Is this destiny?

Eventually, Chloe calmed down, but she found herself in front of different sets of challenges.

In normal circumstances, she would probably enjoy her current situation. Noah was in her apartment, holding her tightly in his embrace, with his hand moving gently over her back. Her face was buried in his firm chest and she could inhale his masculine perfume. It was almost like a dream come true, to be in the arms of the handsome and powerful man who can stir her heart.

Unfortunately, these were NOT normal circumstances.

Chloe was not sure how to face Noah after this episode. First, her seniors blindsided her, accused her of sleeping with Noah for benefits, then they assumed that he is a lowly bodyguard who is sleeping with her for benefits… and then she broke apart in front of Noah and he is probably late for dinner.

What if it was an important dinner? A business meeting over a meal where he was supposed to discuss a deal worth millions of dollars? Whatever it was, it was definitely more important than her problems, yet he got late because of her.

It was just one embarrassment after another.

"Uhm…", Chloe cleared her throat and spoke without looking at Noah. She wanted to move away, but he was holding her firmly and her head was stuck to his chest. "It's probably not too late, and you should go to that dinner without me."

"I will not go without you.", Noah responded, and she was surprised that his voice was soft.

"I am not much of a company right now.", Chloe said, and she inched away from him as he loosened his hold on her.

Chloe's eyes flashed in panic when she saw traces of her mascara and lipstick on his shirt.

"I am so sorry… I will get this washed for you.", Chloe said in a trembling voice while rubbing the smears with her fingers, but it only increased the size of smudges.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a shirt.", Noah responded and tilted his head to see her face better.

He cupped her cheeks and wiped the tears with his thumbs. The sensors on Eve-lens told him that she calmed down to almost normal, so he didn't ask her how she was doing.

Chloe was looking into his neck, and she observed his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed. She didn't dare look into his face because he was too close and the act of Noah holding her face was very intimate. His hands were rough with calluses from fighting and weapons-handling, but she found his touch soothing, and she knew that she was blushing because the current situation was too stimulating.

With difficulty, she inched away.

"Dinner. You should go, really.", Chloe said, even though she didn't want him to go.

"We will go together.", he assured her.

"I am a mess."

Noah smiled. "That's fine. I'm in no rush. When you un-mess yourself, we will go."

He saw that Chloe pressed her lips into a line while trying to wiggle out of dinner, and he decided to change the topic. "Do you want me to take care of those three for you?"

Chloe's eyes widened. "They are Longs."

"And I am Bennet.", Noah said matter-of-factly.

Chloe wondered if he is joking or if there is some other meaning behind his statement. She never heard of the Bennet family. "Do you have a big family?"

"I have a younger brother who doesn't care about me for more than a decade, and in the last few years, I am barely in touch with my parents. They think of me as a failure."

Chloe was surprised by this. "Do they know that you are a director in a big company? You also manage a nightclub and are something like a right-hand-man to the second lady of the White family."

"A job doesn't define me. They are disappointed with my character."

"Your character? What is wrong with it?", Chloe voiced her thoughts.

How she sees Noah, he is a gentleman who helped her more than once without asking for anything in return. People look at him with awe and everyone respects him. How could anyone see that as negative, was beyond her.

Noah chuckled at Chloe's questions. "That almost sounded like there is nothing wrong with me."

"There is nothing wrong with you, Noah. You are an admirable man.", Chloe said honestly.

He was startled when readings on Eve-lens told him that she was not lying. "I am glad you see me like that."

"You saved me, again. Thank you."

"You are welcome. I will save you as many times as needed."

Chloe smiled. Somehow, she knew that he meant it. Of course, she didn't think that Noah will protect her from everything, but it was the thought that counts.

Her gaze fell on the stains on his shirt, and she realized that probably her face is a mess.

"I will go and freshen up…"

Noah watched after Chloe as she disappeared behind the door of her bedroom and when she was out of sight, he relaxed into the sofa and stared at the ceiling.

Noah used this solitude to analyze what happened. He is in a high position within the Army of Chaos and numerous fights and missions remolded his character. Noah is usually calm and collected, but when he got a hint that Chloe was in danger, he lost it and the only thing on his mind was to hurry and ensure that she was fine.

He also did another thing that is out of his character: he comforted her. At first, Noah was not sure if holding her was the right thing to do, but it took only a second of Chloe's body pressing on his for Noah to ascertain that she needed it. Or maybe he was the one who needed that more because as she calmed down, his nerves eased as well.

Noah thought that it was contradictory. He wanted to spend more time with Chloe to analyze his feelings and get some answers, yet only more questions popped up and he was still confused about many things with the only thing clear in his mind how he needed Chloe in his visible range all the time. Or perhaps in the touching range, because holding her felt good. Really good.

While Noah was deep in his thoughts, Chloe had a mind-storm of her own.

Chloe washed her face in the sink and looked at herself. Her chin shivered a bit at the thought that the Long seniors found her, and they don't seem to be willing to let her go.

She thought how her current appearance is not fitting. The messy bun exposes her slender neck and makes her look elegant, yet she didn't feel like it. Chloe pulled three hairpins and an elastic band out of her hair, spoiling the bun, and letting her light brown hair cascade down her back.

Chloe let out a long exhale. She was naïve to believe that this will go easily. To make things worse, even Noah got dragged into this mess and as retaliation, Longs might start targeting Blanc as well. Longs are capable of many things and they have the power and resources to back it up. Well, maybe after the incident with Samantha, Long family members won't dare to go against Whites (and in extension Blanc), but she was confident that this was not over.

What are her options? To cry and ask for help? She didn't want to rely on anyone. As for what she can do herself, Chloe saw only two options. The first one was to leave and keep on running until she gets out of reach of the Long family. She would need to give up the apartment and the job, but she would spare many people from the troubles of the Long family; people like Noah, Matilda, Rosie, Tim, and Chad, and all other wonderful people she met in the last week. The second option would be to return to the Long family and obey her seniors.

Both choices were hard, and she was not willing to do any of them.

Chloe reminded herself that Noah is in the living room, and she decided to bottle up these thoughts for now. Noah said that he wants them to have dinner together, so she will leave difficult choices for later, and now she will enjoy the temporary feeling of safety that comes with Noah's presence. 

Chloe re-applied lipstick, as the only makeup on her freshly washed face and she left the bathroom.

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