How Lilies turn Black Chapter 61 - Legal Illegality (2)

 

As Liliana, frozen in fear, took one hesitant step back after another, Theodoro matched her retreat with slow, deliberate steps forward.

 

Before long, she had no more room to retreat—the desk blocked her path.

 

“…Liliana Moretti.”

 

A voice as heavy and impenetrable as absolute darkness filled her ears. Her throat tightened as if her escape route had been cut off. 

 

Crushed under the weight of terror, Liliana stammered, “W-Why are you doing this?”

 

“You asked me. Why do I keep avoiding you?”

 

Theodoro’s dry gaze pinned her as he closed the distance between them. The faint warmth of his leg brushed against the hem of her dress.

 

Liliana flinched, twisting her legs away—but it was futile. 

 

From her knees to her thighs, their bodies gradually overlapped, leaving no space to evade.

 

“Since you’re so curious, I should tell you.”

 

“N-No… It’s fine.”

 

“No, Liliana Moretti. You’re not fine. If you were, you wouldn’t have thrown courtesy aside and kicked down my door.”

 

The sharpness of his words drained the color from her face. Whatever he was about to say next, it wouldn’t be pleasant. 

 

Desperately, she glanced behind her, but there was nowhere to run.

 

All the while, Theodoro pressed forward relentlessly, closing the gap between them—In a panic, she half-sat on the desk, but it was hardly a better position. He braced his hands on the desk and leaned in, bending at the waist.

 

Liliana sucked in a sharp breath, trying to create distance by awkwardly scooting back.

 

“You—”

 

Theodoro lowered his head and reached out with his right hand. His large palm settled over the pale skin exposed by the slit in her dress.

 

“…Ah!”

 

A gentle warmth spread across her thighs. But as if it were merely a device to prevent reflexive movement, a heavy force soon pressed down on her legs.

 

Liliana froze, immobilized under the silent, chilling pressure.

 

Around that time, his dull, expressionless eyes—which had been looking downward—rose again and pinned her in place.

 

“For someone acting so clever on her own, you’re remarkably stupid.”

 

What did he mean by that? What had she done to deserve being called stupid?

 

Though his words made no sense to her, Lilia had no room to reflect on the past few days.

Every nerve was focused on Theodoro’s hand resting on her thigh, and the eyes staring back at her were, as always, endlessly vast, making her mind grow faint.

 

She had stormed into the office with such vigor, yet now she stood frozen, unable to do anything—pathetic, really.

 

With a faint sneer, Theodoro moved his hand, gripping the underside of her thigh. Then, in an instant, he yanked her leg toward his side.

 

“…Ack!”

 

Her body was pulled to the edge of the desk in a flash, losing balance. 

 

Lilia desperately grabbed the corner of the desk to steady herself, but the safe distance she had tried so hard to maintain was already shattered.

 

Before she knew it, Theodoro stood firmly between her legs. Her thighs pressed flush against him with no gap left. His right hand held her trembling thigh in a firm grip.

 

With his other hand, the one that had been bracing against the desk, he leaned in deeper and whispered, “Or maybe you’ve completely forgotten I’m a man.”

 

“…!”

 

The moment his suggestive, lustful posture and Theodoro’s whispers overlapped, a storm of chills and heat crashed over Liliana at once. Her eyes flew open in shock.

That the reason he kept his distance was tied to something as primal as desire…

She could have died and come back to life without ever considering it.

 

Too late, Liliana twisted her legs in defiance, but the more she resisted, the firmer his grip became. Theodoro refused to let her go—as if willing her to face the truth she had so desperately sought.

 

‘Since when…? Where did it even start…?’

 

She didn’t need to search far back in her memories for the answer.

The only possible trigger was the night of her initiation.

 

‘…Why?’

 

Her pupils trembled, clouded with confusion.

Theodoro seeing her exposed chest had been… an accident. Something she never wanted.

 

A fleeting kiss? One that barely lingered on her cheek before vanishing?

Moreover, that kiss, carried out under the guise of ‘trust,’ was nothing more than a formality—something Theodoro himself knew better than anyone.

 

Yet she couldn’t bring herself to say any of it.

 

“…Hng.”

