The Unknown; Hellbent

Chapter 9: Chapter 9; Hellish nightmare



Listening to Alexia's narration of everything that happened, Gina's face displayed various degrees of shock as she became bewildered by her seemingly innocent friend's boldness. After Alexia finished, Gina sighed, pinching the skin between her brows.

"Lexi," she called.

"Mn?"

"Are you mad?" Gina burst out, staring at Alexia, who gave her an innocent look. "You literally agreed to be his girlfriend just so you could draw him? And after drawing him, what's going to happen?" she questioned.

"Well, after that, we part ways, I guess," Alexia reasoned, making Gina facepalm.

"And you think he's going to let you, the precious sister of his rival, go so easily? How could you be this stupid?" she said exasperatedly. "Do you have a picture of the so-called 'real him'? I want to see."

Alexia showed her a drawing she had made of his inhuman self.

Gina stared at the picture in shock. The man looked so beautiful, so perfectly crafted, like a demigod. "A... are you sure he's real?" she asked in disbelief, and Alexia nodded.

"You see why I need him? He's the perfect inspiration for me. So I need you to help me. They're going to think I'm living with you," she pleaded.

Gina sighed helplessly. She couldn't say no to her friend's cute antics. They spent the rest of the time talking and formulating their plans, occasionally teasing each other about failed relationships and Alexia's new one.

When evening came, Alexia left, but instead of going home, she went to the place where she had seen Ezekiel. The wind caressed her skin as she stood under the streetlights, waiting for his car to pass. Her smile widened when she saw the black Ferrari speeding down the highway.

"Gingerhead hasn't learned his lesson. Why don't I teach him again?" she thought, an evil smirk forming on her face. She rushed to the middle of the road, spreading her arms wide.

The shrill sound of tires screeching pierced her ears, and she covered them with her hands. Her smile grew when the handsome gingerhead emerged from the car, looking like he couldn't decide whether to hit her or hit himself for dealing with her again.

"Miss me, Gingerhead?" she teased.

"Ms., I'm terribly sorry, but why did you do that again?" he asked, exasperated, causing Alexia to laugh at his expression.

"To teach you a lesson. Don't speed on this road next time," she said with a smirk, leaving Tyler staring at her in shock while the man in the back seat chuckled.

"You mean you almost died just to teach me a lesson?" Tyler asked, disbelief evident on his face.

Alexia nodded and then turned to the back seat, knocking lightly on the car window. Finally, the quiet man stepped out.

He was wearing his usual business attire, though his suit was gone, and his sleeves were rolled up. Alexia gulped when she noticed three of his buttons were undone, revealing part of his chest. The wind wasn't helping as it gently blew through his hair, now loose. He looked so much better than any model she had ever seen.

"Where is my sketch pad when I need it?" she grumbled to herself.

"I'm sure you came here because you wanted to see me, or are you venting your frustrations again?" came his deep, melodious voice, still stoic.

"I'm not upset today. I came to see you. I've agreed to move in with you tomorrow," she declared.

The man stared at her in disbelief. "Tomorrow? Did your family even agree to this?"

Seeing her sheepish smile and the way she rubbed her neck, he knew she hadn't told them.

"Well, the thing is, they'll never agree. So I'm going to make it look like I'll be living with my best friend, Regina," she explained.

Ezekiel facepalmed internally. This naive girl, he thought as he looked at her, his unique eyes still unreadable.

Meanwhile, a certain invisible observer was grinning as he snapped pictures of the scene. It was a rare sight to see Zeke with a girl—especially one so silly and childish. The contrast between Ezekiel's white hair, pale complexion, and Alexia's vibrant red hair and black gown under the moonlight was breathtaking.

As Zeke leaned closer to whisper something to her, the observer snapped another picture, curiosity compelling him to inch closer to eavesdrop.

"Little Red, do you really want to do this? My world is... a nightmare," Zeke whispered, his warm breath brushing against her skin, making Alexia shiver.

"If you're talking about the business world, it's fine. I've been through it. My whole family is business-oriented," she reasoned, even as her heart pounded wildly due to their closeness.

Ezekiel chuckled. "I'm not talking about the business world. My personal world is a hellish nightmare. Why would a Little Red like you want to go through that?"

His voice remained low, almost teasing, and she looked confused but resolute.

With a sigh, he moved swiftly, pinning her against the car. His tall frame towered over her as he looked down at her, his unique eyes cold and unreadable.

"Aren't you a little too trusting? I'm your family's rival, with the sole purpose of defeating you. Don't you think this is the perfect opportunity for me to use you?" he said, his voice low and husky, yet threatening.

Her eyes flashed with anger. In a bold move, she leaned up and pecked him on the lips, catching him off guard. Smiling sweetly—despite the irritation bubbling inside her—she caressed his cheek.

"Stop trying to discourage me. I'm not that naive. I trust you. You're not like those scheming businessmen who'll do anything to win. Besides, I'm Alexia. Whatever I set my mind to, I accomplish," she declared confidently.

Her boldness left both Ezekiel and Tyler stunned. Tyler grunted internally, frustrated that he had been too shocked to take a picture of the moment.

"Come on, Zeke. Just let her. It's not like anything you say will change her mind. Besides, it's only for a few weeks or months," Tyler chimed in, earning a sharp glare from Ezekiel.

"Ah, the stone-cold god has finally met his match" Tyler mused, watching Ezekiel relent.

Alexia's face lit up as she hugged Ezekiel, making the man freeze again at her audacity. Moments later, his expression darkened.

"You're cold," he remarked, noticing her chilled skin. Without waiting for her reply, he gestured for Tyler to grab his suit and handed it to Alexia.

As he draped it over her shoulders, his eyes softened momentarily. The sight of her blushing face, framed by the wind tossing her red hair, was oddly... endearing.

"You shouldn't wear such short things. It's autumn," he scolded mildly, though his tone remained even.

Both Alexia and Tyler shared the same thought: 'Why do you care?'

"Get in the car. We'll drop you off," Zeke offered. Alexia hesitated but decided against arguing since it was already late.

She climbed into the backseat with Ezekiel, the quiet tension between them lingering as the car sped away into the night.


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