Chapter 222
So, during dinner, everyone except Crystal was eating like they had something else on their minds. At least the meal went smoothly enough, wrapped up in a somewhat uneasy harmony.
Afterward, Miranda headed straight upstairs. With her godmom around, she didn’t need to stick around when guests were over- especially not these two.
As they were saying their goodbyes downstairs, Miranda figured it was the perfect time to retreat to her room and mull over the day’s events. It had been quite a whirlwind, what with someone trying to attack her and another person wanting to recruit her.
Crystal, on the other hand, disappeared into her lab after dinner. Unless she was sleeping, she was rarely seen outside of it. While Miranda dabbled in academics, Crystal’s pursuit of knowledge was on another level – practically obsessive.
Miranda opened her bedroom door and had barely stepped inside when it swung shut behind her.
Her instincts kicked in, and she whirled around, ready to defend herself, only to find Elian leaning against the door. He flashed a roguish grin, one finger resting against his lips to signal her to keep quiet.
Miranda frowned. “Weren’t you downstairs?”
Elian closed the distance between them in a single stride, his downcast eyes catching the faint glow of the dim room as they settled on hers. “I told Aunt Lavinia I needed to use the restroom.” His voice was a low, husky murmur, laced with an undercurrent of restrained emotion.
Miranda furrowed her brows. “And you ended up in my room?”
She was upstairs, they were downstairs – surely someone would have noticed him come up?
“I climbed,” he replied, a hint of mischief in his tone, like a kid proud of a naughty trick.
Miranda was at loss for words.
There was a short hallway outside her door that connected to a small balcony, which was conveniently close to a window beside the downstairs restroom. If someone was nimble enough, they could indeed make the
climb.
“What do you want?” she asked, trying to decipher Elian’s intentions.
His gaze bore into her, filled with an intense, untamed desire. He replied with a subdued voice, “Just feeling a bit threatened. It’s unsettling.”
Miranda asked, “What?”
Her voice barely trailed off when his lips suddenly met hers, warm and insistent. Her hands were caught in his, fingers intertwined as that exploratory kiss quickly escalated into something more fervent and all–consuming, an electric storm of emotions and sensations.
“Mmm.” Elian winced but didn’t pull away, his eyes, less misty, yet still lingering on her face with a puppy–like, pleading look.
The metallic taste of blood mingled in their breaths, strangely fueling the passion like water to a desert flower, coaxing it to bloom.
Lips tinged a vivid red, Miranda glared at him callously. “What the hell are you doing?”
Elian’s eyes still sparkled with a hint of ardently madness as he muttered raucously, “I don’t know, but I do know we’re a great match.”
His gaze seemed to envelop her entirely. Miranda was momentarily speechless.
But before Elian could finish, he winced again, realizing his right cheek was throbbing with a dull ache. His hand reached up to touch it, finding the skin swollen.
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Chapter 222
Something dawned on him at once. He shot a wounded, puppy–eyed look at Miranda.
Miranda smirked, “If a dog likes to bite, shouldn’t I have some medicine ready?”
Yet, seeing his handsome face now puffed up like he’d had an unfortunate encounter with a wasp, she couldn’t help but laugh.
