Chapter 32: A Promise Beyond the Contract

Chapter 32: Chapter 32: A Promise Beyond the Contract

~Frederick’s POV~

He didn’t bother answering. He strolled across the room, completely unbothered, climbed into the massive bed, pulled the blankets up, and turned his back to me.

"Goodnight, Mr. Corvin."

I stood there for a moment, genuinely questioning reality. Shaking my head, I muttered a curse and walked into the bathroom. I stepped in front of the full-length mirror and inspected myself, turning sideways and pressing a hand against my stomach.

I wasn’t fat in the slightest. I was completely fit and worked out regularly. The little brat was definitely just paying me back for earlier.

When I stepped back out of the bathroom, I walked straight over to the bed and slipped under the covers. I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind, pressing my chest against his back.

"Little pet... are you really that mad at me?"

He stayed still for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.

"Why should I be? I don’t even get the chance to be mad at you."

I pressed a soft kiss to his shoulder. "Come on. I know you’re still carrying the weight of what happened at the party."

He sighed before speaking, his voice quiet. "Yes, I do feel bad about it," he whispered, the defensive sarcasm melting away and leaving behind a raw, trembling vulnerability. "And it’s not because I didn’t want you... it’s because of how you looked at me. Like I was just a disposable tool you rented for the evening."

"Alright... I hear you," I murmured softly. "But don’t overthink it, Reynold. I just enjoy touching you. It’s part of the contract, remember?"

"I know," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "But that wasn’t the only reason I was angry. Something happened just before all of that. While I was waiting for you to return to the party, I turned my phone on because I wanted to check if Julian had sent me any updates about our classes. I hadn’t even had a chance to text him when a notification from my father appeared on my screen."

He paused, his breathing hitching as his fingers tightened around the blanket.

"He told me to come home immediately because Mr. Mike would be leaving soon. He said that if I didn’t show up, he would pull my mom out of the hospital and stop paying for her treatment."

My arms tightened around him. The playful teasing disappeared completely, replaced by a heavy silence.

"I don’t want to go back there," Reynold explained, his voice trembling. "Mr. Mike is... he’s a very old man, and I’m terrified of what he’s going to do to me. But at the same time, I desperately want to get my mother away from my father. I just don’t know how. I was already trying so hard not to break down over the way my own father treats me like I’m nothing... and then you walked in and demanded sex in a public restroom."

His shoulders trembled again. "It just felt like... whether I go back to my father or stay with you, I’m still being used. Just in different ways. I know I’m carrying a lot of my own baggage, and I shouldn’t have let all of it spill onto you like that, but I’m so..."

"Hey, come on. You don’t have to apologize," I interrupted gently, pressing my face into the crook of his neck. "I understand why you reacted the way you did. You were upset, and I should have realized how much everything was getting to you."

I held him a little tighter before continuing.

"And you need to understand something, Reynold. I wasn’t trying to treat you the way your family does. I just love sex... sometimes I get carried away because I enjoy being with you. But I’m the older one here. I should have known when to stop and give you a break. I’m sorry, okay."

Reynold turned his head slightly on the pillow, his red-rimmed eyes blinking in the dim light.

"You know... I’ve been wondering about something. How do you always know how to handle me? Even when I’m angry, upset, or completely falling apart, you never seem to lose your patience with me. You just... know what to do. Is it because you’re older than me? Maybe you’ve just had more experience than I have?"

A faint, bittersweet smile touched my lips. "No. I just have someone in my life who’s a lot like you. She’s stubborn, fiercely honest, and never afraid to speak her mind. I suppose having someone like her around has made it easier for me to understand people like you."

Reynold went quiet for a moment, seeming to think about my answer. Then he asked softly, "Who is she?"

"You’ll meet her when the time is right."

"Okay," he murmured. After a brief pause, his voice became hesitant. "Can you... can you help me find my mother? I don’t know what her situation is now. I don’t even know her real name."

"Hey, relax. You don’t have to worry about that," I assured him. "We already talked about this, remember? I’ve already sent someone to look into her situation and find out everything we can. We should have some answers soon."

I paused for a moment before asking, "But when we do find her, what are you planning to do?"

"I want to take her somewhere peaceful, somewhere no one can bother us anymore," he said, a fierce determination entering his voice. "And whatever money you give me over these five years... I’ll use it to take care of her. Maybe with proper treatment, she’ll recover in no time."

"You won’t have to spend your own money on that," I replied firmly. "Once we have the information we need, I’ll have her transferred to one of the best private hospitals in the country. We don’t even know if what your father told you about her condition is true. He could be lying just to keep you under his control. But whether he’s telling the truth or not, I’ll make sure your mother gets the best treatment possible."

Reynold let out a long breath. "Thank you, Mr. Corvin."

I raised a hand and gently ran my fingers through his dark hair. "You’re welcome, little pet."

I paused, then added with a faint smile, "Now... tell me the truth. Am I really getting fat?"

A soft, sleepy huff escaped him as his eyelids slowly fell shut. "You’re not fat... you’re hot. Honestly, you’re one of the most attractive men I’ve ever seen."

I smiled and pressed a lingering kiss to his bare shoulder. "Goodnight, little pet."

"Hmm," he mumbled, already drifting off.

I lay there for a few minutes, watching the steady rise and fall of his back in the quiet dim light. A genuine smile settled across my face.

But the moment I was sure he was fast asleep, I carefully slipped out from under the covers.

I quietly crossed the room to the table where I had left my phone and picked it up. I needed to make a call.

It was time to speed up the search and find Reynold’s mother once and for all.