 

A strange, rising sensation made Liliana’s eyes pinch shut.

Because she, too, was helpless against the physical stimulation, regardless of will or reason. She couldn’t even squirm to put distance between them. 

 

The faintest brush of contact only heightened the arousal.

 

Was it his body against hers that burned? Or the heat pooling between her legs?

A restless fire spread like flames licking up her thighs.

 

Unable to bear herself, Liliana turned her face away. Her jaw clenched so tight it trembled.

 

‘Disgusting.’

More than the man shamelessly pressing against her—more than anything, her own traitorous body’s response was what revolted her.

 

“…Let me go.”

 

“I’ll let go. Even if you cling to my pant’s leg and beg me not to.”

 

A languid voice laced with mockery pierced her ears.

 

“Before that, let me say one more thing.”

 

“…”

 

“If you thought I was keeping my distance… you should’ve taken the hint. From now on, let’s keep things proper.”

 

Suddenly, a surge of unfairness burned behind her eyes. No—Liliana wasn’t just wronged, she was furious.

 

So she couldn’t hold back the words rising in her throat.

 

“…Theodoro. Why are you… telling me to keep things proper?”

 

“What?”

 

She glared at him fiercely, a single tear trembling in her eye.

 

“The one who needs to keep things proper… isn’t me. It’s you, Theodoro. I…”

 

Her hand, trembling yet bold, reached for Theodoro’s tie. Liliana gripped the end lightly, then pulled him toward her with the faintest force.

 

One of his eyebrows shot up, then his narrowed eyes fixed on her with sharp intensity.

 

“I’ve never… once tempted you. At most, I’ve only ever requested meetings… for work-related reasons.”

 

Wasn’t that right? She had never crossed the line, never stoked his desires enough to startle him.

 

Even now, it was hardly what anyone would call temptation—just her fingers clutching weakly at his tie. Her voice wavered, but she stubbornly forced out her final words.

 

“What line… have I ever crossed?”

 

“…”

 

“Isn’t it you, Theodoro, who let personal feelings… interfere with business?”

 

The moment those words fell, silence swallowed the office.

 

Just moments ago, his gaze had been calm, almost leisurely. But now, the darkness flashing in his eyes had chilled, leaving no trace of warmth.

 

Theodoro said nothing, quietly steadying his breath.

 

The desire to kill in an instant and the desire to drown in intoxication. As if suppressing, over and over, some craving caught between that divide.

A chill ran down her spine. 

 

Every time his unsteady breath brushed against her skin, fear tightened around her throat.
But she knew. He couldn’t kill her right now, nor could he violate her.

 

If he gave in to rage, it would only prove he couldn’t hold his own line…

And if he unleashed his desire, it would be no different from trampling over the words he had spoken just minutes ago. 

 

How pathetic would that be?

 

Liliana kept her cold, desolate eyes fixed on him—on the man who still stared at her, radiating a sinister aura.

The air between them hung as precariously as a thin pane of glass. The most fragile peace, ready to shatter the moment either of them bared their edge.

Knowing this, neither dared to speak first.

 

Knock, knock, knock—

“Sir Theodoro. It’s me. May I come in for a moment?”

 

At the sudden knock and Paul’s voice, the invisible glass wall between them shattered into pieces.

Liliana stiffened, her spine straightening rigidly. Theodoro, no less tense, slowly turned his head toward the door.

 

Thump. Thump. Thump—

 

Surely, it was Liliana’s heartbeat, resonating low through their pressed-together bodies.

 

She clutched her chest, terrified the sound might leak outside. She thought—if they stayed quiet, pretended no one was here, Paul would leave. Or maybe he’d say now wasn’t a good time and come back later. That’s what she hoped.

 

Some lunatic was in the middle of enjoying an affair with a woman on an office desk—who in their right mind would call their secretary in at a time like this?

 

So, Lilia never in her wildest dreams expected Theodoro to say this,

 

“…Come in.”

 

“What?!”

 

The moment she gasped in shock, the door opened.

 

And she wasn’t the only one utterly stunned.

 

“…Ugh!”

 

Paul, who had just walked in, froze in place, covering his mouth at the sight of what looked like a heated lovemaking scene.