"Tell me you didn't do anything funny, right?" Max whisper asked in my ear, and I huffed as I looked at the overly embarrassed or overly awkward kitten nibbling on garlic bread and constantly looking at the ground.

"Nah, I didn't." I munched on my fries, and Max gave me a look stating that he was not convinced, but what the fuck was I even supposed to tell him?

The kitten got into heat and now she was embarrassed about getting caught, huh?

"If she said a single thing against you...You...You forget the cakes for a month."

"WHAT???!" I gasped and Max just gave me a stare showing that he was serious about the statement.

I don't even know why Max favours the cat woman so much. Maybe it was due to her dramatic nature, which coincides with his or her fashion-related bickering, which had brought some kind of home-like feeling to this mansion? ...ugh Krystal Baby, what the fuck you are even thinking?

You need to clear your mind and focus on the important things.

Wait, yes... yes, an important thing! I have completely forgotten about the chips after that err...encounter.

"Max.." I took the chips out of my pocket and my actions seemed to gain the kitten's attention too, as now she was finally not drilling holes into the floor and looking at me and Max.

"Yes?" He now composed his serious, or I could say, professional expression, and stared at my face.

It should be alright to talk in front of the cat woman, right? Fuck it.. she will be working on it too, so I should just let it go.

"Here, take these." I placed the two chips in front of him on the table and he just nodded, already knowing what I wanted him to do. That's why I just love him.

"When?" He asked, taking the chips into his hands, and I smiled at him.

"The sooner, the better-" I glanced at the kitten, who was totally confused by the happenings around her but was too embarrassed to ask. Max nodded and stood up from his stool and left the room.

Now I was alone with the cat woman who was moani-err... I don't know why I can't forget it. It's not like hearing someone moan my name was something special for me, but ugh... Krystal Baby, you should just snap out of it.

"Are you done?" I asked, shooing away the strange thoughts racing through my head, and the cat woman visibly flinched at my voice, causing me to roll my eyes at her overly dramatic response.

"Y-yeah," she shuttered, and I nodded and continued to stare at her. In normal situations, I would have just let it go, but teasing her was kinda amusing, especially when she herself looked like a guilty cat who had just pissed on the bed and was confronting her owner.

She awkwardly scratched her neck and I decided to tease her a little more. So I stood up from my seat and leaned in her direction. She was confused yet scared of me. I wanted to laugh at her state, but instead, I kept my blank expression and raised my hand to brush my finger over her lip. She stiffened under my touch, her breath hitched, and I retracted my hand and sat back in my position.

She was confusedly staring at me and I raised my finger in front of her, showing a bit of cheese on it.

"You were too clumsy while eating, I wonder what has been on your mind," I commented in a monotone, and she blushed.

"T-Thanks", Even the tips of her ears were turning red. I think I'm starting to like white skin tones-

I thought of teasing her more, so I fixed my gaze on her face and licked my finger.

"Stop!" She exclaimed.

"Shop what kitten?" I smirked and she pouted.

"Y-You doing this- this on purpose right?" she scoffed, and I was thinking of doing something but-

*Ding-Ding-*

My phone rang and saved the kitten. Sighing, I took my phone out without any delay, since only some people have my personal contact information, so that must be an important message.

I clicked on the message box and it was from Max.

'Granny Maxy-It's done.I smirked after reading the message and turned my phone off.

I looked up to find the kitten looking at me curiously, and I inhaled deeply and decided to save the cat from curiosity.

"Ask," I stated, and she tilted her head innocently.

"Ask What?"

I leaned back in my chair and crossed my legs.

"You have only five questions, so ask-" I said, and her eyes went wide. I swear the cat turned into a dog with its tail wagging in the excitement. I shook my head from imagining these weird things.

"Really?"

"Four," I stated, and she gasped.

"What?"

"Three-"

"Okay... okay, what is so special about the chips? The chips were protected by so many security walls and ughhhh... I was expecting it to turn out to be information about Area 51. Hell, I was eager to see what was in them, so I just coded and cracked each wall and wall for like hours... and boom, just identity information, just fucking names and ages with a QR code huh... " She dramatically huffed or huffed in her 'normal' tone and I sighed.

"It's a security passkey. The chips are planted below the skin of the arm or shoulder blade and regular checks are run. The one without the chip will get spotted and instantly get killed." I told her and her mouth opened.

"Oh my gosh! The person who thought about this was sure to be a genius."

