[Chapter 273: It Would Be a Pity to Destroy This Thing]
"Master, it would be a pity to destroy this," Chris whispered into Daniel's ear, her breath delicate like orchids. "This is a rare Parasitic evil artifact."
"And its ability to create illusions could be incredibly useful in critical moments," she added.
Daniel nodded slightly.
Though the illusion held no power over him, it was a marvel to others. If used as the core of a Ward to set up an illusion array, it would be quite a valuable item.
The ghost mirror seemed to sense Daniel's hesitation; the text on its surface trembled even more violently.
[Yes! Master, I really am useful. If you spare me, I swear to dedicate everything I have to you.]
Daniel considered for a moment and withdrew the lightning crackling in his palm. "You're too large to carry around easily. Can you shrink?"
[Of course, of course I can.]
The text on the antique mirror shifted instantly. The next second, the mirror began shrinking rapidly until it was small enough to fit in Daniel's palm.
"In that case, I'll spare your life," Daniel said.
He drew a complex Restriction rune in the air with his right hand, then pressed it forcefully onto the mirror's surface.
Life-and-Death Pact established. Let the sacred imprint return to its rightful soul. By sealed authority, Suppress!
A beam of orange-red light struck the deepest part of the mirror.
The Mirror of Russell emitted a soft sound, like a sigh of relief.
The once dull surface instantly became crystal clear, reflecting Daniel's stern face and Chris's triumphant smile.
Daniel applied a seal to the antique mirror and tucked it into his pocket.
Since this was a spirit body, it couldn't be stored in the System space -- that would turn it into an ordinary mirror.
"Congratulations, Master, on obtaining a treasure. I'll be leaving now."
Chris laughed sweetly and vanished in an instant.
...
Daniel turned to see Ivanka still lying quietly on the ground, breathing steadily.
He strode over, bent down, and lifted her by the waist.
Carrying Ivanka into the master bedroom, he gently placed her on the large double bed.
The moment she touched the mattress, Ivanka let out a startled cry.
She suddenly opened her eyes wide, flailing her hands wildly before desperately grabbing Daniel's collar.
"I trust Daniel... he wouldn't hurt me... I trust him!" she shouted, closing her eyes, her voice trembling with despair.
Daniel sat on the edge of the bed, letting her cling to him, and placed his right hand on her forehead, transferring a warm trace of spiritual energy.
"Ivanka, open your eyes. It's over now."
Ivanka's body stiffened. Her eyelashes fluttered violently a few times before she slowly opened her eyes.
First, she saw the opulent crystal chandelier on the ceiling.
Then her gaze drifted downward, landing on Daniel's stern face.
She stared into his pupils -- clear black and white, deep as a pool, completely free of the blood-red tint from the recent illusion.
"Daniel?" she whispered hoarsely, still gripping his collar tightly.
"It's me," Daniel nodded. "Look around. Those things are gone."
Ivanka turned her head stiffly toward the door.
The antique mirror that had hung in the hallway corner, radiating a sinister aura, was gone.
The walls were smooth, the lights bright.
That crawling, viscous feeling -- the sensation of thousands of tiny snakes slithering on her skin -- was completely gone.
"Hoo--"
Ivanka's tense body suddenly relaxed as she exhaled a long breath of stale air.
The exhaustion of surviving a nightmare swept over her entire being.
Then, without warning, she sat up abruptly and threw herself into Daniel's arms. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, molding her body to his.
Daniel felt her tremble violently against him -- an instinctive reaction after extreme fear.
"Wuwu... I really thought I was going to die..." Ivanka buried her face in Daniel's shoulder and sobbed loudly.
As a famous socialite dominating New York's business world, she had never shown such vulnerability. In that moment, no amount of money, power, or status compared to the security this man offered.
Daniel let her cry. His shirt quickly soaked with tears, clinging to his chest.
He raised his hand and gently patted her back.
"It's rare you chose to trust me, even in that illusion."
"Because only you were real."
Ivanka sniffled and lifted her head; her blue eyes were misty with tears.
She looked at Daniel. They were so close, their breaths mingling.
An intimate atmosphere quietly blossomed in the bedroom.
Ivanka felt the intense masculine energy radiating from Daniel. It was like a sturdy wall blocking all evil and sinister forces outside.
Her heartbeat quickened -- not from fear, but from a deeper, more primal stirring.
She held on tighter, her nose nearly grazing his.
"Daniel, don't leave me... at least stay here tonight," she murmured softly, a hint of pleading in her voice.
Daniel gazed at her exquisite tear-streaked face. His fingertip brushed across her temple, damp with cold sweat.
He said nothing further.
Leaning down, he captured her red lips with his own.
The kiss began as a desperate anchor, a collision of salt and heat that tasted of Ivanka's lingering tears and Daniel's silent resolve.
