All to ourselves

Alex stared at the two mischievous women a moment longer before turning to Talia. "Are they always like that?" he asked, his expression weary.

"Only when Amelia isn't around to scold them," Talia replied with an equally tired look. "Where is she, by the way? I thought she was traveling with you."

"Yeah, we're together," Alex said with a shrug. "She was already asleep when I was leaving, so I came without her."

"I see," Talia nodded, her tone now calmer. "Let's get back to what we were discussing a moment ago," she said, shifting gears. "Why did you outbid me and buy the piano when you don't even play it? I genuinely wanted that piano."

"Despite what you might think, I do like the piano and actually want to learn how to play one," Alex replied, a small smile appearing on his face.

Talia raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by his answer, before suddenly bursting into laughter. "You, Alexandre Eswald, want to learn how to play the piano?" she exclaimed through her uncontrollable laughter.

Alex's lips twitched in irritation, but he didn't interrupt her. Letting her laugh was easier, especially since the bouncing motion of her chest had captured all his attention.

"I clearly remember when we were younger, you were the one always skipping classes related to noble etiquette," Talia said once her laughter subsided, her eyes still sparkling with amusement. "Among those classes was one specifically meant to teach us how to play various instruments, including the piano. You never showed any interest back then. What changed?" she asked, narrowing her eyes as if trying to uncover some hidden truth.

"A lot has changed," Alex said with a casual shrug. "Let's just say I have a new appreciation for it now."

"If you say so," Talia shrugged. "But you do realize that you don't need to spend 20,000 gold coins on a piano just to learn how to play, right?"

"I want to learn on a quality instrument," Alex chuckled.

The truth was that Alex had more money than he could bother to count—thanks to Night—and figured the piano might be worth the investment.

Talia's brow furrowed thoughtfully before she spoke again. "I can offer you a piano just as good—maybe even better—than the one you just bought. So let's make an exchange," she proposed with a confident smile.

Alex raised an eyebrow, intrigued by her persistence. "You've piqued my curiosity. Why are you so determined to get your hands on that particular piano?"

"That's… personal," Talia replied.

"I see," Alex nodded, deciding to let the matter drop. He pondered her offer for a moment, and an idea formed in his mind, one that made his lips curl into a sly grin.

"I accept your offer," Alex said, holding up a finger to stop Talia from celebrating too soon. "But I have one condition."

"Of course there's a condition," Talia rolled her eyes. "For a moment, I almost thought you had a beating heart like the rest of us."

"Dream on," Alex sneered playfully. "And don't worry, my condition isn't something impossible or overly difficult."

"What is it?" Talia asked cautiously. Nearby, Celine and Marina, who had been quietly observing the exchange, turned their attention to Alex, their curiosity clearly piqued.

"You'll have to personally teach me how to play the piano," Alex declared with a triumphant grin.

"Yeah, that's not happening," Talia immediately shot back, not even pausing to consider. She crossed her arms, her expression exasperated. Just the thought of spending extended time with Alex, who already managed to get on her nerves in their brief interactions, made her groan internally. He'd likely drive her insane before she could teach him anything!

"Well, I guess you can keep dreaming about getting your hands on that piano," Alex replied, his grin widening.

Talia fell silent, her expression turning thoughtful. After a long pause, she asked, "Why does it have to be me? Surely, there are others who could teach you just as well—"

"I heard you're one of the best pianists of our generation," Alex interrupted smoothly. "If I'm going to learn, it has to be from the best."

That wasn't the whole truth, of course. The real reason was that this arrangement would give him plenty of opportunities to spend time with Talia and if things went his way, eventually fuck her.

Talia let out a long, resigned sigh. "Fine. We have a deal."

"Great!" Alex exclaimed, his grin taking on a mischievous edge. 'This is going to be fun,' he thought to himself, licking his lips in anticipation.

Talia shivered involuntarily at the sight of his expression. 'Did I just make the wrong decision?' she wondered. 'No, I need that piano—it's important. I'll just have to survive his antics somehow.'

"Now that we've agreed, hand over the piano," she demanded, holding out her hand expectantly.

"Ah, ah, ah, things don't work that way, dear Talia," Alex said with a smug smile. "We'll start the piano lessons first. Once I feel I've reached a sufficient level of mastery, then you'll get the piano."

"And what guarantee do I have that you'll actually give it to me when the time comes?" Talia asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"You have my word," Alex replied confidently. "And if that's not enough, these two can act as your witnesses," he added, gesturing toward Celine and Marina.

"I'm certain the boss won't cheat you," Marina said with a sly smile, leaning closer to Talia. "And if he does, just deny him your body when he sneaks into your room late at night like today. Trust me, he'll fold faster than a cheap chair."

"Marina!" Talia exclaimed, her cheeks flushing bright red.

Meanwhile, Alex burst out laughing, thinking that maybe Marina's advice might actually come in handy for Talia in the future.

***

"I will be taking my leave," Alex said, straightening up with a stretch.

He had spent close to two hours in the company of the girls, most of which were filled with incessant bickering with Talia. But now, it was time for him to go.

The floating ball of smoke engulfed Alex, and a moment later, his whole body, except his head, was encased in an intimidating armor.

"Good night, I guess," Celine chimed with a smile.

"Next time, bring Amy along!" Marina called out, waving a hand casually.

"Sure," Alex replied with a nod.

He turned to glance at Talia, his lips curling into a mischievous grin. "Aren't you going to bid me farewell?"

All he received in answer was a stern "No."

Chuckling, Alex closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye, his face suddenly mere inches from hers. "Not even a good-bye kiss?" he teased.

Surprised by his boldness and the sudden proximity, Talia heart skipped a beat, but the realization of what he was attempting snapped her back to reality. She instinctively pulled back and swung her hand toward him in a slap. However, her palm hit nothing but air.

As she was about to utter a barrage of insults his way, Talia stopped in her tracks as she realized that Alex was no longer in front of her—in fact, he had disappeared from her bedroom altogether.

He had left.

"The bastard!" she growled, stomping her foot in frustration. "He ran away!"

She took a deep breath to calm herself, but when she gazed to the side and saw the smiling faces of Marina and Celine, Talia realized that she wouldn't be able to maintain her calm for much longer.

"Whatever you're about to say, please...keep it to yourselves," she sighed, running a hand through her hair in exasperation.

Both women exchanged amused glances before bursting into laughter.

"So, you and Alex, huh?" Celine began, her tone dripping with mock curiosity. "How long has this been going on?"

Talia shot her an irritated look, her eyes narrowing. "Since never. Nothing is going on between him and me," she snapped, her voice firm.

"I don't know," Marina interjected with a sly grin, tapping her chin as if in thought. "I'm pretty sure I saw you two pressed together earlier. Looked like a kiss to me."

Talia whirled to face Marina, her face a mix of embarrassment and indignation. "There's nothing going on between Alex and me, and for the record, I don't even find him attractive!"

Of course, she lied. There was no way she wouldn't find the bastard attractive, but if this lie could get those two troublemakers off her back, then it would be the most useful lie she had ever uttered in her life.

Marina and Celine exchanged a knowing look, their grins widening.

"If she's not interested," Marina began, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "I guess that means the road is clear for us, right?"

"Absolutely," Celine agreed with a dreamy sigh, stars practically shining in her eyes. "We can have him all to ourselves."