Angel couldn't stand the heat from his eyes anymore, so she lowered her gaze, and threw her face to the side.
Ares, thrilled by his victory, shifted smugly in his seat, then cleared his throat.
"I'm glad we have that out of the way. Let's talk about what you're going to help me with."
She laughed dryly, shaking her head manically as she did.
"I've been standing in this heel for over three hours already. This dress is so uncomfortable, I feel like if I move wrongly, I'd topple over and break more toes. I have a splitting headache that has half my face ready to collapse. To top it all, you threatened snuggles, and made me eat a disgusting meal like a filthy dog. Would it kill you to at least offer me a seat?" She asked in a voice filled with distraught emotions.
He doubled back for a second, amazed that she had finally shown some vivid vulnerability.
"I never asked you to stand. You chose to do that."
She opened her mouth to argue, but shut it right back when she saw the pointlessness in that venture.
He was an insufferable man, who said the meanest things in the calmest voice.
If she was her father, he would be high on the list of her biggest rivals. She just couldn't stand men like him.
Walking to the chair across his, she plopped on it, and began to take off the heels.
Ares' eyes of their own accord, went to her toes.
The one Ivar said she hit was swollen, and looked terribly bad.
He has nurse Abigail in hand, to treat cases like that. But her cooperation was the key to getting that help.
With a start, he reclined into his seat, as she straightened her body.
"Can I get some water? I'm perched."
As she asked, she took down the pins holding her hair together, and let it loose.
Her copper blonde curls shimmered down to her waist.
She ran a hand through it, massaging her aching scalp.
Relief washed through her, as she closed her eyes momentarily to savour the moment.
Ares' eyes widened, enchanted by the display before him..
He hadn't thought of her as pretty the first time he saw her. Mostly because she was too conventionally beautiful.
Personally, he preferred women who had more traditional beauties, than the ones like her.
But there was no doubt in his mind anymore. This was one gorgeous woman.
His blood heated up as his eyes scanned the lengths of her body.
She suddenly opened her eyes, and caught him staring.
Her brow lifted inquiringly. "What? I can't get water?" She asked.
He pretended not to hear her, as he picked up a phone on the table.
His hands typed across the phone, before dropping it right back.
"Is that water?" She asked hopefully, sitting up.
"Depends. Are you going to give me the information I need?"
"Ugh! I'm sick and tired of this information thing again. Fine, what do you want to know?"
"Simple, where are the diamonds?"
The light in her eyes instantly disappeared. She didn't think outside of the tower, she would ever hear about the diamonds.
For a good ten years of her life, it was all she heard about.
"Belle, when are you going to tell daddy about the diamonds? Don't you want us to get what rightfully belongs to us?" She heard her father's voice in her head.
"What is it?" He asked, when he noticed she had gotten even more pale than she naturally was.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, and swallowed to wet her dried throat.
He sent her a piercing gaze that made her uncomfortable.
"You're a terrible liar, Princess."
"It's Angel. Why do you all call me Princess here?"
"That's not the point. You're lying."
"Believe whatever you want. I know nothing about any diamonds."
He went silent for a few seconds, thinking about how best to handle the situation.
"Is that all?" She asked when he didn't say another word.
The door opened, and the woman from before that had given her that horrible food, came into view.
Angel's heart thumped loudly, and she instantly grew shaky..
Ares noticed the swift change in her, and made a mental note of it.
He had watched how she struggled with the food, even though it was objectively bad.
All day, she had not eaten anything, yet, she didn't complain.
There was a whole lot to Angel Thornton, and he was beginning to think he would have to strip off the layers, to get his answer.
"Here!" The woman roughly handed Angel a tray.
Angel's shivering hands shot forward, as her stomach twisted with anxiety..
She didn't know what she was going to see on the tray this time around, but she knew rejecting it was only going to cause her misery.
Lowering the tray to the table, she forced herself to look at it..
Her eyes widened at what she saw, and she quickly turned around to thank the woman.
But in that exact moment, the door banged shut, and she only heard the retreating steps of the woman.
"Wow, she's so cool. How's she so menacing but also generous?" She eyed the palatable tray.
It contained a big bottle of water, a glass cup, and some cookies.
She had no idea how the woman knew she loved cookies.
"You seem excited," he said dryly.
She held out a hand to signal she wanted him to wait a few seconds.
Grabbing the water, she popped off its covers, and brought it to her lips.
Throwing her head back, she allowed the water trickle down her throat.
Her eyes closed when the coolness hit her like the midnight waves.
Ares didn't realise until he felt a tug in his pants. He looked down to discover it wasn't darling, who was usually glued to his hips.
A tent had formed in his pants.
The swiftness in which he had gone from disregarding her beauty to finding her attractive, surprised him. And not many things surprised Ares.
She put the bottle down after drinking enough, and sighed contentedly..
"I had no idea water could taste that good. Thank you," she said to him, catching him off guard again.
"Me?"
"Well yes." She nodded, and even offered him a smile.
"What are you thanking me for?" he asked, slightly confused.
"I know you ordered this to be brought to me. What I don't really understand is how you knew I like cookies." She eyed the plate greedily as she spoke.
"I didn't bring you anything. I told Ivar you wanted water, and he sent the rest. I guess he has a soft spot for you."
"Ivar?" She raised a confused brow. "Oh you mean, model boy!" A glimmer appeared in her eyes as she correctly identified him the way she was comfortable with.
He held back the chuckle that formed a ball in his throat.
She had a weird way of naming people. The nerve to complain about being called Princess, whilst calling everyone everything else but their names.
"Ivar you mean?"
"Yeah," she nodded enthusiastically. "He has such a pretty face. Which is weird because none of my father's boys are that handsome. Is that a prerequisite for signing members into your family? Because even butcher boy is cute," she yapped.
He couldn't believe his ears. "Signing members? Pretty face? Butcher boy? Whatever was she talking about?" He thought in his head.
"So you think my boys are handsome?" He asked, and immediately after, regretted it.
There was no reason he should be encouraging this conversation. But there he was, actively participating in it.
"Absolutely gorgeous!" She picked a cookie, and broke it into half as she spoke. "Ivar especially. I would kill to have him model for me, ugh!"
He frowned. She seemed to be very much affected by Ivar. He didn't like that, but he didn't know why he didn't like that.
"Give up on that dream," he said just as she pushed a piece of the cookie into her mouth.
She paused mid chew, and eyed him cautiously.
"What dream?" She asked with a mouthful.
"The dream of going back to whatever it is you do soon. I want that diamond, and I want other information too. If you can't give me these two things, I won't be letting you go."
She stood up abruptly, walked to the only other furniture that was in the room, and spat the cookie in her mouth right into it.
Pushing the waste basket back in place, she returned and took her seat.
She drank some water, wiping off the moisture on her lips right after.
His eyes followed every moment she made, fascinated by them all.
"I don't know anything about the diamonds, but I may be able to help you with the other information you need. On the condition you release me immediately after."
"I'm not promising anything, but we'll see."
"Fine, shoot."
"I was recently at the tower, and saw a girl there. She's this buxom beauty with a very gorgeous face. Do you know her?"
"Freya," she thought. He was talking about Freya.
But she couldn't tell him about her. She couldn't trust anyone with that information, after doing everything she could to take her to a secure place.
Instead, she rose to her feet, and walked up to him.
"I don't have an answer to any of your questions, so I'm going to re-bargain. A kiss for my freedom."
Before Ares could come to terms with what was happening, she dropped on his lap, and kissed him.