Dedicated to Supreme_DeityII and Apple_Deswari. Thank you for your unwavering support!
.....
"Anyways. Looks like Madam does not need the training to run. So, I will be off today. Hope you do not mind." Andrew went to pack up the stall of nutrients. As he was in the motion of putting things aside, he got an alert on his watch.
"Bring Arella to the office." A short and crisp message floated on the screen.
Andrew closed his eyes and sighed a little. Once his eyes fluttered open, all complex emotions were hidden perfectly.
"Madam," he turned around and ran to Arella, "heavens do not want me to rest. So, I have been asked to escort you to the office." Andrew begrudgingly pouted.
His vivid expressions made her chuckle a little. She too, had received the message from Adrian just now. So both of them made their way to the office.
Once Arella stood in front of Adrian's office, Andrew ran for his life!
He was afraid that Adrian would find him idle. What if he dumped work on his feeble shoulders? To hide from the nightmarish work, he ran without showing his face to the demon.
Arella entered the office alone. She had informed him in advance. He was not in the office at the moment but should be coming soon. He had asked her to wait in the office.
She surveyed the office. It was neat and well kept. On the desk were a few papers that she did not bother with. She went straight to the window overlooking the campus.
From here, she could have a bird's eye view of the entire place. Her first impression was that it was huge. It had a training ground, a beast fighting arena, a grassy area, a medical facility, and a few villas scattered around the edges with their own garden and ground.
As she focused on finding her own villa, a mesmerizing voice soothingly caressed her ears. Mechanically, she turned around, only to find Brian standing in front of her, sporting a charming smile.
Arella took her time to admire the man's perfect features, especially his green eyes. The more she looked into those crystal green orbs, the more calmed she felt. To her, his green eyes looked like a clear lake.
'Adrian's eyes look better. They are like clear water.' As soon as this thought appeared, she was jolted awake from the trance. Once alert, she scrutinized his face again.
His features were not perfect, in fact, Adrian had it much better. A frown appeared on her face.
"Good morning, Madam!" Brian spoke curiously. The moment he saw the frown on her face, he knew that she had broken apart from his compelling charm once again. Her successive escapes were like a dent in his arrogance.
But it also made him curious. Why and how could she break apart so soon?
"Hmm, good morning, Brian. Adrian should be here soon. Why don't you sit and wait for him?" She hinted at the sofa and asked him to relax.
"Madam," Brian's curiosity got the better of him and he could not stop himself from asking a few questions. It was purely for research purposes!
"I apologize if I look like overstepping my boundaries, but I want to know. How did you wake up?"
Brian used to look down on her, but the last encounter and this meeting, both had him re evaluate his stance. She looked low level but could easily break apart from his charm. This alone proved that she should not be ignored.
"Wake up? As in in the morning?" Arella's frown became deeper. What was this man talking about?
"No, from the charm. I mean to ask, how do you come out of the trance?" Brian chuckled and rephrased his question.
"I was in a trance?" Arella tilted her head and asked innocently.
Her sweet gesture and her innocent eyes hit deep into his heart, and his ears turned red. Oh! Madam was so cute! A smile appeared on his face.
"Yes, Madam. As soon as I appeared, you should have positive thoughts about me. Being temporarily stuck by my charm. It should force you to talk to me or to become my acquaintance." Brian patiently explained as he tried to overcome the blush.
"Oh! That, I guess I was affected at first, but then, I remembered my husband. You are not as good as my husband." Arella frankly spoke.
As soon as her words ended, the office door was pushed open. Adrian made his way straight to Arella and held her hand. Of course, he had heard their conversation on his way to the office.
Listening to her confession put him in a very good mood. Looks like, in her core, he was more potent than any other charm! Satisfaction started bubbling inside him.
Meanwhile, Brian stood straight and contemplated. Rumination on her words, he realized a crucial detail. His charm showed what others wanted.
If it was a love deprived maiden, she would see him as her lover. If the person was a weakling, to him, he would appear as the powerful. That is to say, his appearance and manner appeared different to different persons according to their deepest wishes.
But Madam did not have any such wish. She had a satisfied core, that is why he could not charm her. His eyes sparkled with realization!
He was dealing with a bottleneck but now, one meeting with the Madam had broadened his understanding! He wanted to run and try to cultivate accordingly. Maybe he could overcome the bottleneck!
A glint of gratefulness appeared in his eyes. He quickly greeted Adrian and informed them what he found out in all honesty.
"Sir, so far I have only met the step sister and the stepmother. They appear as if their memories were covered by a haze. They remember things at the back of the mind, but not with clarity. Also, they have conflicting memories." Brian began to report his findings.
"What do they remember?" Adrian asked in a cold voice.
"Sir, both of them have stated that Madam's mother was married to her father, gave birth, and died."
"But they also have another memory. According to it, Madam was brought by strangers into their house. They paid a hefty sum and bought her rights as William's elder child. After that, the strangers disappeared." Brian spoke succinctly.
This was something that Arella had expected. Since the confrontation with Stella in the healing center, she remembered her every word. She knew this much. But what she wanted to know was whether these things were true or not.
"Both the memories are dominant. If you allow, I have a theory for it." Brian asked permission to share his insights.
"Hmm, carry on." Adrian kept holding Arella's hand as he spoke aloud.
"They show symptoms of being hypnotized," Brian spoke with certainty.