MANIPULATED Book B (Sequel to Tempted)

13. Oh My Darling

Despite being on a couch, in an office, with a mysterious man, you think you had the best sleep of your life. You wake up feeling fully rested and refreshed. The air around you feels lighter and actually breathable. And you no longer feel that gratuitous sadness weighing on your shoulders.

There's something in the atmosphere that makes this lonely place a little more beautiful.

You sit up on the couch and look to the very large window behind you. Dark stands there, with his arms behind his back admiring the red outdoors. The light creates a red halo around his broad figure, highlighting some lose strands of hair and outlining every fold on his suit.

When he senses another awareness, he turns to see you looking at him. He has a pleasant look on his face, unlike his usual hard look of a business man. "Good. You're awake. Did you sleep well?"

You nod, wiping the sleep out of your eyes. "Surprisingly, yes. I really needed that."

"I could tell. You didn't toss or turn at all. I almost feared that you might have decided to stop breathing."

Something about that makes you laugh a little. And for the first time, you think you might have just seen Dark slightly chuckle.

"What period is it?" You ask.

He walks out of the pool of light. "Just approaching Wake."

"So you need to leave soon?"

"Indeed. But I have a feeling I won't be very long today."

This question has been nagging you to ask him. "So Dark? Where do you go? As an ego, what business needs to be done? What is there to do when you're not... You know... Showing up in videos?"

His face hardens slightly in thought of the right answer to say. You wondered if you shouldn't have asked. You've been doing so well with getting along with him and now you might have just ruined it all.

"What I do concerns me only. I understand you are curious, and may even think you deserve to know why your host must leave you at certain periods, and you are correct. And you will find out when the time comes. I promise you that. But for now, I will continue to leave until I find it deemed unnecessary."

You're surprised at his calm tone. So maybe you do overestimate his temper. "Okay."

"I promise not to be long. I know that leaving you at this state of mind may not be ideal..."

"No. No I'm fine. I'll be okay. Im feeling really good actually."

He takes in that information and nods his head confirming. "Good. Good." Then he goes to the office door, looks back at you one more time, walks out, leaving the door ajar.

You decide to head back to your room. And on the way you pass a hall with tall windows and curtains. But as you turn a corner, you think you see out if the corner of your eye, one of the curtains suddenly move in a jerk motion.

Even a strong draft wouldn't do that.

Not now...

You quickly go to your room and close the door, but you already feel his presence in the room with you.

You're scared to, but you close your eyes and let it happen.

You hear a knife lodge into the door next to your ear. You open your eyes to see Anti's face inches away from yours.

"Hello." He says with a devious smile.

"You're not real." These are the first words you've spoken to him in a very long time.