Chapter 9: Narrow Escape

A knock on the door.

"Runze? Are you in there?"

I can’t answer, can’t move. Bael’s hand is firm over my mouth, his body pressed against my back, both of us frozen.

Another knock.

"Runze?"

Then another voice, farther away.

"Feifei? Have you seen Bael? Your father wants to do a toast."

"I... no. I’m looking for my brother, he hasn’t come back from the bathroom."

"Oh." A pause. "Well, I’m sure they’re both fine. Come, we should find them."

The footsteps retreat.

But we’re not alone yet.

"Mrs. Li?" A male voice. One of the hotel staff? "Is everything alright?"

"Yes, fine. Just looking for my son."

"The restroom is occupied, ma’am. Perhaps he’s in the other one? Down the hall?"

"Oh. Yes, of course."

More footsteps. Retreating this time.

Then silence.

Bael’s hand slowly releases my mouth.

We’re both breathing too hard, hearts racing for entirely different reasons now.

"How long?" I whisper.

"Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen."

"We can’t stay here that long."

"We don’t have a choice."

He’s right. The knot is still firmly swollen, locking us together, trying to pull apart would be agonizing and possibly injure us both.

So we wait.

Pressed together in horrible, tense silence.

After what feels like an eternity, I feel the knot start to deflate slowly, painfully slowly.

"Almost," Bael murmurs.

When it’s finally soft enough, he pulls out carefully. I bite back a whimper at the sensation, at the loss, at the come and slick trailing down my thighs.

We’re both a mess.

He tucks himself back into his pants, zips up, adjusts his jacket, runs a hand through his hair, in seconds he looks... presentable, a little flushed, maybe, but otherwise fine.

I look like I’ve been thoroughly fucked in a bathroom.

"Clean yourself up," he says, his voice cold again, professional, like the last twenty minutes didn’t happen.

I do my best with paper towels, pulling my pants back up, trying to straighten my clothes, my hands are shaking.

He watches me in the mirror, his expression unreadable.

"You’re going to tell them you were sick."

"What?"

"When you go back out there, tell them you felt ill, needed to splash water on your face. That’s why you were gone so long."

"And you?"

"I’ll go out first. Wait five minutes, then follow." He adjusts his cufflinks. "And Runze?"

I meet his eyes in the mirror.

"This doesn’t happen again."

"You said that last time."

His jaw tightens. "I mean it this time."

"Sure you do."

He turns toward the door, then pauses.

"If you tell anyone..."

"I know. You’ll destroy me, I’ve got it."

He leaves without another word.

I stand there, gripping the counter, staring at my reflection.

My lips are swollen, my neck has marks he was careful enough to hide under my collar but I can feel them, I smell like sex and alpha and shame.

I splash cold water on my face, try to make myself presentable.

Five minutes later, I walk back into the ballroom.

Mother finds me immediately.

"Where have you been?"

"Bathroom, I felt sick."

"Sick?" Her eyes narrow. "You look terrible."

"Thanks."

"Well, try to pull yourself together, people are starting to notice."

I nod numbly and escape to my corner.

Across the room, Bael has returned to Feifei’s side, his hand is on her waist again, he’s smiling, saying something that makes her laugh.

Like nothing happened.

Like he didn’t just fuck her brother in a bathroom while she was looking for him.

I grab another glass of champagne.

This time, a waiter stops me. "Perhaps some water, sir? You look a bit unwell."

Right. I’m supposed to be sick.

I take the water.

The party continues, toasts are made, photos are taken, Feifei and Bael cut a cake (when did that happen?). Everyone smiles and congratulates them.

I stand in my corner, sipping water, watching it all unfold like a nightmare I can’t wake up from.

At some point, Feifei comes over.

"Are you okay? Mother said you were sick."

"I’m fine, I just... needed some air."

"You sure?" She touches my forehead. "You feel warm."

"I’m fine, Feifei. Really."

She doesn’t look convinced, but she lets it go. "Okay. But if you need to leave early, I’ll understand."

"I’m staying."

She smiles and hugs me. "Thanks for being here. I know these things aren’t really your scene, but... it means a lot."

Guilt twists in my stomach like a knife.

"Yeah. Of course."

She goes back to Bael, back to her perfect fiance.

I stay in my corner, watching them, feeling the ache between my legs, and wondering how the hell I’m supposed to survive this.

Three days ago, I was dead.

Now I’m alive, trapped in someone else’s body, fucking my sister’s fiance in bathrooms at engagement parties.

This is hell.

This has to be hell.

Because nothing else makes sense anymore.