The Inconceivable Flame: A Fallen Angel's Disguise

The conference room went silent at her departure like this. She usually didn’t say much during the meetings except for stating her points but today was one of those rare days when she didn’t even try to nit-pick about other’s plans.

"Is Mr. Knight okay?" Someone dared to voice out the question to break the suffocating silence.

"Who knows! Sir Knight seems to be in a bad mood today." Another official reckoned.

"If that’s the case then let’s not bother him. I’m sure none of us wants to be on the receiving end of his heartless persona." The others nodded their heads to display their consent.

Adrian who had been listening silently sighed out and lunged to his feet. He really needed to see what that Knight was up to.

As he came out and was walking through the corridors to find Ru, he saw her leaning against the glass wall with a cigarette in his mouth. Wisps of white smoke had enshrouded her face but her eyes were still sparkling clear.

Adrian stood by her side observing her movements patiently while she was still treating him like thin air. Completely INVISIBLE!

Oddly, for the first time, Adrian wasn’t irked by her behavior. Instead, he was feeling uncomfortable and worried.

"Having a bad day?" He finally asked the question.

She tilted her head to blew the rings of smoke straight at his face before saying, "Apparently, I forgot to wear my lucky underpants."

Adrian first waved his hand before his face to disperse the smoke while he coughed lightly and then chuckled at her answer.

He shook his head lightly before saying, "Sometimes you really make me question your sanity."

The ashes of the burnt cigarette fell on Ru’s fingers but she couldn’t feel a thing. To Adrian, she seemed like someone who was numb to pain. But he didn’t know that she was indeed so used to pain that the small burn couldn’t possibly hurt her.

"Don’t question my sanity. It only answers to me." Ru replied in a plain voice.

"I have to talk to you about something. How about getting out of here?" Adrian tried to shift her attention and oddly, Ru didn’t refuse.

Instead, she took a few steps ahead of him and turned her head back to call him out, "What are you waiting for now? Should I bring a pumpkin carriage for your highness?"

Adrian rolled his eyes at her before following her out. He chose one of the elite bars in downtown London which he owned.

Rolling his sleeves, he asked, "Would you like a drink?"

Ru sat down on high bar stool and answered, "Give me bourbon... Neat."

Adrian picked up a bottle of bourbon and poured it in a glass. He picked some ice as he said, "Have it on the rocks."

Ru snatched her drink from his hand before he could even add the ice and said, "Bourbon on the rocks... Doesn’t rock my world."

Adrian pursed his lips as his hand was still holding the ice in mid-air. He reminded himself to stay calm. Today was not a good day to argue. Poring some whiskey for himself, Adrian questioned, "Can’t you ever be nice to me?"

Ru looked into his ocean blue eyes and smile slyly. "For the past five years, I’ve been looking for a day to be nice to you. But apparently, today isn’t your day again!"

Grinding his teeth, Adrian retorted, "I have also been pressing the delete button for five years... Apparently, it doesn’t work because you’re still right here." Gulping down his whiskey in one go, Adrian didn’t even feel the burn in his throat since the burn in his heart was much worse! "With your level of sarcasm, you’ll definitely end up in hell."

Gulping down the liquor straight from the bourbon bottle, Ru smiled victoriously. "Don’t worry... Hell has long banned my entry." Amused by his reaction, she added, "You should think about yourself. I have heard that Satan loves bloody buggers[1] like you."

After that, she didn’t bother with him at all. Seeing her supping down the alcohol like it was water, Adrian was really taken aback. If he wasn’t wrong, he had heard that Alev Knight doesn’t like drinking. It certainly didn’t look like it at the moment.

"On a serious note, Alev, what’s going on with you?" He really needed an answer.

Ru pinched his high bridged nose between her index and middle finger as she said, "Take care of your nose. It’s poking in my business again."

Adrian scowled as he rubbed his nose which was sore now. "I was trying to be nice here."

Sighing out, she said, "Adrian, do you think anyone can admire a person like me?"

Adrian went silent at her question. Where did this sudden question come from? He bit the inside of his lower lip as he pondered over his words.

Looking at her green eyes looking at him earnestly, he answered, "Is it that hard to believe that you could be someone’s idol?"

"Isn’t it? People don’t respect me from the heart. They just fear me. My own subordinates respect me because they owe me their lives. I really don’t see a reason why someone would actually be choosing to admire me? That person will have to defend my actions at every step of the way and yet he’ll choose this path. Why?"

She finally said out the things that’d been gnawing at her heart. She still couldn’t understand the reason why Xiao Zhi Ren would choose to defend her or admire her.

"You do know that I hate you right?" Adrian asked his own question in return.

"Of course, I know. The feeling is quite mutual after all." Ru shrugged her shoulders as if his opinion was unimportant.

Adrian didn’t focus on her words and continued, "The reason I hate you had always been my grandmother’s trust in you. She would rather trust you than me. As for what type of a person you are... It never bothered me." Ru was surprised to hear his words. "Even if I want to, I can’t hate you for your work. You are a weird combination of ruthless personality and kindest heart. You have done a lot of things in the wrong way. But you never did something wrong."

"I always admired you for all the innocent lives you saved. People can judge you for taking some bastards lives but I’ll always choose to look at how those actions of yours gave new life and hope to a thousand others."

"Yes, one will always have to defend your actions but so what? It won’t change the fact that you are one of those people who stand high on their own capabilities. Not by some shady or backhanded means. You might not be honest with words but you are always honest with your actions and aims. That makes you peculiar for me."

Seeing her blinking at him with a slightly curled lips, he added, "Now, don’t let your boat float high above in the clouds. I was just being honest. But I still hate you as always."

Ru gave him a sincere smile almost dazzling Adrian who was taken aback. This must the only time, she actually gave him a real smile and not those devious ones. That smile was really... enchanting. Adrian shook his head at his own thoughts.

"Adrian, thank you for these words. But don’t ever say it again. It gave me goosebumps all over."

Adrian glared at her and turned back to his drink. He really shouldn’t have tried to be nice to this person. ’He’ doesn’t deserve it!

[1] ’bloody buggers’: Damn Jerks