Chapter 10：Weakness and Amusement

Winter is more than sure that she is not spouting out nonsense at all.

Way back before she returned to the past and was discovered by the Middleton family, she remembered reading this news article that had spread like wildfire on social media. The content was irrelevant and useless - clearly made out of the typical star factor basis of the media, but because the topic was this particular someone, it still caught the attention of many.

'Lexington Young President's Weakness: Ghosts and Horror Houses - was the title, was it? Or maybe, something along that line...' Winter thought as she recalled that memory, grinning to herself all the while.

'Apparently, he was that businessman who fainted inside a horror house, and it made such a huge uproar. Mr. Perfect here was actually a big baby. He has an abnormal fear of scary things like horror movies, supernatural entities and even the dark. So, after learning from my private source that he has a date in this theme park today, I kinda pieced the puzzle together - this is most probably when that will happen.'

While Winter can't help but want to laugh out loud at that memory, Marcellus only keeps looking at her like she is some lunatic.

As much as he wants to deal with her right then and there, he can't afford to lose his focus on this date. Dealing with her will take up too much of his time that he might end up forgetting about it. Besides, he is already planning to do that soon. He still does not know why she is bent on meddling in his private affairs, so perhaps, that is where he will start.

"Listen here, Ms. Agreste," Marcellus started once more, getting serious at once.

"Oh, you finally did a background check on me?" Winter chirped blithely, reacting pleasantly surprised.

"I don't know what you're up to. If you want something from me, just go ahead and tell me already. I'm starting to get annoyed by how you keep sneaking up on me and everything."

"But I helped you last time with Ms. Violet-"

"You think I would be grateful? No, it only made me warier of you. I don't know what you want or what you are aiming for. Just who in the world are you exactly?"

It seems like she is beginning to bring out his uncompromising, dubious side. Then again, he is the type who wants to be in command all the time. He gets impatient whenever he is in the dark about something consequential. It is his ultimate goal to be all-knowing, after all.

A presence like Winter is like a foreign entity in the domain that Marcellus is trying to build.

"You're in the middle of a date, Sir Lexington. You can't lose your focus now..." she eventually continued in the midst of her intense staring contest with him, smiling reassuringly at the same time.

"What you are doing now will also be important to me in the near future - that is all I can say at the moment. Let's get to know each other more next time. No need to fret - I ain't going nowhere."

---

"Ms. Anne... Are you sure about this?"

A while later, Marcellus finds himself doomed.

While he is pleased that his date is such a lovely brunette with an attitude that is easy to get along with, he is not at all pleased by her interests. Living up to her name as the heiress of this amusement park, she turns out to be quite fond of extreme rides, daring challenges, and thrilling adventures - a gutsy daredevil, no doubt.

That's why he should've expected that she'd later lead him to one of the theme park's most popular attractions - a freaking horror house, much to his horror indeed.

"Come on, Sir Lexington! This will be fun!" Anne enthused as she began dragging Marcellus all the way to the entrance.

The pace of his heartbeat still hasn't even gone back to normal since riding on that rollercoaster, but he is already bracing himself for lots of succeeding heart attacks once more. This time, though, it is going to be a lot worse. He can manage with the other rides, but this one is just too much for him.

After all, Marcellus is extremely afraid of scary things - a huge secret he had always been dead set on taking to the grave.

'I have to turn this down. Just this one... But, but... I'm so close to winning her over...' he quietly agonized over, trying to hold his ground and clench his resolve to see this through.

'I can't waste my efforts. Also, she said it herself earlier. She is easily turned off by guys who don't have the balls.'

And unfortunately, he does not have the balls.

As soon as they step inside the horror house, he nearly shivers at the cold, chilly air that greets them. From that point on, there is nothing but eerie dimness that stretches on and on before them. Though the way that she clings onto his arm is helping him steel his nerves and focus on his goal, he still can't help but be terrified to the bones.

"Kyaaa...! So scary!" Anne feigned a screech and pretended to be all scared, much to his vex.

'Vainglorious, posey woman... Are you trying to mock me? You've got the nerves of steel yet you're acting like you're scared witless. Here I am trying to entertain you with my manliness even though I feel like pissing my pants this very instant,' was what Marcellus thinking the whole time he was keeping a straight face.

It was not long before he would be anything but emotionless, though.

A few screams and jump scares later, Marcellus already feels like calling for his mommy.

He has tried his best to stay calm and impassive, but even Anne has noticed that he kept going stiff. At this point, he is trudging his way deeper in that horror house like a corpse - looking like he was approaching his death. If it only wasn't for the dim lighting, the ghastly paleness of his face might've already scared away those who wanted to scare them.

'This date won't be good for your heart, Sir Lexington. Run while you still can.'

Then, in the midst of his nightmarish dilemma, Marcellus ended up recalling what Winter said earlier.