Leanna

[Leanna's POV]

[Demon]

Everyone stared at the man beside me, seating cross-legged, leaning on the armrest with one hand supporting his head. His other hand kept mine in a tight gripped, refusing to let me escape from his side –– not letting me escape from this terrible, terrible situation we were in.

Cain seated himself while leading me to stood beside him. But the crowds and the professor remained stunned in front of the door, unsure of what happened.

"I'll give you a minute to search."

Cain's chilly voice snapped them out of their trance, and the onlookers' eyes, thick with hate and jealousy, made its way towards me while Zoe and Estela giggled as they teased me with their knowing eyes.

"M-Mr. Fay . . . W-what are you doing here? D-don't you know it's f-forbidden for you to be here i-in o-one of the s-students' room?" Professor Ingrid forced the words out from her trembling mouth.

"What? T-that's Cain Fay?"

"Oh my God! THE Cain Fay?!"

"He's more handsome in person."

"So, it's true that he and Leanna Lee are going out?"

Whispers were so loud it was like a beating broken jukebox. But I was deaf and devoid of feelings at the moment as my brain refused to register the whole situation.

Cain shot the skinny old woman a cold look.

So cold it could probably freeze hell itself.

Professor Ingrid's legs shook, and she grabbed the door frame for support.

"Forbidden?" Cain snorted. "Leanna Lee is my fiancée. We are already family. Is it forbidden to stay together inside the room of your family?"

GASP!

The whole room was spinning as different emotions battled in the air.

I kept my eyes steady on the ground to make sure I was maintaining my balance since I felt that any moment now, I would drop dead on the floor.

"T-that's––!"

"You have thirty seconds left." Cain tilted his head and smirked at the trembling Professor Ingrid.

Without waiting for another second, Professor Ingrid let herself in and sauntered towards my suitcase like she already knew where to search.

. . .

. . .

"I-impossible . . . ," The professor mumbled to herself. She probably couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Times up." Cain stood, and the crowds' legs wobbled from the oppressive air around him.

"Leave."

Professor Ingrid scurried out of the room with both eyes on the ground, afraid to even take a glimpse at the demonic man beside me.

"Leanna will see you at breakfast!" Zoe and Estela winked at me before Cain closed the door.

. . .

. . .

"Now, no one will disturb us."

Cain closed the distance between him and my daze self. His fingers stroked my face in a gentle caress before he leaned closer and blew hot air in my ear.

"Why don't you skip that boring activity of yours . . . ," he whispered, voice enticing. His naughty hands inched its way from my shoulders to my breasts.

"Be with me," he commanded and groped my breasts as his lips stretched a wicked smile.

"Let's do fun things instead," he murmured, enticing me to submit to him.

Grr!

I took a sharp intake of air and raised my hand.

SLAP!

I stormed into the bathroom, feeling annoyed. Then I found little Pluffy whimpering nonstop inside the bathtub, unable to leave.

That demon!

----

[The Marks]

"Forgive me, ma' lady. I haven't thought that––!"

"Enough!"

Holley yelled, not sparing a glance at the kowtowing young woman behind her. Her gaze was on the horizon outside the window of her room.

"I somehow expected that to happen. Now, we know that Cain Fay himself protects that bitch." Holley ground her teeth as her fingers balled into fists, shaking off the memory of Cain pulling Leanna in a protective embrace.

She closed her eyes and took deep breathes to calm herself.

"Contact Saber. Have him proceed with the plans for tomorrow."

The young woman gasped, and her head shot up, discerning if her lady was joking.

Saber was one of the top guns for hire in the United States. The best man for assassination and kidnapping. It was rumored that he never failed a job. But it would cost a limb to hire this notorious merc.

"Well?!"

The young woman bowed and left the room.

Holley stared at the horizon with dead eyes. Her eyes already lost its shine ever since Cain broke off their engagement.

She may be a spoiled pampered Princess and always got whatever she wanted with a snap of a finger. But she never thought that she was capable of harming or even murder someone just because of raging hatred and jealousy.

