She picked up another one from the box, and another and another, but still found no message. One-fourth of the sweet was candy floss. Then she found a hard candy, then some big bar of chocolates made of coconut, milk, etc. She almost ate half of the box, yet no message. Hera felt her heart go wild with anticipation. “Fuck you, Lucifer. By this rate, I’ll die of a sugar high soon,” she cursed Hunter and wanted to slap him. 

Hunter had done it every single time for years now. He would gift her a box full of sweets, and she would search for that one messenger sweet. He had named it “Sweet messenger”. She swallowed the last bite of the bar she’s eating and decided to check one last sweet for the night. She’d stuffed her stomach so full already, it’d given her an initial sugar rush, and she’s afraid she might get a severe stomach ache. 

She slowly munched the heart-shaped fruity sweet, filled with strawberry taste which drew out a moan of satisfaction from her mouth.. She thought she could stuff her tummy with one more, and just like that she ate a few more. 

Finally, Hera realised that she had had enough quota of sugar for the day and decided to sleep. She lifted the glass full of water from the bedside table and drank half of it. Then she put the rose in that glass and kissed it. Hera was about to close the lid of the sweet box once she dumped the empty wrappers in the trash bin. But then a big oval-shaped sweet caught her attention. 

It almost looked like an Easter Egg, designed like a globe, painted in blue and white with a sprinkle of sparkling glitter. She couldn’t resist and took it out ready to unwrap it. How desperate was she for that Sweet Messenger? 

‘He could kill you, and you would still be crawling out of your dead body to lick his feet. So much for hating him.’ 

Her subconscious mind mocked her traitorous heart because, after everything he had made her go through, her pathetic heart still craved for him. 

Squeezing her eyes shut, Hera groaned acknowledging the cruel reality that her mind just made her realise. Pitying her vulnerable heart, she closed the box. 

“Okay then, let’s sleep now. I need to restore my strength for tomorrow to face this neverending saga of my love life,” she muttered and scoffed. 

She went to bed, bouncing her head on the soft pillow as she used to do in her childhood days and eventually let the sleep consume her consciousness. 

Something disturbed her sleep again, and she looked around the room with her half-opened sleepy eyes. It was still dark. Rolling onto her side, Hera switched on the bed lamp on her left. The clock on the wall showed it’s ten past five in the morning. 

Hera groaned and sat up. It’s useless to stay in bed anymore since she could never get back to sleep once it was disturbed. Cursing her inability, she crawled out of bed. Dragging her feet in slow, lazy steps, Hera Walked over to the window and drew the curtains aside. She pushed open the glass windows, letting the fresh air fill the room. 

Though the sky looked dark due to the dim morning light, the view from the window looked beautiful nonetheless. Admiring the greenery outside, Hera breathed in the sweet fragrance of the morning breeze before pondering on the reason that woke her up. 

It was a weird feeling since she felt as if someone was watching her sleep. Goosebumps appeared on her skin, producing an uneasy, fearful sensation making her shudder. Hera checked the room and the lock twice to make sure she’s safe and that no one had trespassed violating her safety. 

Since she couldn’t go back to sleep, instead of wasting time, she thought it’s better to take a bath. The hot water shower eased her nerves and erased her uneasiness. Draping the towel around her body, Hera walked out of the bathroom. 

The brightness in the room was very dim for her to make out anything, and Hera could hardly see with the lights off. The curtains closed as well. She frowned in strange confusion. She remembered opening the windows when she woke up. She certainly remembered switching on the lights before going to bath. 

Unaware of the hungry eyes feasting on her almost nakedness, she went to the switch. Still holding that confused frown on her pretty face, she switched on the lights and turned around to face the mirror. Hera jumped, startled and her eyes went wide like saucers as soon as she gazed into the most beautiful yet dangerously intoxicating eyes of the devil himself through the mirror. 

There he stood tall in all his handsome glory, leaning against the closed door, dressed in a black T-shirt paired with black shorts, feet clad in black flip-flop sliders. She turned her back to the mirror, readying herself to look into the eyes of her tormentor. 

“Oh, my God! What the fuck, Hunter?” She exclaimed, hands on her chest, trying to catch her breath. “You scared me to death. What the hell are you doing in my room?” She asked in an unsteady voice which failed to hide her nervousness, but she didn’t get any reply. 

He’s looking at her with an emotion she couldn’t identify. Hands stuffed in his short’s pockets, predatory eyes fixed on her, his tongue darted out, running over his bottom lip before pulling it in between his perfectly arranged pearly white teeth. He looked like a starving wild animal ready to pounce on her. That intense stare made her suddenly remember that she’s standing in front of him wearing just a tiny towel. 

Alarmed, her hands moved up to make sure towel stayed tightly secured around her body. 

Hera felt like her lungs were closing off, and she couldn’t breathe. His intimidating stature was scaring her to hell. 

“You were supposed to be in Italy. How come you,” whatever words she was about to utter died in her mouth as he pulled himself off the door and took a step forward. Instinct kicked warning her, and she bolted to the bathroom. She was about to lock the door, but he caught her with reflexes too fast for her to beat. 

With his one hand, he pushed the door, restricting it from closing, without using much effort, and she stumbled back further into the bathroom. He used his other hand to grab her arm and pulled her into his chest. Hera gasped, and Hunter’s lips curled into a sexy smile while she tried to protest against his stronghold. 

‘Any girl would die for that dazzling smile.’

Hera cringed at that disgusting thought. It couldn’t get any more ironic. She wasn’t just any girl because only she knew the evil lurking behind that smile.