I’M BACK!!

Adeline took a deep, quivering breath to calm her sudden, rapid heartbeat.

Caesar could feel her confusion and he knew she was drowning in thoughts. He snatched the fountain pen on the desk and began to twirl it with his two fingers, his attention suddenly elsewhere. "Why don't you stay-"

"They gave me twenty-four hours to return to the mansion," Adeline said, tightening her furious grip on the phone.

"Oh?" Caesar lifted his eyes to glance at her. "I wonder what they'll do to you. Do you really want to go back?" He stood to his feet, his forehead wrinkling. 

Adeline shook her head. "Not that I want to, but I have to. Please send me back." 

"Are you sure about that?" Caesar asked. He walked over and stood in front of her, leaning down to whisper directly in her ear, "Things will be messy. It's a hunch." His words were an indirect warning.

Adeline shakily shut her eyes with balled fists, and her fingers unknowingly dug into her palms. 

Things will get messy; yes, she already knew that. She definitely didn't need to be told. But things would get even messier if she didn't return to the mansion. She knew the Petrovs a bit too much, especially the old man himself. He was worse than Dimitri could ever be. 

A devil in a human skin!

That man was too dangerous to be underestimated. He was someone who always stood by his words and if she didn't go back, he sure would make what he stated a reality. 

The least she could do was to return first—her mother's funeral was in three days after all. Escape would come later. 

"I know," she said to Caesar, calming herself down with a smile. "But I still need to go back. Ignoring him would make things worse."

"I see." Caesar nodded and pulled out a card from the pocket of his suit vest. "Here, take this." He gave the card to her. "Something tells me you'll need it."

Adeline received the card and began to examine it. She enquired, "What is this?"

Caesar responded, "My business card."

"You think I would run from one mafia just to get involved with another?" Adeline didn't hesitate to ask.

"Why not?" Caesar raised an eyebrow, chuckling as if her words were ridiculous. "You're already involved with me. I don't see a problem."

Adeline lifted her pale face from the card, shooting him a dubious look. She shoved the card into her pocket.

"Did you discard my clothing?" The first thing she'd noticed when she woke up was the big, baggy sweatpants and white shirt she was in. They were brand new, with tags as if they'd just been bought. 

For who? Her?

"No," Caesar replied. "It was washed, dried, and left on the couch in the guest room for you."

With a simple nod, Adeline turned around to leave the office, but a question from him had her come to a stop.

"What is your name?"

She looked at him with a deep frown. "Don't you already know?"

"Does it matter?" Caesar innocently spread his gloved hands, smirking. "I still want you to tell me."

Adeline wasn't sure how to respond to that. It felt like he was messing with her. But regardless, she replied, "Adeline. My name is Adeline Ivanovna Alerxeye."

"Not Petrov, I see," Caesar hummed with a mirth, his hand stroking his jaw. "Well, then, I hope we meet soon aga-" 

"Wait. Adeline?" he asked, quickly taking out his phone to search something. "Adeline is your real name?" 

"Er, yes." Adeline raised a brow at him, confused. 

Caesar brows wrinkled, eyes narrowing dubiously on her. 

Why is her name Adeline? It isn't Russian. Or am I getting something wrong? Hmm... The man was thinking deeply. Come to think of it, she doesn't really look Russian. His eyes did a full head to toe scan on her. 

"What are you thinking?" Adeline questioned, folding her arms. 

Caesar met her eyes. "Are you full Russian?"

"No, I'm half German." Adeline shook her head, scrunching her face. "I thought that was obvious."

"Hm...mixed."

Caesar muttered softly, laughed and then leaned back on his desk. 

Adeline didn't know what he was thinking, but the smile on the man's face didn't fade for a long while.

Before she left, she took a deep breath, saying, "Thank you for saving me. I'll be taking that gulf stick I saw out there." She walked right out the door, slamming it shut before he could utter a word. 

Caesar stared at the door, and a hearty laugh escaped his mouth. "My life is about to become quite interesting."

"Supreme Alpha." Nikolai walked through the doors a few seconds later, a vigilant glint evident in his gaze.

Caesar looked at him, his smile vanishing. "What?"

"I saw her leave just now. Is everything okay? Should I-"

"Everything is fine," Caesar dismissed, walking over to sit down on his office chair. He crossed his legs and interlocked his fingers with a cold expression. "See to it that she is safely taken back."

"I think I'm ready to raise a tigress. A very interesting one," he drawled, his words pure ice. 

"Yes, sir." Although Nikolai wasn't sure what he meant by his last sentence, he turned around and exited the office, leaving him to himself. 

_________

Adeline got out of the car that had stopped her a few distance away from the Petrov mansion and shut the door, lowering her head to glance at Nikolai. 

"Thank you," she said, eyes glossy. 

"Are you sure you're alright?" Nikolai asked, dubious. She had taken a full bottle of alcohol on the way there and he wasn't exactly sure why.

It was as if she got herself tipsy on purpose.

Adeline chuckled softly. "I'm okay." She sounded drunk. 

But Nikolai wasn't going to linger. So, he gave a nod and started the car engine, driving off.

Looking around, Adeline's muscles relaxed and breathing became a bit easier for her. She adjusted her suit jacket and began to approach the gate to the Petrov mansion. 

There were at least two CCTV cameras fixed above the pillars, so she was quite aware that they could see her standing right outside the gate. She reached out her hand, pressing the doorbell. 

From inside the mansion, the security guards, who seemed to be aware of her search, broadened their eyes when they saw her through the monitoring computers. They hurriedly went outside and opened the gate. 

Their intent gaze sized her up, taking note of her condition. 

"M-Mrs. Adeline, are you okay?" one of them asked.

They were confused by the way she stood with a crazy smile on her face and a...gulf stick?

Wait, why a gulf stick? What was she going to—

Adeline burst into a belly laugh so suddenly and spread her arms out with her head thrown back.

"I'M BACK!!" she screamed.