Pleasant Persuasion

Chapter 2

She jumped back abruptly, her back slamming into my front as we turned towards her wing. I grabbed her arms out of impulse to steady her, but she pushed us both back and ran for cover behind a nearby wall. When I noticed the look of utter horror on her face, I wrinkled my brow.

She murmured almost inaudibly, "They're there." Three males could be seen standing beside a door as I peered through the wall. The slight aroma of escada cherry that entered my nostrils as I retreated made me uncomfortably aware of our close closeness.

I was too near to her and she was pinned between the wall and my arms. She had the most wonderful fragrance of escada cherry. I had a hard time restraining the impulse to savour her scent by getting closer to her. Her unkempt hair added to her alluring image, which was further enhanced by the light red tint that appeared on her cheekbones and nose. All I could see in her eyes as my sight met hers was terror. Her fears overtook her to the point where her pupils darted all over.

That jolted me back to reality. Now was not the time for distractions! I scolded myself inwardly, shaking off my reverie. "Are they armed?" I asked, refocusing my attention.

"I-I saw one of them with a d-dagger earlier," she stuttered, meeting my gaze.

"It's dangerous to linger here. I commanded without thinking, taking hold of her arm and leading her back to my room. We ran inside as I swiped my room card, closing the door behind us.

When I spotted her as I turned around, a peculiar unease seized my heart. She was sobbing quietly while sitting on the bed with her face buried in her hands. With each breath filled with tears, her shoulders shook. I sat down next to her and looked about for some consoling words, but I couldn't think of any. Her tears were quickly wiped away as her sobs stopped. She drank a little bit of the water I gave her from the bedside table.

"I'll stop them from hurting you. I gripped her hand that was on the side of the bed and promised her firmly, "You'll be safe as long as you're with me. I felt a strong want to defend her with all my might without giving it a second thought. She gave me a mixed-emotional face as she gazed at me. She brushed away the tears as I watched them come to the surface and diverted her attention.

Thank you so much, and I'm sorry for bothering you so much, she replied with a faint trembling in her voice. I comforted her with a grin. It seemed only reasonable that the next move would be to tell the hotel's administration about the invaders. As a result, I placed the call.

The manager acknowledged me right away and moved right into action, vowing to deal with the invaders as soon as possible.

"Achhu!" I turned my head toward the source of that delicate sneeze.

"Achhu!" Another sneeze.

"Achhu!" And one more.

She had caught a cold.

I evaluated her condition before sending for two glasses of steaming coffee. Her clothing was still damp, which may make her cold worse. I advised, "You ought to change out of those clothes."

I will, once I get to my room, she responded after giving me a quick look. I nodded while I awaited the hotel management's update. I couldn't help but stare at her face, examining each look she wore. She looked in her pockets with a brow raised, and then it appeared that she realized what had happened. She widened her eyes as she turned to face me.

Raising my eyebrows, I silently urged her to explain what was wrong.

"I think I forgot my room card inside my room," she panicked.

I sighed, giving her a stern look. She bit her lip, looking down at the floor, on the verge of tears.

I said, making another call to the manager to arrange for a master card, "Seems like trouble follows you." Although it would take an additional half hour, he assured me it could be done. I had little choice but to reluctantly concur, and he started working.

She was constantly sneezing, and her cold was becoming worse by the minute. Her colour grew paler, and she continued to be uncomfortable despite my attempts to raise the heater's temperature. Even the coffee couldn't make things better.

You should change out of those garments immediately. Do you really want to get sick right before your friend's wedding? I recommended.

"All my belongings are in my room. What can I change into?" she whined, rubbing her hands together. Her teeth chattered as she spoke. Glancing around the room, I opened the closet and found two bathrobes. Though uncertain, I offered, "There's a bathrobe here. You can use it temporarily, if you'd like."

After a brief hesitation, she finally decided to go to the toilet because of the situation. She emerged a short while later with her clothing in hand and was wearing the bathrobe.

Even though her knees were covered by the bathrobe, I couldn't help but notice her silky-smooth skin. There was an awkward silence in the room, and neither of us tried to break it. She sat on the edge of the bed, moving her fingers and shaking her legs as I played on my phone.

After fifteen anxious minutes, the manager arrived and let us know that everything had been worked out. Her chamber was unlocked once the attackers were chased out and the master card was given. We went to her chamber after saying our thanks to him.

As we approached her door, she grinned remorsefully and said, "Thank you once more, and I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." I grinned back and said, "I'm glad I could help." She turned to look at me as she was ready to walk into her room. Can you tell me the name of your Saviour?

I replied, "Viru. Viru Muzirathi," realising we hadn't exchanged names during the entire affair.

"Angelina Philips," she introduced herself, extending her hand for a handshake, which I gladly accepted, accompanied by a smile.

She went to her room, and I went back to mine after saying good night and bye. I saw the same group of girls from the lobby on the way, but I was too worn out to give them any attention. I fell to the floor at about 11pm. What a day it had been, unease persisted as I locked the door behind me. I was on edge after my interaction with Angelina because of her enigmatic problems and the danger that seemed to be following her. I received the unsettling impression that her narrative was more complex than she had let on. I was thinking a lot when I was lying in bed. Who were those thugs pursuing her, and why were they being so obstinate? Angelina appeared to be the subject of a sophisticated network of deceit that went beyond the loan sharks. But in the midst of the confusion, a bigger emotion surfaced—the impulse to defend her. I was unable to deny my increasing affection for her, the wish to protect her from harm. Even still, I couldn't get rid of the nagging worry that my love wouldn't be enough to free her from the complicated secrets that entwined her existence. Sleep avoided me because of these unanswered issues and the pressure of responsibility on my shoulders. As I readied myself for the difficulties that lay ahead of us in the next days, the night dragged on amid a sense of dread and anticipation. I had no idea that seeking justice would lead us down a perilous path and that the cost would be much higher than we could have ever anticipated.