"Pl... Ple... Please don't harm me. I b... Beg..." Emilia tried to plead to the mysterious figure as she struggled to break free.
"Stop fighting, it is me!" A familiar voice whispered and the hand over Emilia's mouth loosened.
She went silent for a moment trying to figure out what the owner of the voice was.
"Adrian?" She called out unsurely and it was only then that the figure allowed her to be completely free from his hold.
The figure stepped back, and the faint moonlight from the window revealed his face.
"Why are you here?" Adrian whispered harshly.
"Why am I here—?" Emilia blinked, her shock and fear, quickly turning into anger.
"You scared me to death!" She snapped.
"Well, I was here first!" Adrian snapped back.
"First or not, you don't just grab someone like that! Especially a female!" She protested firmly.
"I thought you were—" He was saying but stopped, narrowing his eyes.
"What are you doing here anyway?" He asked instead.
At that question, Emilia froze, her breath getting hitched.
"What could I possibly tell him happened?" She wondered inwardly, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Why are you sneaking into my father's study in the middle of the night?" Adrian pressed further.
She gritted her teeth.
"I—I..." She began only to trail off as she was lost for words.
"Well?" Adrian prompted.
Before Emilia could think of a response, the door creaked open, and a flood of light filled the room as the bulb was switched on.
Victor stood at the doorway, his expression dark and furious.
"Emilia, don't tell me you ran away to end up hiding in here. It is my study for crying out loud and you don't think I would find you?" He called out lowly but his tone held a hint of mockery.
"Dad?" Adrian turned, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. He didn't quite hear what he said.
Victor stepped inside, his eyes darting between the two of them. Then his expression softened suddenly, his tone changing to a false gentleness.
"There you are. I have been looking for you everywhere, dear." He stated.
Emilia couldn't speak. Her mouth opened, but no words came out.
Victor's gaze lingered on her trembling hands before he turned to Adrian.
"Why are you both here?" He asked, his voice deceptively calm.
Adrian glanced at Emilia, then back at his father.
"Adrian here needs my help... With something!" Emilia blurted out, shocking both father and son.
"I need your help?" Adrian muttered, looking at her in confusion and she held his gaze, her eyes pleading with him to cooperate with her.
"Help? With what?" Victor inquired raising an eyebrow.
"He... he asked me for—" Emilia stammered, not knowing what to say.
"What kind of help could Adrian possibly need from you, at the same time I needed you?" Victor interrupted smoothly.
Emilia's mind raced. She couldn't think of anything plausible. She looked at Adrian, her eyes silently pleading.
After a moment of silence, Adrian stepped forward, his voice steady, that Emilia wondered how he was able to maintain such composure:
"It is for my assignment."
"Assignment?" Victor asked, sounding skeptical.
"Yes, I have a submission due in an hour, and It is a lot of work so I thought I could use some help and she happened to show up at the moment, luckily for me." Adrian continued quickly.
Victor's eyes narrowed slightly, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
"So, the two of you have already bonded over her background?" He asked.
Adrian hesitated, unsure of what to say.
"Of course. You must have been thrilled to know your stepmother shares your interests. She also studied Arts." Victor pointed out with a chuckle, but his eyes were cold.
Since the news was foreign to the conspiring duo, they were surprised but quickly acted along.
"Yes, I figured it out the moment I met her." Adrian said cautiously.
Victor's jaw tightened briefly before his smile returned.
"Well, don't let me stand in the way of your studies then. But next time, use the living room for your little study sessions. This is my private space, you should know better." He told the duo sharply.
"Of course, Honey." Emilia said, nodding quickly.
Victor's gaze lingered on her, his smile sharpening.
"Take your time, dear. When you are done, I will be waiting for you in the bedroom. We still have unfinished business so don't keep me waiting." He told her.
Emilia's stomach churned at the underlying meaning of his words, but she nodded, keeping her expression flat.
Victor turned on his heel and left them and the tension in the room was suffocating.
"Shall we go and continue the assignment?" Adrian said, breaking the silence after a moment.
Emilia swallowed hard before nodding and following him out into the hallway.
"Thank you so much for playing along, Adrian." She said in appreciation.
"Well, mind telling me what that was?" Adrian asked, looking confused.
"What?" Emilia asked, feigning ignorance.
"That whole scene back there. What is going on?" He asked further, a small frown making its way onto his face.
"I don't... Actually, it is really nothing..." Emilia was saying but trailed off, and she shook her head.
"That doesn't seem like nothing. I believe I deserve an explanation for the fact that I even played along. I should know what is happening." Adrian maintained.
Emilia looked at him and for a moment, she seemed to consider divulging everything to him.
"Where will I even start from? And what can he do when it is his father in question? No, there is no point telling him." She contemplated and decided in her mind.
She took a shaky breath before speaking up:
"I'm sorry." That was all Emilia could mutter in response to his question and before he could say more, she turned and walked away, disappearing into the kitchen.
Adrian stood there, stupefied.
"What was going on with her? What is going on in this house?" Adrian threw the questions into the empty space, looking completely lost.