
Just as they had left for this place earlier, a driver had been waiting, standing upright beside the car and moving quickly to open the door for his master as they stepped closer. The condition of Akram's hand that is still stretched and connected directly to his injured chest does make Akram choose not to drive himself first for safety until his arm is healed properly.
Hundreds of round lights set at the end of the towering pole and lined up along the giant parking area seemed to light up and escort their steps with a soothing warm yellow light. The atmosphere was a little quiet, only the sound of a simple car roar and moved to leave the parking area near them.
Elana who got into the car first, followed by Akram. The car then drove away from the parking lot which was a little quiet amid the darkness that surrounded them.
When the car had left the main gate of Ocean Garden speeding on the crowded highway, Elana finally ventured to steal a glance towards Akram carefully.
For some reason, after the kiss of the two of them at the end of the fireworks attraction, Akram's attitude seemed different. The man wore a stern expression that implied cruelty, while Elana saw the man's molars harden, as if holding back anger.
But what makes Akram angry? Didn't they manage to create a peaceful feel until they got home? Actually what happened that made Akram look so tense and stiff?
The attitude of Elana who looked at him secretly turned out to be realized by Akram. The man turned his head towards Elana and quickly and instantly caught Elana wet who instantly tried to look away at the outer window in embarrassment.
“I am not angry,” Akram sizzled slowly as if he could understand the question raging in Elana's mind. The man then advanced his body to install a soundproof glass cover separating the passenger cabin with the driver area in front, to maintain their privacy while conversing.
Elana courageously turned her head back towards Akram, her forehead wrinkled as she finally asked her question.
“Then... why do you look so... tense?” slowly tanyanya.
For some reason, Elana's question even put on an ironic smile on Akram's lips, as if the man was holding back the annoyance of Elana's endless innocence.
"Are you teasing me?" hiss Akram with a dangerous tone.
Elana's breath was restrained while her face was crimson with embarrassment when she heard Akram's words, Elana pulled her hand from Akram's grasp, then flicked her own hand in a nervous manner.
“I didn't mean to tease or lure you..” Elana uttered a sentence defending herself with shame, which was unexpectedly even responded with Akram's hardness.
“Oh, yes, you don't need to explain to me Elana. I'm the one who knows best how you never teased or lured me. Even if you can choose, of course you would prefer to run and stay away from me as far as possible, right?” Akram does not keep her body away, urging Elana to one side of the car so there is no chance for Elana to escape.
When Elana did not respond to her question, Akram extended her hand to Elana's chin, facing the woman towards her so that Elana would really look at herself as she spoke.
“But you certainly know that all that makes no difference to me. I will keep chasing you even if you reject me,” Akram suddenly bowed and gave a kiss back on Elana's lips. AfterwardsKram chuckled. That man, somehow so easily laughed today. “But because we can't be here, then…. How about somewhere else?” without waiting for Elana's approval, Akram thrust his body back towards the glass and opened the glass, then threw a series of commands that could hardly be captured by Elana's sense of hearing.
When Akram returned to his sitting position with a slightly more relaxed attitude coupled with a satisfied smile, Elana immediately asked back.
“You.... You said you were going to the hotel?” from what Elana caught earlier, Akram had ordered his driver to turn towards a nearby hotel instead of going back to his apartment.
Akram turned his head slightly towards Elana, then smiled in a meaningful slant.
“Our apartment is too far away,” the answer is short, making Elana's cheeks turn red.
***
***
When they stepped into the hotel door, Akram did not wait long, the man immediately grabbed Elana and carried her into a hug.
The closeness of their embrace made Elana realize that Akram had indeed refrained so strongly from touching her out there. And now, when Akram was in the room alone with her, it was certain that no one would be able to stop the man.
“Akram.. wait a minute,” Elana's breath gasps as her hands attempt to push Akram's chest to give herself a chance to breathe oxygen into her lungs. He turned his face away as Akram tried to clench his lips back, making Akram use the fingers to lift his chin in annoyance.
“Are you trying to reject me?” asked Akram with a sharp tone and shiny eyes.Elana looked at Akram awkwardly, trying to find an excuse.
This man seemed so eager that it felt intimidating, awakened Elana's instincts as a threatened prey and wanted to hide, staying away for a moment to protect himself from the onslaught of hungry predators who obviously wanted to devour him alive.
The movement is certainly not separated from Akram's supervision. The two arms of the man gripped the left and right sides of Elana's arms in a careful motion, then gently rubbed the sides of the arms to help warm Elana's body with a swipe of their warm skin.
