Strip

“Come on in,” With a glint of amusement dancing in his eyes Caspian made way for Anna as he opened the door of the room. “Surprised? Now you know I have a room in your family’s hotel.”

Shuddering, she took steps into the large hotel room, her fingers intertwined together and her heartbeat increased. The room was spacious, more spacious unlike the other rooms in the hotel which she had been in.

She flinched as he closed the door behind him, her legs instinctively pushing her to run. ‘Goodness, Anna. What were you thinking walking into the Lion’s den?’ She thought, her muscles tensed. If there was anyone she couldn’t trust in the world, it was Caspian. He was overly unpredictable.

“Back to business. I don't have all day here. We should get started.”

“Huh, Mr Riordan.” she laughed awkwardly. “Do we have to do this? I mean, we can postpone it, right?” What happened to the confident Anna that she was, downstairs?

His eyes narrowed. “Strip.”

Anna’s hands instinctively wrapped around her body, her eyes widened as he took steps to stand right in front of her, towering over her. “You don't want to?”

She placed her hands on his chest, gently pushing him lightly, creating a bit of space between them.

“How about we do this after we finalize the deal?” Her lips twitched. “You see, there’s no guarantee you'll pick me after doing this with you. I can't risk it.” No, she just can't imagine herself having something intimate with him.

“Impressive.”

“So, what do you say?”

Stepping forward, he snatched the silver sachet she didn't realize she was still holding in her hands. Caspian slipped it back into his pocket. “My mood is ruined. Fine!”

Anna breathed a sigh of relief and watched as he walked to the other side of the room where there was a large bar of drinks. Grabbing two glasses, he poured a generous portion into them and guided back to her. Her gaze lingered on the offered glass.

“Don’t worry, it’s not poisoned.”

“I didn’t say it was.” Taking the drink in one go, Anna thought of her sister downstairs. Knowing Elle, she must be waiting for them and if she couldn’t think of an excuse to stay back with Caspian, her plans would be ruined. “You should stay the night,” she muttered.

“What?”

“We should stay the night if you don't have any plans.”

Caspian’s roar of laughter echoed in the lone room. His amusement evident as he watched Anna, his hands buried in his pocket.

“And what are we going to do? Sleep?”

“We’ll just sleep.”

Her steps fluttered as she made her way to the king-sized bed, her head swimming with the effect of the drink. She’d forgotten that she has a low tolerance for alcohol. Slumping on the bed, she separated the other part with a pillow between them.

“Anna Copper!” Caspian’s eyes darkened as he stormed toward her. He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to sit on the bed. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m tipsy already. Let me sleep and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

He released her with a growl of frustration, her body falling back on the bed like a piece of paper, her hair across her face as she snored softly. “Fuck.”

*****

“Twenty more minutes.” Anna looked away from her wristwatch, her hands gripping the steering wheel tightly as she increased the speed of the Rolls Royce she’d stolen. She only had twenty minutes to arrive at the Cooper's mansions and meet for breakfast.

‘Sorry Caspian. I had to steal your car. I’ll return it soon,’ She thought. Luckily, she’d woken up before him, and the key to his luxury car was a temptation she couldn’t resist. Moreover, she had no means of

transportation.

Suddenly, a pair of wide eyes jolted her out of her groove. Slamming her foot on the brake, the car came to an abrupt stop, her head colliding with the steering wheel. Her heartbeat increased as she unbuckled her seatbelt. “Shit.”

Getting out of the car, her gaze fell on the old woman collapsed on the ground. She’d narrowly escaped being a victim of Anna’s reckless driving.

“Madam?” She rushed to the grunting woman’s and helped her up, getting rid of the dust from her crumpled clothing. “Are you okay?”

“Oh, child. I'm perfectly okay. Thank y…” The woman gasped as her eyes fell on her. She looked her over from her head down to her heels, her face creased with bewilderment. “You…you.”

“Me? Do you know me, madam?” She frowned.

“A living dead? How is this possible?”

“Li…living dead?”

“It was you, the one who turned back time. Oh almighty,” the old woman held her both hands in hers. “The almighty has given you a second chance, a rare gift indeed. You must not waste a second chance from the almighty.”

“Wh..who are you?”

“The one who knows the ins and outs of the world.” her brown eyes suddenly turned green. “You must listen to me, child. You mustn't die a second time and most importantly, find someone to steal your bad fate. There will be a sign.”

The words of the old woman continued ringing in her mind even as she walked into the Cooper's mansion and made her way to the dining room ignoring the servants who bowed at her and rushed to her attendance.

In the words of the old woman, If someone doesn't steal her fate, that only means that she would have to die a second time and everything that happened in her past life would replay and happen for a second time.

Someone has to steal her bad fate, her bad marriage, her abusive husband, and her death. Who could it be?

As the servants pushed open the door of the dining hall, all eyes turned to her, their full attention on her

“Speak of the devil.”

She heard their murmurs, hatred, and resentment laced in their voices and she could almost taste them.

“Good morning,” She greeted with a feigned smile.

Her gaze shifted from her dear father to her stepmother before finally settling on Elle whose eyes glistened in tears. As Anna gazed at her, the words of the woman resounded.

If there was anyone she would make steal her fate, it would be Elle, the most potential candidate. Since she likes stealing everything that matters to her- her father, her home, her toys, her room, and even her husband, she must as well steal her fate.

Elle must steal her bad fate!

“Sister, we were just talking about you.” Elle rose from her chair gliding toward Anna’s side. “I tried to convince them that it wasn’t your fault.”

Anna’s brows raised.

Rolling her eyes, she turned to make her way up the stairs, heading to her room but before she could take more than a few steps, Sylvia blocked her path, her red hair tied in a tight bun as she glared at her.

The sound of a slap reverberated throughout the dining hall, the air growing ten times colder.

Her head whipped to the side, her hair falling around her face, hiding her expression from view.

“Where were you all throughout the night?” Sylvia yelled.

In one swift movement, Anna met her furious gaze, her hands trembling in anger.

“I was busy,” she spat. “You should know that already.”

Sylvia snatched her arm, her nails digging into her flesh painfully as she gritted her teeth.

“How dare you hook up with your sister’s man? Don't you have any shame?”

Before either of them could say anything, a bang from a hand slamming against the table rang in the room. The room fell into silence as Mr Cooper's piercing gaze swept over them, his footsteps heavy and deliberate, and he roared, “What is the meaning of this?”