Yelena was baffled.
Completely caught off guard, frozen in place.
Her brain simply...stopped working.
She had expected him to give another teasing, ridiculous answer like before—sothing playful, outrageous, anything she could swat away with a sharp retort and an indignant blush.
But this?...This was a direct hit straight to her heart.
’He knows?’ Her mind scrambled for sense. ’He knows I love him?’
’That was impossible. How could he know? Was he joking?’
Was he just playing with her, teasing her again like he always did?
Or...did he genuinely an it?
Did he actually know what she’d been trying to bury deep within herself all this ti?
How long has he known? Since when? How much does he know?
Those were the questions swirling through her mind at the mont.
And right now, her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. Her hands trembled, and she clutched one with the other to stop it.
It was unbearable. Her mind felt more fried than it had been even during her battle with the Eternal Queen.
At least then, she’d known what she was facing.
But this? This was emotional war.
And he was winning effortlessly.
Still, she had to fight back.
She had to.
No matter what he said, she couldn’t just stand here and accept it. She had to deny it, had to pretend she was stronger than the truth.
Gripping her trembling hand tightly, she forced herself to raise her head, eting his gaze with a brave, if shaky, smile.
"Mika..." She said, her voice wavering before she forced a laugh. "Y-You’re joking, right? What are you even saying? What a—what a ridiculous thing to say!"
She laughed again, too loud, too nervous.
"I know you’re just trying to tease , pulling one of your pranks again. You’re saying these absurd things just to fluster , aren’t you? I an, , falling in love with you? Hah! What a joke! What an absolute joke!"
She laughed and laughed, but the sound was hollow, strained, forced. Her heart was trembling too much for it to sound real.
But Mika didn’t laugh with her.
He didn’t even blink and looked like he was having none of her excuses at the mont.
"Yelena..." He said calmly, cutting through her laughter. "There’s no need to go on with that bullshit. You know as well as I do that I can see through your lies."
Her laughter died in her throat.
"I already know for sure..." He continued, his eyes locked onto hers. "...that you have feelings for . Not as a son. Not as family..But as a man."
The way he said it, straightforward, steady, utterly confident, made her chest tighten painfully.
He then took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them as he continued to corner her saying,
"Maybe the Mika you used to know, the one from yesterday—the one who only saw you as his mother, would’ve believed that ridiculous lie of yours."
"He was blind. He wouldn’t have figured it out, no matter how strange you acted, because he couldn’t imagine that you of all people would ever fall for him."
Yelena swallowed hard, her lips trembling.
"But this Mika..." He said, his voice dropping lower as a grin touched his lips. "..this Mika is different."
She blinked rapidly as he leaned closer.
"I’m thoroughly in love with you now, Yelena." He whispered. "Which ans I’m aware, painfully aware, of every emotion, every look, every hesitation of yours."
"And the way you’ve been with these past few days...the way you acted this morning...it all made it obvious. You’re in love with too."
Her entire face went pale, while he smiled faintly, tilting his head.
"You may be able to hide it from everyone else. But not from . When you’re with , you’re an open book. I can read everything, the guilt, the fear."
"...the longing you’re trying so hard to bury."
Yelena’s throat went dry.
He had figured it out. Every word he said hit too close to ho, cutting past every wall she’d built around herself.
And the terrifying part?...It made sense.
The Mika before, the one who’d kept his distance, who had seen her only as Charlotte’s mother, never would have noticed. Even if she’d told him straight out, he would’ve laughed it off, thinking she was teasing.
But this Mika, the one standing in front of her now, was different.
This Mika could read her like no one else ever could. His eyes felt like they could reach into her soul and pull the truth out of her without rcy.
He’d always been like this, she realized.
Always noticing things without her having to say a word.
When she was sad, he was always there to comfort her before she even asked. When she was bored or lonely, he’d find so excuse to visit, to make her laugh.
He had always been aware, always in tune with her.
And now...that barrier that had existed before was gone.
Now that he saw her not as a mother figure—but as a woman, there was no hiding left and that was exactly why Mika was so brazen right now, completely using his new love to mask his true thoughts.
But even though his words hit so deeply, even though her heart scread that he was right...she couldn’t let it show. She couldn’t accept it.
To do so would destroy everything.
Yelena folded her arms tightly across her chest, forcing herself to glare at him.
"Mika." She said sharply, though her voice trembled slightly. "That’s absurd. Completely absurd! Do you really expect to fall for what you’re saying? I would never feel that way about you. That’s impossible."
He raised an eyebrow, as ahe pressed on, her voice growing stronger with each word.
