"So, did you regret it? Have you learned your lesson? Right now, if I were to be put into the same circumstance as that man's, would you choose to turn your back again and betray me too?" He interrogated.

"I—" you wanted to tell him that you won't, but recalling how this relationship was built based on lies, you chose to keep your mouth shut.

This, of course, annoyed Hollis. He grabbed your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes.

"Why did you hesitate? Is it because no matter what I did, your brother will still be your first priority?"

You furiously shook your head, denying his accusation. You can feel the tips of his fingers oozing out coldness that could freeze your chin all the way to your jaw if he wanted it to.

However, Hollis doesn't seem convinced.

With a sudden, daring movement, his hand moved lower, and he wrapped his fingers around your neck, his touch both possessive and tender. Your eyes widened in surprise, the guilt and fear momentarily obscured by the intensity of his gaze. It's irony how his ability differed so much from the warmth of his skin, and you see him leaning in, connecting your lips with his.

Time seemed to slow as your lips met—a collision that erased the argument, if only for a moment. His lips were soft yet demanding, commanding you to respond, to kiss him back.

Needless to say, you jerked away, taken aback by the sight of his unclosed eyes that were staring at you with so much intensity that it embarrased you, but he denied your movement by squeezing your throat threateningly each time he felt your struggle and only lessening his hold when you're obedient. In the end, though not painful, this behavior reminded you of Kael, and you're not going to risk losing another vessel by struggling.

So you obeyed. Your body tensed as you returned the kiss, more so when his gaze locked onto yours, refusing to look away, causing you to squeeze your eyes shut from embarrassment. As you both were practically devouring each other's mouth, you could feel your breath mingle with his. It was a kiss as intense as the kiss that you had with Kael in the nightclub; the only difference is the person who kissed you and the position that helped you not to fall on your buttocks like back then.

As the two of you finally pulled away, breathless and wide-eyed, the world outside seemed like a blur, and you quickly hid your swollen lips behind the back of your palm as your face heated up, eyes looking at anywhere but him.

Just as Hollis was about to say something, your body jerked upon hearing a familiar voice.

"(Y/n)!"

As if on instinct, your eyes instantly searched for the owner of that voice, and sure enough, it was Yohan, and standing by his side is Louyi.

"Yohan..." As soon as that name left your lips, chill ran down your spine, and you were quickly reminded of your territorial lover.

Before you can make a sign to tell Yohan to leave, your human has already made his way towards you, with Louyi following him from behind, looking as unfriendly as Hollis. You noticed the branded bags that they were carrying and the small bouquet of flowers that you didn't recognize.

"What a coincidence. Louyi told me that he happened to stumble upon you, so I decided to come see you," he said, handing you a paper bag of warm drinks and donuts. "Share it with your... lover. I bought enough for two."

You took the bag gratefully, feeling a slight sense of excitement, but you mask it with a soft smile.

"White cutter flowers," Hollis suddenly spoke, eyeing the bouquet that Louyi was holding. "How romantic. If I'm not mistaken, in flower language, it conveys the meaning of wanting to be in someone's heart, even if that 'someone' doesn't notice you. I hope you're not here to rekindle something, Louyi, especially after that 'advice' you gave me. If you're trying to win my darling back, you might want to pick something a little more convincing than a flower that whispers 'I’m still here' to someone who’s already moved on."

Louyi's face instantly scrunched up in annoyance, but he doesn't say anything. Instead, it's the face of Yohan that gives it away. Your eyes widened when you saw blood rush to his face when Hollis started talking about the flower's meaning.

"Was that bouquet yours, Yohan?" You asked in disbelief. "But I thought... you don't like flowers. Who is it for? Or did you receive it from someone?"

Now that you looked again, it seemed that he bought a lot of things, mainly branded products from feminine stores. Did he have a new lover, perhaps? But why didn't he tell you?

You can hear Louyi sighed from a few feet away, sounding exasperated, but you couldn't care less.

"It's just a gift for Ayana. You know, our childhood friend that went abroad years ago?" He explained frantically. "She's back now, and trust me, I didn't even know the meaning until this man pointed it out."

Ayana—she was just a little girl back when you last saw her. Although Yohan referred to her as "our childhood friend," to be frank, she was only Yohan's, as the girl was never a friend to you. And it's not even her fault; you just never see her as one. There's no way a spirit like you can befriend someone who almost accidentally kills your human; she was the reason why you were born in the first place.

You looked at the flowers in distaste. "But still... You know how I feel about you giving someone else's flowers."

"(Y/n)," Louyi chimed in, his voice stern. "Don't trap Yohan inside your small world. He's a grown man capable of running a company, not a small bird that you can keep in a cage under the guise of protection."

You faltered upon hearing that. Ashamed, you hang your head down. "I'm sorry."

Yohan looked at you with a troubled expression, as if lost for words. In the end, he opted for a pat in the head. "You know, the... custom dress you ordered a few days ago is ready. You should go meet the tailor if you’d like to pick it up."

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||HOLLIS'S LOVE STATUS||

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