(Arata)
"Hi! Larry," Karsten casually greeted him, it seed like both of them were on a first-na basis. A woman accompanied him, dressed in a rose-shaded pleated gown.
Larry Hughes had a long-term partner, Masdja Kalum. Since they weren’t married, she had a different surna.
"Masdja Kalum," I murmured under my breath so Karsten would be able to pick up her na.
"Miss Kalum." Karsten gave her a respectful nod.
"Mr Chevalier, it’s good to see you have a lady on your arm." She bead at us both and extended her hand towards . She didn’t seem the jealous kind and appeared nicer than the others I had encountered today.
I shook her hand with a kind smile.
"It’s nice to make your acquaintance, Miss Kalum."
"Likewise, dear."
"Just out of curiosity, how did you unfreeze his frozen heart?" Mr Hughes asked with a snicker, and I had to purse my lips, or I would have guffawed.
Karsten shook his head in disbelief while Masdja giggled.
"It took so ti, but he is not that bad once the ice thaws; the inner heart is pretty goey." I thumped Karsten’s chest.
Both of them laughed so more.
"I like her; I can see why you chose her," Masdja announced, and her partner seed to agree.
A server ca towards us and inford the n that they were to head over to the eting room. The board was to be briefed about the company’s progress and the proposal that Karsten had in mind.
Karsten leaned in and pressed his warm lips on my temple before murmuring.
"I will be back soon. Stay here, if you need anything, just go outside. Olphi and Caysir are nearby." His hand gently squeezed my waist and I felt my heart flutter like a dainty wing of the butterfly.
"I will."
Karsten and Mr Hughes left and Masdja offered to sit with .
"Don’t worry, not all of us bite," she said with a cunning smile and I had to hide a snicker.
"I am glad to hear that."
"By the way, Mr Chevalier didn’t introduce you. I am not sure why but maybe he didn’t wish to reveal your identity. But I know, you are Arata Zyair." She subtly winked as we settled down on a table.
My mouth hung open in shock and I leaned closer, grabbing her hands.
"How did you know?"
She giggled lightly, like a perfect lady.
"I follow the news, like a lot. I am a huge fan of your parents. I followed your mother’s case very diligently, I was rely a teenager at that ti and desperately wanted her to win. Your parents are such an inspiration."
My eyes glead in shock. She was so suave and subtle. Understanding the situation she hadn’t spoken in front of the n but only did while we were alone.
"Wow! I didn’t expect that at all."
"I understand; you kept a low dia profile, and I don’t even bla you because people can be so insensitive. They must give you a hard ti." She was referring to how we must have been bullied because of my parents’ past.
"Yes, that’s why Karsten and I don’t reveal my last na. Thank you for understanding." I was truly grateful to her.
She relaxed against the chair as the servers brought us more food.
"I understand, Arata. Everyone has a dark history they don’t want to spill and so people just like to be private." She picked up a macron and took a dainty bite.
Just then another server arrived. He was a tall guy with his dark brown hair cut short.
"Miss Arata, Mr Chevalier requires your company. He says he has sothing urgent to ask." Since we hadn’t brought our phones as this was an electronics-free event, I had no way of confirming with him.
"Isn’t Mr Chevalier in a eting?" I asked with pinched brows.
"It’s about to start. He said there were so numbers he needed to discuss with you before the eting. So if you will follow ," he urged with a kind smile.
"They are on the first floor, I will be right here waiting for you. Don’t worry," Masdja patted my hand assuredly and I got up, placing my champagne flute down.
The server guided towards the elevator and used his handprint to open the door.
"After you, ma’am," he respectfully stated, extending his hand. Taking a deep breath, I entered the box of suffocation; he followed, and the door closed behind .
Instead of pressing the first floor, he pressed on the underground level.
"Hey! Aren’t they on the first floor?" I asked in confusion, watching him with my eyes narrowed.
His deanour suddenly changed as he turned towards , anger flashing in his not-so-friendly eyes.
My senses beca hyper-alert. Sothing was not right. Karsten didn’t send him.
"Shut up and do as I say if you want to live," he barked at , his hand extending to clutch at my throat.
All the training Baba and Uncle Kail had given kicked in and I dodged his hand, tilting slightly to my left, but there was limited space in the elevator.
Adrenaline rushed into my body like a life force; I knew I had to fight to survive. I had no clue what intentions this man held but they were not pious.
Fisting my hand, I aid a punch at his temple but he was not an ordinary man. He shifted just in ti and my punch hit straight at the glass display with buttons. It connected in full force, and cracks appeared on the glass surface while my knuckles bruised horribly.
"Argh!" I cried out and shook my injured hand.
"You bitch," he grunted and tried to grab again with both his hands. I struggled, lifting my arm and elbowing straight to his face.
~Crunch~
I broke his nose. The blood splashed out as he staggered back and hit the far side.
He let out a painful grunt as his mouth twisted into sothing evil, and he aid for the glass control board; punching in so numbers, he halted the elevator with a screech, but it didn’t open.
"So you want to fight, let’s see how long you survive. This elevator is not going to move without the codes which only I know," he viciously smiled at , and my heart sank slightly.
This was a fight for survival, but now the fear of being trapped in this damned tal container sunk in.
He made a grab for my hair, fisting he pulled backwards, my head tilting at an odd angle.
My body collided with his rigid one.
I didn’t scream, not wanting to give him the satisfaction but I elbowed him in the stomach with all the force I could muster.
He was strong, built like a fighter and it didn’t affect him much. He tried to smash my face into the tal surface of the elevator but I guessed his intention and extended my hands to shield my face.
If he had been successful, I would have most likely passed out, and then I didn’t even wish to think what he would have done.
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