A beautiful nightmare

Her expression darkened unpleasantly "see whatever you want but I refuse to be held hostage for something I didn't do. Lift your band and tell those guards to return my freedom" She ordered no longer looking like a fragile Otome girl. She still had that towel wrapped round her body and her hair dampened with water but a Stern aura surrounded her tiny build.

For a split second Devon was startled then he chuckled "you don't dare bring out your lover so you should take the punishment for him then. Till I say otherwise, the guard would remain and you... will not leave this room" He said and began walking away.

Gisele stomped her feet, ran after him and yelled "Devon!"

He pretended to not have heard her but the slight pause in his steps would have been obvious to people that were close to him.

Just before he left the room completely, Gisele requested "then can I at least get my phone back?"

He stopped at the door and turned back, his eyes fleetingly glancing at her from head to toe. That figure was slowly being etched into his mind.

Was she always this... this beautiful?

"Sure" he blurted out then left the room.

Gisele huffed and puffed but that was all she could do. He had said it, he would make sure she didn't leave the room. How then was she supposed to complete her audition?

Tomorrow was the last day. Does that mean she would forfeit it?

Why should she?

He was the one having problems believing she wasn't seeing someone else, so why should she be the one to bear the consequences?

He was blinded by his pride, so why should she concede? She equally had her pride and dreams to pursue.

It was time to teach this spoilt rich prince that not everything goes the way you want it to. He wants to control her? Then he has to have the strength to.

...

While Gisele scolded the young master. The rich spoilt prince laid in his bathtub with closed eyes and a grim look on his face. The hand placed on the side of the ceramic bathtub was folded into a punch.

As much as Devon wanted to trick his senses to play dumb, it was showing no signs of working.

He angrily banged on the water surface. The water splashed on his face and back in the water. How he wished his thoughts could fall out of his head like that.

Why can't he get that image out of his head? He had left her room for minutes now but he could still perceive the sweet cherry blossom scent and his mind fervently reminded him of that pearl-like asking covered in little crystal drops of water and that figure hidden under the_

What was wrong with him?!

He shouldn't be doing this. Visualizing another girl's body after promising his girl he would wait for her. He also didn't want to, it's just... He can't unsee what he had seen. Every frown, every displeasure that appeared on her face now repeated like a movie scene in his head even that... that salivating scene sent his body burning up every minute it appeared in his head. The Cold piercing water wasn't even enough to send the bottling warmth away.

He stayed in the bathroom for another hour before he was finally able to walk out.

His eyes immediately caught the phone laying on the pile of book on the work desk in his room, he walked up to it and picked the phone.

The password request stopped him from going through it like he planned, still the rolls of notifications of missed calls were there for him to see.

'Mr Collins?'

Who was this now?

Perhaps another Keith Johnson in the hiding?

There was even a text message from the same number, too bad he couldn't read it. He would have been able to see her true face once and for all. Gisele would be probably overjoyed she had relented and put a password on her phone or her privacy would have been invaded by this tyrant.

While Devon sneered at the girl. Her crisp sultry voice repeated in his ears again. 'Devon'. The way the name rolled out of her lips gave a different feeling. A very enthralling one.

"Sh*t!" Devon cursed loudly. The fire he had just been able to extinguish had been reignited by just remembering her voice.

Was this how she seduced her aristos?

"Master" Butler Ken who had been passing by heard his master's curse and walked in to see if he was fine.

The young man was leaning on his work table, his hands clenching the table in anger and an emotion he could not ascertain. Water droplets dominated his forehead. The Butler couldn't tell if it was because he had just taken a bath or because he was sweating.

"Take this back to her" Devon passed the phone to the elderly man with an unsightly face and strode off to go take his bath for the umpteenth time.

Perhaps he just needs a good night sleep. Probably the stress from working was heightening his senses. There was no way he was in anyway attracted to such a moraless girl. Such girls had never elicited any reaction from him. So him reacting now was a flaw on his part.

A flaw that would fade away with a good night sleep. Everything will go back to normal when the sun comes up.

... So he thought.

*****

"Young maste...young master good morning" Every maid that tried the young man in the morning had a shocked expression on their faces and almost could not complete their greetings.

Not only was there an frightening look on his face but there were also huge sleep bags under his eyes.

Contrary to his thoughts, the young man had not been able to get a wink of sleep the past night and on that he ended up waking with a cold from lying in the bathtub for too long.

"Master breakfast is served" Butler Ken notified trying his best not to ask why his master was looking like a Zombie so early in the morning.

"Mmm" Devon gave a one syllable reply and followed the man to the dinning room.

Aunty Lou gave the Butler a questioning look but also got back an unsure gaze as a response. Both of them mentally asked themselves to inquire what the problem was but also decided against it the next second. The last thing they wanted was getting caught in whatever this problem was.

Slowly but steady, Devon started his breakfast whilst keeping his eyes solely focused on the staircase, his subconscious mind expecting to see that face that plagued him all through the night ike a nightmare. A beautiful nightmare.

Obviously his mental restrictions aka pride wouldn't allow him go looking for her in her room. Besides why should he? He told himself already, she was nothing but a momentary distraction. A distraction he definitely could and would overcome.

He looked away and at the same time a set of footsteps were heard at the entrance. Following a clear cheerful voice filled the place.

"Yo! How more envious can I be?"

Devon's brows instantaneously locked and his temperament grew colder. The hand holding the cutlery paused and he turned towards the door.

"What are you doing here?" He asked curtly.

Alan clenched his heart and acted like he was shot by arrow. His playful demeanor further annoyed the man seated at the table. "Ouch! Can't I be here? My brother lives here so shouldn't my visit be expected?"

Listening to how the name brother rolled out of his mouth, one would really think the two had a cordial relationship. At least it sounded so but none of their face held any cordiality for the other. Resentment and clear animosity hung in their eyes like fancy curtains. The air was immediately filled with invincible daggers.

"Leave" Devon didn't beat around the bush and directly ordered Alan out. He had no energy left to banter with this dimwit, talkless of entertain his folly.

Alan smirked then tutted "that's no way to welcome an elder now little brother. You should invite to breakfast and be more hospitable after all it's the first time I'm visiting your matrimonial home." Mentioning being invited to breakfast was a perfunctory suggestion cause he was already making himself at home at the table, even fishing out dishes for himself. It was almost like this was his home.

With every ounce of his appetite gone. Devon dropped the spoon in his hand and wiped his mouth. "You've always been one to burrow into people's home, imposing your existence on others. I won't deprive you a meal you were so taught to scheme for"

His words were like knives to Alan's ears. His grip tightened round the spoon he had picked up, and a ferocious intent took over his eyes yet in the next second he smiled brightly, nodded like a bobblehead and continued filling his plate.

"Sure sure. I'll eat to my heart's content don't stop me later okay" Devon snorted and stood up, preparing to walk away.

"Also when I'm done, I'll go look for Sister-in-law."

So that was why he was here?