When I heard that, my expression twisted. Why did it feel like Captian was doing this on purpose? My fear from yesterday should have been obvious enough, yet today he suddenly released the German Shepherd like it was nothing. Did he enjoy seeing other people terrified? He really was a maniac, a complete pervert.
Nanny Alley waved at me again, her smile earnest. "Miss Bailey, come down. The German Shepherd won't bite you. President Anderson already had it get used to your scent!"
In the end, I actually believed her and carefully made my way downstairs. The dog only glanced at me warily and didn't pounce, so I finally let out a relieved breath.
By then, Captian had already gone to the company. I took a few bites of my bread before telling Ronan to drive me to school. Ronan was still using that flashy Rolls-Royce, attracting countless stares along the way. Wanting to stay low-profile, I immediately told him to stop somewhere shaded by trees. But just as I stepped out of the car, I suddenly felt something flash by. Something bright like a camera shutter…
I blinked, confused. Why did it feel like there had been a flash? Was someone… secretly taking photos? Or was I imagining things? I rubbed my nose irritably. I was no celebrity who would even want to take pictures of me?
Once I convinced myself it must have been nothing, my spirits lifted again. I skipped toward the school gates, the blue ribbon on my hair swaying. I must have looked full of energy.
Inside the classroom, students were gathered in clusters, chattering nonstop. Liona no longer looked as miserable as yesterday; she was now hunched over her phone. When I walked past with my backpack, she glanced up, panicked, and immediately shoved her phone into her desk drawer like she'd been caught doing something bad. Her behavior was weird enough that I couldn't help staring at her a couple of times.
She glared at me and snapped, "What are you staring at?"
I glared back. What was her problem?
When I finally sat down, she pulled her phone out again and continued scrolling. Every now and then she smiled at the screen, and eventually that fleeting smile turned strangely excited… and hateful.
"Rosy," Hezze leaned over and whispered, "I think Liona's acting weird today. She keeps smiling at her phone by herself. Do you think she's gone crazy?"
I placed my backpack into my desk. "Maybe she's fallen in love."
Hezze lowered her voice even more, scandalized. "Her family is in shambles; how could she still have the mood for romance?"
"I don't know," I shrugged. "Maybe she found her 'true love' or something."
"True love?" Hezze waved her hand, still whispering. "Impossible. She likes Halley. She could never have another 'true love.'"
Halley was her true love? I almost laughed. Last night the person shamelessly trying to throw herself at Captian was who? None other than Liona herself. She was definitely the sort who would spread her legs the moment a powerful man could save her family. Virginity? Morality? Completely irrelevant to someone like her.
I frowned and clicked my tongue. "Forget it. Let's stop talking about Liona."
If we kept going, I'd end up remembering last night, and that was the last thing I wanted.
We changed the subject. After school, I headed to Hezze's house again for piano practice. Since I was a beginner, the C major beginner piece was perfect and genuinely nice to listen to. I practiced really hard. After three hours, Ronan picked me up and drove me back to the villa.
It was already past six; the sky had gone dark. The German Shepherd was sitting in front of the gate, glaring alertly, the perfect image of a fierce guard dog. I jumped when I spotted it and immediately tried to take a detour.
But the dog stood up and moved to block my path. I almost had a heart attack. "What are you doing? Move, okay? I'm not a thief…"
Its tongue lolled out, and its eyes were bright, too bright. Those black, intense eyes were far too similar to Captian's. No wonder, it was his dog.
"Are you going to move or not?" I snapped, though panic twisted in my stomach. The yellow mutt I used to kick back in my village was a weak stray terrified of humans. This beast was the real dangerous type and on top of that, it belonged to Captian. Kicking it would be the same as kicking him. If he found out, I'd be dead for sure.
"Ronan, help me pull this dog away," I pleaded, eyes turning red, my voice soft and shaky.
Hearing my soft voice, Ronan suddenly looked like he understood why President Anderson was so indulgent toward me. With a sweet voice, a pretty face, and that charming beauty mark under my eye, any man would soften.
He tried dragging the dog away, but it didn't budge, like its paws were glued to the ground. Its eyes stayed locked onto me, and then it shoved a frisbee toward my feet, lowering its head and whining.
The sound nearly made me jump out of my skin. What did it want? It wouldn't leave, kept pushing the frisbee at me, and then even barked loudly.
Ronan tugged it a few more times but still couldn't move it. He frowned awkwardly. This was President Anderson's beloved dog, he couldn't use force. What if he hurt it?
"Miss, the dog… won't go," he murmured helplessly.
I tried to walk around to the other entrance, but the dog followed me again, clearly refusing to let me enter the villa. My face instantly collapsed in despair.
"Yesterday you were ferocious toward me, and today you won't even let me into the villa. What do you want from me?" I muttered. Why was it as difficult as dealing with Captian?
The shepherd pushed the frisbee again, staring at me with those intense dark eyes. Being stared at like that was terrifying; I couldn't help stepping backward.
Suddenly, Ronan's eyes lit up. "Miss, maybe the German Shepherd wants you to play fetch with it."
"Play fetch?" I stared at him in disbelief. "Impossible. Yesterday it was barking like crazy at me super vicious. How could it want to play fetch with me today?"
Ronan patted the dog's head. It wagged its tail at him, then looked up at me again, its dark eyes shimmering with… longing?
He withdrew his hand and smiled. "This dog is surprisingly human-like. President Anderson already had it learn your scent and instructed it several times not to be aggressive toward you. I think it already sees you as its mistress."
I looked doubtful. Was that even possible? But when I stared down at the German Shepherd, I realized its hostility had faded significantly. It nudged the frisbee again, its eyes full of eager pleading, almost acting spoiled.
When it wasn't being aggressive… it was actually kind of cute.
I was weak in front of fluffy things especially clingy, spoiled fluffy things.
I picked up the frisbee and sighed. "Fine. I'll play fetch with you. But you're not allowed to bite me. If you do, I won't play anymore."