With a creased forehead and crossed arms, I gazed at him. “What does that mean?” 

I jerked when one of his hands suddenly snaked around my waist pulling me closer to his body.

“It’s suspicious that you’re throwing yourself to me at speed,” he whispered. His other hand went to my stomach and rubbed it slowly.

Is he checking if I’m really pregnant?

I’m getting nervous. I feel like things are not happening the way I want it to happen. He’s suspicious of me. Just why the f--k did I say I’m pregnant?! I must be an idiot!

“And do you know what’s infuriating me?” He stared down on my lips but brought back his gaze to my eyes immediately. “It’s infuriating that I’m letting you do it.”

He let go of me and asked coldly, “What do you want from me?”

I stared back at him. “I told you, I’m pregnant.”

“And if you are not?” He sounded a little bit cynical.

“Well you can just get me pregnant, can’t you?”

We stared at each other with that same intensity but then he suddenly flicked my forehead with his finger. “Ah!” I cried and rubbed my forehead to ease the pain.

“Stop bothering me. I’m a busy person and I don’t have time to play with you.”

The next thing I knew, he’s already pushing me out of the door while I’m struggling to stay inside.

“At least let me have a glass of water!” I screamed as I am trying so hard to hold onto the door frame so that he won’t shut the door.

“I know you’re not pregnant,” he said with that as-a-matter-of-fact tone. “And whatever you want from me, whatever that is, I can’t give you that.”

“Then why did you ask for my number, you moron!”

He didn’t answer.

“I don’t want to go as far as giving you money, so get lost.”

“What?! You think I want money?”

“Why else would you be here pretending that you’re pregnant?”

“Why are you saying I’m just pretending!” I exclaimed.

“That lady, is because nothing sexual happened to us that night.”

“What?!” I literally screamed my lungs out.

I’m so confused!

“So what happened--” I wasn’t able to finish what I’m saying because he had already slammed the door in my face.

Sh-t!

Fine! Fine! Forget the mission! I will just break into the palace to install the bug!

D-mn it! Why is that freakin’ prince making this hard for me?! So nothing ‘sexual’ happened to us? So I just looked stupid to him saying I’m pregnant when nothing even happened! So humiliating!

I marched my way into the elevator. I am so frustrated!

When I arrived on the ground floor, I became a little wobbly on my knees. There’s something about elevator rides that makes me a little dizzy.

I went out of the building but then stopped.

I suddenly remember what’s at stake if I can’t make this work. I forced my eyes to close, breathe in and out deeply in order to calm myself down. Then I faced the entrance of the gigantic apartment building again.

The building is aesthetically beautiful with an alternating shade of emerald green and white. The building is so symmetrical that it looks like the left and the right part is mirroring each other. The center is pointed and then it spreads widely resembling that of a rectangular object placed slantedly in front of a mirror. Because of that effect, the building looked like three buildings merged together. The center is the tallest, and from what I heard, it has 100 floors. The right and left side both have 80 floors. This is like the most luxurious and the most expensive apartment building in the whole kingdom.

Rathna, Rathna, you need to calm down. Suck up your pride. This is not about clinging into a guy. This is about Soma’s mission. You weren’t rejected by a guy, okay? This is all part of what you have to do.

After I made that resolution, I entered the building again. If somebody’s watching me, that person might think I’m insane for going in and out of this building in such a short period of time.

So I have to experience the torturous elevator ride up to the 85th floor again.

My precious pride just wouldn’t let me press the doorbell or even knock on his door. I just can’t! It’s humiliating!

In the end, I stayed outside his apartment. I don’t know how long I waited there but it was long enough to make me doze off while sitting on the floor outside of his apartment.

I woke up when my subconscious felt like someone was staring at me. I went into an alert mode; ready to plunge any time. But then just as when I am about to attack the stranger, I stopped when I realized who it was.

My hand was able to stop just an inch from his vital spot on the neck. But the most interesting thing is he didn’t even flinch. Not even a bit. Which is not normal for a normal person. Normally, one would freak out, move away out of fright, or simply react as a reflex.

“Why are you so stubborn? Why are you sleeping here?”

I hugged his neck and rested my head on his shoulder.

“I’m sleepy,” I mumbled in a drowsy tone.

“Of course you are. It’s already midnight.”

My alertness went away when I saw it was him. And now I’m back to being sleepy.

“Play with me, Neuron.” I did not hear a response. “Even if you don’t have time, please play with me.”

I can vaguely remember what happened next, or if he said anything. All I can remember is that I felt him scoop me up. When I opened my eyes, it’s already morning.