6. Dangerous Ability

"What are those flowers called?" Fiora tilted her head slightly as she looked at a cluster of small, bright orange blossoms.

She had never seen them before. There weren't many flowers at the shelter.

The grounds were filled with neat green lawns and towering shade trees.

Clean. Comfortable. Practical.

But nowhere near as colorful as the garden surrounding the island's mansion.

"They're beautiful," Fiora said with a smile.

Riven followed her gaze before replying, "Honestly, I don't know much about flowers. Vael's the one who usually takes care of this garden."

He smiled. "But if you like them, I'll pick some for you."

Fiora looked at him, her eyes widening. "So... Vael planted them?"

Riven didn't answer.

Instead, he walked toward the patch of bright orange flowers in one corner of the garden.

He crouched down and carefully picked several stems.

Once he was satisfied, he returned to Fiora, who was still sitting on the swing.

"The flowers are just as beautiful as you are," he said with a charming smile, offering them to her.

"Thank you, Riven." Fiora accepted them happily. "They're absolutely beautiful."

It had been a long time since a man had given her fresh, fragrant flowers.

"Tsk." Riven clicked his tongue. "You're too innocent."

Fiora looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Alright, alright." He sighed dramatically. "I'll confess."

"The swing... I wasn't the one who built it."

Fiora blinked. "You didn't?" She frowned."But... you said earlier that--"

"I lied." Riven shrugged as if it were nothing. "You looked so excited when you saw the swing. So...I wanted your attention to stay on me."

Fiora fell silent. She didn't know what to say.

She still couldn't quite understand the way Riven thought. Was he still upset because she had been daydreaming earlier?

"But..." She smiled awkwardly. "My attention is on you now, Riven."

"And you picked these beautiful flowers for me. I really like them."

Riven didn't respond immediately. Instead, he quietly studied her face.

Then he sighed. "None of this was my doing."

He looked around the garden. "This garden and that swing... They were all Vael's idea."

"He built the swing a week before we received news that you were coming to the island."

Riven smiled faintly. "He said every woman loves swings."

Once again, Fiora found herself speechless.

Vael... He had built the swing... For her?

Her emotions became strangely tangled.

The thought that he had gone out of his way to create something she truly loved stirred something deep inside her heart.

"I bet you're thinking about Vael again."

Fiora gasped softly. Without realizing it, Riven had stepped directly in front of her.

Leaning down, he closed the distance between them until only inches remained.

His fingers gently lifted her chin, leaving her no choice but to look into his eyes.

"No... I'm not thinking about him." She denied it quickly.

By now, Fiora had begun to understand the personalities of the men on this island.

Darius and Riven... Neither of them liked sharing someone's attention.

They were both proud men with strong egos.

The difference was that Darius wore his emotions openly, explosive and impossible to hide.

Riven, on the other hand, always smiled... While concealing the storm beneath it.

What a troublesome group...

If she wanted to complete her mission as quickly as possible, she'd have to learn how to deal with all five of her Seed Donors.

And she still hadn't even met the last one.

If she remembered correctly... His name was Zephyr.

Riven smiled before placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Liar," he whispered teasingly.

"I'm obviously much more handsome than Vael. So why have you been thinking about him ever since you arrived on this island?"

Fiora frowned. Wait...

How did Riven know she'd been thinking about Vael?

Seeing her bewildered expression, Riven's smile only widened. "The truth is... I know exactly what you're thinking."

He said it so casually that Fiora almost thought she'd misheard him.

"I can read minds, Fiora. It's my ability."

He smiled as though he were talking about the weather.

"And I'm not the only one. Everyone on this island possesses a special ability."

"Powerful abilities..."

"...dangerous enough that no one outside this island can ever know they exist."

***