Chapter 123

　　Fern's Perspective 　　I felt a surge of fear at Giovanni's words, but I didn't dare resist. 　　Beta Tobias silently escorted a weakened Arthur out of the office. 　　There was a click as the door closed again. 　　I took a deep breath and glanced up at Giovanni; his eyes were inscrutable, holding emotions I couldn't decipher. 　　Closing my eyes, I leaned up on my tiptoes and clumsily kissed his cold lips. When I opened my eyes, I noticed Giovanni's gaze had turned amber. Slowly, my kisses trailed from his lips to his neck. 　　A startled scream escaped my lips as Giovanni pressed me against the wall, causing the pictures to clatter. 　　His rough hands pulled my arms down, never breaking eye contact. With his body close to mine, I could feel his warmth, even the hardness of him against my thigh. Something felt amiss; instead of fear, I felt a strange longing. 　　It must be the bond, I thought to myself. 　　Suddenly, Giovanni's voice cut through the tension. "You're testing my patience, Fern