How could I like Elian? He was a freaking murderer! He was a mafia leader! He was my rude boss!

No way, it was absolutely impossible.

My heart definitely didn't flutter when he handed me my espresso every morning. It most definitely didn't race whenever we were alone and he was close to me. It surely also didn't skip a beat when he smiled. I obviously didn't ogle his body when he worked out in the gym. I certainly didn't stare at his lips in the middle of conversations. I clearly didn't want him to stay longer with me anytime we had to part.

Those were just delusions my periods caused.

Now, after five days, my periods were over, and I wasn't going to care a single bit about Elian—

"Ouch!"

I ran to the kitchen to find Elian hissing in pain. "What happened?"

"I touched the bowl without wearing gloves," he said, motioning at the microwave where he was supposed to be heating up our lunch.

"You're only clumsy when you're stressed out, so tell me, Elian, what's wrong?" I asked while walking over to the most corner cabinet of the kitchen where there was a first-aid kit.

"Wait, how do you know about that?" Elian asked, looking at me in surprise.

Seriously, how did I know that?

"Wild guess," I shrugged. "Now, stop avoiding my question. Answer me." I took out the burn cream from the kit and walked over to Elian.

I grabbed his hand and looked at his two red fingers. I applied the cream to it while feeling bad for his pain.

"So are you going to talk or not?" I urged.

As he didn't reply again, I didn't question again.

See, how could I like this man? He suppressed his suffering and avoided important questions? He was infuriating! I clearly couldn't like him.

Later that evening, I was watching a movie being bored in the living room while sneaking peeks at Elian's room door.

Finally, I had had enough and grabbed a random novel from the coffee table before going to knock on his door. I heard some shuffling from the other side.

As soon as Elian opened the door, I pushed him to the side and strutted over to his bed. I plopped down on the bed, resting my back against the headboard, and opened the novel I brought along.

"Um, excuse me?" Elian called out, but I paid him no attention. "Alena, in case you forgot, this is my room."

"In case you forgot, you once barged into my room as well," I retorted.

"That was a crisis situation, so what crisis do you have, Ms. Fleur?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"My crisis is that I'm bored."

"And so?"

"So, entertain me." I crossed my legs and looked around the room. My eyes lit up at the sight of a purple Polaroid camera on top of a cabinet. I immediately ran to it and picked it up in my hand. "Wow, you have a Polaroid camera?"

"Can't I?"

"No, it just doesn't suit your taste. I picture you more as the type with a DSLR," I honestly said and raised the camera to my eye level, capturing Elian rolling his eyes.

I giggled, looking at the photo that came out.

"Stop that," Elian grumbled, glaring at me.

Right then, a new vision made its appearance in my head.

A girl was clicking random photos with a Polaroid camera while giggling.

"Stop that," grumbled a guy whom I couldn't see.

"No," the girl replied and snapped another photo. "You look too cute right now."

"You and your obsession with clicking my photos," he sounded annoyed, but his voice carried a smile.

"Baby, it's only fair. You also love clicking my photos."

"I just love storing your smiles, is that so wrong?"

"Nope, it just makes me love you more."

I snapped out of that vision due to Elian jerking me out of it.

"Seriously, you should see a doctor as soon as possible," he muttered, frustrated with my delay to get my illness examined.

I shook my head, feeling my headache subsiding. I didn't want to think too much about the visions or voices I heard because that caused my head to hurt excessively. I put down the Polaroid camera and went over to the guitar that was in the corner.

"Do you know how to play guitar?" I asked.

Elian shifted uncomfortably. "I don't know. I haven't played it for a long time."

"Will you try to play it right now? For me, please?" I pleaded, showing him my puppy eyes.

"Will you see my family doctor tomorrow?" he replied.

I groaned and nodded.

"Fine." He grabbed the guitar from his display and sat down on the edge of his bed with it.

I sat down beside him and crossed my legs, waiting eagerly to hear the music he played.

When he started stringing the chords, the longer I heard it, the more familiar it started to feel, and the music felt incomplete, as if someone else was supposed to sing the vocals.

When a certain tune came up, my mouth started moving on its own,

"🎶 It's that cute smile on your lips

Maybe just the way you roll your eyes

I adore you in each and every form

I promise to be with you whenever a situation arises 🎶"

I stopped when I realized the lyrics weren't something I even knew. This definitely wasn't a famous artist's song.

Elian kept playing the guitar without realizing it. Meanwhile, I felt like I knew the lyrics ahead as well, but I was scared to sing them. Maybe it was a really old song or something that I had in passing?

By the time Elian finished strumming, I was clapping excitedly. "Wow, you're really good at it," I complimented.

"Could be better, but I have been out of practice."

I was almost scared to ask him, but I had to be sure, "Is it an original piece?"

"Yes, why?"

How the hell did I know the lyrics then? As I tried to recall it, my head hurt, so I pushed it off.

"No, nothing. It just sounded familiar."

He hummed in response, and I got up from his bed.

"I have bothered you enough for today. I'll go now." I was about to leave, but Elian caught my wrist.

"Stay. I need to talk about something."

"About what?"

"About what you were asking this morning."

I thought for a moment and asked, "About what's stressing you out?"

He nodded and put aside the guitar. "The song just now made me realize something." He patted the place beside himself, and I sat back on the bed beside him, a little closer this time.

I waited patiently until Elian let out a soft sigh and started talking, "It's just... it's been over a week since we have gone into hiding, but there's been no progress. I'm just realizing now how lost I have been. It's because of my negligence that we are in this situation today."

"It's not your fault," I tried to assure.

"No, it is. Something like this would never have happened if I was at my best. If I had played my cards right, it would have been our enemies who had to be running from the cops. Meanwhile, we could be at the office, working like how we are supposed to be. I should be able to guess which of our rivaling companies is behind this bullshit, but I can't. Because my heart wasn't fully into business."

"Hey, even if you think that you haven't been paying attention, I know that you have been. If you hadn't, then how come our company progressed so much in the last three years since you joined?" I pointed out.

Elian gulped a lump in his throat and said, "I could have done better, Alena. I know myself. I know my potential, and this isn't my limit."

I smiled softly and said, "Then, that's great, isn't it? If you give it your all, our company can get back on its feet in a jiffy, and I'm confident it will strive more than ever afterward."

He looked into my eyes for a long moment before his lips broke into a smile, and he pulled me into a hug.

"Alena, will you stay by my side while I do that?" he whispered against my neck.

My smile bloomed further as I replied, "Always, Elian."

As he tightened his arms around me, that was the most familiar sensation I had ever felt. His embrace was so warm, and his cologne so utterly familiar and nice...

I closed my eyes to let myself bathe in his embrace, slowly coming to the acceptance that I did, in fact, like this man, and I didn't care a penny about the fact that he was in the mafia.