A couple of hours ago, Zeke returned to his house and did a quick sweep of the place with his senses stretched out, only to find that Alicia have yet to return. He had left as soon as he sensed she was gone. It was as if he was absolutely certain that Alicia was not shameless enough to stay and watch the 'fun'.

  After finding out that Alicia have yet to return, Zeke walked over to his favourite spot and just sat quietly on the chair. He allowed his eyes to close, but he did not drift off to sleep. He looked like he was working silently, inside his own world, which was his head.

  He did not move for a long while until suddenly, he opened his eyes and stared off at the ceiling. Then he lifted his wrist and looked at his silver wristwatch, checking on the time.

  A tinge of boredom flashed across his slate grey orbs. Then he stared at the door as if waiting for someone to emerge from there.

  His long and elegant fingers started to tap out a slow but steady rhythm on the arm of his chair. The air around him became a little darker with impatience. He exuded the aura of a powerful man who was not used to waiting for someone – anyone at all.

  Still, he did not move for another long while despite the fact that his whole body was tensed and coiled as though he could just leap and burst into action.

  After another hour, he sprung up from the chair. The air around him getting even darker. He looked like he was debating whether to wait a little while longer or just leave.

  He stormed off into his dark toned and elegant kitchen, took out a bottle of what looked like a rare and mysterious wine and poured himself a generous amount into a glass. It was not blood this time, as he had just taken his meal last night.

  His every movement was fluid and graceful as always but unlike the past two weeks, there was a hint of boredom in his stance now. It was as if there was nothing more interesting going on at these moments. As if something more interesting had been going on for the past two weeks and now the house had suddenly turned bland and boring.

  He leaned back against the bar, twirling the liquid in his glass before raising it to his lips and gulping it down in one go.

  Lifting his hand again, Zeke's gaze fell on his wristwatch. Again. He was not one to keep looking at the clock but today, he had already looked at it more times than he usually did.

  When the clock hit exactly two hours since he returned, he slowly put his glass down. The soft clunk of the glass hitting the tile echoed out in the empty kitchen. His gaze sharpened and he pushed himself away from the counter.

  He walked towards the door but halted midway. Then he turned around and lowered himself down back onto the chair. He crossed his long legs over the other and leaned back in his usual lazy and calm stance. The air around him had gone back to a mask of calmness.

  Alicia finally appeared. She looked so goddamned mad. Anger was flashing in her eyes as she glared at him. However, he found that it quite interesting and entertaining seeing her so riled up like this.

  Then she came at him. If she was not a spirit, he bet that she might have gone ahead and hit his royal face again, like how she had done before.

  When she stepped back, eyes wide with shock after hearing the words Zeke had said, Zeke removed his gloves and stretched his bare hand towards her.

  "Come here, Alicia." Ezekiel's voice was not threatening, nor was it commanding as how he usually sounded. But there was an undercurrent Alicia could not quite put into words. And it was strange how she had momentarily forgotten her serious circumstance while his voice lingered in her ears.

  She managed to drag her gaze away from his unfathomable eyes that was fixed so intently on her person and stared instead at his bare hand. Alicia knew that Ezekiel had always been wearing black gloves except when he was inside his house. In fact, she had never seen him remove and touch anyone without his gloves on.

  Alicia did not get bothered by this as she had thought Ezekiel was just doing that only to avoid anyone from getting a hold of his fingerprints or something to that effect. But now, suspicions were skyrocketing within her.

  Why did he remove his glove and was offering his hand towards her as if… as if he wanted her to take his hand? He knew very clearly that she could not even touch him! Not to mention that she was obviously fading away now. Was he trying to fool her again?

  She clenched her fists tight and did not take a single step to approach him. "Where did you go to?" she asked instead, as if she did not hear his statement or saw him offering his hand to her.

  "I should be the one asking you that since you were the one who ran off." He answered her question by throwing it back at her.

  Her glare that was trained on him became fiercer. He distractedly thought for a moment that if her gaze could be turned into a killing weapon, a lesser man would have been flayed into strips within seconds.

  "Stop playing with me Ezekiel. I'm done letting you play me for a fool!" she hissed. She was embarrassed and had channelled all that feeling into anger.

  Ezekiel kept quiet and stared at her, but he did not retract his hand. He allowed it to remain outstretched with palms opened, an unsaid invitation for her to come forward to take his hand.

  "Take my hand," he said calmly after keeping his silence for a few moments longer.

  Alicia laughed a little mockingly…… "Tell me the reason why I should take hold of that royal hand of yours, Ezekiel."