I stayed up the whole night like an owl, over and over again replaying the scene of Elian shooting through that man's skull.

I doubt I could ever forget that traumatizing scenario. Elian's threat afterward was no balm to that, either. If I spilled a word of it to anyone, I was dead.

While I wasn't good at lying to my close people, I could keep a secret. But who knew how long I could keep when it was eating me alive?

I should have listened to Mom and gone back to Georgia. In that way, I wouldn't have had to see what I did last night. Maybe it wasn't too late to just leave the town and ghost Elian.

The sun was already shining through my window while I was busy thinking about the possible ways Elian could kill me if I slipped up.

Shit, now I had to get ready and go to the office and see Elian's face again. How was I going to face him after last night? How was I going to not freak out while sitting next to him in a meeting?

No, no, I can't deal with him today.

I hated to skip work, but this was my last resort.

I sighed once the text was sent to my assistant. I was always a little dramatic when it came to taking leaves.

Now, I just hope Elian didn't nag me to come. Ugh, whatever, I didn't want to think about him.

I checked my other texts.

I could have actually died, my friend. You have no idea.

Instead of texting that, I just gave her a silly sticker and checked the texts from my mom asking me about my health. I replied to her mom and decided to catch up on my sleep.

When I opened my eyes the next time, it was already late evening. Damn, that was a long sleep.

However, I felt infinitely better.

I came to the realization that it didn't have to be as complicated as I made it out to be. I just had to pretend like last night didn't happen and act completely professional with Elian. Yes, that's exactly what I would do.

I got up from the bed and freshened up. I was hungry, so I went to the kitchen, only to have the late realization that I was supposed to buy groceries on my way from work last night, and of course, I forgot.

Screw me.

I put on my crocs and went out in a pair of sweatpants and an oversized hoodie to buy the groceries.

I expected to have a nice homemade meal when I got home, not to see my boss standing at my front door.

Run, Alena, run! Run for your life! my subconscious yelled at me.

I was about to turn on my heels when Elian called out, "Stop right there, Ms. Fleur."

I halted and met his cold gaze. "What are you doing here, Sir?" I asked politely, addressing him as 'sir' for the first time. I was going to be professional, after all.

"What are you doing outside? Aren't you supposed to be so sick that you can't get up from bed?" he demanded, and I remained mum. "What, the cat caught your tongue?"

"Can I not miss a day at the office? Will you kill for it?" I blurted out.

Way to be professional, Alena.

The glare Elian threw at me made me want to run again, but then I realized. Why should I run?

This was my apartment, my colony, and I had neighbors with whom I was good friends with. Why should I be scared?

Ignoring him like air, I went straight for my front door and quickly got inside and closed the door.

I smiled to myself at the accomplishment.

Good job, Alena.

I took my groceries to the kitchen and was about to start unpacking when my phone pinged with an incoming text. My heart leaped to my mouth when I read the text.

Oh, shit. I could lose my job if I didn't call him back in.

It wasn't like I couldn't find another job, but it was too much trouble and I was already at a high position in Storm Dynamics. I didn't want to have to climb the ranks in another company as a beginner again.

No, no, all of this wasn't worth that much trouble.

So I pulled up a big smile on my face and fixed my bun to look presentable before I went to open the door.

Elian was standing right where I left him. He looked up, and I politely said, "Please come in, Sir."

He shook his head in disbelief and came inside. "I can't believe you have the audacity to shut the door on your boss's face," he muttered while taking off his shoes and putting on the guest slippers.

I maintained my smile as I formally said, "Let bygones be bygones, Sir. Have a seat in the living room and please make yourself at home."

I wanted to delay talking to him as much as possible, so I offered, "Oh, what would you like to drink? Tea or coffee? And by tea, I mean—"

"Green tea, I know. But do I look like I'm here for drinks or chitchat?"

I halted on my way to the kitchen and asked suspiciously, "How do you know about me having green tea?" I had the habit of drinking green tea every evening. But of course, he couldn't know that, right?

Elian paused, looking like a deer caught in the headlight, before he cleared his throat and answered curtly, "You have an entire box of green tea bags on your desk. How could I not notice?"

"Weird, but acceptable." I was still going in the kitchen when he called out again.

"Will you just come here so that we can talk and be done with it?"

"No, how can I do that? My boss came to my humble abode for the first time, and I won't even offer him a beverage? I will die in shame, Sir—"

A metal clack made me freeze in my steps. I looked over my shoulder in fear, and it was exactly what I thought—a gun on my coffee table.

My gaze fell on Elian's calm but deadly face as he uttered, "Are you coming or not?"

It was just like those Mafia movies where a man comes in and puts a gun on the coffee table and threatens the pretty, innocent girl. I always wondered what those girls ever did to deserve this just like I was wondering the same about myself.

I gulped hard and went to the living room where Elian was already sitting on the couch. I was about to sit on the beanbag when he spoke up, "Sit beside me."

"Why?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Because I said so," he simply replied.

I sighed and sat down beside him. "Now, what do you want to talk about, Sir?"

"So, um, whatever you saw last night, I don't usually do that. That man tried to assassinate me, so I had to—"

I put up a hand between us and said, "Why are you telling me this?" He wasn't, by chance, trying to explain himself, was he? "Sir, what you do or don't do in your office's parking lot is none of my business. I am a civilian. I just don't want to get caught in the crossfire."

"Yes, and I promise you won't. As long as this remains between us, no one will harm you. And just in case you're thinking of running away from town, you can't. At least not until you have earned my men's trust. Otherwise, they will hunt you down and kill you."

Wow, scary.

I took a deep breath and replied, "Yes, I get that, Sir."

"Also, you have to act normal around me, Ms. Fleur. You can take a few more days off if you need, but you can't avoid me forever."

"Yes, I understand, Sir."

"Ms. Fleur, do you get what I mean by acting normal around me?" he questioned.

I raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Yes, of course. Like I always have done, Sir—"

"Ms. Fleur, I don't remember you calling me 'sir' ever before today, so how is that acting normal?" he pointed out.

"I'm just trying to be professional, Sir. Everyone in the office calls you that. I thought it was about time I picked that up as well—"

"Just stick with what you used to call me. No need to follow what others do."

"Why? Are you making me an exception because I saw something I shouldn't have seen last night, Sir?"

Elian picked up his gun from the coffee table and lifted up my chin with the muzzle. My breath was caught in my throat as he looked me straight in the eye and uttered, "No, I just don't like it from your mouth."

As his words registered in my brain, my vision glazed over and a throbbing pain shot throughout my head.

A pair of arms were wrapped around my waist as a distorted voice whispered in my ears, "No, I just don't like it from your mouth."

"Alena, are you okay?"

My eyes shot open when I heard Elian's worried voice. Seeing him so close and his gun under my chin, I panicked and shoved him away by the chest, making the gun fall from his hand and land on the floor.

"You need to leave right now," I muttered breathlessly, turning away from him.

"I will leave, but are you okay?" Elian asked again.

I nodded, trying to stabilize my breathing. "Yes, I'm okay. You just... go. I want to be alone right now." My head was still aching from whatever the hell I saw a minute ago.

"Okay. I'll leave then." With that, he got up and left without another word.

What the hell was that vision I saw? Who was that person holding me? And was it even me in it?

As I was lost in my thoughts, my doorbell rang.

I was about to get up, but my feet bumped into something metallic. It was Elian's gun. It must be Elian at the door then.

When I opened the door, I expected to see Elian, only to be held at gunpoint for the third time in the last twenty-four hours.

"Goodbye, Ms. Fleur."