CHAPTER 10: PLAN

CHAPTER 10: PLAN

Stunned, I looked at him. His gaze left the road to look at me. He raised a brow as if asking what was the matter.

"How bold of you to ask that," I said. "I mean, you couldn't be serious. I can see through you. Well, not all of you since you are the only person I find hard to read, but at least I can read a part."

He only stared at me, listening, completely ignoring the fact that he was driving in the middle of a sprawling city. He was curious.

"And you know what I see?"

I smiled cockily.

A man who has been living in darkness all these years.

That's why I find what he said ridiculous even if I know he was just kidding. How can someone whose world is as dull or even darker than mine can light my life?

Though instead of saying that, I said, "An apathetic man who couldn't care less about others."

I was sure how life has been dark for him even if I haven't heard his story. I know just by looking at his eyes, just with the air he's giving off.

I've seen different kinds of criminals and some of them had the darkest stories. I could see through them just by their eyes. I could tell when they have something to fear, when they are lying, or simply when they are trying to hide in the darkness they have made for themselves.

But Steele's case is different. If I could read the mind of the worst criminal, I couldn't do it to him. Every time I look into his eyes, I could see nothing but complete darkness. It was like he had fully mastered the art of hiding his emotions and thoughts to others.

I could only wonder what story he has to be this dark.

"You're right," he said and left my gaze.

***

"You live alone?" Steele asked when we arrived at my condo. We need to talk about our business and I decided to bring him here instead of discussing it somewhere else.

"Yes."

"How lonely," he commented as he sat on the sofa.

Putting my things on the table, I smirked at him. "Aren't you lonely as well?"

"I'm not living alone like you."

"Oh. So you are living with Stan?"

"Not gonna happen."

I expected that.

"You are living with someone else, then? Girlfriend? Wife?"

"My assistant."

My lips parted for a moment and I started grinning.

"What are you laughing at?"

"You are bragging that you're not lonely just because you live with your assistant?"

"Yes, I see no wrong with that."

I nodded, suppressing a smile. "What a luck you have, Mr. Wolf."

"Can you stop making me nicknames?"

I took off my coat and rolled my long-sleeved shirt down to my elbows. I went to the fridge and looked for something I could cook for dinner.

"Do you guys eat?" I asked.

"Why won't we?"

Holding the fridge's door, I glanced at the side where he was.

"You are immortals, right? So I assumed you don't need to do such mundane things."

"Not necessary, but we have been trying to blend in with humans, so we got used to it. Besides, eating is harmless."

"Okay. I'll cook us dinner. I have nothing here since I forgot to buy some groceries, so I will just cook pasta."

"Perks of being lonely."

I glared at him. "Well, good for you since you have an assistant to take care of these things. But I prefer doing things alone, so I'm perfectly fine. Besides, being alone doesn't equate to being lonely. People like me love personal space more than anything."

"I don't eat pasta not from, at least, a five-star restaurant."

"Wow," I muttered. "You're used to eating on a silver platter, huh?"

"Yes. That's why we should just order food from a restaurant I know instead of you cooking. It is more convenient and a lot better since I'm sure you don't cook like those professional chefs."

This brute.

I will cook for someone else for the first time and he's telling me that? How rude.

"If that is the case, then I will cook my own food. You decide what you will eat."

"Alright. I will order my food," he said and I continued what I was doing.

I didn't take long and by the time his delivery arrived, I was done. I prepared the table and he prepared his own food. As I watched him do small things, I saw how fluid his moves were in everything that he did. Did he experience being a royalty before?

"Do you want some shrimp? This restaurant has the best seafood in Houston," he offered.

"The first time I ate that, I almost died."

"Allergic, I see."

"Hope you won't kill me by letting me eat something with shrimp."

His brows furrowed. "You think I'm that petty? If I want to kill someone, I will never give him an easy death."

"You sure are ruthless."

"I never claimed to be a good man."

My brows twitched. I drank some water.

"So, let's talk about our business."

He nodded. "Go ahead."

"Don't you think it's possible that Stan has something to do with the plane incident because like you he was thinking that I was Anna, and to piss you off—"

"Between us, I was the first one who knew about you."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Fine. So where do you think this El Viamonte Residence is? Stan said all he knew is it's somewhere down the woods."

"I don't know but I'm sure it's not in Texas. That person wants to hide and must be aware of my presence here. He won't take the risk."

"I'll search about that place. Maybe I will find it."

I took my phone and searched in g****e while he was eating.

It didn't take long before I found something.

"Hmm... I found one place with the same name."

"Uh-huh. Where?"

"Mill Creek."

"Washington?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

I closed my phone and put it down the table. "So, shall we see the place tomorrow? I'm only free this weekend."

"You sure you want to come? Like I said, Stan loves doing silly things. Something might happen."

"Why, are you afraid something might happen to me?" I teased him a bit.

He wrinkled his nose. "I just don't want to put my efforts in vain if you die there. I hate wasting my time the most."

What can I expect from an apathetic man who came from the stone age, anyway?

"Don't worry, I won't hold you responsible for anything. Besides, if there's something I can't handle, I have you to protect me."

His lips parted. I only smiled at him.

"After all, you haven't fulfilled my wish yet. You are my trump card."