Merrick remained silent, his eyes growing darker and more intense.
Step by step, he approached Lydia, making her feel inexplicably uneasy and forcing her to retreat step by step.
"What do you mean by this?" Lydia asked, a hint of panic in her voice.
"Nothing much," Merrick replied, his tone cold. "Just checking if your eyes are sincere, if your words come from the heart. You say you have no improper thoughts about me, but I believe this is all your plan. I show up, you start drinking, and when I offer to take you home, your friend suddenly leaves. This is all your design."
Merrick cornered Lydia against the wall, close enough to feel her breath, which carried a faint scent of alcohol and something oddly familiar.
"You... I didn't! You're twisting the facts," Lydia quickly denied, hating this kind of ambiguous interaction with a man.
Ever since she had her child, she had decided never to get close to a man again, to never remarry, and to live the rest of her life with her child.
