AZARIAH SERENE:

After last night's incident, I even ate dinner in my room not wanting to be even one foot close to Zemen.

I wanted to eat breakfast here too and never come out of my safe haven called room, but the maid told me that Zemen would be angry if I didn't come to eat with them.

The breakfast was very awkward but peaceful because Zemen had his mouth shut.

As of right now, I am desperately trying to find Levi to keep me company but I can't find him.

I checked his room, the pool, backyard, tennis court, roof top, practically the whole mansion, but he was no where to be found.

Santino was with Noah still recovering from my fuckery from yesterday and Jade was at the shooting range. So the only person I had left was, Zemen.

I walked up to his room which was just across the hall from mine and not thinking twice, I knocked on his door.

No response.

I knocked again.

No response.

I knocked for about three more times before I grabbed the door handle and slowly peeked it open.

His room, dang. It was another story.

The walls were a dark deep red with black fitting on the bed and black furniture.

His curtains were red making the sunlight cast through them and make the room a glowing red. The chandelier above was beautiful and the wall behind the bed had the same Rey de Reyes written on it in gold and black, which to this day, I don't know the meaning of.

Suddenly, my eyes captured a rose that was placed on the glass table beside the window.

I narrowed my eyes on the rose and walked up to the table and bent down to look at the rose without touching it.

So he treats me like shit and roars all the time, but has time to accept roses from his special someone, huh?

Wow. What a man he is.

I puckered my lips to the left and raised my eyebrow. Babo. (Jerk)

I smiled at my insult.

I don't know any Korean beside some slangs and simple sayings or phrases, which omma taught me. I was born in Korea and have these brown, black eyes which are too small for my liking, giving my face the typical Asian look. But my cheek bones and lips makes up for it.

My real name is completely different but because dad is from America, he insisted that I go by an english name as he despised my Korean name and called it some blabber.

I have been so used to my fake name now that I irk when I even think about my real name.

Aera Mun. My omma named me. It means Moon lover or moon goddess.

I smiled at the memories but my smile wiped off as I grew into a state of panic once I heard the bathroom door close.

Shit! He was in there!

I looked around while my heart was pounding as I tried to find a place to hide.

Why would you come here Azariah!? He's gonna eat you alive!

I looked under the bed but it had no space.

I looked to my right and without thinking twice I hid behind the red curtain making myself pretty well hidden.

The curtain was see through and... Bless my eyes.

There he was, Zemen. In just a towel wrapped around his waist and a towel in his hand from which he was drying his hair that had water dripping from them.

My eyes slowly moved down to his broad tanned chest which was on display for me to bless my eyes with.

His broad shoulders and biceps had my eyes widen. My eyes lowered to his arm which was covered in a tattoo sleeve with snake tattoos and some drawings. There was also a crown on his lower pec which had some writing under it. His left pec had a skull on it.

I looked at his face and saw a small smirk on his lips.

The jerk even smirks when he's alone. Babo.

My eyes travelled lower to find his prominent as fuck, V line which had a trail of hair leading downwards to the towel which I desperately wanted to fall.

I didn't dare lose concentration and kept following my eyes to his legs which were a living proof that he never missed his leg days.

Suddenly, my eyes bulged out when he dropped his towel.

Thankfully I was looking at his legs which made me see nothing.

I immediately closed my eyes and turned to my left having a little squeak come out from my lips.

Can I peek?

Is it allowed?

Is this even legal?

Should I?

Just a peek wouldn't hurt nobody. He doesn't even know I am here.

I sighed and opened my eyes only to find him staring at me standing close to me, all dressed looking at me with his hands on his hips.

Fuck. Busted.

"Come out. Right now." I gulped and removed the curtain from around me.

As I was about to go up to him to get an earful, suddenly I stumbled and accidentally pulled down the curtain, making it's hooks come off one by one and it's rod to hang upside down.

About me you may ask?

Oh nothing. I just fell and took Zemen down with me.

