CHAPTER 105: Revelations

CHAPTER 105: Revelations

When Enid returned from her encounter with her reflection, the room was dim. To her surprise, Fénix was no longer asleep; he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his torso leaning forward, partially dressed.

"Awake already?" Enid asked, tilting her head with a smile that didn't hide her possessive tone.

Fénix adjusted his shirt without looking at her.
"Yeah… I guess I slept enough." His voice was deep, distant, almost as if he wanted to cut the conversation short.

She watched him silently as he stood up and began putting on his jacket. There was something about his way of ignoring the ties that made her boil inside.

"And you're leaving so soon…?" Enid asked, walking slowly toward him. "After the good time we had… I thought you'd stay a little longer with me."

Fénix barely snorted, not stopping, as if he hadn't quite heard the complaint. He adjusted his sling and bent to pick up his tie from the back of the chair.

Enid seized that moment. In an agile movement, she grabbed his tie before he could put it on, pulling him toward her with a force that brooked no resistance. The fabric grew taut between her fingers, and her eyes shone with a mix of mischief and dominance.

"You look irresistible when you try to escape from me," she murmured, dragging out the words coquettishly. "But don't fool yourself, Fénix… I always know how to bring you back."

Enid's smile became more feline as she gently pulled the tie, bringing her face close to his, close enough for their breath to mingle. There was something in her tone that was both an insinuation and a warning: he could try to pull away, but he would never be out of her reach.

Fénix lowered his gaze, uncomfortable with how close Enid was, almost trapped by the tension of the tie in her hands.

"Enid…" he murmured in a deep voice, unable to hide a certain annoyance. "It's not the time for this, okay? I'm tired… and I don't feel well."

She arched an eyebrow, still not releasing him.
"You always have an excuse, don't you?" she whispered with a playful tinge, though beneath it sparkled a dominance she couldn't hide. "But don't worry, wolf… I'm not going to chain you up."

Fénix shifted, uncomfortable with the proximity, until Enid finally let go of the tie with a slow, calculated gesture, as if she had wanted to make her point.

"You can leave if you want," she said with a dangerous smile. "But remember, darling…" her voice dropped to a burning whisper, skirting the forbidden, "...this bed still holds your warmth, and I'll be waiting for you when you want to reclaim what is already yours… or let me claim it for you."

Fénix swallowed, looking away. He said nothing more; he simply turned toward the door and left with heavy steps.

Outside, in the silent hallway, he leaned his back against the wall and brought a hand to his face. He was breathing heavily, not so much from the pain in his shoulder, but from how strange everything had been.

"Shit…" he muttered to himself, frowning. "That wasn't the Enid I know."

For a moment, he stood still, replaying in his head the glint in her eyes, that possessive tone disguised as seduction. It was as if he had seen another side of the CEO, one that unsettled him as much as it attracted him.

He shook his head and began walking down the hallway, trying to push those thoughts away, but the feeling persisted:
Enid had changed. Or perhaps she had simply shown a part of herself that had always been hidden.

The echo of Fénix's footsteps resonated in the silent hallway. He was walking with a furrowed brow, trying to process what had just happened in Enid's room, when a soft voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Fénix?" said Anna, appearing from one of the branching corridors.

He looked up. Anna was looking at him with a light smile, as always, with that kind air that set her apart from the rest at Enid Corp.

"Hello, Anna," he replied, attempting normality, though his tiredness was still evident.

She tilted her head, noticing his sling.
"It looks like you're still in discomfort." She paused for a second, and then, with a slight blush, added, "I was thinking… would you like to have dinner with me?"

Fénix blinked, surprised.
"Dinner?"

"Yes," Anna smiled shyly. "A week ago, you taught me a lot about weapons… and thanks to that, I've felt much safer in the field. I want to thank you for it, at least with a meal."

Fénix observed her for a moment. There was something refreshing about her proposal, far from the suffocating atmosphere he had just left behind. Finally, he nodded.
"Alright… I accept."

Anna lit up with a sincere smile.
"Great. Let's go then, I know a quiet place."

The two began walking together down the long hallway, Fénix's boots echoing in step with Anna's discreet heels. For the first time in a long while, he felt he could breathe a little easier.