*Flashback continues*
"So Mr. overgrown, What's your name?" Ai asked looking at Lei with her wide doe eyes.
Lei admitted one thing. He had never seen such eyes before. They looked so pure. Like there were stars hiding in her eyes. But also it felt like, those stars in her eyes were hiding something.. Like the shine in her eyes was like a blanket that covered thousands of secrets.
"Mr. overgrown? Are you okay? Got mesmerized by my beauty? Well, can't blame you. I'm too beautiful for this ugly world." The girl flipped her hair proudly.
Lei - "..."
Narcissism to its fullest.
"Wait what did you call me again?"
"What? Mr. overgrown?" Ai tilted her head and asked. She gave major puppy vibes.
Cute.
"Yes. Just because you are small doesn't mean I'm overgrown." Lei said with an eye roll.
"Pfffft you look like you ate the Eiffel Tower for breakfast. And I'm not small. I'm average." Ai puffed up her cheeks angrily. She looked like an angry puppy.
"Alright tinker bell. I believe you."
Shin Ai glared at the CEO. How dare he call her small??? She was just the perfect size. Lei was the abnormal one. Hmph!!
But it's okay. Since he was hot. Ai forgave him.
Such a generous lady.
"Whatever. I'm not biting you just because you are hot. And looks like you have abs. I hope it's 8 pack. I want an 8-pack-ed husband." Ai said dreamily. Lei looked at her like he was looking at some weird creature that NASA still couldn't identify.
"Okay, that's it. I'm leaving." Lei stood up from the bench. The girl scared him. Like it wasn't the first time women hit on her. But this girl was on a whole different level.
"What- Wait holy hell." Ai also stood up in front of him. That's when they really saw their height difference.
Ai had to crane her head to look at Lei.
"Wooooooow you look like a lighthouse." Ai mumbled in shock. Lei couldn't help but chuckle at her reaction.
She was weirdly cute.
"What did your mama eat when she was carrying you? I wanna eat that too when I'm carrying your child. Then we can have tall babies."
"....."
Okay, I take that back. She's not cute. She's just plain weird.
"I'm gonna leave for the sake of my mental health." Lei said before leaving the girl who was drooling over something she was imagining. Lei did not want to know what was going on in her head.
Before Ai run after him, the CEO hopped in his car and drove away.
"Oh god, please don't make me encounter her again."
And the god said..... Nop(p)e. Your life is too peaceful. Let me change that real quick.
And that's how Lei found the girl barging inside his office with his father's permission.
His life was amazing after that.
*Flashback ends*
Lei didn't even realise, a soft smile had appeared on his face when he recalled his first meeting with Ai.
"Stupid girl." The CEO mumbled to himself and went back to check his emails.
[Somewhere else]
In a dark room, a boy was sitting in the corner. He had his knees pulled up to his chest and hands cupping his ears. The boy was shaking. His sobs were so painful that even the demons under his bed felt bad for him.
"No no no p-please don't. P-please don't."
The boy mumbled while crying. But no one heard him. He was alone in the dark room. Well, it's not like anyone would listen to him anyway.
He was not more than 18. But he looked even younger than that. His figure was so small. His thin body was a result of starving continuously.
"No- no don't-don't hurt her."
He cried.
He was not crying for his pathetic self.
He was crying for the girl who was getting beaten up, outside his room. Her painful cries, the sound of the whips, the laugh of the monster that was hitting her.. the boy could hear them. No matter how much he closed his ears, he could hear those terrible sounds perfectly.
"P-please let her go-go."