chapter 5

The next day.

Aphrodite was sleeping peacefully. The comfy and cozy bed she was sleeping on made her feel as if she's in heaven. The soothing wind coming from the open window next to her, gently touched her skin. She partially gained conscious but since she likes to sleep in late most of the time, she didn't want to get up from her own fantasy world, but only this time she wasn't able to control her own world of imagination.

A strange vibration coming from her pocket brought her attention back into this world. She hesitantly got up and seized her phone from her pocket. 'Ruby' was the name she read in her mind with her drowsy eyes.

"Hey rubs. Why'd you call this early? It's still 9am." Said aphrodite, wanting to lose her conscious and leave this world of make-believe into her own.

"EARLY?! girl do you even know where the hell are you?!" Ruby screamed at aphrodite which caused a loud vibration in her eardrums. "Jeez what's with you? I'm in my room, where else would I be?" Said aphrodite, being careless around her surroundings.

"Oh for the love of God, look around you!! Can you not be a lousy pig who sleeps in wherever the place might be?!" Ruby continues screaming at aphrodite being annoyed and worried about her best friend's safety.

"The hell are you on about this damn early? I'm in my-" aphrodite looks up at the unfamiliar ceiling, which looked fancy with the crystal chandelier. She immediately got up from her so called heaven and looked around the room. "Where the hell am I?" Said aphrodite being dumbfounded as she is.

"Now you look at your surroundings? Do you not remember what happened yesterday?!" Said Ruby which gave aphrodite a slight headache since she was trying her best to remember.

In a few moments, aphrodite recalled that she met Aiden the day before and collapsed, but surely she was with ruby. "Wait wasn't I with you? Who took me away from you?" Aphrodite asked her best friend. She could feel her heart beat rising up, and her feet trembling. She hoped that it wasn't Aiden who brought her to where she is.

"I was trying to get you to the hospital but the man we met yesterday took you away. I hesitated but he seemed powerful since his bodyguards stopped me from getting closer to you." Ruby told everything to aphrodite. Though they met the day before it self, they've created a deep bond between them. Hearing what Ruby said, aphrodite was stunned.

She spoke in a soft, low voice "Ruby, I'll handle this. Just continue with your work, I'll call the office for a sick leave soon." And hung up. The beautiful, lavishing room caught her attention again, But what caught her deep attention was the large portrait in the room. Looking at the portrait, she was frozen as if time stopped working. She immediately got out of the bed and got closer to the portrait. Her eyes became gloomy and brought back various memories to her. She was in a wretched state, and her headache started getting worse because of her regaining memories.

The portrait which aphrodite was gazing at, was a portrait of herself with Aiden and Aaron. She knew that picture was taken 14 years ago, her age being 7 and the boys being 10 and 9.

A strange presence entered into the room, gazing at aphrodite. The connection he felt before was now deeper, as if a knot was created tightly with their imaginative threads. He noticed that aphrodite was immersed into the portrait he always loved. With a smirk, he closed the door which caught aphrodite's attention.

"Who are you? Are you the one who brought me here?" Said aphrodite, who pretended that she doesn't know him at all. "Allow me to introduce myself, princess. I am Aiden Lockhart, CEO of Elowen Institutes and the soul dragon of the Phoenix empire." Said Aiden in his attractive deep tone, which made aphrodite lose her mind deep down."Do you know these people in the portrait? You seemed to be lost looking at it." He questioned aphrodite while getting closer to her.

Aphrodite was tensed. She didn't know what to think or answer, but gathering up her confidence and strength she looked at his magnificent dark blue eyes "I don't care who you are, but you have no right to bring me to wherever this place is without my consent. I'll report this issue as kidnapping to the court if you don't let me go." Aiden chuckled at aphrodite and pinned her against the portrait. "Relax, princess. I won't bite you. I just offered help when you collapsed infront of me"

Aphrodite was having mixed feelings, she thought she was hallucinating but she got her confirmation that it isn't an illusion after getting pinned to the portrait behind her. She looked up at Aiden, who was just inches away from her face and lost her confidence. She didn't understand why she didn't have the courage to push him away, instead she was doing nothing but blush very hard.

"You didn't answer my question, princess." He said in his deep, husky voice which always made aphrodite lose her mind. She didn't want to be seen so weak and vulnerable infront of him, being pinned by him this easily insulted aphrodite in a way but also brought her goosebumps and chills. "I don't know these people, I was just admiring the beauty of this portrait. Nothing else." Aphrodite answered him.

Aiden came in closer to aphrodite and whispered in her ear, "lying is bad, princess. And I don't like bad girls, Aren't you a good girl?" Aphrodite was completely losing it, she didn't understand what she was feeling at all. After getting a reason that this is a bad start for a ceo to meet his employee, aphrodite pushed him away with full force which made Aiden fall on the bed that was just a few meters behind him.

"Behave yourself, I've answered with complete honesty. It's not my fault when you don't believe it." Aphrodite spoke her in cold, deep voice.

"Is this how you thank me? I've offered help willingly, and saved you." Aiden questioned aphrodite with an attractive smile. Aphrodite avoided looking at his face and replied, "you took me away from my best friend, not offered to help. I didn't need you to save me either, I just lost conscious for a while." Aphrodite spoke in a cold tone, that somehow made Aiden chuckle even more.

"I have better things to do than waste my time here. I'll take my leave." Said aphrodite, who was rushing out. She was surprised that Aiden didn't stop her, but took it as a chance and got out of the building.

...___________...

It was the season of autumn, the maple leaves were falling and everything in the scenery looked beautiful to him. He gently held his tea cup and relished the fragrance of his tea. In the image, everything seemed perfect in his life but he had many things to worry about deep down. His presence was powerful, and a mystery.

He was interrupted by a mysterious woman, who was young and beautiful. "My lord, we've received news about miss aphrodite." She spoke in a calm, gentle tone. The mysterious man who had silver hair and light blue eyes turned around to the woman. "What is it about? Is she in trouble?" Asked the man with perturbed feeling.

"Worry not, my lord. She's safe for now but I doubt for the future. Someone tried investing  young madam's personal details, and ofcource failed. They tried looking into her background, specifically about when she was 9 years old. As we expected, it was the Lockhart family." Said the woman with grace.

"Looks like the time has come indeed. I have to protect her at all costs. She's going to have a very hard time for a while but I'm not going to sit here and do nothing. After all, It's my duty to protect my family, and specially since sapphire is the last bloodline of the Lysander family and true heir of our dragon empire." The man said, putting his antique tea cup aside.

He got up from his chair and walked towards the rails of the balcony, "Worry not, my little gemstone. I'm always here to protect you no matter where you are, and how you are." Said the mysterious man, holding a maple leaf.

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