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Lina glanced over her shoulder to see his departure. His broad shoulders were squared with each step, his sleeves rolled to reveal the bulging vein of his forearms, and his long fingers were relaxed. Kaden walked with the presence of a King.

Lina suddenly found herself leaving the bed as well. Right when he reached the door, she grabbed his hand. He immediately enveloped her fingers in a tight embrace, intertwining through each of them. Then, he bent and smiled down at her.

"Yes, dove?"

"I\'m hungry."

Kaden chuckled softly. He stroked the back of her head. She made no reaction and simply stared up at him.

"Let\'s get our dear dove fed then."

- - - - -

Lina didn\'t know how she should react to this. It was too much to take in at once. Whilst she quietly ate the croissant sandwich he made her, she contemplated everything. Her life started at birth and now, it was never going to end. What was she supposed to do when her loved ones died? Move?

"Focus on the present, never the future." Kaden placed a glass of freshly juiced oranges next to her.

Lina eyed the drink topped with circular ice cubes and a cute straw.

"I\'ve learned the more you think about the unending lifetime, the more unnerved you\'ll become."

"Just because you ignore it doesn\'t mean it\'ll go away," Lina responded. She bit into the sandwich and continued chewing.

"No, but it\'ll give you peace of mind."

"Until you think about it again," Lina deadpanned.

"After a while, you\'ll forget about it. When you learn to focus in the moment and enjoy life, that is when you truly live."

As Lina absorbed his words, she found it to be genuine advice. From immortal to immortal. She ate her meal with no qualms. After a while, there were only croissant flakes on the plate and an untouched orange juice.

"I\'m going back to work tomorrow."

"I expected no less from our busybody," Kaden teased. He lifted the glass of orange juice to his mouth. In the corner of his eyes, he watched her. She played with the straw.

"I\'ll be meeting with Estella first to ensure the art gallery is in one piece, my artists are fed, the pieces delivered, and clients satisfied. It\'s a bummer I couldn\'t make it to Krystal\'s annual gala."

"You wouldn\'t have liked them anyway." Kaden settled his cup down.

Lina stopped swirling the straw. She glanced up at him. Why did he know her so well? Seeing her irritated expression, his mouth slipped into a Cheshire grin. He was so damn calculating it made her head spin. This man could talk in circles and she\'d never know. Was it the expertise of living this long?

"You\'re so lovely when you glare at me like that, dove of mine."

"Drink your stupid juice." Lina rubbed her nose and glanced to the side, hiding her slight blush.

The entire world could compliment her. Lina had heard it all. From her intelligence to her beauty, people had praised her until her ears bled. But only Kaden\'s words actually affected her—because he always seemed to mean it.

In a world of the wealthy where art and philanthropy were the biggest deceivers of humbleness, a sudden hot shot art gallery was bound to gain attention. Lina, who grew up in the center of high society in one of the most wealthiest and powerful families of Ritan, knew how to navigate them.

At restaurants, Lina always stood out. She knew the new money would buy the most expensive bottle of wine. The generational wealth purchased bottles that complimented the meal enough to make you think they owned a vineyard.

Sitting front row on the runways, Lina knew about fashion as if she was born in that world. From the latest fashion pieces to what\'d become the next trend, Lina was born in the spotlight, hid from it, and made her debut again.

Now, high society couldn\'t get enough of her new business. She knew how to turn a one-thousand-dollar painting into an art form worth millions with the right story.

"You can\'t tell me you don\'t believe me, dove."

"How can someone be so arrogant when complimenting another person? It\'s genuinely mind-boggling." Lina finally took a sip of the orange juice.

Lina never liked mixing fruit when she ate croissants. The flakey texture of the pastry didn\'t go well with the soft fruits.

"Is that all you can say to me?"

Lina gave him a pointed look of unamusement. He liked to poke at her with a stick. One day, she was actually going to bite the damn thing.

"You\'re so pretty when you\'re angry, dove."

Lina narrowed her eyes. The humor never showed in his face. In fact, he rose to his full height. He was the most intimidating man she had ever known. Not to mention, Lina was the granddaughter of the great and fearsome Lawrence Yang. There should be no other man more frightening than the one who controlled the tourism and underworld of Ritan.

That is, until Lina met Kaden.

"Are you still hungry, dove?" Kaden murmured, placing his fingers lightly on the edge of the table. He crossed the corner and stopped right next to her.

Lina glanced down at the flex of his hands. His knuckles had tiny scars on them, evident from punching people and fighting wars. To think he never had them properly healed… Suddenly, he curled a finger under her chin. He forced her to gaze up at him.

"Perhaps dessert?" Kaden teased with a soft rub of her chin.

Lina wondered if they\'d ever be on the same topic of meals. He always seemed to hint at something that confused her. He ran a thumb across her bottom lip, his eyes flickering dangerously. The atmosphere thickened, his voice lowered menacingly, and his gaze filled with desire.

Ah, they were discussing two different kinds of meals—once again.

"Hm?" Kaden caressed her cheek, cupping it with his palm. She was silent, but he saw the shift in her eyes. Tension danced between the two of them.

Lina could feel her body buzzing with heat. He was warm and so close that she smelled him.

"You\'re always eager to eat," Lina murmured just as she grabbed onto his shirt and pulled him down.

Kaden let out a throaty chuckle, a mixture of breathlessness and determination. Then, he bent and captured her mouth in a searing kiss. She brushed her lips against his, softly, delicately, her lashes fluttering shut. He took it slow and careful at first, enough to feel her trembling fingers on his forearm. She always wanted to clutch onto something for relief—for reassurance. And he allowed her to do so, setting her hand upon his upper arm.

"Kaden, I—"

"Tell me later."

Kaden suddenly slammed his mouth upon hers, as if trying to ruin her. She was stunned at his hunger. He seized her waist and brought her to her feet. He angled the kiss deeper, until he forced her mouth open and thrust his tongue inside. A deep, guttural groan surfaced from his chest. He tasted the tartness of the orange on her tongue. Always so damn sweet, this woman.

Kaden knew. No matter how many times he claimed her, no matter how many times they\'d kiss whether it was sensual or passionate, he\'d always ache for her. He burned for her in a thousand splendid fires.

And when they broke apart, Lina a panting mess, the flames never died down.. One way or another, he was going to mark her as his.