Chapter 181: She Didn’t Want Me to Leave

After several more glasses...

Lucas gradually noticed something.

Maya had become unusually quiet.

Her movements were slower than before.

Her beautiful eyes were slightly unfocused, and every now and then she would simply stare at him without saying a word.

Lucas smiled helplessly.

"Looks like the alcohol is finally catching up to you."

Maya blinked slowly.

"I’m... fine..."

She tried to sit up straight.

Only to sway slightly the next second.

Lucas quickly reached out and supported her.

"You call this fine?"

Maya pouted a little but didn’t argue.

She really was beginning to feel dizzy.

Seeing that she could barely keep her balance, Lucas decided not to let her continue drinking.

"Come on."

"I’ll take you upstairs."

As he spoke, Lucas gently bent down before carefully lifting Maya into his arms.

One arm supported her back.

The other rested beneath her knees.

It was a classic princess carry.

Maya’s eyes widened slightly.

A faint blush immediately spread across her already rosy cheeks.

This...

Was the first time in her life she had ever been carried by a man like this.

Subconsciously...

She wrapped one hand around Lucas’s shoulder to steady herself.

The faint scent of alcohol mixed with the fresh fragrance of his clothes drifted into her nose.

Along with it...

Was the warm, masculine scent unique to Lucas.

For a brief moment...

Maya felt slightly dazed.

Her heartbeat quietly accelerated.

In reality...

She wasn’t nearly as drunk as Lucas imagined.

She was only slightly tipsy.

Her mind remained surprisingly clear.

She knew exactly what Lucas was doing.

He was simply taking her upstairs so she could rest.

But for some reason...

Her thoughts gradually became more and more chaotic.

"He’s still so composed..."

"Even now..."

"He isn’t taking advantage of me at all..."

Then another thought suddenly popped into her mind.

"Later..."

"Will he... do anything?"

The thought instantly made Maya’s face grow even hotter.

"W-What am I thinking?"

"Do I actually want him to...?"

"Or... do I not?"

Her heart became increasingly restless.

Meanwhile...

Lucas carried her steadily upstairs before gently pushing open the bedroom door.

He carefully lowered Maya onto the soft bed, making sure she was comfortable before pulling the blanket over her.

After thinking for a moment...

He walked to the nearby table, poured a glass of warm water, and placed it beside the bed.

"If you wake up thirsty later..."

"You’ll have something to drink."

Only after making sure everything was in place did Lucas finally relax.

His gaze inadvertently fell upon Maya once again.

Even beneath the thin blanket...

Her graceful figure was impossible to conceal, especially that big, juicy ass of hers that demanded attention with every subtle shift.

Her naturally elegant curves formed a breathtaking silhouette beneath the soft fabric.

Lucas couldn’t help swallowing.

He was still a perfectly healthy man.

It would be a lie to say he felt nothing.

But...

Looking at Maya’s slightly flushed face...

He quietly shook his head.

He had no intention of taking advantage of someone who wasn’t completely sober.

To Lucas...

Affection was only meaningful when it was mutual.

He wanted Maya to willingly accept him.

Not because she had drunk too much.

Lucas slowly sat down beside the bed and quietly observed Maya at such a close distance.

She truly deserved her reputation as Ashford University’s second campus belle.

Every feature on her face seemed carefully sculpted by heaven itself.

Her fair skin looked as delicate as porcelain.

Her long eyelashes gently rested against her cheeks.

Her petite nose was perfectly straight.

Her soft lips carried a naturally rosy color that became even more alluring after drinking.

The faint blush on her cheeks made her look less like the cold, capable businesswoman she usually was...

And more like an adorable girl next door.

Without realizing it...

Lucas found himself smiling.

After hesitating for a brief moment...

He slowly leaned forward.

Then...

Very gently...

He placed a soft kiss on Maya’s smooth forehead.

It was light.

Almost feather-like.

Yet the instant Lucas’s lips touched her skin...

Maya’s heartbeat nearly stopped.

Beneath the blanket...

Her fingers instinctively tightened around the edge of the quilt.

Her long eyelashes trembled ever so slightly.

Lucas immediately noticed the subtle movement.

He blinked in surprise.

"...Hm?"

"I thought she was asleep..."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"...Could it be..."

Lucas looked at the sleeping Maya for a moment before silently calling out in his mind.

"System..."

"I want to hear Maya’s inner thoughts."

He wanted to see for himself whether the newly unlocked feature actually worked.

