Where The Lie Breaks

~ Ava ~

I turned my face to avoid his gaze. What the fuck was Adrain trying to do?

Kiss me or what?

He should just talk about the deal or even about signing it so I will get the hell out of here.

But on a second thought, kissing him will actually mean a way of getting back at Emilia. She thinks getting married to Adrain would end me taking over all that belongs to her.

Emilia is obviously destined to lose all she has to me. It is fate; fate doesn’t want her happiness.

I turned to face him again; he leaned closer, his lips brushing against mine.

“I missed seeing your face, looking into your eyes, and touching your hair."

I blinked rapidly, eager to allow his lips to crush mine.

I thought of how Emilia was going to feel if she finds out I have Adrain wrapped around my fingers.

The look of sheer horror and dejection that would play on her face if she were to get to know.

“I want you to recreate it.” He said and lifted his face from mine.

“What?"

“The drawing, I want you to draw it again, one copy, two copies, a hundred copies, I want them." He nodded and stepped back a little.

My heart sank and I looked away from him.

If there is anything I was bad at, it was drawing. I was so terrible at it that I couldn't even make a perfect circle.

It was just here that Emilia was better than I. She drew so well that she was given a scholarship years ago in an artistic company.

But I’d hid the letter from her, making sure she didn’t get the chance to leave.

“I’m not in for this, Adrain. Drawing or no drawing, it isn’t what I came here to do. " I managed to say, praying in my heart he shouldn’t talk about the drawing anymore.

“I want the drawing, Charlotte, please.” He pleaded and looked into my eyes.

"This is our memory, Charlotte; do you just want to throw it away like that?"

"It’s not now, Adrain; I wouldn’t just pick up an ink or pencil and delve into drawing right now. I’m not in the right state of mind.”

Adrain walked back to his desk; he pulled the drawer attached to the desk and brought out a little box. He opened it and shoved it to my face. It contained everything needed for drawing. The small drawing box, contained neatly arranged pencils, an eraser, a sharpener, a ruler, and a few coloring tools.

“Here, Charlotte, I got everything you will be needing to draw. I invited you here so we can spend time together. I want you to draw while I watch you do it."

I burst out in laughter.

"Are you okay, Adrain?” I folded my arms around my chest. "You invited me all the way from Solana to Lycaonia to draw for you? Are you serious?” I stepped closer.

“It isn’t that bad, Charlotte. You clearly stated you were free and still gathering yourself. So I thought it would help, knowing fully well how you loved doing it.” He pulled my hand and dropped the box in my palm.

"You loved drawing, Charlotte; you never hesitated to draw even when you were hurt the most. Drawing calmed you the most, remember?" he explained, like he was trying to bring in the memories I had forgotten.

Right now, I was cut up in the middle. The Charlotte girl loved drawing, which is not something I can do.

He said it calmed her, and she drew even when she was sad.

It explains that acting sad to avoid drawing wouldn’t work. And so I needed to act fast to avoid being caught.

“That was then Adrain, when I was younger. But now, a lot is going on in my life. I don’t want to draw.” I finalized.

Seems we aren’t much ahead of Adrain. This part of Charlotte wasn’t mentioned to me, and Dad didn’t know either.

“You know what, Adrain? I will do this drawing when next I come.”

Adrain went back to sit on the chair behind the desk.

“This was the reason for inviting you here.”

“I will take my leave then." I held the door handle to pull it open when he spoke.

“Consider the deal canceled, Charlotte.” He smirked.

"I will get them signed on one condition: if you do the drawing.”

His voice echoed in my head. And I stopped mid-steps.

What was Adrain trying to do, manipulate me into drawing some unknown thing in exchange for the deal?