Praeson? This—this is Praeson? Which means he’s a vampire and Praneos is probably one too . . .

“Ever so beautiful and charming, my dear Princess.”

Ms Pink flinches slightly but it doesn’t escape my eyes. “False flattery gets you nowhere, Praeson.”

Said vampire raises am ash-grey brow and smiles. “Is that so? The last I remember, you seemed to enjoy receiving compliments.

Last time? Why does it sound like they have a history together? I narrow my eyes and hunch my shoulders as a strong sense of dislike for this vampire powers up inside me.

“You should also remember I do not think highly of vampires who profess to be gentlevampires yet resort to kidnapping,” Ms Pink retorts, turning to present her bound arms as an example.

Praeson tosses his head and barks with laughter. “I knew it. Praneos! You cheat!”

Praneos merely shrugs and grins. “You wanted her unscathed and unharmed but I’m not ready to die an ugly death yet so . . .”

“Don’t tell me you brought your yenews—what am I saying—of course you did,” says Praeson, shaking his head, smiling.

“I brought ten. She hurt two of them, the poor things.”

“Ten?” Praeson raises his brow. “That’s a little overboard, don’t you think?”

“Don’t ever underestimate Princess Pan Ni.”

“What do you the two of you want,” snaps Ms Pink. I can sense her rage. It is at boiling point.

Praeson offers her a smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “All I want to know is what your secretary was doing, poking around my company.”

“What are you talking about.”

“Bring her out,” Praeson commands and from the shadows where he appeared from, a figure emerges.

“Seo!” I gasp.

“Ms Pink, I am sorry,” says Seo, her head bowed. “I have let you down.”

“Let her go,” says Ms Pink with a voice of steel.

“So you admit that Executive Secretary Seo was sent by you to spy on my company?”

Ms Pink grits her teeth. “Yes.”

“Should I report this to the Sovereign then.”

“Do as you wish.”

I watch as Praeson struts around Ms Pink, his eyes glowing red as he looks at her chemise-clad body. A growl wants to escape my lips but I hold it in, simmering in my increasing dislike for him.

“Mmm, but I am more interested in knowing why.”

“There’s no need for you to know,” Ms Pink hedges.

“Ah, but I want to.” Praeson stops in front of Ms Pink and lifts her chin with a finger. She jerks her head away and steps back. There’s nothing I want more than to pull Ms Pink away from him but the two yenew men keep me standing on the spot. “I want to know why you’re showing dishonourable attention on my company when you so clearly rejected my interest after leading me on.”

Oh my God. I’m right! Ms Pink and Praeson had something in the past!

Stupid human. Be quiet.

“For the umpteenth time, I did not lead you on. I was interested but I changed my mind. A lady is allowed to do that.”

“You’re hiding something from me.” Praeson walks to a grey chair that looks like a bird’s nest and sits. “What are you hiding.”

Ms Pink holds her chin up with an air of arrogance. “There is nothing to hide.”

“Oh, that’s what you say, but I have to disagree.”

“Your disagreement does not change the truth.”

“I have reason to believe the truth you present is twisted for a purpose.”

“You have always been the imaginative type.”

“Imaginative I may be, but delusional I am not. You see, you can’t hide what you truly love.”

Ms Pink’s jaw clenches. “I love nothing.”

Praeson smiles and shakes his head. “You love PINK.”

“And nothing else.”

“You loved your claim.”

“I did not.”

“Yoohuan. Am I right?”

“Don’t you dare speak her name, bastard.”

I gasp from the waves of hate radiating from Ms Pink. Her anger is so strong that I’m surprised no one else seems to notice or sense anything. Then again, it doesn’t show on her carefully schooled poker face. Her lips aren’t even trembling. Not a single inch of her body or stance gives away what she truly feels. It is unbelievable.

“I have apologized for the accident. Many times. Sincerely. I never meant to kill her.”

Praeson killed Ms Pink’s claim too?

“Shut up.”

“Pan Ni—”

“Shut up!” Ms Pink’s chest and shoulders are heaving and I can see her straining against her bonds. I’ve never seen Ms Pink more agitated than this. Her eyes flash brilliant pink and I can almost see flames leaping off her skin. But the flames appear on Praeson instead, burning his dark grey pullover.

Immediately, two yenews step forward and extinguish the flames with what looks a lot like an actual fire extinguisher that humans use, leaving specks of white that look like snow on his pullover.

“You can’t burn me, Pan Ni. My clothes are flame resistant too.”

“Bastard.”

“Insults are unbecoming of a princess like you.”

“I will burn your gingamobs to ashes.”

Praeson’s eyes widen. “My gingamobs you say.” He chuckles. “You have become much bolder in your language with regards to intimate body parts since then, Pan Ni.”

“That’s Princess Pan Ni to you,” Ms Pink says in a low voice. I can sense her trying desperately to calm herself down. What game is she playing? Pulling herself to her full height, she stares straight at Praeson with eyes of pink steel and says, “Is this all you have to say. You are detaining us unnecessarily.”

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