FIVE

"I don't wanna know 'bout your hobbies no more, please," pleaded Cindy, her lashes batting gently. She forgot that her hubby's thoughts were way beyond hers. She figured he might fancy playing basketball or strumming a violin or even whipping up a dish. But right now, he showed her another side of hobbies.

Mr. Stranger sauntered back to bed, his towering frame a sight to behold. Only Cindy was lucky enough to catch glimpses of his beauty every moment. His eyes roamed over her, leaving her breathless, wondering what was on his mind.

"Strip," he commanded suddenly, and Cindy's lips parted in surprise. "S-strip?" she stuttered, meeting his unwavering gaze. She knew he never backed down from his words.

Her gaze darted to the door, automatic and impossible to escape. Her hand hesitated on her zipper, then she looked back at him. "Is stripping one of your hobbies?" she asked nervously.

"Whatever you say," he replied lazily, making Cindy bite her lip, trying to stall.

"Hubby, why don't you lend a hand?" she suggested, but he frowned, questioning her request. "And why should I? You can't manage it yourself?" he retorted.

"My hands can't reach the zipper. Come help me," she pleaded, turning her back to him.

Mr. Stranger debated briefly whether to comply. He felt a pang of irritation at her attempt to turn his order against him, but he rose from the bed nonetheless. Cindy pretended not to be scared as he approached.

His cold fingers trailed down her back, and she arched slightly. The zipper lowered, and she quickly caught it before it fell. "Done," he declared, retreating to the bed.

Cindy sighed with relief, then turned to face him, expecting him to forgive her. But his impatience was palpable. She let go of her dress, closing her eyes. No one but this stranger had ever seen her body before, and it felt strange, but she had no choice.

When she opened her eyes, he wasn't looking at her face anymore. He motioned for her to crawl to him, sending shivers down her spine. As she obeyed, a fire alarm suddenly blared.

"Fire! It's a fire!" she panicked, but he remained calm, instructing her to stay put before leaving the room.

Terrified, Cindy hastily put her dress back on and rushed out, wondering why a building like this would be on fire. As she descended the corridor, she saw no sign of Mr. Stranger. Had he vanished?

Lost in her thoughts, she reached the bottom of the stairs, only to be grabbed by a strong hand. "Hubby?" she called, but before she could react, something was pressed against her face, and darkness enveloped her.

Meanwhile, at Autumn's home...

"So, your parents ain't home?" Ivan inquired, taking a seat beside the dining table.

"Yeah, my mom's a nurse, probably doing a night shift. And dad's on a business trip," Autumn nervously explained. She couldn't believe her crush was actually at her place; it was like a dream come true.

Trying to hide her nerves, she walked over to the fridge to grab a drink. "Hey," Ivan called, causing her heart to race once more. "Huh?" she responded, turning to him.

"You didn't ask why I came here?" he pointed out, making her bite her lip nervously. "Um... I'm sorry. W-why are you... here?" she stammered.

He looked away, admitting, "My friends didn't want me home. Seems they're not too keen on my company." Autumn's heart went out to him; if they didn't want him, she certainly did. She even entertained the thought of adopting him, or offering him a place to stay.

"Why not?" she asked, moving closer to him. Ivan managed a small smile. "Just forget it. I'll talk to them tomorrow at school," he brushed it off.

"I'm really sorry about that. But you're welcome to hang out here. We could use the company," she offered with a hopeful smile, and he returned it with gratitude. "Sure."

Unable to maintain eye contact, she busied herself with the fridge. Suddenly, Rexa burst in. "Ivan!!" she exclaimed, rushing over to hug him.

"I'm so glad you're here. Autumn talks about you all the time!" Rexa gushed, causing Autumn to cringe. Her sister was about to spill everything to Ivan.

"Oh, really?" Ivan responded, sounding intrigued.

"Like, every time! She even has your picture all over her cabinet!" Rexa revealed, making Autumn want to disappear. This was more embarrassing than any bullying she faced at school.

Desperate to change the subject, Autumn called out to Rexa for help. "She might even have a crush on you, 'cause she's crazy about you!" Rexa continued, and Autumn wanted to crawl into a hole.

But Ivan quickly clarified, "Well, Rexa, you might be mistaken. Autumn and I are just friends, okay?" he reassured, though Autumn's heart sank at his words.

Apologizing, Rexa retreated, leaving Autumn feeling dejected. She poured a drink for Ivan, trying to hide her disappointment. "Since you don't want food, I brought this for you instead," she said softly.

"Thanks, you didn't have to," Ivan acknowledged, and Autumn joined him at the table, bringing out her books. He was here to help her with homework, and she was grateful for the chance to sit close to him.

"Don't mind whatever my sister said. She was just teasing," Autumn said, trying to smooth things over.

"It's okay. I guess," Ivan replied, his smile returning.

As they started on their assignments, Autumn hoped their time together would be magical. But her sister had made a mess of things, and she couldn't shake off her disappointment.

"Hey," Ivan interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up at him. "Let's focus on the assignment, okay?" he suggested, ruffling her hair gently.

His touch sent her mind spinning with a mix of emotions, and she blushed, resting her head on his shoulder, hoping he couldn't hear her pounding heart.

Ivan noticed Autumn's reaction but didn't know what to say, so he remained silent, allowing her to lean on him.

Meanwhile, Mr. Stranger returned to his hotel room, expecting to find Cindy there, but she was nowhere to be seen. Panic surged through him. If she wasn't in the room, something was seriously wrong. He stormed out, his steps heavy as he headed for the stairs. Along the way, he encountered a waiter and grabbed him by the throat.

"Have you seen Cindy?!" he demanded, his voice harsh.

