Chapter 3: A little Talk

Maria had woken up late, missing her flight to Aberdeen. She had just rebooked for the next day since she felt like her headache wouldn't be going anywhere.

Last night, Zeronis stayed true to his word. He let her be after dropping her off at the entrance of the hotel. She didn't even answer his invitation to her for dinner later.He must be playing after having some booze.

Maria thought.She grabbed her wristwatch at the bedside table and saw it was already a quarter of eleven, thus justifying her growling stomach. Having no strength to go out, she only reached to the phone and dialed for breakfast from the hotel.

"And if you could please, bring up the food with some Ibuprofen." She said.

"We'll arrange it immediately, Ms. Arya Montes," the hotel staff said.

"Lovely. Thank you," she murmured and put down the phone. She then slammed her head on the soft pillow and closed her eyes.Without meaning to, her thoughts went to the man she met last night.

His casualness and friendly vibe threw her off since typical Britons tend to be reserved and won't even bother approaching strangers in a pub.Zeronis. The man who smelled so fine and his eyes always stirred her into careless oblivion if she didn't watch over herself.

She shook her head, not desiring to entertain unnecessary acquaintance on her trip to England. She only has one week for herself before she goes back to the harsh reality of the world.During her travel to some countries, she can't help but wish that she would be like those oblivious tourists around. They enjoyed traveling as if the world wasn't filled with mishaps waiting for a single push to happen.

None of them knew of the ongoing battle even in broad daylight.Kidnapping, human trafficking, drug cartels growing massively like a viral disease across the globe, and child abuse broadcasting on dark websites. All those horrors happened even on the happy and glorious days of other people. Christmas days, joyful Halloween's trick or treats, New years, Valentine and all kinds of celebrations.

It had been her constant anxieties even on peaceful days, knowing that out there, there were lives being quenched or destroyed by those people who preyed on the helpless.

Maria jolted in surprise and instinctively draw her gun from underneath the pillow and pointed it towards the ringing of the door.

"Your breakfast, Ms. Montes." Called out a man behind the door.She let out a shuddering breath before she lowered her gun and hid it under the pillow. Striding by the door, she opened it and let the uniformed hotel staff push the cart inside. Maria just watched the staff arrange her breakfast on the table until he was done.

"Thank you." She said afterward, letting the man push the cart outside her room again.Maria went to the leathered couch across the table to start eating. When she picked up her utensils, she saw a small note beside the soup. With curiosity, she reached over it and opened the card.

'The soup helps for a hangover.'

-Zeronis-

Maria was more than surprised to see it but then her brows furrowed afterward."What an odd guy."She said but then started to taste the soup first and let an approving nod.

Later after breakfast, Maria was refreshed after some shower before she opened her window and looked at the view with a blank expression. She saw better and wasn't awed anymore even though the hotel manager had given her the best view of the hotel.There was a buzz from the door as she turned towards it.

"Come in it's open."

Once again, it was the same hotel staff with a cart who then started to put away the used dishes.Maria stayed by the window before her mind wander to the note she received over breakfast.

"Excuse me?" She turned to the staff who began to walk to the door.

"Yes, ma'am?" he asked politely."Did you put the note over my breakfast?" She asked.

"Ah yes." He said. "I've been notified by the manager about it.

"I didn't know a stranger is allowed to tell a hotel manager to prepare some hangover soup for your guest," Maria said and had no idea it came off as a hiss when the hotel staff looked apologetic.

"We're truly sorry about it, Ms. Montes." the hotel staff immediately said. "But we're only following what our CEO ordered."

CEO?" she asked.

"Zeronis Villan, miss Montes. He phoned the manager just this morning to make sure your breakfast is served properly.

"Great." She said. "Please tell your...CEO not to go such length again."The hotel staff only blinked at her unwelcome attitude for gaining a rich man's attention on her.

"Yes, miss Montes." The hotel staff said before exiting from her room.

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Maria had merely spent her day inside the hotel room, watching some local shows in bed.It was only three in the afternoon when someone rang a bell in her room.

"It's open," she said, having her one hand under her pillow, gripping the hard metal handle of her gun, training her eyes to the door.When the door opened, she already had unlocked the pin of the gun while she waited.

Maria blinked in surprise when she saw the man from last night standing by the door.

"Hi." He greeted.Maria then relaxed her hold on her gun before she bolted up into a seat.

" How pleasant to be visited by the CEO himself." she said sarcastically. "Please, do come in."

"Oh, thank you. Here I thought I would be driven out." He laughed and went to the couch.

"That can be arranged." She said. "How would you like to exit from here? By the door or through that window?"

Zeronis scrunched his nose. "I could use a good fight."

"There won't be a fight. I can haul you out from here in ten seconds," she said.

"I'd rather not challenge you since I'd like to have dinner with you in one piece," he said.

"Oh...are we still on the dinner thing?" she asked.

"yeah. I told you last night," he said with a quick smile on his lips.

Maria studied him for a while, seeing how the navy blue shirt and black pants suited him so much that it hurt the eyes how he seemed perfectly refined in his casual clothes." I don't have appropriate clothes to dine with a gentleman on a fancy dinner," she said.

"That can be arranged." He said.

"Let's go?"

"You're annoyingly stubborn for a British guy. One rejection should be enough to drive you out from here."

"I'm a stubborn Brit?" He said as he stood up from the couch and went to the bed with a held-up hand. "Come on, Manor's a long way from here."

Maria had to consider for a moment while she watched him. "Just to make this clear, I'm not interested in you."

"To put it bluntly, I'm hurt, but it's just dinner." He said.

"Alright." She said and accept his hand."Oh good. I thought you'd leave me hanging." Zeronis said and guided her by her arm outside her room.When they walked towards the elevator, they came across the manager, who immediately stopped from walking and dipped a slight bow in Zeronis's direction.

" Mr. Villan," the manager addressed."I'll take one of your guests to dinner," Zeronis said with a smile." By all means, Mr. Villan." the manager said and turned to her. "Would you like to have your room cleaned while you're away miss Montes?"

"Don't," Maria said, knowing she didn't put away her gun to its safety case on her bag. "And don't send your CEO to come to fetch me to have dinner next time."

The manager only chuckled and excused himself from them.

"That's clearly the second jab on my stomach for today," Zeronis said as they got in the elevator."It'll get worst if we still proceed for dinner." She warned. "You got a minute to decline."

"No thank you," he said and got out of the elevator went to the car with a valet boy in waiting.

"Have a nice day, Mr. Villan." The valet boy said before a red car drove away from the place.

The afternoon sun came like a gentle greeting to Maria while she roamed her eyes around with little interest at all. She was very much aware of his presence in the enclosure of his car. It had been half-hour before he struck a conversation.

" A tourist who loves to stay inside her hotel rather than walk around the city. Typical," he said with added sarcasm.

"I wasn't feeling good." She defended. "And besides, is it your hobby checking in your hotel's guests every moment you can spare?"

"No." He said.

"Well, I feel so privileged." She said with the same sarcastic tone he used to her. "I won't be surprised if you tell me I'm special."

"You are."

"Charming." She smiled in forced pleasantries. "Tell me, are you gonna show me how wealthy you are that I might end up swooning helplessly?"