EXCEPTION

Chapter 17. Lie

It’s been two hours since they sent me back to my room. Alone in the dimly lit room, I find my thoughts consumed by what happened, my weary eyes struggling to resist the call of sleep. I’ve been trying to stop myself from doing what’s on my mind. I wanted to follow Courtney and ask those questions that kept bubbling in my head, especially about his disappearance. But the warning I got from his men was more than enough to convince me that it’s best if I leave him alone for now.

In the middle of this train of thought, a knock on the door broke it off.

“Come in,” I said softly until one of his men entered my room.

“Good evening, Ms. Adeleine.” He bowed slightly. “Sir Courtney wants to see you. He’s waiting for you in his room.”

His voice sounded stiff and professional, as it always does when he talks to Courtney. I quickly nodded until he finally walked out.

Without hesitation, I stood up from my bed and brushed my hair in front of the mirror. I put some makeup on to conceal any traces of worrying I may have done tonight and finally left my room. I made my way through several twists and turns until I finally reached his door.

My heart began beating faster, wondering why he wanted to see me. When I turned the handle and opened the door to enter the room, I immediately found a pair of blue eyes staring at me.

It’s him. Courtney Siegel. He was standing before the table, unmoving.

My feet froze when we met each other’s gaze, and mine slowly moved down to his naked torso. Despite the scratches and bruises on his exposed skin, he still managed to be incredibly gorgeous. Sexy as fuck.

Stop it, self!

“Join me,” He said, pulling me out of my stupid fantasy. He walked to the other side of the table. He grabbed the bottle of champagne and uncorked it before filling both glasses with it. The liquid glistened under the flickering light from the candles placed in the middle of the table. “Have a seat.” He gestured to a chair next to him.

“Yeah, sure.” I immediately complied with what he told me to do, feeling my cheeks heat up as I took a seat. I looked away from him when he handed me one glass filled with champagne. I took a sip, hoping it’d calm the nerves that were still racing. He sat there quietly for a few seconds, observing me as I took another sip. His eyes bore into mine as he stared me down while I tried drinking as fast as possible. I could tell by the gleam in his irises that he was watching me carefully. And despite that dark stare, there was an undeniable allure about him that I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him. His stance was relaxed, yet it somehow exuded authority. It’s different from what I saw earlier. I guess his mood returned to normal because he seemed to be more calm now.

“So, how are you?” I asked, without glancing back at him.

“Great,” He answered as he leaned back against his chair. “I’m sorry for what happened earlier.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s fine.” I let out a short smile and then put my glass on the table.

He poured more champagne into our glass. “You sure I’m not making you uncomfortable?”

I shook my head. “No.”

“Then why can’t you look at me? Are you afraid of me now?”

I heaved a deep sigh, my hands gripping the rim of the glass tightly. “Of course not.”

“Good.” He smiled hotly, but I acted like it didn’t affect me at all.

I couldn’t deny that my curiosity had gotten the better of me. I wanted to ask all sorts of things. What did happen after he disappeared? What could he be hiding that would upset me?