Hellbound Heart

The next morning, Elle had woken up in a great mood. She had fallen asleep quite early last night because she got tired from all her excited wanderings and explorations.

Now it was only seven in the morning, and she was already all dressed and prepared. Yesterday, Ava had informed her that Sebastian was going to come fetch her early in the morning. So she made sure that she would already be ready when he arrives.

Though Ava did not mention anything more, Elle deduced that they most probably be heading for the Reigns residence. Therefore, she made sure to be dressed as presentable as she could be. She had already met the king and Sebastian's uncle and gladly, they seemed to be really nice, most especially Alexander. But she still did not know how the rest of his family would treat her once she meets them. She was not expecting everyone to like her, so she spent her remaining free time mentally preparing herself and relaxing at the same time. There was no point getting all nervous for no reason.

After a couple of hours of patiently waiting, the knock she was waiting for finally echoed.

Elle stilled the moment she realized it was Ava who stood in front of her door instead of Sebastian.

Her expression was apologetic as she looked at Elle. One look and Elle already knew she was going to apologize again and then inform her of some not so good news. She deduced that Ava might even say that Sebastian was not coming anymore.

"Miss…" Ava paused, hesitating.

"What is it? Is Prince Sebastian not coming?" Elle asked, her voice still light and calm.

Ava's eyes widened before she nodded curtly.

An odd smile curved on Elle's lips momentarily. "I see… did he say anything else?"

"His assistant said, he'll probably come to fetch you tomorrow." Ava said in an apologetic tone.

"Probably…" Elle repeated. Her voice soft but neutral. "So, I am to stay here and continue waiting for him? We're not going to the Reigns residence without him, am I right?"

Ava nodded slowly. "I apologize Miss –"

"Oh, there is no need to, Ava." Elle cut her off, giving her an understanding smile. "This is not your fault. And I understand Prince Sebastian is a busy man. Something must have cropped up at the last minute."

"I'm so glad you are so understanding, Miss. Do you want to explore again today? Please don't hesitate to tell me if you want to go somewhere again."

"Hmm… I guess we should go out again. I know Quesa is large. This time, I'd like to visit some more famous landmarks, shall we?" Elle suggested to Ava with a bright smile.

A wide smile plastered on Ava's relieved face and Elle excused herself to change her clothes into more appropriate clothing for another full day of excursion.

That day, Elle made sure to familiarize herself with the city and enjoy herself at the same time. Somehow, with how busy and occupied she was in her tour and sightseeing, she had not thought of Sebastian the entire day. And they returned to her hotel when the night was still relatively young.

But the next day, Sebastian did not appear. Again.

Elle had chosen to go out with Ava again since there were still a lot of places that they did not finish exploring the last two days. Quesa was really big and full of beautiful spots worthy of being top notch tourist attractions. The most amazing part was that there were no swarm of tourists everywhere that would block the view and bring unnecessary noise along. The entire time, Elle had felt as though she owned the places as there were barely any people around in those places that were supposed to be packed.

But she credited it to Ava. She thought that Ava must have known the right time to visit the places where there were less visitors. Though that was a bit questionable, Elle did not poke her nose about it anymore and just felt thankful that she had enjoyed the attractions by herself.

By evening, when it was time for dinner, her reliable companion and bodyguard had brought her to the most luxurious restaurant in the city called, Alistair. Ava had dutifully informed her that this place was the royal's favorite restaurant.

Elle was pretty amazed by the food that had been presented before her. She could not even say anything about it but just sang pure praises for it. She was still happily praising the food even while they were already leaving the building. She even praised Ava, telling her that it was a perfect choice on her part in arranging for their dinner.

But her smile froze and slowly faded at what she saw the moment she and Ava stepped out of the entrance.

A man was escorting a beautiful woman in a shimmering evening gown out of a luxury car. It was... Sebastian.

Time seemed to slow as she watched the woman wrap her hand around Sebastian's arm. And then they marched forward together. They walked with such grace, a perfect picture of a couple walking down a red carpet.