Foe?

~Nariya Patel~

The military-grade security at Opulent Oaks Estates always left me in awe, from the rigorous security checks to the advanced biometrics. One could argue that it surpassed the measures taken at the government parliament—a clear distinction between what money could buy. The security personnel maintained detailed files, including retina scans and fingerprint scans to differentiate residents, visitors, and workers.

Some days ago, Alexie had integrated my information into the operating system, a decision I had willingly embraced. My persistent stance was clear—I wanted to be independent and not have him constantly babying me. To make him happier, I consented to learning some self-defense, though the idea of him dedicating his precious time for my sake didn't sit well with me.

While aware of his wealth, I wasn't entirely sure about the specifics of his work. Men like him usually managed multiple businesses around the clock and across the globe. Although I could discern that a significant part of his work involved screen time, I couldn't help but wonder if the time spent with me might be costing him millions of dollars.

So, I insisted, especially since there had been no recent attacks on me after that day, that it was finally time for me to take care of my own affairs, like the independent person that I am. Although he remained reluctant, I could sense that he didn't want to hinder my independence any further, so he agreed. However, there was a firm clause in the agreement: I had to learn self-defense the way he wanted me to, a condition to which I readily agreed.

As we crossed the society gates, I recalled that I needed to purchase something from the pharmacy. I urged him to drop me near the store within the society, and I could make my way back. Watching him drive away, I entered the store and made a beeline towards the personal hygiene section. Most societies like these stocked basic necessities for their residents, given their distance from the main city and the residents' need for privacy.

Once I was done, I made my way back, humming as I absorbed the natural ambiance that the society had meticulously maintained. Trees of all sorts surrounded the area, and the architecture of each villa was uniquely designed. However, due to the vast sizes of the gardens, it was challenging for a bystander to get a proper view from outside the personal gates.

As I took the turn that led to a private path to the house, I was suddenly gripped with horror. A man lay there on his stomach. Instantly, I rushed to him, shaking him and holding his sakura pattern haori as I urgently asked, "Hey, are you alright?"

A small voice escaped from his lips, to my relief, as he weakly asked, "...wa..." I moved closer to him to hear what he wanted, and he continued in a feeble tone, "...ter..."

"Huh?" I murmured, a lightbulb of understanding going off in my head. I rushed, calling out to him, "Wait, my house is nearby! I'll get it!"

In another sprint for the day, I hurried to punch in the pin before making my way inside. A startled Alexie looked up from the kitchen island, freezing in the act of cutting fruits. "What happened?" he asked.

Throwing my bag aside, I reached for the pitcher filled with water. Huffing, I replied, "There is a man outside! Dying!"

In that second, before he could respond, I was rushing out the door, until I heard his voice blare in warning, "Nari, wait!"

I looked back in confusion. Why was he telling me to stop? Helping that man was a priority. But before I could process it, I was falling, slipping on something. Just a napkin came into my vision when I shut my eyes, ready for the impact. The shuddering sound of glass breaking echoed in the halls, but the pain I waited for never came. Slowly reeling in my senses, I relaxed, the buzzing in my ears still drumming as I could hear frantic laughter accompanied by clapping resonating from near the main entrance.

Peeling my eyes open, I noticed my body engulfed in Alexie's strong torso. But as my vision traveled farther, my eyes widened in horror. I noticed a knife in his hands, and we both sat on the floor, me on top of him, as he held his stance with the knife turned outward like a weapon, protecting us from someone. And that someone wasn't far away—on the house threshold, I saw the same sakura haori man I had met earlier, now completely cured of his fatigue.

The tall man had a manbun, his loose hair cascading down his visage in a way that anyone could fall for, but in those sharp eyes, I saw that no one should ignore the ferocity of an animal gone rogue. As he clutched his stomach, spewing his hysterical laugh, I could tell something was off in the atmosphere. Goosebumps rose all around my body as I looked at this ferocious animal in front of me.

That's when Alexie growled, gritting his teeth in anger. "What the hell is the meaning of this, Handler?" The weapon he brandished tightened in his hold, ready to fend off any incoming attacks.

At his words, this man—Handler—breathed, his hands clenching behind his back, showcasing no ill intent as he spoke, "I just wanted to meet the daughter of Doctor Patel that you adore so much. Test her out." The laughter and smiles died out in an instant as he tilted his head, eyeing me. "But it seems she's not bright at all, unlike her father," he tsked disapprovingly.

A red flush of embarrassment rose on my face as my eyes watered at this comment. 'How dare he say such a thing when he doesn't even know me!'

"Shut up, Handler," Alexie gritted, relaxing a bit. His gaze softened when it fell on me, almost cooing at me. Slowly getting up, he released his hold on my body when he noticed that the shattered glass had grazed my inner thigh. The adrenaline was so high in my body that I hadn't even noticed until his fingers lightly tapped on the wound, making me flinch in pain. Slowly, he caressed my thigh. However, instead of calming me, it made my heart rate run even faster. 'What is with running and me today?' I thought. Taking in sharp breaths, I tried to control my embarrassment to no avail as he rested his palm on the spot nonchalantly.

My already flushed face now looked like it had run a marathon on high speed, earning me another laugh from the stupid man at the door. As the embarrassment levels in me rose at an alarming rate, in a flush of rage, I picked up something—anything that came within the proximity of my hand—and threw it at the cackling man. It was only when I did that I realized it was the knife that Alexie was holding in his hand. My eyes widened in horror, but before I could scream, the man effortlessly dodged the blade, the nib getting stuck on the wooden door frame.

He whistled at the aim, checking out the kitchen knife as if it were a deadly dagger. "Okay, I take some of it back," he said as I finished my assessment. "She's got potential," he murmured more to himself.

But I was already on my feet, slowly approaching the man, with Alexie right behind me, as I urged him, "I'm... I'm so sorry. I didn't mean that... Are you alr-"

However, he didn't let me finish as his gaze darted towards me once more, eyeing me from head to toe. It wasn't creepy, more like he was scrutinizing me, analyzing something about me. "Interesting," he murmured as he darted past me towards the dining area, calling out to Alexie as he did, "Al-chan, my assistant will be coming soon. I hope the food is ready." He chirped back in his playful mood.

I looked at Alexie in confusion, gaping like a fish at what had happened, only to receive a shrug from the man as he went to pull out the knife from the door frame. "He's a bit loose on his screws," he said, "but a good... asset if he likes you."

The word "asset" stuck in my head. 'Not a friend, but an asset?' I wondered, so I asked, "Does he... like me?"

He gave one glance towards the dining area and replied, "For now, yes. Go change; we will have lunch when his assistant arrives."

Nodding, I made my way towards my room, shutting and locking the door. Finally, I could relax away from his judgmental eyes. I sighed and decided to take a shower to wash away all the grime and sweat from today. Hopefully, his assistant would be a better lunch companion than him, or else I would find myself having a hard time digesting food today.