13 GUESS

Ryun quietly looked at her. Those blue eyes are really serious. His heart leaped seeing someone else's face.

"Today is your birthday right?" Ryun asked. "Aren't you supposed to spwnd it with people close to you?"

"My brother is busy at work..." Seri replied.

"Aki was it?" Ryun recalled what Antoine had said.

"Yes," Seri frowned. "How do you know?"

"Antoine told me," Ryun replied. "Is he surnamed Frost?"

"Yes," Seri is caught off guard. She bit her lip realizing how careless she was. Now she sees Ryun contemplating.

Ryun smiled at her thinking.

"Aki Frost," Ryun thought. "Hmm."

Ryun watched her calmly took a bite of the chocolate chip cookie.

"Do you know my brother?" Seri asked curiously. She slipped twice and now Ryun is becoming more suspicious.

"He is the ambassador of the alliance," Ryun replied. "Why won't I know him?"

"Of course," Seri smiled. There is a little turn of events.

"By the way," Ryun changed the subject. "You'll get sick if you eat too much sweets."

"No worries," Seri smiled. "I have eaten 3 already while you haven't touched anything yet."

"Yep," Ryun worriedly looked at her. "Are you saying only the two of us is going to eat it?"

"Exactly," Seri smiled.

"Shouldn't you be sharing this with your brother and Antoine?" Ryun brought the subject back.

"I already sent them their share since they won't be able to come," Seri told him and changed the subject. "Now, are you going to eat or not?"

"I heard sir Van is ill," Ryun ignored her while taking a bite of the fruit tart. "Aren't you worried?"

"I am," Seri quickly replied. "I already visited him."

"Antoine told me the reason you left," Ryun said surprising her. "Or might be the reason. He said you have a fight and he said some hurtful things..."

"Are you and Antoine friends now?" Seri asked.

"Now?" Ryun is surprised.

"Back then Antoine told me to stay away from you to which reason I do not know," Seri said. "So I thought maybe you and him were in bad terms."

"Ah," Ryun smiled. "We were having a little something off back then."

She took a sip from her cup and listened more to him speak.

"Anyways," Ryun looked at her. "One of my maids said she and Aki are good friends."

'Here it goes,' Seri nervously thought. 'This guy is really difficult.'

"But I was thinking," Ryun continued. "You and her are exactly similar in every single way. Coincidence?"

Seri smiled slightly playing pretense.

"Are you thinking of her often that you mistook me to be her?" Seri thought deep to have the tables turned. "Because it can happen if you are thinking of her too much that you'd mistook someone else to be her."

"No," Ryun sensed a storm is brewing. He has to get answers and he will get it.

"Oh?" Seri teased that she looked very seductive to him. "Why is her name on your mouth? Is that what you came to ask me about?"

"You speak like her," Ryun is starting to count.

"Your heart must be into her that even now you thought I am her," Seri is upset.

"Very alike," Ryun smiled. "Seri and Rose."

Seri is contemplating. Her cards on the table hoping for his ace to fail.

"Earlier," Ryun recalled the lady at the skating arena. "I saw you in that attire with an umber hair yet blue colored eyes. Then in a blink of an eye you were wearing that hat."

She quited herself.

"There's only one person," Ryun evaluates her. "With two persona. Who are you fooling?"

His voice sounded angry.

"Why would I play such game?" Seri is composed.

"Very well," Ryun gives her a chance. "Play a game with me, if you win I'll forget everything. But if I win, don't even think of showing up in front of me."

'He is pissed off," Seri thought nervously. 'That's what I am trying to avoid.'

"Now," Ryun is sobber. "Let's rewind and talk about the things you tried to escape."

"Didn't I already answered those?" she recalled.

"You were merely avoiding it and is left hanging," Ryun clenched his jaws.

"Fine," Seri is nervous.

"Aki Frost is your brother right?" Ryun confirms.

"No," Seri denied.

"Earlier you said yes," Ryun is in dismay. "Now you are denying."

"Do you have proof that I said yes?" Seri begins twisting everything.

"I understand it is just you and me," Ryun told her firmly. "But I remember clearly what you just said. Now you're lying. Are you trying to deceive me?"

"Why would I deceive you unless I have an ulterior motive," Seri argued.

"Hmm," Ryun felt the weight of her stare. Desperate.

Silence. Seri contemplates. He is about to make a checkmate on her.

"Why leave Oceania?" Ryun asked.

"That is none of your business," Seri is thinking if he is asking for Rose or Seri.

"I am one of the major shareholders of Sky," Ryun stabbed her defenseless. "So I know the people working there. The place is relatively small. Few employees and I know them well."

"I see," Seri gives up. She can't win this. He already found out.

"So what should I call you?" Ryun is still angry. "Miss Seri or Chef Rose?"

"I doubt if you'd call me on any of those," Seri sighed. "You can call me anyway you like."

Ryun paused. Contemplating.

"What?" Seri felt bored.

"Since it is like this let us play a game then," his words shot through her.

She was speechless and just stared blankly at him.

"But I will make sure in the end I will win," he whispered in her ear softly. "So keep this until then."

He placed a small object into her right palm and smiled at her before leaving. Dumbly she stared at her palm. A ring sat there making her heart beat wild.

'That guy,' she thought. 'We already played a game and I lost. You said to not show myself to you but what is this? Another game? And what's with the ring?'