We dropped on the floor with me shrieking while he landed with an oomph.

My eyes were closed due to the fall, but when I opened them I found myself on top of Zemen with my hands on his chest, feeling his heart beat which was thumping beneath my palm.

It was going fast but not faster than mine. Mine was about to pop out and go flying onto Zemen's face.

He had a painful expression on his face with his lips under his teeth which made me bite my own.

When he opened his eyes, my gaze followed and widened when I looked into those pools of silver which were dilating by each passing second.

I saw his Adams apple bob but I kept looking into his eyes which had me captivated.

But, as if something clicked, my eyes narrowed in on to his, searching deeply for my answer.

Where have I seen this silver before?

I leaned down more making him squirm and push his shoulder up to his face and for him to back away but I leaned in more just looking into his eyes.

I bit my lip and kept looking into his eyes.

I swear I have seen these eyes before. But don't know where.

Come on recall it Azariah.

But the horny side of me took over and I pushed my lips down to his closing my eyes in an instant.

I didn't move and just had my lips placed there, neither of us moving.

"Azariah!"

I shook my head and looked at him, baffled.

Did I- no. No!

Did I just imagine Zemen and I kissing?

That thought was enough to make me stand up and shudder visibly.

Why would I kiss this idiot who insults me as if it's his part time job?

I would never!

"Never!" I pointed at him and he backed his head away and looked at my finger.

He held my finger and lowered it, not liking it pointed to his face.

"Juro que encuentro a los mejores idiotas" (I swear I find the best idiots)

He muttered something making me ask, "Huh?"

"What are you doing here? In my room?"

I cleared my throat. Please don't embarrass yourself.

"I came to ask you if you had seen Levi, I checked everywhere but I couldn't seem to find him"

He hummed and crossed his arms over his chest and rubbed his scruff with one hand.

"At least make a nice excuse Azariah. Tsk."

Azariah. When did my name get so hot?

"It's not an excuse! I wanted to see Levi."

He looked at me with a blank face.

"He's at the warehouse, probably will be back in an hour or two...... Now leave."

He pointed at the door with his thumb.

Sighing, I walked to the door but stopped, and turned around.

"Umm.... I am sorry for yesterday... I honestly didn't know that it would cause such a big trouble. I am sorry for putting everyone's life at risk."

Zemen looked at me.

"Your sorry doesn't mean shit but at least you apologized."

"I truly mean it."

"Sure..... Now. Kindly. Leave."

He raised his eyebrow at me and then looked at the door.

I rolled my eyes.

Why do I even try?

I got out of his room and shut the door behind me.

At least I got to bless my eyes.

I shrugged and walked up to my room.

~◌~✤✤~◌~

ZEMEN ACÉTTA:

I heard the door to my room open and close and instantly knew who would dare to enter my room.

I turned the shower off, wrapped a towel around my waist and got out of the bathroom, purposely closing the door louder wanting to see what she'll do.

As expected, the cheeky little idiot thought she'd hide and I won't catch her.

How predictable.

I looked straight into the mirror which was beside my bed allowing me to look to my right where she was hiding, behind the curtains.

Her height didn't help at all making me catch her instantly.

I looked at her shamelessly gawking at me. I smirked as her eyes travelled lower.

Predicting the thoughts in her head, I dropped the towel.

I heard a small squeak leave her mouth. I turned around and saw her hiding her face while her head was peeking out of the curtains.

"Should I?" She mumbled and I chuckled lowly.

I wore my boxers then my sweat pants and a V neck shirt.

Soon, she peeked and looked at me looking straight at her.

She blushed making her usual pale skin tone turn a deep red.

I called her out and she started walking to me with her head down.

She stumbled a little, making the curtains rip and the next thing I know she placed her hands on my chest making me take the fall with her.

She hid her face in my neck, clinging to my neck tightly and shrieked as I fell on my back with her on top of me with a thud.

I hissed as the table corner hit me while I was falling. I opened my eyes only to find her face only inches away from mine.

