Moore residence
——
Nikolas bit his lower lip, knowing he shouldn't have told Athan that Elisabeta wasn't his long-lost love but he didn't have any alternative.
Nikolas couldn't bear the thought of Athan being duped. Mr. Davis Gracia had planned for his second daughter to marry into the Moore family, but suddenly his first daughter appeared. Wasn't this scheme too shady to be a coincidence?
Davis was so avaricious that he attempted to kill a bird with two stones. How absurd is that?
'so if his second daughter was unable to work, he intended to make his elder daughter fit in' Nikolas laughed inwardly.
"Return her to my room, Nikolas."
Nikolas was brought back to reality by Athan's icy voice. "sir?"
Athan: "——"
Athan's motionless state made Nikolas to keep nodding his head, like a bird pecking its beak on grain. He heard what Athan said, but he merely wanted to make sure his ears weren't playing tricks on him. Isn't it true that he just told Athan that Elisabeta wasn't his Xena?
"Right away, Mr. Moore," Nikolas conceded. He approached Elisabeta and tapped on her shoulders, but she didn't bulge; she simply laid like one…
"Mr. Moore!" When Nikolas screamed, Athan whacked the handle of his wheelchair. Why can't Nikolas complete one order?
"Mr. Moore," Nikolas said, racing over to Athan and pointing at Elisabeta, who postrated on the ground. "I believe she passed out."
"Call Gabriel," Athan muttered as he pushed his wheelchair ahead. Nikolas nodded, his dialing phone resting on his left ear.
Gabriel raced in through the front door, as if called from the spiritual realm, and fell on his knees quickly as he reached Elisabeta. As two female servants raced in with a little bed, Elisabeta was carried and placed on it.
After checking Elisabeta's heartbeat, Gabriel opened his medical kit and brought out a bottled water before emptying it on Elisabeta's face. He shooed away all the female servants who were standing around so that Elisabeta might receive some fresh air.
He knelt beside her and cast a sidelong glance at Athan before elevating Elisabeta's legs slightly above the ground to allow blood flow back to her brain.
When he noticed the vomit on the location where Elisabeta had been, he shook his head.
"What occurred right before she passed out?" As Elisabeta gradually recovered consciousness, Gabriel inquired.
When Gabriel received no response to his query, he inclined his head. Gush! Why is Athan staring at Gabriel with such cold bloody eyes as if Gabriel ate some forbidden fruits?
As Athan shoved Gabriel away, he landed on his buttocks. Gabriel snarled and cursed Athan silently. What crime has he now committed? Didn't he do his job well by creating a fake profile of Athan to Mr. Davis?
Whatever, he still told Davis about the underworld and how dangerous Athan was. Gabriel shrugged.
Athan snapped his fingers at Elisabeta and requested for her father's contact.
When she heard her father's name, Elisabeta curled up. What were they going to do to her? If her father knew she was in this type of trouble, he would even deny knowing her. In answer to Athan's request, Elisabeta whispered her father's phone number.
"This is Mr. Davis Gracia speaking; how did you obtain my personal contact information? Are you phoning to conduct business?"
"What trick do you have up your sleeve, Davis? Just so you know, your daughter, Elisabeta, is here with me"
Davis pulled his phone away from his ear and returned it back. The voice sounded familiar. "Mr. Moore," he murmured.
He'd just negotiated with Athan's grandfather to enable Mirella to marry into the Moore family, allowing his business to expand and the emnity between the two families to be addressed.
Why was Elisabeta with Athan?
"Dear Mr. Moore, your family struck an agreement, and we decided to make Mirella, my daughter, your wife.
Are you phoning to inquire about your wedding plans? Don't worry, everything is under control," Davis added, pretending to have missed Athan's prior remark.
As Athan's face darkened, Nikolas dashed towards the door. Grandfather Moore had simply told Athan that he had a blind date, and blind dates may be turned down if the woman isn't to his liking, right?
However, this situation was critical. Grandfather Moore went too far by signing a marriage contract on his grandson's behalf.
'Oh no! Thunder will strike the Moore's home today.' Nikolas sobbed quietly to himself.
As frown lines emerged on Athan's brow, he tightened his hand. His family had played him yet again. What are they hoping to achieve by forcing him to marry a human?
"Mr. Davis," Athan said coldly. "You have thirty days to rescind whatever agreement you have with my grandpa, and I can guarantee your daughter's safety.
Remember, the sooner you begin, the better. Don't make me regret giving you so much time to decide."
Davis struck his face. Of course, the doctor had told him that Athan had arrived at the hospital, therefore Elisabeta would have been present. How brazen can that girl be?
So Elisabeta wasn't only having one-night encounters, she had other boyfriends as well. If Athan was one of them, she'd be in big trouble.
"Let us reason together, Mr. Moore"
"Mr. Davis, we have nothing to say to one another. Elisabeta Gracia will stay with me until you violate whatever bargain you made with my grandpa. Remember, you have thirty days." Athan completed and terminated the call.
"Thirty days?" Nikolas gasped in surprise and hurriedly covered his lips. What is going through this man's head?
"What if she's a trap, Mr. Moore?" Nikolas inquired, pointing at Elisabeta. He would never allow a lady like her stay in the house for a minute, much alone thirty days.
"Then we need to organize a hunting class for people like her father because they're terrible at setting traps," Athan responded, shaking Nikolas' confidence.
Nikolas sighed and placed his arm about his chest. Why can't Athan see that he wants to save him from what's coming?
'Trap, trap, it's all a trap,' Nikolas moaned to himself.
"Please don't harm me, Sir. I am not a Gracia anymore." As Elisabeta pleaded, she knelt, straightened her back, and poured her tears out.
She was certain that her avaricious father would not back out of whatever transaction he was working on.
"Do you believe you'd live after entering the Moore's home?" Athan's chilly voice and remark sent chills down Elisabeta's spine. What did she get herself into?
Elisabeta's lips trembled. Why is she suddenly afraid of death? Wasn't she the same person who desired to die?
She gulped and her frigid eyes met Athan's chilly, blue eyes. "Sir, I can promise you that Mirella is not interested in you. I can persuade her to cancel the engagement. She has her eyes on…"
Elisabeta blinked her eyes tight, preventing tears from falling down her cheek. She was begging on behalf of the person who had broken her heart. Is Mirella worth it?
Mirella had not been kidnapped; Elisabeta had. Elisabeta was the one whose fiancé abandoned on their wedding day, not Mirella. Mirella hadn't lost a wonderful treasure; Elisabeta had; her mother had died.
Athan's face furrowed as he pondered inwardly. 'where did all your courage go, lollipop?'
As he glanced at Elisabeta's motionless countenance, his fury dissipated; her eyes were closed, but Athan could sense she was in agony.
"That person is quite significant in Mirella's life, Sir." Elisabeta went on. "She wouldn't give up on him just so she could be with you. Allow me to go talk to her."
"You still haven't learnt your lesson, have you? Do anything you want, but don't you dare to leave this mansion" Athan said. He looked to the entrance, his gaze falling on Gabriel, who was attempting to flee. "Gabriel!"
Gabriel waved to Athan before collapsing to his knees, his medicine box fell open and the contents in it scattered on the floor. He ignored it and postrated on the floor. "I wasn't fleeing, Mr. Moore. I have some patients…"
"What exactly is her report?" Athan interrupted Gabriel and inquired.
"Sir?"
"You didn't think I phoned you only to elevate her legs and view her underpants, did you?"
"MR. MOORE!"