"Mr. Sandros,"
That, oh so familiar voice brought chills to my very core. It was Jedrick. My eyes bulged out of its sockets at the sight of him in fear. My mouth turned dry and my stomach dropped to its pit. My heart was quivering at the sight of him. I was absolutely and utterly, petrified to my core.
My palms started to sweat and I could feel them turning cold as ice. The problem was, I was not a Mr. Sandros, right now. Currently, I was dressed as a Ms. Sandros.
His presence here explains, why, a group of hulks was standing near my apartment building. They looked as if they were going to destroy my building just with their mere hands if their boss gave them a single nod.
They looked like monsters from hell and I was not even exaggerating. While I was driving here, I saw some SUVs parked near the street closer to my apartment. I should have known better to be prepared for any situation.
Jedrick was wearing his customary black suit with no tie on. His black hair with brown streaks looked messy on top of his head. His face looked like it was carved out of the stone and it was stoic as ever.
What the hell was he doing here?
And how the hell did he entered my apartment without a key?
Did he break into my home?
Did he find out about me?
The thought alone shook me to my core. I knew what he was capable of doing and I had seen it with my own eyes. The thought of me getting trafficked as a sex slave flashed through my mind, which made me gulping the lump that had formed in my throat.
Maybe, he wanted to meet me for something related to work. Maybe, he didn't find out about me, yet. I tried to reason out, but instead of calming me, the thought made me anxious.
I was paralyzed to my spot, unable to respond to him. My face pale as if I saw a ghost. As soon as he saw me, he frowned at me with confusion, and soon his confusion was replaced with recognition. His recognition brought horror to my face. I was a slice of dead meat, now.
He assessed me from head to toe with a stoic expression and finally, his gaze fell on my face and settled there for a while. He gulped at the sight of my face. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. His dark eyes were locked with my pale blue eyes.
I felt like I was standing naked in front of him, baring myself to him as an offering. I could not read what was going through his mind, so I waited in anticipation for his next move.
"Sorry, Miss. I thought you are Mr. Sandros, where is he? And what are you doing here in his apartment?" he asked me casually, tucking his hands in his pockets. His face was void of any emotions. His voice held authority and dominance.
Wait, did he not recognize me?
My eyes wide eyes blinked at his question. I was sure I looked comical, right now with my expression. I released a sigh of relief and wiped my palms on my jean.
Sweet mother of god!
But, how was I supposed to answer his question when this was my apartment? I moved from one leg to another with consternation.
"Err…h…Sa…" I stuttered for a while to crack my mind to come up with a believable story. He raised his eyebrows at me. His eyes were filled with mirth as if he knew something that I didn't.
"Yes! Sandros, h…he went out to buy something," I rushed out my words in a hurry and laughed at the end awkwardly. He looked down at the floor to hide his smile. I frowned at him, why was he smiling at me.
Did I ramble a lot? I wondered. He composed his expression and returned to his usual brooding self, his face was void of any emotions. If it weren't for his movements, I would have thought that he was a statue.
"Okay, but who are you? Why do you have his key?" he asked me with a straight face but his eyes looked smug as if he had me on the place where he wanted me to be. It was really hard to understand what was going on in that head of his.
"Errr…" I began but nothing came out of my mouth.
How was I supposed to answer his question?
My mind was still gooey from the kiss I shared with Arsenio. And I was caught off guarded by his presence in my apartment. I should have known better, that something bad was about to happen from the way I was smiling since I woke up today.
"You are the girl, whom I saved from drowning, aren't you?" he noted. I thought he forgot about me, but I was surprised that he still remembered me. It happened a month ago for god's sake.
He looked right into my eyes and took some predatory steps towards me. I couldn't look away from him. I squirmed at my spot like a fish trying to escape from the clutches of its catcher.
"Answer my questions," he bent to my height and whispered, softly in my ear. His voice was calm and soothing. My gaze fell on a picture of me on the wall behind him and an idea suddenly popped into my mind.
"I…I was his sister!" I squeaked out. He raised his eyebrows at me. His face was very close to mine and he was still bent down to my height as if he was talking to a toddler.
What was with guys and their height nowadays?
"I was his twin sister," I repeated more clearly when he didn't respond. He nodded his head as if he accepted my answer and stood up to his full height.
"You do look like him, VERY MUCH like him," he emphasized and looked down at my face.
"How did you get in here?" I diverted his attention from me.
"One of my men picked on your locks," he shrugged, casually as if he was talking about the weather.
"You broke into my home?!" I asked him with disbelief on my face. Here, I was being an idiot and thought that I didn't lock my door, properly.
"Nah! I just invited myself and it is your brother's home, isn't it?" he waved me off and went back to my couch as if breaking into my brother's home was acceptable.
That arrogant, son of a biscuit!
His posh presence made my apartment look small. He looked arrogant yet calm. I glared at his haughty figure which was examining my apartment with interest.
He suddenly cleared his throat, it almost sounded like a cover-up to hide his chuckle. His lips were upturned at the corners of his mouth with glee and I followed his line of gaze and gasped.
My black lace bra was lying on the coffee table and I quickly snatched it away from his gaze and tucked it inside my jean pocket. My face flushed with embarrassment. He looked like, he took pleasure in my discomfort.
"I live here," I blurted out without thinking and my answer caught his attention.
"Really? But there was only one bed and no room here." He pointed out.
"I…I just moved in here a few days before," I stuttered with anxiousness. My eyes darted around the room with consternation. I could feel his eyes digging holes into the side of my face.
"I…I'll make something for you," I stumbled with my words and rushed to my kitchen to escape his burning scrutiny.
I took some deep breaths to calm my racing heart. I reached for the things to make his usual black coffee. Suddenly, I could hear some shuffling and some footsteps behind me. I tensed when I felt his presence behind me.
"What is your name, Mr. Sandros' sister?" he asked me near my left ear.
His voice held a hint of sarcasm to it. I could feel his heat. He had this different kind of warmth than any other person that I had ever met in my life. He was cold yet warm. It was such a contrast.
His voice was serene and huskier. I darted my eyes to the left and saw him very close to my neck. His expensive cologne and masculine scent invaded my nostrils.
He was bent down to my height and looking at what I was doing. I gulped at his close proximity and my heart started to race against my chest. I wondered whether he could hear my heartbeat.
"Err… Adeline Sandros," I softly whispered to him, tilting my head a little in his direction.
"Adeline…" he tested my name in his tongue. His inexplicable eyes connected with mine and he hummed at me in contentment.