[Ding! Host’s request detected.]

[Mind Insight activated.]

[15 Points deducted.]

[Remaining Points: 85]

The next second...

A gentle voice suddenly echoed inside Lucas’s mind.

"Ahhh... he kissed me..."

"It happened so suddenly..."

"I wasn’t even mentally prepared..."

A smile slowly appeared on Lucas’s face.

Then Maya’s thoughts continued.

"But..."

"Why did he only kiss my forehead?"

"Does he... not have those kinds of feelings for me?"

"Am I not attractive enough?"

She immediately denied her own thoughts.

"No..."

"If he didn’t like me..."

"He wouldn’t have kissed me at all."

"So..."

"He definitely likes me."

After a brief pause...

Another thought surfaced.

"Then why did he stop after just one kiss?"

"Seriously..."

"He’s so dense..."

Lucas almost laughed out loud.

The thoughts kept coming.

"If only..."

"I could sleep in his arms tonight..."

"His chest felt so warm..."

"And... so firm..."

The memory made Maya’s heartbeat quicken.

"Wait..."

"Am I becoming some kind of pervert?"

"Why am I thinking about things like this..."

Listening to every one of Maya’s thoughts...

Lucas couldn’t stop the smile on his face.

He had always thought Maya was the calm, mature, and capable type.

Who would’ve imagined...

Behind that elegant exterior...

She was just like any ordinary girl.

She got shy.

She overthought things.

And secretly hoped the man she liked would understand her heart.

Lucas suddenly found her even more adorable.

Since Maya wanted to continue pretending to be asleep...

He decided to play along.

Lucas slowly stood up and deliberately sighed.

"Maya..."

"You’ve had a really exhausting day."

"Get some good rest."

"I won’t disturb you anymore."

After speaking...

He walked toward the bedroom door.

The lights were switched off one by one.

The room gradually became dark.

Lucas intentionally made his footsteps loud enough for Maya to hear.

Then...

He slowly opened the bedroom door.

Click.

The sound echoed clearly.

A few heavy footsteps followed.

Only...

Instead of actually leaving...

Lucas quietly stepped back into the room.

He gently closed the door again without making another sound.

Click.

The bedroom instantly became silent.

A few seconds later...

Maya slowly opened one eye.

Seeing the dark room...

Her heart inexplicably sank.

"He... really left?"

A trace of disappointment quietly spread across her face.

"Seriously..."

"I’m already lying on his bed..."

"And he still left..."

"Am I really that unattractive?"

She turned over and hugged the pillow tightly.

Pouting slightly, she muttered under her breath,

"...Not at all."

"You’re very attractive."

The familiar voice suddenly came from beside the door.

Maya’s entire body stiffened.

"W-What?"

She hurriedly reached for the bedside lamp.

Click.

The warm light illuminated the room once more.

There...

Leaning casually against the bedroom door...

Was Lucas.

He looked at her with an amused smile.

Maya’s beautiful eyes instantly widened.

"L-Lucas..."

"You..."

Her face turned completely red.

A horrifying realization suddenly struck her.

"Did he..."

"Know I wasn’t asleep all along?"

Then...

Another thought hit her even harder.

"Doesn’t that mean..."

"He heard everything I just said?"

Embarrassment flooded her entire body.

Without thinking...

She immediately pulled the blanket over her head like an ostrich burying itself in the sand.

She simply couldn’t face Lucas anymore.

Lucas couldn’t help laughing.

He slowly walked over before sitting gently on the edge of the bed.

"Maya..."

"I thought you were completely drunk."

"So why did you wake up the moment I left?"

From beneath the blanket came Maya’s muffled voice.

"You did it on purpose..."

"You’re so annoying..."

"No one bullies people like this..."

Lucas smiled before lightly tapping the blanket covering her head.

"Didn’t someone just complain that I left?"

"So..."

"Now that I stayed..."

"Shouldn’t you be happy?"

Maya’s heartbeat became increasingly chaotic.

She stubbornly replied,

"...I’m not happy at all."

Lucas deliberately nodded.

"Oh?"

"Really?"

"In that case..."

"I guess I should leave for real this time."

As he stood up...

Maya instantly panicked.

Before Lucas could even take a single step...

A soft hand suddenly reached out from beneath the blanket.

It gently grabbed his wrist.

"...Don’t go."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Lucas stopped.

Looking at Maya’s hand holding onto him...

The smile in his eyes became noticeably gentler.

Without another word...

He sat back down beside her.