Tempted

Author's Pov

Lily looked around the beautiful garden fixing her large canvas there, her eyes moved around the place trying to find the best picture for her art but nothing got her attention. She bit the edge of the paint brush until her bright blue eyes paused at the particular couple, her eyes glimmered with an idea that could sprung up a story in her mind.

The art exhibition she had taken part in actually had some rules and the biggest requirement was to build a story, each picture should signify the lineage of the story she wanted to convey and the more deeper it would be, the bigger chances she would have in winning the competition. She blinked for a few seconds and watched the beautiful scene before letting her fingers do the magic.

Liliana was extremely a clean artist, she was great at mixing colors and bringing life to her art almost making them realistic. The picture captured all the important details like the few small butterflies swirling around the flowers looking like bugs from a far, her smile widened when she watched the seated old couple leaning into each other's arms, she placed her head on his shoulder while he held her body near his chest watching the silent row of colorful flowers.

It was near the evening when the old couple finally moved and stood up, instead of coming to the city's road, they walked deeper in the garden, maybe there was a small village where they lived. She noticed her painting missing some details and colors so she decided to complete it after reaching the home. 

After coming here, there was one thing Liliana missed the most, her house. The peace and the joy she felt in the four walls of her house wasn't present here. Charlotte provided her with everything she needed but the behaviour of the servants and the rude attitude of the people here left her slightly uncomfortable, she had never treated someone this badly.

She had a little expectation from Charlotte's parents but she was utterly disappointed when she saw how cruelly Charlotte's father scolded the maid for adding a little more sugar than usual in his coffee, she was more stunned when she saw Charlotte's mother firing the servant on the spot for not greeting her within a second she arrived at home. She always thought Charlotte was always little different and rude with people having lower status but now she understood she got it from her parents.

She showed them as much as respect she could but after seeing their awful behaviour with servants she distant herself from them and hardly found time to converse with Charlotte, and surprisingly her friend didn't even try visiting her. So eventually Liliana decided to change her accommodation, she was grateful of Charlotte letting her live there but Lily knew she couldn't change their rules but at least she could leave that place for her own mental peace.

She talked with Charlotte and her parents making an excuse that she had found a few inspirations for her art and those are closer to the accommodation she had rented for herself. With Alexander's help she was able to rent an apartment after all she wouldn't be living in that apartment for long. In the last month of the exhibition the agency will provide the participants with hotel rooms.

Finally after a long time she found a mental peace, she smiled laid on the small bed but the silent surroundings and no one to serve her like a slave saved so much time for her to not feel bad for hours. After having lunch she settled the canvas and started refining the art she painted yesterday in the garden. She added a few things by herself to make it even more meaningful and mesmerising.

Finally after she was done, her eyes widened slightly finding the clock hitting 10 at night, she didn't even noticed she worked on the painting for straight 8 hours. Her stomach grumbled loudly making her feel the need to eat something. She pouted in sadness, she didn't even made anything for herself, so nodding she decided to grab something outside.

Using the searching tab, she found a few restaurants near her apartment and she was so hungry that she decided to run inside the the very first one and grab something for herself. But the moment she entered she regretted, it wasn't a small restaurant, everyone present there were cladded in high branded clothes, seemed like it wasn't the best option to have a simple dinner.

She looked down herself and blushed furiously, she was wearing a baggy sweatpants and a heavy oversized hoodie covering her head, her hair was tied in a messy bun and there was no jewelry or makeup on her face like all the presentable folks present there. She awkwardly smiled at the young man who neared her, he seemed like a front desk worker and thankfully he didn't judge her but simply questioned.

"Are you alone ma'am?" She hesitantly nodded and he simply motioned her to follow him and he escorted her to the only seat which had one chair in the corner. She sighed in relief and grabbed the menu.

The meal as expected was expensive but she was too hungry to leave this place and find another, so she decided to order one serving which ended up a little manageable for her, fortunately she didn't need to use her brother's card and even if she did she knew he would be beyond gleeful but she wanted to keep his money for emergencies.

After placing her order she looked around with bored face, she had nothing interesting in her phone as well, so she decided to observe the place maybe she would find soem inspiration here as well. But instead of finding an inspiration she found a view she never expected, her gaze froze for a second but soon her pupils expanded in alert.

Meanwhile 

Cyril placed the last card and again he won, but there was no joy or satisfaction on his stern face, the men surrounding him raised his eyebrows, "Sir, are you alright?" Cyril raised his sharp gaze giving a curt nod.

"Yeah, I am not in the mood today, you guys continue." He left the money he bet on and won on the table making the worker smile in happiness but their joy was nowhere near the restless man.

He walked out of the room pulling a pack of the cigarette before letting one dug between his teeth, he lit it up and stood near the open spot where the pool was based. He noticed certain eyes stating at him, just like being the women magnet he caught the eyes of several women, even the one he knew before but none of them sparked his interest. He always thought he was living fine life with no tension of having a wife or children at home, his business, lonely house and a few colorful nights were enough for him to live but from the past few months the satisfaction of years back didn't seem to keep on going anymore.

His Hazel eyes looked around the pool area and nothing was worth his attention until he heard a soft voice with weird accent saying something to him in English and the moment he turned around, the cigarette in his hand fell off his fingers, his body caught off guard and he didn't get the chance to balance himself when a small frame crashed against his well build ones throwing both of them away from the spot he was standing. Cyril was still sharp minded to hold the edge of the pool to not fall inside and even wrapped his arm around the body above his to balance the person as well.

His narrowed eyes snapped up to the intruder and he froze, he stared speechlessly at those light blue eyes, they stared so innocently, worriedly and panicked at him leaving him absent minded. But his attention on her eyes was short lived when she suddenly removed her gaze from him and looked at the side he was standing earlier making him follow her gaze. 

There was a crystal glass chandelier right above his head, if she hadn't pushed him, he would have cracked open his head for sure. And God knows what dirt and evil would have spread on the floor after he would have gotten the hit. His dark gaze steadily went back to the woman cradles against his chest above him with weird emotions. 

Her those bright shimmery eyes went back to his giving him the privilege to observe those sinless sky colored eyes which left him speechless for the first time in his whole life. He didn't even care to hold his reputation intact at that time when the several people surrounded them and everyone saw how, the woman tried to pull her body away from him but he held her waist tightly making her stare in his eyes with nervousness. She obviously didn't like the unwanted attention on them.

"M-Mister, please let me go," This burned something in him, something that wasn't there for months. 

Those nervous, awkward eyes, the way she kept on looking everywhere but no his eyes made something tingle in his chest. This wasn't good, the monster wasn't supposed to be tempted by someone as innocent as her, he was destined to someone like him, someone as merciless and cruel as him then,

Why was he so tempted by this unknown enchantress?

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