I raise my head, and the eyes around us become even more visible, and they appear to have no intention of hiding their gazes.My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the man who stood upright and confidently in front of our table. When I look at him, our eyes meet, and the grin on his face widens. Even with the mask that conceals his identity, I can immediately tell who he is, especially when those intimidating green eyes look directly into my eyes.The man who introduced me to the world. The man who started all of my confusion. Rizzo, Zach’s enemy.I turn away from him and look at Zach, and I notice his expression darkening in an instant, in stark contrast to Rizzo's. He is the only one who can change Zach's face this much out of everyone who comes to our table.“I’m sorry that I’m a bit late to the party. Something came up that I had to take care of first.” His deep voice rang, and while he appeared to be explaining something, his tone suggested otherwise.He doesn't appear to
The men are becoming more cautious of their surroundings with each passing second, and as I look around, I notice that not only on our side but also on the security of the other guests.Since Rizzo left, it has already been like this. It had been a few minutes, and I hadn't seen him again. He might have already gone home, or, as Zach said, he might be planning something I don't know about.The pressure rises even more as someone approaches Zach and whispers something to him that I can’t hear. But when I look at his face, I see a change that is so scary that he breaks the glass he is holding with his own hands.“Zach!” I immediately reacted and held his hand, which was already bleeding. "What are you doing?" I yell, feeling a little upset about what he did.However, as I lift my head again, our eyes meet. I went stiff, surprised by the way he was looking at me. It's not with fierce eyes, but something more frightening. A look that I never thought Zach would give me.I can't even react
“A substitute?” I can't help but ask him, and he responds immediately."Hmm, a substitute," Rizzo says with a nod. "Gallagher uses a substitute for you, and uses the darkness to hide you in the crowd," he confirms, continuing to fill in the gaps of information for me. “While they both went out thinking we’ll chase them while someone will hide you from me.” He continued as the stunned expression on my face widened; I hadn't even considered it in this light.I’m still processing this as Rizzo's voice reverberated again, and he even clapped this time. He's clapping, and the amused grin on his face has reached his eyes, giving me a sense of familiarity as I look at him.“A good plan, indeed. Almost perfect, even.” he stopped his hand and said, with a sly glint in his eyes, "But it won't work on me. Gallagher miscalculated this time. I wonder how his face is right now.”So, ever since we went to that party, Zach has had this plan in place in case Rizzo ever comes looking for me. And he did
A few minutes later, the sound of the door opening reached my ears, and I immediately looked in its direction. Two women enter the door, wearing suits as well.They didn’t look like some maids at all but more like the bodyguards that Rizzo had. I watch them approach me, and after they are already at the foot of the bed, they both look at me and then bow their head as a greeting to me.My brows furrowed at this action. Is this a custom or what? This is too respectful for a hostage, isn’t it?They soon straightened up and looked at me again, and the one with short hair spoke first; her delicate appearance was really deceiving. She looks far younger to be in this world. I continued to observe them, remaining in my position.“Mist— Uhm, Miss Addalyn, we are here as your personal attendants. You can ask us anything you want, and we can deliver it to you right away,” she said with a smile on her lips, but with how she stumbled on her first word, I wondered what she was about to call me earl
Clive, I mutter that name inside my mind. A frown gradually appears on my lips as I raise my gaze and look at him seriously as if trying so hard to recall his face in my memory.Despite knowing this name for the first time, it had a familiar sense to it as I had already repeated it. Looking at him now, perhaps we have a history after all.I averted my gaze away from him, shifted to the food, and then started putting dishes on my plate. I might be in the enemy’s territory, and I don’t need to starve myself. Especially now that I suddenly have a goal in mind while staying in this mansion.And that is to know what is the mystery behind our relationship. Looking back, it seems Zach is always out of control when he sees me with Clive. That is not normal. I can think of many solutions, but the most logical reason is he also knew something I didn’t.Putting a lot of dishes in my mouth, I didn’t bother the man I was with as my grip on the food utensils had become tighter. The realization that
My hand shook as I turned around slowly and looked at him. My questioning gaze landed on him, yet nothing was visible in his expression, only gazing back at me with a serious expression as if what he said had not made my emotions become a mess.I knew that he wouldn’t say anything to me because he acted like this. Giving me that clue and then shrugging it off as nothing. My lips tremble, and I gaze at him fiercely.This feeling of knowing nothing of what is missing in myself is making me upset; no more than that, I despise this feeling. Zach is like this, saying some of the truth but obviously hiding something. While this man is also like this, but even worse.He is clearly saying some important clue yet acting as if clueless as well. What is it that they are hiding from me? This is seriously making my stomach churn from burning emotions.“Then, why don’t you accompany me?” I suddenly blurt it out of nowhere, and we are both stunned by what I said, yet I don’t intend to take it back s
“So you really do know something?” Despite the surge of emotions in my mind, I managed to voice out to him.His eyes drooped slightly as he stared intently at me. I know he didn’t have any intention of answering me. My lips trembles looking at him.“Why can’t you just tell me?” I asked another after his silence.How foolish of me to ask another question when I know fully that I won’t receive any answer from him. I just hate it, and resentment is starting to take root inside of me.What is it that they are hiding from me? If they don’t have any intention to tell me in the first place, then why reveal it to me? Now, I’m regretting that night. If only... I stop my curiosity.Then, I’m still only stressed with the marriage and nothing else. Suddenly, everything becomes even more complex with each passing day.“I want to,” he whispers as I look at him, “However, it’s not time yet. Everything will become complicated for you if I do so.”He seems sincere, and the way his green eyes an obviou
My pupils shook as I shifted my confused eyes from him to the rifle in my trembling hands and grasped it.The rifle is not heavy at all in my hand. It is even lighter than the one gun I held that night in the club. Yet, unlike that night, it is not cold at all but warm, hot even.I am unsure if this is really the temperature of this gun or if it is just my perception of it because of my emotions. Nonetheless, as I held onto it, my heart started beating loudly to the point that I could hear it directly in my ears.What did he mean that this gun had an answer to my identity? How come... am I supposed to be familiar with it? This is seriously confusing me. All of it.“Are you telling me that I’ve used this before? Is that it?” I asked again, and it was such a wonder that despite my emotions being a mess, my voice didn’t crack or tremble.I didn’t look at his expression and only fixed my gaze on the gun as if looking at it for long will miraculously give the answer I wanted. Clive removes