My Vampire Beloved Husband
Chapter 115: Soft Whispers of Temptation

Chapter 115: Soft Whispers of Temptation

"What an infuriating job," Rose muttered slowly.

"This mouth of yours," Rylan said, his voice low and teasing, "could easily get you into trouble."

Before Rose could process his words, he did something unexpected. Leaning closer, he bumped his forehead lightly against hers. His nose brushed against hers, and for a fleeting moment, his lips hovered dangerously close to hers.

Rose’s eyes widened in shock as her breath hitched. She immediately pulled back, her cheeks burning in embarrassment. She had met many men but never this type, especially not one like him—so bold, so confident. A rush of heat surged through her, but she quickly masked it with a scowl.

Rylan smirked, clearly enjoying her reaction. "So, tell me," he said smoothly, "do you accept the job?"

Rose hesitated, her mind racing. She didn’t know why she felt so thrown off. Maybe it was the way he’d been looking at her all along, or perhaps it was how his touch had seemed to linger even after he pulled away. She forced her thoughts to focus, ignoring the fluttering in her chest.

"I’m not... I don’t usually do this kind of work," she said, her voice uncertain, but there was an edge of defensiveness in her tone. "But considering you really need someone—and you’ve given me a place to stay—I couldn’t possibly leave here to work somewhere else. Not when you need help."

Rylan rolled his eyes, smirking at her roundabout way of admitting defeat. He could see right through her stubbornness. She was reluctant, yes, but she was not the type to abandon someone when they were in need, no matter how much she tried to hide it.

"I accept the job," she muttered, folding her arms tightly across her chest, turning her gaze away from him. She didn’t want him to see the vulnerability in her eyes. It was bad enough that she had agreed to work for him, but to admit it so openly? It made her feel weak.

But Rylan wasn’t done. His smirk widened as he leaned back and added, "That’s not all."

Rose blinked, her stomach sinking. "What do you mean?"

"You’ll start calling me ’Master Rylan,’" he said, his tone calm but commanding, as if it were the most reasonable request in the world.

Her eyes widened, disbelief etched across her face. "You can’t be serious."

"Oh, but I am."

Rose bit her lower lip, trying desperately to swallow her anger. The smug look on his face was testing every ounce of her patience. She clenched her fists at her sides, silently wondering how long she’d be able to endure this man without snapping.

Who would have thought the pay for being a housekeeper for this man she had underestimated would actually be so generous? In fact, it was far more than Rose had expected. The brief happiness that flickered in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Rylan.

Finally, he spoke. "Now that you’ve been hired, I’ll give you a day off—starting now until tomorrow afternoon—to prepare yourself. During this time, the contract will be ready for signing. I’ll also show you around to familiarize you with the place."

Rose glanced at him, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. She nodded in acknowledgment.

"And now," Rylan continued, "let’s address the real reason I brought you here—what happened earlier."

Rose’s cheeks flushed, and she instinctively looked up at him. "It’s fine, mister," she said, biting her lip to suppress the urge to retort sarcastically. After all, she was practically a housekeeper now.

"It’s fine," she repeated, attempting to maintain composure. "Let the past stay in the past."

Rylan leaned back, his expression unreadable. "I can see you’re not particularly fond of your new master," he said with a smirk. His proud demeanor grated on her nerves, but she kept her thoughts to herself.

Rose bit back an angry remark. Instead, she said, "I don’t want to talk about it right now. Please, could you give me some time?"

Rylan gave a slow nod, his gaze steady. "It’s fine. I can give you all the time you need. After all, you work here now." He finished with a sly wink before turning and closing the door behind him.

As soon as he left, Rose let out a growl of frustration, slamming her hand against the wooden bunker. "What an infuriating man," she muttered under her breath. She took a deep breath, reminding herself of the good pay. She couldn’t afford to jeopardize this job. With the money, she could finally support herself and even help her parents. It was a chance she couldn’t mess up, no matter how aggravating Rylan was. It was then she realized it was already evening.

