I handed Zachary a warm glass of milk.
“Does it taste good, Uncle?”
After he finished it, he pinched my cheek. “Of course.”

Ten minutes later, he fell asleep.
I was amazed.
The sleeping pills were seriously far too effective.
Avalon contacted me. [Summer, can you make it?]
I was changing into my dress, and I replied excitedly, [Of course, I—]
Before I could finish typing my message, someone snatched my phone away.

Zachary stared at the phone, and his gaze was a little dark. “Is this why you were so suspiciously nice today?”
I pursed my lips and dared not look up.
[Meet you at the hotel at midnight.]
When Zachary read the message, he was practically hissing.

“Uncle, I…”
He took a look at my dress, and his expression turned even darker.
“Summer, I told you before that you’d be punished if you lied.”
He was going to hit my palm again!
I hid my hands behind my back. “No!”
Yet, with just a glare, I obediently extended my hand.
“Could you be gentler?”
He removed his necktie slowly and covered my eyes.
“Uncle, why are you covering my eyes when you’re just going to hit my palm? And why are you lifting my dress?!”
…
I lay in bed and bit my lip. My face was flushed red.
Zachary did not hit my hand.
Instead, he hit another place that was, quite frankly, too embarrassing for me to name.
My ears turned red.
“You even spiked my drink.”
I wanted to cry. “I won’t do it again…”
He removed his necktie, and the embarrassment I felt earlier drowned me.
I could only sit in bed as I waited for him to lecture me.
However, before he started, his phone rang.
When he answered it, I heard Melody’s voice.
She laughed really sweetly.
Zachary answered, “Alright. I’ll treat you to a meal next time.”
I was unhappy.
Zachary really liked her. When he answered the phone, he even smiled.
What was I to him, then?
Nothing, apparently.
I was just a niece who was not related to him by blood.
Furious, I wanted to rush out of the room, but he grabbed me by the waist and pulled me back.
After he ended the call, he caressed my cheek affectionately. “Where are you going this time?”
I turned my head and refused to look at him. “What’s the meaning of this? You already have Melody, so why are you so nice to me? If you like her so much, go to her! Why are you still trying to control my life?”
Suddenly, he laughed. “I like Melody?”
“You don’t have to brag about how much you love her to me. I don’t want to hear it.”
Zachary huffed. “You seriously can’t tell who I really like?”
He stared at me with various emotions flashing in his eyes.
“I know that you like—Mmph…”
Before I could finish my sentence, Zachary sealed my lips shut.
He swallowed the words I did not manage to say with his kiss.
Zachary grabbed the back of my head with one hand and held my waist with the other to deepen the kiss.
I fell into his arms and felt my mind going blank.
Zachary was kissing me.
This was real.
I was worried that this was going to be another dream, and all my hopes and delight would be dashed again when I woke up.
Without thinking, I hugged him tightly.
Right then, he erupted like a volcano that had been lying dormant for a long time.