Johnathan’s hands reached up on their own accord and cupped her beautiful face. Bending his head, he kissed her forehead, and his fingers caressed her cheeks. He wished he could stop the time and live in that exact moment forever. Contrary to his wishful thinking, the one thing he didn’t have with her was time. 

He’d to leave before Alexander returns, but how could he when Felicity was unconscious and all alone? Her house was a wreck, tainted with blood and surrounded by dead bodies because of him. She would wake up to this disaster, and he was the one destroying her happy family. His eyes watered as the realisation broke his heart. 

The longer he looked at her, the more he desired to possess her. The longing he’d felt for her through the years was unbearable now, and for a fleeting moment, his thoughts wandered. 

‘What if Alexander never returns? Could the Baresi brothers help get rid of him?’ 

Baresi family always wanted to take down Alexander and Johnathan was sure they would be glad to help him killing Alexander. He yearned to take Felicity with him and vanish from this world.. 

‘Isn’t this the magical moment I’d been waiting for all my life?’ 

He’d been just a phone call away from deciding Alexander’s fate.

‘Could it come true?’ 

He scoffed at his pathetic self and squashed aside his wavered thoughts as the reality hit him hard on his face. Even if Alexander dies, Felicity would never take and accept any other man as her lover. He knew that she loved him more than anything else in this whole world, and she would never forgive him if anything happened to her beloved husband. 

At last, he came to his senses. Shaking his head, he let out a dry chuckle. This unrequited love would only wreak havoc on his conscience, leading him to disaster, and nothing else. He couldn’t afford to waste any more time as he needed to reach Hera before Alexander. Or the worst could happen if he lost track of the Baresi twins. 

With a heavy heart, Johnathan decided to leave Felicity on her own as he didn’t have any other option. He thought to inform the resort management to provide security for her. Rather would it be better to bring his guards to watch her until she regained consciousness? The latter sounded the best option, and he chose to order his security team to watch over her from a safe distance until Alexander makes it at home. 

The sound of a car entering the premises drew his attention and Johnathan took out his gun from the inside pocket of his suit jacket in reflex. 

He ran to the window to check, and his eyes widened as he saw the person getting out of the car. As though paralysed in their spot, Johnathan’s feet refused to move while his heart raced at tremendous speeds. Hot beads of sweat formed at his hairline and the nape of his neck. The skin felt clammy as the sweat trickled down his back. 

It was an understatement to say that he was frightened. While he watched, Alexander jumped out of the car and rushed to the door. Panicked, Johnathan dragged his frozen feet, and miraculously it obeyed his command as he ran inside in lightening speed. He pocketed his gun, slumped on the couch opposite to Felicity and imitated her sleeping form, pretending to be unconscious. 

Johnathan vaguely felt someone’s hand shaking his shoulder, and he heard a distinct voice calling for him. “Your Highness,” a familiar male voice said, jolting him out of his guilt trip. Johnathan opened his eyes to find himself seated, buckled up in his private jet. He was panting hard. He rubbed his chest to soothe the pain and realised that he was reliving the disastrous moment from his past sins. Those nightmares never let him rest in peace. 

“Are you okay? You’re sweating very badly, what’s wrong?” Rouvin asked, frowning in worry, concern lacing his tone. Johnathan looked at the lovely stewardess standing next to Rouvin, and she greeted him with a readied smile. “How may I help you, Your Highness?” She asked nervously. 

“Fetch me a cold napkin and a glass of whiskey would help,” Johnathan said, returning her smile. He relaxed in his seat and ignored Rouvin’s concerned gaze. It was because of him that Johnathan had to flee from London like a spineless coward. As soon as Rouvin learned that Mathew had discovered their location, he immediately readied the jet to fly back to Greece, much to Johnathan’s disagreement. 

It was killing him from inside as he remembered what he did fifteen years ago. That day, the woman he loved more than his life was lying on the floor, struggling hard to stay alive while he escaped to save himself from getting killed. He didn’t even look over his shoulder once to check whether she died or survived. He’d abandoned the only woman he’d ever loved in his life to die alone and fled from there like the coward he was. 

It was no different this time either. 

In his life, all he’d done was to run. 

‘I’m sorry, Felicity. Please forgive me.’

If only he could apologise to her in person. He wished he could turn the clock back so that he could go back in time and change the past. He wished he’d a chance to see her again. His throat constricted with pain as he tried to suppress his sob. 

IN LONDON AT SPALEV HIGH,

Not wanting to crush the delicate flowers, Hera carefully held the bouquet of orchids in her arms, and silently followed as Hunter walked ahead of her, entering the dormitory. The guards didn’t even fake an attempt to stop Hunter as they reached the girl’s block. Scowling, she gave a dirty look to the watchman, and he gave her a slight nod in greeting, ignoring the look of disapproval painted on her face. 

The sound of their footsteps echoed as they walked through the empty corridor. Hera rolled her eyes while Hunter walked like he owned the place. Hands shoved into his jeans pockets, with powerful long strides, he walked spilling arrogance. Possessed by his typical bad-boy aura, he was back to his arrogant Jerk self again. 

‘No more sweet talk and no more romance.’ 

Hera sighed and shook her head in displeasure as the sweet, romantic side, he displayed during their date, suddenly vanished into thin air. 

‘The honeymoon is over now. For real.’ 

Hera’s pace got slower and slower as she was busy giving a pep talk to her whining heart. 

‘Yippee! My Satan is back. Finally, yeah!’

Hera hollered sarcastically in her mind. 

As if sensing her sarcasm, Hunter paused and turned around to look at her. The look in his eyes screamed, ‘You’ve been taking forever to match my steps.’ 

Scowling at him, Hera half-jogged and tried to cope up with his long legs. Once they reached her dorm, Hunter opened the door and walked in first, gesturing her to follow. The room was empty with all her roommates gone for the weekend. 

Placing the orchids on her desk, Hera crossed her arms and leaned sideways against the wall while watching Hunter with her forest green eyes, expecting him to leave. Ignoring her questioning gaze, he settled on her bed after taking off his shoes. Hunter rolled over and propped his head up on one elbow, seizing her eyes with his intense gaze. 

A little nervous, Hera averted her eyes from his magnetic ones. She sat quietly on the other bed opposite to hers and tightly held the bed cover in her fists. She looked at him from the corner of her eye only to find his eyes still fixed on her. 

They were supposed to stay at Hunter’s mansion, but Hera refused to go there with him. She oddly felt disturbed and wanted some alone time for herself to think. However, she couldn’t tell Hunter the real reason behind her refusal to go with him. So, she instead used his obsession over his books as an excuse. He laughed when she said she wouldn’t want to distract him when he would be busy preparing for the upcoming tests. 

Nonetheless, it worked, and he agreed. 

Hera thought that after dropping her at the dormitory, Hunter would return to his mansion. But he decided to stay in his dorm room as well because he didn’t want her to be alone in the building. Hera had scowled and rolled her eyes at him, ridiculing his reasons. But he never once thought of changing his decision. He said he would get sick worrying about her safety. 

Hera swallowed hard before breaking the silence. “Stop staring, Lucifer. You’re making me uncomfortable,” she said, keeping her eyes down as though her flip-flops looked very charming at the moment. Her eyes widened as they landed on his feet. Suddenly, he was standing right in front of her. 

Hunter took her hand in his, pulled her up with such force she collided into his chest.