“You're cold?” an anxious tone appeared in Akram's voice, instantly he remembered that there was still one more time that the antidote serum should be given to Elana.
Xavier has clearly explained that he does not want to let go of his one-time opportunity to be near Elana unobstructed and even had time to leave a message entrusted to Elios to be conveyed to Akram, that tomorrow, Elana must be delivered to her house early in the morning to receive the third serum.
If only she could, Akram would never let Elana go to Xavier's house again. Who knows what calamity will hit Elana when she has to get close to her adoptive sister who seems to always bring misfortune as her aura?
Elana nodded her head slightly towards Akram, noticing the chill she had not felt before, but was now crawling her body without being covered up.
“The poison left in your body seems to be waking up and the effect is starting to feel, it's because you're nearing the time given the antidote,” Akram bent down and scooped up Elana's body without warning, it's because you're close to being given the antidote, then took her into a sling while stepping towards the bed, put Elana there and then followed to hug her. “Tomorrow I'll drive you to Xavier's house to get the antidote. For now, let me warm you up,”
Akram lowered his head again, about to smash Elana's lips, but Elana held back her chest with her hands, making Akram frown with an impatient expression.
“What else is it?” the question is fast with a demanding tone.
Elana's cheeks blush. “You... why do you always... think of me as your maninan?"
Elana's unexpected question made Akram stunned. This woman had never questioned this before, not as plainly as she is today. Well, maybe because all this time there's never been a chance for this woman to ask. Elana is more busy resisting and trying to escape from him while Akram who does not accept rejection, does not give the woman a chance to speak and immediately claims his passion for Elana unilaterally.
Akram thinned his lips, deciding to reveal what was in his mind honestly.
“I used to think of you as my toy. But now, don't you realize the difference from my treatment of you? Right now, I'm positioning you as my lover. Is not making love is a thing that should be done by lovers?” in a slow sentence, Akram answered, using questions to provoke Elana's reaction.
And sure enough, Elana immediately fought back, the woman's eyes glittering with protest.
“Pa... lovers do not do that. they... they may join hands and date as we did earlier in the amusement park, they sometimes talk and spend time together…. But they will only make love if...” Elana's voice is swallowed in the throat, she can not issue a sentence stating that they should only be allowed to have sex if they are married, he said, because she did not want Akram to think of her as a status thirsty woman that Akram really wanted to marry like other women who had been chasing after the man.
Nah! Marrying Akram was the last thing Elana had in mind. His background and Akram's background will never match. Not to mention, her low status in Akram's eyes, clearly made the man think her only worthy of being made a lover, as a mistress, as a lustful gratifier. Meanwhile, Akram will obviously choose a woman from a respectable class who deserves his status to be his wife.
Elana also never had any dreams or thoughts about her becoming Akram's wife in the future. He... he still harbors the hope of escaping from Akram, right?
Although Akram has changed his attitude and treated Elana as he said earlier... regard Elana as his lover........ but Elana should still try to break away from the man, right?
The doubt that flashed on Elana's facial expression made Akram's molars harden. The man used one of his hands to cupped Elana's chin, turned Elana's face towards her, then brought her own face so close, with her eyes fixed.
“What's wrong with wanting to hug you? I finally found someone who could make me want to hug a woman without feeling careless or bored afterwards…. What's wrong with trying to get as close to you as possible? That's the only expression of affection I know. So, what's wrong with that?” akram's eyes narrowed as the man held his nose close to Elana's nose. “We've come this far, Elana. Could it be that you still have the desire to break away from me?” he asked with a sharp probing tone that made Elana slightly gasp, surprised because Akram seemed to be able to read what was in his soul.
Elana's reaction created a bitter flash mixed with pain in Akram's eyes. Akram's lips curtailed a smile full of irony as the man seemed to force himself away from Elana and sat back on the edge of the bed.
“Reacted right. No matter what I do, I still can't change your heart and make you willing to stay by my side. You still harbored the desire to escape from me,” Akram's expression turned cold, however, his hand gently moved to envelop Elana's cold body with a thick bed cover down her chin.
The man then stood up from the bed, his eyes staring at Elana who was unable to say a word.
“Sleep. I will clean myself first,” with a stiff voice, Akram turned around, then stepped quickly to open the bathroom door, and his body then disappeared behind the bathroom door that was closed tightly.
***
***