Dominate Showbiz: Media Tycoon Discovered My Talent-Chapter 94: Feelings for You

Inside the master bedroom, Kaija pressed her ear to the door.

Knowing Juho was inside her place, plus the mocha from earlier, she could hardly fall fully asleep. Her brain automatically went into alert mode.

When Juho’s back hit the door after Charles kicked him, the loud thud had jolted her awake. A little while later, she saw light seeping through the small gap under the door.

That was when she knew something really wrong was going on in her living room, and she decided she couldn’t sleep anymore.

Then the two men’s voices came, and she overheard everything.

A little while after Charles voiced his threat, the voices stopped. Only the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut followed, the slam just as angry as what Charles must have felt right now.

Soon enough, all the lights in the living room went off.

A sigh slipped out of her as she leaned her head heavily against the door.

Turns out the video of her being beaten had never reached Charles. She couldn’t help but wonder if he would have done something to save her if he’d actually seen it back then. Maybe she would never know.

Glad as she was that Juho had even considered shaking hands with Charles to bring down his dangerous father, it was obvious that he intended to use her as his shield against Charles, at least until the deal was done and he got the protection he wanted.

And did Charles call her his woman in the middle of that nerve-racking conversation? Her head had already started spinning.

Thud thud thud.

Kaija’s eyes flew wide, her mind snapping clean out of her wandering thoughts.

"You overheard everything?" Juho’s voice came, only a door away from her. He was standing right outside her room, though she hadn’t even heard him approach.

Startled, she turned at once and crawled back toward her bed as quietly as possible, but before she could climb onto it, his voice came again.

"I can see your shadow through the gap, Kaija. Let’s not play pretend this time."

She smacked herself on the head, nearly letting out a frustrated groan. Slowly, she rose to her feet and unlocked the door. What met her eyes first was Juho’s slightly widened gaze.

Kaija was wearing navy blue pajamas now, her feet tucked into plush bunny slippers. Seeing her like this, the corner of his lips lifted, a laugh almost slipping out.

"Do you always look like this when you’re at home?" he asked, tone dripping with amusement. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

"What? Were you expecting something more sensual?"

"I was thinking of a silky slip dress... or maybe just a lace bra and panties."

"Tsk, I knew I should’ve pretended I was already asleep," she scowled, swinging the door shut.

He shot a hand up, stopping it. "Relax," he teased, "you haven’t answered my question."

"I heard the whole thing. So what?" she muttered, folding her arms.

"Would you help me then?"

"And become your shield against Charles?" she raised a brow. "Were you serious when you said you wanted to get out of your family’s business? Or were you just trying to fool him?"

"I’m serious." His shoulders lifted easily. "Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t say I had that idea before tonight. But when I saw Charles Kosonen walk in, I knew I was done for good.

Either he hands me to the police, or he fires me, which means losing all the network and client list I’ve built this whole year. So instead of crawling back to my old man and waiting to get beaten up again, I figured maybe I could turn the tables by switching sides and making some deals."

Her brow drew together as she leaned forward, as if studying his face for any hint of lies.

After examining it long enough, she blurted, "Your relationship with your father must be really shit."

Juho’s face went completely rigid. Then suddenly, laughter burst out of him, making her jump.

"Gosh, Kaija Sepala," he laughed so hard his body bent forward, one hand holding his stomach. "I didn’t know you were this blunt."

Her brow twitched slightly. Was it... not even that hard to tell?

Didn’t he get himself beaten when he helped her escape? And didn’t he also mention he might have been killed? By his own father? What sort of horrendous father could do such a thing? And Juho had acted like it was a normal thing when he told her that.

She also remembered Juho once telling her he planned to overthrow his father. For him to decide to shake hands with Charles, of all people, to pull that off... That could only mean the grudge he held against his horrible father must have been something huge.

She knew she shouldn’t trust him entirely, not after everything, and especially not when she knew how scary he could become in seconds. But if her cooperation could send that horrible man to jail for good, then maybe it was worth giving a chance.

"Alright," Kaija replied, sighing wearily. "As long as you’re willing to leave the drug-selling life and not get beaten up again, I guess I can be your shield until you have the protection you need."

Juho’s laughter suddenly died. "You’re... serious?" he asked, face taut with disbelief.

"Do I sound like I’m not?"

"No, you don’t," he murmured, gaze dropping from hers. "It’s just..."

He hadn’t thought she would agree to such unreasonable demands from him so easily, but the words were left unspoken, stuck in his throat.

"Is this also you returning that favor?" he asked at last, tone flat.

"You can think of it that way," she shrugged. "Didn’t you tell me to do it properly?"

Disappointment coursed through him once more, though he didn’t even understand why he felt such a thing after hearing her say that. His lips curled into a bitter smirk, and the hand holding the door let go completely.

"What a shame," he teased carelessly, already turning toward his room. "I was hoping you’d say you’re helping me because you have feelings for me."

Her irritation shot up at once. She stuck her head out of the doorway, glaring at Juho’s retreating form.

"I did have feelings for you!" she snapped. "My feelings for you died the moment you turned out to be my kidnapper!"

Juho froze midstep.

She threw one last angry glare at his unmoving figure, and retreated inside. But before she could close her door, his hand slammed against it, stopping it mid-swing.

She stared up at him through the gap, completely stunned. His face was now unreadable, green eyes sharpened into that scary look again.

With a cold tone, he asked, "What did you just say?"