"I-I have no idea who she is," the waiter replied innocently, but Mr. Stranger slammed the tray he was carrying against the wall in frustration.

"Call the others. Search every inch of this place until you find her. If she's not found, you'll lose more than just your job," he threatened.

"Yes, master. We'll find her," the waiter promised, trembling, before scurrying away. Mr. Stranger continued downstairs, where he ran into Thyme, the friend who had led Cindy into the building.

"What's wrong with you?" Thyme asked, noticing Mr. Stranger's agitation.

"Cindy," Mr. Stranger grumbled.

"Who's Cindy?"

"Who else! She's the girl!" Mr. Stranger snapped, causing Thyme to flinch.

"You left her alone?" Thyme exclaimed, and Mr. Stranger pulled at his hair in frustration.

"I wish I could tear myself apart. I can't believe I made such a mistake!" he gritted his teeth.

Regret gnawed at him. He had fallen for the fire alarm prank, and now he feared Cindy might have been taken from him. Determined to find her, he instructed Thyme to ensure no one left the building without permission and to hold everyone accountable if Cindy remained missing.

Thyme hurried off to carry out the orders, leaving Mr. Stranger alone with his thoughts. He couldn't believe he had made such a blunder. He wondered who had set off the fire alarm; it seemed like a deliberate trap to distract him. People were always trying to get to him, but this time, they might have succeeded in taking Cindy.

As he paced back and forth, lost in worry, Elliott approached him. "Hey," she greeted, but Mr. Stranger didn't bother to turn to her.

"Just turn back," he muttered, his anger palpable.

"It's me, Elliott. Why aren't you joining us at the ball? You've been busy?" she inquired, stepping closer.

"Who allowed you to come up here?" he demanded, finally looking at her.

"Who wouldn't let the master's ex visit? I deserve a place here," she replied sweetly, but Mr. Stranger's attention was drawn to a diamond sequin on her clothing, reminding him of Cindy's dress.

His curiosity piqued, he wasted no time. "Where is she?" he demanded.

"Who?" Elliott asked innocently, but Mr. Stranger wasn't fooled.

Closing the distance between them, he backed her against the wall. "Don't make me repeat myself!" he growled, his eyes blazing.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Elliott protested, but Mr. Stranger ignored her, moving on to interrogate Lilac.

Grabbing her by the throat, he demanded, "Where is the girl?" Lilac choked, blood appearing on her lip as she struggled to speak.

"If you don't tell me, I'll snap you in half," he threatened, his anger boiling over.

"Elliott's men threw her into the pool," Lilac confessed, and without a moment's hesitation, Mr. Stranger dashed to the back of the building, where the pool was located.

He found Cindy unconscious in the water, her lips turning pale. With a curse, he pulled her out and carried her back inside.

Meanwhile, outside Cindy's home, Grandma encountered Cindy's mom.

"When will you go to bed? It's very late," Grandma scolded.

"Cindy said she'd be back by now. It's already half past eleven," Cindy's mom replied worriedly.

"Cindy isn't a child. Maybe she's staying at Juan's place," Grandma suggested, trying to ease her daughter's concern.

"But why hasn't she called just to let me know she's okay? Juan isn't picking up either! What's going on?" Cindy's mom panicked.

"You worry too much. If she doesn't come home by morning, we'll drive to Juan's ourselves, okay?" Grandma reassured her, standing up and leading Cindy's mom inside with a hopeful heart.

Next day...

Mr. Stranger lounged lazily in the armchair, dressed in a simple sweatshirt and pajama pants, a departure from his usual dark attire. His phone beeped, signaling morning's arrival. He glanced over at Cindy, still asleep in bed.

A knock interrupted his thoughts, and Thyme and the doctor entered. The doctor, one of the most renowned in the world, checked on Cindy's condition.

"How's she doing?" Thyme inquired, concern etched on his face.

"She hasn't stirred at all. Take a look," Mr. Stranger replied wearily.

After examining her, the doctor reassured them, "She's breathing fine. Give her some time; she's just asleep. I'll check back at noon."

"Why did you let Lilac and Elliott go unpunished for what they did?" Thyme questioned, surprised by Mr. Stranger's leniency.

"I... I didn't really think about it. I was worried about Cindy's health," Mr. Stranger confessed, feeling guilty for bringing her into this dangerous situation.

Once Cindy was well enough, he vowed to take her home himself, regretting ever involving her.

As Cindy stirred, Mr. Stranger felt a pang of discomfort under her gaze. She had a way of unsettling him for reasons he couldn't fathom.

"You're awake," he remarked as she sat up in bed, her face brightening at the sight of him.

"Good morning, hubby," she greeted, her voice soft.

He approached her, avoiding the events of the previous night. "You need to bathe. You're going home. The date is over," he informed her.

Realization dawned on Cindy; it was all just a date, not a fairy tale romance as she had imagined.

"Is it really over?" she pouted, feeling a sense of loss at the thought of leaving him.

His brows furrowed in confusion. Wasn't she the one eager to leave last night at 10?

"What did you expect?" he scoffed.

"Can I ask for a favor?" she ventured, her tone hopeful.

"I'll only grant it if necessary," he replied, his tone firm.

"Forget it," she sighed, deflating.

He leaned closer, taking in her morning appearance. "Tell me," he urged, and Cindy hesitated before speaking up.

"Um... before I go, I really want to know your name. I know you won't tell me, but that's my request," she pleaded, batting her lashes gently.

"My name?" he echoed, surprised by her request. No one knew his real name, not even Thyme. But since it was her plea, he relented.

"Alexander. That's my real name," he declared, the words heavy with significance.