Page 57

"So, you were already familiar with this place?" Duke inquired as they stepped inside the villa, observing Kisha’s confident navigation to the light switches.

Kisha shrugged casually. "Wasn’t this your villa?"

Duke chuckled as he strolled into the living room. "Did I ever mention this in your past life?"

"No, this was our home," Kisha replied, joining him on the couch and sinking into its comfort.

Hearing her say the word ’our home’ made his whole body tense.

There’s only one reason he could think of why they would live together under one roof.

His gaze darkened as he stared at her, although Kisha was wearing a scary disguise, but Duke’s brain automatically changed her appearance to her original face as he stared at her without blinking.

Feeling his intense gaze boring into her, Kisha lazily raised her head to meet Duke’s eyes. "What?"

"What were we in your previous life? Why did we live under the same roof?

" After the words left his lips, he immediately felt a twinge of regret. He didn’t want to hear any answer other than what he was thinking, yet at the same time, he yearned for confirmation.

His throat went dry, and his breathing grew heavier as he kept his eyes locked on her, awaiting her response.

Upon hearing Duke’s question, Kisha’s body stiffened. Frankly, she didn’t want him to know what a letdown she was in their past life. There were countless "what ifs" swirling in her head, unanswered questions that she was too afraid to confront.

She didn’t want Duke to know the extent of the sacrifices he made for her, only to meet his demise because of her actions.

If she hadn’t been so afraid of disrupting their relationship dynamic and had instead pursued him, would he have returned her feelings?

Perhaps then, they wouldn’t have been betrayed by the very people she had saved and brought into Duke’s abode.

Kisha choked on the question, struggling to find the words to respond.

She was torn between fear and honesty, unable to bring herself to lie to Duke.

Stifled by her own turmoil, she remained silent, grappling with the weight of the truth she held.

Yet, she wasn’t alone in her unease, sensing that Duke too was anxious about what her answer might reveal.

Duke rose from his seat and strode toward her, halting just inches away. A tumult of possibilities swirled through his mind, but one particular notion struck a nerve, causing his emotions to surge beyond his control.

His mind buzzed incessantly with tumultuous thoughts, a desperate attempt to expunge the unsettling notion.

But it had rooted itself deep within him, an indelible mark upon his very essence.

Before he comprehended his own actions, he found himself pressing Kisha against the couch.

Both his arms were trapping her in between while he was crouching a little, his face was a few inches away from Kisha’s.

"Tell me..." His breath was scorching against Kisha’s skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

Every hair on her body stood on end as an electrifying sensation surged through every nerve.

Her stomach churned, a tangle of nerves twisting between her thighs, as his proximity ignited an overwhelming heat within her.

She didn’t know that Duke had this effect on her because they’d never been this close before, they would always keep a safe distance from each other, as if they were protecting each other from whatever they deemed dangerous.

Although there were more times that they’d seen each other bare naked due to some accidents but the next day, they would both act as if nothing happened.

But even then, they both kept their calm.

But now, she felt a stronger pull to him.

As if her desire for him has been amplified by a hundred times.

As if, every touch would awaken something dormant in her, she never felt this with anyone, even with her lover in her past life who eventually betrayed her.

Or perhaps, her lover also felt it which resulted in him choosing to betray her instead? She had no answers to her questions and right now, her mind was in disarray because of Duke’s close proximity, as if her brain cells were fried in an instant and stopped working.

SCREECH...

Thud -

Thud -

The two were abruptly brought back to reality by the creak of the door and approaching footsteps. Reacting swiftly, Kisha shoved Duke aside while he was still in shock.

"Master, Kisha, we’ve searched the shelter, but..." Sparrow’s voice trailed off as he sensed the tension in the air. His eyes widened as he met Duke’s menacing gaze, feeling the weight of his presence causing his knees to buckle.

If only a stare could kill, he would be double dead by now or even worse. "I think, we should do a double-checking?" He staggered back as he avoided Duke’s glare, he found support from Vulture who was standing steadily behind him, seemingly unaware of Duke’s bubbling anger.

"No, tell me what you’ve discovered first," Kisha urgently stopped Sparrow before any escape attempts could be made. She wasn’t prepared to confront her inner turmoil just yet, fearing Duke’s potential reaction if he were to find out.

However, she didn’t intend to keep it hidden indefinitely; she simply needed time to realign her thoughts and emotions.

Thus, her only recourse was to temporarily utilize Sparrow and Vulture as a distraction.

Sparrow hesitated for a moment to report their findings and he sneaked a peek at Duke who was now trying to calm his emotions that were thrown all over the place while massaging the bridge of his nose in defeat.

He felt that there was something important he needed to know that Kisha was trying to avoid just now. And he knew that, whatever it was, it wasn’t good, maybe for him or for her.

This only aggravates him even more, but he doesn’t want to force the answer from her and wants her to tell him when she is ready. So he nodded at Sparrow after he rearranged his thoughts and focused on the important matter.

After seeing the go signal and seeing that Duke’s aura was going back to normal, Sparrow let out a relieved sigh as he held his wildly beating heart.

While Vulture on the other hand was clueless about what his partner was going through because, in a sense, he was a little dense in getting cues and reading the atmosphere in the room.

"We’ve been cautious not to raise any suspicions among potential hidden factions within the shelter.

Our approach for gathering intelligence under the pretext of seeking to align with the most dominant force for better benefits, all the while remaining vigilant for any irregular behavior," Sparrow advised, taking a moment’s pause before resuming.

"Initially, everything appeared mundane, but there’s one piece of information that I find rather disconcerting."

"Which is?" Kisha asked while both her arms crossed in front of her chest.

"One of the soldiers mentioned that there’s supposedly a faction aligned with one of the prominent families receiving substantial supplies regularly.

However, none of the regular soldiers or survivors have ever seen them, except for the soldier and government officials managing the shelter," Sparrow relayed, his fingers tapping against his chin as he deliberated further.

"I took it upon myself to investigate, but my scouting confirmed that besides the military presence, there are no other factions within the vicinity."

"And they’re all tight-lipped about it, so extracting further information seems futile. Additionally, I doubt that the Patriarch, Mr. and Madam Winters, are present in this location," Sparrow added with a shake of his head.

"Good," Kisha said, then she summoned Bell in front of everyone. Bell appeared slightly larger than before, having grown after emerging from its cocoon, and its presence exuded a chilling aura. Even Sparrow couldn’t shake the feeling of something crawling beneath his skin upon seeing Bell’s thick legs.

"Wha-What’s that?!" Sparrow croaked.

"This is my contracted beast." Kisha explained as she looked at Bell who was flying around in front of her.

"Contracted beast? Was it the one controlling those armies of bees that helped us navigate through the highway?" Sparrow asked after remembering the unusual actions of the bees from the highway.

Kisha nodded. While Duke looked at Bell with amusement, although, he had somehow figured it out, but this was still the first time he saw a queen bee this big.