"I an, just think about what you’re saying! You’re my son! The baby I held in my hands. And I’m your mother! I raised you, Mika! I cooked for you, took care of you, watched you grow up, I even changes your damn diapers!"
"So, do you really think I—of all people—would ever fall for a boy so much younger than ?! The sa boy who I used to wipe the snot off his nose from?! The sa boy my daughter is love with?!
"What a joke! It’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard!"
She finished, her chest heaving, trying desperately to hold on to her pride.
But Mika...only chuckled.
"Oh, Yelena." He murmured, shaking his head with that sa disarming grin. "It’s honestly adorable, the way you keep trying to deny it, even though it’s so obvious."
"S-Stop it!"
"No, really." He smiled wider. "Keep it up, if you like. Act tough. Pretend you don’t feel anything. It doesn’t bother ."
He stepped closer again, voice lowering into a deep murmur.
"Because I already know the truth. You’re in love with and there’s no need to convince you, as you’ll soon admit it yourself."
"W-What...?" Her eyes widened.
He grinned, leaning even closer until his breath brushed her ear.
"You see, Yelena, my goal isn’t to make you believe . My goal...is to make you say it. To make you confess, with your own words, that you love , that you want to be with ."
Yelena’s pulse stopped for a beat, as he straightened up, his tone soft but certain.
"And I promise you this, Yelena. By the ti this state of mine ends—you will confess. You’ll say it yourself, that you love , that you want . You’ll beg to stay by my side."
Her face went red as a tomato at the shocking declaration.
"M-Mika!" She sputtered, and before she could stop herself, she punched his chest lightly, flustered beyond words. "Shut up! Shut up, you idiot! Stop saying those absurd things! That’s never going to happen, you hear ?! Never!"
He only chuckled, completely unfazed, eyes glinting with amusent.
"Say whatever you want, Yelena."
He murmured, sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her in just slightly, his voice lowering to a whisper.
"Hide behind your words. Put up that shield all you like. But in the end..."
He leaned close enough for her to feel his breath against her skin.
"...the one who’ll confess will be you. And I’ll make sure of it."
Yelena’s breath hitched, her entire body tensing.
She tried to glare at him, tried to look unshaken, but her pulse betrayed her. Her heart was pounding so fast she could feel it in her throat.
And in that mont, she knew, he wasn’t bluffing.
This boy would break her defenses, bit by bit, until she’d have no choice but to surrender.
And just as she was wondering what to do to combat Mika push him away, she was suddenly caught off when Mika wrapped his hands around her and—casually grabbed her butt and gave it a tight, bold squeeze.
She yelped, jumping in his arms. "M-Mika!" She squealed, glaring at him, face burning.
But Mika only grinned, unbothered, his grip possessive and sure.
"Now that the ssy stuff is over, and we’ve had our talk." He said with an annoyingly playful glint in his eyes. "I think it’s about ti we moved on to more fun things...Don’t you?"
That look sent a chill down her spine.
"What...What fun stuff are you talking about, Mika?"
She asked, instantly wary, her eyes narrowing. "
What do you want to do? I...I don’t like that look in your eyes right now. It feels like you’re about to do sothing really bad."
He didn’t even try to deny it. Leaning closer, his voice dropped to a low, mischievous murmur.
"You’re not wrong. I am going to do sothing bad. Sothing I know you’ll pretend not to like, but your body will tell otherwise."
She gulped, panic flickering behind her eyes. "Mika, what are you—?"
He cut her off, drawing even closer.
"Honestly, when I look back on it, the old Mika was really stupid."
He reached up and squeezed her breast right through her shirt, bold and shaless, making her gasp.
"He still saw you as an caretaker, a ntor, so he held himself back, didn’t do anything too daring. I can’t believe he could have a woman like you, so beautiful and sexy, and just let you slip through his fingers."
"But if it was the current , if I’d realized sooner...If I’d known I could have a woman like you, Yelena, I would’ve ravaged you so long ago. I would’ve made you mine every way I could, and left you shuddering in my arms."
Her heart skipped, her cheeks burning even hotter. She couldn’t help but glance up at him, wide-eyed, her voice soft and trembling.
"Just...Just what are you trying to say, Mika? I...I don’t understand..."
He gave her a slow, sultry smile.
"What I’m saying is...I can’t hold myself back anymore. Charlotte was right. I am passionate—too passionate, especially when I have a gorgeous woman with a body like yours in my arms, especially knowing that you’ll never really resist."
"No matter how much you deny it, no matter what I do...you’ll let ."
