[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":10},["ShallowReactive",2],{"viewer-data-260322F482CA-411":3},{"id":4,"number":5,"name":6,"content":7,"isLocked":8,"price":9,"hasRead":8},411,63,"Chapter 63: The Trap She Signed Up For","\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"What are you doing?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell poured two cubes of brown sugar from the jar, replying with measured calm, \"Making you some warm brown sugar water.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As the sugar cubes hit the water with a soft splash, he continued, \"The store had two kinds—plain brown sugar and ginger-infused. I figured you weren't a fan of ginger, so I went with the plain.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I asked the clerk; she said both work about the same. Just drinking something warm should make you feel a bit better.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Try this first. If it doesn't do the trick, we can swap it out for the ginger stuff, okay?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna’s lips parted, but no words came out. She stared blankly at his silhouette just a few feet away, back turned to her as he fussed over the kettle.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">To give her a better view of the night skyline, he’d kept the lights off. He was hunched over now, searching for an outlet on the wall. He looked oddly endearing—almost comical in his focus.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Yet, a sudden, sharp ache blossomed in Arianna’s chest. Her eyes grew hot, and her nose stung. It felt like a stone had been dropped into a quiet lake, sending ripples out that refused to settle. She could hear the frantic rhythm of her own heart.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">When she didn’t answer for a long moment, Maxwell glanced over his shoulder. \"Everything okay?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Thank God the room was dim; he couldn't see the shimmer of tears in her eyes. She sniffled softly. \"I'm fine.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell didn’t dwell on it. He assumed the moodiness was just part of the cramps and hoped the sugar water would settle her. He turned back to his task. As the kettle began to heat up, he asked, \"Are you going to drink the water first, or take your pain meds?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I already took some,\" Arianna replied.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">As she spoke, Maxwell noticed the box of painkillers sitting on the TV stand. It was the exact same brand he’d just purchased. He walked over and sat down beside her, his voice dropping to a gentle murmur. \"You’ve already taken the medicine, and it still hurts this much?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Maybe I’ve built up a tolerance,\" Arianna said, thinking it over seriously. \"It used to work like a charm when I first started taking them.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell shifted closer. His lean, firm arm brushed against hers, and she could feel the tension of his muscles beneath his sleeve. He naturally reached over, taking her hand and massaging her pale fingertips with slow, rhythmic strokes. He moved from her fingers to the back of her hand, his thumb tracing slow circles against her skin.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Under normal circumstances, this felt like the kind of loaded, sensual gesture that would have sent Arianna’s imagination into an uncontrollable tailspin—the kind of internal panic that usually forced her to run for the hills.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But tonight, there wasn't a hint of flirtation. She was in agony, her hands having gripped the throw pillow for hours; he was just trying to ease the tension in her fingers. And honestly, she only had one thought: she wanted to stay like this. She wanted to stay right here, even if it meant sitting in silence for the rest of the night.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Once he finished with one hand, he took the other, massaging it with the same patient care. \"I remember when you were in college,\" he said softly, \"you didn't have these kinds of problems, did you?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">*Problems?* She used to be a force of nature—eating anything in sight, bouncing around like a lunatic.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna felt a pang of self-reproach. \"It wasn't that bad then. But after I started working, my sleep schedule got messed up, my diet went to hell, and the cramps just... started happening.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"And by 'messed up,' you mean?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Staying up late,\" Arianna admitted.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Work-related?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Not entirely,\" she said, feeling embarrassed. \"I just... I don't want the day to end. It feels like as soon as I wake up, I'm already at the office. So, even when I’m exhausted—even when I’m so tired I’ve dropped my phone on my face—I still can't bring myself to sleep.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell was silent for a beat, his expression one of rare, genuine confusion.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"And your diet?\" he pressed, lips curving into a faint, knowing smile. \"What exactly were you eating?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Greasy stuff, spicy food, things that are too cold.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He arched a brow. \"For example?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"For example,\" Arianna started, listing them off, \"crab, shrimp, shellfish, watermelon, ice cream, alcohol, coffee, strong tea, chili peppers, Szechuan peppercorns...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">She thought he was just making small talk, so she rattled off the list without holding back. She didn't realize that Maxwell had pulled out his phone and opened his notes app. He typed every single item down.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Got it,\" he said, locking his phone. \"I’ve made a note of it.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"From now on, we’re following this protocol during your period. I’ll be the one supervising.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna stared at him, stunned. That... that wasn't what she meant at all. Look at her—literally digging her own grave, and doing it with a smile. She laughed dryly. \"That seems a bit excessive, don't you think?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell’s resolve was ironclad. \"We have two options. One: you stick to a strict, regimented diet during your period.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Or, two: I know a fantastic holistic specialist. We can go see him, get some herbal decoctions, and you can drink them on schedule to balance your system. What do you think?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna squinted at him. \"If I take the herbal stuff, does that mean I don't have to follow the diet?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">What would even be the point of the medicine otherwise?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"No,\" Maxwell said, looking impossibly reasonable. \"You'd still have to stick to the diet. Whatever the doctor says is off-limits stays off-limits.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">...Wait. What was the difference?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">What kind of herbalist would ever let someone on their period eat ice-cold food? Arianna remembered reading about a famous family of herbalists who wouldn't touch a cold drink even in the middle of a heatwave.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">But Arianna couldn't give up her sweets. Especially chocolate-covered ice cream bars, rich with fruit jam and creamy fudge. Just looking at them on a non-cramping day was enough to make her lose her mind. Her grandmother always said she was the type to forget the pain as soon as the hunger hit.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell watched her, eyes burning with focus, one eyebrow cocked. \"Well? Which one are you picking?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"Or we could go with both. Double down. You'll heal faster that way.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna: \"...\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I'll take the first one.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Maxwell squeezed her fingertips, his expression unreadable. \"Are you sure?\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna nodded. \"Sure.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">He sighed with mock regret. \"Fair enough. The first one it is. I’ll be keeping a very close eye on your diet from now on.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">\"I expect the future Mrs. King to be completely cooperative.\"\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna thought it wouldn't be that hard. \"No problem.\" She agreed, far too eager.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">It wasn't until the kettle began to whistle and steam, bubbles roiling in the water, that the reality hit her. She’d been played. From the start of this \"negotiation,\" he’d led her by the nose, and she’d walked blindly into his trap. And the worst part? The hunter looked like he was the one making a sacrifice, making her feel like she’d actually gotten the better end of the deal.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Arianna fought the urge to put her head in her hands.\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Wasn't this just basic childhood psychology? How had she fallen for it?\u003C/p>\u003Cp class=\"chapter-paragraph\">Then again, one look at him, and she knew: her judgment was clearly compromised.\u003C/p>",false,0,1774272907785]