ASTREL'S GIRLFRIEND?

"Excuse, me?" she gave an annoyed expression.

"Why don't you call out for your boyfriend?" he said, leaning on the door frame stylishly. Vilian took a step back as she give a weird look to the strange guy.

"Boyfrie-" she glanced back and called out, "You meant, Astrel?" and heard his footsteps.

"Well, who else?"

"Oh no, you got it-"

"Right," Astrel interrupted them as he circled his hands around her. She tried to take it away with a bewildered expression. She felt his hand squeeze her waist as if to indicate her to play along and he dragged her behind him protectively. Vilian felt stupified. More confused.

'What the heck? Me? his girlfriend?'

"Well, Watson? Won't you invite me in?" questioned the man showing his perfectly white teeth. Vilian tried to take a peek at him, but Astrel was not letting her do so. He was blocking her from view.

He could sense her glaring holes at him. But that wasn't the issue here, "What are you doing here?" his voice sounded deep and intimidating, scaring the shit out of Vilian.

"Just came by and thought of paying a visit. For a rival, aren't I being nice to you?"

"Whatever that your playing, play it wiser, Gary," he said with a smirk playing on his lips. His cold aura surrounded them.

"I see, you've finally got a girl for yourself. Thought you weren't straight as the rumors" he grinned and closed their gap, "Pretty chick, eh?" he whispered, and not a second pass, a punch landed on his jaw. Only to result in his lips bleeding. Gary chuckled as he wiped his lips using his knuckles and stepped back. He saw the furry in Astrel's eyes. The deadly look.

"Say another word about her, and you'll be no more," he warned him, tightening his fist.

"Chill, man! See ya at the party," Gary chuckled as he glanced back and walked away, followed by his set of bodyguards.

Astrel clenched his teeth as he tried his best to calm down and stepped back. He slammed the door harder, startling Vilian to her death.

"Jeezsh!! What are you, trynna brea-" -k the door or what?' the rest of the words went unheard as soon as he turned to her coldly. She felt cold chills running down her spine with a tremble.

"Uh... A-are you alright?" she squeaked the question out. Astrel took a step forward. She tried to step back but felt her feet rooted.

"Who told you to step out of the room?" he questioned, clenching his teeth, and pointing at the door that stood behind them. Visibly bearly controlling his anger.

"Uh... What's wrong with-"

"JUST ANSWER IT, DAMN IT!!!" he yelled and punched the wall behind her. Startled, Vilian shut her eyes tightly in fear.

Vilian trembled, shutting her ears using her hands.

"You- you ss-seemed busy on the phone. I thought of not disturbing you..." Her voice broke in the end. Unbeknownst to her, tears slid down her cheeks.

Astrel sighed louder, cursing himself as he pinched his nose bridge. He was heedless of his bleeding knuckles. Vilian's vision turned blurry as tears welled up. She didn't know what and why was she shedding tears, but she did and she didn't like it. The feeling felt foreign. A mix of sadness, pain, and anger stirred in her heart. She rubbed her reddened cheeks and wiped off the tears that slid against her will.

She took a step back, held back whatever she felt for a moment, and walked into the room as she took a deep breath of the soothing smell of the conditioned air in the lavish room. Though it did little to her heart, it was more than anything that she was feeling earlier.

Astrel regretted it. He should not have done that. What he did was totally out of his character. He should not have ranted his frustration into her. He poured all his emotion into her. Not so like him. On top of all that, he felt bad, seeing her welling tears.

He grunted lowly and ran his hands through his hair frustratedly. Hearing footsteps coming from out toward the door, he let the person in before he could knock on the door. Servant after servant came in with boxes in their hands, dressed in black and white uniforms.

"Leave it over here," ordered Malcolm. They left the box next to the coffee table and bowed their heads before they left. Malcolm, who stood by came forward not so confidently as usual.

"If that would be all-"

"Leave," Astrel shut the door, not once did he spare a glance at him. Malcolm thinned his lips, gazing at the door guiltily. He used to feel nothing but proud before. But... since the things regarding Frost's daughter came up, his whole soul was eating him internally. Bugging him to spill everything before it was already late. He thought of spilling the beans the very minute they left the party. Better said than later. The more the late more severe the consequences might be, and he didn't dare to risk it.

Sighing out, he left the doorstep and proceeded to his work flooded by the CEO. Multitasking things like his boss's orders were too hard. But he was more than willing to do so given the multiple times his boss had become a savior of his and the hefty amount of salary he was being paid with. He knew his boss wasn't heartless as he seemed to others. He had come across some of the sides he had never shown to others. The sides an outsider or worst, his closest people might not know. But that didn't mean he wasn't cold and cruel. There were too many sides when it came to their boss.

Vilian took a mindful of breathing for about ten seconds and calmed her aching heart. She rinsed her reddened face and dried off using the small towel, and tried not to catch another shot of her reflection in the mirror. But could not help it.

'PAK'

She slapped her cheeks some senses and muttered, gazing at her reflection, "What's got into you, Vili? You're acting weird."

Dabbing her reddened face, she stepped out into the room. Her feet froze at their position with a jaw-dropped expression.