Suspicious, tattooed man

"Stay here. Don't go anywhere until I talk to you." Damien demanded when they came closer to a certain room. "Don't speak to anyone either."

Annabella rolled her eyes. Did he think of her as a kid?

"Okay, okay. Don't worry. I'll stay right here like a statue. I won't move even an inch." She scoffed.

Damien patted her head lightly. "Good girl."

Annabella looked at his departing figure in shock. He really did think of her as a child. Humph!

Damien approached the entrance of the room and spoke to the bodyguards who were dressed in black suits, wearing large chains-looking silver bracelets and red sunglasses. Though they appeared kinda weird, they looked like dangerous people. Maybe they belonged to the mafia or something?

Annabella's chest rose up and down when she spotted the four men. Why was there such a strong security protection? Who was that person? A minister or a businessman? She didn't know.

Why Damien wanted her to meet that person? As she thought, was it his father? What if it was someone else? Then why would he want her to meet him or her? She couldn't understand.

Sure enough, Damien himself was full of questions. He was such a mysterious person despite being a mere teenager. Nope, he wasn't a normal teenager. She could confirm that. There was something else he was hiding from her. Actually, he was hiding many things from her!

Annabella laughed at herself. Why would she even bother to think about his secrets and whatnot? She shook her head. Maybe... She was curious? Hmm... That made sense.

After talking with the bodyguards for some time, Damien returned to Annabella's side and took her hand gently. "Let's go to the banquet."

"Wait!" Annabella blurted out, looking up at him. "Are we not gonna meet your friend anymore?"

Damien chuckled. "Who said he's my friend?" He paused for a while before talking again. "Apparently, he hasn't arrived yet. Let's wait till he comes."

"Okay."

They slowly walked towards the hall where the banquet had taken place.

Annabella felt relieved. She was glad to know that it was a male. She thought if it was a female... He brought her to convince that person that he had already moved on from her. Annabella didn't like such dramas.

She shook her head at her foolishness. What kinds of crazy thoughts did she get there?

"Why are you shaking your head?" Damien opened his mouth, breaking the silence between them.

"Nah, nothing." She quickly replied.

"You like to think so much, don't you?" Damien asked with a grin plastered on his thin lips.

Annabella glared at him. "No way."

Damien still grinned without saying anything further. It was clear that he didn't believe her.

Annabella pouted her lips, aggrieved. She couldn't say anything either because... He was kinda correct, wasn't he?

Damien took her to a long wooden table which was filled with various kinds of desserts. He grabbed a plate and put a chocolate cake slice on it along with a fork.

Annabella frowned when she saw him pulling out a cake piece using the silver fork, ready to put it inside his mouth.

What a selfish person! He didn't even ask whether she needed some or not!

Damien reached out and put the cake piece in front of Annabella's lips. "Aaa?" He opened his mouth, motioning her to do the same, ready to feed her.

Annabella's heart filled with warmth. She never thought that he was gonna feed her! Shit, she misunderstood his good intentions!

Annabella didn't open her mouth. Instead, she took the fork from his hand and put the cake piece inside his mouth.

Damien was surprised. He even forgot to close his mouth.

Trying hard to prevent herself from laughing, Annabella lifted her hand and snapped her thumb against her four fingers, gesturing for him to close his mouth.

Damien unhappily closed his mouth, pulling the fork out of his lips.

"Why? Doesn't it taste good?" Annabella asked worriedly when she saw his somehow dark and gloomy face.

"It's tasty," Damien admitted. "But I wanted you to taste it."

Annabella shrugged her shoulders. "You still have a chance."

"Really?" Damien's eyes lit up immediately. He looked like a small kid who got his favourite candy. He looked so cute and sweet.

Damien cut another piece and carried it before Annabella's rosy lips. This time, she happily opened her mouth and swallowed it. She even licked the fork, not paying attention to her surroundings.

They were with noble and elegant people after all. However, it seemed like to Annabella, they were the only people left there.

"Gosh!" Damien suddenly exclaimed. "I forgot to change the forks. I mean... You used the same fork as me."

Annabella clicked her tongue, waving her left hand at him. "It's not a big deal."

"What if it's another male, will you still do the same? Are you still gonna eat it?" Damien asked, pretending to be casual.

He couldn't help thinking about the person he saw with Annabella on the street. That man looked handsome and the important part was, he appeared the same age as Annabella.

Damien felt a bit jealous. What if she liked him? He even imagined that guy feeding Annabella a cake slice using a fork. He quickly shook his head. He couldn't bring himself to think about something so horrible like that.

Annabella gave his question a thought. She recalled her childhood days when her father fed her food using the same utensils, not bothering to change them. Talking about Annabella, she didn't even care whether he used the same one or exchanged it for another. She only paid attention to her food.

"Of course."

The poor boy felt like her words threw a bucket of cold water on him. His fair face turned black and his mood became solemn.

Annabella couldn't understand why he became so dull all of a sudden. She opened her mouth to ask what happened when she got interrupted by someone who approached them with long strides.

"Sir, Boss arrived. He agreed to meet you." He said with a poker face.

Damien nodded his head, taking Annabella's hand again. "Okay. Let's go."

Just like that, they soon found themselves inside the spacious dark room. Yep, it was dark because the lights were dimmed on purpose. Maybe their boss didn't like to be exposed to bright lights.

There was a giant sofa in the middle of the room. A man wearing a dark blue suit along with a black tie occupied the whole sofa by sitting in the centre of it. His right leg was casually kept on a stool in front of the sofa.

The man had gold-rimmed spectacles and there was a tattoo on his bald head, a dragon's tattoo. Across his right cheek, there was a girl's name. It made Annabella shiver in fear. The name was none other than 'Bella.' It made her feel somehow nervous.

"Hi, Mr Peters." Damien greeted the moment he spotted that man.

"I'm not using that name anymore." The man gave them a smile that didn't look like a smile at the same time, motioning them to sit by waving his right hand.

Damien slightly nodded his head before taking the seat before the tattoo man, along with Annabella. She didn't like that man. Her gut feeling told her to stay away from him.

However, she couldn't go away, not until Damien finished his whatever conversation with that man. She started regretting her decision to be his date. She felt scared. Even she couldn't figure out why. She just knew that something was wrong with that tattooed man.

Damien arched one of his eyebrows. "How can I address you then?"

"Just call me Rozex."

"Okay, Rozex? Nice to meet you." Damien reached out his hand for a shake and the tattoo man accepted it.

Annabella's mouth started twitching. Why did it sound like something else? Sure enough, not only his appearance, his name alone was so weird.

"Where's your father?" Rozex began.

"He didn't come due to an urgent matter. So I decided to come with my girlfriend instead."

Damien put his hand around Annabella's waist, pulling her closer to him, acting like an affectionate boyfriend. Annabella's whole body stiffened because of his sudden touch. Nevertheless, she forced herself to appear calm and nonchalant.

"Oh, nice," Rozex said with a fake smile as usual, averting his gaze towards the girl next to the teenager.

"What's your name?" His cold voice made Annabella flinch. She subconsciously clung onto Damien's elbow like a pitiful doe.

Damien gently stroked her back to console her. He answered the question for her.

"She's Annabella."

"Gosh, she reminds me of a wicked witch," The man blurted out with a loud chuckle. "You look like an angel, Annie. But are you genuinely an angel or is your heart evil?"

His devilish grin made a shiver run down Annabella's spine. She moved closer to Damien's ear and mumbled in a soft voice, "Da-Damien, I... I'm scared. Can you take me far away from him?" Her voice quivered.