"I know something is wrong. Spill it now" She said with a shred of emotion in her cold stern stare. "For starters, this was the first time you ask someone else to bring me strawberry jam. You always bring them yourself. Second, just now, you are avoiding my gazes. Are you afraid I might see something in your eyes? Lastly, you are painting this early. Both of us know you don't paint on mornings, only means you are so stressed out…"

Huzey was mildly shocked. He knew somehow, he cannot hide something from her, but never did he thought that through time his best friend did memorize every inch of him that no matter how much cover up he does, she will end up knowing. ​​

"…And I have a feeling it has something to do with me. Your eyes say it all." She continued nagging.

He stood in front of the canvass for a couple of minutes thinking whether it was wise to tell her or not. He hoped that Ziggy was here, however that other best friend of his was still in the capital attending to some family affairs.

"You know about the elite's business hierarchy, right?" He started to disclose the details that were under wraps.

"Of course. The L Empire and CGC rivalry for the top, The Montarini Mining Corporation, The Montreal International Winery Inc…" She started to reel off the country's business aristocracy.

Being a student from Rivendell Academy, she was bound to know these all. Also, being close with the sons of two significant families, her knowledge of the elites was as plenty as the sands.

"The L Empire…what do you know about their heir?" He continued his inquiry.

"The L Empire's heir? The family that holds that company religiously practice patriarchy, so their male heir is very important to their lineage. I heard he is quite good… but I doubt he is as good as Ziggy and you" She said with a little concern for the subject.

"How about the Lagdameo coach? Isn't he a good one too?"

Xhemin's lips parted, her voice got caught up in her throat. Huzey's eyes locked onto her, searching them while he waited for her to answer.

"Well, I only got the chance to know him for few days. Though I admit he is good, however, I can't really tell if he is anywhere near Ziggy and you" She answered, shrugging.

"You like him?" He asked, his face slightly faltered. A minute after he sat beside her on the sofa as he took off his painting apron.

"Well… uhmmm…." For some reason, Xhemin felt like her chest heaved and she wasn't breathing.

"Don't even try to lie…" He warned.

"I know.. I know… it's just that conversations like this feel awkward" She stated, a matter of fact.

Huzey looked at her as she pouted in front of him. He ran a hand through her hair to push it back off her pretty face.

"The Lagdameo coach seems to be serious with you" He said in a deadpan tone, but his eyes flashed a worried looked.

"Is that a bad thing?" Sensing Huzey's uneasiness, she asked without any hint of clue of the reason behind.

"I'm afraid so…"

"But why?..."

For few minutes, she waited for him to answer. His best friend's actions frightened her a bit but she's dead curious what all this fuss was about.

"It's because L Empire means Lagdameo Empire, and the Lagdameo coach is their future emperor" He sighed after he spilled the whole truth, his voice was holding a tinge of fear.

"Can't be true..." Xhemin mumbled as her fingers ran to her mouth pressing it. She started biting her nails.

Huzey reached out for her hands and clasped them to his. He knew how she was feeling and he knew she will take this revelations to heart. He himself was troubled with this predicament since yesterday and was thinking not tell her. However, how could he even hide this threatening truth to her?

"Xhem, yesterday at the memorial, I figure out the L Empire and CGC are trying to marry off their heirs" He continued. Since she already knew, better to lay everything off. "It's a good business strategy to gain more control to the country's business industry"

"So, the beast intends to marry the CGC heir?" She questioned him, her eyes were welling up, yet she remained calm.

"Not him, his family probably. However, Ziggy challenged him, and he ended up telling everyone he was dating someone else." He narrated, his hands still holding hers and was pressing harder.

"Why would Ziggy even do that?"

"Can't blame Ziggy. It's annoying to see him with another woman clutching on his arms. You know how Ziggy is protective of you" He tried to explain everything, without missing a bit. "However, because of that everyone was curious about your identity"

Xhemin's eyebrows drew together at his story, her face contorted into something unreadable. It wasn't disappointment, it wasn't anger either. Her thoughts were quite complicated but suddenly she thought of her grandad and his rules.

"Grandad… is there a possibility it will reach grandad's knowledge?" This time, she flushed a worried face. "If he will know, I'm afraid I won't be able to join any conference anymore. We might even move to some other place. He might even ask me to leave the Academy!"

She started to panic. The thought of what his grandad was going to do when he finds out about the heap frightened her. Growing up, she had an understanding that if people will know about her existence as a granddaughter of the great doctor, it was going to be a huge mess. For the first time, that mess was coming to reality.

"Huzey what shall I do?" She begged him to tell her.

" Hush..hush..hush" Huzey grabbed her to his embrace when he saw how afraid she was. He pressed her hard to his chest when he felt her trembling. His best friend rarely acted like that, it was frustrating to see her in that state.

Xhemin grabbed the end to Huzey's shirt and felt his warmth. She felt suddenly vulnerable, but his heat somehow gave her some sense of protection.

"We'll think of something we can do when Ziggy is here" He started comforting her as held her.

Ziggy, where was Ziggy by the way? She thought. But then something caught up in her mind as she was reminded of Ziggy.

"Huzey, didn't you mention Ziggy challenged the beast?" She withdrew her face that was buried in his chest and looked at him.

"Yes…." He answered trying to question her sudden change of concern. "…. Why?"

"They said the L Empire is ruthless… so one should not dare to mess up with them" She stated, trying to recall the things he heard about such corporation. "I think Ziggy is in danger!"

Huzey looked Xhemin in a surprised look. He hadn't thought of the danger that enticed Ziggy's actions yesterday. But Xhemin was right, wasn't L Empire feared within the whole country because of that?

He tried to compose the right words to respond to her however, someone came knocking on his bedroom door.

"Señiorito! Little Miss!" A maidservant came rushing inside as soon as Huzey permitted her entrance.

"What is it?" Huzey asked hurriedly.

"The Montreal's called. Youngest sire Ziggy was caught up in an accident!"

Huzey and Xhemin froze in their seats in an instant.