To my surprise she leaned in more making me cower back and hide my face with my shoulder. But that didn't stop her and she kept looking into my eyes maintaining a deep eye contact.

For the first time in my life, I wanted to break the eye contact instead of making the other person submit to my gaze.

My eyes darted to her lips which she was biting very hard making them turn a little white.

"Azariah. Get off." I pushed her a little but she didn't budge.

"Fuck off" I tried again but no.

She just kept looking at my eyes tilting her head in a rhythm of left and right slowly.

"Azariah!" I raised my voice and thankfully, this time she got off me and muttered a small sorry.

"What are you doing here? In my room?"

She composed herself and cleared her throat. "I came to ask you if you had seen Levi, I checked everywhere but I can't seem to find him"

"At least make a nice excuse Azariah. Tch"

She rolled her eyes.

"It's not an excuse! I wanted to see Levi."

Of course. Levi.

"He's at the warehouse, probably will be back in an hour or two...... Now leave."

I pointed my thumb at the door and she started leaving and I sighed a sigh of relief.

I groaned mentally when she turned around looking at me with her doe eyes.

"Umm.... I am sorry for yesterday... I honestly didn't know that it would cause such a big trouble. I am sorry for putting everyone's lives at risk."

Of course her sorry didn't mean anything to me. But still,

"Your sorry doesn't mean shit but at least you apologized."

"I truly mean it."

"Sure..... Now. Kindly. Leave."

She left then, rolling her eyes and slamming the door shut.

What a nuisance.

I sat on my bed, ducking my head down and cracking my neck a bit.

My eyes caught sight of the rose Levi got me.

"A rose for my boo"

That fucking idiot sure knows how to get on my nerves.

I picked up the rose and threw it in the bin before I go and break his bones.

I am surrounded by idiots.

~◌~✤✤~◌~

AZARIAH SERENE:

It had been hours now and Levi was still no where to be seen.

I had grown hungry and went to the kitchen to tell Quen, the maid and chef here, to make me something, but I didn't find her.

I turned around to go to the fridge and get myself something but I halted in my steps when I heard the cordless phone on the counter, ringing.

I turned around and looked at it.

Without pondering much, I picked up the phone, up to my ear.

"Hello?" I said while looking through the fridge.

"Ah! Tiny. What a pleasure!"

I stopped midst air of picking up the milk bottle.

"How good to hear from you. Missed me?"

My eye twitched as I sensed danger at the very moment.

I took the phone off my ear wanting to cut the call but his shout stopped me.

"Don't hang up. I have news for you."

Sucking my teeth in, I placed the phone back on my ear.

"I have something of yours.... Tiny."

I scoffed.

This bastard thinks he can lure me in his bullshit. Please. I know better.

"So Azzy.....would you like to know what?"

I stood there dumb founded as soon as the word left from his mouth.

Levi.

"Now that I have your attention.... Come save your pretty boy, who doesn't look quite pretty right now..."

He muttered a small 'oops'

"Don't you dare touch him! Zemen will kill you with his bare hands!"

He chuckled. "And who will tell him?"

"I will. I will make sure he kills y-"

"Like hell you will!"

I flinched and held the phone to a little distance from me as his shout ringed in my ears.

"By the time he gets here, pretty boy here would be dead meat."

"P-prove to me that you have him."

"I don't owe you anything to prove you shit. Believe it or not. I have him. It's your choice, tiny."

My breathing started changing and my hands grew sweaty around the phone.

"Look at you playing death." He chuckled once again as a tear of mine fell down on my cheek.

"Oh and... Tell Zemen about any of this and pretty boy here is tch." He took out a sound that gestured as him killing Levi.

"I-I will not. Please don't hurt, Vi. What do you w-want?"

"You."

My eyes widen.

"Come here in exchange of pretty boy. I'll let him go. Pinky promise."

No no. I can't go there.

I can't go back to danger, and that be on my own will? Never.

