Instagram for book's art: ikigai_yugen7
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Stretching her arms, feeling the pleasant release of tension, she rolled sideways in the bed, applying a gentle pressure that seemed to squeeze the very essence out of the pillow, which remained helplessly trapped within the grasp of her relentless grip.
Her eyes blinked open, the room still dark with the curtains drawn over the balcony doors, casting an enigmatic shadow upon the space. Haven's senses awakened with a jolt as she instantly sat up, her mind racing to recall the unfamiliar surroundings, urging her to remain vigilant despite the undeniable allure of the soft, velvety sheets and plush pillows enveloping her.
Planting yourself in an enemy's base? She needed to be on the tips of her toes the whole time. Getting reincarnated twice was not a gamble she was willing to take so soon.
Getting up to her feet, she took a quick shower and walked toward the closet to place some of her clothes in the massive space that took a quarter of the room in itself. Pulling open the doors she gaped at the wide range of dresses for an entire minute before shutting the door close and leaning against it.
'Well... that was unexpected.'
[Take.]
Releasing a tired sigh, she cracked her neck and opted for the plain white hoodie stuffed in the corner of her duffle bag. Wearing the clothes in that closet almost felt as if she was taking something that didn't quite belong to her.
Owing a favor to Ezekiel Wei was the last thing she needed right now.
Last night's events replayed inside her head as she stepped down the stairs slowly, peeking through the empty spaces to see if somebody was out there or not. Zei had directed her to her room and then all she had heard was a few shouts and then silence as if the whole house had finally gone to sleep.
A maid walked past her, completely ignoring her almost as if she didn't see an entire human being step down the long staircase. Haven frowned, scratching her head as she wondered how she was supposed to find the bastard who had brought her here and left her in the midst of strangers who didn't even care to glance at her.
She stumbled onto what seemed like the living room and peeked in. A red-haired girl sat cross-legged on the massive L-shaped couch and a few spaces beside her sat a guy she recognized from last night. The blondie with the mesmerizing emerald eyes that could send a girl swooning to the floor at the sight of him.
Did all his friends look like that?
She hesitantly stepped in, never having been used to feeling so out of place. Not even in a separate mission. Well, Wei's case was the biggest job she had ever taken up so having less experience from other cases was nobody's fault but hers.
The guy spotted her first. And the second he did, a huge dorky grin spread on his face as he leaned sideways and nudged the girl in the shoulder at which she raised her head from the screen and glared at him.
"What—"
"Oh."
'Just oh?'
[Down!]
Her eyes darted toward the ground, her brows furrowing at what the voice meant this time. Down? Down where? 'Down to a grave, I wish I could bury myself in to escape from this awkwardness?' Sure, why not?
"Where's—" Haven paused. "Zei?"
"He lets her call him by his name?!" the guy exclaimed but the girl only sighed, closing the lid of her laptop and standing up after kicking Damien in the ankle.
"I'm sorry for his rude manners," she spoke and extended her hand forward with a soft smile. "I'm Abigail Zhao, nice to meet you. And this is Damien Wang."
Haven nodded, returning the gesture by shaking her hand. "Haven Lee. A pleasure to meet you both." she glanced at Damien who was staring at her with a mixture of curiosity and surprise.
"I assume you'll be staying here with us from now on?" Abigail asked, slipping her hands into the pockets of her jeans.
"Yeah..." she trailed off when she saw another guy walking in, his face almost fully buried in his phone. His head hit the corner of a wall and she saw Damien slam his lips down, holding his laugh as best as he could at the moment.
Rising with an air of cold elegance, those eyes seemed to hold an intensity that could penetrate even the darkest corners of her soul. Yet, as her gaze met him, she couldn't help but notice a distinct lack of warmth or kindness. Instead, a storm of utter displeasure and annoyance brewed within those captivating eyes, revealing a disdainful reaction to her presence. The intensity of their glare seemed to silently convey a message, one that made it abundantly clear that her arrival was an unwelcome intrusion.
The complete opposite of what Damien and Abigail felt.
Another man followed behind, and Haven felt as if a tremendous burden just fell off her shoulders and rolled down a cliff. His eyes held a glimmer of an apology in them, almost as if he was sorry that he had left her with no warning last night and didn't bother telling her anything else.
"Why's she here?" Theo questioned, a scowl forming on his countenance while Zei only shrugged nonchalantly.
"Because I brought her here for her safety and mine. Anyone who has an issue with it can talk to me later, face to face." he smiled and Haven felt a shiver traveling down her spine at the clear warning visible in his voice.
His grin was always halfway a smile, halfway a threat.
Damien raised his hands in surrender, grinning in her direction while Abigail only shrugged, sparing him a calculated look which he didn't bother returning. Theo remained utterly silent. Zei only clapped his hands, smirking in her direction.
"So, who's ready for breakfast?"