The Devilish Assassin Meets The Angelic Detective

After 40 minutes drive, they arrived in a secluded area outside the City Z. They removed Elle and James's blindfolds and brought them inside an empty house.

It was a two-story house, not yet old but no one was occupying it. They walked inside towards the living room. It was quite dusty inside.

After making sure that Elle and James would not be able to escape from the ropes which were restraining them on a chair, the three men left them for a while in order to eat lunch.

They needed to fill their stomach first before they proceed to their proper business. Now, that they were both alone, Elle and James could talk whatever they want.

"What a funny thing to be with you huh? Thanks to me you are not alone in this predicament." James started the conversation. He chuckled from that thought.

Elle rolled her eyes skyward after hearing his remarks. He did not sound displeased instead he still felt delighted under these circ.u.mstances.

"Are you happy? Why you sounded so proud? You have done nothing that could help us both to escape." She smiled at him mockingly.

James just let out a soft chuckle. He did not know why but he just felt happy to be with her even in this kind of situation.

"Why are you still cold towards me? I thought you agreed to give me a chance and be your friend?"

'Well... because you ruin my plan today!' She wanted to reply but she just kept in her mind.

"I did not mean to but I just can't believe your dumbness. Next time don't interrupt someone without accessing first the situation." she was able to cool down a little bit.

She knew that being mad at him would not help. She could not put all the blame on him. The unexpected situation brought them here together.

Instead of arguing, she thought it was better to talk this out with him. Her main priority right now was to find out who was the mastermind.

Then after that, she would execute her plan to escape and gave these three men a lesson. She would just wait for the right opportunity to make her move.

"I am sorry about that," James replied to her after a few seconds of silence.

"Do you have a plan?" She asked James.

"Nope. I think we should try to negotiate with them again." James simply said.

Elle looked at him with disbelief. The leader of the skull gang was easily got captured just like that.

'I wonder how long he will live if other competitors in the underground will try to kill him.'

But there was one thing she had observed about him. She could see that James was still calm even in this situation.

Elle's lip twitched when she remembered Jorge Arison, the most cunning and wise man she had ever met. James had some resemblance to his father.

James chuckled as soon as he noticed Elle's smile while she was looking at him.

"Are you enjoying the view? Do I look like a handsome knight in shining armor now?" He asked her, giving her a mischievous smirk.

"Not just a fool and arrogant... you are also shameless!" Elle said to him with her eyebrows raised.

"How can you be a knight in shining armor if you also need to be rescued?"

James let out another chuckle. "Then why are you looking at me like that?"

"Well, I just remembered someone. Are you not nervous or afraid? They might hurt you."

"I don't think the mighty Chairman of the Arison Holdings and Mining Company could handle some beatings from them.

"You are really looking down at me huh?" James could not believe her.

"Looking at you, I bet you can't tolerate pain since you always live in comfort, born with a silver spoon in your mouth." Elle teased him.

"I beg to disagree, my lady. Don't judge the book by its cover. That's why I told you before, you should give me a chance so that you could know me better." 

"Well, can you convince me that what I just said was wrong." she challenged him.

James was really glad to have a casual conversation with her like this. looking back, he could say, this was the longest conversation they ever had together.

"Since I was a child my father trained me to be strong and tough. Between Selena and I, he was strict to me as if he was preparing me to take a bigger role in the future." James shared with her.

"I just became so carefree when I became an a.d.u.l.t. Maybe that is one of the reasons you viewed me as a wealthy and an easy-going arrogant man, right?"

Elle did not interrupt him and she just nodded at him as it made sense. She just let him speak.

She knew what he was referring to, he was meant to be the next leader of Skull Gang. Jorge prepared him for that.

"So don't think that I could not tolerate any physical pain." James was trying to convince her. Elle just shrugged at him.

Upon mentioning his father, James's mood immediately changed.

He was missing him and he felt frustrated that until now, despite the power he had, he could not give his father the justice for his death.

Elle had observed that changes in James's expression. She could feel that he admired and loved his father very much.

She somehow felt some kind of sympathy for James. She knew how it felt to lose someone's important without knowing the truth about their deaths.

"I think you are doing fine. I am sure that your dad is so proud of you. I believe that your father is a great man... a really wise man." Elle comforted James.

James was at a loss for words when he heard her comforting words. This was the first time Elle did this for him and he felt her sincerity.

James just stared at her with an astonished look. His heart was now beating so fast inside his chest.

He was touched by her simple words and his heart was now behaving abnormally.

"Pfft... why you look like you have seen a ghost?" Elle giggled after seeing his reaction.

Elle's laughter pulled James from the daze. He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment.

"Ahem... Did you just blush? Did the mighty arrogant James Arison just blush?'' she said with her teasing voice.

"No! I am not!" James denied it. "You are just imagining it," he added as he looked away.

"Well, I don't think so. Your face is still red." Elle insisted. Elle could not suppress her laughter as she continued to giggle.

"Stop laughing. Nothing is funny." James became more fl.u.s.tered hearing Elle's laughter.

"Oh, I just remember I have not answered your question yet. By the way, did you ask me if I am afraid or nervous since they might hurt me, right?" James was trying to change the topic.

Elle finally stopped laughing and nodded at him.

"Honestly I am afraid and nervous right now... but not for myself. I am afraid that they will do something to hurt you." James said to her with a serious voice.

There was a moment of silence after that.

This time it was Elle who became speechless and James was the one laughing at her.

"It looks like our hostages here are enjoying their stay here." the chubby man said.

They heard Elle and James's laughter as they entered the house.

"Okay, since we are all having fun here, let us now go to our proper business here. Shall we?" The six-feet tall thin man said to them. He had a sly smile on his face.

His two accomplices just burst into waves of laughter.