"Not really…" Aaric, or Dr. Steve in this case, spoke slowly. Probably being not so sure of his impromptu plan. But then, he grabbed Mila's wrist and forced her to stand because she wouldn't take his hand on her own accord. "But I certainly know a way out of this place."

Mila who heard this could only roll her eyes. Of course Aaric knew the way out of this place, he must have been through this research building hundreds of times, but that wasn't the problem they were facing right now.

​​

The problem was, could they get out of this research center without attracting the attention of so many people, while for now, Mila was one of the most important research objects they have.

"And how are you going to bring me out without them knowing?" Mila asked again. "The thing is I am very popular in this place, don't forget that particular fact."

Aaric laughed when he heard Mila's statement. "Yeah, it is a shame that you are so popular in this place and you can't possess other people's bodies like I do. Not to mention about your glaring white hair."

Mila raised an eyebrow, as if waiting for what else Aaric would complain about her. "Well, or I can just wait here until the vampires come and save me, so that I can get out of here in a much safer way."

"You want them to take you? How much do you want to marry the vampire king now?" Aaric frowned disapprovingly.

This time Mila took two steps closer, leaving no distance between them, while she stared at Aaric with her deep, probing misty eyes. "Are you manipulating me so I don't return to my own people? It is possible that you are the one who actually kidnapped me and the story about me, leaving my place with you fifty years ago wasn't even my wish to begin with."

If what Aaric said wasn't entirely true, maybe this man had added spice to the story here and there to make Mila believe that they both loved each other and were on the run to avoid the arranged marriage. Meaning, the truth was not really like that...

Anything was possible, right? And Mila couldn't remember anything about what had happened, so she couldn't decide upon which part was true and which wasn't.

"Don't say something you don't know for sure," Aaric rebuked Mila for speaking carelessly about this and immediately grabbed her wrist gently, guiding her outside.

"Hey, now that I think about it, it might be possible." Mila touched her chin gently, looking at Aaric intently. "It could actually be you who kidnapped me and separated me from my people without my consent."

The door that Aaric had opened was now closing again as he turned and looked back at Mila seriously, who was staring back at him with equal but opposite defiant gaze.

Maybe Mila's way of saying this was so careless that it sounded like a casual joke, but Aaric knew that Mila was seriously considering the possibility and he didn't have anything to back up the things he had said to Mila.

Mila did tend to be skeptical of things that she thought were against her. In the past, Aaric found this very cute because Mila never hesitated to express her own opinion freely, but not right at this particular moment. Now, Mila's distrusting nature made him feel an urge to scratch his head really hard, even when it didn't itch at all.

"Do you have anything I can trust besides your words? Proof that I really wanted to run away from my own people and chose to be with you?" Mila asked, she tilted her head curiously. "Do you have any proof that we are together? That could show we are real lovers. Because now I don't feel anything for you," Mila said honestly about how she really felt for Aaric now.

If they really were a couple once, shouldn't Mila at least feel that sweet feeling? But, Mila did not feel any of it.

Did as her memory disappear, her feelings also disappeared? That was another question that must be seriously considered.

"I can't possibly risk my safety just for someone who means nothing to me," Aaric protested. He then glanced at the watch that was coiled nicely around his left wrist. They had spent a lot of time focusing on this measly argumentation.

"Maybe it was a one sided love. You love me, but I don't." Mila shrugged nonchalantly and this irritated Aaric. Maybe this was Mila's way of getting revenge on Aaric, because he had been the one who had annoyed her to death recently, but now wasn't the time for any of this.

"Oh, please." Aaric rolled his eyes. "This is not the time to be annoying. I really want to prove that we love each other and I didn't kidnap you, but I don't know how…"

Aaric's words were cut short when they heard a loud explosion sound as the floor beneath them shook from its aftershocks.

"You blew up this place?" Mila asked accusingly.

"No." Aaric's voice sounded like a whisper as his expression changed. "They are coming…"