"She surely is-"

"What she-okay, who is she? No..no.. you will just tell me her name and count it as a question. She is surely not from this empire. Wait! I got it-she is the Cobra girl, right? " She placed her hands on the table and raised her brows at me. I was a bit amused by her guessing power.

"Yes, she is-" I nodded and looked at the watch. It was almost time...

"And thinking about the significance of the chip you told me, you are surely sending someone into Cobra territory by disguising them as one of the members or in any position the chip provides them with."

"Well, I like the way you think." I praised her, and she smiled at me.

"Thank you, Miss Kidnaper, but the thing I really want to know is how you got the location of the Cobras?" She asked and I uncrossed my legs. I stood up from my seat and took some steps towards the kitten.

She was confused about my sudden movements, but I just continued to take slow steps in her direction. She gulped when I was just about a half-foot away. I lowered my head and leaned my face in the crook of her neck.

"Remember about the friendly greeting?" I asked in her ear and she nodded rather more energetically than required.

"I may or may not have sneakily placed a bug in her dress when we were like this," I whispered and retreated to a normal position.

The kitten was surely not expecting this. Her jaw dropped and I smirked and started to exit the room.

"Wait!" She called, and I stopped and turned around, raising my brows at her to speak.

"I know you are rivals, but why do you guys hate each other so much?"

"Well...I don't really hate her." I answered honestly and exited the door.

I took my phone out again and texted Linda to take further actions. Oddly enough, I was feeling light. Perhaps the new medications were working well.

I thought, as I unconsciously made my way up to the terrace.

I opened the door and was greeted by the beautiful sunset.

It is weird that it doesn't matter how much we are feeling down or lost, nature never ceases to amaze us.

There are many things in this world which are beautiful, but we just ignore them and realize their value when it's already too late.

I took a deep breath and leaned against the wall and looked around.

Terrace has always been a little private spot for me, which is close to my heart.

I still remember our old mansion, the doors, the chandeliers, the walls and the terraces.

{ I ran, gasping for air. I was late... I ran and ran, giving away all my energy to reach the top of the stairs and open the door to the terrace.

I panted and beads of sweat ran down my face, but my stomach churned looking at her.

There she was sitting in the corner, curled up in a ball, and her snake was sitting beside her.

That was so heartbreaking that, despite gasping, I put all the last joules of energy in my body in running towards her.

She looked up, her eyes red and puffy, swollen from crying for only God knew how much. Her nose was red due to the irritation she caused it by constantly wiping it with her top. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun, which was really messy. She looked so innocent and so vulnerable at the same time, that without saying anything, I just engulfed her into my arms.

"Y-You a-are late-" She sniffed her nose and I hugged her more tightly, cursing myself for not killing that mole more quickly.

"Sorry San." I muttered, and she leaned into my touch and I could feel her panicked breathing.

"Princess, I am here now. So please don't cry love. " I whispered soothing words in her ear. My eyes started to leak, but I never let her see that. She momentarily calmed down but never tried to free herself from my embrace, but I ignored her struggle. I felt her snake crawling up on my back, but I just ignored him, giving all my attention to my princess.

After minutes of silence and just staying in each other's arms, she freed herself from me and wiped her face with her top, which was already dirty from the tears and mucus.

"Th-hanks" she said in a low voice, which sounded so weak that it made my heart clench.

Without thinking, I leaned and connected our lips. She momentarily stiffened, but then laced her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss.

I wanted every pain in her life to go away. I wanted to give every single joy, every single happiness of my life to be exchanged for her sorrows. I wanted to see her happy, I wanted to cherish her with my life, I wanted to kiss her tears away, I wanted to kill her father. }

I wiped my eyes with the hem of my shirt, remembering the past.

/pɑːst/

adjective

gone by in time and no longer existing.

I still get goosebumps realising it's in the past.

It's been eleven years already, but the wounds are still bleeding.

The bloodlust in my mind is continuously breeding.

I just want to reverse time and regain what was once mine.

What was once mine.

I chuckled, remembering the kitten's question.

'Why do I hate her so much?'

I wish it was hatred because then maybe my mind would be more stable, maybe I wouldn't have nightmares, maybe my heart wouldn't have been aching like it has since that day when the fucker-

I was brought back to my senses from my thoughts when I spotted a man with a face mask suspiciously hiding behind the pillar in the garden and looking inside the window where the dining hall was.

I immediately turned on my phone and called into the security office.

"Yes, mistress," A man whose name I have forgotten answered.

"Capture a crow hiding in garden number four." I commanded and cut the call.

Who the fuck this is to be walking into the wolf's cave so recklessly?

Well, the only way to answer this question is to figure it out...

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