumbled out faster than he intended, his usual composure cracking. He really wanted to kill that man right now—have him dragged back and eliminated for daring to plant seeds of doubt in Lydia's mind.

But what if she didn't believe him? What if she thought he was the kind of man who—

"My family only commits to one partner in a lifetime," Alexander continued, his voice low and intense. "It's a tradition, a vow we take seriously. And I—"

"Okay, okay, I was just kidding," Lydia interrupted, laughing softly. She squeezed his hand and shook his arm playfully. "I'm not stupid, Alex. It was obvious that man had lost everything and was trying to offer his daughter as payment. What a scumbag of a father! I can't believe people like that exist."

Her voice had turned bitter at the end, and Alexander realized she was probably thinking of her own father—the man who'd tried to steal her inheritance, who'd made her life miserable after her mother died.

Relief washed over Alexander so intensely that he felt almost dizzy. "You believe me?"

"Of course I believe you," Lydia said, looking up at him with those clear, trusting eyes. "You've been nothing but kind and respectful to me since the moment we met. I know what kind of person you are."

No, you don't, Alexander thought. You have no idea what kind of person I really am. What I'm capable of. What I've done.

But he would make sure she never found out. He would be exactly the man she thought he was—at least when she was looking.

Letting go of the previous topic, Lydia looked around with renewed curiosity, her earlier discomfort forgotten. The casino was fascinating in a way—like stepping into a movie.

"Did you bring me here to gamble?" she asked.