The Unmatched Beauty

Chapter 12

Not normal at all!

"You bitch! You are just some sheltered princess! You got everything handed onto you on a silver platter! You will never understand the life at the streets! You can pretend but you will never understand!"

Ran spat venomous words through gritted teeth as she tried to endure the intense pain from her arms that bent the other way. She glared at Adira's visage so hatefully that if looks could kill, Adira must've been shredded mercilessly by now.

Adira, unfazed with Ran's murderous hostility, looked down at her like an almighty figure looking at an insignificant dust before letting a cold and condescending smirk decorate her beautiful face.

"I do not need to understand it, Miss Fang." Adira addressed her distantly. Letting her have just a little bit of face from being addressed with the name of the third strongest family of the East. "Wanna know why?"

Ran remained silent as she watched Adira's arrogance being displayed without holding back.

"I. Am. Adira Costello." Adira simply spoke, enunciating and emphasizing her name— the name that meant absolute power beside the family name that symbolized this omnipotence.

A Costello, after all, does not need to stoop low for someone as insignificant as her; a child from a mere third rank family. How dare she try to antagonize Adira?

Archard, who stood just a few steps away from Adira and Ran's trembling figure— cowering at the dominance that Adira flaunted majestically and beautifully—, admired this side to Adira unknown to him.

Chills ran up and down his spine, pleasuring him immensely that he was mentally thanking his father— the Gods, spirits and all the invisible compelling force— a thousand— no, nth— times for arranging Adira to be his fiancee.

Ah, she's the one.

He thought to himself excitedly. He continued to observe how Adira slowly took a few steps away from Ran's figure and turned to him, immediately returning to the Adira he knew.

"Let's go. This is enough." She said briefly and passed by Archard, the soft sea breeze making her hair flow gently.

"Eh? You're just gonna let her off with that? You're not gonna kill her?" Archard asked with genuine curiosity. In their dark underground world, it was normal to kill your prey after all, especially when they tried to take your life.

Adira halted on her place, a few steps away from the rundown warehouse's entrance and turned back to Archard; an incredulous stare on her pretty blue eyes.

"Seriously? She didn't manage to kill me so why should I? Isn't that a bit unnecessary?"

Adira stated like it was the most obvious fact and Archard was an idiot for not seeing it. However, to Archard, Adira was the odd one.

Why wouldn't she kill someone that posed a threat to her life? Even someone as weak as this whore is still danger! Archard cannot settle it in him why Adira would let her go. Why risk that small possibility of this bitch wanting to take revenge and endanger her life again?

"Why? Well, she could come back and kill you! So why wait to be killed if you can strike her first?"

"She won't come back. Will you?" Adira reassured Archard before looking past him and sent a silent threat to the lady with the broken arms.

Ran shivered as she saw the murderous glint the danced in Adira's eyes as she threatened her. The way how the lights that bounced off the various shrapnel scattered around seemed to cast a cold glow to Adira blue gems sent shivers down her spine.

Although she was angry as hell at the humiliation she suffered from this sheltered princess, she also couldn't deny the fact that she was scary. She was the silent yet fiery type of scary contrary to the explosive yet chilling type of scary that was Archard Marcatto.

She nodded her head vehemently while trying not to look at Adira's gaze.

Seeing this, Adira once again turned to Archard, who also looked back to her after seeing Ran's vigorous nodding, and showed a small smile that wordlessly told him "I told you so." that Archard could only shake his head as he sighed with a small smile.

He properly escorted her back to the car and they left the aching Ran in the abandoned warehouse.

..

Now that Archard was sure of himself. It was high time he let Adira be aware of his real identity.

Sure, he liked the feeling of getting close to Adira without her knowledge of the real him but, he still preferred to openly declare his claim on her. That way, he'll be able to keep a few bugs away.

Archard briefly stopped in front of the Costello's gates. Adira was about to get off the car when her attention was seized by the slow opening of the gates, as if naturally letting Archard in.

Right. This is definitely weird now. Since when did this outrageous family been so welcoming of strangers? The first time, I can understand. But now...

Adira mused to herself while feeling the car move forward as they were granted access. No matter if the car carried their mistress, they never let anyone they do not know enter as smoothly as this!

Unless..

Adira's thoughts trailed off before her gaze wandered to this hatefully handsome driver she just got. She was having wild speculations about her family's attitude towards Archard and she can't help but dread one particular— most plausible— answer.

"Archard." Now his name just flows naturally, huh? You adapt too fast, Adira.

And on par with Hachiko's loyalty, the man happily turned to her with a hum while unbuckling his seatbelt after parking the car properly.

"Who are you really? I'm not so sure of you now, Mister Marcatto. But if there's one thing I am damn sure of, it's that you're not a normal person." Adira's doubtful stare pierced through Archard's unbothered and happy eyes. To him, everything Adira did was adorable and lovable—well, everything nice.

"Am I? True, I might not be normal after all." He said vaguely before scooping a few bunch of tendrils from Adira's chocolate locks and planted a kiss on them. "Seeing how I am easily captured by you like this is definitely not normal."

Adira's cheeks burned at the sudden gesture made by this devilishly handsome dog that she unknowingly scooted back so much her back was literally sticking against the car door.

"W-W-Wha!! What was that for?! Stupid Archard!" She exclaimed and fumbled clumsily at the seatbelt to release herself and just escape from that tight space. Anymore and she just might develop claustrophobia.

Archard chuckled softly at her flustering figure before helping her get free from the material restraining her and she immediately jumped down as soon as she was free, disappearing behind the doors.

She really is too damn cute.

He only sighed contentedly to himself.