Chapter 87 Date
Chapter 87 Date
I saw it in his eyes—that cautious, almost fragile spark of hope, like a prisoner awaiting the verdict that would decide his fate.
Arthur could have forced me into anything he wanted. He had that kind of power. Yet in this moment, he left the choice to me.
I nodded.
"It counts."
The light in his gaze flared instantly, bright and alive.
"I need to take care of something first," he murmured, brushing the tip of his nose against mine in a gesture so intimate it stole my breath. His voice held a smile he couldn't quite hide. "When I'm back, we start our date."
"Alright."
My answer slipped out before I could stop it, drawn by the heat in his face, the way desire had lit him in vivid, living color.
He looked at me for a long moment, then pressed a firm kiss to my lips before reluctantly rising and walking into the bathroom.
The sound of running water filled the room almost immediately.
I lay back on the bed, pressing the back of my hand to my burning cheek. My heart was still pounding hard enough to shake me.
A date.
Me and Arthur.
The thought was absurd… and yet, it carried a dangerous kind of anticipation.
I pushed myself up, crossing into the walk-in closet. In the mirror, the woman staring back at me had a softness in her eyes and a curve in her lips that felt unfamiliar.
I dressed quickly and slipped out of the suite.
The chaos and excess of last night's party had vanished, leaving the corridors hushed. The air was clean now, threaded with the faint, comforting aroma of fresh coffee.
I told myself I only wanted a walk, just a few minutes to breathe in something untainted.
Yet my steps betrayed me, carrying me upward, toward the open deck on the highest level.
I just wanted to see what he was handling. Or so I claimed.
The morning deck lay deserted.
A cool sea breeze rolled over the railings, salted and sharp, sweeping the remnants of sleep from my head.
I rounded a massive sunshade, and there he was — as if the ocean itself had been holding him in place, waiting for me to find him.
Arthur was in a perfectly tailored black suit, standing at the edge of the deck with his back to me.
In front of him stood Colin, the man who shadowed him everywhere.
Arthur held a cup of coffee in one hand, his posture relaxed, but the straight line of his back radiated authority.
This was not a man about to go on a date.
This was a man delivering orders—a man in command.
My chest tightened.
Instinct made me step behind the wide sunshade, peeking out just enough to see.
"The waiter in the gray uniform," Arthur's voice was carried on the wind, faint but clear. "What did you find?"
"It's confirmed, boss," Colin said with crisp respect. "He's one of Garrett's men. Planted last minute as an informant. Likely here to watch the activity in the ‘arena.' No threat to us."
Garrett.
The name struck like a warning bell inside me.
Arthur took a slow sip of coffee, satisfied with the answer.
"Good." He set the cup down, his voice hardening into steel. "Pass the word. We leave port tomorrow morning. Back to Asteria City."
"Yes."
"And tonight, I'll be at the Nightfall Club most of the time."
Nightfall Club.
One of the Russell family's strongholds in Asteria City.
What was he going there for?
And what about our date?
Unease began to coil in my stomach.
"Make sure Lisa gives Keith… proper attention tonight."
"As for Ms. Davis," Colin hesitated, "what should I tell her?"
"Tell her I've given her assistant the night off. She should rest." His tone was cold enough to frost the air. "And tell Keith the land he wanted will be in his hands tomorrow. My gift to him. Compensation."
He seemed to have finished. Slowly, deliberately, Arthur turned.
His gaze cut across the empty deck, landing directly on the sunshade where I stood.
He walked toward me.
The expression on his face was the same one I had seen earlier in the bedroom—warm, edged with a smile.
"Sophia," he said, stopping in front of me. He extended his hand like a perfect lover come to collect his date. "I'm done."
He added, "Now… our date can begin."