Eliana saw Preston's face grow in her eyes in a split second. Desperately, she kissed him.

His lips were cool and gentle, and Eliana could even detect a distinct scent on his body.

Before this moment, Eliana had only kissed him when he initiated. She closed her eyes uneasily, anticipating that Preston would once again kiss her fiercely.

But not this time. She was mistaken. Preston was quite relaxed. Standing there, he was as still as an audience member observing her act with calm eyes.

Eliana almost got swallowed whole by the intimidation she was feeling. Without doing anything, she would have little chance of capturing Preston's attention.

For a while, Maurice did nothing except look calmly at Eliana. This woman was perhaps the most unpredictable person he had ever met.

Because of her boldness, she sparked his interest. Gradually, this kiss ceased to be Eliana's solo performance. Maurice couldn't resist.

Eliana felt as though she had been wrapped in a fierce and overwhelming embrace. She let out a sigh of fear.

In a flash, the towering man sprang into action and took control. Eliana's sounds were muffled by the kiss, and she was carried away. At the same time, she was aware of the primary aim of her kiss.

Adding to the intensity, she wrapped her arms around Preston's neck and pulled him back as she led him toward the elevator.

The people hiding in the corner had a window of opportunity to flee at this point. Nana did not disappoint Eliana and swiftly took the children away from there.

Eliana had reached her limit and was almost unable to hit the floor button with Preston in the elevator. She was so close to giving in to Maurice's overwhelming presence.

Air seemed to glow in the small elevator. Until the elevator door partially opened, the two of them were locked in their embrace.

"Ah!" In a split second, the elevator door swung open, revealing the scene outside.

When Maurice returned to his senses, he cradled Eliana in his arms and placed her head on his chest.

With Maurice embracing her, Eliana's face was flushed.

Maurice seemed to be at ease. He was aware that Eliana was enlisting a distraction in order to aid the people hiding behind her in their escape. So he decided to go along with her and see what she might conjure up for him.

The elevator door slid open. With his arms around Eliana's waist, Maurice stepped out of the elevator and walked all the way to her house.

Eliana fumbled for her key in her pocket and unlocked the door, her mind racing.

Maurice stepped inside after her. He was about to speak when he was startled by a sudden, distinct sound. A ring dropped from Eliana's pocket.

The ring!

Eliana eventually came to her senses when she saw the ring. It was quite dangerous now.

"I forgot to inform you that I retrieved your ring, Preston." Eliana took the ring from the floor and gave it to Preston. "So now that I've returned the ring to you, I guess we're done here," she remarked solemnly.

How could she distance herself from him after getting the ring? What was she looking for in him?

As Maurice leaned down to get closer to Eliana, he spoke. "We are done here? You came back so that you could return the ring to me and then settle everything?"

"Yes, what more would you want?" Eliana answered immediately.

"So what did you mean when you kissed me just now?" Maurice asked.

"I meant…" Eliana was mute in the face of this.