Chapter 240 Dinner Date

Chapter 240 Dinner Date
>>Riona
The entire car ride was a blur. I wasn’t sure how long it had been or even how we got here. My mind was still reeling from Demos’s confession. His words echoed in my head, pulling at my thoughts, stealing my focus. The world around me felt distant, like I was moving through water, everything muted and slow. Every glance I stole toward him made my heart race all over again. I couldn’t seem to shake the way he’d looked at me, how his gaze made me feel exposed and cherished all at once.
I didn’t even notice the change in scenery as we left the familiar streets and drove through the city. My thoughts were far too consumed with him. My heart felt like it was beating outside of my chest, and I was so lost in the whirlwind of emotions that even when the car stopped, I barely registered it.
It wasn’t until the cool night breeze kissed my skin that I was snapped out of my daze.
!?
I blinked, taking a slow breath as I registered the sensation of the air around me. It was fresh, crisp, a gentle caress against my flushed cheeks. The city was alive beneath us, a blanket of lights twinkling in every direction. Slowly, I looked around, trying to gather my bearings, realizing with a sudden clarity that I had no idea where I was.
I was standing on what appeared to be the rooftop of a building. The ground beneath my feet was solid, but the wind played with my hair, pushing it back from my face while the view in front of me took my breath away.
The restaurant was a breathtaking sight—an elegant open-air terrace with sleek, modern furniture. Soft golden lights illuminated the area, casting a romantic glow that made everything feel so surreal. The space was adorned with small potted plants, delicate flowers spilling from their edges, adding a touch of nature to the otherwise refined setting. Low tables and plush chairs were scattered around, with a few intimate corners offering privacy, surrounded by elegant drapes fluttering in the breeze. The candles on the tables flickered, the soft glow reflecting off the sleek glass railings that encircled the rooftop.
I inhaled deeply, the cool air filling my lungs, and for a moment, I was so absorbed in the beauty of the place that I forgot everything else. Everything except the fact that Demos was standing beside me, his presence so steady, so constant.
I turned to look at him, and in the soft light of the rooftop, his face was impossibly handsome. He was calm, composed, his gaze steady as he watched me take in the view. There was something magnetic about him, something that made it impossible to look away.
“This is… this is incredible,” I whispered, my voice barely audible, almost as if speaking too loudly would break the magic of the moment.
He gave a soft, knowing smile, his eyes glinting as he looked at me. “I thought you might like it.”
I nodded, my heart fluttering. “Like it? This is... mesmerizing.”
As I sat there, savoring the meal and the moment, I couldn’t help but reflect on how different everything felt. This didn’t feel like the typical arrangement I had feared, the one where I was bought like some object at an auction, meant to be sold to the highest bidder.
No, this felt different. It was almost... too good to be true. So soft, so romantic—everything that Demos had shown me tonight, from the way he spoke to me, to the way his presence seemed to calm the storm inside me. It was almost like that part of my life, the ugly part, where I had been sold and used, was nothing more than a nightmare.
I couldn’t fathom how things had shifted so quickly. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I could breathe again. But it was more than just the air; it was the space between us, the connection I didn’t think I’d ever experience.
I stole a glance at Demos, watching him as he ate, his jawline sharp and his eyes occasionally flicking over to me with a quiet intensity. When our gazes met, my heart fluttered inexplicably, and I felt it again—the rush of something warm and calming spreading through me. His gaze was steady, calm, as if he held the world together with the simple way he looked at me.
I didn’t know what it was, but something about Demos made me feel... safe. And that was something I had never felt with anyone else. Not even close.
It was all so new, so different from the life I had known. It was easy to forget the nightmare, to forget how I had been tossed into a world I didn’t understand, the fear that always clung to my skin. But with him? That fear was melting away, and in its place was something I couldn’t quite name, but I wanted to explore it. I wanted to see where it could go.
I was just about to turn my attention back to my plate when Demos looked at me. His expression was softer than usual, a slight furrow of his brow, his lips parted as if weighing something on his mind.
“I have something I want to tell you,” he said quietly, his voice low, pulling me back from the swirl of thoughts that had taken over my mind.
I raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. “What is it?”
Demos took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto mine as if he were preparing for something important. “I’ve looked into your past,” he said, his voice steady but edged with something deeper.
“I know,” I said, trying to keep my voice casual despite the lingering tension. “I know you’ve looked into me. It’s fine.”
He paused, his gaze not leaving mine. And then he surprised me.
“There’s something I found that you might not know, Riona.”
I blinked, confusion spreading over me like a fog. “What do you mean?”
He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping even lower. “Unlike the other girls, who were taken from the streets, from local areas when you were all being trafficked... you were the only one who was actually kidnapped from another country.”
!!!
The words hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment, I couldn’t process what he was saying. My heart pounded, and I felt as if the world around me had suddenly tilted. The air felt thicker.
“I... I’m from another country?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Demos nodded, his eyes never leaving mine, but there was something else in his gaze—something that told me this wasn’t just a casual statement. This was a revelation.
“You aren’t from here, Riona,” he said gently. “You were from Country C.”
I sat there, utterly speechless. The truth of his words hit me in waves, crashing over me until I felt dizzy
“Is that why… I never found my family?” I asked

“That’s a very high chance of that, plus, Riona isn’t even your birth name. Right?”

