“I’ve been kidnapped before…” Lina slowly said.

Kaden didn’t appear to believe her. ​​

“Have we met before?” He asked.

His indifferent voice caressed her burning skin, sending a thrill down her spin.

Lina wanted to distract him. If he probed further, it’d be dangerous.

“That pick-up line is old.” Lina ignored his hardened stare.

Kaden rubbed his thumb across his bottom lip, his lips slightly curling upwards. He looked slightly humored by her, but also slgihtly annoyed as if he didn’t know what to do with her.

Lina’s gaze followed the movement of his fingers, lignering on his sharp jaw, and mouth.

Suddenly, the car came to a stop, and Sebastian walked out.

“Off you go, little dove,” Kaden warned her.

Lina warmed at his nickname. What part of her resembled a dove? She looked at her white dress, but said nothing and quickly got out the car.

Lina was floored to see her university. But she never told him—

The car door slammed shut.

Kaden watched her through the tinted window. She was unaware of her beauty, and it was evident in the way she stood, taunt and confused by her surroundings. There was a crowd beginning to gather outside the university entrance.

“Find out everything about her,” Kaden commanded with an edge to his voice.

“Right away, Boss,” Sebastian said, bringing up his tablet. They already had her university and full name. It shouldn’t be that hard, right?

“To the company,” Kaden commanded his secretary, Sebastian.

“Yes, Boss,” Sebastian responded, giving the driver the command.

Sebastian realized his Boss was still staring at Lina, with a dark and devious glimmer.

The Boss didn’t even realize there were people staring at the car, trying to get a peak at him.

When the entire world was watching him, he was watching her.

– – – – –

Lina wondered how he knew her university, but he drove off before she could ask. She hoped this was a done and closed deal… and that she’d never have to see him again. She wanted nothing to do with him, for his future was as haunting as the past they shared together.

Lina tried to not think about her reoccurring nightmares, where Kaden was always present. Always haunting her mind, her past, and her soul.

“History better not repeat itself,” Lina said to herself.

Lina was beginning to contemplate about the past. Her first life, to be exact.

How was it possible for Kaden to be alive? The Second King of Ritan should’ve died 900 years ago…

Lost in her thought, Lina was startled when someone grabbed her arm.

“Wow, this is the first time I’ve seen you lost in thought! If only you had this face during exam times,” a voice snorted from besides her.

Lina turned her head to realize it was her dear friend, Isabelle. “That’s because I don’t need to think during exams,” she retorted.

“Must be nice to know the answer right off the bat,” Isabelle snorted. “Whereas pitiful plebs like me must jump through hoops just to know which equation to use.”

Lina lightly laughed, patting her dear friend’s arm. “Well, if you paid attention, instead of viewing every table as your personal nap pillow, I’m sure you wouldn’t struggle.”

Isabelle rolled her eyes. She ignored the frequent glances in her direction, specifically from the men of their department. By now, it was a common encounter.

“By the way, I didn’t know you came from money as well,” Isabelle stated.

Usually, Isabelle was the one with money, supporting her pitiful Lina who survived off of gum and coffee. A low rumble could be heard in the distance, warning of a rain storm.

Lina paled at the thought. She wanted to distract herself from the unforeseeable storm.

“What are you talking about?” Lina asked, brushing off Isabelle’s statement. They had been friends for two years now, but acted as if they were long-lost sisters.

At least, that was how Isabelle put it. Despite being friends, Isabelle didn’t know a lot about Lina’s background.

“That black limousine,” Isabelle stated. “It’s the one my dad uses for red carpets.”

Lina decided to give half the truth. “I fainted in the museum and a kind stranger took me back here.”

Kind… Yeah right. Lina resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

“You fainted again?” Isabelle groaned. “You should really go to the doctors. One day you’re going to end up collapsing in the middle of the street.”

“It’s just anemia,” Lina lied.

“Says the one who feints every morning,” Isabelle scoffed.

Isabelle had lost count of how many times Lina would wake up, touch her, and then collapse for a few seconds, before getting back up. By now, it was a morning routine for both of them.

“But not this morning,” Lina corrected Isabelle.

“Oh, that’s a surprise,” Isabelle stated.

“You wouldn’t know,” Lina mused. “Where were you this morning?”

Isabelle averted her gaze and played with the ends of her hair. She was still leaning on Lina, looping her hand through her friend’s arms.

“As long as you’re not doing anything that’d make me an Aunt some time soon, you don’t have to tell me,” Lina laughed, wondering why Isabelle was being so secretive.

But Lina wouldn’t judge. She was just as secretive, but better at hiding it.

“Oh don’t worry,” Isabelle scoffed. “With half the campus men smitten by you, I doubt I’ll have anyone to make babies with.”

“What happened to that guy from last week?”

“Which one? There’s three,” Isabelle responded naively.

“Right…” Lina trailed off.

There were people looking at her direction, but she felt like they were mainly observing Isabelle. She couldn’t blame them.

Isabelle had the kind of beauty that tempted both men and women alike. Her confidence was as attractive as it was striking.

Sometimes, Lina wondered what Isabelle’s skin care secret was. All Isabelle did was wash her face with water and she’d wake up with perfect skin. And Lina had witnessed it too.

“…the Second King…”

Lina snapped back to reality, particularly towards Isabelle. “What?”

Isabelle blinked and tilted her head. “I asked if you enjoyed the tour about the Second King of Ritan.”

Lina slowly nodded her head, feeling as if she had overreacted. Forcing a smile, she gazed ahead of them.

“I missed the tour, but I meet this man that looked like him,” Lina admitted.

“Wow, really?” Isabelle gushed, her eyes widening with excitement like a small child during Christmas. “They say the Second King was so handsome, women threw themselves hat his feet, yet he loved no one but—”

“But the enemy kingdom’s favored Princess,” Lina murmured, remembering it very well.

How could she not? She was there to live the moment.

“Sigh, what a romantic love story they had,” Isabelle wistfully said.

“Well, it wasn’t as romantic, given the—”

“Boo hoo, all I care about is their love story, and not their ending,” Isabelle said, happily skipping up the road leading to their dorms.

Now that classes were over, they were beginning to make plans for the long Winter break before Spring classes begun.

“Don’t you think so?” Isabelle asked.

“I suppose…” Lina muttered.

Lina painfully smiled. Of course, everyone loved the romance aspects of it, but never the tragedy that followed afterwards.

Lina touched her neck and sighed, glancing upwards, wondering which shameless God cursed her with this fate.

It was painful enough for Lina to have nightmares, now, she had to witness history repeating itself.

+ + + + +

Author’s Note: Please vote for this story to help it be discovered and thus, leading to more chapters~