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  Lina lost count of how many times she knocked on the door. Glancing at her surroundings, she frowned at the dying plant by the doorway. That was unusual.

  The artist was a lover of plants and she often complimented the variety of pots growing by his windowsill. Sighing to herself, Lina turned on her heels. She gazed down the hallway, which was well lit with fresh air filling the space.

  Lina was disappointed by the loss of a great talent. All of these problems arose because of a dispute which resulted in his piece not being commissioned. Lina was certain that he still had enough money from his previous high-selling artwork. Lina hated to admit it, but Estella was right. She had to stop being both a curator and consultant.

  Without another word, Lina approached the elevator.

  "Oh, is that Director Lina?"

  At the familiar voice, Lina spun around. She brightened at the sight of the landlord.

  "Madam, how are you?" Lina asked the elderly woman dressed in white and pearls. She calmly approached the landlady who was petting a cat in her arms.

  "Good, good, except that artist friend of yours. He's late on rent and well, I am quite worried for him."

  "Worried?" Lina echoed, tilting her head. Late on rent? Guilt tickled at her chest. Perhaps she should've commissioned him instead.

  Maybe Krystal could release another statement about her favorite artwork. With how frequently Krystal would visit the art gallery in her spare time, the possibilities were high. Though, Krystal hadn't come around lately due to her new projects.

  "Well yes, he was last seen with a suspicious fellow a few days ago. He's always hauling the paint buckets himself, but this time, he brought along a friend. My little whiskers were quite startled," the landlady complained whilst stroking her cat's chin.

  "The two got into a big argument, I feared for the artist's life. Whiskers never gets frightened, don't you agree?" The landlady cooed as her cat meowed.

  "Do you know what the disagreement could be about?" Lina asked.

  "Something about not enough payment for an item that's difficult to acquire, I don't know what it could be…" The landlady mumbled, glancing at the ground in an attempt to think over her answers thoroughly.

  "I see, I've been trying to get a hold of him and he hasn't responded, I'll try again," Lina said with a thankful smile. "You take care of yourself now, Madam. Winter is coming and this year will be the coldest."

  "Of course, of course. Before you go, you must take some cookies I've just baked. Here," the landlady hurriedly entered her apartment and returned with a ziploc bag of goodies.

  "Thank you, the ladies at my office will enjoy these," Lina mused.

  "Good good, let me give you more then."

  "Ah, no need—"

  "You must, I insist."——

  Lina begrudgingly walked out of the building with five large bags of cookies and another armful of fruits. She never understood why the older generation loved to stuff people with treats. She wasn't complaining, except she appeared like a glutton the minute she walked onto the sidewalk.

  "They could be poisoned," Kaden said the second he saw her.

  "They're from a nice old lady," Lina snapped, elbowing him away.

  Kaden deeply frowned. He gazed down at the abundance of fruit and cookies in her arms, being carried like a baby. Immediately, he began to unload the items from her grasp and placed them into his car's backseats.

  "Why are you still following me?" Lina irritably asked.

  "Your chauffeur abandoned you, it is out of courtesy," Kaden shamelessly responded.

  "You shot my chauffeur's car tires!"

  "A slip of my fingers." Kaden placed a hand on her upper back and guided her to the passenger seat. Lina swatted at his hand and stepped away.

  Nonetheless, Kaden opened the door for her. With a heavy scowl, Lina climbed into the car. She crossed her arms and glared out the window.

  "What are you doing?" Lina demanded when he bent close to her. Her heart skipped. She could barely breathe with him this near to her vicinity. Up close and personal, she could see each fold of black in his dark eyes.

  "Keeping you safe, dove." Kaden gently reached a hand out.

  Lina pulled away, her body tense. Kaden was reaching for the seatbelt. Swallowing hard, she watched with shaky eyes. He was so close, she saw the flex of his suave neck. Nervously, she licked her bottom lip.

  With a soft "click," Kaden slotted her seatbelt in place. His fingers briefly skimmed her thigh. Even through the fabric, she felt the warmth of his caress. Her lashes fluttered, her attention flying to his lips.

