RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!

Eric blinked, his head snapping at the window and saw it was raining –– hard.

Unconsciously, his eyes peeked at Evangeline, who was sipping tea without a care in the world.

Standing up, he went inside his bedroom and came out with a jacket and medicines in hands.

"Wear this, it's getting chilly. And drink this so you won't catch my cold."

Evangeline beamed at him before she obediently wore the jacket and drunk the medicine.

. . .

. . .

Heavy silence befell them. It was so awkward that it was impossible to ignore.

RUMBLE!

RUMBLE!

Eric hesitated, yet he still went ahead and ask, "How are you going home?"

Playing with her teacup, Evangeline didn't answer right away.

She raised her gaze at Eric, eyes glint playfully. "By the way, it slips my mind . . . but how can you see without your glasses?"

Eric inwardly sighed, a bit helpless as Evangeline changed the topic. He retracted his eyes from her scrutinizing ones.

"I can see perfectly fine if it's near, but beyond four meters, everything is a blur."

Evangeline observed Eric carefully, and when she deciphered that he was not lying, she smiled and withdrew her gaze.

. . .

. . .

For a while, the sound of the rain was the only thing echoed in the room as the two pretended to drink their tea in silence until the teapot could no longer stand it and dried empty to the last drop.

"Do you want some more?" Eric asked, guessing what was on Evangeline's mind.

"No." Beaming a dazzling smile, Evangeline stood from her chair. "It's best if I go home."

Eric frowned as he stood to his feet. When Evangeline grabbed her bag and walked towards the foyer, he was about to stop her. But he held himself and contented to follow behind her instead.

Evangeline put on her shoes and handed the jacket back to Eric without a sound. She put on her coat, ready to storm out of his unit.

"Wait."

Couldn't take it anymore, Eric asked away, "How are you going home? It's raining heavily outside."

He didn't want to held her off. He was relieved that she wanted to go home. Nevertheless, it was raining, and hailing a cab was hard and dangerous for a woman this beautiful especially at this time.

He wanted to escort her home but she chimed in, "Don't worry about me and get yourself some needed rest."

Evangeline twisted the doorknob and Eric held her wrist. She curled her lips inwardly, fighting a smile as she faced Eric's expressionless face and the unconcealed worry beneath his mesmerizing silver irises. And she could no longer suppressed her smile as it blossomed on her face.

"Yes?" She urged when he hesitated.

"It's dangerous at night. I'll escort you home."

Good. He's not one to lie and mask his feelings. She was tired of men who acted cool, hiding their concern and emotional state with indifference and arrogance. She was beginning to like Eric's straight forward approached.

Beaming, she tiptoed and kissed his cheek as a reward for his honest behavior which stunned Eric in utter shock.

"Thank you. But I already texted my cousin's friend to pick me up."

Like nothing happened, Evangeline turned the handle of the door and sauntered in the open narrow pathway where a man was leaning against the railing at the start of the stairs.

"Hello D, thank you for waiting," she said.

The man, who was waiting in silence, put out his cigarette and met Evangeline with an umbrella in hand. His grim and menacing face shifted one hundred eighty degrees into a handsome man harboring a kind smile.

"My pleasure, Princess. Shall we go?" D said all polite and warm, flashing his killer smile.

Evangeline chuckled, reaching for the umbrella that D handed to her. Before she took another step forward, she turned and beamed at Eric.

"Thank you for your hospitality. I'll see you tomorrow." Not waiting for his response, she swayed onward with D following behind her.

But not until the scary man glared at Eric, faced warped with threat.

Rooted to his spot, Eric's brain and heart were in turmoil. But soon, he was put back in reality when the man called D shot him a warning glare.

He knew the man. He was one of them who beat him the night he rejected Evangeline's offer to be her servant.

How could he forget?

Unusual white hair, longer in the front while some pieces were braided in the back. Muscular form though appearing lean with tattoos decorating each shoulders. A red pair of scary eyes and a demonic grin.

And . . .

. . . a good fighter.

In fact, too good that he was having a hard time timing his punches. It was too wild and unpredictable.

Ignoring the scary man, his eyes zeroed on Evangeline. And when she rode a fourteen million limited edition McLaren sports car, he let out a respite breath and went back to his bedroom, dismissing D's warning glares at him before the vehicle drove away completely.

----

"Hello, Eva. Did you miss me? Is that why you called?" Asher teased.

However, after a while that Evangeline didn't reply, his smile fell off from his face and his forehead creased. He knew that something was up.

"What is it?" he probed.

Evangeline didn't waste time and said straight to the point, "I want you to leave Eric Phelps alone from now on."

SCREECH!

D, who was driving, was dumbfounded. He pressed the break and the car skid to a stop midway. He was shock at Evangeline's words much less Asher who treated her more precious than life itself.

It was like a bomb exploded in Asher's ears, leaving him in complete shatters, speechless and shock.

Evangeline ignored the two and continued, "If I see even a scratch on him and know it's your doing, I'll cut all relations with you." She knew Asher's Achilles heel and was not afraid to use it against him even if he was family.

D shivered, cold sweat broke out from his forehead, spreading throughout his body. He sensed Asher's anger emanating from the other line of the phone.

". . . Evangeline . . ." Asher had difficulty forming the words he wanted to say as anger, disappointment, fear, disbelief, helplessness battled all at once!

"Eric is one of us now, and I want you all to treat him with respect. Do I make myself clear?"

". . ."

". . ."

"Yes," Asher said after a long silence. "Your wish . . . is my command . . ."

D shivered upon hearing Asher's grudgingly gritting voice. It was ear piercing, spine cringing than the ones made by claws scratching against metal plates.

He eyed the gorgeous lady beside him. This was the first time that their Queen defended someone to this extreme.

As he thought, he didn't like it one bit. He couldn't wait to beat that man called Eric Phelps once more.