Robin swallowed her protest; something was wrong, and she couldn’t risk provoking him. She loosened his grip with careful fingers and turned to face him, looking straight into those brown eyes.

Those kind eyes she didn’t know if she could trust right now. 

She cupped his sharp face, her thumbs brushing over soft skin as she leaned in, stopping just a breath away.

“What got into you?” she whispered.

He looked down—it was uncommon for him not to meet her eyes. A solemn smile appeared on his face, as he tugged at her kimono, fixing it back in place.

She didn’t comment on it.

Instead, she tried to figure out what just happened. But she couldn’t use her ability—she promised never to use it on him a long time ago. 

“You don’t actually think I’m interested in Mr. Aldrick, do you?”

“Of course, not…” It sounded sure, yet somehow defeated. 

“Then?” she asked.

Trizstan wrapped his palms around hers, lifted her hand, and pressed a soft kiss onto it before guiding them back to rest over her chest.

He stepped back, arms crossed, giving her space. His long hair—pale like his face—fell over his beige suit, the black shirt beneath breaking the otherwise muted palette.

“I guess I just know Mr. Aldrick too well to assume he is here for nothing but business.”

With him now further from her, Robin allowed herself to massage her neck. She kept a straight face, but inside, she was furious. 

So all of this was for what then? If not jealousy, then… and with everything he said… 

Was it to punish her? To make her feel small? Even more indebted than she already was?

Why did he feel the need to remind her of her surgeries?

“I…” Trizstan continued, shaking his head—not meeting her gaze still. “Again, I don’t know what got into me. I promise it won’t happen again.”

Robin glared at him, her hands gripping the sink behind her. She didn’t say ‘it’s alright’—It wasn’t. 

He knew what she had been through. If he was actually sorry then he deserved to sit with that. 

“So…” he smiled, presumably trying to lighten the mood. “Mr. Aldrick. How did his check-in with Tamara go?”

Robin grit her teeth, but played off her fury with a nonchalant shrug. “I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t in the room. I merely showed him to the building and he—I assume—finished the interview. I was busy with other matters, so I didn’t get a chance to see him off.”

Her tone was pointed; she couldn’t control that.

But Trizstan smiled, either immune to her annoyance or choosing not to comment on it. This time, however, she could see real amusement from his body language—the way his shoulders relaxed. “And did he try to flirt again?”

Robin didn’t find the humor in it, even if they were joking about that gentleman for the past few weeks. Still, she knew she had to be honest here…

Trizstan was still her boss…

“Well, it is true that Mr. Aldrick seems smitten by me…”

Not like that excuses you from treating me like a possession.

“And he did just suggest a date so—“

“Did he?” Trizstan enquired, now meeting her eyes. Like the idea alone brought up his mood.

What the—

What was wrong with him? Not jealous, not angry, amused! Then why did he just—

But her mind kept spiraling to that one glaring question.

What the hell happened between those two? 

Trizstan was waiting for an explanation… The audacity of him expecting business to move on as usual. She decided, at least, he didn’t need to know that she was the one who suggested the date in the first place.

“Well, I told him I’d think about it…”

Not like she was considering it beyond superficial benefitting for both her and Trizstan at the time. 

But now, she would much rather be on that spontaneous date with Mr. Aldrick than this kitchen with Trizstan.  

He still seemed ignorant of her inner fury, his tone downright playful. “And what did his mind say?”

Robin couldn’t help herself. It was petty but she looked the other way. Her eyes fixed on a photo of the children on the fridge, hanging askew and barely clinging to its magnet.

He closed in to brush his fingers against her cheeks. “Aww, come now, Robin. Don’t tease me like that.”

Her nails clawed into her skin.

In fact, she remembered exactly what Mr. Aldrick was thinking—it had been egging at her this whole time. He was suspicious of Trzistan’s involvement in her skipping Spirit Academy.

Most likely suspicious of his other business affairs and shady deals too.

Just a few minutes ago, Robin would have defended Trizstan with her life too. 

But like hell did he deserve that information now. 

“I didn’t check.” She shrugged her shoulders. 

“Why not?” he asked. He didn’t sound angry—he never was. 

Robin looked into his eyes now. “His intentions seemed as clear as glass. I didn’t feel the need to.” That came off more defensive  than she meant, but she didn’t care.

Trizstan stood there, rubbing his chin in thought. The same pose as Mr. Aldrick earlier. Then his gaze wandered to her body. Solely, precisely, eying her up and down, sending a chill down her spine. 

How could she have ever found this man attractive?

Then that same confident smile appeared.. 

“I think you should go on that date.”