Once the car was parked outside the towering ROMANCE building, Hollis stepped out first, opening your door with a casual ease before guiding you into the lobby. His demeanor was calm, though his words carried a subtle edge as he spoke.

“Wait here for me,” he instructed firmly, his sharp gaze locking onto yours. “And don’t cozy up to anyone who talks to you—staff, customers, or escorts. Trust me, nothing good will come of it."

You nodded despite the irony.

"Remember, if someone asked anything, keep it vague and don't forget to mention my name." He reminded.

You gave him another nod, and only then did he step away, sparing one last glance at your figure perched on the lounge chair. That pleasant emotion of knowing that someone was waiting for him left him satisfied, and he took his leave, long legs quickening their pace so that he could be reunited with you sooner.

Down a long corridor, Hollis stopped at a specific door, one among many lined up neatly. Each one bore a number, a symbol of ownership that made it easier for people to know which door belonged to whom. In this godforsaken place, faint voices can be heard, but no one seemed to care enough to address the issue, especially that stingy founder; couldn't she take out money to build a better soundproofing room for her employees?

His mood soured further, especially at the thought of that woman. He knocked on the door, twisting the rose-shaped doorknob before coming face to face with a room that felt alive. Everywhere he looked, there were plants—ferns, succulents, and trailing vines spilling from shelves and pots of all sizes. The air smelled fresh, like soil and herbs, with a hint of something sweet.

Books were everywhere too. They filled crooked shelves, stacked in neat piles on the floor, and even sat open on a small wooden table by the window. The light streaming through from the lamp was soft and golden, making everything feel warm and quiet despite the howling snow outside.

But the Amorii couldn't care less about all these useless details. He's not here to admire décor, but to find the owner of this room. His focus sharpened as he scanned the room for its owner.

“Aelric!” he yelled, his voice cutting through the peaceful ambiance.

There was no answer. Instead, a small head peeked out from behind a stack of books. Hollis blinked. It wasn’t Aelric but a curious little girl. Her eyes are completely wrapped in bandages, concealing them entirely, yet what stands out the most about her is the small, literal sprout growing from the top of her head.

Hollis frowned at the sight. Despite years of knowing Aelric—a fellow escort—he has never known that the man would keep a strange kid in here. Though Hollis doesn't know who this little girl is or what even she is, this is not his business to mind, so he simply ignored it.

"Hey, do you know where Aelric is?"

The little girl was silent for a while, which caused the Amorii to wonder whether she had issues with her ears or something, but suddenly, the little girl shook her head.

"I... I dunno. Papa said... he got works. A lady... waiting for him."

Papa? Hollis was quite surprised, but he had no time to delve deeper into this new piece of information. At least, not right now. He can't keep his darling waiting after all, especially not in this wolf's den where lascivious men like Kael or Luis dwelled in.

Oh, right. That guy quit, didn't he? Good riddance then.

“Right,” he muttered. “Do you know if your... papa had cultivated any flower that goes by the name Hell's Lullaby or Datura?" I don't really know what it looks like, so I can't describe much, but I was told that it's a really—”

Before he could finish, the girl’s head perked up.

“Are you... Daddy’s friend?”

Friend? Hollis didn't take a second to answer "no" in his head, yet his mouth is quick to answer "yes." He knew that if he denied, then he could kiss that Datura goodbye. Besides, it's not really a lie. Most of his colleagues, like Aelric, no doubt thought of him as a friend, but Hollis didn't—he didn't even have that man's number.

“Why do you want the flower?” she asked, her voice curious.

“It’s for someone special,” Hollis replied without missing a beat.

In a second, the little girl ran away with her short legs. It's a wonder how she can run with blindfolded eyes, but Hollis didn't worry. It's obvious that she's not a mortal, so a mere trip wouldn't hurt her.

Minutes later, the little girl came back with a bouquet of said flowers, except they were wrapped in newspapers and not something fancy like Hollis had expected. Still, he shouldn't complain when he's the one who barged in here without prior notice and robbed Aelric of his rare flowers without his knowledge.

"Pretty, isn't it? I like it too."

Hollis didn't reply, opting to examine it first. True to her opinion, it's really pretty. Its petals, a deep shade of violet-black, curled inward to hide its inside. The edges shimmered with a faint silvery sheen. The little girl handed it to him with a quiet smile, as though offering a piece of something precious to her.

"You know, the petals are super sensitive to light and temperature. In the morning, it closes up real tight and traps a bad gas inside, but at night, it slowly opens and lets the gas out. But Papa fixed it, so now it just makes a little sound, like a hum, when it moves—that’s how it got its name!"

Hollis took the bouquet. The more he stares, the more pleasing this little girl looks to his eyes. "Not bad. You aren't as annoying as kiddies out there."

"Hehe." The girl shyly looked away, and for some reason, she looked like you.

—that nose, the hair color, those lips.

Hollis thought that it was absurd. He concluded that he must have been missing your presence so much that his mind started to play tricks on him. He shook his head, extending his hand to conjure a small ice sculpture of a flower as compensation. He placed it in her hands, snickering at the sight of the girl scrunching up her face at the cold.

He watched her for the last time as he bid farewell, the door slowly closing to hide her existence. Hollis decided that he might as well do a background check on that little girl to satisfy his curiosity, but before he can indulge in that thought further, his eyes caught the figure of a person he never thought he would see again in this building.

"Cutie!"

Hollis frowned deepened as that person skipped toward him with unbridled energy, his messy blonde hair bouncing with each step. His fusion of red-orange eyes gleamed with excitement behind the pink lenses of his tacky round glasses. The overpowering peppermint scent he carried trailed behind him, mixing oddly with the audacious Versace outfit he proudly flaunted, a riot of mismatched patterns and colors—it hurts the Amorii's eyes and nose.

Before he could get too close, Hollis blatantly slapped him across the face, hard enough to echo down the hall.

“Still as charming as ever, I see,” the man laughed like a drunk man, rubbing his cheek fondly.

Hollis scowled yet he can't help but notice how skinny this man had become ever since the last time he saw him. Not to mention the eyebags and fresh wounds littering his forearms.

"You... I thought you fell in love and ditched this place for good. Why the hell are you back in here, Kael?" Hollis scowled, though his mind felt like he had an answer to the question already.

—and sure enough, as Kael smiled at him, eyes hollow like a dead fish's, Hollis instantly knew that this man too had fallen into the trap of the founder.

ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ♡ﮩ٨ـﮩﮩ٨ـ

||HOLLIS'S LOVE STATUS||

🖤♡♡♡♡

Aelric's number wasn't chosen hence why he didn't appear, I will announce the winner of the numbers after I wrote about the winner