Present time.
Zella stood at the balcony, staring nowhere. She's just inside the drab room with nothing to do but to stare at the sky turning baby blue to deeper ones. Zella thought everything wasn't going along her way, and that may seemed unnecessary to speak up with her husband, but…
It's bothering her every single moment. She hasn't found the puzzle pieces fitting together. Something was missing, and it hasn't been whole ever since she woke up in the King's bed, wearing a peach night robe.
Zella must have been suffering from this dilemma ever since that strikingly handsome man claimed her to be his wife. She saw the gardeners at the lawn, and they're too busy plucking out the small flowers ruining the greenest of the bushes. Zella recognized one of the straw hats, and have known it was Lavender.
She sighed, turning her heel around, but then, a ringing erupted in her ears.
Zella closed her eyes slowly, held onto her ears, and grunted. What was that?
"Jaina…" A voice emerged. She staggered a bit, standing there, foolishly trying to get rid of the whisper. It must be a name, but she doesn't know what that was. Zella held onto her forehead, opening her eyes, and saw her bare feet, clean nails, standing upright.
She didn't notice the sweat trickling down her forehead. Zella removed her hands, and rested it upon her side. Before she can even turn to the bed, the door creaked open. Zella found herself staring at one of the long-haired man who acted as Leo's shadow all the time.
He was holding a paper in one hand, as if he's going to give it to her.
Zella raised her eyebrows. "What can I do for you?"
Vincent Bass. That's all she knew about his name.
"Leo asked me…" His tone laced with fear. Probably the result of what she did the first time she saw all of the men inside the room. Vincent walked in, closing the door gently, and approached her. Zella couldn't take his eyes off of him. Something isn't working out that fine, maybe that's why Leo has to deliver the paper through someone else.
"Leo asked me to give you this: a dinner invitation." Another dinner with him sounded great. But the other one right on the dining hall didn't end well, and Zella doesn't want to repeat the same old boring thing over the table. Vincent gave it to her, and she opened it up, reading the admirable calligraphy.
"M's Restaurant, 8 pm. He's waiting for this time, so better show up."
"Why wouldn't I be?" she muttered under her breath. All of them were acting suspicious. They never talked straight to her, and they must be developing codes so that she wouldn't catch up. Zella guessed she's not that slow, yet, she's not that fast learner, too. But an average can understand their strange actions and words.
"You know…"
"It's my husband's invitation. What do you think is my reason if I didn't show up?" Zella doesn't have the time to raise concern now, but Vincent was alarmed by her question. She folded the paper into fourths, slipped it inside her skirt, looking up at Vincent with bewildered eyes.
Vincent tilted his head to one side, answering in a straight face, "Just because."
"What?" Zella's face didn't even contort to a smile. Vincent found it hard to have a conversation with her this time.
"Right, why would I say you that? This running mouth of mine," Vincent mumbled, then slap his lips lightly. Zella nodded, rolled her eyes, and turned to the drawers. As soon as she turned around, Vincent breathed a sigh of relief. Zella was a scary one, and he proved it just now.
She opened up the drawers, showing off the clothes Leo ordered to place there as soon as an unconscious Zella landed right at their mansion. It was to prove her speculation wrong that she didn't come here. Leo was a king of manipulation, but soon, his wall will break down.
"Can you ask my husband to help me transfer all of these clothes to the master's bedroom? I'm sick of this drab room, actually." Now, she's being absurd. Right after reading the invitation, she asked Vincent to deliver that message to her husband, like they're too close to even have favors for each other. Vincent scoffed quietly.
"Yeah, Mrs. Luciano, I certainly should do that." Vincent grabbed the opportunity to get out of the door, and leave the suffocating room. Zella didn't see him out of the room, and closed the drawers gently. She turned at the bed, staring at the piece of paper, and glared at the balcony curtains.
"Piece of sh*t."
…
"Why I should be the one to deliver the invitation when you could have asked Randall to do that?" Right after Leo went home, Vincent stormed inside his office, and complained about the order. He sat down on the couch, poured some whiskey, and drank it all up. Vincent paced back and forth.
Leo placed the shot glass down the table, asking, "Are you complaining about my order now, Mr. Vincent Bass?"
He stopped from pacing, sat down across from their boss, and wondered, "How scary can she be? Her eyes were like shooting daggers at me, Leo! I was so scared she'll slit my throat…"
Leo cracked out loud. He scoffed, pointing his finger to Vincent. "Are you that scared of Laina? I mean… Zella Albert."
"Yes! She's killing me with her stares!"
Leo snickered, confessing, "She's not scary for me, Vincent. It's the other way around. She's afraid of us. Zella is just pretending to be authoritative, intimidating. But behind her eyes, she's frightened of what will happen to her."
Leo has known Vincent right after Randall came. Their friendship may not have bloomed like the rest of the Cassanos, Vincent was such a baby even until now. Leo settled him a job to do, and it was to develop the weapons Cassanos will use. In that way, they have a step ahead to other spies Calvorite and Telamur assigned of.
"Just promise me not to do order me around Zella anymore. I don't want to get embarrassed or even punch her. She's a woman we need to take care of," Vincent mumbled. He retrieved the whiskey bottle. He poured himself one, as Leo comprehend his fears.
"You're a Calvorite citizen, right?" Vincent turned to him with furrowed eyebrows.
"Yeah, you are, too. How can I come here if I am a Telamur citizen?" He snorted.
"No, I was just weighing the odds, Vincent."
"How so?"
"I mean, isn't Telamur bit out of control? I mean, they have fugitives here and there. Teenagers run away from home with no severance of ties with their families. We don't know exactly the reason they ran away… they just…"
"Wanted to get out, yes," Vincent finished the sentence for him. Leo doesn't want to stress out, because in 2 hours, he'll be having a dinner with his wife. Vincent pushed the empty shot glass in front of Leo, nodding.
"Soon, Calvorite would be out of Tyran's control, too."