He claimed her lips, his tongue sliding past her teeth to seek the sweetness of her mouth with a hunger that had been simmering beneath a disciplined surface for too long.
Ivanka let out a broken moan, the sound vibrating against his lips as she arched her back, pressing her chest firmly against the hard planes of his torso.
The friction of her clothes against his were an irritating barrier, a veil of modesty that neither of them wanted. Daniel's hands, large and sure, slid from her temples down to the small of her back, crushing her against him until she could feel the heavy, insistent throb of his arousal pressing into her thigh.
With a sudden, decisive movement, Daniel shifted his weight, pinning her into the plush mattress. The air left her lungs in a sharp gasp, but it was quickly replaced by the scent of him, and raw masculinity.
He didn't stop kissing her; he migrated downward, his mouth tracing a scorching path along her jawline to the sensitive dip of her collarbone, where he nipped the skin, leaving a mark of ownership that made her toes curl.
Ivanka's fingers scrambled for purchase, clutching at his shoulders before sliding down to the buttons of his shirt. She tore them open with a frantic urgency, needing to feel the heat of his skin. When her palms finally met his bare chest, the contact felt like an electric shock. She let out a soft, guttural sound, her nails digging into his shoulders, urging him closer.
Daniel groaned, a low, predatory sound that vibrated in his chest. He reached down, his hand sliding beneath the hem of her dress to find the lace of her panties. He didn't hesitate, his fingers hooking into the fabric and tugging them away in one fluid motion. As his hand returned to her center, he found her already drenched, her body weeping for him. He slid a finger deep inside her, and Ivanka shivered, her hips bucking instinctively against his palm.
"You're so wet for me," he rasped, his voice a gravelly shadow of its former self.
He stripped away the rest of their clothing with a feverish efficiency, their breaths coming in jagged synchronization. When he finally entered her, it was a slow, deliberate plunge that filled her completely, stretching her tight and making her eyes roll back in ecstasy. The sensation was overwhelming -- a dense, pulsing fullness that anchored her to the present moment.
He began to move, a rhythmic, primal drive that shook the bed beneath them. Every thrust was deep and punishing, hitting the sensitive wall of her cervix and sending sparks of white-hot pleasure radiating through her lower belly. Ivanka wrapped her legs around his waist, locking him in, pulling him deeper into her with every heave of her hips.
The room blurred into a haze of friction and sweat. The sound of their bodies colliding -- the wet, slapping rhythm of skin on skin -- became the only music in the silence of the house. Daniel's pace quickened, his breath coming in harsh, jagged gasps as he drove her toward the edge. Ivanka felt the tension building, a coil tightening in her gut until it snapped.
"Daniel!"
She screamed his name into the crook of his neck as her climax crashed over her in violent, rhythmic waves, her internal muscles clamping tight around him. The intensity of her release triggered his own; Daniel let out a low, guttural roar, thrusting one last time with everything he had, pouring himself into her in a blinding surge of heat and release.
They collapsed into each other, chests heaving, their hearts hammering in unison as the silence of the night slowly reclaimed the room.
...
The next day.
Sunlight poured through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows into the bedroom.
Ivanka awoke first.
Her body felt somewhat sore -- but her spirit was clearer and fresher than ever. The oppressive sensation of being watched and cursed had vanished completely.
She turned on her side and looked at Daniel sleeping beside her. Even in sleep, this man instinctively drew her closer.
Reaching out, her fingers traced along the outline of his form.
"Daniel."
His eyes opened, clear and cold as before, with no hint of the confusion that often followed sleep.
Daniel sat up, his palm stroking Ivanka's smooth back, fingertips resting on her lower back.
"Pull down the zipper. I need to see the mark," he said flatly.
Ivanka shivered slightly.
Obediently, she rolled over onto her stomach on the pillow and slowly pulled down the nightgown's zipper at the back.
In the morning light, the dark red pattern resembling a "child urinating" mark remained vivid on her pale lower back.
The color was even darker than before, like an old bloodstain seeped deep into the flesh.
"It's still there," Daniel withdrew his hand, his eyes cold. "That means the Ram Cult has no intention of letting you go."
Panic flashed in Ivanka's blue eyes.
Ignoring her clothes, she knelt on the bed and clutched Daniel's arm tightly.
"Then what should I do? I can't keep hiding in Los Angeles. The Trump Family has too many assets here in New York."
Daniel paused to think. "I'll set up a Grand Nine Sanctums Spirit Suppression Formation in this apartment. As long as any evil entity steps through this door, the Ward will immediately counterattack, and I'll sense it instantly."
Hearing that she'd have this kind of absolute protection, the fear in Ivanka's eyes finally gave way to relief.
"Thank you, Daniel."
With fervent eyes, she threw herself into Daniel's embrace again, her soft body pressed tightly against his chest.
*****
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