Chapter 16 Game Scripts
"What's up? Too stunned to talk?" Damian asked Alicia, who was speechless with surprise in front of him.
"Wait! Why did you move into this apartment and even my upstairs?" Alicia asked, still digesting the fact.
"Because you're here!" Damian replied with a shrug.
"But I made that very clear to you yesterday," Alicia said.
"Fine! Then let me give you a few legitimate reasons— it's close to downtown and convenient for my business, and this community is harmonious and provides me with a safe and comfortable living environment," Damian gave Alicia two reasons she could live with.
"Well, I can't imagine the King of Rogues seeking a safe living environment," Alicia said, looking up and down in shock at the Alpha who had an aura of foreboding around him.
"The King of Rogues? I don't like that term. Is whoever took that nickname a fan of royalty in the Middle Ages?" Damian frowned, but then quickly smiled at Alicia again. "But that nickname feels good coming from you."
The atmosphere became ambiguous, and Alicia avoided his burning gaze, ignored her racing heart, and said, "Welcome to the apartment. Bye."
"Well, as romance movies go, the heroine should now invite her new sexy neighbor in for a cup of coffee to celebrate," Damian suggested.
Alicia laughed at his statement and relaxed her tense nerves. With a gentle look, she said to Damian, "Sorry, Mr. Howard, I don't have any coffee at home. And thank you for the lavender. But I really don't need that much!"
"Take it! It's a gift for your promotion. If you think it's too much, you can have the janitor throw it away tomorrow." Damian said.
"Speaking of my promotion, I don't know why you knew it so quickly. If you let Lyon hack into the studio's CCTV, I have to remind you that it's illegal!" Alicia reminded him.
Damian grunted, his voice suddenly turning cold, "I'm a rogue. It's only fair to do something illegal to fit the profile given to rogues by the public, isn't it?"
Alicia caught the self-deprecation that flashed across his face as if he resented being called a rogue, and suddenly, she became curious about Damian. She wanted to know what had happened to him in the past and why he had become a rogue.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I was just reminding you," Alicia apologized.
Realizing that he seemed to have frightened the little, timid mate, Damian resumed his smile and changed the subject, "Where's your husband? Did he give you any gifts to celebrate your promotion? I bet I win."
It turned out that he gave her so much lavender to compete with Tobias on who gave her more gifts. For a moment, Alicia felt as if she was being treated like a trophy or a prize by Damian, and it made her feel uncomfortable.
"He doesn't know it yet!" Alicia whispered, pointing at the door. "I don't need you to worry about what's going on between me and my husband. You can leave now."
"Fine! Have a good rest. I'll have the janitor take care of the trash at the door right away." Damian turned and left, closing the door behind him for Alicia.
As he stood in front of the elevator, Damian took a deep breath since he couldn't help but feel like an unattractive loser in front of Alicia.
He had wanted to invite her to dinner, but her response had made it clear that she was still loyal to her husband. Damian reminded himself that Alicia didn't know he was Tobias, her husband before she turned him down several times. While reason dictated that he should be happy for her loyalty. However, he was inexplicably annoyed because Alicia's attitude toward him clearly defied the game script he had devised.
According to his plan, Alicia would give up her absent husband and be Damian's mate, enjoying his affection until he had achieved his revenge on his uncle and grandfather and reclaimed everything belonging to him and Ellis. Only then would he reveal his true identity and declare Alicia as his Luna, watching her cry tears of joy. But the reality was different. No matter how much the mate pull worked, no matter how much of her favorite lavender he sent, Alicia's strong sense of morality always prevailed over her emotions.
Frustrated, Damian kicked the lavender bouquet he had brought for Alicia earlier, and a card fell out. He picked it up and recognized it as the one he had prepared for her this afternoon. Damian realized that Alicia had brought the bouquet back with her instead of throwing it away. It seemed that she already had feelings for him.
"The game can continue," Damian thought, a sly smile crossing his face.
After making sure that the elevator doors had closed, Alicia quietly opened her apartment door and began to carry all the lavenders that Damian had given her inside. It wasn't because she treasured the gift, but because Damian had threatened to get the janitor to throw them away. Lee, who was on duty today, only had one arm, and Alicia didn't want to burden the elderly man. So, she decided to take the flowers inside herself.
Back in his apartment, Damian casually switched on his tablet screen and spotted his mate bringing lavender plants inside. She must have been so confident that Tobias wouldn't appear that she had the audacity to take his flowers home. Damian grinned, contemplating how she would react if he contacted her as Tobias.
"Is the voice changer ready?" Damian asked Lyon, who was assembling his computer in the study.
"Not yet. You'll have to use it by next Monday at the earliest," Lyon replied.
"Why is it taking so long?" Damian raised an eyebrow, dissatisfied with the answer.
"If my Alpha hadn't moved here in haste, I might have finished optimizing the voice changer by Sunday. But now, to ensure that my esteemed Alpha can charm the lady, I've had to move all my guys here to reassemble and continue optimizing the voice changer's design drawings," Lyon explained, sighing.
"You can use this place as our staging ground. When the villa's courtyard is complete, we can move back in," Damian suggested.
"I can already imagine Will's reaction when he returns on Sunday to find an empty villa," Lyon chuckled.
"He'll probably think I've been caught by Uncle Victor and Alpha Martin," Damian joked, turning his attention back to Alicia, who was holding a lavender bouquet.
"Well, you're only discovered if they have hackers who are smarter than me and can break my anti-tracking program," Lyon boasted.
"Okay, smart guy, now answer me a question. What is the purpose of a lady who refuses your date invitations and gifts several times, but secretly accepts flowers from you?" Damian inquired.
"Oh, emotional counseling is Will's specialty," Lyon quipped, guessing that Damian was referring to Miss Scarlett.
Clearly, Damian couldn't expect any practical advice from this Beta, who only had eyes for electronics. "I've asked him. He only said, 'Play hard to get.' But I don't believe she's the type to use that tactic to ensnare a man. At least now, I don't have to ask the janitor to dispose of the flowers." Damian stood up and prepared to change clothes before going for a run downstairs.
As he descended to the first floor, Damian noticed that the old gray-haired janitor was missing his left hand. He realized why Alicia had changed her mind and carried all the lavender back to the apartment herself.
"Can I help you, sir?" Lee asked, realizing that the Alpha resident who had just moved to the top floor of the apartment complex was staring at him. Years of military experience had taught him that this Alpha was different from the other wealthy residents of the building. He might be incredibly powerful, even dangerous.