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Ian pressed his lips together. Before Lynn could react, he stepped forward and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

He said pleadingly, “Don’t be so cruel to me. I’ve missed you so much, so I just want to stay with you a little longer, even if it’s just to look at you without doing anything.”

As if she’d fall for that. “Then let me go,” Lynn said coldly.

He said he wouldn’t do anything, but his hand was already caressing her back, even trying to slip under the hem of her clothes.

It was a good thing they had already done everything back when they were together. Otherwise, she couldn’t imagine how embarrassed she’d be right now.

Ian sighed and slowly released his grip. Lynn caught the flash of regret in his eyes and said irritably, “You can come in, but we have to set three ground rules.”

“Name them.”

“First, no touching. Second, you are not to enter my room. As for the third… I’ll let you know when I think of it.”

“Fine, I promise.” Ian nodded and followed Lynn into the villa.

The air conditioning was on inside, and Ian let out a sigh of pure relief. As he sat on the sofa, Lynn grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and tossed it to him. She stood opposite him and said, “Stay put. I’m going upstairs to change. Don’t move, and don’t even think about following me.”

Ian earnestly raised his hand as if taking an oath. Lynn just huffed and went upstairs.

Hearing the faint noises from upstairs, Ian glanced around, taking in the villa’s interior design. As his eyes swept over the staircase, two large forms came bounding down, their claws making sharp clicks on the steps.

Ian’s face lit up with delighted surprise. He stood and took a few steps forward, but then he remembered Lynn’s orders and stopped in his tracks.

Kiki and Hengheng, however, scampered right over to him. They scrambled up his pant leg and all the way onto his shoulders, meowing up a storm.

Their familiar antics sparked a question in Ian’s mind. A question that, if answered the way he hoped, would make him ecstatic.

He whispered, “You two… you still remember me, don’t you?”

‘If things had followed the original course,’ he thought, ‘before Lynn came back to find me after three years, I wouldn’t have even known Kiki existed, let alone Hengheng, who she got later. But the way they’re acting so familiar with me now… there’s no way they don’t recognize me.’

Kiki and Hengheng started licking his face insistently, something they never would have done before. Their round cat eyes darted about, and Ian could only come to one conclusion: ‘They really remember me!’

Ian was on the verge of tears. He had thought that besides himself and the instigator, Jared Sterling, no one else could possibly have memories of the past timeline with Lynn. He never, ever imagined that these two cats would remember.

He hugged both cats and showered them with kisses, a scene Lynn walked in on as she came back downstairs.

‘That’s strange,’ Lynn thought. Kiki and Hengheng weren’t friendly with Zane Lancaster or Joel Winslow. Zane had even gotten scratched once for trying to pet Kiki. Yet here they were, acting like limp ragdolls, perfectly docile no matter how Ian hugged or cuddled them.

“What did you do to them?” Lynn asked, her curiosity piqued.

Ian blinked innocently. “Nothing. Maybe we just have a special connection. It’s like they were destined to call me Dad.”

“…You’re insane.”

Lynn muttered the insult, then settled on the sofa with her tablet. She started eating some fruit while watching a variety show, laughing happily.

Ian played with the two cats for a little while, but his eyes kept drifting over to Lynn. Finally, unable to resist any longer, he moved to sit beside her. He leaned in to see what was on her tablet and whispered, “What’s so entertaining?”

Lynn shot him a look and hummed noncommittally, her gaze returning to the screen. She didn’t notice that Ian’s attention had long since drifted from the show to her lips as they moved.

A flicker of a smile crossed his eyes. He suddenly leaned in and stole a kiss from her lips. As Lynn’s head snapped toward him, he threw his hands up in surrender, grinning. “You said I couldn’t get handsy. You never said anything about using my mouth.”

“Are you some kind of shameless mutt?!” Lynn was furious at his audacity. She shoved him away, stood up, and glared daggers at Ian. ℯ𝐥.𝒄ℴ𝓶

Ian had lost count of how many times Lynn had glared at him since their reunion; it didn’t even faze him anymore.

He stood, pulled her into his arms, plucked the tablet from her hand and tossed it onto the sofa. Then he swept her up into a bridal carry and started walking upstairs.

She was no match for his strength. No matter how much she struggled, he held her fast. Lynn shouted in fury, “Are you insane? This is my house! What do you think you’re doing?”

“Love,” Ian replied breezily, a smirk playing on his lips.

Lynn raised a hand and pinched him, but he just grimaced in pain and refused to let go. Left with no other choice, Lynn yelled at the two cats, who were busy licking their paws on the sofa.

But Kiki and Hengheng had seen this sort of thing from the two of them before. They were long used to their dramatics and paid them no mind.

Once on the second floor, Ian gave a casual glance around and easily located Lynn’s bedroom. He carried her inside without breaking stride, kicked the door shut, and set her down, pinning her arms as he lowered his head to kiss her.

Lynn’s eyes were red with fury. As his lips pressed against hers, she opened her mouth and bit down—hard.

She bit hard enough to draw blood instantly, but Ian didn’t seem to care in the slightest, continuing to press his mouth against hers.

He murmured, “I’ve missed you so much, baby.”

Lynn was about to bite him again, but his pleading tone melted her resolve. She let out a soft, frustrated sound, wrapped her arms around Ian’s neck, and closed her eyes, kissing him back.

Ian’s eyes were glistening and red-rimmed. “Where’s the bathroom?” he asked, breathing heavily.

Lynn looked into his eyes, their gazes locking. His kisses had long since chased away any lingering reserve. She gave a soft laugh, tugged on the hem of Ian’s shirt, and led him toward the bathroom.

She was a woman who appreciated life’s finer pleasures. Born into a family of wealth and power, she’d had only the best of everything since she was a child. In all her life, she had met countless men, but not a single one had ever left a lasting impression or occupied her thoughts.

Except for the man beside her. After meeting him, she could never get him out of her mind. Embarrassing, heated thoughts surfaced one after another, until finally, unable to bear it any longer, she’d had no choice but to take Mrs. Sterling and the others with her to her maternal grandfather’s home in Veridia.

Lynn was pressed against the tiled wall, her eyes hazy as she gazed into Ian’s.

She still remembered how she had been the one to approach him first. He had been even more arrogant than she was, giving her a single cold glance before turning and walking away. She had sworn then and there: if she couldn’t train this man to be her obedient dog, she’d take his last name.

Lynn’s thoughts drifted to the time after they had gotten together.

Just one kiss from her and he would blush so furiously he looked like he was about to combust. But after that first time, he learned how to please her. The change in his personality had been astonishing, even to Lynn.

Now, Lynn lowered her gaze to the man kneeling before her and asked in a soft voice.

“You were so proud and cold back then. How did you end up kneeling here now?”