Chapter 41 - Positivity Is Half A Victory

Anya convinced herself to manage for a few days and ignore Alvin's behavior. So she focused on solving the mess while he didn't leave her wrist. She tried to pull away but it was making him hold her tighter so she relaxed and spoke.

"I am sorry." She apologized for doubting his efforts to keep her safe. He might be an ill-mannered man, she wasn't.

Alvin's thought process and attention paused for a second hearing her. Her apology worked wonders on the man. Alvin melted for her apology and became cool-headed. He again started worrying about her food and cold.

Anya didn't give him a chance to speak. She asked to dig into the details, "You and president Collins are against Harper Johnsons. Then why are you two stalling the information from releasing to the media?"

She didn't sound like she was investigating. To Alvin, she still looked the same as in the past. She had tilted her head and softly batted her lids asking him the doubts she had. The difference was her chubby cheeks vanished with the bangs on her forehead.

When he opened his lips, his question was entirely unrelated, "Why did you lose weight?" There was a hint of anger beneath his tone.

He met Anya for the first time when she was a freshman and his female classmates were bullying her for her weight. She was almost reduced to tears. That was the first and last time anybody dared to bully her.

So he wrongly assessed that her weight loss was because somebody bullied her and she changed due to them. And he was ready to teach that person a good lesson for reducing the Little Donut to a choco stick.

Anya: "..."

'This man seriously needs a doctor.' Anya controlled herself from stomping on his feet.

She took a deep breath and stayed calm. She couldn't believe she stays calm while threatening her chief officer and loses her temper whenever he opens his mouth. "Alvin Matthews, could you please focus on my question?"

She wanted to hear him say yes before asking anything, anyway, she quickly added, "If you don't tell me, I won't know. If I don't get to know the situation, I will misunderstand you. Then how can I stay here? I will feel like running away. So could you respond to all my questions? Please." She was forcing him to speak in a tone that's used for kids to persuade them.

Well, he liked the sweet side of Anya Owen too. So he faintly nodded and recalled her question. He couldn't clarify everything in words. It would be better if she checks it herself. "Alright…"

Then he turned around and walked without leaving her hand or telling her why he was taking her inside instead of directly responding to her.

Anya who was jogging behind him was speechless. 'Alright? Then where is the response? Argh, this man.'

Lost in her thoughts, "Ahh…" She tripped at a block of stones.

Alvin was quick to react when he felt a tug at his hand. He caught her by the shoulders and helped her stand. "What's wrong?"

"Wrong!? Everything is wrong with you." She blurted out before realizing. She wanted to slap her mouth.

Alvin left her hand and crossed his arms. He was daring her to continue.

Anya would have dared if she didn't want to know anything from him. So she awkwardly laughed, "I am wrong." She pointed to her leg, "See I have short legs." Then she looked at him and exclaimed, "You have such long legs, how could my legs keep up with your speed?" She shook her head with a sigh of disappointment.

Alvin was amazed at her acting to butter him. "I see…" Continuing her act, he added, taking a step closer to her, "Let me help you."

Anya: "..."

Anya slipped off his hands and ran away towards the mansion hearing his heart laugh. She paused and looked behind. She can't even trick him. He was dumb and also smart.

"Waiting for me princess?" He teased her.

Anya ran inside. Unaware of where to go, she paused at the door and heard Alvin's voice again, "Upstairs."

She went upstairs and paused again looking at left, right, and straight. "Straight." Came his voice behind her.

She walked with Alvin behind her. He maintained his steps at her speed without crossing the distance. He realized her three steps were equal to his less than two steps. He made a note to walk slowly next time.

Before he could say stop, she had voluntarily stopped in front of his study. She looked at the tall wooden double doors having fine and intricate wooden work. She was admiring the art when the door opened.

Alvin stepped inside first and her lips twitched. She doesn't know if there exists magic but the door felt like entry to another dimension, the room from the ancient rulers. She smacked herself, 'What am I imagining?'

She stepped inside and almost tripped again. She wanted to follow him but her eyes were betraying her. Everything piqued her curiosity and it was difficult to ease without knowing what she was looking at.

Alvin noticed her, he let her check and opened his laptop. He should have hundreds of eyes before giving her the laptop. She could hack into the network without looking at the screen while speaking with him. So he disconnected the wifi, turned off the router. He closed the unnecessary application and opened the file that will make her understand the whole situation.

He suddenly paused in his actions when he felt something slowly settle on his head. Lifting his head, he caught her softly curled lips and sparkling grey eyes looking at his head.

He was captivated by her smile and mischief eyes. He was amused to see her find negligible happiness despite knowing the grave situation she was in. She wasn't fretting over the darkness, she hopefully went towards the light.

Only if her positivity was enough to survive.

Her hands were still at the sides of his head when her gaze lowered and caught his eyes. Anya froze, she felt like being caught doing a crime looking at his intense gaze. The words which she had on her lips to tease him, slipped off. She didn't know what to say.

After looking at his bedroom and study room interior, she discerned that Alvin likes the modern and ancient royal style. So when she glanced at Alvin sitting on a royal throne-like chair, she knew what was missing. The crown. So she picked the crown that she saw and silently tried to leave it on his head but was caught. She purely wanted to laugh but he looked like he was going to scold her for touching his items.

To avoid souring his mood, she tried to divert his attention. She pulled her hands away and stumbled on her words, "Y-your Highness, may I-I know why I am here?" She bit her tongue for stuttering. It wasn't her habit but his cold expressionless face was frightening sometimes.

He lifted his hand and flicked on her forehead.

"Ouch" Anya rubbed her head, craving to kick him.

He stood up, took the laptop, and signaled her to follow him. He paused midway and looked at her standing in the same position. He realized another thing, she doesn't like being called with the action of his hand.

'Is it disrespectful?' He wondered.

And he wasn't a man to sweetly invite her, "I will give you three seconds. One… two…"

Anya reached him and followed, cursing the man in her mind. He gave her the laptop and sat right next to her on the couch. Anya knew what he was worried about, "I won't hack." She needed space and it wasn't time to provoke him.

And he trusted her. He stood up, "Take your time." He went out after keeping the crown to its place.

As soon Alvin stepped out, Linus rushed up to him with the stolen hard disk in his hand, "Bro, there is some junk in the hard disk. Young Mommy is fooling us." The disbelief was written all over his face. He had almost dialed Bernard to report to him about the content of the hard disk. Nevertheless, he looked for Alvin to solve it themselves to avoid panicking his father.

Alvin's face significantly darkened looking at the space grey hard disk in his hand and his mood soured. It was hard to say what was going on in his mind.

Linus pulled his sleeves up and strode away, "I truly underestimated her. I will bring her inside, we need to get the truth out of her lips.." He sounded annoyed.