"Throw this phone away, destroy it or I'll kill him here right now. Don't fool me."

"N-no wai-"

"I give you 30 minutes to get to the park close to the mansion. If you aren't there-"

Can I sacrifice my life for Levi?

"-well how many times should I say more? I will. Kill. Pretty. Boy...... See ya tiny. Dress sexy."

He hung up and I removed the phone from my ear with tremoring hands.

My knees gave up and I dropped to the floor.

Oh God. Please don't. I can't. I can't.

I am sorry....

~◌~✤✤~◌~

ZEMEN ACÉTTA:

I was in my office when someone knocked on my door.

It better not be her.

"Enter"

Thankfully, Santino entered in.

"Azariah is no where to be found."

I rolled my eyes and looked at my screen.

"She's probably in the library reading those mafia books of hers."

"We checked the whole house. Nothing. No guard, no one saw her."

I looked at Santino to see if he was bullshitting or not but his face was set distorted.

I stood up from my seat and got out of the office.

"Azariah!" I shouted for her, looking upstairs but she was no where to be found.

"AZARIAH SERENE!" I tried once again but no. Nothing.

I turned to Santino, "ask all the guards and check the footage, check the house for any signs or clues."

"On it." He nodded and walked up to our hackroom.

As soon as we both entered the room we saw Noah standing there looking at the screen and his keyboard back and forth with complete panic.

"Noah?" Santino questioned.

"Somebody is hacking into our system." He looked into the radar. "The radar is glitching."

I dropped my coat on the table and walked up to him looking at multiple green codes which were scrolling through on the wall of computer in front of us.

"Iam.... Hacking back but it seems someone skilled is on the other side. It's no noob. Fuck." He muttered.

I kept watching the screen and soon the green codes disappeared and Noah sighed and dropped to his seat.

"Why did they stop?"

"Don't know. But they definitely won't be getting back in again."

"Did you hack back? Track them?"

"I couldn't. The codes were glitching and error was seeping through. Don't worry it's all good now-"

"Boss!" I looked back to find Jade, panting with her hand wrapped around a phone which had wires hanging from it, it's screen all crushed.

"No card inside. It's like it ripped open. And was thrown from a skyscraper."

I snatched the phone from her and looked at it.

It was completely destroyed.

"I found a sludge hammer beside it."

I tightened my hold on the phone and walked to our security room with all three behind me.

~~~~~~

"So... She left on her own will?"

"Seems like it."

"Why would she?"

"Maybe she wasn't hap-"

"Shut up!"

They all quiet down and I scanned the footage, going back and forth trying to find if what I was seeing was an illusion.

But no. She did leave on her own will.

"Boss you don't think-"

"I'll fucking kill her!!" I roared and started going out the door but a figure stopped me.

"What going on? What's all the screaming about?" Levi looked between all of us.

"Azz- I mean Azariah is no where seen. Boss thinks it's most likely she betrayed us." Jade replied.

Levi's eyes widened and he looked at me.

"You don't believe this do you?"

I looked away.

"She would never! What are you on about?!"

"Lower. Your. Voice."

He looked down and cleared his throat.

"Where is she?"

I pushed past him. "What part of not being seen do you not understand?"

He followed me. "T-that can't be. Azzy would never."

I turned around and he stopped slightly bumping into my chest. "Shut the fuck up. Iam already mad. Don't make me shoot your guts."

I glared at him and he went to say something but I didn't let him and walked off from there.

Wait till I get to you, Azariah. Just you wait.

~◌~✤✤~◌~

AZARIAH SERENE:

The man with a velvet mask pushed me in a white van as soon as I entered the park's gates.

I trashed around in my seat when he held my jaw tightly and pressed a handkercheif to my mouth.

Don't you dare inhale, Azariah! Stay strong.

But a human's gotta breath. And eventually I gave in, falling limp in his arms as chloroform filled my nostrils and mind, engulfing me around sudden darkness.