Bound by Fate

Chapter 8: First Kiss

“Mmm…” Lily Thompson mumbled as she rolled over, finding the light a bit too bright. Her eyelashes fluttered before she finally opened her eyes, a look of confusion crossing her face. Where was she?

Sitting up, she looked around for a moment before realizing she was in Ethan Blackwood’s room. Tugging at her messy hair, Lily couldn’t understand how she had ended up on the bed when she had fallen asleep on the sofa. Could this be the sleepwalking they talked about on TV?

Wait! The bed? Lily’s eyes widened in panic as she scrambled off the bed, staring at her wrists with tears in her eyes. What should she do? Would it hurt? She hadn’t meant to climb into the master’s bed!

Ethan stood by the bathroom door, watching her antics with a soft chuckle. How had he not noticed before how adorable this little rabbit was?

Lily turned to see him, quickly hiding her hands behind her back. Seeing the amused look on Ethan’s face, tears welled up in her eyes again. After struggling for a moment, she finally brought her hands forward, sniffled, and asked, “Master, could you go easy on me? I’m afraid of pain…”

“Haha…” Ethan couldn’t hold back his laughter. This little rabbit was just too cute!

Lily looked at him, puzzled. Her eyes darted around as she thought—if the master was this happy, maybe he wouldn’t twist her arm after all?

“Little one…”

Huh? Lily tilted her head, looking around before her gaze returned to Ethan. She pointed at her nose, uncertain, and asked, “Master, are you talking to me?”

Ethan’s eyes still held a trace of amusement as he nodded. But Lily earnestly corrected him, “My name’s not Little One.”

Ethan walked over to her, extended his arm, and pulled her into his embrace. “It is if I say so.”

“Oh…” Lily nodded obediently, making Ethan smile in satisfaction. He ruffled her soft hair and said, “Go wash up first.”

Lily didn’t think anything was wrong with that, so she obediently headed to the bathroom. But just as she reached the door, she turned back to Ethan, tilted her head thoughtfully, and asked, “Master, do you not dislike me anymore?”

“Mm.”

“Why?” Just yesterday, he had been about to throw her out!

“No reason. Now go wash up! And don’t call me Master anymore.”

Huh? She tugged at her hair, puzzled. “But if I don’t call you Master, what should I call you?”

“Use my name!”

“But…”

Ethan frowned. “No buts!”

Lily hesitated, then finally spoke up. “But I don’t know your name!”

“You don’t know my name?” Seeing Lily nod earnestly, Ethan’s mood darkened. “After all this time, you still don’t know my name?”

Lily pouted, feeling wronged, and replied confidently, “You never told me, so how would I know?”

Ethan’s eyes narrowed dangerously. Did he really have to tell her? Even the other maids in the villa knew his name, and he hadn’t told them either. It was obvious she didn’t care enough about him! The thought of her indifference made him uncomfortable. “Go wash up already!”

Lily pouted more. She hadn’t done anything wrong, so why was he always so mean to her? Didn’t he say he didn’t dislike her anymore? Liar!

With a loud bang, the bathroom door slammed shut. Ethan was momentarily stunned. Was she throwing a tantrum? Not many people dared to show temper around him, and the fact that he wasn’t angry was almost amusing. Shaking his head, he couldn’t help but think how uncharacteristic this was for him.

Sitting on the sofa, Ethan reflected on his recent behavior. After a while, a bitter smile tugged at his lips. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the closed door, his gaze filled with determination and a barely noticeable hint of tenderness. It seemed his plan to keep her as a pet wasn’t going to work—he had genuinely developed feelings for her!

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Lily was tugging at her hair in frustration, reflecting on her behavior. How could she forget that the master was a pitiful person? She had promised to be good to him, so how could she lose her temper?

David West’s work was different from that of an ordinary butler—he had many tasks to handle, leaving him with little time to spend with Lily. Fortunately, Lily was deeply fond of TV dramas, and King, the snow-white Tibetan Mastiff, was always there to keep her company.

It was strange—King, despite being a Tibetan Mastiff, was extremely fierce, only behaving in front of Ethan. Yet for some reason, King was incredibly obedient to Lily, almost ridiculously so. It made people wonder if even if Lily were to pluck all his fur, King would still wag his tail in delight for her!

That morning, David hadn’t seen Lily and assumed she had gone to deliver breakfast to the master. But the chef mentioned she hadn’t been to the kitchen, which made David a bit worried. Since all the other maids had been dismissed and Lily was nowhere to be found, he decided to personally take the breakfast upstairs and then look for her afterward.

Ethan watched the fidgety young woman in front of him with a raised eyebrow. He pulled her into his arms, his voice unexpectedly gentle, “What’s wrong?”

Lily didn’t notice their overly intimate posture as she struggled with her thoughts. After a moment, she glanced up at him and earnestly said, “I’m sorry…”

“Hmm? What are you sorry for?”

“I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you!”

Ethan smiled, lifting her chin to make her look at him. “Why were you upset, Little One?”

Lily pouted, her frustration evident. “You were mean to me! You said you didn’t dislike me anymore, but that was a lie!” She had been so happy, too!

Ethan rested his forehead against hers, his voice soft. “I won’t be mean to you anymore. So, can you promise not to be mad at me again, Little One?” Now that he had developed feelings for her, he wasn’t going to avoid them. To this day, nothing had ever made Ethan Blackwood retreat.

Looking at the stunningly handsome face in front of her, Lily found herself nodding, her heart beating faster.

“And from now on, you’ll only call me Ethan.”

“Ethan…” Lily repeated, staring into his gentle eyes as her heart raced even more.

Then she reached out and pressed her hand against his forehead, worriedly asking, “Master, are you sick?”

“Sick?” Ethan frowned, unsure of what she was thinking.

“You’re acting really strange today!”

Ethan’s expression darkened immediately. He wanted to strangle her—she thought he was sick just because he was being gentle?

“Uh… Master…” Had she said something wrong? But he really was acting strange!

Seeing her worried expression, Ethan forced himself to stay calm. His tone softened slightly as he said, “Don’t call me Master. And no, I’m not sick.”

Lily nodded obediently. “Ethan, can you let me go now?”

“Let go? No.”

“But I need to get your breakfast!” She had almost forgotten!

“You don’t need to bring it anymore.”

“Why… Mmph…” Lily’s eyes widened as she felt his lips press against hers, his tongue sliding into her mouth. Her heart pounded wildly—oh no, she must be sick!

“Knock, knock…”

Ethan reluctantly pulled away from her sweet lips, frowning in annoyance. “Come in!” he called out, his mood lifting when he saw Lily’s dazed expression and slightly swollen lips. He leaned down and whispered, “Did you like it?”

Lily, still in a daze, nodded slightly, her gaze lingering on his lips, as if she wanted more. Ethan’s eyes darkened, and he tightened his grip on her.

“Mas…” David West was stunned as he entered the room and saw the two of them sitting together. His heart sank when he noticed Lily’s dazed expression and swollen lips.