Holley couldn't handle nor coped with all the negative emotions since she never experienced these kinds of setbacks before. She never suffered hardships in her life. Everything she wanted was served to her on golden platters.

"Leanna Lee . . . I'll make sure you'll rot beneath the dirt. Never to be found."

----

"Young Master, what happened to your face?"

Russell couldn't take it anymore and asked Cain the question which was bugging his mind since the moment he met him.

Cain was sitting cross-legged opposite him, drinking his tea with all the time in the world. His sculptured icy face was perfect even if five red finger marks were plastered on his cheek.

They were at the reserved private garden spot, having their breakfast at Artem University's owned Hotel.

Cain placed down his cup before his lips twitched into a smug smirked. He closed his eyes and caressed his red cheek, remembering his wife's angry face.

She's absolutely adorable when she's angry.

"It's a slap of love from my wife."

"Pft! *cough . . . *cough . . ."

Coffee burst from Russell's mouth. He placed his cup down, grabbed a tissue, and wiped his mouth while controlling his breathing to stop his coughing.

After much time, Russell gazed at the now pink rays shining on his young master while flowers sprout, and strumming guitars beat the atmosphere to life.

Cain continued touching his red cheek while smiling like a love-struck deluded fool.

"Mmm . . . My wife slapped me because she loves me." Cain nodded, reassuring himself.

Russell thought he knew how his young master's thought process, but right now, he couldn't discern how a slap became a gesture of love.

Young master, that's an angry slap.

----

[Leanna's POV]

"Hi, Leanna. I love your hair, by the way."

"Hello there, my name's Katherine from class B. I got to say, I love your shirt."

My lips twitched, didn't know whether to smile or not. The girl with short red hair smiled at me that almost ripped her face off.

I didn't know how many times it had been that I was approached by so many of my schoolmates attempting to befriend me. Since breakfast, from the bus all the way to the hike into the forest to plant trees, they were complimenting me nonstop.

I scrambled to Estela and Zoe's side and gave them each a shovel so we could start planting our trees.

"Why are they trying so hard to befriend me?"

Honestly, I thought after what happened this morning, they would all mock me or start a new rumor about me. But all I noticed were envy and jealous stares. Some have this awestruck face, looking at me as if I had accomplished something no mortal ever achieved.

"Now that they saw with their own eyes that you and Cain Fay are going out, they're trying to rub on your good side. You know, for fame or other hidden agendas –– but anyway . . ." Zoe finished planting her tree and flicked her attention at the handkerchief on my wrists.

"What are you hiding there?" she teased.

My hands clasped behind my back, hiding my wrists from her scrutinizing view.

"Nothin'," I said.

Zoe smirked and nodded her head.

Out of nowhere, my two hands were raised in the air, and my body bent from the force.

"Hey! What are you doing?! Stop it!"

I wiggled myself free from Estela's tight grip on my hands, but the small girl had so much strength I didn't understand where she got from.

"Tehehehehe! Don't resist, Leanna. It will be over in a jiffy!"

Estela raised my hand more, and I winced in pain while Zoe untied the handkerchiefs on my hand, exposing the purple marks on my wrists.

*gasp

"Oh my . . . Brother sure is savage!" Estela's eyes sparkled as she released her hold on me.

I snapped at them and tried to snatch my handkerchiefs back.

"Wow! Leanna, you sure know how to make someone infuriate with jealousy!" Zoe passed the handkerchiefs to Estela when I zoomed to her, ready to wrestle her down.

Tehehehehehe~!

"Catch me if you can!"

Estela sprinted into the crowd, dangling my handkerchiefs in the air, grabbing everyone's attention, specifically on my wrists.

I couldn't believe how this pair of brother and sister could be so . . .

Childish!

"Estela, come back here!"

I bolted to her with my fastest speed while Zoe ran after us.

The whole afternoon, the supposed to be planting trees turned into a game of tag and hide and seek.