"The information was correct. He is Sebastian's child." He said more to himself then to the girl who went pale and rigid at this statement.

"W- What do you want and what's in that handkerchief?" she demanded trying to regain her composure.

"It's his hair strand that I am going to send for a DNA test. I just want to be double sure of the information I got," he informed folding the handkerchief carefully before putting it in his coat's pocket.

"We need to talk," he announced as he started walking to the living room and she clumsily followed behind on her unsteady legs.

'No... no...I can't lose Sam. He is all I have.' Her heart was screaming in pain and eyes threatened to shed the tears she was trying her best to hold back. She stopped for a moment before entering the living room to gather her chaotic thoughts.

For Sam, she will fight with everything she had. She will never give up on him, she promised to herself.

When she finally gained some control on her emotions she entered the room and found him sitting oh- so- comfortably on the couch. His ankle rested on his left knee while he relaxes and stretched his arms about him.

Looking at him she remembered something...Cats! Cats pretty much own the space they like just like he was doing at the moment. But there was one big difference. Cats are harmless while this guy in front of her had a predatory watchfulness and physical prowess hidden beneath his sleek surface.

He was a big Predator cat from the wild who had found its way here to prey on her happiness and peace.

His relaxed posture gave the feeling as if he owned the place, her house and even her Sam and this only fuelled her resentment towards him.

"What do you want?" she asked trying to contain her anger but failing to do so.

"A meal would be great," he said calmly.

She went quiet for a minute not sure if she had heard him correctly or were her ears playing tricks on her.

"Pardon?"

He sighed as if he just came back tired from a big hunt.

"Do you English people not even know that you should at least ask your guest for some tea or maybe a good meal because it's already late and I am quite hungry."

He looked at his watch and then back at her, "It's dinner time."

Lilly looked at him. Speechless. Torn between the urge and confusion on whether to laugh at this joke or to scream at this man. Or maybe throwing something on his head and then him out of her house or maybe out of this country would be much better.

But she did none of the above. She had never thought that there will come a day when her patience will be put on the test and that too by someone like him. She had never felt this level of anger towards anyone from a very long time. The last time she had felt this irritated was when she was 7 years old and a neighbouring boy was claiming her teddy bear as his.

Even though she had solved that situation quite meticulously by punching the boy on his stomach and pushing him to the ground.

Oh how much she wanted to repeat that same thing at the moment...to beat this guy blue and black. But she knew she couldn't do that because he looked and he surely was much more powerful than her. So trying to beat him would be the stupidest movie.

"I hope you are not making plans to kill me." He said as he watched the expressions change on her face.

"Mr King, we treat all our guests with great respect but we don't entertain annoying intruders or strangers and especially those who come at the door with bad intentions." He raised a brow as she continued, "Now if you are done then please leave and don't come back until you are sure of what you are looking for."

Ashton looked at the girl who was standing in front of him clenching her fists as if trying to suppress her anger. That gesture of hers brought a small smile on his lips which he was quick to hide.

He had no idea why he even asked her for food. Had the Hunger got to his brain, he wondered. Earlier he had left from the airport in such a hurry to check if the reports he had got were correct or not but now when half of his doubts had settled he noticed the girl standing in front of him.

She was quite beautiful. Her creamy skin at the moment looked so pale as if all the blood from her body was trained and whether he liked to admit or not but he knew that he was the reason her body was trembling with fear. Still, she was putting up a brave front. The way her beautiful pink lips were pouting at the moment clearly showed her resentment towards him.

He wondered what they would taste like.

Something was wrong, he realised. For some strange reason, the resentment and hatred she threw his way with her huffy words felt so endearing to him and he wasn't sure why.

Then his eyes lowered to the part where her breasts were covered by her woollen sweater and he knew they would fit perfectly in his hands.

'Stop it, Ashton!' he averted his gaze quickly as he realised where his thoughts were heading.

'How long has it been since I last took a woman to bed?' he asked himself but couldn't remember as the past few months he was so busy with business that he had hardly slept and then Sebastian's accident...

He ran his fingers through the silky mess of his hair he was tired and needed a good rest, he acknowledged.

"Looks like I will have to order something when I reach the hotel," he said as he straightened his coat.

"Or how about you go back to where you originally came from and cook something for yourself or maybe order others like you always do." She said with a tight smile.

"Would you repeat the same in simple words?" Ashton said tilting his head a little.

Even though she knew he was daring her but she was too angry to back down.

"In simple words, how about you get the hell out of our life and never show your face ever again," she said with a sweet smile which was anything but genuine.

He raised one warning brow at her. No one had ever dared to talk to him like that. Just one intimidating glance from him was more than enough to scare anyone off. But this girl who was still staring back into his eyes was determined to annoy him with each and every word that left her mouth, he realised.

He stood straight and Lilly had to arch her head to an angle to look at him in the eyes. The way he was boring into her eyes and using his body language Lilly wondered if this was one of the tactics he used to scare off his opponents.

'Were his 6 feet 2 inches height given to him by the almighty so that he could scare people to death with that look?' she asked to whoever could answer this question.

If this was his way of holding on to the ground then even she will stand for herself, she decided. Squaring her shoulders she raised her chin defiantly to show the power of those of her group with the height of 5 feet 4 inches.

Ashton smile inwardly at her move.

This one is amusing, he said to himself.

" I am going, for now, Miss Lilly Jones but I will be back day after tomorrow with DNA results in my hand," said Ashton.

"You are not taking my Sam anywhere." Lilly hissed.

"Oh really?" He raised a mocking brow.

"Oh yes." Her answer made him laugh.

"Just tell me why are you even fighting for Sam when you are not even sure whether he is a part of your family or not?" she asked.

" I am sure that he is a part of King's family."

"Even when you are taking his hair for a DNA test?" she asked challengingly.

" I just don't want any loopholes for later," he answered calmly.

Lilly had never wanted anything so much as she wanted to choke the man in front of her at the moment.

"Look, Mr Ashton King, neither my Sam nor I want anything to do with you. We will never even bother you. If you want I can write it for you that we will never come knocking at your door for anything."

"So they all say." he drawled.

His last words acted like gasoline and she lost her control on her temper. She pulled him by his collar as she glared into his cold eyes.

"You and your family lost every right on Sam the day your brother Sebastian denied my Sam's existence."

Women had touched him. With his permission, of course. But there never was a woman who had fisted his collar like that and had glared at him as if she wouldn't mind roasting him in fire and savaging him.

He should be angry with the way she was coming to bite him but rather he placed a finger on her pink lips as he said, "Shhhh...."

😉