Chapter Five.

Bloom shivered, hiding behind the ravenette man and looking so afraid to be there. She wanted to opt out but he coaxed her to stay. If she had known he was bringing her here, she would have rather gone back home and finished the tubs of ice-cream she planned to buy.

“B-but J-Juliano…w-why a b-bar?”

She mumbled from behind him, a trembling hand over his shoulder and gripping tight as her meek eyes surveyed the place back and forth. She gulped down saliva and shivered again. Juliano was starting to feel a ping bad at what he placed her into.

“It’s just a drink to celebrate your accomplishment and we’ll stop by an eatery and grab something nice okay?” He tried to sound convincing enough as he sent her a solicitous smile. Bloom reluctantly nodded and crept out of her hiding.

Juliano smiled and watched her lace her arm in his, gluing to his side like if she distanced from him even in the slightest, she’d be snatched away. Her meek actions made him smile lovingly down at her and he held her tightly. “Let’s go”.

Bloom sat on a tall cushioned stool, sipping at her cocktail glass while her observant eyes kept prying about. She was uncomfortable and it irked her very skin to be here at a bar. She always stayed away from alcohol but Juliano just had to be so nice and chiding her with words that guilt-tripped her into complying.

Taking another sweeping glance around, she suddenly froze up like a statue. She couldn’t even blink, she was that frozen. Her lips stopped right at the rim of the glass as her eyes expanded in the rawest shock known to her.

Those dark familiar orbs were drilling down, corrosively into the very depth of her soul. It was hypnotizing, perfectly in control of her mind and commanding her not to resist his bindings on her. Those dark orbs were like the calm after the storm but also like every storm, there was the known aftermath of destruction which shook her whole.

A second of distraction from a woman who approached him with a cocktail glass in her long fingers, was able to temporarily undo the spell he casted on her. And in that splitting moment, she became paranoid, reaching around to stable herself. She needed to leave at once. That was her boss! What was he going to think of her when they met tomorrow?

“J-Juliano” She called weakly, fingers pressed to her temple as she winced. She was sure she hadn’t drank that much yet she was this affected.

“Juliano…I need to go home…now”.

There was unbridled urgency in her voice, a panic even as she stood up, grabbed her purse and left. She still staggered but was able to hold her balance till she got out. A yawn escaped her lips, reminding her it was almost her bedtime and she sighed.

Her brother must be so worried by now. While waiting out for signs of the man who brought her there, she failed to pick up the closing stealthy steps gaining up behind her.

“Hey beautiful, all alone tonight?”

His voice was rugged and his breath was acrid. Bloom scrunched up her face in disgust and squeezed her shut lips to the side. It only sped up the migraine that was erupting in a side of her head. She ignored the drunk stranger, flailing her hand lazily to flag down a cab but failed as another wince rocked her balance.

“Juliano…” She called out once more, stepping away from the stranger.

There were only a few number of people loitering about and she was scared. Her heart drummed wildly in her chest as she tried to buy time for when Juliano would come out by ignoring the drunk threading behind her and trying her best to get a cab.

A hand suddenly gripped around her wrist and she was tugged back with a yelp. The man had taken into actions and she knew there was nothing she could do anymore.

“Don’t be so stubborn now…lady…your partner won’t come save you….”

His acrid breath expelled over her face, making her gag and stagger. Her eyes were quick to tear up and she screamed when his rough hand coursed down the side of her paling face.

“Let me go! Julian-“

A figure suddenly darted into the scene from nowhere and the drunk was instantly yanked away from her and thrown into the wall with such inhuman speed that left her vision dizzy and mind rolling.

‘What is that?’ She staggered back and landed on her butt with an “Ouch”. She was so tired all of a sudden and the migraine plaguing her mind only intensified as she winced again.

“Hey, get up”.

She could recognize that hostile but calm voice anywhere. It was him! He was the one who came to her rescue!. She shuddered from his tone and lifted her head only to see a hand before her face. “Grab on, you must have been shocked witless”.

He stressed on and she shook her head to clear the dizziness away, slipping her small trembling hand into his. To her utmost shock, his large masculine and rigid hand felt so cold. It was almost as if he was dead. And when she looked into his dark orbs, she was sure of it. Her boss was most likely some zombie or something.

‘No, a vampire suits better’ She corrected her thoughts and straightened, feeling his cold hand wrap hers in as he pulled her up.

His eyes glided down her frame, the corner of his lips turning downward in disapproval. Bloom bit the inside of her mouth as she lowered her eyes to her body. Well, she had to admit she wasn’t really appealing at the moment. She just sunk into a old grey dress of hers with longs arms that stopped beneath her knees.

She was probably two levels higher than a street beggar in what she wore. That hurtful realization made her grow insecure and feel more than embarrassed beneath his scrutinizing gaze. But he made no move and just let her go. “Where’s the man you came with?”

“Um…he’s still back inside. I-I c-can wait for him” She stuttered, rubbing her arm at the spot where that stranger had grabbed her roughly. The CEO’s eyes narrowed to watch her action and he looked up at her face to see the obvious exhaustion all over it. She looked so fragile that it had him pinching the skin between his brows. He turned and began walking over to a black car. “Come with me”.

She was speechless, did he just tell her to follow after him? She still stood transfixed to her spot and Hayes sighed when he noticed she wasn’t moving. He turned to her, “Do you need some special invitation, Miss Santiago?”

His hard voice made her move with a shudder and she shook her head like a kid. She walked quickly to him and he turned to resume his walk. He stepped into the car and opened the front passenger’s door from the inside for her to get in.

Bloom couldn’t believe it! She was going to ride in such an expensive car she didn’t even know its name and what’s more mind-blowing? With the one and only Hayes Warren?! She tensely glanced around for any signs of Juliano but once she didn’t see him, she crossed her heart and stepped into the car. Hayes sped off while Bloom couldn’t calm her racing heart. She was fascinated at the interior of the car but was also paranoid.

Bloom turned to observe the night scenery. It was dead silent and she didn’t want to feel even more awkward than she was feeling being so close to the ice king. Not to mention how frosty the air had suddenly become despite it being warm in the car. Her fingers were misbehaving, rubbing over each other like she was trying to wash off a sticky stain off them.

Bloom temporarily forgot about the migraine messing up with her mind earlier but now, it seemed to have returned with a formidable force that made her vomit a voiceless gasp. She winced, and reclined backward into the soothing comfort of the seat.

It might as well just be a dream she might soon wake up from. So, pushing the aching migraine away, she wanted to enjoy this once in a lifetime chance and savor this moment.