A pin drop silence covered their senses.
Oh My God! Arella was squealing inside. She was extremely happy for both of them! It was a day of double happiness! Devon's aptitude and now, this proposal! It was just too good! She knew Anne's answer, and she couldn't wait for them to get together officially!
Recovering from her mirth, she realized that something was wrong!
Anne, who should have shouted and loudly accepted by now, was extremely quiet!
Arella turned her head and looked towards Devon. He sat stiffly, and his fists, resting on his legs, were shivering a little. Wait, was he sweating? She found drops of water adorning his forehead.
She wanted to speak, but she knew it wasn't her place. She should better remain on the sidelines and observe.
"Arella, I think I haven't recovered yet! I am hearing strange voices! I think I should rest now!" Anne's blank eyes looked at her.
She thought it was an illusion? Arella couldn't hold back any longer! She started laughing! She was just too happy for her!
"It's true! You are not dreaming! He just proposed!" Arella tried her best to not jump up and down!
"It's true? You said I am a color? And you want me to walk?" Anne was in a confused state. She had no idea what was happening around her.
Arella just wanted to shake her! Wake up! It's your dream coming true! But it wasn't her place to do so. She thought it would be better to leave them alone at a time like this.
So, she nodded towards the sweating man, told Anne that she was leaving and then, ran as if she was being chased! She even forgot to take the wheelchair!
She stood near the door, trying to hear the voices from inside. But too bad for her, the wards were soundproof. She couldn't hear a bit! Resignedly, she left for her own ward.
She knew the outcome, but the process was just too interesting, and she couldn't watch that! What a pity! But she also knew that they should deal with this in private. It was a very private moment.
But damn! Was Devon always this romantic? His proposal was swoon worthy!
She thought of Adrian. He can't pull off something like that. But she didn't mind. What made Adrian worthy was not some mere word but his nature. She knew it in her core, that just like Devon, in case of danger, Adrian would put up his best fight to protect her.
Where was he now? It was a fortnight already, was he still working? Or was he on his way back? When would they meet again? She missed him a little.
When she reached her ward, the cook stayed behind and let her enter alone. She didn't notice it. Lost in her thoughts, she walked her way in.
Someone was standing near her bed. With his back to her, she didn't know who he was. When he turned around, she became still.
What? Was she influenced by Anne? Was she also hallucinating? Otherwise, why was Adrian in her ward?
Sensing that she wasn't moving towards him, the man walked towards her with his long legs. Though his face had no expressions, his body exuded an urgency. He quickly walked towards her and touched her neck. He wanted to check her pulse.
Looking at the girl standing quietly, his vibrating core finally felt relieved.
He was on his way back when the ruby started heating up. He was wearing the ruby at that time, and his chest felt like being charred. The ruby was unusually hot. He knew that something was up with Arella.
He threw the pilot out of the airship cabin and took the ship under his control. Then, he flew at the highest possible speed.
The ruby kept burning a hole in his chest, but he didn't bother. His core was vibrating loudly. Never in his entire life had he felt so flustered. He wanted to find Arella as soon as possible.
An urgency appeared in his eyes. His subordinates stayed quiet, tightened their belts, and prayed to the Beast God for their lives. This time, their expedition had gone quite smoothly, but who would have thought that they would be terrified of their wits on the way back?
When he reached his planet, he reported his arrival and left the task of briefing everybody about the gains to Andrew.
He himself took the airship and left for his home. When he reached, he was informed that Arella had had an accident at work and was in the central healing center.
Without any delay, he took the airship and flew here.
Only after seeing her breathing stably, did his raging urgency calm down a little.
Taking a long breath, he tried to reign in his emotions. He raised his hand. It was still shivering. He checked Arella's exposed body for injury. Thank goodness, there was none!
"Are you okay? Does it hurt anywhere?" Adrian's calm voice caressed her. His voice, his hand, and his temperature, everything got registered in her vibrating core.
Suddenly, she closed in and held him tightly.
Not expecting it, Adrian's body swayed a little, but he soon stabilized. Feeling the soft head burrowing in his chest, he too, held her tightly. Firmly securing her in his arms. Away from all the harm.
Holding her like this was a comfort he needed badly. When he heard that she had an accident, he became too worried. He had been too lonely for a long time, but that doesn't mean he liked it. Arella was the Sun in his bleak life. And to think that something could have happened to her was tearing him apart.
Only now, when her warm breath surrounded him, her hands held him, and her little head rested on his chest, did he feel life surging once again. He felt like being saved from a whirlpool, and now, with her in his arms, he could breathe once again.
On the other hand, realizing that it was none other than Adrian, a different emotion started swirling inside Arella. It was more than comfort. It was trust. Now, with him here, she felt that nothing could go wrong.
She wanted to tell him about the Hound, how it scared her, how it jumped on her, and how terrified she was. These were the things she couldn't share with her friends. But she wanted to share it with him.
Unknowingly, he had become her haven. And she, his anchor.