Adeline was comfortable. She did not mind the silence between them, and the only sound filling the hallway was his footsteps. She was lulled by his breathing, composed and quiet. His embrace was warm, despite his icy touch. His arms that acted as cages, was a place she saw comfort.

Being carried in his arms, Adeline was reminded of how strong he was. He didn't break out in a sweat, didn't complain, and didn't tease. His breathing was normal and nowhere labored.

"Are you falling asleep on me now?" Elias teased in a low, sultry voice.

Adeline shivered in response. His voice was an effortless seduction that wrapped around her like silk. Everything he did was a temptation she couldn't afford.

"Despite your muscles, you're quite comfortable," she admitted in a small, tired tone.

Elias's chest felt strange again. It wasn't because of her, who weighed like a feather in his hand. There was something strange stirring from within him. He couldn't pinpoint it. So, he masked it as lust and nothing more.

It wasn't difficult to be seduced by her. From his position, he could see the tops of her chest. Her breath fanned the side of his neck, whilst she rested her head upon his shoulders. Her long hair tickled his bare skin, and everything she did was intimate, even the smallest of sighs.

On a different occasion, he would've been provoked. But not this time. There was a bizarre urge to keep her safe. He wanted her in his arms, he enjoyed having her so close. It used to be a primal instinct, but now, it was much different.

"Eli…"

Elias's grip tightened on her. "Are you dreaming about me?" he teased, in a hardened tone.

Adeline softly laughed. "How can I dream when I'm wide awake?"

Elias cast her a doubtful look. He couldn't see her face clearly, since she was nestled in the crook of his neck. It was an intimate yet sensitive area. A swipe at his neck and he would be dead. His throat was a spot he didn't allow anyone to touch. But she breathed upon it, her hair tickling at it, and her lips occasionally brushing the skin by accident.

"You sound tired enough to be dreaming about me, my sweet," Elias said in an obvious voice that believed no less than his own words.

Adeline tiredly nodded. "I supposed the party tired me out." Elias mischievously smiled. "Perhaps I can exhaust you out a bit more."

Adeline hummed in response. "Perhaps…"

Elias rapidly blinked. Did he hear himself correctly?

"Luckily for you, your presence alone tires me out…" Adeline trailed off, her voice growing quieter by the second.

Elias chuckled. No one had ever made him laugh like her. She was surprisingly blunt. Beating around the bushes was not her forte.

"Are you sure my presence is the only thing?" he teased in a light voice.

Elias gave her a few seconds to respond, but she didn't. He was surprised. Her heartbeat had steadied, and her breathing became slow. Had she fallen asleep upon him? Was that even possible?

Adeline Rose was a peculiar little thing. What kind of prey falls asleep near the predator? Did she not fear for her life? Did she trust him that much?

Elias incredulously glanced down. Sure enough, he still couldn't see her face properly. But he didn't need to see her expression to know she was comfortable with him.

"My sweet, you're too naive."

Elias was not a man to be trusted. His fallen enemies were evidence of this. He killed without hesitation, and the death would be portrayed as an accident.

Elias smiled at the sight of pain and laughed in the face of death. A man like him was not suitable for her. Yet, he was greedy and snatched her from her garden of paradise.

Soon, all of those that touched her will suffer—starting from that pesky "bodyguard."

"To fall asleep in my arms, you have placed your trust in the wrong person." Elias opened the door with one hand and closed it with the back of his foot.

Wordlessly, he settled her upon the bed. A sinister smile slipped over his ghostly features. His bright eyes flickered, especially at the sight of her exposed neck. Slim and beautiful, he could crush the delicate part with a single hand.

"Such a darling little fool you are," he muttered.

Elias sat upon the edge of the bed. People would never believe this side of him existed. Not even he would believe it. Like an affectionate lover, Elias unclasped the heels from her feet. He quietly settled it at the foot of the bed. Then, he gingerly brought the other half of the blanket and covered her with it. Though, nothing would hide the magnificent dress of hers that pooled down the edges of the bed.

Adeline Rose reminded him of a sleeping princess in a fairy tale, awaiting a true love's kiss. But he was never one to kiss an unconsenting woman.

"One day this trusting heart of yours will crumble into a thousand pieces when you learn of my true nature." Elias rose to his height. He loosened his tie with one hand and casually stared upon her.

Adeline's hair surrounded her. They were beautiful, long locks of liquid gold. Subconsciously, he reached a hand out and gathered strands of her hair. Sure enough, they were as soft as cotton and as silky as flower petals. Her golden hair was like a halo upon her head.

Someone as harmless as Adeline did not belong in his cruel world. There was enough blood on his hands to be the testament of this. Now, their palace life was calm. But soon, a calamity would unfold.

Adeline would be caught in the center of the storm. Her life would be targeted, her head a pretty price, and her death a salvation.

"Perhaps I should keep you locked up in a tower, where no one can see you, except for me." Elias twirled the strands of her hair in between his fingers. He smiled at the idea, a dark look crossing his features.

She would be safe. No one would ever hurt her in an ivory tower.

"Eli…"

Elias stiffened. He let go of her hair, just as she shifted her position. She lied upon her sides, her hands curled near her face.

"Eli… Eli…"

Elias grounded his teeth. Even in her sleep, she toyed with him. Then, she naively smiled.

"Hehe…"

Elias's fingers dug into his palm until he could feel his skin break. Right when he thought about keeping her trapped in a cage, she went along and proved her freedom was more worthwhile. Did she have to be so endearing? Did she have to come back into his life? Did he have to promise to keep her safe?

"Damnations!" he loudly growled.

Elias cast a final look in her direction. Her hair was in her face, and she was peacefully asleep. Like a goddess napping in a meadow of flowers, she was the center of every masterpiece.

"God damn it, Lin!" he hissed. "Why did you have to appear again?"

Elias was infuriated by the sight of her. She slept peacefully on a bed he owned, in a room inside of his castle, tucked under a blanket that belonged to him. She wasn't aware of the pain he faced by seeing her face. She did not understand his remorse, his regret, and his guilt.

Elias Luxton held absolute power. He was aloof and nonchalant. He wilded abilities unlike any other. The world was his playbox. Despite all of this feat, Elias could not turn back time. He could not fix the damages that were done, and the childhood he ruined. magic

"You should've ran far, far away, you little fool," he growled. "You shouldn't have come into the devil's den and sold your soul away."