Earthquake

It was only when the question hung tensely between them that Shalei realized how stupid it was.

Her clothes had been changed and her body washed, certainly Meagan — hell, she hoped it was Meagan who did it — had seen everything there was to see. So there was no need to act this defensive, hissing like a cat whose tail was being stepped on. How embarrassing!

But then, knowing it was one thing but to see Meagan's face change when she spotted the scars under Shalei's clothes was another thing altogether!

It was her deepest secrets, the wounds that she didn't want anyone to see. Baring it all in the open was like showing the most tender and raw part of herself and the mere thought made her feel sick. She could feel panic rising in her gut but fortunately, Shalei had gotten proficient at handling it.

Detaching herself from the tumultuous emotion and acting as if she was looking at herself through a third perspective, she could feel herself gradually calming down and her smile became softer, more genuine — empty. "Meagan?"

The woman seemed to have snapped to her senses at the call and hastily stepped back. "Oh dear, this lowly one apologizes for stepping out of line. Please… Please feel free to call me if you need anything." Before Shalei could say anything in response, Meagan stepped out and closed the door behind her, leaving Shalei in her much needed privacy.

As soon as the door clicked shut, her smile dropped in an instant and she went to prop her arms on the sink, staring at the reflection of herself in the mirror.

The flame of the burning candles casted shadows over her face and for a moment, she thought that she looked…unfamiliar. Like she hadn't looked at her own reflection for a long time.

And truth it was, Shalei wasn't a fan of mirrors. It would reflect back to her the image of herself that she didn't know existed. The wild eyes, the twisted smile, the hollow expression. She was almost scared of herself.

For starters, she looked…thin; thinner than what she'd expected.

Her chin was sharper and the lines around her mouth tighter. Shalei tried to remember when was the last time she had looked into the mirror and drew a blank. She couldn't recall anything. Well, that just proved how long she had gone by without it.

Sighing, Shalei started to discard her gown and underwear, put it carefully in the basket and spent a few moments caressing the fabric because it was just so soft and exquisite. She stepped into the bathtub gingerly and sank herself until only her face was showing, the tension from the day loosened from her shoulders. She let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair.

Now that she thought back about it, she had overreacted, hadn't she? Meagan was… well, she was innocent. She had no idea what Shalei had gone through and it was immature of her to snap at her like that.

Shalei had to apologize later.

She spent some time soaking herself, relishing on the warmth that drained away not only the sweat but also the shocks that had piled up for the last twenty four hours.

The start of her day couldn't be more mundane; she went to school as always, did her practice paper like usual. But who could have guessed that she would get kidnapped from school, land herself in somewhere unknown and meet the most gorgeous man that had ever graced the Earth as well as a peculiar criminal organization? Heck, it was certainly one of the most bizarre experiences she had ever had.

Shalei had had enough surprises for the day but apparently the universe decided that it wouldn't go easy on her when she felt the ground shake beneath her feet. Literally. The kind of rumble that caused the bottles on the cabinet to topple down the floor.

Gasping, Shalei stood up with a jerk and grabbed the nearest towel to slip it around her body. She almost tumbled in the process when the earthquake shook once again. "Meagan…?" She called out, trying not to sound so flustered.

"Your Excellency, are you okay?!" Worry and anxiety filled the servant's voice.

Relief flooded Shalei like a tidal wave. Good, that's good… at least she wasn't alone and Meagan was here to accompany her. "What's going on? Is it an earthquake?"

"It's… still unknown. Please don't worry, Your Excellency!" Meagan hastily added after a beat. "The trackers are on the move to investigate it!"

Panic wouldn't do her any good. Shalei took a deep breath to regain her composure. They were in the middle of the forest and the last thing she wanted to happen was a landslide. If that were to happen then the whole building would be… Shalei shook her head to disperse the thought.

Unless… was it the help she was waiting for? Had her bodyguards arrived to bring her home?

Shalei pricked her ears up to listen and although the sounds were muted, she could make out faint uproar; someone was shouting something, a fight was breaking somewhere and fuck… was it animal growls that she heard?!

Shalei cautiously stepped on the wet tiles whilst holding onto the wall. She could feel the deep vibrations that traveled through her palm. Her heart trembled along with it. Damn it, why was her luck so bad today?!

She was too consumed by her own misery that she didn't realize the soap bottle was rolling in her direction. Because the world seemed intent to go against her today, Shalei stepped on it and her vision abruptly tilted back.

Oh nononono…! Her heart gave a lurch as she grabbed onto whatever surface available but because her hand was still slippery from the water, she lost her grip and ended up crashing to the ground with a sharp cry.

Pain shot through her elbows, left ankle as well as backside and she hissed. Shalei had a split second to be thankful that she didn't knock her head silly when the door to the bathroom suddenly slammed open and a towering figure dashed in. "Your Excellency!"

Shalei was torn between the pain on her body and bewilderment as Sebastian suddenly appeared in front of her before she even had the time to blink that she couldn't give a proper response other than parting her lips in shock. The man was by her side within a second. "Are you okay?"

She… She was currently sprawled over the bathroom floor in an embarrassing heap with only a plain towel around her body! "S—Seth…!" Shalei scrambled to get up only for sharp pain to jolt up her ankle and calf.

She grimaced and almost fell over again if not for Sebastian sweeping her off her feet, literally. When Shalei came to her senses, she was already in Sebastian's arm as the man strode down the hallway.

She grabbed onto the nearest thing for purchase which was Sebastian's broad shoulders and dug her nails into the hard muscles without even realizing. "Seth, put me down!"

Sebastian's expression was dark and oh, from such a distance, Shalei got the VVIP sight of how astonishingly sharp his jawline was. "Your Excellency is hurt. My apologies," he murmured under his breath. "Shouldn't have left you alone."