Ch.23: Found you

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Macro Airlines welcomes you to City A. The local time is two o'clock in the afternoon. For your safety and the safety of those around you, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened and keep the aisles clear until we are parked at the gate…"

Knox stretched his arms up as he yawned, then he straightened his back and joined his fingers, twisting his arms forward.

Crack.

"Ooh, that feels nice!"

He stretched his back and shoulders and they made the same noise. His body felt so stiff and heavy after working for three days without proper sleep. So, as soon as the plane took off, he fell asleep for the entire duration of the six-hour flight and was just woken up by the voice of the flight attendant.

He gathered his luggage and got off. After six hours of sleep, he felt refreshed and well-rested, but not enough to deal with a crowd blocking the exit. His eyes squinted after flashes of the camera came from the front.

"What? Is there a celebrity?"

He tried to peek above the couple of heads to see who it was. The person standing in the middle of the commotion surrounded and protected by men in black, was a tall and skinny woman with short, shiny black hair revealing her pale nape and ears that wore wrist-sized gold hoop earrings. She was wearing vintage Ray Ban aviator sunglasses, and her lips were painted as red as roses, highlighting her snow-white skin.

Knox paused momentarily. The woman was familiar, but he couldn't put his tongue on where he had seen her.

A reporter followed with a cameraman behind, approached the woman, and loudly asked, "Ms. Diva, are you really retiring from modeling and will focus on running your father's company after your marriage?!"

Someone shouted from behind, "Are the rumors true that you're retiring because you're pregnant?!"

Another popped out of nowhere, "When will the official engagement be announced?!"

The woman stopped abruptly as if she heard something unbelievable. Slowly, she turned her head to the reporters, tilted her head, and lowered the sunglasses sophisticatedly, looking at the media with indignancy while sporting a wide smile, "There will be an announcement soon, second, yes, I'm retiring because father is old, and he needs me to take over the company, and lastly, I'm not pregnant."

The last words were hurled with a threatening voice to the one behind. The reporter flinched and drew back.

Knox's attention was stolen by his phone ringing. He pressed the answer button and moved away from the crowd, taking the aisle barricaded with metal poles ribbons, and ignoring the employees shouting at him.

The caller spoke, a deep and husky voice against Knox's ears, "Where are you now? Did you get caught in traffic? You're taking too long to arrive."

Knox furrowed his brows as he glanced around while standing at the loading area outside the building, "Arrive where? And I'm still at the airport. I just landed."

"My house, of course. Oh, shall I pick you up?"

"And why would I go to your house? I'm going home. I already sent my report along with the minutes of all the meetings I attended, and it's weekend, sir, so I'd like to seize this day to rest with my son."

The caller chuckled, "Alright, Mr. Arden, but guess who's gawking beside me?"

Knox sighed. He was already used by his boss' mischievousness, so oftentimes, he just goes along with his trips. He answered, unbothered, "You're beau of the day?"

Laughter erupted from the other side. What's so funny? Knox wondered, but then his question was answered after a giggle mixed with melodious laughter was heard from the other phone. His eyes widened and he abruptly stopped waving his hand to hail a cab.

"Is that…?!"

The caller answered between laughs, "He asked me what 'beau' means, and when I mouthed 'boyfriend', he had this disgusted look on his face! Hahahaha! Knox, this kid is really just like you!"

"What the hell? Why is he there?!"

A tiny voice chipped in, "Papa!"

Knox smiled softly next to the phone after hearing that voice. His fatigue disappeared, and he was even more excited to go home. He couldn't wait to give all his presents to his child.

The caller coughed many times first before replying, "You're friend suddenly had an urgent business so he dropped him off here. Weren't you informed?"

"Oh, I haven't checked my phone yet until you called. Tell him I'm coming home soon, okay?"

"Alright. Have a safe trip home."

Knox succeeded in hailing a cab. The white cab stopped in front of him. He opened the trunk and put his luggage in.

At the same time, a honk from behind came and startled him. Knox looked back at the black expensive car behind, but the windows were tinted black he decided to ignore the rude driver.

Inside that expensive car, in the passenger seat, seated a man with a striking visual. His sharp, grey eyes hovered at the entrance of the airport building as if he were looking for someone. Unconsciously, unbeknownst to him, scanning the crowd had become his habit.

He pinched the bridge of his nose after his eyes got tired. Only then did he notice that the car stopped. He shifted his head to the driver and asked, "What's wrong?"

"A cab picking a passenger, sir. They're taking too long," the driver grumbled and honked the car.

Azrael frowned and lowered his head to look at his wristwatch. He cursed inwardly after seeing the time. He could have been working at his office that time if only his father hadn't pestered him to pick his fiancée.

He was told that she already arrived, and his phone had been buzzing with messages and calls because, probably, they were already late.

'If that woman didn't wait for me, I swear, I'll yank—

His thoughts were cut off when he caught sight of a person's side profile after looking ahead. He yanked the headrest of the seat before him and squinted his eyes to look clearly. The person opening the cab's door stood a few meters away from them. His face was slightly lowered, but nothing obstructed it aside from a few locks of light brown hair falling on his forehead.

His green eyes shone brighter from the sun hitting his face, and a soft smile was plastered on his lips. That view disappeared after the man hopped in the car and closed the door.

The other car's door quickly slammed open and the driver shouted, "Sir, where are you going?!"

Azrael ignored his driver. He ran to the moving car with a desperate look and shouted the name he thought he would never utter again. However, it was foolish of him to get out of the car and chase him with his feet, instead of ordering his driver to block the cab before getting out.

"Dammit!"

He was about to run back to the car, but a crowd emerged from the entrance, with Diva at the forefront followed by his bodyguards and reporters. He cursed inside, following the white cab with his furious eyes.

For four years, he searched high and low for that person, but he never succeeded, as though his existence was completely erased, or as if he was purposely hidden from him. He was starting to lose hope, but now that he caught sight of his target in the flesh, his obsession flickered and his dormant rage toward that person awakened.

"I'll catch you no matter what, little tiger," Azrael whispered dangerously. His eyes burned with determination. The day he lost him, he realized where he first smelled his pheromone. He was the person who offered him a bloom, the person responsible for his condition worsening, but also the person who could give him relief.

He was ecstatic when he thought that he turned Knox into an omega, but after learning his true gender, his ecstasy turned to rage. He was fooled, betrayed, and then, abandoned. He carefully kept all his questions locked up in a chest, and once he catch that sly tiger, he'll interrogate him that he'll beg for mercy.

He smiled wickedly. In his mind, plenty of ways how to make the tiger talk swirled in, and it gave him satisfaction. He dialed a number on his phone, "I found him. Find out where he's staying."

The person on the other side seemed to realize who Azrael was talking about. He shook his head while grinning, but also finds the situation very amusing. Azrael recited the cab's plate number before his attention was caught by the shouts and squeals of the crowd approaching him.

He ended the call, and looked back at the noisy bunch of people with cold eyes, his aura exuding danger which made the crowd flinch and hesitate.

Diva raised his brows at him, waiting for him to open the door. He walked and did, Diva entered and another squeal was heard from behind. That squeal turned into a choking noise after Azrael slammed the door loudly the car almost shook.

He then went to the other side and hopped in. He ignored Diva's grumbling and focused on thinking about the ways how to torture his naughty tiger.