Inside the spacious room, Zara was crying over her fate, feeling as though she had been toyed with. Her eyes glared at Tama with hatred. She never imagined she would be played by the grown man she had once considered a hero.
“Then what was the point of bringing me into your place, Tama? It couldn’t have been just to ask me for a massage, could it? You scared me and confused me at the same time...” she asked through broken sobs. Tears continued streaming down her cheeks, accompanied by heart-wrenching cries.
Tama exhaled harshly. He never expected things to end this dramatically. He remained silent for a few moments, waiting for the girl’s crying to subside. But instead, Zara asked him in a sharp tone, making his ego feel offended.
“So it’s true. You’re really that cynical. You’re always prejudiced, as if I’m such a terrible person. Even though I was the one who helped you yesterday,” Tama said defensively.
Damn it. He shouldn’t have hesitated over his decision earlier. But because his pity had overwhelmed him, he had restrained his desire and abandoned his intention to touch Zara. In truth, he was no different from most men, who would be instantly tempted when a girl offered them something pleasurable.
“Or were you actually hoping I’d touch you?” Tama asked provocatively, his tone relatively even, creating a challenging impression.
“No!” Zara denied loudly. She shook her head forcefully, rejecting Tama’s accusation. She absolutely did not want to end up as some cheap prostitute. A bright future still awaited her. She had to make her mother proud—the only person she had left now.
Tama fell silent, then quickly exhaled a heavy breath and fixed his intense gaze on Zara once more.
“But yesterday, I genuinely wanted to help you. Though perhaps another time...” he said, his thoughts drifting as if he could see the future.
Zara didn’t understand what the man meant. Tama’s words were like a riddle she couldn’t solve.
“What do you mean?” Zara ventured to ask, returning Tama’s unwavering stare.
They fell silent for a while, each digesting the other’s answer through their locked gazes.
Deep down, his desire to possess her was still there. But Tama chose to ignore it.
“Forget it!” Tama hissed, his voice thick with frustration.
The man chose to stand and walk toward another door inside the room. Not long afterward, Tama emerged wearing casual clothes. He walked toward the outer door, appearing completely indifferent to Zara’s presence.
Before leaving, Tama turned and looked at Zara from the doorway. His gaze and tone were cold and cutting.
“Now, make me some coffee and put it in my study,” he ordered.
Nervously, Zara nodded and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “Okay.” Her voice was hoarse. Zara exhaled in relief. This time, she had escaped the savage clutches of arrogant men once again.
Zara decided to get up and immediately carry out Tama’s order. She didn’t want to anger the man and have him pressure her again.
She walked toward the open kitchen in the western part of the main room. Then she took a cup and searched for the coffee grounds Tama wanted.
At last, Zara found a jar filled with coffee grounds. Its aroma wafted out as soon as she opened the lid, signaling that the coffee was high quality.
She poured the coffee grounds into the cup and added sugar according to the amount she usually used for herself. Zara hoped Tama would like the coffee she made.
She brewed the coffee with hot water from the dispenser, then stirred it slowly until the coffee and sugar dissolved into the hot water.
Zara made the coffee with all her heart. She could think of it as repaying Tama for all his kindness, even though she was still upset by the way he had frightened her.
When she finished, Zara carried the cup to Tama’s study, whose location he had told her earlier. She knocked on the slightly open door, leaving a narrow gap, then slowly walked inside.
Zara saw Tama focused on the computer screen. He sat imposingly in his office chair behind a sturdy, gleaming wooden desk. His gaze never wavered, but Zara felt that Tama knew she was there. The man simply chose to ignore her.
Zara placed the cup of coffee beside Tama, but he continued ignoring her. He only glanced at the cup, which was still sending up curls of steam, before turning his attention back to the computer screen.
Zara snorted in annoyance, then let her gaze wander around the room. There were many tall shelves filled with books and files. Everything was arranged so neatly that Zara found herself enjoying the view. At a glance, Zara spotted rows of classic translated novels, stirring her book-hungry soul. But Zara still knew her place and understood the boundaries. The books belonged to Tama and weren’t something she could casually borrow.
At the far corner of the bookshelf, she could see a collection of miniature airplane displays from various eras, from the first planes ever created to the most modern ones of today.
“Finished looking around?” Tama asked when Zara turned back toward his desk. This time, Tama left his computer behind and chose to look at Zara, who was clearly fascinated by his study. His focused stare created a tense atmosphere between them.
A faint smile formed on his lips as he watched those bright, keenly interested eyes.
Zara gave an embarrassed smile, realizing he had caught her acting foolishly. She cleared her throat to hide her nervousness.
“Can I go home now?” she asked.
Tama shook his head, his gaze still fixed on Zara. “Not yet.”
Zara lowered her head dejectedly. What else did the man want this time? “Then what am I supposed to do now?” she asked in confusion, hoping he would let her go soon.
“Make me dinner,” he ordered.
Zara glanced at the analog clock on the wall. She looked at Tama in protest while he remained silent, waiting for the girl’s response.
“It’s still afternoon!” Zara cried in annoyance. The clock still showed three o’clock, and the man was already telling her to make dinner!
“Who knows? Maybe it’ll take you five hours to cook. That would be just enough to wait until my dinner time,” Tama said with a chuckle, imagining Zara cooking for five hours straight.
“I’m not that good at cooking, but it won’t take me that long,” Zara grumbled. Her pride was slightly stung by the way Tama seemed to be belittling her.
“Thank goodness for that.”
“Tsk... What do you want to eat later?” Zara asked reluctantly, waiting as Tama thought for a moment. She would follow Tama’s order one last time as a way of repaying him.
Tama considered what he wanted to have for dinner. But the man took so long to think that Zara ran out of patience.
“What do you want for the main course?” she asked again.
“You,” Tama answered spontaneously, unaware that the word had slipped from his mouth.
Zara stared at Tama in shock, filled with anticipation. She crossed her arms in front of her and waited for Tama to speak again, hoping he would retract the ambiguous statement.
Tama cleared his throat loudly, his throat suddenly dry. He then took a sip of his coffee, which had begun to cool. Its aroma and flavor calmed him, allowing Tama to refocus on the woman before him. “Ahem... Just cook something simple, whatever you can manage,” Tama replied casually. His gaze returned to the still-glowing computer screen, ignoring Zara as she remained silent, studying him.
“O-okay, I’ll go cook now,” Zara said at last. She finally left the study, leaving Tama behind as he secretly exhaled in relief. Being in the same room with Zara made him feel stifled.