The moment I pa.s.sed through the exit of the indoor garden, I felt someone was looking at me and my instincts did me justice. Not too far from me, a conspicuous person was boring holes at me and his facial expression baffled me.

His face was blank yet my instincts tell me that he's… sad?

When I glanced at him again, he started taking steps towards me. Thinking that he was here to bring me back to the dining room, I made the initiative to state my plan to leave.

"Apologies Lance, I will no longer go back to the dining room. I will now go home."

I turned my back on him but he managed to catch my wrist making me reflexively look at him.

"Don't let yourself be swallowed by the darkness. Don't be afraid. Even if Louis will leave you, you will never be alone."

Lance's voice was mellow and it brought an unknown warmth in my chest. Lamentably, my mind cannot agree with what he said and doused that warm feelings with a bucket of cold rationality.

'Be swallowed by the darkness? I am darkness itself. Me? Afraid to be alone? I am always on my own, I don't need anybody in my life.'

I kept my sneers inside my mind and let him continue with his nonsense.

"Maria, even if you hate Charlotte, don't let yourself be tainted with hatred. I know that deep inside, you are a gentle and kind person."

'Looks like I didn't notice that I had an audience who watched the farce from the start 'till the end. Now arrives the ambush interview.'

I freed myself from his hold and I scoffed.

"Maybe, you're right. I used to be gentle and kind but what did it bring me? I was blamed for something I've never done and shamed as a bully even though the one being bullied is me!"

The bitterness of the old Maria's past engulfed my mind and heart. My anger rooted from the foreign memories.

Or so I think…

"So… you really won't cancel your engagement with Louis?" He asked in a low voice.

"Ha! In the end, it's about the engagement, not about whether I changed for the better or for the worse." I snickered. "Are you threatened that your brother may s.n.a.t.c.h your right on inheriting the Hamilton enterprises?"

He looked at me with wide eyes then gave me a bitter smile.

"You don't get it do you, Maria?"

My eyebrow rose up and I replied sarcastically.

"Unfortunately Lance, I never a.s.sume unless otherwise stated. My point is, I don't get it."

Without waiting for him to talk back, I took large steps leaving him behind. When I reached the hotel lobby, something or more like someone caught my eyes.

He was just a couple meters away from the hotel entrance. His sharp blue eyes were scanning the area as if a hawk trying to look for its prey. When his eyes caught a glimpse of me…

'Oh s.h.i.+t, another ambush.'

I was planning to ignore him but I remembered that I need him for my plans of destruction for Harlot. Thus, I flashed a friendly smile at him.

My smile was enough to make any man, whether young or old, blush. Yet what was this dude's reaction?

'The dude just frowned! Give me back my smile! What's up with him and Lance? Do they always have to perform a combo attack against me?'

While I was mentally reprimanding him, he already made his way towards me and took me by the hand. Without asking for my permission, he pulled me out of the hotel and dumped me inside the same car we rode from before.

He sat close to me but remained silent.

"Let me guess, Elizabeth asked you to pick me up at the hotel and send me home." I eyed him as I tried to see what kind of reaction he would give.

Much to my disappointment, he didn't reply. His gaze was outside the car, looking at the pa.s.sing scenery of the city.

'Like what they say, let the sleeping dogs lie.'

I shrugged and paid him no mind.

"Why?" His magnetic voice pulled my attention. "Why you didn't cancel the engagement with Louis?"

'Seriously?! Again with this question?!'

"I've talked with your father and he told me that the fate of this engagement will depend on you." Hannibal finally looked at me. "Therefore, I can say that it was your decision to let the engagement continue."

"I have no reason to cancel the engagement." I nonchalantly replied.

I suddenly felt my waist forcefully being pulled towards him. We were now facing each other; chest to chest and nose to nose. So near I could feel his breath on my face.

"Why can't I be the reason?" His voice, eyes and facial expression seemed to lure me and my sanity.

It took a lot of mental control for me not to say yes but it doesn't mean I would say no.

"What an enticing suggestion." I smiled at him as I caressed his cheek. "Hannibal Raven, show me how you can sweep me off my feet and bring me to your side."

"A sly provocation but I accept this challenge. It won't take long before you become mine, Maria Lily Burnsworth."

Hannibal flashed me a devious smile making me think that I might've invited a lion unto my garden.

'Fufufu~ let's see who will be eaten at the end.'