Chapter 34
1421 Words
Aura’s POV
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Excuse me?!!
What is Leon Kael saying??
How can he fire all his workers at the same freaking time?
I coughed harder just at the thought and I saw him through my widened eyes sighing then he passed me a glass of water like it was just another Tuesday.
I took it and drank it all in a gulp, but the shock didn’t go anywhere. “Why?” I asked between coughs.
He shrugged and kept eating, licking his lower lip in thought. “They didn’t know their work.”
I blinked again. That was it? That was all?
After the food, he stood up, walked to the sleek coffee machine by the corner of the room, made a cup for himself, then turned slightly. “You drink coffee?”
“Yeah,” I nodded, still recovering. “But… I like it really milky.”
He gave a light chuckle—the rare kind that only seemed to come out when he wasn’t thinking. “Of course you do,” he said and began fixing it just the way I liked.
I smiled as he passed the mug to me and returned to his seat.
“I’ll be back,” I said softly, picking up our plates. I skipped to the kitchen like an i***t, smiling as if I just got handed a ticket out of hell.
When I returned, I stood quietly at the door, watching him.
He looked… unfairly handsome. Serious. Sharp. Like he could dismantle a whole empire with one email.
His eyes suddenly locked with mine. I swallowed, startled, and quickly walked in, picking up my coffee and sipping it quietly.
How did he even know I was here already? Are we sure this Demi god isn’t a Alpha of a pack?
You know what I mean. You know I read werewolves novels.
Something flashed in my mind, a question bubbling in my chest.
So I cleared my throat.
He paused, glanced at me.
“Why?” I asked.
His brow lifted in that way that made me wonder how someone could raise one brow so effortlessly.
I gestured a little. “The maids… the guards. Did they do something?”
He didn’t answer right away. Just shrugged again. “They didn’t know their work.”
Typical Leon Kael response.
I sighed and sipped again.
My eyes drifted to his phone, and before I could stop myself, I blurted, “Could I… maybe borrow your phone for a few minutes?”
His head slowly turned. That intense stare locked on me again. I instantly regretted it.
I held up a hand. “Never mind. That was stupid—”
He reached into a locked drawer beside him, pulled something out, and handed it to me.
My hands trembled as I took the box.
I knew that shape. That packaging.
It was a phone.
Not just any phone—the latest Samsung. Brand new.
A sharp breath escaped me, and a tear slipped down before I could stop it.
I remembered the girls at school, how they mocked the tiny, half-broken phone Mama Tee gave me. How they laughed when it wouldn’t even take a proper selfie.
Now this… this was in my hands.
“Are you okay?” he asked, voice suddenly quieter. Concerned.
I looked up at him.
Then I moved—quick, without thinking.
I rushed to him, pulled him up, and wrapped my arms around him, pressing myself into his warmth.
When I recovered my consciousness, I noticed it—he didn’t hug me back.
He just stood there.
Still.
I slowly pulled away, something twisting in my chest. A sharp pinch that made me frown slightly.
Was this… chest pain? I placed a hand lightly over my heart, confused by the weird ache curling inside me.
“I… I’m sorry,” I muttered, not meeting his gaze. “I shouldn’t have hugged you. I was just… shocked and overwhelmed, and I didn’t think—I just… I’m sorry.”
I peeked up.
His gaze was already fixed on me, unreadable. Steady.
I cleared my throat awkwardly. “Anyway… I should go now—”
Before I could even turn fully, a hand grabbed me back, and suddenly I was pressed against something hard.
His chest.
My breath hitched as his arms circled around my waist gently, then his head dropped to my shoulder. My heart stopped for a second. Literally.
Did… did he just—
I thought I heard a faint sniff, or maybe it was just in my head.
Then slowly, I lifted my arms and wrapped them around him again.
Silence. Warm, comforting silence.
My thoughts started drifting, oddly calm. And then, they landed on his hair. His stupid, soft-looking hair.
I swallowed, lips twitching. “Can I… touch your hair?”
He chuckled, low and smooth against my neck. “What do you think?”
Smiling, I slid my fingers into his hair.
Goosebumps exploded on my skin.
It was ridiculously soft—like, unfairly so.
I pulled back, suddenly dramatic, running my fingers through my own hair, then back into his.
Then I pouted. “Why is your hair softer than mine?”
I caught him trying not to laugh.
“Excuse you,” I said, scowling. “I’m serious!”
He finally gave in, laughing. Actually laughing. Not a smile. Not a smirk. A full, real laugh.
I froze.
Leon Kael… was laughing.
The man known in every article as stone-cold, emotionless, a complete statue in a suit—was laughing. Because of me.
My heart swelled.
I found myself grinning like a fool. I couldn’t help it.
“I guess all I have to do now is keep finding ways to make you laugh,” I said softly, “because it seems to chip away that ceo mode you carry around.”
His smile slowly faded, and something else stirred in his eyes—something softer, heavier. He looked at me for a second, then said quietly, “Thanks.”
I blinked. “For?”
He just shrugged, then turned and walked over to a part of the room I hadn’t noticed before. A mini refrigerator.
He opened it, pulled something out, and came back.
When he handed me the small can, I furrowed my brows. “What’s this?”
I opened it—and gasped.
Inside was the chocolate bar. The one I’d only ever dreamed of tasting. The legendary limited-edition brand people online said tasted like heaven itself. Super rare. Super expensive.
I looked up at him in disbelief, eyes wide, and then—without thinking—I jumped into his arms again, squealing, “Thank you!”
And this time, this time… he hugged me back.
The moment Leon let go of me, it was like a switch flipped inside me. The warmth vanished too quickly, leaving behind a sudden hollowness I wasn’t ready for.
I didn’t like that feeling.
Trying to distract myself, I sat down and unwrapped the chocolate bar like it was made of gold. I pulled out a single piece, popped it into my mouth, and—oh sweet heavens.
My eyes rolled back as the chocolate melted on my tongue, rich and smooth like silk. A sound left my mouth before I could catch it. Pure bliss.
I opened my eyes slowly… only to find Leon staring.
Expressionless.
I blinked at him. “Ahh…” I waved the bar at him.
Still nothing.
So I got up, skipped toward him with a grin. “Okay, sorry in advance,” I said as I reached out, gently parted his lips—he didn’t even flinch—and popped a piece of the chocolate into his mouth.
Then I stepped back and crossed my arms, expectant.
He chewed slowly, eyes unreadable.
Nothing.
“Ugh! You’re such a killjoy!” I groaned.
But then… a small chuckle escaped him. A real one.
And just like that, the mood shifted again. I smiled, softly this time.
Because it hit me then.
Around him… I didn’t feel like I had to filter anything. I was silly, dramatic, blunt, loud—completely myself. No fear. No pretending.
The realization made a giggle slip out of me before I could stop it.
I was me around Leon Kael.
The man I thought I could never have a real conversation with.
But here I am. Being myself around him.
And somehow… that was the scariest and most comforting thing in the world.
- Writer