**********

Meanwhile, in Naomi’s room, a delivery had just arrived. Both Zylan’s and Naomi’s boxes were set on the table, containing the outfits they would wear to her father’s birthday ball.

In a different room, Naomi and Sabrina sat while the makeup artists worked on their faces. Sabrina, who couldn’t seem to keep quiet, broke the silence. "Big sis, it’s been so long, and you couldn’t even give your sister a hug?"

Naomi remained silent, offering only a faint smile as the makeup artist meticulously lined her eyes. After a moment, she replied, "I couldn’t possibly give you a hug. That’s your job as the younger sister."

Sabrina’s eyes flashed with jealousy, though she quickly masked it. Her voice dropped as she muttered quietly, "And yet, you always make it seem like I’m the one who needs to beg for affection."

Naomi’s gaze remained steady as she listened to her sister’s complaint. She didn’t respond immediately, but instead, she allowed the quiet to settle between them as the makeup artist worked. It wasn’t the first time Sabrina had thrown such a remark her way, and it wouldn’t be the last. The tension between the two of them had been brewing for years.

Sabrina finally spoke again, her voice tinged with frustration. "On the day of the masquerade, you didn’t even come to greet Mum and Dad, or even say hello to us. We were all so disappointed."

Naomi smiled softly, a quiet laugh escaping her lips. The makeup artists, intent on doing their job, tried to remain professional, though it was hard to miss the occasional surprised glance exchanged between them.

Naomi, still with a gentle smile, spoke, her voice calm. "I had originally been so tired..."

"I had been so tired, and my husband insisted that I leave. What can I say? A very considerate man, you know?" Naomi said with a soft giggle.

Of course, Naomi wasn’t the type to indulge in these kinds of things, but she had no choice but to play along with her sister’s game.

Sabrina’s face flushed with anger, her jealousy obvious. Before she could respond, the makeup artist spoke up, breaking the tension.

"I’m so sorry, Miss Sabrina," the makeup artist said apologetically. "It seems I added too much blush. I’ll have to redo your makeup."

Sabrina couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Deep down, she knew it wasn’t the blush—the redness on her face was from the anger that had flared up just moments ago. But there was no way she could admit that. Swallowing her pride and frustration, she sat stiffly as the makeup artist grabbed a remover and began wiping her face clean to start over.

Naomi remained silent, pretending to focus on her own preparations. A faint smile tugged at her lips. She had just given her sister a taste of her own medicine, and clearly, Sabrina didn’t like it one bit.

The makeup artist attending to Naomi finally signaled that she was done. Naomi smiled, nodding in approval. "Thank you," she said warmly. The lady returned her smile before stepping back.

Naomi glanced over at Sabrina, whose fists were clenched tightly at her sides. It was obvious she was struggling to keep her anger in check, likely so the makeup artist wouldn’t offer to redo her makeup again under the guise of "fixing too much blush."

"Good luck with your makeup, sis," Naomi said with a sweet smile, her voice dripping with faux kindness. Without waiting for a reply, she turned and left, closing the door softly behind her.

When Naomi reached her room, she noticed two boxes neatly placed on her bed. Her gaze flicked toward the bathroom, where the faint sound of water running confirmed that Zylan was in the shower. It seemed he was getting ready for the ball as well.

Curious, Naomi walked over to the boxes and opened the first one. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight of a stunning dress inside. The design, the material—everything about it was exquisite, almost too good to be true. A soft smile graced her lips. It was clear Zylan had gone to great lengths to make this a special day for her.

As she admired the dress, a deep, rich voice broke through her thoughts. "Do you need any help with your dress?"

Startled, Naomi spun around toward the voice, only for her breath to catch in her throat. There stood Zylan, freshly out of the shower, water droplets glistening as they trailed down his damp hair, over his sculpted chest, and down to his well-defined abs. A towel hung loosely around his hips, dangerously low, revealing the tantalizing V-line that made her cheeks flush.

Her eyes lingered for a moment too long, and when he chuckled softly, she snapped her gaze away, her face burning.

"If you don’t mind," he said, his tone teasing, "we could skip the birthday party and... take care of more important things now."