He squeezed her butt again, this ti lifting her slightly, shaking her gently from side to side, making her blush fiercely.
"And holding these big, juicy cheeks in my hands...God, Yelena, do you know how hard it is not to fuck you right here?"
To her utter sha, the thought sent a jolt of thrill straight through her. She could hardly believe how much she wanted it, how much she wanted to just let go and let him have his way with her.
But she shook her head, trying to muster so defense, even though her knees were already weak.
"N-No! No, Mika, you can’t do that. There’s no way I’ll allow it." She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but it was half-hearted at best.
And deep down, she knew her argunts wouldn’t hold up. Mika always did whatever he wanted anyway and she knew that she has to use his words against him.
So she squinted at him, trying to sound more stern than she felt.
"A-And Mika, just a mont ago you said you’d never force yourself on a woman, that you’re a gentleman. So I expect you to act like one now."
"If I say no, you have to stop, right?...That’s what a real gentleman does."
She folded her arms with a sense of finality, hoping that would be enough to halt him, even though she doubted he would agree.
But to her surprise, Mika paused and actually nodded.
"Right, right. That makes sense." He said, stepping back just slightly, as if considering her words. "If you don’t want it, I won’t do anything."
Yelena blinked, startled, and a little proud.
"That’s more like it." She said, a small, relieved smile flickering over her lips.
For just a mont, she actually thought she had the upper hand.
But just as her shoulders relaxed, he gave her a sly, dangerous look.
"...But I do wonder." Mika mused aloud. "What would happen if Charlotte found out that you, of all people, were in love with ."
"Imagine, your own daughter learning that her mother had fallen for the sa man she did, not to ntion him being her very son she used to bottle feed."
Hearing this threat, Yelena’s blood ran cold.
She stiffened, eyes going wide, panic flickering across her face.
"D-Don’t you dare, Mika."
She whispered, her voice trembling. She then gave a half-hearted smile and added,
"Not to ntion, that she wouldn’t believe you. There’s no way my daughter would ever believe I’d fall in love with you...Just think about how she was yesterday, she treated the idea as a joke. If you tell her sothing like that, she’ll just laugh and ignore it."
But Mika only circled her, his tone lazy but threatening.
"Sure, maybe she’ll laugh it off at first...But you know Charlotte, Yelena. She’s not stupid. If I plant that seed in her mind, if I tell her outright, she’ll start paying attention."
"She’ll watch you. She’ll notice every look, every touch, every reaction you have to . It won’t take her long. She’ll figure it out. I guarantee it."
The threat sank in, and Yelena’s panic rose. She knew Mika was right. As playful as Charlotte could be, she was sharp, especially about the people she loved. It wouldn’t take her long to see through everything.
Realising that she was at a dead end, Yelena’s lip quivered, her eyes stinging with sudden tears.
"Y-You’re bullying ." She choked out, her voice breaking. "Mika, you’re bullying too much. This isn’t fair at all. You can’t blackmail like this, it’s not fair!"
"It’s not blackmail, Yelena...It’s just a bit of persuasion." He rolled his eyes, but his smile didn’t fade. "Don’t mix the two up."
He then leaned in, lips brushing her ear, voice a low, silky threat.
"So, unless you want to go tell Charlotte about the truth you’re hiding...I suggest you do what I say."
She glared at him, her face burning with humiliation and anger.
If she could, she would have pinched his ears, made him stand in the corner like a misbehaving child.
But she knew, deep down, he had her in the palm of his hand. There was nothing she could do, he had found her weakness.
Her eyes shimred as she pouted, her tone pitiful and defeated.
"Fine...What do you want to do, Mika? Just tell , you big bully. I’ll do it for you. But don’t expect to make it easy on you."
Mika’s face lit up in victorious delight. He casually leaned back, hands still on her hips, and grinned down at her.
Yelena glared up at him, furious and helpless, wanting to punch him, pinch his cheeks, drag him to the corner like she used to when he was young. But she knew, deep down, that he had her completely. He was holding her greatest weakness over her, and there was nothing she could do.
She bit her lip, tears prickling at the edges of her eyes. Finally, she gave in, her voice quiet and defeated.
"Fine. What...what do you want to do? Tell , you big bully. I’ll do it."
Mika’s face lit up with an infuriatingly victorious smile. He let go of her waist, stepping back just enough to give her room, but his eyes never left her.
"Nothing too difficult." He said, his voice low and commanding. "I just want you to strip down, Yelena. Take off your clothes for and then—"
"...bend over the counter, and show off that gorgeous ass to ."
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