Before West could respond, Elina guided his hand gently towards her chest...
just enough for him to realize what she meant.
West stiffened.
His brain short-circuited for a brief, dangerous second.
He didn’t move his hand further nor push it away either.
His fingers partly sunk in underneath the darkness, feeling up her chest. She wasn’t as busty as Aria but she wasn’t small either.
She was at least Double Ds’.
Who knew that the nerdy girl had such a side to her...
The moment lingered before she gently pulled back, as if nothing had happened.
West stared straight ahead for the rest of the movie, still in disbelief. He’d only known her for like two days so he it was quite the surprise that she had developed such a quick interest in him.
Afterward, the two families had dinner together, laughter filling the table as if nothing strange or life-threatening had happened that day.
When it was time to part ways, Elina blushed and slipped West her number.
"Text me," she said quickly. "About... normal things."
West smiled. "Normal things."
As he and his father headed back toward their room, West rounded a corner and nearly collided with someone.
Upon closer look, it was the woman from the plaza...
The same one.
Half her face was still hidden behind a designer nose mask and she still radiated the same an intensity that made the air feel heavier.
"Oh," West said dryly. "You again. Don’t worry, I didn’t bump into you this time."
She stared at him for a long moment.
Then said, "We have much to discuss."
West frowned. "I already apologized yesterday."
"Not that."
She released just a fraction of her presence and West was immediately able to tell that she was awakened.
His eyes narrowed as he turned to his father. "Dad, go ahead. I’ll catch up."
Mark hesitated. "You sure?"
West smiled easily and wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulder.
"She’s a friend. We just need to talk."
Mark nodded, reassured, and walked off.
The man in the suit beside the woman went pale.
"You’re touching... the mistress..."
His eyes screamed this boy is already dead.
The moment Mark was out of sight, West removed his arm and stepped back.
"You’re lucky you didn’t freak my father out," he said calmly. "What do you want?"
The assistant looked like he was witnessing a live execution because no one ever spoke to her like that.
And no one touched her at all...
But West had just done both.
He had signed his death warrant.
The assistant turned to the mistress, expecting to see an expression that meant West was in danger...
Instead...
The woman laughed lightly with an amused tone like West had just done something entertaining on purpose.
Contrary to the assistant’s widening eyes and silent funeral prayer for West’s soul, she didn’t tear his arm off. She didn’t even flinch.
She tilted her head slightly, sliding over him with her gaze like he was a puzzle piece she couldn’t fit into any of her usual pictures.
"It has been a long time," she voiced with a calm and smooth voice like honey, "since anyone has addressed me so casually... violated my personal space twice within the span of twenty-four hours... and laid hands on me without consent."
The suited assistant’s shoulders visibly tensed as if he was bracing for the part where West would be punished in creative ways.
The woman continued, almost thoughtfully, "Any one of those acts should be punishable by a near-death experience."
West raised an eyebrow and then his mouth moved before his brain could fully approve it.
"Okay, first of all—" he raised a hand, "just because you’re taller than me doesn’t mean you get to narrate my death like it’s an audiobook. I already apologized for bumping into you yesterday..."
The assistant inhaled sharply.
West went on, spilling out more words like his confidence had learned how to wear a suit and tie.
"And second, being awakened doesn’t give you the right to treat weaker people however you want. If you have any intention of bullying me, I’m afraid you’re going to be disappointed."
He subtly shifted his stance, ready to move if this encounter was going to turn into a fight.
His eyes watched her shoulders, hips and the angle of her feet... Awakened fights ended fast. Either you ended it fast too... or you ended.
West’s fingers twitched, ready to call up his skills.
The woman didn’t move.
She only smiled beneath the nose mask as her eyes narrowed with mild amusement.
"You’re quite confident," she said, "for a Tier One awakened."
West’s posture stiffened.
He didn’t react dramatically... his lips only twitched slightly.
"...I didn’t tell you I was awakened."
"I know," she replied. "I can tell you’re Tier One. Recently awakened too."
The assistant looked like he wanted to clap, cry, and faint at the same time.
West’s mind raced.
How?
He’d been careful.
He hadn’t activated his branch today. He hadn’t done anything flashy. He’d kept it all within the realm of "maybe he’s just athletic."
Unless...
Unless she could sense it the way sharks sensed blood.
She took a step closer...
"And no," she added with an almost bored tone, "I have no intention of bullying you."
West scoffed. "Wow. Congratulations. You want a certificate for basic decency?"
The assistant’s eye twitched.
"Kid—"
West didn’t even look at him. "Shut up."
The assistant’s jaw dropped as if West had just slapped the laws of nature.
The woman’s smile widened a little, like she was enjoying the show.
Then, without warning, she reached up and pulled the designer nose mask down.
It was like the hallway got brighter.
Not literally... but the effect was real.
Her face was... difficult. Not because there was anything wrong with it but because it was the kind of striking that made your brain hesitate.
She had sharp cheekbones, smooth skin and a poised elegance that didn’t look like it belonged in a resort hallway at night. Her lips were semi full and pinkish... she was truly pretty but her eyes were the real problem...
They were calm, assessing and predatory in a refined way.
Her hair was tied up, but West could tell it was long, the kind of long that probably looked effortless even when it wasn’t.
She looked mature, yes... but not old. West’s guessed she was in her early twenties at the very least.
West’s chest suddenly tightened as he struggled to place the familiarity.
The curve of her eyes, the shape of her lips, that expression—
He’d seen this face before... never in person but he had definitely seen her somewhere...
A screen perhaps?
His mouth went dry as it suddenly clicked when she said her name.
"I am, Zu Li."
West froze properly this time.
The name hit like a punch.
This was Dragon Fang Gang leader... Miss Zu Li.
The woman in the news described as ruthless, brilliant, and terrifying. The one who was supposedly in her thirties but looked like she could pass for early twenties without even trying.
West mind rearranged itself as he stared at her.
Why is someone like that here?
Why is she... talking to me?
The assistant leaned forward slightly, as if expecting West to drop to his knees and start singing praises.
Unfortunately for him, West did none of that.
He inhaled slowly, forcing himself to remain calm on the surface.
"If you’re Miss Zu Li," West said carefully, "then what exactly do you want with me?"