Name

Kathrina gradually forced her eyes open, attempting to adjust the amount of light entering her vision.

Her mind was still dazed as her soul had not completely left the dreamland.

Watching the unfamiliar surroundings, she was finally aware that she was not in her apartment. The sudden realization jerked her sanity back to her body. She stood still, and suddenly became alarmed. Her eyes moved franticly to the whole area like she was trying to assess the level of danger she was in now.

There was no sound, and she despised it with every fiber of her being. For as long as she could remember, the stillness always made her skin crawl, making her want to scratch the feeling off. She once did, in a literal sense, and her mother had gone hysterical when she found that she had almost ruined her skin.

Kathrina shook the memories and the unpleasant stories she had to the back of her mind. Sometimes she wondered what had happened to her that changed her personality in only six months. There must be something playing a part as the trigger; however, she was never able to find the answer since her family was tightlipped about it.

Although she was curious, Kathrina stopped probing because she could see the agony in her family's eyes whenever she asked. So, she decided to live with the constant question in her head. Maybe, one day the answer would magically fall from the sky.

"You are awake?"

A low and deep voice greeted her; it gave her a wave of peace to know that someone was alive in this place. She approached the source of that sexy voice. As she got closer, the scent of freshly cooked food wafted in the air. As if on cue, Kathrina's stomach started to growl. She touched her tummy reflexively to muffle the embarrassing voice.

Upon arriving at the kitchen, Kathrina finally saw the owner of that sexy voice. He stood casually behind the large white dining table. It appeared like he did not plan to go out since he dressed comfortably in a simple white shirt and ash-black sweatpants, and even his hair was not styled; it fell freely to his brow.

"Come here. Let's eat together," Arthur said as he drew the chair for her.

Kathrina did not say anything. Then suddenly, she took one step back with her eyes enlarged. Countless images flashed through her mind at the speed of the wind. Her mouth was agape as she gasped.

'Last night…. why did I….'

A surge of adrenaline rushed through her veins as a light tint of pink blush adorned her cheeks. Kathrina wished the floor could swallow her because she could not bear looking at Arthur.

"Don't be ashamed."

She could sense that there was amusement in his voice. She hardened her heart; it was better to pretend she had a thick face than to let him enjoy watching her basking in misery.

"I'm not," Kathrina said, raising her head to face his annoying and handsome face.

"Then, sit and eat your breakfast."

Arthur set the plate in front of her. On the scale, there was a slice of toasted bread, three pieces of pan-fried sausage and bacon, and the last one was a perfect sunny-side-up egg Kathrina gulped as she gazed longingly at the food.

Kathrina pondered her choice. She'd have to cook or order something for herself if she went home. Both options required her to wait, which her stomach simply could not do. So, she swallowed her pride and took the seat before him.

Arthur wanted to laugh when he saw how her expression changed so fast in a mere second. The woman sat meekly and started eating without saying anything, so he did the same.

Both of them relished their breakfast in a tranquil setting. The only sound that could be heard was the constant clacking of their cutlery.

Arthur abruptly stood to pour her a glass of milk, "You okay with milk?"

Kathrina shifted her attention from her dear food to Arthur, staring at him with empty eyes.

"Hmm," she hummed in response, trying her best to keep their conversation as brief as possible.

"How's your body? Still sore?" Arthur disregarded Kathrina's plan to remain silent. He wanted to learn more about her, and this was his best opportunity.

Kathrina nodded. She kept her mouth shut, not saying anything to him.

"Can you tell me your name?" He did not give up at all.

His question about her name finally drew her full attention. Kathrina put down her cutlery and gulped the milk while maintaining eye contact with him. She was bewildered at his question. She knew he was wealthy enough to conduct a thorough background check on her; he had the ability to inquire about everything with only a single phone call. But he was here sitting prettily and asked her instead.

"I already told you, it's Kathrina."

"Your full name."

"Why don't you try figuring it out for yourself?"

"I'd rather ask," Arthur remarked. He leaned back and folded his hands in front of his chest. His eyes never left her even for a second, it was as if he was searching for something by simply looking at her face.

"My name is not important."

"It's for me. Tell me," Arthur almost sounded like he was begging her.

Kathrina was taken aback since he sounded desperate, and those eyes of his were messing with her head. She was genuinely surprised that he could affect her when she was completely sane, or maybe she was not anymore.

The thought nearly made Kathrina flee like a criminal. Arthur scared her, not in a wicked way, but she still did not like it. She did not like it when someone wielded such power over her. It would only bring her trouble.

"I appreciated your help last night, but I'd appreciate it if you stopped bothering me."

"You are scared," Arthur said with amazement visible in his eyes. He leaned closer, "Am I affecting you, Kathrina?"

"No," she replied, hoping it managed to sound flat in his ears.

"Then tell me your name."

Arthur was taunting her. Kathrina was well aware of it, yet she could not do much because she did not know how to handle this kind of situation.

In the past, all those people Kathrina had rejected always accepted her immediately after letting them know she was not interested. So even if they tried again, it was clear that they were more cautious than before. But Arthur was different. He ignored everything and kept trying to break the sturdy wall she had built up over the years.

The ringtone on her phone abruptly broke the tension between them. Kathrina smiled quietly to herself. Whoever decided to call her was her angel. She took the phone from her pocket jacket and saw the word boss on the screen.

"Hello."

Arthur assumed it was someone important in her job based on how she answered her phone call. They were probably curious about the incident from the night before. He waited for her patiently while typing on her phone.

'I'll be late,' he says in a short message to Belle without explaining why.

"You can not do that to me, Mom. I'm not going to open my door for her"

Arthur's eyes almost jumped out of their position after he heard her whining like a child. He thought last night was the tamest version of herself, but she had proven him wrong. He wanted her to act like that around him. But instead, the woman continued to shoot an arrow through her eyes.

While Arthur was too busy thinking about her, Kathrina was on the verge of exploding with anger. Her mother made a call only to inform her that her cousin would be staying with her. It was not like she hated her cousin, but she knew the reason why her family did that. They wanted to keep an eye on her because they did not trust her.

She gathered her belongings and prepared to return to her apartment. But, before she reached the door, Arthur grabbed her hand. He mouthed 'together,' and honestly, Kathrina wanted to hit him in the back of his head for it.

"No." Kathrina's response was for both her mother and Arthur.

She attempted to walk faster. However, there was a limit to what her body could do. Her current injury made it impossible to outrun Arthur with his long legs.

Arthur took her jacket from her, then circled her waist easily like her body was familiar to him. It made her infuriated that her body betrayed her reason, then impulsively, she stepped on his feet, making him groan.

"You have company?" Her mother asked. She sounded excited suddenly.

"No. Hmm, Mom, I have to go. I love you."

Kathrina was able to cut her mother before she could investigate any further. One problem down, now another issue walking right beside her needed to be solved.

"You remember what I said, don't you? Stop bothering me."

"I'll think about it."

Progress. At the very least, Arthur would take her words into consideration. After that, Kathrina then did not talk to him again.

It took a little bit of time for them to reach her unit since they had to walk slower. Nevertheless, she was happy, knowing she would be free from Arthur. But her joy was short-lived as she noticed a girl with blazing red hair standing in front of her entrance door, staring at her as though she had grown another head.

"Jen?"