Chapter 16

He stayed still, observing me for a moment, and then suddenly he clutched his stomach and began laughing. This time, his laughter had a cruel edge to it. "Punish you?" he chuckled, followed by a cough. "How bizarre can one person get?"

His mocking laughter and insensitive words infuriated me, and I couldn't control my reaction. Without thinking, I raised my hand and slapped him across the face.

To my surprise, his expression remained unchanged, aside from the handprint that now adorned his cheek. He stared at me with furrowed brows, and I instantly knew that I had crossed a line. "You hit me?" he said, a faint smile forming at the corner of his lips. My gaze shifted to his clenched fists, and then our eyes met.

Fear gripped me as I witnessed the intensity of his glare. The cold aura emanating from his body made me shiver with apprehension. He closed his eyes, relaxed his hands, and let out a deep breath. "Whenever someone hits my face, I seem to lose control, Ava," he confessed, openin