Alicia's eyes widened, speechless and shocked to her core at what he just did. Her entire body burned from both shame and this infuriating…


  When the tip of his lips curved up, Alicia saw that as him smiling in triumph and it only caused her to flare up even more. She lunged at him, and her balled fist swung forward and landed on his jaw. The punch was stronger than she had thought. Maybe because her wrath and pride had fuelled it, thus the extra strength behind it.

  She was panting as Ezekiel stilled, face facing slightly sideways because of that one unexpectedly strong punch. Though she was glad her hit landed, she was a little apprehensive on how Ezekiel would react.

  He licked the side of his lips, his lower lip had a cut and was now bleeding. Then slowly, he moved his face and looked back at her straight in the eyes.

  "I… hate you." she hissed at him. Extreme anger raged like a lightning storm within her eyes.

  "I know." He replied without any feelings in his voice.

  His nonchalance enraged her even more. "I'm going to kill you!"

  "Go ahead. Try it…" the fiery temperature had turned a little icy now, "if you can."

  She opened her mouth but before the first syllable of the chant could even leave her lips, Ezekiel had pinned her back down. The speed of his actions had left her gasping for air. She knew that he was fast. But being on the receiving end of his unwanted attentions was a totally different matter. The next thing she knew was he had wedged himself between her legs, his hands were back on her wrists, wrapping around them tightly and pinning them down above her head. She struggled to pull her hands out of his grasp but as expected, it was to no avail.

  His face hovered so close to hers again. "Why stop?" he asked in a controlled voice. "Go on, Alicia, say it." He taunted her, knowing that he was pushing her buttons.

  "Damn you to hell," she gritted out through clenched teeth, eyes watering, hating how this weak and useless body of hers seemed to be making her look even more pitiful, vulnerable and emotional before him. "What the hell do you even want from me? Why not just let me disappear, huh, Ezekiel?! Why bother hanging onto me and keeping me around?" She spat out bitterly as her eyes looked away.

  His expression became totally unreadable but his focus on her features did not dwindle one bit.

  "Answer me. I know there must be a reason for you doing this. The great Ezekiel will never do anything without good reason after all, right? And I know for sure that whatever the reason it may be, it surely would be something along the lines of being beneficial to you or your people or this world." Alicia said tauntingly and then huff out in helplessness.

  When Ezekiel did not even blink or showed any facial expression to her accusations, Alicia scoffed and laughed. "Of course… you would never even bother giving an answer. When have you ever bothered to give out any explanations – ever? Tell me Ezekiel… was it fun keeping everyone in the dark?" Her gleaming and watery eyes narrowed at him. "Do you find it entertaining using even your own allies like they're all your pawns at your very own disposal? Is it fun seeing us run around in circles and dancing to your tune?"

  Silence reigned for a few horrible seconds. Alicia scoffed again, not bothered even if she was offending him as she was tired of it all. She finally shut her eyes to stop her damned eyes from getting all watery and itchy, but it just made a drop of tear flow down from the corner of her eyes.

  "No." his deep voice suddenly echoed out in the silence, causing Alicia's eyes to fly wide open and look at him in shock. He… answered?!!

  It took her a while to respond. "No… then why… why do you always do it?"——

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  Alicia could swear she saw something pulse within those metal-grey eyes that she finds so enticing. She felt like at this moment, the inner animal or demon or monster or whatever it was that he was keeping locked within himself, was starting to get restless, feral even. She could not help but shudder at the thought that the mask of skin he was wearing right now might disappear and the beast underneath will come out and lunge at her and… tear her apart.

  She was not expecting any more answers, but she was surprised again when his voice suddenly broke the heavy silence between them.

  "Because it's the best strategy." His answer came after such a long pause.

  Alicia's mouth hang opened in disbelief. "What? That's… that's your reason?"

  "Yes." One short answer. Wow. Alicia was commenting to herself sarcastically that Ezekiel really knew how to explain.

  Another scoff was about to leave Alicia's mouth when Ezekiel continued. "When you tell your plan to someone, always expect a big possibility of your plans falling to ruins."

  "You just don't trust anyone don't you?" She finally commented with an creased brow.

  "If there is no trust, there's no betrayal." His simple reply came with a small shrug of his shoulders.

  "Wow. So, this is all because you're afraid of being betrayed all along?" Alicia shook her head and could not help but laugh to herself in disbelief. The great Prince Ezekiel, afraid of betrayal?

  But her smile faded almost instantly at the look that crossed his eyes. She recognised it as something haunting and disturbing and… horrifying. And that caused her to pause in her ridicule of him.

  "Have you ever been betrayed before, Alicia? And no, I am not just referring to anyone important but by the person you trusted the most. Someone whom you trust even more than yourself."

  Alicia could not respond to his question.

  He smiled. An emotionless and empty one.

  It was as if he already had an answer. He then climbed off Alicia and sat at the edge of the bed. His back was now facing her, but his hand still did not let go of her wrist.

  His gloved hand came up to loosen his tie, removing it as Alicia looked on at him silently.

  "Listen to me Alicia," he spoke, without turning back. Gone was the strange tone in his voice and he was now back to his usual emotionlessness royal self. "Unless you use a spell, you are now powerless. You only have the strength of a human girl now. So if you are intending to kill me, then forget it. Just stop struggling so futilely, wanting for me to let you go. Spend that energy on planning a clever move on how to kill me instead. Keep in mind that the moment I let go of you, you won't be able to even finish your chant and you would be already gone."

  "Ezekiel…" she called his name, sounding like she had not listened to all those things he had just said to her at all…… "Who was it that betrayed you?" she asked, and he stilled.