Ian Basti stepped out onto the road and made his way to the car.
He paused and lifted his gaze to the sky, noting the rain that had slowly begun to fall, steady and cold.
From the left, Harlow and Killian approached.
"Sir, we've done the job," Killian said.
Harlow added, "We returned him to his house without being seen. I even slipped a dollar under his pillow."
Both Ian and Killian turned at him.
"A…dollar?" Ian was confused. "For what?"
Harlow grinned. "Killian told him it was the tooth fairy before we took him, so I figured I'd put money under his pillow, for the full experience."
Ian stared at him, dumbfounded. He could only pinch between his brows and slid into the car. Killian, on the other hand, smacked Harlow on the back of his head.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You can be very stupid sometimes!" Killian muttered, bowing deeply at Ian as the car pulled off into the road.
Twenty minutes into the drive, Ian suddenly slowed down his car.
His nose was twitching like crazy.
He could smell her. Diana.
Her scent was faint, almost lost in the rain, but it was there, lingering and getting bolder.
His gaze darted around.
What could she be doing out here at the park? It was a route to his penthouse, and he surely didn't expect her to be out here this late at night.
He pulled over and stepped out of the car. His gaze scanned the area, searching for her until they eventually landed on her.
Diana was seated under the rain on the public bench, legs pulled up to her chest with her chin resting on her knees. She wore nothing more than the suit she'd been in before he'd rushed her to the hospital.
Ian scowled.
He wanted to approach her, but first, he veered toward the passerby who was heading off with an umbrella in hand.
"Can I have your umbrella?" he asked.
The stranger looked up from his phone, startled. "Huh?"
"I need that umbrella you're holding."
The man frowned. "I can't…give it to you. I have a long way to go."
"Really?" Ian gestured toward Diana. "She's sick and I can't let her get any worse than she already is from the rain. Lend me the umbrella."
"Look, I'm sorry about her, but—"
He pulled out his wallet and held out five hundred bucks. "Can I have the umbrella now?"
The man blinked. Then his lips spread into the biggest of smiles as he collected it.
"O-of course. It's all yours."
Ian took the umbrella and walked over to the bench where Diana was still seated. He held it above her, shielding her from the downpour.
She slowly lifted her gaze at the presence of his figure.
There was no noticeable reaction, but he saw the subtle widening of her pupils, before she murmured, "You…"
"What are you doing out here in the rain?"
"None of your business." An aura of crushing displeasure radiated from her.
Ian squatted before her, ignoring the rain soaking the hem of his knee-length coat. He took something out of his pocket and handed it to her.
Diana's eyes blazed a beautiful amber in confusion. "A lollipop? Why are you giving me a lollipop?"
"Sweet things make people happy. You've been crying and you look very pitiful right now."
"Keep your lollipop," she stressed the word with pure irritation. "I don't want it."
"Hmm," he hummed, unfazed.
His free hand reached out and his fingers brushed aside the strands of her wet hair that stuck to her forehead.
"You should've at least won a raincoat. It's raining heavily out here, you know."
Her throat worked up and down and he couldn't help but notice.
"What do you want from me?" She slapped his hand off. "Somehow you're always everywhere I am. Are you stalking me or something?"
She sounded frustrated but for some reason, it didn't seem like he was the reason.
Still, he frowned.
"Stalking you?" A dry chuckle escaped him as he rose to his feet. "No. But you seem to always show how much you dislike me even when I'm no harm, like now."
"That's not—"
"You want me to leave you here, don't you?" he cut in. "Fine, I will."
Ian placed the umbrella beside her and wrenched his eyes off her. He walked off, continuing on his way to his car with hands pocketed into his drenched coat.
She was his mate, but heck did she know how to get under his skin sometimes without even try—
Something tugged on his coat and he scowled. Now was not the time for anyone to piss him off and if it was…
The rest of his thought got buried at the set of thin long fingers folded into his coat, firmly.
He stared down at Diana's smaller frame. The way she was unable to meet his eyes, gaze lowered to her feet, yet still not letting go of the material. Like a panda.
"I'm…sorry. And I don't dislike you or anything. It's not…like that." Her words were such soft whispers.
He didn't know what to do. He tried to step back, but she tugged harder on his coat.
"I said sorry."
"And?" He grasped her chin, tilting her face up. "Didn't you want me gone just a minute ago?"
Diana swallowed. He'd expected her to push him away, but she didn't.
"I'm…sorry. I already said that."
"And?" he pressed.
"You're being insufferable, Ian Basti."
"For someone clinging to me like a kicked puppy, you sure have a lot to say," Ian snickered.
Instead of a snacky comeback, Diana's lips twitched as if she found his words funny, her evident misery vanishing for a second.
His light-coloured lashes flickered. He couldn't think all of a sudden, his mind sort of numbed. He grasped her wrist and strode toward his car.
Diana stumbled after him, confused by his sudden behavior. "Ian, wait, where are you taking me?" she asked hurriedly.
"Get in the car. Now.