  "You should always wear a seatbelt, dove," Kaden murmured, his grip tightening on the door.

  Kaden saw where her eyes wandered. He resisted every overpowering instinct in his body to kiss her on the forehead. By now, it had developed into a bad habit whenever he saw her.

  "Worry about yourself," Lina muttered, ignoring his tender gaze.

  When Kaden climbed into the driver's seat, her nose tickled. Inside of his warm car, his scent was the strongest. She was overwhelmed by the smell of the forest and oranges. Tangy and sweet.

  "How shall I chase you, dove?"

  "By getting the hell out of my life. I didn't need you for the past five years and I certainly don't need you now," Lina hissed.

  "You're such pleasant company, dove," Kaden remarked, starting the car.

  Lina refused to respond. She continued to stare out the window, distracting herself by watching different people hurry down the streets. She wondered where they were heading to. Home? To pick up children? To grab their boss' coffee? Out of curiosity, she pressed her shoulders closer to the glass, her attention glued to the pedestrians.

  "What happened to your cottage dream?" Kaden suddenly asked.

  "What are you even talking about?"

  "You once told me you wanted to live in a cozy house, staying at home to paint and draw with a nice cup of hot chocolate, waiting for—"

  "Who would I be waiting for? A husband who wiped my memories? A boy who kidnapped me and took me to a different country?" Lina bitterly asked him.

  "Dove."

  Lina ignored the warning in his voice. She continued to watch people cross the street. People rarely wore a smile on their faces. She saw flashes of red eyes and froze. Shuddering to herself, she tightened her grip on her seatbelt. The one he had belted for her.

  "What are your plans tonight?" Kaden asked.

  "One-night stands."

  Kaden gritted his teeth. His hands tightened around the steering wheel.

  Lina saw his veins pop. They were bulging and angry. Seeing his jaw clench, his eyes ignited, her lips curled. Returning her attention out the window, she focused on a little girl struggling to tie her shoe laces. Suddenly, her father approached her, chuckled and patted her head, before bending down to aid her. Touching the window, she pressed herself closer to watch the heartwarming action. She felt a stab in her chest, knowing this was a childhood she never experienced.

  "Glad to know you've been getting around as much as I have."

  Lina's entire body went cold. "Yes, I can't help it when other men fill me more than you ever did."

  SCREECH!

  Lina screamed when her body flew forward. Abruptly, Kaden stopped the car.

  "What are you doing?!" Lina demanded, her heart jumping with disbelief. She had seen her life flash before her eyes.

  "Is this how you want me to view you? As a whore who sleeps around?"

  Something inside of Lina snapped. So he could have his way with women and she couldn't? The audacity.

  "You've always thought of me as one anyway," Lina bitterly said. "From day one, you knew I was a virgin, but I could see the look in your eyes whenever Atlantis was around. You think I slept with him, you think I loved him when all along, I always remained loyal to you."

  "You clung onto him—"

  "I was almost in tears at the altar," Lina snarled. "I—"

  Lina cut herself off. No, he didn't deserve the truth. He didn't deserve to know how she felt at the altar. The fear, the dread, and the disappointment. Lina might as well have been handcuffed and dragged down the aisle. She never wanted to get married to Atlantis. What choice did she have? At that time, she thought she had no one else to rely on.

  "I'm sorry," Kaden muttered.

  Lina grinded her teeth. She threw off the seatbelt and flung the door open. She saw the shocked eyes of the passersby. No doubt, they garnered attention from abruptly parking at the sidelines.

  "Go to hell, Kaden."

  "I'm already in it," Kaden said, instantly climbing out of the car with her. In the distance, he saw a policeman begin to make his way towards them. A dark glower from Kaden sent the man halting.

  "Without you, dove, everyday is—"

  "Save your ancient pickup lines for someone else," Lina hissed.

  With a deep frown, Lina tightened her coat and stormed down the street. Rush hour had long died. She was going to just go home. What a horrible day she had. Never again, she swore to herself. Never again would she associate herself with Kaden…… They were nothing but a ticking time bomb together.