I let out a shaky breath,“Yes…”
As I sat there, still processing the shock of Demos's revelation, my mind wandered back to the moment at the casino. The flashing lights, the clinking of coins, the scent of expensive cigars and alcohol filling the air... I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had been there before. It wasn’t just the familiarity of the place—it was the sensation that it was more than a passing recognition. It was like my body knew that place, even if my mind didn’t.
I leaned back in my chair, my thoughts drifting.
“But…” I hesitated to say it
“It’s alright,” He assured me, “Say what you want to say.”
I stared at him for a second, and I found it in my heart to trust him with it, “I’ve... I’ve felt like I’ve been in that casino before,” I said slowly, my voice unsure, as if I was trying to make sense of the strange memory.
Demos raised an eyebrow, his expression neutral as he studied me. “What do you mean?”
I hesitated, wringing my hands together. “I don’t know. It’s strange... If I’m not from this country, then why would I feel so connected to that place? Why would it feel so familiar to me?” I raised my hands slightly above the table, “I mean, I strongly felt I knew the place when I walked around. Even in the restricted areas. I thought maybe I had been there before but you’re saying I’m not originally from here…”
Demos leaned back in his chair, his lips pressing together as he thought for a moment. “It could simply be that you visited this country a number of times when you were younger. Maybe your family brought you here as a kid. Maybe that’s why it feels familiar.”
His explanation made sense on the surface, but something didn’t sit right with me. Why did it feel so... intense? Like I had lived there, like it was a part of me.
“It’s not really like a place you’d remember if you visited it once on a trip…” I looked away, letting the gentle breeze blow past me and tickle my skin, “And you know it better than kids aren’t allowed in casinos.”
Before I could say anything else, Demos suddenly fell silent. His eyes seemed to flicker with something I couldn’t quite place. Then, after a long pause, he spoke again, his voice low, almost thoughtful.
“I want to take you back to the casino,” he said, his gaze steady on me.
I blinked, surprised. “Why? What for?”
Demos’s lips curled into a small, enigmatic smile. “There’s something I need to confirm. I can’t explain it right now. But you’ll understand when we get there.”
My mind raced with questions, but Demos didn’t offer any further details. I wanted to ask him a dozen things—what was going on? Why did he want to take me back to the casino? What was so important about it? But I knew from the look in his eyes that he wasn’t going to say more until we were there.
It was well past midnight by the time we made our way out of the restaurant and into the car. The night air was cool against my skin, the city lights flickering in the distance as we drove along the empty streets. A sense of anticipation began to stir in me again, mingling with the unease that I couldn’t quite shake off. What was Demos going to show me?
The drive to the casino seemed longer than it actually was. The silence between us felt heavy, charged with unspoken thoughts, until finally, as we neared the outskirts of the city, something changed. I noticed Demos tense beside me, his jaw tightening, his eyes scanning the road ahead.
Then, out of nowhere, the car jolted, the tires screeching against the asphalt as Demos swerved to the side. My heart slammed into my chest as the car came to a sudden, violent stop.
“Demos?” I gasped, gripping the seat, my body stiff with fear. “What’s going on!?”
He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze fixed on something ahead. I followed his eyes, but the street was empty—no cars, no people, just a dark stretch of road illuminated by the car’s headlights.
That’s when I saw them. Figures emerging from the shadows. Men, walking toward the car with slow, deliberate steps. Their faces were obscured by hoods, but I could tell by their posture that they meant trouble.
Demos cursed under his breath, his hands gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“This wasn’t part of the plan,” he muttered, his voice low and controlled, but there was a hint of irritation beneath it.
I swallowed hard, panic beginning to rise in my chest. “What do we do?”
Demos’s eyes flicked over to me, his expression hardening. “Stay calm. Let me handle this.”
Before I could respond, the figures were almost at the car, closing the distance between us with unsettling speed. My heart pounded in my ears, and my breath quickened. The last thing I wanted was to be caught up in whatever this was, but I had no idea what Demos was planning.
The men surrounded the car, their movements calculated, as if they had done this before. My pulse raced as I looked between them and Demos.
What was going to happen now?