PERSEPHONE

15 | Champagnes and Confessions

15 | Champagnes and Confessions

Emerald's POV

I could hear someone humming the melody of the song being played in the car. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see who it was. Axel. My heart skipped as he continued to hum in a deep voice of whatever the car's speakers were playing. The melody sweetly accompanied by his voice made it enchanting and I couldn't help but get bewildered at the man in the driver's seat. His fingers lightly tapped on his thighs, going to the beat of the song.

"You can sing." I blurted out and he immediately stopped, an intake of breath piercing the air between us.

"Oh. Did I wake you? Sorry. I didn't mean to be loud." He cleared his throat, scratching the back of his neck shyly. I smiled at him as he tried to avoid my gaze. I slowly sat up and looked outside the car windows. The parking lot was now full and it looked like it was already midnight.

"How long did I sleep?" I rubbed my eyes.

"Around 2 hours. Did you rest well?" He asked as he tapped on his phone and the music he was humming to abruptly stopped.

"I did. Thank you for letting me sleep for a while. My body couldn't take it anymore." He nodded at that and he cleared his throat again.

"So, should we go up? I have to cancel your massage appointment since it's already late. I can have it rescheduled tomorrow though." He offered, showing me my secretary's number on his phone.

"Yes please. I would love that. Let's go up. I don't think I have the energy to go back home now."

"Yeah. It's not a problem. Let's go." He got out of his car and went to open my door. The blanket was still bunched up on my lap and he helped me fold it.

"I'll have those." He began to take the pillows but I held on the blanket.

"Let me hold this." I told him and he didn't argue with me on that. Instead, he just nodded at me and he got the rest of my things before closing and locking the car.

"Are you going home after you... you know." I nodded upwards where my penthouse was on the top of the building. The elevator dinged and opened for us and I quietly followed him inside. He pressed the penthouse button in the elevator before he turned towards me.

"I'm your bodyguard. I won't leave you behind. We don't know what dangers you will be in especially with you being the mastermind of the next royal crown of Sweden." He was so serious when he talks and his eyes searched for mine. I cleared my throat and looked away. I could feel the tension burning between us. Awkward...

"Okay, dude. Chill. It's not like they are going to kill me. I won't be dying over here." I awkwardly laughed, before raising the blanket higher to my face to cover the heat spreading across my cheeks. I watched him clench his jaw.

Did he not like what I said?

It was the truth. I was sure no one was going to kill me. I have been living my life peacefully for the past few years and no one ever held me at gunpoint... except...

"You're really not that cautious with your safety, don't you?" He sighed, turning his back on me.

"Well, I always have Emil's bodyguards with me when he feels like I am not safe but I haven't really had any near-death or bleeding to death situation. Unless that time I was with my best friends..." I thought about it and he quickly turned to face me again. His eyes were alarmed and his brows furrowed.

"What do you mean? So there was a time? When was it? Where? How-"

"Axel," I sighed. I reached out to his chest and I could feel his heart beating fast.